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
of Gods children are not so sirme as that it is neuer shaken they are not alwaies in the tenour and as the Lord giueth them of his grace in measure so hee giueth them at sometimes more at sometimes lesse he often humbleth them with incredulitie to exercise them in prayer and to confirme them the more by his Spirit whereof they haue had a pledge in his word Wee haue learned that the Prophet thought himselfe to haue no life but as he had the feeling of the life of the Sonne of God to be conueyed to him by the spirit of God through the working of the word of God and that as we breathe eate playe and labour wee haue nothing differing from bruite beasts as we haue fiue wits to discourse of things we haue nothing more than the heathen than the Turkes than the vngodly infidels The Scriptures shew that all that liue in ignorance and sinne are dead for they that liue in ignorance sit in darkenes and in the shadow of death as it is in the song of Zacharie and if we liue in sinne the Apostle witnesseth we are but dead Ephes 2.1 The death of sinne is the life of a man and the life of sinne is the death of a man sinne then I meane to liue in vs when wee giue ouer our selues to sin with pleasure and lye in our sinne with delight And yet here is a further thing for the man of God speaketh of the experience of Gods children who when they feele delight in prayer and their inward man delighted with the word of God they thinke they are aliue and that so long they walke in the land of the liuing but when they fal into some sinne and become vnthankfull or pensiue there comes a dulnes and deadnes of heart they are not able to see any difference betweene themselues and the reprobates and finding in themselues such an heape of ill inclinations they think themselues to be dead It followeth in the verse And disappoint me not of mine hope As if he should say O Lord euen as I trust in thy word so my hope is that thy word shall be accomplished As faith is the mother of hope so hope is the daughter and nurse of faith for faith breedeth hope and hope nourisheth faith faith assureth vs of the trueth of Gods word hope waiteth for the accomplishment of it His meaning then is Lord as I trust in thy word so strengthen my faith and disappoint mee not of my hope for howsoeuer the wicked continue for a while I beleeue that I shall haue a glorious end I beleeue it is not lost labour to serue the Lord O Lord I hope to see them troden downe that breake thy statutes Thus we see how Gods children feare their vnbeliefe and nourish their faith with prayer so the true Minister of God cannot but be zealous to stirre vp his people to feruent and frequent prayer We see the one halfe of this Psalme to bee prayer and that in euery portion two or three or foure verses be prayers And the man of God being willing to bring his knowledge to feeling hath still this prayer Stay mâ—e in thy word teach mee thy statutes disappoint me not of my hope establish thy promises to thy seruant For as reading hearing and conferring doe more increase knowledge than feeling so meditating praying and singing doe more nourish feeling than knowledge Had he that had such a faith in Gods word such ioy such delight such life in the spirit neede so often and feruently to pray then I beseech you let vs pray pray pray Vers. 117. Stay thou me and I shall be safe and I will delight continually in thy statutes THis agreeth with that in the verse going before stablish mee according to thy promise Hadst thou need Dauid to be staied didst thou wauer oh how need we to be stayed and to pray against our wauering he meaneth here thus much although I am well minded and delight in thy law yet I am so brittle and so slipperie that if thou stay mee not I shall sall I am gone Oh man of God feeling his owne wants and infirmities I shall be safe that is If I be not stayed by thine hand I shall be at the last cast Psal. 30. 6 he said hee should neuer be remoued here is another spirit where he saith he should be safe But here wofull experience taught him that he durst not be stayed on himselfe whereby he declareth that as without Gods word he could not be safe so come what come would befall what danger could befall in the Lords word he was staied sufficiently Then we are to learne that the promises of God must engender in vs a care and feare of our selues for if we begin once to be quiet with our selues when wee begin to be secure and presumptuous let vs assure our selues that we are not farre from sinne But if we feare that wee are staggering and reeling persons and that we are very slipperie is there not cause of humbling that this humblenes should breed carefulnesse carefulnesse should cause watchfulnesse watchfulnesse should vse the meanes and the meanes should be sanctified by prayer Then come hell come the diuell come the world come the flesh if the Lord stay vs we shall liue and not die we shall surely not miscarie And I will delight continually in thy statutes Wee see here that there is no free will for he prayeth likewise Port. 5. 1. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Neither did he promise of himselfe before but did hope in the Lord. Such brittlenes is in the world such sleights in the flesh such slinesse in SathaÌ„ such corrupt examples in the world that vnlesse the Lord stay vs we are so farre off from delight in good that we are ready to fall into great sinnes Euery man therefore is to search his owne heart and by the cause we may come to the effects and by the tree may coniecture of the fruite so by the effects we may iudge of the cause and by the fruite we may iudge of the tree Where is now this delight when we heare the word we heare it with such coldnesse therefore it is a manifest proofe we are not staâ—ed in the Lord. For whosoeuer doth not delight in the word he may deceiue his owne soule but surely as yet he is not staied on God If we are not delighted then are we stâ—ied on our own selues but if the Lord work in vs then shal we feele delight This is a griefe of my soule that I see no delight in the Lords day all things are done for fashion but the power of godlinesse is not among vs. The cause is the want of priuate exercises the want of priuate reading and praying and this bringeth a secret curse of publike exercises and therefore I cannot but so often vâ—ge priuate prayer and meditation Vers. 118. Thou hast troden downe all them that depart from
all ioy so God would not haue vs to murther all griefes but that the remembrance of our bodies turned to moules and of soules called to the booke should correct our vnruly hearts remembring in our deepest ioyes the lamentable cries of Syon and accompting our delight to be but as the ruines of Babell 12 Oh that men would feare and follow the Lorde Well follow they must one way or other If wee will not follow the shepheard to the folde we must follow the butcher to the shambles if we chuse rather to goe to the shambles then to the fold we are sheepe indeede and worse then sheepe too But men haue gotten an old distinction when they are not able to turne their sicke bones on their beds they then will bring a dish of sinnes and dryed skinnes to the Lorde but how vnacceptable a sacrifice such refuses are Malachit doth tell them and they shall one day trie it 13 If yee aske whether a man may not lawfully desire to be in the Ministerie or no I answere that in the Ministery are two things a worke and a worship a dutie and a dignitie the worke or dutie to the glorie of God and good of his Church a man may desire but the worship and dignitie to serue our owne loose mindes is not to be desired 14 It is the wisedome of God in his holie word not onely to instruct vs in things concerning our saluation but also to teach vs in things of this life For although all things be good in the ordinance of God yet they are not good to vs vnlesse by knowledge and faith we be able to vse them according to the ordinance of God with prayer and thanksgiuing And as it is not sufficient to be a good man onely but a good man must vse good things So it is not enough to vse good things alone but he that must vse them must see himselfe to be a good man that is to haue his heart clensed by faith and by prayer whereby he is assured that he hath fetched the interest from Christ who hath and giueth title to all being himselfe the heire of the world 15 When we examine our selues we are to sit in iudgement on our selues and to keepe a solemne court in our owne consciences to suâ—uay our memorie our wit our senses our members and to see how we haue vsed them but yet so as least we should be too faâ—ourable to our selues either in not espying out our sinnes or in not condemning our sinnes still we remember to make the law the Iudge but Christ the answerer of tâ—e Iudge 16 If God his children are readie to slip in a moment how much more dangerous is the estate of the wicked who are willing to fall continually 17 It is wonderfull to see a poore sinner readie to swound and fall dead almost at euery little sinne when nothing in the world doth feare him or driue him to this feare and yet when aduersitie strange iudgements of God persecution death come to be exceeding patient and comfortable couragious and valiant and againe it is straunge to see others who maruell that men will suffer themselues to be feared with sinne and aske what men meane to stand trembling at the word yet let sicknes come or if the hand of God be vpon them or let death come towards theÌ„ they quaile at the name of sicknes hell or death and either they proue very senselesse blocks or else they be in a most desperate estate Yea if God begin to reckon with them euery stirring of a mouse shaking of a leafe mouing of a shadow euery noise of the eare euery countenance of a godly man euery chirping of a bird or drawing neere of the least and weakest creature towards them appalles their courage and makes them most fearefull cowards They most feare when God his iudgements are executed which feare least when they are threatned and they feare least when God his iudgements are accomplished which tremble most when his wrath is denounced Wherefore as we most long for courage and most lothe cowardlines when the euill day approcheth so let vs labour for a good conscience which breedeth tâ—ue boldnes flie far from sinne which bringeth a spirit of feare on vs. And surely experimentall wisdome may teach vs that it is better to feare the euill to come when onely feare and no euill is vpon vs than to feare then when besides the feare the affliction itselfe so sorely presseth vs that we haue no libertie or leaue to breathe for any comforts or to hope for any deliuerance 18 We are wont to ascribe the afflictions of the Church or Common-wealth the defect of right discipline and gouernment to the sinnes of the Magistrates when rather if we consider things with a single eye our owne sinnes haue begot such fruites For that God who rather loueth many than one that God who for tenne good men would haue spared whole Sodom who rather taketh away Saul a sinful gouernour than punisheth his louing Israel being humbled subiects knoweth rather to take away the King if the subiects be good than he desireth to alter the whole estate for the sin of one vnlesse it be when both Prince and people agree together in sin That God which euen in the time of the Church remaining but in a few families would rebuke Kings as Pharaâ—h and Abimelech that they should doe his Prophets Abraham and Isaac no harme â—oubtlesse the sinnes of the people doe breede defects of well doing in Princes When Israel began to sinne the Lord withdrawing his grace from Dauid left him to the numbring of his people The Altars were not taken away and why in the time of Iosiah The holy Ghost saith the people had not prepared their hearts to walke with the Lord their God 19 It is farre otherwise in our Christian profession than in the profession of other Arts. Physitians loue to haue some secret experiments wherein they haue a singularitie and which in their life they will communicate to none Lawyers haue some points which they will not make common but keepe for present and priuate gaine But this is rather a note of pride and of a conceited minde in heauenly things than of godlinesse For as true godlinesse forewarneth others of that sinne the sting torment filthinesse whereof we haue found so it traineth vp others to that fruit of holinesse whose beautie glorie and excellencie we haue both tasted and proued 20 It euer hath beene and is that prayer or comming to the diuine Seruice as they call it and resorting to the Sacraments haue beene more accompted of than the word hearing of it preached Many of superstition may thus come to prayer and of custome resort to the Sacrament who either doe not at all heare the word or else they heare it at their leisure or else they doe it but in ceremonie without vnderstanding or if they vnderstand it
is our Iudge and acquiteth vs and Christ was condemned and iustifieth vs he is our iudge that willeth not the death of a sinner he is our man of law who to excuse vs suffered himselfe to be accused for vs. O gluttonous hell where is thy defence O cruell sin where is thy tyrannous power O rauening death where is thy bloodie sting O roring lion why doest thou fret and fume Christ my Law fighteth against thee O law is my libertie Christ fighteth against thee O sin and is my righteousnes Christ fighteth against thee O diuel is my Sauiour Christ fighteth against thee O death and is my life Thou didst desire to paue my way to the burning lake of the damned but contrarie to thy will thou art constrained to lift vp the ladder wherby I must ascend into the new Ierusalem Wherefore if we shall finde our selues forsaken of God so as we perceiue nothing but matter of despaire let vs still hold our owne in the certaintie of our faith stay our selues sith Christ is giuen vs of God that he might extinguish sin triumph ouer the law vāquish death ouercom the diuel destroy hel for our only comfort and consolation But peraduenture some will say my faith is weake and cold and my conscience is as a flaming lampe and burning fornace I feare the Lord will still pursue me with his wrathfull indignation Thou doest well to feare but feare and sinne not For feare which subdueth the securitie of the flesh is in all most requisite in that the weaker we are in our selues the stronger we are in God But that feare is dangerous which hindreth the certaintie of faith in that it incourageth our enemie more fiercely to set vpō vs when we comming into the campe wil cast away our armour especially which should defend vs. Comfort thy selfe the Lord will not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede he looketh not on the quātitie but on the quality of our faith For as a good mother doth not reiect her childe because through some infirmitie it is weake feeble and not able to goe alone but rather doth pitie and supporte it least peraduenture it should fall and recompenseth that with motherly affection which in her childe is wanting by occasion in like manner the Lord God our most gracious father doth not cast vs off because through our imperfections we are vnable or afraid to draw neerer to the throne of grace but rather pitieth vs and seeing vs a farre off desirous to come vnto him meeteth vs by the way and by grace and strength of his owne hand directeth our steppes vnto his kingdome And as he which freely purposeth to giue a wedge of gold will not withdrawe his gift because the hand of him that should receiue it is weake troubled with the gout palsey or leprosie so that by any meanes though in great weakenes he be able to hold it euen so the Lord purposing in free mercie to bestow on vs an immortall weight of glory will not depriue vs of it though many filthy blemishes haue polluted and weakened our faith so that in any small measure we be able to take hold of his promises neither are we to looke for the perfection of faith because we neuer beleeue as we ought but rather on that which the Gospell offereth and giueth and on Gods mercie and peace in Christ in whose lap if we can lay our heads with Saint Iohn then we are in felicitie securitie and perfect quietnes Contrariwise there be some who notwithstanding that a tormented conscience is a stinging Serpent that it were much better that all the creatures rose vp against vs euery one bringing their bane then once to come before the dreadfull face of God are so blockish that they are wholy resolued into hardnes If they be pricked with sicknes they crie alas if they be pinched with pouertie they can complaine but as for the torment of minde they cannot skill of it And euen to talke of a brused contrite and broken heart is a strange language For proofe whereof our cōsciences are rocked asleepe so that not one amongst a thousand knoweth what it is to be pressed and harrowed with the rake of Gods iudgemēts But blessed are they that to their owne saluation feele this in their bodies whilest sinne may be both punished and purged For though God spare vs for a time yet we know what he keepeth for our ende Wherefore it is the best for vs to runne to the Lord in this life with a troubled minde least we tarrie till the Lord haue locked vs vp with the heauie fetters of desperation when he shall summon vs to the barre of his iudgement in the sight of his Angels and impanelling the great inquest of his Saints against vs shall denounce our fearefull and finall sentence of eternall condemnation for we see many that haue beene carelesse haue made good cheare all their life long yea and when men haue laboured to make them feele the iudgement of God they haue turned all to mockery but their iolity the Lord hath so abated when they draw towards death that in stead of resting sporting whereunto they had been giuen they haue felt the terror of death hell and damnation and lapping vp their ioyes in finall desperation haue forced out cursings against their filthie pleasures Wherefore if we in the tempest of our temptations will saile a right course neither shrinking nor slipping into the gulfe of desperation neither battering our barke against the rocke of presumption let vs in a contrite spirit crie vnto the Lord Haue mercie vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee forgiue all mine iniquities and heale all mine infirmities Thou healest those that are broken in heart and bindest vp their soares why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me waite on God for I will yet giue him thankes he is my present helpe and my God Yet my soule keepe thou silence before God of him commeth my saluation he is my strength therefore I shall not much be moued His mightines is enough to giue me courage yea and shall be euen when I am forlorne I know that the diminishing of my body goods friends or any other thing is a calling of me to that which neuer shall diminish nor decay I beleeue that my Lord and my God allureth me daily thither that I might not doubt that when my body is laid in the graue and there consumed as it were to nothing yet notwithstanding my soule resting in the bosome of the Lord shall returne vnto me and shall rise to glory euen as it resting in this life in the mercies of Christ did rise to grace verily I see that with ioy that my flesh must goe to decay for looke what freshnes soeuer was in it it diminished day by day And I neede not goe farre to seeke for death for I feele not
A conflict of the flesh and spirit and therein by practise the power of the spirit geting the vpper hand Rom 7. 23. 7. A sowing to the spirit by the vse of the meanes as of the word prayer c. 8. A purpose vnfained vpon strength receiued of vowing ones selfe whollie to the glorie of God and good of our brethren 9. A resignation of our selues into Gods hands 10. An expecting of the daily increase of our soules health our bodies resurrection 11. The forgiuing of our enemies 12. An acknowledging of our offences with a purpose truely to leaue them 13. A delight in Gods Saints 14. A desire that after our death the Church of God may flourish and haue all peace 15 A spirit without guile that is an vnfained purpose alwayes to doe well howsoeuer our infirmities put vs by it These are sure notes of our election wherein if anie bee short yet let him but see into his heart if he desire and long after these graces and remember Nehem 11. Psalm 10â— 18. Psalm 119 6. 40. 37. A TREATISE OF A CONTRACT BEFORE MARIAGE After prayer hee spake as followeth THat none of vs might doubt whether there bee iust occasion of this manner of our meeting or no wee are to call to minde euen from the Heathen that the light of nature taught them that there was a solemne promise to be made of the parties that should bee maried before they were to be ioyned in marriage and that was called the espousage and therefore we were the more to be blamed if we should neglect so good a custome especially being commended to the chosen people of God as we may gather of his words for we reade that the Lord God made a law concerning the espoused persons that if they were vnfaithfull of their bodies they should be condemned as adulterers euen as well as the maried parties Mary also was affianced vnto Ioseph before the solemnising of their mariage And the vse of the Church standeth with good reason for that the neglect of it is an occasion that many are disappointed of their purposed mariages because some of them through inconstancie goe backe It is very meete also that they should haue some instructions giuen them concerning the graces and duties that are required in that estate that they may pray vnto the Lord and so be prepared and made fit to be publikely presented to the congregation afterwards Now further as concerning the nature of this contract and espousage although it be a degree vnder mariage yet it is more than a determined purpose yea more than a simple promise For euen as he which deliuereth vp the estate of his lands in writing all conditions agreed vpon is more bound to the performance of his bargaine than he that hath purposed yea or made promise thereof by word of mouth although the writings be not yet sealed euen so there is a greater necessitie of standing to this contract of mariage than there is of any other purpose or promise made priuately by the parties These things obserued I purpose as God shall giue me grace to giue some lessons how you must prepare your selues to liue in the estate of mariage I will for the helpe of your memorie deale in this sort and order first briefly going through the Articles of your faith and then through the Commandements noting some especiall duties fit for this purpose As concerning your beleefe in God the Father you know brethren you must beleeue in him as being creator of all things and also the gouernour and preseruer of the same you must also vnderstand that he created man according to his own image and gaue him the preheminence gouernment of the woman for the helpe of the man that he might be furthered in the seruice of his God So you must much more look that you be not hindred from the Lord by your wife for there are many whilest they desire mariage so long as their hope is deferred they are carefull in the discharge of their dutie but afterward once enioying those things they looked for they waxe more negligent than they were before greatly dishonouring God by their vnthankfulnes And it may be the onely fault of man if he be not helped by his wife to grow in godlines for I thinke that euen Euah in moning her husband Adam to eate of the forbidden fruite had been an helper vnto him to bring him acquainted with the malitious enmitie of Satan against them both if according to the great measure of graces he had receiued from the Lord he had bin more faithfull in obeying the will of God and had wisely rebuked his wife And againe although the woman was the occasion of sinne yet the force of sinne to the corruption of mankind came into the world by the sinne of the man For so the Apostle saith Rom 5. As by one man meaning Adam sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned So much more the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vnto many And in the 3. of Genesis we reade that the eyes of the woman were not opened vntill the man had eaten of the fruite but so soone as he had eaten the eyes of them both were opened they knew that they had sinned Therefore I gather thus much that rebuke should haue preuailed more to conuert her than her mouing of him to transgresse should haue been able to peruert him I speake not to excuse the woman for I know the Lord was displeased with her and for that cause hath laid a special punishmeÌ„t vpoÌ„ her in the painful bringing forth of children But that I might shew the great charge that lieth vpon the man to stay the corruptions of the woman by reason of the authority which the Lord hath giuen him ouer her which I would haue you brother diligently to consider of And you my sister must take profit by calling to minde that this was one end of your creation that you should glorifie God in being an helper to your husband therefore take heede that you be not a hinderer vnto him to trouble him or to vexe his heart whereby he should be lesse fâ—uitfull in his calling but be you cheerful towards him so that although he should haue little comfort in al other things yet he may finde great cause to reioyce in you And this you must know that as it is required of your husband to seeke for wisedome to be able to gouerne you so the Lord requireth of you to be subiect vnto him remembring also that as God hath inioyned you silence in the congregation so you must seeke for instruction at his mouth in your priuate chamber Another thing I would haue you both to coÌ„sider of in this point of your beliefe is faith in Gods prouidence And marke that well I shall say vnto
worship him on the Sabbath onely but also in the other sixe daies it should be lawfull for them to haue holy assemblies and Christian meetings which though they now should doe but in part by reason of their ordinarie calling hereafter they should doe it both continually and perfectly in the kingdome of heauen Which thing was performed euen of the Apostles who although they obserued one solemne day yet had they their godly assemblies for holy exercises on other daies also True it is that the Family of loue pretends a shew of the kingdome of God in this life by rising from sinne saying that we here sit in heauenly places But the scriptures in this case speake of the begining not of the consummation of God his children in glorie For in this life we possesse but in hope that which perfectly we shall enioy We be here admitted but into the entrie of this kingdome we here take vp our hold we receiue our deedes our lease and euidence are giuen vs in this world to assure vs that hereafter we shal haue the full fruition perfect possession Wherefore another Prophet saith Ierem. 31. 33. 34. This shall be the couenant that I shall make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts c. 34. And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying I know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest saith the Lord. Where we may see that though the full accomplishment of our glorie and knowledge is in heauen yet true it is that here it is begun and shall be finished hereafter when we shall perfectly know God whom now we know but in part and as it were in a mirrour For euery one as it is Hebr. 5. 12. concerning these times should be able through God his spirit to teach others according to that calling wherein the Lord hath placed him And as that place reacheth not that all should be Doctors but that there should be knowledge in all though in greater measure in some so our Prophet meaneth not that euery day should be a Sabbath but that Christians in euery day of the weeke should prouide for the worship of God in some measure though more fully and more solemnely on the Sabbath So we see the force of this to be in the way of a comparison that Christians should not satisfie themselues concerning the worship of God with the Sabbath but that also as their calling would permit they should worship from Sabbath to Sabbath As for the second answere to proue against the maintainers of a continuall Sabbath that this place is meant of the Church triumphant and not of the Church militant it shall easily appeare if we consider diligently what goeth before what commeth after which rule is worthilie to be followed in sifting out the true sense of the places in the Scriptures Now in the verse going before mention is made of the new heauens and the new earth whereby he meaneth not the first appearing of Christ in humilitie but his second comming in glorie as may appeare 2. Pet. 3. 13. where the Apostle repeateth the same words saying We looke for new heâ—uens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Surely if the Prophet had meant this to haue beene in Christ his comming in the flesh it is most like it should haue beene in the flourishing estate of the Church and glorious times of the Apostles but that it was not so it is manifest by the Apostle his owne words We looke for new heauens c. In the verse following the Prophet speaketh of the worme that shall not die and of the fire that shall not be quenched which vndoubtedly is vnderstood of the hels whereinto the wicked shall be cast at the last iudgement day as may be gathered by our Sauiour Christ his words Mark 9. 43. 44. where he maketh mention of hell Where the worme dyeth not and the fire neuer goeth out Wherefore by the premises and sequele we conclude with the learned that the Sabbath here mentioned must be kept in the kingdome of heauen And therefore their continuall Sabbath which they should haue in this life is a deuise of their owne braine and not gathered out of this place And thus much of the reasons which seemed to proue the Sabbath ceremoniall taken out of the prescript words of the olde Testament As for that which we alleadged out of Ezechiel chap. 20. it is alreadie answered sufficiently in confuting their first reason which was drawne out of Exod. 32. Now it remaineth in like manner to consider of their arguments which they take out of the new Testament and that either out of the historie of Christ or from the writings of his holy Apostles And because the foure Euangelists agree in one harmonie we will briefly reduce all their reasons into one or two principall places namely Matth. 12. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Marke 2. 27. In Matth. 12. it is said At that time Iesus went on a Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were hungry and began to plucke the eare of corne and to eate 2. And when the Pharisies saw it they said vnto him Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawfull to do vpon the Sabbath 3. But he said vnto them Haue ye not heard what Dauid did when he was an hungred and they that were with him 4. How he entred into the house of God and eate the shewe bread which was not lawfull for him to eate neither for them which were with him but onely for the Priests 5. Or haue yee not read in the Law how that on the Sabbath dayes the Priests in the Temple brake the Sabbath and are blamelesse 6. But I say vnto you that here is one greater than the Temple 7. Wherefore if yee knew what this is I will haue mercie and not sacrifice ye would not haue condemned the innocents 8. For the sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath The occasion of this doctrine of Christ is that he going abroad to preach with his Disciples they for huÌ„ger pulled the eares of corne Hereof arose by the Pharises this Controuersie who accused the Disciples for trauelling on the Sabbath day as though they had done a worke on the Sabbath which was not lawfull to de done because the Law said that no man should trauaile on that day Our Sauiour Christ hearing this accusation defendeth his Disciples whereof some conclude that our Sauiour here abrogated the Sabbath But what could they haue forged more vntrue For if as they say he now had abrogated the Sabbath then our Sauior Christ did not obey euery part of the ceremonies vnto death which to affirme let them tell the danger of it Nay rather according to the iudgement of the better learned we affirme that Christ is so farre off
for the eating and consuming of meate but that in enioying the coÌ„forr of God his creatures he might praise the Lord the more freely Neither can any man hereof iustly gather that therfore on this day he may fil himselfe with meate as he lusteth because that were rather to vnable than to enable him to keepe holy the Sabbath Againe we say in like maner that labour that is the commoditie that commeth by labour was made for man not man for the labour but for the glorie of God which by labour in his lawfull calling he may gaine to the Lord. Wherefore seeing the rest was appointed only but as meanes wherby man may the more fitly sanctifie the Sabbath and the disciples did eate this corne that they might be the fitter thereunto it is manifest they did not violate the sanctifying of the Sabbath Besides though no man can say that the Sacraments are figuratiue yet the Sacraments were made for man not man for the Sacraments that is for the bare vse of the elements although it must needs be graunted that to vse the word and Sacraments in purenes and holines for the further strengthening of our faith is one of the chiefest and most principall duties of man How be it in respect they be but meanes and are to giue place to the end to the which they are ordained I am perswaded that though the congregation were busie either in hearing the word preached or in receiuing the Sacraments ministred yet if an house being on fire were in loue to be helped the former actions were to giue place to the latter For we reade Act. 20. 10. where Paul being occupied in preaching and espying a young man who was in a dead sleepe fallen downe dead made no conscience to cease from speaking to goe downe to lay himselfe vpon the young man to imbrace him vntill his spirit returned into him and afterward went vp againe and continued his preaching Wherefore in all these reasons we may see how Christ did shew vnto the Iewes that they peruersly did stand in the ceremonie and did not abrogate the Sabbath Here then is a farre contrarie argument to that which these men affirme For seeing our Sauiour Christ might in one word haue shewed it to be a ceremonie if he had purposed any such thing and not haue so amplified the matter we see he rather speaketh against their superstitious opinion and abuse of the Sabbath than affirmeth any such thing as these men do surmise To these former reasons we may adde that which is Matth. 24. 20. Pray that your flight be not in the winter neither on the Sabbath day This say they sheweth that the persecution of Ierusalem should be by so much the more grieuous to the Iewes if it fell on the Sabbath because then it was not lawfull for them to flie so that if they stayed they were like to lose their liues by falling into the hands of their enemies if they fled they should breake the Law of God so become subiect to the punishment thereof But this was nothing in the purpose of our Sauiour Christ who therefore forewarned them to pray that the destruction of the citie should not fall on the Sabbath because then it would be the more grieuous punishment vnto them when besides the hauocke of their owne bodies they should see the glorie of God thrust through the sides the Temple polluted the worship of God prophaned the word of God blasphemed and the Sabbath of the Lord defiled The truth whereof appeareth in this that troubles the time of their visitation should come vpon them when the Sabbath should not be ceremoniall as now it was when Christ spake vnto them but at such time as men should worship God in spirit and trueth without all shadowes and figures when Christ should be ascended into heauen as indeed it came to passe So that this should increase the griefe of so many as sincerely worshipped the Lord that when they should reioyce in the holy worship of God they should mourne and lament for the enemies horrible blaspheming the name of God and that when they should sing the praises of God they would sigh and houle to see the open despite of God and his trueth In respect of which miserable calamities our Sauiour Christ foresheweth the wofull estate that should be in those daies of them which were with child and gaue sucke For though the fruite of the wombe and multiplying of children in respect of themselues were the good blessings of God yet the estate of those times should be so dangerous that euen the blessings of God should be turned to curses and the children which otherwise were a comfort vnto them should now increase their trouble discomfort and sorrow Wherefore it is certaine that Christ neither meant that euery day should be alike for then he would not distinctly haue pointed at this day neither did he thinke it to be a ceremonie because he knowing the time when ceremonies should cease would haue been so farre off from nourishing them in their superstition that being the Prophet of God he would in this as in other things rather teach them the pure vse of the Sabbath Thus hauing spoken of those places in the Gospell which might seeme to make against the Sabbath now let vs speake of those places in the epistles of the Apostles that we may see whether they containe any sound trueth for their purpose howsoeuer they be thought to haue some hold in shew These allegations are either out of the epistles of Paul or the epistles to the Hebrues out of the epistles of Paul which he wrote to the Romans to the Galathians or to the Colossians The place which they bring out of the epistle to the Romans is in the 14 chap. vers 1. Him that is weake in the faith receiue vnto you but not for controuersies of disputations 2. One beleeueth that hee may eate of all things and another which is weake eateth hearbes 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath receiued him 4. Who arâ— thou that condemnest anothâ—r mans sâ—ruant he standeth or fallâ—th to his â—wne maister yea he shall be established for God is able to make him stand 5. This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another man counteth euery day alike lâ—t euery man be fully perswaded in his minde 6. He that obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord and he that obserueth not the day obserueth it â—â—t to the Lord c. In this last verse they would gather that a man might make choise of daieâ— as he will and as in a thing indifferent And some learned expositors affirme that the Apostle in this chapter intreateth of things which in their owne nature are indifferent and therefore here we are to vse theÌ„ in loue As I grant this to be the general scope of the place so I deny it to
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
hell torments lifting vp his eyes and seeing Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome cried Father Abraham haue mercie vpon me c. But Abraham answering him according to the proportion of God his Iustice said ver 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented To this effect worthie to be obserued is that place 2 Thess. 1. 6. it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen c. Where we see how it standeth with God his righteous iudgement and iustice that his persecuted Church and afflicted Saints who in this world goe for nought should in time bee refreshed with a recompence of glorie and that their cruell persecutours being wanton in their sinnes and triumphing in their crueltie should haue their crowne of shame and endles contempt in tormeÌ„ts The equitie of which iustice is in this that seeing the wicked haue not onely dishonoured God in their soules through all the fruites of reprobation but also haue vsed the members of their bodies as instruments of sinne weapons of iniquitie vnto the full number of sinnes so they should not onely suffer the vengeance of God in their soules but also in their bodies and as Gods graces haue shined not onely in the soules of his Saints before him and his Angels but also haue much beautified their bodies and haue taken vp the members also as instruments of Gods glorie so the Lord will not onely aduance the soules of his but also their bodies If this were not where were the fulfilling of God his promises where should be the executing of his threatnings for Abram Isaac Iacob Lot Ioseph Iob Dauid Esay Ieremy Daniel all the rest of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors holy men and women in the world were but as Pilgrimes and desiring a better and heauenly Countrie suffered in this world troubles persecutions trials and all manner of euill Againe the wicked prosper in their goods bodies wiues children they haue no bandes in their death they are lustie and strong they feele not the sores of Iob nor the miseries of Ioseph pride is a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more than heart can wish So in this world the faithfull feele not the promises the vnfaithfull feele not their punishments It must needs be therefore by God his iustice as it is certaine by his word that seeing in this life the holy ones are not fully rewarded nor the wicked ones fully reuenged in the life to come the one should rise to heauenly ioâ—es the other should rise to hellish torments And as we see that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh because the word hath said it which is true and iustice will put it in practise because it doth require it so the power of God is able to performe whatsoeuer the word doth shew or iustice doth desire to be done It is not without great cause that in the entrance of our Confession wee acknowledge the Lord to bee almightie For what were his mercie or what were his iustice if hee could not performe that with might which he doth promise nor bring to passe with power that which he threatneth Howbeit when we say God is almightie we giue to vnderstand that hee can doe whatsoeuer he will doe For true it is he cannot faile in his trueth he cannot alter the couenaÌ„t gone out of his mouth what then is there any thing vnpossible to the Lord no the Lord will doe what is good can doe what he wil. Neither doth it any more derogate from God his almighty power to say he cannot lye than it doth extenuate the commendation of a mightie Captaine to say he cannot be conquered This power of God is either seene in his Creation or in his Prouidence or Preseruation In his Creation thus if God our of nothing could draw out heauen and earth if out of the earth which being a formeleâ—se masse and sumpe was by the spirite of God hatching ouer the waters brought a comely order if out of the darkenesse the Lord drew light if of the dust of the earth God made man and out of his ribbe drew a woman is it not as easie for him drawing these and all other things out of nothing to draw our flesh being made out of the earth in which it was corrupted is it not as easie to draw a man out of the earth againe as to make a man of the earth at first Is it not as easie though rottennesse doth seeme to hinder the resurrectioÌ„ to renew a body out of many bones as out of one bone to frame a whole body Is not the Lord as able to restore the body which he dissolueth into the elements being made into it former fashion as before it had any being to tie the flesh together with sinewes to conuey strength into the bones and to beautifie all with a skin Let vs as well consider God his power in reducing mens bodies into their former estate as his mightie hande in vnloosing them For as hee bringeth flesh to rottennesse the rottennesse to wormes the wormes to dust so can he if he would reduce and bring backward the dust to the wormes the wormes to a putrified matter the putrifaction to flesh the flesh to immortalitie The prouidence of God doth teach vs herein if we either consider of it in the course of nature or in gouerning his Church In the course of nature as Esay 26. 19. Awake and sing yee that awâ—ll in the dust for the deaw is as the deaw of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Here the Prophet sheweth that that God that made Aarons rod to bad and that draweth out liuely colours of dead flowers and florishing branches out of withered hearbs will also raise vs in our bodies to the brightnes of his glorie which haue been laid in the filthines of the dust Againe 1. Cor. 15. 35. But some man will say How are the dead raised vp wâ—â—â— what bodie come they forth 36. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it diâ— 37. And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that bodie that shall be but bare corne as it faâ—eth of wheate or of some other 38. But God giueth a bodie at his pleasure euen to euery seede his owne bodie c. See the Lord calleth them fooles that will not beleeue this Can the Lord raise graine out of the earth will he not raise man out of the earth for whose sake the graine is renewed Againe shall we doubt that he who holdeth the waters in his fist and swadleth the maine seas which in their own nature are aboue the earth that they should not passe
their bounds breake out of their bottels cloysters and chambers to ouâ—rflow all is vnable to drawe our bodies out of the dust Sure it is that flesh and blood can hardly admit this doctrine and therefore we had neede to arme our selues with these and such like meditations If we weigh more deeply the prouidence of God in his Church either whilest it was more particular in one familie or more general in moe we shall haue our faith in this doctrine the more coÌ„firmed For he who accomplished his promise made vnto Abraham in blessing al the nations of the earth in his seede euen when the ordinary course of nature was dead both in Abraham and Sarah by bringing Isaac out of their loynes and fulfilled his couenaÌ„t vnto Dauid his seruant in bringing Iesus into the wombe of Mary whilest as yet shee knew no man who was the promised seede to bruise the Serpents head is no lesse able to take vs out of the drie wombe and dead bowels of the earth according to his promise Gen. 22. Abraham at God his commandement is readie to offer vp his sonne Isaac in whom all the promises were to be accomplished neither was he hindred by vnbeleefe why The Apostle saith Heb. 11. 19. He considered that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence he receiued him also after a sort neither would he tye the power of God to ordinarie meanes Thus we see he ouercame all vnbeleefe by faith in the resurrection What if we consider how mightily the Lord restored and multiplied his Church after he had ouerflowed the whole earth with water What if we call to minde the mightie preseruation of the Church in deliuering them through the red sea when the waters diuiding themselues stood as a wall on either side of the Israelites What if we consider how mightily the Lord coÌ„ducted his people safely thorough the wildernesse fortie yeeres giuing them Manna from heauen water out of the rocke healing them that were stung of Serpents with the beholding of a dead Serpent and preseruing their apparell that it was not worne in so long a time Shall we not thinke that the same God is able to raise the bodies of his Saints out of the earth It is recorded 2. King 4. 36. that Elisha the man of God restored to the Shunamite her sonne being dead and 2. King 13. 21. we reade that a dead man being cast into the sepulcher of Elisha and touching his bones reuiued and stood vpon his feete Did God thus confirme the doctrine of Elisha and will he not much more confirme the doctrine of his deare Son Could Elisha by the power of God giue life vnto others shall not the Lord aduance his owne person in himselfe at the last day Daniel 3. Shadrach Meshach and Abednego refusing to serue the false gods and the golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar had set vp who might haue had policie to haue kept their faith to themselues as our Familists do now adaies were cast into the hot fiery furnace and yet by beleefe in God were so preserued from it that the fire had no power ouer their bodies not an haire of their head was burnt neither were their coates changed nor any smell of fire came vpon them Dan. 6. the Prophet of God refusing the commaundement of the King was cast into the den of Lyons who by faith obtained the Angel of the Lord to shut vp the LyoÌ„s mouthes that they could not hurt him Ionah 2. we reade how he being in the fishes bellie three daies and three nights at the commaundement of the Lord was cast out vpon the drie land Matth. 27. 52. it is said that the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints that slept arose 56. And came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many What shall we say of these things Did the fire contrarie to it nature cease to burne the bodies in it at the presence of an Angell will it not restore the bodies being burnt at the power of God presence of Christ Did the Lyons spare the body from deuouring and shall they not deliuer againe the bodies hauing deuoured them Can the Whale deliuer Ionah after three daies and will not the sea surrender her dead Did the dead arise before their time to shew Christ his passion shall they not arise at their time to appeare at his glorious comming Cannot that God that made Angels to appeare in humane shape make men appeare out of the earth in their owne shape And why did the Angels from heauen the dead bodies from earth so suddenly receiue that estate and so suddenly lay it downe but to shew that their time of perfection was not yet come Now let vs see those reasons which are drawn from God as he is our Mediatour wherein we will consider certaine things done in his owne person and things to be obserued in the meanes which leade vs vnto him Luk. 8. 55. Our Sauiour Christ ariseth from death to life the daughter of Iairus And which is a further degree Luke 7. 14 he reuiued the widowes some lying on the beare in a coffin readie to be buried Nay which yet is a further degree and more marueilous Ioh. 11. 44. he raiseth Lazarus Marthaes brother hauing been dead foure daies Lastly Matth. 26. he mightily raiseth himselfe hauing beene dead three daies and three nights and that without all qualitie of corruption Who then dare doubt vnder paine of damnation that the same Iesus Christ can raise our mortal and corruptible bodies or that he will not change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body by thaâ— mightie power whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe Behold Pilate sealeth the stone which couereth Christ in his buriall armed men are prepared and watchmen sit at the graue neither could all these things keepe vnder the power of Christ from rising What then Forsooth which is most vnlike they inuented that poore sillie soules came stole him from the armed men Well he was seene first of Mary then of certaine Disciples afterward of moe than fiue hundred We see now his rising was corporall it was no spirituall resurrection in what sort he rose in like manner shall we rise also but he rose in the flesh then shall we rise in the flesh and therefore not in the spirit alone as our brainsicke heretikes imagine Now he rose not for his owne cause no more than he was purely borne holily liued and innocently dyed all these things he did for vs that we might be sanctified that we might be iustified that we might be glorified Neither did he suffer in the bodie alone but in the soule also whereby he shewed that he freed not the soule alone but the bodie also because the body as well as the soule was guiltie and punishable for sinne He rose not in soule alone but in
fond song Christ was thought to cast out diuels by the power of the diuell Iohn Baptist was thought but a melancholike man Iehu being threatned called the Prophet a mad braine for so they iudged of the Prophets digressing somewhat from the set order and compositions of words and precepts of their art So that the graces of God seeme often to men to be cleane contrarie If this hath been alwayes the iudgement of the world that because they could no longer heare men or further see into things than either reason or art did guide them they thought the Prophets and Apostles railing spirits and barren soiles wee must not thinke it a new thing And hearers are here greatly to be circumspect that they thinke not so basely of men zealous in gifts of the spirit as that they should account them mad melancholike or cholerike men and such as either would hurt themselues or doe some hurt to others but rather reuerently acknowledge that there is a secret and mightie power of the Spirit which the Lord often conueieth into the hearts of the godly Men can for the most part well away with an ordinary course in preaching and so long as it fals into an oratorie stile and iust proportion of words or so long as a man sheweth a wittie inuention and comely composing of the matter but if a man presse into the consciences of men and with some vehemencie speake against their familiar sinnes straight way they say surely this kind of teaching bewrayeth him to be brainesick And that we may be the more wearie herein let vs consider who they were that inueyed thus against the Apostles were they not men out of euery natioÌ„ fearing God and such as were somewhat religious yes surely And who nowadayes will sooner and sorer open their mouthes against zealous preachers than men claborate in arte and skilful in precepts who not being able by reason to see into this vehemencie iudge them that vse it too austerely Wherefore as this must correct iudgement in hearers least they iustly offend God in being vniustly offended at them that are zealous for the Lord of hoasts sake so also it must teach the Ministers of the word patience if sometimes they be wrongly coÌ„strued so recompence their furie with meekenes as the Lord may humble their aduersaries the more euen by their meeke dealing of whom they thought so hardly which vndoubtedly oftentimes is most effectuall euen to breake the hearts euen of the most obstinate gainesayers And it cannot be gainesayd that these men seeing the Apostles meekenes were farre more wonne and sooner humbled than if he should haue breathed out furious speeches and so haue ceased from his holy busines And we shall see by experience that men thinking one to be curious singular or precise after the Lord hath sanctified some crosse vpon them and humbled them in some measure vnderneath his hand they are more humbled at the meekenes and long suffering of him whom they offended than by any other meanes because they then perceiue they haue resisted the grace of God and persecuted the gifts of God in him In the last dayes That is when Christ should be manifested in the flesh preached vnto the Gentiles belieued on in the world and receiued vp in glorie shall these gifts of the spirit abound It is called the last day because of the stabilitie of the Church and perfection of the word in that in it wee looke for none other doctrine vntill Christ come in iudgement 1. Corin. 10. 11. After that the Apostle had feared the Corinthians with the example of the Iewes he commeth â—o applie his doctrine in this manner Now all these things came vnto them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the endes of the world are come As if he should say these things seemed not to serue for them alone but for vs in the last daies And Heb 1. â— it is plainly in euident phrase said At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake in old â—imâ— to our fathers by the Prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne c. All which places in sense at the least agree with this place together with that Galath 4. 4. where it is called the fulnes of time For the estate of the people before Christ his comming was childish and paedagogicall and therefore men looked as Iohns Disciples for another that should come and the Samaritanes had this generall principle among them That the Messiah when he came would restore all things and set them in order Whereby we must learne not to looke for any new doctrine or reuelations of men Christ himselfe is come and hath made things perfit Christ the prince of Prophets whom they looked for is manifest in the flesh by how much the Prophets were neerer him by so much they had the clearer sight of him the further they were from him the dimmer was their knowledge of him The Lord himselfe hath spoken the booke is now shut vp with a complet conclusion if any man shall diminish of the words of it God shall take away his part out of the booke of life if any man shall adde vnto it God shall adde vnto him the plagues threatned in the booke And therefore all Heretikes Papists and Turks wil not stick to agree in this common errour The Turke though he doth not denie Christ and the scripture but giues them their time and place yet will haue a way for his Mahomet who must expound the word to him as he please The Papist in plaine tearmes dares not denie Christ and his Gospell yet can he not see all sufficiencie therein but complaining of some defect he looketh to vnwritten verities and leaneth to old traditions to be giuen to the Church therefore he will haue the Pope to be Christ his vicar and looke whatsoeuer their Synodes do conclude that must be established as a catholike trueth measuring the scriptures by their traditions and not their traditions by the scriptures The damnable Familie of loue make the word which is a thing fearefull to bee thought much more to be spoken of but a nose of waxe or a shipmans hose and yet they will haue their H. N. who is the eight person and the last man who must bee ioyned with the Gospell and so farre forth as hee with other gray-headed and illuminate elders do interpret the Scriptures they will agree We now against these and all other heretikes confessing the scriptures of God to be perfect and absolute to saluation ioyne none other thing with them but say that wee liue in the last dayes wherein Christ left the fulnes of doctrine of prayer of Sacraments and discipline to the Church by his Apostles and therefore we minde no reuelation Mahometicall interpretation nor traditions of men but though an Angell come from heauen bring an vnwritten veritie varying from the trueth of God his word we vtterly reiect him Neither as running too
he is not too much grieued But if we haue not God his spirit surely we belong not to God For haue we wit wisedome health power wealth authoritie credit friends or any such thing and yet haue not receiued the spirit of God what are we but a more fit substance or subiect whereupon Sathan may frame the worke of sinne It is not the poore sillie or simple people that be the maine instruments which the diuell doth vse in his greatest affaires to doe hurt but the wise politique rich and mightie men of the world Contrariwise if with these good gifts we haue the spirit of God what great good may we doe in Church or Common-wealth If besides the beautie of God his spirit we haue the flowers of outward things what a singular ornament is this to our garland What shall I say more In affliction the spirit sheweth vs the hand of God both humbling and comforting vs reuealeth our sinnes worketh in vs the contempt of this life the desire of the life to come and so sanctifieth our crosse by wisedome repentance and patience Seeing then these are the effects of God his spirit that it feoffeth vs by faith into euerlasting inheritance it assureth vs of all our rich treasures in Iesus Christ seeing it sanctifieth all inward gifts seasoneth the vse of all outward things briefly seeing with it all things seeming miserable are most blessed and without it all things seeming happie are most miserable it followeth that of all gifts the holy Ghost is the most excellēt Howbeit one thing here is to be added that we may wholy separate our selues from the Anabaptists we speake of the Spirit as he sheweth his force in vs and worketh in vs by the ministerie of the word which two worke together and therefore it is said Ioh. 6. My words are spirit and life For without the Spirit the word is as the bright Sunne to a blind man who not for fault of a pure obiect but for want of sense is not able to discerne the cleerest thing in the world and therfore the Prophet Dauid Psal. 119 saith Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law True it is the Sunne is bright but what is that to a blinde man True it is the word is glorious but what is that to a man without the spirit of God For so farre we profit by the word as we receiue the power of it by the inward ministerie of the Spirit we must trie the spirits by the word and we shall then know that we haue receiued the spirit of God when he giueth vs the pure vnderstanding the carefull receiuing and zealous practising of the same Carnall men and our late Anabaptists be but boasters of themselues in terming themselues spiritual men we are not taught so to bragge of the Spirit or any worke thereof but as it is warranted vnto vs by the written word we confesse that blinde is our minde and that we cannot profit by the word but by God his spirit we looke not for the spirit in our phantasie but for the spirit which worketh by the word which spirit spake by Abraham by the Patriarches by Moses and the Prophets by Paul and the Apostles and by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Seeing the spirit of God is so high a thing we are here to complaine why we hunt after life profit and pleasure and haue so small care to obtaine God his good spirit which is so pretious It is a great fault to fansie so much the things of this world and so little to esteeme this And here not of a set treatise but by the way we will speake of the last part of our diuision that is of the meane how to attaine to these graces of the Spirit We know rich men can for their increase frequent faires ambitious men can get preferment carnall men will watch their opportunities and euery man in his kinde knoweth how to prouide best for his profit and pleasure Our way goeth on the other hand and heth in the carefull hearing of the word the feruent vse of prayer the reuerent fruitfull resorting to the Sacraments and most holy submitting of ourselues to the discipline of the Lord in frequenting the companie of God his children and in waining our selues from the world by all which meanes the spirit may haue a more voluntarie free and perfect worke in and vpon vs. And although all these things are not particularly here set downe yet marke here is named the most proper meane pointing at all the rest and this as ye see is prayer by the which the Lord conueigheth his spirit into vs to make all the other meanes more pleasant profitable to vs. Why then are not so many sermons now adaies more effectuall when one or two sermons touched these people so powerfully Surely God his spirit worketh not in vs as he wrought in them Why when any be conuerted doe so few turne to the Lord when as the Lord drew so many of these men at once to himselfe Because we are drawne away too much of our owne flesh and taste not the sweetnes of God his spirit as they did But can a man pray for faith and God his spirit which as yet hath neither faith nor the spirit of God Whatsoeuer good gift we haue it is certaine we haue it by faith and God his spirit in some measure in vs and then we may pray for the increase of them in vs. For it is God his spirit that prayeth in vs Rom 8 True it is that many haue receiued God his Spirit before they feele it and faith before they see it and by this meanes they pray to receiue faith and the spirit of God as they thinke or rather the increase of both thinke I because they haue receiued them before for els could they neuer truly haue prayed But they then that are called owe this dutie to Ministers that they must pray for thē euen as Preachers must pray for them Thus we shall see the prayers of the Church Psalm 67. The Pastor for the people the people for the Pastor must make prayers supplications Generally all must so let their light shine before men so watch in prayer that others seeing our godly life may say oh what a people in wisedome true godlines is this it is a good and an happie thing to ioyne our selues to them what zeale what humilitie what plentifull fruits of faith are here blessed are the people that haue such a Pastor blessed is the Pastor that hath such a people And here let vs remember how the Apostles did not onely pray for the increase of God his spirit in themselues but for the beginnings of it in others which as yet had not receiued it teaching vs thereby what is our dutie to wit that we rest not in our owne priuate feelings or in praying for the increase of them but that we pray that others may taste of the like ioyes as we
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
many haue laboured much spoken abundantly and trauailed in great eloquence and yet haue neither gained glorie to God nor affoorded fruit to the hearers Hereupon it is that some that haue been as full as the vessell that hath no vent haue become as barren as the flint-stone is of water because they haue sought glorie but not by humilitie they haue shunned destruction but not left their pride Contrariwise we shall obserue how many speaking in the singlenes of their heart and humilitie of their spirit haue wonne many soules to the rich inlarging of Gods honour and kingdome Many vsing few words with a pitifull and sellow feeling affection haue comforted afflicted consciences instructed ignorant soules throwne downe proud spirits confounded hautie hearts profited abundantly them with whom they were to deale Many being lowly in their owne eyes haue not so much gloried in noâ— receiued glorie for their great gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them as they were comforted in their owne consciences with a rich testimonie of the sanctifying spirit who wrought in them some carefull vsage of the gifts receiued to his glorie that gaue them The Lord refuseth the seruice of wicked men he will not vse a proud spirit in his worke and therefore if we shall see that God doth not blesse our labours let vs suspect our selues to lie in some sinne let vs feare our owne hearts that they be not humbled before the Lord. And here it is good that we should be forewarned what lowlinesse it is the Lord requireth of vs least wee deceiue our owne soules in a false and phantasticall humilitie Wherefore as all men will grant humilitie to be voide of murmuring and grudging so we affirme that that is not a minde rightly humbled vnder the hand of God which is still perplexed and affrighted with immoderate feare of the daunger of some euill to come For as we condemne that hellish securitie which is voide of all feare so wee mislike that abiect minde which is oppressed with too much feare stil breathing out of such trembling voyces Oh what shall become of mee I am afraide that some euill will befall mee I shall neuer be able to beare it I had rather dye then feele it WheÌ„ we thus distrusting the Lord begin to teach him what he shall giue to vs or what he shall take from vs we are in the hie way to meete with the euill wee feared and nothing in the world will sooner bring the danger vpon vs. We therefore commend and affirme that to be true humilitie which as it repineth not grudgingly against the Lord so it shrinketh not too distrustfully before the Lord but as on the one side wee are readie to be thankefull if it bee the good will of the Lord to deliuer vs so on the other side wee are willing to laie our head to the blocke and offer our bodie to the striker if the Lord in wisedome should make triall of vs. This will teach vs to possesse our soules in meekenesse and patience this will strengthen vs to say boldly Lord if thou send this deliuerance thy name be praised if thou shalt further trie me Lord thy holy will be blessed Lord here I am spare mee if thou wilt trie me if thou pleasest This humilitie was in Abraham Isaac Moses Dauid Daniel Azariah Sidrach Abednâ—go and others of the Saints and seruants of God Abraham when hee was most readie to offer vp his sonne euen then the Lord gaue him his sonne againe Dauid when he was prepared to surrender both life and liuing to the Lord obtained both life and kingdome for longer time At what time Ezekiah had resigned himselfe to dye at the will of the Lord the Lord gaue him his health againe and made him as it were a lease of his life for fifteene yeeres to come And surely there is no readier way to obtaine life than to offer our selues vnto death no better meane to auoide sicknes pouertie reproach or banishment than to haue our wils wholy resigned to Gods will as willing to beare the crosse as to be freed from it For as the more we striue against the will of God the lesse we preuaile so the sooner wee yeelde wee shall the sooner bee deliuered And yet I meane not that yeelding which the Lord by his threatnings or iudgements as by strong hand getteth of vs which is no voluntarie submission but a violent subiection and constraineth vs rather than allureth vs to obey the will of the Lord but I meane that willing humbling of our selues before the face of God which commeth from an hart bleeding at the conscience of his owne vnworthinesse and bruised with the sense of the Lords vndeserued goodnesse and that more kindly than if it were threatned with al the iudgements of the wicked and were braied and broken with all the plagues of hell The other extremitie which agreeth not with true humilitie is blockish senselesnesse and that dead and diuelish apoplexie of the minde which runneth without all foresight as neither caring for good nor bad sweete nor sowre heauen nor hell They that labour of this disease thinke it an high point of humilitie to say I am at a point let God doe what he will I care not if he saue me so it is if I be damned what remedie let men iniurie me as they will come what come will I passe not And these kind of men as past all feeling and now more brutish and blockish than any bruite beast in their life neither tremble at Gods iudgements nor reioyce in his promises in death they feare not hell they desire not heauen they are not grieued if they be damned they are not comforted to heare they shal be saued they confesse not their sinnes they professe not their faith they shew not their hope they liue like stockes and die like blockes And yet the ignorant people will still commend such fearefull deaths saying he departed as meekely as a lambe hee went away as a bird in a shell when they might as well say but for their fetherbed and their pillow hee died like a beast and perished like an oxe in a ditch But to come to the vse and fruit which we may gather out of this doctrine First let vs consider that if we be come to haue such a brawned and thicke skinne ouer our consciences as neither by publike preaching nor priuate reading as neither by the Law nor by the Gospell as neither with threatnings nor promises as neither by praying nor meditating wee can finde neither matter of comfort nor humbling wee are so farre from humilitie that we are as men rather dead than humbled and our case is most fearefull For in this Stoicall apathie and want of feeling wee feare nothing fearing nothing wee are easie to be deceiued being easie to be deceiued wee may soone be hardned and so by securitie being depriued of all heedfulnes we are snared of the tempter ere we
is requisite that men should consider it when God offereth such a worthie treasure vnto them then they are to search into their hearts throughly and diligently to cast before hand what lets impediments and hindrances there may be what that is which they seeke for what cost and labour they are to bestow vpon it and againe what may bee the profit commoditie and ioy thereof which may redound vnto them thereby when they haue it and how they may keepe themselues in sure possession of it hauing once obtained it This preconsideration our Sauiour Christ confirmeth vnto vs in two Parables in Luke the 14 the one is of building the other of warre For the first he saith Which of you minding to build a tower sitteth not downe first and counteth the cost whether hee hath sufficient to performe it least after that hee hath laid the foundation and is not able to performe it all that behold it begin to mocke him saying This man began to build and was not able to make an end For the second he saith What King going to warre against another King sitteth not downe first and taketh counsell whether he be able with tenne thousand to meete him which commeth against him with twentie thousand least afterward to his great shame for so it may be gathered by the circumstances he may be constraiâ—ed to send an â—mbassege vnto him and to desire conditions of peace So ought euery one which commeth to heare the Word to make this premeditation and preparation with himselfe whether he be able and can endure the cost which he must be at in comming vnto the Lord whether he can endure that fight which he is to take in hand before he come vnto the Lord whether he can sustaine the losse of his father mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also and all that he hath whether he be able to fight against Powers Principalities the Diuell the World and the flesh his owne reason and affections least that otherwise he breake off his course and shew himselfe not to be the man he seemed first to be This premeditation and preconsideration must be made before we can enioy that treasure and buy the field wherein it lieth There is no similitude in the Scriptures vsed more often than the similitude of building which often is englished by this word Edifying Of this building mention is made 1 Cor. 3. where the people of God are called the Building of God and the Apostles the Builders so likewise in Ephes. chap. 2. verse 20. 21. 22. And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom all the building coupled together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord in whom yee are also built together to be the habitation of God by the spirit And in Esphes 4 and 12. verse it is said by the Apostle That Christ gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and some Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. And in verse the 16. By whom all the bodie being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue And Iude in his Epistle verse the 20. requireth of vs that we build our selues in our most holie faith praying in the holy Ghost Againe who knoweth not that the similitude of warfare is often repeated also in the Scriptures as in Iob The life of man is a continuall warfare And in the 1 of Timoth. the 6 chapter and 12. verse Fight a good fight saith the Apostle And 1. Peter 2. and 11 verse Abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And Eph. 6. and 12. verse We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and against earthly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in heauenly things So that wee see that of necessitie euery Christian must be a builder and a warriour This building and fighting was shadowed out in the rearing vp of the materiall walles of the temple of Ierusalem which when the Iewes did build they wrought with one hand and held their weapons in the other hand to fight against their enemies as it is in Nehem. 4. and 17 verse The profit and commoditie of building is a deede very great the glorie and honour of victorie gotten in warre is great but this wee know that nothing is more troublesome and dangerous than both building and warre yet be thinking of the commoditie and glory which do arise of them do counteruaile the paines griefes But greater is the profit and more excellent is the glory which we shall attaine vnto in building vp of our selues temples of the holy Ghost Therefore as none can looke to haue commoditie by his building nor honour by fighting without trauaile and paines so let no man deceiue himselfe with a vaine perswasion that he shall inherit the kingdome of heauen when he laboureth not with might and maine to come there For we shall neuer be victors except we fight valiantly we cannot enioy the building if we spare the cost And as we see some begin a building which not being able to finish doe leaue off to their discredit and as many doe moue and make warre who not being able to finish it and to goe through withall are faine to their shame to seeke truce so alas many begin to build and make an entrance into Christianitie with a great and faire shew at the first but few continue to the end And we finde it most true in the Gospell that nine lepers being clensed but one of them returned backe againe to giue him thankes for it Wherefore this forethinking and premeditation is most expedient and necessarie neither must wee thinke that religion is so slight a matter as many doe perswade themselues that it is which kind of men when death commeth vpon them euen then they are deceiued of their saluation because they make no account thereof before hand they neuer thought that the profession of Christianitie would be so costly vnto them they neuer thought it would be so chargeable a matter Whosoeuer therefore will auoide a most dangerous and desperate estate at his death whosoeuer he or she be which will goe on vnto this building must forecast and premeditate before hand what it must cost him he must deeply consider with himselfe what his saluation and the kingdome of heauen will cost him I tell you it is no small thing it must cost him the losse of all the pleasures and delights of this world it must cost thee the forgoing of all thy lusts the losse of riches of libertie and of banishment the losse of thy
most vnthankefully in the Gospell who preferred their marriage bargaining and toyling in the earth to the heauenly banquet are not in anie assurance that God is their portion for where our portion is there is our delight where we looke for inheritance there wee prouide for assurance and where wee looke for treasure thither wee goe with ioy wherefore vntill we set the word aloft in our consciences wee can finde no assurance that God is our portion or that we are his The equitie hereof appeareth Deut. 9. 29. where the people are called the inheritance of the Lord and Deut. 32. 9. The Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance For as possessions in times past were chosen out by lines so the Lord is said to diuide to the Nations their inheritance and to separate Iacob as a part for himselfe Neither must we shuffle off this from our selues seeing the Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 6 calleth vs a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices and the holy Ghost Reuel 1. 6. saith Wee are made Kings and Priests vnto God through Christ. Wherefore seeing the Lord dealeth so fauourably with vs that when hell was our portion by our birthright he hath measured out heauen for vs by the promulgation of his Gospell when we were guiltie of damnation hath made vs inheritours of saluation and when Satan made claime to vs he hath rescued the title of vs to himselfe what an hellish pride were it not to set God aloft what presumption were it not to make him our chiefe delight seeing he before freely hath made vs his chiefe delight If then we desire that God should be our inheritance we must be his if we be his he must take vp wholy our soules and bodies in his word which if wee despise vndoubtedly wee shall be despised of God Marke then in the latter end of this verse he saith I hou shalâ— maintaine my lot As if the man of God should say Howsoeuer the world iudgeth that my estate commeth of other men I know it commeth of thee and Prou. 16. 4. Thou Lord hast made all things for thy owne sake although other thinke things to be fortunate and subiect to lucke and when as others thinke it strange that the sonne of Ishai should come to the gouernment of the Common-wealth yet thou alone hast done it Neither are we thus alone maintained of God in our outward estate but also in spirituall things we are kept by his power as 1. Pet. 1 5. We are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation And howsoeuer the world marueileth that we liue yet we saith the Apostle are kept by the secret finger of God that vnto saluation This happie assurance caused Paul to say 2 Timo. 1. 12. I know iâ— whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded he is able to keepe that which is committed to him against that day In which doctrine is â—â— small comfort in that we haue not our saluation in our owne custodie neither hath the Lord left vs to our selues in the coÌ„ lucting of our bodies soules but hath giuen the whole and happie gouernment to his Sonne Iesus Christ in which dignitie we farre excell Adam in the estate of innocencie For albeit we are by him and in him fallen from it so weake was our estate and so brittle was our hold whilest man possessed it yet hauing it restored the credit and custodie of it resteth not on our weaknesse but on the mightie power of Christ from whom it cannot be taken Such is the mercifull wisedome of our good God Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 6 â—aith that he is the shepheard and that we are in his custodie For whereas like sheepe of our selues we are readie to goe astray and wander the Lord with his shepheards crooke will fetch vs againe to the fold and when we are lost in the wildernesse and darke places he will finde vs ouâ— when we see no issues of our matter he wil be faithful vnto vs if we commit our selues vnto him We see now the blessed securitie of God his children is herein that their lot is not in their owne hands This doctrine also is full of comfort to vs in these times For in such a multitude of heresies where with prophanenesse of life hath ioyned it selfe if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued were it not that they were gouerned by the Lord himselfe It is added in the next verse The li 〈…〉 e fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue a faire heritage The former matter is amplified wherein he sheweth that he so liked his choyse of the word that in hope to change he chused it not So his meaning is in effect all one with the verse going before and may thus shortly be couched together O Lord thou hast dealt with me fauourably which pleaseth me so fully that I require no other happines For notwithstanding my crosses and temptations be many yet because in all I feele thy gracious helpe I desire not to change for any other felicitie In which streame we must learne this one point that wee neuer feele effectually the fruite of our saluation vntill we can triumph ouer the world the flesh and the diuell and when our heritage so pleaseth vs that we repent not beware of repenting beware of repenting when ye haue once giuen your names vnto Christ for ye are become backsliders are fallen partly to heresie partly to atheisme partly to profanenes because they made not a sure vnchangeable choise of their profession at the first This verse is especially to be vnderstood of the fauour of God which he felt and therefore being assured that the kingdome of God was his that the prouidence of God watcheth ouer him and his Angels ministred vnto him he was so stayed that if other outward things did come he counted them cast vpon him as the ouerplus of God his mercie if no other things came he was satisfied If we thinke our lines to be fallen pleasantly we must by proportion by so much the more seeke spirituall than carnall things by how much the soule is better than the body How then is God their portion their lot and inheritance how doth their heritage assigned of God please them who are so carefull in earthly things to prouide for backe and belly and so carelesse in heauenly things to prouide for their soules and consciences For if we were perswaded whatsoeuer we haue we haue it of God we would vse it with prayer receiue it with thanksgiuing we should not rest in outward things as in lands possessions or preferments as in our portion but in the Lord who giuerâ— these things Thus when we are delighted with our heritage we endeuour not to get things by ill meanes hauing gotten them we set not our hearts on them we pray for the holy vse of them we returne them to God his glorie and the comfort
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
vnto prayer 2. Secondly after that he hath studied the word of God he must come out of his study to teach and instruct his flocke to deliuer forth vnto them wholesome doctrine for the nourishment of their soules 3. Thirdly he must liue a godly life shewing himselfe an example and patterne of godlinesse for his people to imitate that the mouthes which are ready to slaunder the Gospell may be stopped and hee must watch ouer his flocke that they be not deceiued with false doctrine 4. Last of all he must not refuse to giue his life for them Concerning the first that Ministers must giue themselues diligently to reading as it is manifest in the fourth chapter of the first Epistle to Timothie where he exhorteth Timotheus with these words Till I come giue attendance to reading to exhortation and to doctrine If that reading the word of God were not very needefull yea and the first poynt of the Ministers of God this faithfull seruant of God Saint Paul would neuer haue willed Timotheus to vse such diligence therein who neuer moued anie to do those things which were not profitable and himselfe for the example of others vsed the same therefore it is certaine that Saint Paul vsing great diligence therein found such commoditie as moued him to exhort Timotheus and in him all other Ministers thereunto But if Saint Paul who was more than a Minister euen an Apostle called thereunto extraordinarily by the mouth of Iesus Christ himselfe from heauen if he I say which was placed in so high an office and called with so worthie a calling gaue himselfe diligently to reading and studying the word of God how much more ought the Ministers which haue not so excellent a calling as he had The Prophet Malachie sheweth a reason hereof The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and the people should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes if the people must learne the will of God at the Ministers mouth it is requisite that he himselfe studie and reade the wâ—rd of God diligently where his holy will is reuealed that he may be able to declare the same vnto the people to the which end the Lord hath placed them ouer his people So that he must be as it were the storehouse of the Lord and the children of God must come to learne and he must minister necessarie doctrine vnto them as occasion shall be offered that all seuerall heresies may be rooted out of the peoples hearts and so be brought vnto God to serue him in true holinesse according to perfect religion hereby we may know that whosoeuer doth not thus is not the seruant of the Lord. The reading and meditating in Gods word is so necessarie that the Lord commaunded Iosua being a ciuill Magistrate That the booke of his law should neuer depart out of his mouth but that he should meditate therein day and night Noting thereby how hard and vnpossible a thing it is for Magistrates to gouerne the Common-wealth aright and orderly without continuall studie of Gods word which is the perfit and absolute rule whereby as well Magistrates as all other sorts of people must measure their affaires and order of life for this cause also must not the ciuill Magistrate be ignorant of the law of God that their ciuill law might be established according to the law morall and therefore they ought continually to reade and meditate therein but if this be the dutie of ciuill Magistrates to be alwaies conuersant in the word of God how much more is it the dutie of spirituall Pastors whose office consisteth in the ministerie thereof The Prophet Dauid in the first Psalme when he would describe who are they that are blessed includeth them in this number They that delight in the law of the Lord meditate therein day and night so that euery priuate man if he will be blessed must continually meditate in the word of God and haue his whole delight and pleasure therein The Minister therefore of necessitie must teach the people he must learne first for it is not possible for him to teach another that which he himselfe hath not learned which is a strong argument to prooue the first part concerning his studie and reading of the word which as we haue prooued to be the first point in his office so will we God willing make manifest in this point of his duty that he ought also to teach the same and must not keepe continually in his studie filling himselfe with knowledge till he become as full as a tunne that will not sound when one knocketh vpon it but he must come out of his closet and preach the word of God and deliuer forth holsome doctrine and so declare by feeding of the flocke of Christ that they loue their maister Christ whose seruants they professe themselues to be Let these deepe learned Clerkes which bragge and vaunt of such deepe knowledge and abundance of learning come forth and shew the same that we may beare record that it is so for if they be the seruants of the Lord they must not haue knowledge buried in themselues but in their lippes that Gods children may be taught thereby to attaine vnto saluation for the Lord hath ordained the preaching of his word to be the onely meanes whereby he calleth together his elect and to that ende hath he giuen gifts to men that by their labour the body of Iesus Christ might be perfited He gaue them not a talent to hide in the ground but to occupie increase the same let them be assured therefore when our King shall come to call vs to account they shal as hardly be handled for not occupying increasing it to his glory as they should if they coÌ„temptuously throw the same away The Minister therefore of Gods word must not onely be learned but must teach also for how can he be a minister of doctrine but in this respect that he teacheth executing that office of his ministry And this teaching is none other thing but to preach the word of God sincerely and purely with a care of the glory of God and a desire of the saluation of our brethren secoÌ„dly a reuerent administration of the sacraments according to the order institution of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer therefore shall not thus labour is not the minister of the Lord but a robber and spoiler of the people of God which thrust themselues into the ministrie to fill their belly only with the sweate of other mens browes Now as it is necessary that the Minister ouer and besides reading and studying the word must also â—each the same So hee must take heede that he obseruâ— the right order of teaching and must not deuâ—â—e doctrine of his owne head But if hee will be a good builder his foundation must be Iesus Christ for another foundation can no man lay and vpon the same he must not
or other that he shall neuer taste of the ioyes laid vp for the children of God In the 20. of the Acts where S. Paul giuing charge of the Church and flock of Gods people vnto the ouerseers thereof giueth this charge first Take heed therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne bloud The Minister must watch ouer the soules of his flocke but first ouer his owne for hee that cannot keepe his owne soule can much lesse keepe the soules of others hee that cannot gouerne himselfe cannot rule another The Minister must watch ouer the soules of his flocke so carefully and warily feeding them with wholsome and necessarie doctrine and so hungring after the saluation of all that hee must not suffer one through his default to perish therefore aboue all it is requisite that hee keepe his owne very sure Then when hee preacheth damnation vnto the obstinate and such as remaine in their sinnes thundering out the iudgements of God against them because they will not repent by that meanes to beate them downe and bring them to a sight of their miserie hee must be assured that the same belongeth not to himselfe Againe when hee preacheth of election and remission of sinnes by the merits of Iesus Christ hee must haue an assured and vnfallible testimonie to his owne conscience that he is an elect vessell of the Lord that he is redeemed by the sacrifice of Iesus Christ and that he shall enioy all the promises of the Gospell as all other children of God if hee be not assured hereof his case is worse then all other mens for in preaching condemnation to others hee condemneth himselfe and in offering the kingdome of heauen to others he quite excludeth himselfe so that hee which helpeth other out of an hole falleth himselfe so deepe into the same that it is not possible for any man to helpe him out Last of all the Minister must not onely reade and studie the word of God preach the same purely by exhorting and all other meanes that may be profitable vsing them both openly and priuately continually in season and out of season praying also for his flocke that his Ministerie may be profitable vnto them and setting himselfe an ensample of all godlines vnto them carefully watching ouer their soules but hee must also loue them so dearely that his owne life must not be deare vnto him for their sake Which tender and louing affection was in that good childe of God Saint Paul as it is manifest in his Epistle to the Thessalonians where he writeth in this sort Neither sought wee praise of meâ— neither of you nor of others when wee might haue beene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ but we were gentle among you euen as a Nourse that cherisheth her children Thus being affectioned towards you our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of God onely but also your owne soules because yee were deare vnto vs. So singular loue had hee towards them that they were dearer vnto him then his life this affection did hee not beare to them onely but to all the elect children of God and suffered all things for the elects sake that they might also attaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glory The reason thereof is because wheresoeuer the Gospell is sincerely and purely taught there bee alwayes aduersaries seeking the ouerthrowe thereof by persecuting such as professe the same to the great dismaying of the children of God who so soone as they take vpon them the profession of Iesus Christ in truth with a good conscience are straightway resisted with great combats of affliction which were able to make them forsake the faith of Iesus Christ and the profession of the Gospell if the Lord should not hold them vpright in this distresse The Apostle therefore whom the holy Ghost hath filled with all wisdome knowing that the crosse was the greatest hinderance of the Gospell that could be and also that where the Gospell was truely professed there the crosse would not be absent because by it the Lord bringeth his children into glorie of a great desire that hee had to the edification of the Church of Iesus Christ willingly suffered all kinde of afflictions thereby to confirme and strengthen the faith of Gods children and did reioyce in that hee suffered for the Churches sake for their commoditie in that by his example the Lord did not onely worke in them a greater credence and beliefe in the Gospell but such an earnest zeale also that they were readie and willing to suffer all manner of afflictions for the same and that with great ioy Whereas if the Apostle who preached vnto them this glad tidings should haue shrunke from the testimonie of his doctrine when any afflictions were laide vpon him for the same the people which were guided by him the spirit of God so prouiding would haue fallen away from the truth and euen haue hardened their hearts against it But this childe of God was so ready to confirme the faith of Gods people by these meanes when it was tolde him of a Prophet called Agabus that he should be bound at Ierusalem and deliuered into the hands of Gentiles he being intreated of the brethren that he would not goe vp who euen with teares besought the same Then Paul answered and said what doe ye weeping and breaking mine heart for I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus This affection must be in euery good Minister toward their flocke that for their soules sake he shall be readie to suffer all things yea euen to giue his life for the confirmation of his doctrine the strengthening of their faith and the glory of God Our Sauiour Christ also that good shepheard refused not to giue his life for his sheepe and truely in that place of Saint Iohn he doth notably declare the difference betweene the good shepheard and the hireling I am saith he that good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe but an hireling and he which is not the shepheard neither his sheepe are his owne seeth the wolfe comming and he leaueth his sheepe and fleeth and the wolfe catcheth them and scattereth them So the hireling flieth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheepe This place teacheth vs plainely that the Ministers of Gods word must not be hirelings such as haue no care of their flocke but respect their owne profit onely and in time of daunger they will forsake them howsoeuer before they haue fed their flocke but the true Ministers must not be such they must not measure their dutie and affection towards their flocke according to their profit but he must know that he is placed ouer them to watch ouer their soules to
Ministers be placed ouer the people as the wicked liuers false teachers or domb dogs it is most certaine that the Lord hath set them euen to plague the people for their sinnes Last of all the people must pray cōtinually both for themselues and for their Minister that the Lord may bestow vpon him the perfect gifts of prophecying and vpon vs obedient hearts to the word that the Lord may bee glorified in our life and conuersation which thing S. Paul desireth in his Epistles as in the 4. Chapter to the Colossians Continue saith he i◠prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Pray also for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ that I may vtter it as becommeth me to speake The like thing doth he require in the 6. to the Ephesians In both which places the Apostle noteth how needefull a thing it is for the people to pray not onely for themselues but for their Minister also for that the Lord God giueth his gifts to none but them which faithfully call vpon him and continually craue the same at his hand It behoueth the people therefore to pray for their Minister that the Lord will powre vpon him the aboundance of his spirit which may open vnto him the mysteries of his most holy word that he may be able to teach them all the counsell of the Lord. In the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and 3. Chapter he vseth these words Furthermore brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and bee glorified euen as it is with you and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men for all men haue not faith Here doth the Apostle giue charge also that the congregation do pray for the florishing of the Gospell and the faithful Ministers thereof that the word might so much be preached and the Church of Christ thereby increased he willeth them to pray for the quiet estate of the Ministers that the Lord would deliuer them out of the hands of their aduersaries which seek not so much the destruction of the Ministers but the ouerthrow of the Gospell because they haue not faith to become partakers of the promises thereof which is only the gift of God vnto his children which shall be saued for if that all men should be saued all should haue faith but because all cannot be saued all cannot haue faith Then wee see a notable meane to attaine those things which are profitable for vs euen by prayer If therefore you desire such a Pastor as shall loue you and you him againe pray vnto the Lord for such a one If you would haue him able to teach you and your selues made obedient to his doctrine pray hartily If you would haue him long pray vnto the Lord to continue him among you and to giue him fauour in the eyes of the Magistrates to defend him from all wicked aduersaries that yee may liue peaceably together and bee builded vp into a strong faith by the word of God without any perturbation Now as it is the dutie of the whole congregation generally to pray together with one consent both for themselues their Minister Prince Magistrates and all other people so it is euerie mans dutie particularly at home at his own house to pray for them and that not once or twise now and then very seldome but daily yea continually Thus shall both the Minister and the people doe their dutie to their wonderfull comfort and glorie The third part concerning the fruites that come of the well doing of these duties both to the Minister and the people THese duties thus performed bring wonderfull commoditie And first of all if the Minister doe his dutie in preaching exhorting liuing praying and watching ouer his flocke with that care of the glorie of God and that desire of the saluation of his people that he ought this profit shall he haue The Lord will blesse his labour and he shall make an acceptable and ioyfull account and this which farre passeth all the rest he shall saue his owne soule and because he hath been a faithfull seruant ouer a little the Lord will make him his gouernour ouer a great deale euen in his kingdome of blessednes If the people do their duty vnto the Minister in obeying reuerencing him fearing him louing and prouiding all things for him and last of all in praying faithfully for him they shall make him a glad man and sturre him vp with great ioy to do for them all that be can and euen in great afflictions the remembrance of their dutifulnes and constant faith shall minister abundāce of consolatiō that he shal be forced to say with the Apostle Paul What thankes can we recompence to God againe for you for all the ioy wherewith wee reioyce before the Lord for your sake Thus shall they fill him with ioy and so winne his heart that hee had a thousand liues he would gladly giue them for their sakes to doe them good and moreouer the Lord wil blesse him in great measure for their sake with knowledge that he may be the more profitable vnto them and in the ende their soules shall be saued which is an vnspeakable treasure farre passing all other things Moreouer though the people do not their duty but become obstinate and storme and rage against the faithfull Minister which hath a care ouer them so that they doe grieue his heart through their disobedience yet if he doe his dutie in reading preaching and other points which I haue alreadie declared he shall notwitstanding saue his owne soule and also if the will of God be so he shall by his diligence winne them if not hee must be contented to submit himselfe and his doing to the will of the Lord and knowe the word of God shall haue his effect euen to make them inexcusable at the dreadfull day whereby the Lord shall be as greatly glorified as if they were saued Againe if the people do their dutie faithfully in the Lord towards their Minister being either a wicked liuer or not so zealous and true a teacher as hee ought to bee either the Lord will remoue him and place ouer them a faithfull shepheard or conuert him and bring him to do his dutie more carefully or else stirre vp other helpes for them So their soules shall be saued and he shall perish The fourth part of the danger for not doing these duties faithfully NOw wee haue seene the great fruites that come of well doing these duties both to the Minister and the people we may thereby see what danger insueth of the contrarie that is not of doing them For whereas if the Ministers doe their dutie faithfully the Lord will blesse their labours so that their account may be acceptable and their soules saued so on the cōtrarie if they do not their dutie truly as they ought and seeke the glory of God
part of their worth but as for this it is both precious and rare There are but a very few selected ones that the Lord hath singled out to bee partakers of the life of Grace and to be afterwards Heires of the Kingdome of Glorie which maketh it to bee a gifte of farre greater estimation 3. Lastlie if it were both deare and rare yet if it were to bee enioyed but a while it were the lesse to bee regarded Therefore this addition there is vnto the happinesse of this estate that it is also durable yea Euerlasting And whereas all worldhe Excellencie and all Earthly promotions are Temporarie and vanishing So that a man may bee very high this day and as lowe ere the morrowe and none can be happy in possessing those things through the losse whereof he may so quickly become miserable it is otherwise with them that are in the state of grace for that neuer falleth once a Christian euer a ChristiaÌ„ as the Lords purposâ— changeth not so neither doth our condition change â—ut if we haue begun in grace wee shall end in glory that neuer shall haue ende Psal. 16 11. Dan. 12. 2. Is it so that Religion and true piety is the ready way to the highest aduancement then hence let vs learne to set our hearts chiefly therevpon and aboue all the treasures in the world principally to affect that We account it good husbandry in the first place to sâ—eke after those things that will doe vs most good if siluer be offered we will preferre it before brasse if gold be offered we wil take it rather than siluer Now concerning this heauenly wisedome it is saide Receiue mine instruction and not siluer and knowledge rather then fine gold For wisedome is better then precious stones and all treasures are not to bâ—e compared vnto her And this should encourage vs rather to vse all industrie for the obtaining of this bleâ—â—ed estate because it is a thing have-haue-able It were in vaine for a base person to sue to be a King a Duke or a Lord none almost is so foolish as to seeke for such preferments because they knowe it would bee but lost labour But there is not the meanest seruant slaue or bondman but may attaine to this spirituall dignitie which is farre beyond all aduancement that the kingdome of this world can possibly yeeld He that can pray heare meditate conferre and iudge himselfe in secret before hee commeth to the Sacrament and with all good care and conscionable respect vse all Gods ordinances for the obtaining of faith and other graces which doe euer accompanie the same shall bee sure of good and happie successe for the Lord will bee sound of those that seeke him with a true heart therefore let vs not so cast our eyes on earthly commodities as that in the meane time wee neglect this pearle of price and this inestimable Iewell that will so exceedingly enrich vs. The Apostle telleth vs that those that runne in a race for a prize though it be but a garland that is set vp so that they can gaine onely some small credit of their agility and nimblenesse in ouâ— running one another yet they will put off all that might clogge and hinder them in their race but especially if they should runne for a crowne of gold neither will they bee so foolish as to stoope downe to take vp euery pinne or point that lieth in the way and yet they runne but at an vncertaintie when they haue done their best another may carry away both the honour and commodity from them and certaine it is that but one alone can winne the prize and euen hee also though he haue the applause at one time may goe away with the disgrace at another or if his credit doe continue all his life time yet death will take it away at last From all which the Apostle would haue vs drawe this conclusion that if such kinde of persons notwithstanding all that hath been saide will so bestirre themselues and seeke to acquit themselues euery way like men then much more ought wee to put our selues to it and with all alacrity runne the race that is set before vs sith wee runne not at an vncertainty but are sure to obtaine the crowne oâ—e shall not preuent nor depriue another but all shall vndoubtedly get that which they doe expect and especially seeing that withal we striue for an incorruptible crowne and shal attaine vnto not a fading and vanishing but an abiding and euerlasting dignity O but will some say if wee bestow our pâ—â—nâ—s and endeuours so much about spirituall things in the meane time wee shall neglect those earthly things that are needfull and so bring our selues to pouerty Nâ—y not so prouision for our euerlasting estate doth neuer impaire our present estate for g 〈…〉 th the promises of this life and of that which is to come and thereby shall all matters be blessed vnto vs. Haue we inheritance wealth reputation dignity c. This will assure vs that wee haue a good tiâ—e vnto all and season and sweeten all that euery one of them shall bee comfortable and profitable vnto vs making it cleare vnto our hearts and consciences that the Lord sendeth them in mercie as pledges of greater mâ—â—ters that hee mindeth to bestow vpon vs. Haue wee not these outward things Godlinesse will make a supply in stead of all for that is great gaine with contentment in comparison of which all the promises of contentednesse that other thinges make vnto vs will bee found to bee but meere illusions because it certifieth our soules that God will prouide sufficiently for vs which perswasion alone is able to stay the restlesse and vnsetled mindes of the sonnes of men from pursuing after the vnprofitable deceitfull and lying vanities of this present euill world Seeing religion is such an incomparable treasure it should instruct vs in the second place to haue the meanes in due estimation whereby we may be made truly religious by which our mindes that are blinde may be inlightned our hearts of crooked may be made straight of proude may bee made humble and of fraudulent may be made true and faithfull And those meanes are the Word the Sacrament Prayer and the like which are the steps whereby wee must ascend vnto this honourable estate for it is as possible for men to make staires to climbe vp vnto the sky as for vs without these to ascend vnto heauen by any deuises of our owne framing The word is the key that must open hell gates to set vs at libertie from the bonds of sinne of Sathan and of death and to vnlocke heauen gates that wee may haue entrance into glory in which respect it is that Christ saith vnto Peter that hee would giue vnto him and consequently to all Ministers of the Gospell the keyes of the kingdome of heauen that is the dispensation of the word which maketh the way vnto
but in the qualitie of them that all bee done and spoken soundly and sincerely this is required Psalme 15. that he that will be a member of the Church militant on earth and of the Church triumphant in heauen must walke vprightly and speake the truth from his heart And againe in another Psalme a question is made to the same effect Who shall dwell in the mountaine of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place and the answere is Hee that hath innocent hands and a pure heart which hath not lift vp his minde to vanitie nor sworne deceitfully In which wordes we haue a description of a sound hearted man 1 By his actions that he dealeth vprightly and so hath innocent handes 2 By his affection that he lifteth not vp his minde to vanitie that is setteth not his heart on any earthly thing in which sense that phrase is vsed in the originall Ier. 22. 27. 3 By his speeches that he hath not sworne nor any way spoken deceitfully The reasons to confirme this point are drawne from the great inconueniences that will follow on the contrary for if there be in any a fraudulent and deceitfull heart 1 First there is a deadly quarrell and mortall enmitie betweene God and him for who are they that are reconciled to the Lord whose sinnes are couered by the righteousnesse of his sonne so that they shall not be imputed vnto them euen they In whose spirit there is no guile And what will follow then for those whose hearts are full of fraude and deceite but that they must needs be destitute of all hope of the pardon of their sinnes and so consequently lye open to the strokes of Gods vengeance due vnto the same 2 And as their persons are hatefull to the Lord so are their seruices abhorred of him for indeed they are not the seruices of God but of Sathan and of their owne flesh and therefore be they neuer so glorious in outward shew and let them pretend neuer so much zeale in the performance of them yet the Lord hath them in vtter detestation As we may plainly see in the hypocriticall Pharisies they would be euery where praying with great deuotion and very often fasting with great austeritie and blowing a trumpet to giue notice vnto men of their almesdeeds and liberalitie and striuing with all their might by externall obseruations to winne themselues the praise of holy zealous men yet for all this our Sauiour sharpely rebuketh them saying Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed before men is an abomination in the sight of God It is as loathsome vnto him as carions or toads or any such creatures as mans nature doth most abhorre can be vnto vs. Thirdly this is another miserie of hypocrites that they liue in continuall feare and danger there are holes in their maskes at least there will be and their double dealing shal be seene into it shall sometime or other come to light how they haue abused Gods presence and dissembled with their brethren by making faire shewes and pretences of that which they neuer meant their sinnes shall not alwaies lie hid but either they will giue ouer all in time of persecution as the stony ground did or in hope of promotion as Iudas and Achitophel did and so discouer their false-heartednes or else it shall be drawne forth by their speeches in their merriments or in their distempers or else Gods spirit in godly men shall descrie it by working in their hearts a vehement suspition of them and causing them with a iudicious eye more narrowly to pry into their workes and waies By one such meanes or other God will lay them open to the view of the world so that being in such perill they cannot but haue a fearefull heart and a restlesse conscience And to this purpose notable is that saying of Salomon He that walketh vprightly walketh boldly or surely but he that peruerteth his waies shall be knowne Whence it is apparant that the vpright man needeth not to feare any thing he needeth not to be afraide of ill men for though they may disgrace him they cannot shame him he needeth not to be afraide of good men for the oftner he speaketh vnto them and conuerseth with them the more he is approued by them neither needeth he to be afraide of God for he that searcheth the heart and the reines knoweth and alloweth of the integritie of their soules They haue no cause of feare for the present because all things goe well with them neither is there any for afterwards because all things shall goe well with them for they shall neuer fall away from God None can plucke them out of his hand Sathan cannot because hee that is in vs is stronger then he that is in the world sinne cannot because grace will preuaile against it the world cannot because this is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith And the Apostle concludeth generally for all other matters that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 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. What followeth now on the contrarie part for hypocrites but hee that peruerteth his way that is alloweth himselfe in any ill course though neuer so secretly shall be knowne that is his vile and wretched dissembling shall bee detected if not in this world yet when the thoughts of all hearts shall bee made manifest they shall be found out first or last and therefore they cannot but walke fearefully in their ill courses wherein they walke and giue libertie vnto themselues This should make vs exceeding carefull and warie when wee offer our selues to Gods seruices to search and dig deepe into our hearts that we may cast out all the loose earth that is there and so our building may be on a rocke and not on the sand Wee must purge away that leauē of hypocrisie that hath wholy infected our nature that so we be not found to halt in our worshipping of God least he take vs with the manner as hee did him that came without a wedding garment whom he singled out from all the guests that were present and that not only to ignominie reproch but to euerlasting punishment and torment in hel fire It is very dangerous then we see to deale hypocritically with God it is not safe with men to pretend and say one thing before their faces and to speake and doe another behind their backes because they may peraduenture discerne it but it is more dangerous to dissemble with God for he doth certainly discerne it and will as certainly punish it Many when they are reproued or admonished will snuffe at it and say What need you be so hot in the
yeares Against an vtter desertion in this kinde Dauid prayeth in this place and according to S. Augustine is in effect thus much O Lord if lest I should be proud and should say in my prosperitie I shall neuer be remoued it pleased thee to tempt me yet forsake me not ouerlong that is if thou haue thus forsaken me that I may know how weake I am without thine assist mee yet forsake me not vtterly lest I perish I know that of thy good will thou hast giuen me strength and if thou turnest away thy face from me I shall forthwith be troubled O forsake me not that I perish not If Christ be a sleepe the shippe is in danger and if the Lord absent himselfe but for a while we are not able to stand in temptation And yet it pleaseth the Lord to exercise his deerest seruants oftentimes with these desertions For as that iudiciall diuine Maister Perkins obserueth whom I follow in that which followeth the blessings that God bestoweth on them are of two sorts either positiue or priuatiue positiue are reall graces wrought in the heart by the spirit of God priuatiue are such meanes whereby God preserues men from falling into sinne as crosses desertions And these in number exceed the first as long as men doe liue in this world Before it can be declared what these desertions are this conclusion is to be laid downe He which is once in the estate of grace shall be in the same for euer This appeareth in the eight of the Romans 30. Where Paul sets downe the golden chaine of the causes of saluation that can neuer be broken so that he which is predestinate shall be called iustified glorified And a little after he saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and Who shall seuer vs from the loue of Christ and I am perswaded that no creatures shall be able to seuer vs from the loue of Christ which he would not haue said if men being in the estate of grace might fall quite from grace And how should they which are iustified haue peace with God if they were not sure to perseuere righteous before God to the ende And how shall it be said that hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God wherewith God loues his Elect is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen them if any may vtterly fall from that loue How should the testimonie of the spirit which testifieth to the Elect that they are the children of God be true and certaine if it may be quite extinguished Lastly how shall that of Iohn be true they went out of vs because they were not of vs if they had beene of vs they should haue remained with vs if a man may wholy fall from Christ which hath once beene made a true member of him Our Sauiour Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue life eternall to them and no man shall take them out of my hand or out of my fathers hand and whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come vnto me and whosoeuer commeth to me I will not cast out And if any of the Elect being effectually called might wholy fall from grace then there must be a second insition or engrafting into the mysticall body of Christ and therefore a second Baptisme nay for euery fall a new insition and a new Baptisme which must in no wise be graunted wherefore they which are predestinate to be in the estate of grace are also predestinate to perseuere in the same to the end Hereupon it followeth that the desertions of Gods Elect are first of all partiall that is such as wherein God doth not wholy forsake them but in some part Secondly temporarie that is for some space of time and neuer beyond the compasse of this present life For a moment saith the Lord in Esay in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer And to this purpose Dauid well acquainted with this matter prayeth Forsake me not ouerlong This sort of Desertions though it be but for a time yet no part of a Christian mans life is free from them and very often taking deepe place in the heart of man they are of long coÌ„tinuance Dauid coÌ„tinued in his dangerous fall about the space of an whole yeare before he was recouered Luther coÌ„fesseth of himselfe that after his coÌ„uersion he lay three yeares in desperation And common experience in such like cases can make record of loÌ„ger time The maner God vseth in forsaking his owne seruants is of two sorts the first is by taking away one grace and putting another in the roome the second by hiding his grace as it were in a corner of the heart God takes away his grace and puts another in the roome diuers waies 1. First he bereaueth his owne children of outward prosperitie yea he will loade them with crosses and yet he wil make a good supply by giuing patience Dauid is driuen out of his kingdome by his owne sonne a heauie crosse yet the Lord ministreth an humble and patient spirit so as he was content to speake If the Lord thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes So likewise Christian Martyrs are bereaued of all outward safetie and laid open to the violence persecution of tyrants yet inwardly they are established by the power of the might of God when they are most weak they are most strong and when they are most foiled then they obtaine victorie 2. Secondly the Lord cuts off the daies of this life and for recompence to his own elect giues life eternall The righteous is taken away froÌ„ the euill to come This is manifest in Iosias of whom it is said Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers and though shall be put into thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place 3. Thirdly God takes away the feeling of his loue and the ioy of the holy Ghost for a season then in the roome thereof he kindles an earnest desire thirsting with groanes and cryings vnto heauen to be in the former fauour of God againe This was Dauids case when he complained and said My voyce came to God when I cryed my voyce came to God and he heard mâ— in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore râ—nne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vp â—n God and was troubled I prayed and my spirit was full of anguish Selah The like was the estate of the Church making her mone vnto God in Esay O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare returne for thy seruants sakâ—
word parables hee saith that fathers must teach them to their children and we know that the things which fathers must teach to their children ought to be verie easie and plaine The word then is said to be ful of mysteries or parables to all those whose eyes the Lord hath not inlightned and whose hearts he hath not touched by his spirite But as for them who are beloued of God whom the Lord bestoweth his spirit vpon for their direction those haue an easie entrance into his word and they do behold the mysteries of the law Therfore saith Christ vnto his Apostles To you it is giuen to know these things but to the other are all things spoken in parables Then it is for good cause that the Prophet desireth to behold these mysteries yet hee restraineth his desire and desireth to know no other mysteries than are contained in the word Many would gladly desire mysteries and many flie to reuelations yet they will not bee kept within the bounds of Gods word but wil needes follow the speculations of their own fantasies of this sort is the Family of loue But we must desire with this man of God to behold mysteries and keepe our selues within the compasse of the word euer crauing for the good spirit of God to enlighten our hearts in the true vnderstanding thereof that we neuer bee like the carnall Protestant which resteth in the outward word neuer crauing for Gods spirit to helpe their vnderstanding therein neither yet like the phantasticall Familie of loue which followeth reuelation and illumination without the word Vers. 19. I am a stranger vpon earth hide not thy commandements from me I Am a stranger vpon earth He setteth downe another reason why he would be instructed in the law of the Lord because he is but here a stranger that is that he had not here any long abiding place but continued here for a while And this doe all the men of God professe Heb. 11. vers 14. that they looked for another citie and therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God so in another place Dauid saith I am a stranger as all my fathers were If this were the affliction of Gods childreÌ„ in times past it must be in vs now if we with them will be partakers of the same promises in the kingdome of heauen We see then where we must make the beginning of all godlines and good religion euen in denying this world and acknowledging our selues to bee but pilgrimes in the same When a sonne is sent beyond the seas to learn the tongues c. and hath his time appointed him how long hee hath to tarrie the consideration of that time if he be any thing toward will moue him to take paines that when he returneth home hee may please his father So let vs then often set our times before vs let vs in time learne knowledge and apply our hearts speedily thereto Againe if we be strangers we haue fewe friends and many enemies and therefore it standeth vs in hand to bee carefull of the lawe of God which may teach vs that good path in which if wee walke we shall well please God and so be guarded and defended against our enemies We haue our own corruption to striue with the vanities of the world the euill examples of wicked men to prouoke vs to doe the like their malitious practises against vs and the great enemie of mankinde the diuell and with principalities and powers in heauenly things If wee doe well and wisely consider of these enemies wee shall soone see what neede we haue to be instructed in the law of God that wee may bee able to resist them Hide not thy Commandements from me The Prophet beholding these enemies craueth of the Lord that he would not hide his commandements from him This hiding doth the Prophet oppose to that inlightning which hee spake of before as our Sauiour Christ doth when he saith I thanke thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and reuealed them vnto babes where is signified that vnlesse the Lord doe reueale his law vnto vs he is said to hide it for it is hidden from vs and we cannot attaine vnto the knowledge of it vnlesse he make it knowne vnto vs. Vers. 20. Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy iudgements alway THe Prophet sheweth the vehemencie of his desire when he saith that his soule fainteth for the desire thereof So in another place he saith that his heart panâ—â—t and that his soule cleaueth to the dust many such complaints the man of God maketh wheÌ„ he seeth the Lord withdrawing his spirit from him that he cannot so clearely see into Gods word as contrariwise he sheweth his ioy that in heart hee conceiueth when the Lord by his spirit doth open his sight that he can feele some comfort thereby when he saith How sweete are thy precepts vnto my mouth Oh how loue I thy Law c. Many men being not acquainted with this practise of the Prophet doe thinke that it is some melancholike humour c. when they see Gods children suddenly sorrowfull or suddenly full of reioycing but those that haue experience of these things doe know that the griefe sitteth neere their heart when they cannot feele comfort in Gods word and that then they are most comforted when the eyes of their mindes are most inlightned For seeing that our nourishment and life is in the Word we ought continually to fetch nourishment from thence by meditating therein Therfore many are on a sudden cast into great sadnesse and heauinesse of heart and yet they know not for what cause whereas this no doubt is one among the rest because they vse not to meditate in Gods word therefore by this meanes would the Lord driue them to his word that there they might find comfort and so for euer after haue the word in greater estimation and bestow greater diligence thereupon By iudgements here is meant the whole word of God whether it be promises or threatnings wherein the Lord â—heweth himselfe to bee as good as his word in performing and bringing to passe that which he hath spoken This desire which the Prophet had to Gods Commaundements it was not for a start and soone done but it was continually wherein he sheweth a plaine difference betweene a true desire and that which hath no truth in it for there is not the wickedest man that liueth but he may for a time seeme to haue very good things in him and at a start the most wicked will make a shew of very good desires but all this is like a morning clowde and soone vanisheth away therefore if wee will haue our desire to be true let vs also labour that it be continuall Vers. 21. Thou hast destroyed the proud cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements THe Prophet doth not let passe Gods iudgements without profit but meditateth vpon them that thereby he may bee kept in greater
when as they that trust in lying vanities doe forsake their owne mercie Ionah 2. 10. And graunt me graciously thy word He boasteth not on his owne merits but desireth all for Gods goodnes and till it please God to make vs rest in his word and in that alone we shall be carried about with euery blast of new doctrine runne a whoring after our own inuentions and neuer be guided in any good way ¶ Vers. 30. I haue chosen the way of truth and thy iudgements haue I layde before mee THough the Prophet prayed in the former verse against the way of falshood and lying yet it seemeth that by the spirit of God hee had made choyce of a good way for here hee protesteth that for his part hee had chosen the way of trueth and laide before himselfe the waye of Gods iudgements God layde before him two wayes the one straite the other wide the one of life the other of death the one of lying the other of truth which doth hee choose the waye of trueth that is that path which leadeth to trueth and wel-doing and in one word to him who is the way the truth and the life But how comes it that hee makes this choyce is it in the power of his free-will nothing lesse no man can come vnlesse he be drawn walke vnlesse he be directed runne vnlesse he bee enlarged or choose this waye vnlesse hee bee guided by the worke of Gods spirit without which we can doe nothing I haue chosen why then should not wee chuse it surely hee maketh this confession both to stirre vp others by his example and to testifie his resolution that though hee were in danger for this choyce and had fewe companions yet hee for his part would neuer seeke out any other way as Ios. 24. 15. Ioh. 6. 67. 68. 69. The way of truth thus he stâ—leth the word of God which alone shewes man the waye by which hee may walke safely and vprightlie But before a man can bee set in this way hee hath many seducements offered vnto him to drawe him into by paths It seemeth that Dauid ouercame them all made Gods word that Ariâ—dnes threed by which he passed through all sorts of Labyrinths If wee intend to make choyce of any other waye doubt not but we shall haue counsellors enough but this is the waye chuse it And thy iudgements haue I laide before me 1. Thy word according to which thou wilt pronounce sentence that haue I saide before mee it is euer in my sight it is my counsellor my comforter my guide and gouernour O happie Dauid if thou hadst euer done so then hadst thou not fallen either by pride of heart in numbring the people or vncleanesse of life with the spouse of Vriah Hence springs all impietie that we laye not GODS iudgements before vs. ¶ Vers. 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me noâ— IF euer good man had occasion by crosses to forsake his profession and hold of pietie Dauid had neuer was man more beloued of God yet neuer was man so molested by men remember his troubles and his truth will appeare Did hee now forsake his standing abandon his generall or start aside like a broken bowe no he did not In the Lord was his delight in Gods word was his comfort He did cleaue so fast vnto the word of God in which his will is testified to man that no trouble could make him to forgoe his hold Mee thinkes I may bring in heere Paul speaking as Dauid doth Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or naked â—â—sse or perill or sworde As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long wee are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerers through him thâ—t loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bâ—e able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in CHRIST IESVS our LORDE Rom. 8. 35. c. Confounde mee not If I cleaue not to thy testimonies thou wilt confounde mee as all they are who start aside from thee if I cleaue vnto thy testimonies men will confounde mee O LORDE suffer mee not to bee confounded by them or to doe that whereby I may be ashamed either before thee or before any man Thus Dauid fearing that by daily accidents his faith and profession might be shaken and he should in the ende become a scorne to his enemies as who more scorned then the most godly desireth that he might haue as he had trusted such good successe that vpon none occasion that hold which he had laide vpon Gods word might be taken from him Where we see it is the custome of the wicked to put most shame vpon them who desire to sticke most fast vnto God and to serue him with greatest sinceritie this is the great griefe of Gods Saints that they are thus confounded for well doing let them goe on as Dauid did let them pray as Dauid here doth in the ende they shall either see the confusion of their enemies or else reioyce in consolation of a good conscience that they are hated without a cause ¶ Verse 32. I will runne the waies of thy commaundements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart THis last verse is a golden verse in which he sheweth principally with what speede and cheerfulnesse he will serue God But because this race celestiall cannot be vndertaken vnlesse we know Christ and in him the remission of sinnes which alone knowledge doth enlarge the heart drawing it out of the dolors of death and perfuming it with a new ioy by which it resteth quieted in the Lord therefore as before he desired to be quickened and cheereÌ„d according to Gods word so heere he promiseth that he will most cheerfully goe on in the waies of Gods statutes where it shall please the Lord to set his heart at libertie by taking away from him the feare of his displeasure purchased by sinne and the furie of his enemies of whom he was in danger I will runne c. it is a metaphor borrowed from runners in a race who questionles doe runne with speede Such an one was Ahimaaz 2. Sam. 18. who outâ—an Chushi to bring Dauid tydings of Absolons death And Iohn who did ouerrunne Peter to the sepulcher Iohn 20. 4. Dauid will imitate these runners he will make hast and delay no time to keepe Gods righteous iudgements So would Paul himselfe Philip. 3. 13. I forget that which is behinde and I endeuor myselfe to that which is before And followe hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And to this race he exhorteth the Corinthians 1. Epistle 9. Chapter Verse 2. So runne that ye may obtaine Now in this race some creepe
because I haue trusted in thy word HEre is an ende why be desireth knowledge for that others by my example shall be moued to seeke thee and shall haue hope that thou also wilt heare them when they crie This then is a great honour that we shall not only saue our owne soules but also be helpes to others that they may be saued wherin the Lord vouchsafeth vs great honor for to cause the carelesse to seeke God and to confirme the weake is a great honour Likewise hereby we shall stop the mouthes of them that speake against the waies of the Lord. Contrariwise when a professor falleth away he loseth his soule he hurteth the weake hardeneth the wicked and openeth the mouthes of the wicked Thus by the one God is glorified and our brethren profited and by the other the cleane contrary When we see any man trusting in God to be deliuered out of remptation then may we be confirmed and comforted with hope that we also shal be deliuered This is said Psal. 34. Other shall be comforted And Psalm 40. They that see mee let them be comforted For when the Lord confirmeth any of his promises to any of his children we may likewise be comforted that we shall finde them also true So the Apostle reasoneth Abraham was iustified therefore shall wee so Hebr. 11. As contraâ—iwise when wee see the trueth of Gods threatnings vpon any then we should knowe that if we haue the same sinne wee shall also feele the same punishment Then must wee consider of Gods children how that by nature they are no better than we therefore if we can beleeue then shall we haue hope to become like them for God doth not accept persons We must likewise consider of the wicked that by them also â—e may be instructed None shall reioyce at the example of the godly but they that feare God and this feare is the beginning of all goodnesse some that feare God may haue a doubtfull conscience and they shall haue comfort by the examples of Gods mercies in others Without this feare men can not rightly consider of Gods workes but who so feareth he shall profit by them Here is the true vse of all the Scriptures not to maruell onely at the examples of Gods mercies or iudgements but to bee comforted and confirmed by the one and to feare by the other Vers 75. I knowe O Lorde that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted mee iustly THis is somewhat like that It is good that I haue beene afflicted but after a new manner as though he should say Thy iudgements are righteous and iust though my flesh doth perswade me the coÌ„trary And to shew the certainty of this he saith I know This know ledge he had by the word because we shall then subscribe to the iustice of God when we can subscribe to the word Then if we would subscribe to the righteousnes of Gods iudgements let vs by the word meditate vpon his threatnings promises and though we cannot see the reasons of all yet must we acknowledge them to bee holy because the Lord is holy and his word is holy therefore his workes are holy If we be not able to behold the beames of the Sunne much lesse can we see the brightnes of Gods works and let vs euer accuse our selues of blindnes and rebellion rather than the Lord of iniustice He is then acknowledged to be iust when we yeeld to the righteousnes of his precepts And when we can confesse his iustice thus wee shall well confesse his mercie Then if we will confesse the iustice of God we must confesse his iudgements to be holy otherwise we doe not And that This is a speciall Note of faith that hee can apply that particular to himselfe which the Lord had giuen generally and till wee doe thus wee neither beleeue promises nor threatnings We must not rest theÌ„ in generals but apply them to ourselues whether they be promises or threatnings and this will draw vs out of sinne and comfort vs in trouble In faithfulnes He had before confessed Gods iustice and now hee confesseth his mercy as if he had said Thou of thy mercie hast thus laid thy rod vpon mee that I may be such a one as thou mayest performe thy promise to as Psalm 130. This must make affliction sweete because the speciall ende thereof is not to punish vs but to make vs fit to receiue his promises and he vseth it as a remedie and medicine against sinne as he sheweth his iustice in that he suffereth not sinne in his children so he sheweth his mercy in that thereby he cureth them Vers. 76. I pray thee that thy mercie may comfort me and according to thy promise vnto thy seruant BEcause he had confessed the mercifull dealing of the Lord therfore he craueth mercy for he knew that with the Lord is mercie to be feared Psal. 130. He dare not stand to the rigour of Gods iustice but he flieth to his mercie contrarie to the Papists Pâ—lagâ—aâ—â—s and Familie of loue And thus must we labour to cure our vnbeleese by his promises that we â—â—ll not to despaire for we are readie to presume in prosperitie or to despaire 〈◊〉 but they must be both cured the one by the meditation of Gods iudgements in prospâ—â—â—â— the other by the promises in trouble For then the iudgements haue done with vs when they haue brought vs to humble our selues to the Lord because of our sinne then are we to looke for his mercie for then are we fit for it We must then couple iustice and mercie together and make vse of both He had ioy before and yet he craueth comfort where we note the change of the consciences of Gods people sometime ioyfull sometime sorrowfull This must be a stay to vs against the temptation which Sathan will â—ffer saying Thou art â—ickle and â—â—â—â— châ—â—ging all is vaine Nâ—y we are as the children of God in all ages haue beene Accordiâ—◠〈◊〉 had no speciall promise but applied the generall promise to himselfe for all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made in generall manner Come all c. that all the Church might haue their part in 〈◊〉 and â—ore should thinke that they were shut out This hâ—d the woman of Câ—naâ—â— whâ—◠〈◊〉 to Christ because she stated on this generaâ—â— promise that he was sent to the 〈…〉 〈…〉 As we câ—n 〈◊〉 leaue 〈◊〉 or come to true repentance vnlesse we beleeue that that God which hath puâ—â—shed 〈…〉 will also punâ—â—â— sinne in vs so shall we neuer receiue comfort by the promises vnâ—â—â—se we can 〈◊〉 apply those promises to our selues which are generally made to the Church But iâ— we can doe this we shall haue comfort in our soules and strength to withstand the â—â—â—ptation which the diuell ministreth saying What promise haâ—t thou that thou shalt be saued To know that God is mercifull is not enough vnlesse we be among those to whom the
shield and I trust in thy word BEcause the Prophet could not perswade himselfe of any other safetie than of the safeâ—â—â—â— which he had vnder the Lord he sheweth that so long as he put his trust in Gods 〈…〉 s he feared nothing And surely this ought to be the principal thing among Christians to looke for none other defence than that which is to be looked for out of the promises of God For what is the cause why when wee are in daunger in pouertie in any distresse wee haue so many by-paths and can inuent vnlawfull meanes and shifts so for our deliuerance but onely because the Lord and his word is not our refuge and our shield For if we were once perswaded that God were our tower to defend vs and our shield to couer vs wee should be staied If wee then call on God in our neede we must know that Psal. 33. vers 18. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vpon them that trust in his mercies And that Psal. 145. 18. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him hee also will heare their crie and will saue them And our cause being good we neede not to doubt of him for he hath promised to be our shield and buckler So our Sauiour Christ being tempted of Sathan to turne the stones into bread was moued by him to distrust Gods prouidence What saith he doest thou thinke that if thou wert the Sonne of God thou shouldest bee left in such wants make some shift therefore for thy selfe But Christ knowing God to bee the author of his neede was assured that he would secretly nourish him vntill hee had receiued ordinarie meanes againe and so strengthened himselfe in Gods promises Likewise when we are in need or in perill Sathan will cause vs to vse one shift or other but we must answere him The Lord is my shield and tower I am sure enough and therfore I hate all ill inuentions I put my trust in the Lord. We acknowledge this with our tongue yet it is a hard thing to bee practised to put our trust in Gods word For howsoeuer wee will grant indeede that wee must put our trust in God yet we hardly yeeld vnto this that we must trust in his word but we must here correct this vnbeliefe and learne that if we seeke for helpe at God wee must trust in his word Doth Gods word threaten his iustice and can wee finde in our liues that if wee vse euill meanes we shall be punished Doth Gods word assure vs that God is mercifull and doe we beleeue that Iesus Christ came to saue sinners although we were the greatest and that he came to call sinners and not the righteous to repentance and that Iesus Christ came to saue that which was lost and to refresh all that are wearie and heauie laden Thus the man of God saith portioÌ„ 8. 1. O Lord thou art my portioÌ„ I haue determined to keepe thy law And portion 14. 6. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the very ioy of my heart Thus he sheweth that we must seeke for that in Gods word which wee seeke for of him For his word is a conduit or waterpipe whereby the Lord conueying his mercies vnto vs will haue them runne through vnto vs. Doe wee beleeue then the promises that God will prouide for vs then let vs beware of al wicked shifts and trust onely in his word For if we beleeue God to be our tower we must looke to Gods word The Heathen men and the prophane worldlings will speake gloriously of the goodnesse of the strength and of the mercy of God but when they come to see it in the word they will erre altogether out of the way whereby they shew how they vtter more in their tongues than they performe in truth For the Lord hath layde that helpe on his word which he would haue vs to seeke for at his hand so Christ by the word put the diuell to flight with these words in effect Thou wouldest haue me Sathan to mistrust my Fathers prouidence and to giue my selfe to be taught of thee but I know he will keepe me in all my necessities and why because he hath said Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God the Lord hath prouided ordinarie meanes to nourish me and hath not commaunded that stones should be made bread and why then should I vse vnlawfull meanes Wherefore I will stay my selfe vpon my Fathers prouidence We see he might haue said that God is almightie and strong or that by his mightie power he might haue put off Sathan but he reciteth the words of Moses which he vsed when the Lord so wonderfully had preserued his people the Israelites in the wildernesse without ordinarie meanes We must in like manner when Sathan shall set vpon vs in time of neede say it is written The Lord is iust and true in all his promises It is written The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie nothing wanteth to them that feare him The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing which is good It is written Rom. 8. verse 35. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword When we are tempted then with doubting in our selues that we shall not escape we must know that it is written Rom. 8. 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 32. Who spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also If we be tempted to steale we must say as it is written Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God knowing that God is able to preserue vs without ordinarie meanes Vers. 115. Away from me ye wicked for I will keepe the commandements of my God THe cause why the man of God could not so stay himselfe on the Lord was because what way soeuer he turned himselfe he could see no man that would helpe him He had no helpe of the world euery man prouided for himself some shifted this way another that way he could see no good example of any which either beleeued Gods promises to be true or were readie to obey his commaundements Wherefore it is manifest that they were impediments rather than furtherances vnto him For else why should he say Away from me ye wicked c Were there so many impediments in his daies and shall we thinke there are not so many in ours or was that age wherein he liued more wicked than the age wherein we liue First we are nothing like him in good things he had greater graces of God than we haue he had gone further in holinesse than we we liue
that though the wicked seemed to haue an happie time for a while yet through Gods secret curse they had a fearefull end and though Gods children were tried with many troubles yet through Gods secret blessings they had happie issues Thus saith he Was I so foolish and ignorant and as a beast before thee whiles by mine owne wit and reason I would goe about to search out thy secret iudgements Yet saith hee I was alway with thee thou hast holden mee by my right hand and howsoeuer it went with the wicked my faith in thy prouidence did assure me that thou diddest watch ouer me and wouldest not finally forsake me Whom haue I in heauen but thee and I haue desired none in the earth but thee Though my flesh should pine away and I should consume yet am I perswaded that thou wilt not forsake me they goe a whoring and thou destroiest them but as for me it is good that I trust in thee that is let all the world fall from thee yet I see their end shall be fearefull and therefore I will still trust and stay on thee Marke what word he vseth to paint forth mistrust in God he calleth it to goe a whoring we know what a grieuous thing it is for a woman to prostitute herselfe to a baude so monstrous a thing it is to giue our trust to any but to God Wherfore we must fight against the corruptions of the world not by the sight of reason but by looking into the glasse of Gods word Let vs search then which be the promises of God to stirre vs vp to doe good which be his threatnings to make vs afraide of sinne what examples we haue of good men that wee may follow them what examples of euil to auoide them For here be the pictures of good men here bee the liuely anatomies of the godly here wee may take delight in beholding them Let vs discerne by the word who are true worshippers who are Idolaters Let vs look what rules the Lord doth giue in his word to know the truth and in whom it is to discerne heresies and in whom they be Then wee shall see that this man is sound in religion and carefull of a good life the Lord is his God this man is voide of true knowledge and breaketh the law of the Lord therfore vndoubtedly God is far from him This man though his knowledge be vnperfect yet he loueth to learne the truth this man is a good companion for me that man is an vnbeleeuer and trusteth not in God I will not therfore meddle with him Well now we haue learned that we neuer cleaue wholy vnto God vntill all the corruptions of the world be not able to dismay vs but rather being stayed and established on the word of God we know assuredly that the Lord wil not be among the wicked We haue bin taught that if we will truely beleeue in God we must beleeue in him according to his word otherwise he is but an Idoll vnto vs or a false God framed vnto vs after the imagination of our owne hearts And if we will truly discerne betweene good men and euill wee must not iudge them by our owne reason the common opinion of men or according to their prosperitie and aduersitie for so the world cannot perceiue who be Gods children because the wicked often flourish and Gods children are vexed but we must look into the word and see there how God setteth himselfe against the wicked and promiseth to bee neare at hand to his saints This may commend vnto vs what a necessary thing the study of the Scriptures is which teach vs to know God and his true worshippers for otherwise we shall iudge heretikes to be true worshippers and count wicked men honest Vers. 116. Stablish mee according to thy free promise that I may liue and let mee not bee disappointed of mine hope HEre the man of God desireth that the Lord would keepe him safe and sure and that he would confirme him and strengthen him in his word where we see he prayeth for a thing mētioned before Faith is not a sleeping thing lying dead in vs but it is quick and is nourished by the word For Gods children doe not so beleeue but that they are often troubled with vnbeliefe yea the Lord doth often suffer them to see their vnbeleefe in themselues to striue against it We see here how the man of God felt some wauering in himselfe he was not alwaies in one estate his faith was not euer at one stay his beliefe had some vnbeliefe with it and beleeuing he was afraid of himself Thus we know Gods childrē are such as do not presume but they suspect themselues thinke humbly of themselues which maketh them often to pray that they may be confirmed to perseuere For when we begin to be secure and to thinke too well of our selues then we cast off prayer and lay aside all trust in Gods word so that God casteth vs off for our pride and Sathan is readie to beguile vs. We must not then satisfie our selues if we beleeue but our faith must make vs to grow in feare to be more carefull to please and more grieued to displease God wee must desire of God to haue his promises cōfirmed and ratified in vs because we are in a very slippery estate For as a man walking on slippery ice and not heedfull to his steps nor fearing himselfe is most readie to fall so we in this world vnlesse we looke very circumspectly to our selues are in great danger of sliding down So fickle and fraile is the world that in euery place we may take a fall and as they which are on an high hill and steepe are in perill of falling down so in the world which hath such a downefall vnlesse wee be very wary and stay our selues on Gods word we are most ready to slippe We may see in former times how the deare Saints of God haue fallen through securitie and for want of this feare of themselues Noah though a man preserued from the corruptions of the olde world was beguiled of Sathan for presuming in his own strength Lot also through his corruptiō and Sathans policy was deceiued not suspecting himselfe Whē Dauid had not this feare but hoped that he was sure as he thought Psal. 30. he should neuer be remooued hee fell fouly and yet so deceitfull that hee could not see his fall in the space of an whole yeere Wee see then how hard a thing it is to keepe on our course in this world and that it is the mightie power of God as witnesseth Peter in his former Epistle that wee are kept in the faith Wee are not our owne guardians we are not able to take the gouernment of our selues nay our Sauiour Christ saide that if it were possible the very elect should bee deceiued so great is the power of the world the subtiltie of the flesh and guilesulnesse of the diuell But because they be
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
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
it in our braine and when we haue throughly set our affections on it our life though it should be taken from vs yet our soule would sticke to the thing whereon our affections are so earnestly set So Ionathans heart was saide to bee knit to Dauid wherefore let vs labour to say with the Virgine Mary My soule doth magnifie thâ— Lord my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Thy testimonies are wonderfull Hereof say the Papists that the word of God being mystical should not be taught to the common sort of people the common people say themselues what will ye haue vs doe with the word of God what should simple men meddle with it we are not like the learned it is for you it is for you that are learned not for vs. The holy ghost here most fitly prouideth against the Papists and the common people Let vs know then this that a simple man of the countrie though at the first he be not so capable yet offering and submitting his heart and whole reason to the Lord and his word he shall afterward attaine to great knowledge They are wonderfull then to humane wit and reason not sanctified and the more wise men wander in the skyes and houer aloft in vaine conceites and yet haue not learned Christ Iesus crucified haue nothing in them when as poore simple people desirous to be taught doe vnderstand wonderfull things The Prophet saith Psalm 78. Heare my word O my people c. I will open my mouth in a parable c. and hee addeth afterward we will not hide them from their children He calleth them high speeches and darke sentences to mans capacitie but Gods people can vnderstand them they are hidden to them that trust too much to their owne reason and are reuealed vnto them that renounce their owne reason Marke here he saith the 〈…〉 into thy statutes Will then the beginning giue vnderstanding what will it doe to them that are gone forward in it what hindreth vs why we goe forward no more but euen the too much trusting to our owne wits What haue we such wits in outward matters and are so grosse in matters concerning our saluation Oh hypocrites saith our Sauiour Christ you can discerne the outward seasons c. What meaneth then this dulnes and deadnesse in heauenly things but that men deceiue their owne soules For if their wits were sanctified they would as well conceiue spirituall things as corporall To doe ill saith â—eremie this people is wise but to doe good they haue no wit What a curse of God vpon our wits is this that wee are so quicke in worldly things and so dull in heauenly things surely it is the punishment of the Lord for the pride of mans reason The meaning then of this place is not that they which are altogether bereaued of discretion haue such a light in the word but it is vnderstoode of them who being lowly in their owne eyes abase their pride of wit to the pure wisedome of Gods spirit so that neither the simplicitie of the baser sort is any hinderance to the gospell neither the wisedome of the mightie any thing auaileth thereunto vnlesse it be sanctified howsoeuer men brag of an holy foolishnes For Ioseph Iob Dauid and Daniel had good wits but sanctified and subiect by Gods spirit to the word Wee are then to learne by the things which we haue spoken that no man hateth sinne with a godly zeale in another but he first hated it in himselfe we must cast the first stone at ourselues True it is that we cannot auoide all ill wayes yet we must hate one euill way as well as another and though we cannot doe all good things yet we must loue one commaundement as well as another This then is that which the Lord requireth euen to heare â—l his commaundements alike Againe so much we profit by the word the more when we must esteeme of those things against which our reason doth most resist and our affections most fight We shewed also out of the 129. verse that the Prophets meaning was not that there were some profound mysteries in the word but that all were mysteries what thing soeuer therein contained We shewed that the man of God did not place the word in his vnderstanding onely but also in his heart and affections We must labour to ioyne iudgement and affection for in â—oble if affection bee not ioyned with iudgement iudgement will not helpe because affections rebell and wee shall finde such a conflict that we will say we haue lab 〈…〉 much in iudgement and too little in affections When then in temptation we shall not onely haue iudgement but also affection on ourside we shal be able the better to â—â—â—â— unter with 〈…〉 things commaunded a speciall meane to embrace them is to trauaile as well with affection â—s with iudgement in things forbidden these two ioyned together will make vs the better to auoyde them Wherefore it is good for a man thus to â—rie himselfe Lord giue mee a sight of my former estate why did I not according to knowledge why did I so little profit either in particular duties or in particular troubles surely I euer laboured so after my affections as after iudgements I laid vp thy word more in my minde than in my heart Vers. 131. I opened my mouth and panted because I loued thy commendements SOme would thinke this zeale to be madnesse because they had neuer such feelings nor affections But what saith this man of God more of himselfe hee saith that with his feete he walked in the lawe of God his eyes looke to it his hands were lift vp his spirit panted and as a man being wearie gapeth to take breath and swalloweth vp the ayre so the Prophet in the wearinesse of his troubles swallowed vp the word of God O hungrie soule which the Lord did â—atisfie and with his word alone could comfort The metapher is taken from wearied and panting Hinds which after long pursuing and chasing was very drye through heaâ—e and desire nothing more than the water bâ—ookes So that as he chased Hart longeth after the waters so his thirstie soule desired nothing more than to be satisfied with the word This Psalme is giuen vs by Gods blessing to remoue vs from our dulnesse and to teach vs that we should not labour more after knowledge that after affection why then profit we no more in the word there is little hunger in vs much 〈◊〉 doth 〈…〉 vs we examine not ourselues at midnight we are not humbled we thust not we pant not All Gods promâ—ies are chiefly made to them that hunger after them it is said Pro. 2. 4. It thou seekest knowledge as siluer and searâ—hest for her as for treasure 5 Thâ—â—â— shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord c. Here we see the holy ghost calleth 〈…〉 word a â—reasure that is â—id and sheweth how we must seeke search for it Awakethe your affections awake your affections
vsâ—st to doe to them that loue thy name c. The words in their proper tongue signifie thus much According to thy in lgements which thou doâ—st execute to them that loue thy name according to that in the fourth verse of the seuenth portion I remember thy iudgements of old o Lord and haue bene comforted His meaning therefore in these former words is not fully expressed Here we may learne the necessarie vse of this word and how needfuâ—l a thing it is and how speciall a gift it is of God his wisedome rightly to discerne and distinguish the words Iudgements as we haue often fore shewed is taken either for executing the threatnings of the Lord denounced in wrath and in desert or else for the performance of his promises made in compassion and of mercie His meaning briefly is be mercifull in iudging me as thou art wont to iudge thy seruants let me haue iudgement in mercie and enter not into the iudgement of my sinnes for no flesh then shall be saued and deale with me as with thy deare seruant If we be guiltie of our owne crosses we must acknowledge our sinnes as the iust causes thereof for neuer any of the children of God obtained mercie without this We are then in trouble to looke to the promises of God if we by faith can finde the like testimonie of a good conscience but when we see our sinnes to be the cause of our troubles or that it is the Lord his hand of iustice vpon vs we cannot in truth vse this prayer of the Prophet There is a iudgement in righteousnesse and there is a iudgement in mercy Of the first the man of God speaketh when he saith Enter not into iudgement c. the iudgement in righteousnesse of the second the Prophet Ieremie speaketh Correct me O Lord yet in iudgement that is in the iudgement of mercy and fatherly correction And because we faile for the most part either in our outward actions or inward affections we had neede to pray that the Lord would deale with vs according to his mercifull iudgement True it is that the Saints of God doe say O God of my righteousnesse O God of my saluation but that is to be vnderstood in respect of men and not in respect of God but they that come with their case to be iudged and pleaded before God must needes say Lord be mercifull to thy seruants We must neuer draw neere then in prayer before the Lord without this clause that the Lord would accept vs in Christ hiâ— obedience and that we doubt not of mercy when the Lord iudgeth vs in his Christ. Here we are to obserue how the Prophet maketh an experience of the Lord his dealing and thus reasoneth with him I see thou Lord dealest mercifully with them that loue thee but I loue thee therefore Lord deale mercifully with me This deceiueth many we reade not the word of God for imitation or as thinking that those affections which we reade to haue been in the children of God are to be required in and of vs also but let vs know that whatsoeuer haue been the strangest and rarest affections of God his children they are for vs to follow For though we cannot attaine to them in the like measure that this man of God because we will not deny that he had a greater measure of Gods spirit than we haue yet we must by vsing the like meanes attaine to some measure if not an hundred fold yet threescore and thirtie fold Now we see that he hauing obtained the like graces with God his people craueth here the like mercies with theÌ„ For his sense is euident as thou diddest not make a couenant with thy seruants after their sinnes but according to thy mercy euen so Lord deale with me Here is no speciall thing mentioned but he setteth downe that which hath been and may be in the children of God He prayeth noâ— for any speciall mercie then but for that mercy which by experience he hath seene ratified in others likewise he speaketh not here of any extraordinary graces of God his holy spirit but of theÌ„ which are ordinarie and incident to any one of God his children as to another although not in like measure And surely we haue not the like mercies with them because we haue not the like graces that they had To loue the word of God as gold to gape after it to breath and â—â—nt for it are singular gifts of God but giuen to none in that time with such speciall prerogatiue as they may not in some measure be giuen to the Saints of God in our time if we soloued the Lord. For that which the Apostle Peter said of them that feared the Lord to wit the Lord hath no respect of persons but they that feared the Lord are accepted the same the Prophet speaketh here in effect of them that loue the Lord. For when the promises are generall in pronouncing we must make them particular by a seuerall applying of theÌ„ to our sâ—lues Let vs then be ashamed of our selues for our wants of loue The Lord hath not graunted vnto others nor denied vnto vs any speciall priuiledges as they thought among the Papists who in their readings had wont to admire much at the Saints of God and to follow them but little The Lords hand is not shortened that he can lesse helpe vs than he hath in times past our forefathers neither is his mercy lesse that he will not helpe vs for his is the kingdome his is the power his is the glorie for euer but our sinnes as saith the Prophet haue made a partition and a diuorcement betweene the Lord and vs our loue is lesse our sinnes are greater than they were in our forefathers Let this comfort vs the man of God here prayeth not for any extraordinarie mercy For as the loue of God to vs ward is common with other of his children in like manner our loue to Gods word must be common with them and if we haue the like graces with them we shall obtaine the like mercies with them For in the substance of saluation if we haue faith the Lord will deale with vs according as he dealt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob with the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore the Lord as we said a little before hath set downe his promises iâ— generall words which we must deriue by faith as particular and proper to our selues Now if we had this sealed in our hearts that they were neuer confounded nor deceiued which put their trust in the Lord we should be assured that his arme is not shortned he is as able to reach it out vnto vs as euer he was before if onely we will beleeue and say with the Prophet of God Amen We must take â—eede that we suffer not as ill doers and that the Lord finde vs not lying in some sins for then we cannot in truth vse the Prophets prayer for the like mercies in that we
haue not with the Prophet the like graces If we then fall in vnbeleefe or in time of trouble possesse not our soules in patience let vs not hope for this mercie but if in a right cause we haue walked vprightly vnder hope of the like grace we may pray for the like mercy That loue thy name Whatsoeuer loue he had to God he would not expresse it by shewing it to the Lord but by testifying it to his word The name of euery person or thing serueth especially as we know to make them knowne to vs and to discerne them from other in that kinde So is it in the name of the Lord whose name is set downe to vs Exod. 33. and 34. by the Lord himselfe speaking to Moses The Lord passed before his face and cried the Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious c. We see what is the name of the Lord the eternitie wisedome power strength and goodnes of the Lord for all these things abide in him and spring from him to his creatures as from a fountaine Now in that these things cannot be known but by the word whatsoeuer loue we shew to God we must testifie it by obedience to his word For in that he is in all these things so infinit he sheweth vs in the second Commaundement that no Idoll can expresse his wisedome power loue and iustice but his word alone which is the glasse wherein alone whilest we are in this life we see the face of the Lord. Seeing then the word doth make his name so knowne vnto vs we then loue his name wheÌ„ we loue his word which sheweth vs his loue power eternitie and goodnes Wherefore the Prophet in this same Psalme saith Thy testimonies are mine heritage for euer expressing by the word his loue to the Lord according to that Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Then he said he loued the Lord when he loueth his law Here then we see that Heretikes loue not the Lord bragge they thereof neuer so much and call themselues the Familie of loue because they loue not the word We must then try our loue to God by our loue to his word and sith the loue of God is not pure in Heretikes let vs loue the word which is a sound triall of our loue of God for looke what loue he would haue done to him he requireth to haue it shewed to his word Thus we see they loue Gods name which loue his mercy iustice strength and power but because we cannot know them nor be endued with them but as the Lord by the ministery of his word and working of his Spirit communicateth them vnto vs we must shew that loue to the word which we would shew to the Lord. As we therefore are desirous of the reading hearing and meditating of the word of God as we delight to be conferring of it as we reioyce when we see it obserued and kept in our selues and in others as we are grieued to see this broken in our selues and others euen such is our loue to God his word Vers. 133. Direct my steps in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion euer me VVHen the man of God said before that he opened his mouth and panted and that he saw the word of God was wonderfull and that the very entrance into it gaue light vnderstanding vnto the simple he now prayeth for continuance in this his loue The ende then of this his prayer is perseuerance and sheweth that though he loued the word yet he is still ready to goe out of the way and so vnlesse the Lord stay and establish him iniquitie should get the vpper hand Thus we see how he feared and suspected himselfe for had he not feared this had been an vnnecessary prayer The man of God had not that opinion of himselfe which men haue now adaies in thinking so highly of their owne strength but prayeth to the Lord that he may not goe astray which thing he thought he might of himselfe easily doe and that if it were so that he slipt somewhat awrie yet that he might not goe too farre least that iniquitie should haue the vpper hand of him Thus we see that in this Psalme is set down vnto vs a myrrour of godlines wherin a man may come to the sight of his corruptions and to a feeling of his neede in hauing his steps numbred and his pathes guided by the word If we were truely perswaded of this same it would pull vs on our knees and humble vs it would make vs make much of the meanes whereby we might helpe these infirmities But we suspect no such danger and therefore wee are not so carefull in our singular actions to watch ouer our selues and that by degrees we may fall away and start out of the way or ere we beware In that this followeth so immediately his former prayer that God would looke vpon him and be mercifull to him he sheweth that there was neuer any man but he was in danger and most readie to fall vnlesse God looked on him and were the more mercifull vnto him So that with the gift of perseuerance hee prayeth for mercie declaring that vnlesse the Lord would bestow such grace on him he was not able to continue This must stay the pestilent doctrine of the Papists who foolishly dreame that a man hauing freewill may hold forth his course in the right way and may promise to himselfe safe passage True it is Gods children may assure themselues of strength because the Lord is on their right hand but so as they are still to feare their owne frailenes and to pray for finall perseuerance This verse is all one in effect with the first verse portion 14. Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my paths In both which places hee sheweth that as hee that goeth in a darke place or in the night cannot goe on right step but as hee receiueth light from the lanterne to see his way and when hee is in neuer so little darkenes hee is in danger and readie to stumble so we if we march forward in ignorance and darkenes cannot guide our selues one step to the kingdome of heauen but as wee may haue light from the lanterne of Gods word to beware how wee tread and when wee swarue neuer so little from this light wee are in daunger of making our conscience to stumble This borrowed speech goeth then thus farre As he that is in darknes can goe no further safely than he is within the compasse of the light of the candle so according to the measure of our knowledge of Gods word are we able to direct our affections happily and no further In thâ—t he saith Direct my steps he noteth that although wee haue the light of the word before vs yet vnlesse the Lord open our eyes it shall bee as vnprofitable and vnable to guide vs as the light of a candle is to
the man of God setteth downe the tearmes of his companions and sheweth how he coueted only Gods louing countenance The sicke desire health the imprisoned libertie the poore desire riches but few desire Gods countenance in the forgiuenes of sinne in the beholding of vs in Christ in giuing the graces of his holy spirit which are the pledges of his loue Many worlds are nothing worth it is a good heart which the Lord requireth Sanctification holines and the blessing of Gods spirit are true riches which we must craue and obtaine with sighs grones and teares For if we can sigh if we can grone if we can sorrow when we are but in sicknes of body or some outward calamitie what a shame is it if we cannot sigh sorrow and grone for the inward wants and necessities of the soule But if men knew what it were to haue the inward peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding they would surely desire it more That I might keepe thy statutes So many would haue Gods fauour to shine vnto them in libertie in health or in riches but he craueth God his fauour in his word which if we can get let the Lord deale with other things which concerne vs as pleaseth him best Will we know then when we haue a true loue to God his word It is when we especially desire it and nothing aboue it For as the greatest light that euer came to the world is the light of the Sunne so the most precious thing that can come to the world is the light of Gods word that we may see the light in God his light and behold the countenance of the Lord Otherwise if we be in prosperitie we will thinke our selues to be well when we are in aduersitie we thinke our selues ill Here we may see that as there is cleerenes when the Sunne shineth and that there is darknesse in the mists and cloudinesse so there is a vicissitude of Gods children whilest sometime their vnderstanding is cleered by the comfort of the word other sometimes it is darkened by the mists of ignorance which commeth to passe that we might the more reuerently and louingly esteeme the word For as the Lord hath the dispensation of the Sunne in heauen so hath he the disposing of his countenance to vs on earth Vers. 136. Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Law MIne eyes gush out with water He doth here shew a cause why he did so earnestly pray for Gods louing countenance in his word for he was greatly grieued and sore afflicted and trouble compassed him on euery side The speech is not a false or fained speech but such as sheweth the greatnes of his griefe by that which is greater and it is as much as if he had said I weepe bitterly and often because men keepe not thy Law And this is the note of true zeale which easeth it selfe with teares and not with reuenge or anger and this is godly zeale when we cannot helpe a thing then by teares to commit it to God who alone is able to saue men This was not for priuate iniurie but because Gods law is broken This then is true zeale when we can deuoure priuate iniuries be zealous in Gods cause for fleshly men are hot in their owne causes and cold in the cause of the Lord. A man cannot thus be sorrowfull for another vnlesse he be sorrowfull for himselfe and then are we truely sorrowfull for our selues when we can mourne for others As Marie loued much and therefore wept much because much was forgiuen her And hereof it commeth that most notorious sinners being conuerted are most truely zealous haue greatest compassion ouer sinners for they haue felt Gods goodnes so greatly to them that they desire that others should be partakers thereof As Panl more zealous than the rest because more notorious than the rest of the Apostles PORTION 18. TSADDE Vers. 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements AS in the latter end of the former Portion the Prophet shewed that his eyes gusht out with riuers of waters because of the generall backsliding and falling to iniquitie so here he sheweth that he had almost pined away and consumed to nothing to see the ripenes of iniquities in them which were his enemies And whereas this might haue beene a great temptation that notwithstanding there were made so many promises to the godly and such iudgements threatned to the wicked yet the godly sustained so hard things and the wicked were in so good a case he confirmeth his faith by staying his whole confidence on God and trusteth in God because he is righteous and acknowledgeth him to be a righteous God because euery part of his word is righteous and whatsoeuer the Lord hath said either concerning his promises to his seruants or threatnings to his enemies is most iust and true The selfe same must also stay vs when we are in the like temptations when we shall be counted as precise fooles and vnquiet spirits because we weepe and lament for the sinnes of others or when we seeing the wicked liue in such pleasures begin to maruell how it commeth to passe that the godly are so ill dealt withall and when the godly liue with teares and the vngodly passe their time in ioy Wherefore the man of God raiseth vp himselfe with this meditation howsoeuer those things seeme to be confounded cast together yet thou ô Lord art God and gouernest all thou art a righteous God and thy iudgements are righteous yea euery word of thy word ô Lord is righteous and true thy promises which in time thou shalt performe will not fall away nor thy iudgements which thou wilt one day execute shall not faile Behold how we also must strengthen our faith in the like assaults This was a notable example of faith which so yeelded to the due obedience of the word of God for our instruction when we are in such distresse our eyes must not be set on any visible or earthly things but onely on things inuisible and heauenly euen on the word of God on his promises which he wil performe on his iustice which he will execute we must I say haue our eyes lifted vp further than the scope of heauen and the circuites of the Sunne we must looke to heauen where Gods promises shall be fully performed and accomplished we must looke to hell where his iudgements shall be finished fully executed For though both Gods promises may on earth be performed and his vengeance may here be executed yet all his promises are not shewed to any nor many of them shewed to all but there may be some wanting of them and the wicked may haue a great torment of minde and hell of conscience and yet all haue them not neither haue any all because many are glorious in their life and pompous in their death What then shall we say to this but with the
mercy and there is a iudgement of seueritie the first whereof is vnderstood in this place as we may gather by the wordes going before Heare my voyce O Lord according to thy louing kindnes of which couenant of mercy hee also maketh mention in the next portion vers 7. Consider O Lord how I loue thy precepts quicken me according to thy louing kindnes This is that couenant of grace wherein the Lord hath promised to pardon our sinnes and to heare our prayers wherefore though in respect of Gods wrath and our sinnes we dare not appeare before his Maiestie yet in comparing our cause which is the Lords cause with the cause of our aduersaries who are also the aduersaries of God and in respect of his mercy in defending his owne cause and in preseruing them that maintaine a good cause we may come with boldnes vnto him and with an assured hope that our prayers shall be heard Thus wee may call to minde how God is accustomed to deale with his people fearing before him in respect of our selues but recouering our selues through hope in his sweete promises whereon wee must â—o stay our selues as the remembrance of them may support vs and to doe this the better we must obserue the accomplishment of them both in our selues and in others Thus we may see what a great stay it is in trouble to know that no other trouble ouertaketh vs none other temptation hath inuaded vs than such as haue ouertaken and inuaded other of Gods children wherein they haue found deliuerance Further wee may herein desire the Lord to affoord sentence with vs when our cause is good though we be not so vpright in defending it as wee ought to be or when our good cause is well handled and that not for our selues but in respect of our aduersaries ill cause he would deliuer vs. Wherefore when we will obtaine our requests we must endeuour as much as in vs lieth to offer a good cause vnto the Lord and well handled Vers. 150. They drawe neere that followe after malice and are farre from thy law Vers. 151. Thou art neere O Lord for all thy commaundements are true WE shewed before that the man of God to the obtaining of his request vseth three especiall arguments the one drawne from his person in the first foure verses the other from the person of God in the fift verse the third and last from the person of his aduersaries contained in these two verses The plaine sense whereof briefly is thus much They O Lord that haue an ill cause are readie to bring their wickednes to an end and as they are readie to hurt me so they are farre from thy law wilt thou then maintaine such they being so neere my necke No they are no more neere to hurt than thou art neere to deliuer me they are not neerer with malice than thou art with deliuerance Thus hee draweth away his consideration from the iudgemeÌ„t of flesh and blood and looketh down to his watch-tower and to the Lord his sanctuarie O Lord saith he I haue cried I haue called vpon thee and that with mine whole heart I preuented the morning light and the night-watches I waited on thy word I mediated on thy word I haue obserued thy iudgements of old when I am thus neere wilt thou forsake me They are farre from thy word canst thou leaue them vnpunished no thou art neere their punishment and my deliuerance I know as they depart from thee so they shall not escape vnpunished in the end because their sinne is come to such ripenes as thy iustice can no longer suffer them It is a great temptation to Gods children which haue walked vprightly and kept a good conscience that the wicked should still be neere their neckes Wherefore if any such thing hereafter happen to vs we must not be discomforted or thinke it very strange seeing wee see this man of God was not without it it is no new thing wee must bee content seeing God hath so dealt aforetimes with many of his children On what great cause of thanksgiuing now haue we that hauing much more deserued to haue our enemies tramble vpon vs than others of Gods Saints haue notwithstanding so long time beene deliuered And if it come to passe that in time we come to the like temptation let vs labour to be profitable in the like meditation For flesh and blood thinke it strange that wicked meÌ„ should flourish in the defending an ill cause and that good men should be troden downe for maintaining a good cause This troubled Iob Dauid Ieremie and Habacuk to see that Gods people should be so tempted Wherefore when we see the generation of Gods children condemned and the generation of the wicked iustified we must call to minde this or such like meditations Seeing thou hast borne with mine enemies so long it is now the day time to punish The cause now why the wicked flourish so long and why the Lord deferreth to helpe his childreÌ„ is that the wicked may either by his long suffering come to repentance or else be left excuselesse Yea after he often stayeth to powre forth his vengeance because their sinnes are not accomplished and their iniquitie is not come to the full height measure and number and that his children might haue their secret sinnes punished here that is to humble them to allure them to obedience to trie their faith to proue their patience to worke in them a contempt of this world and a desire of the world to come so that that which they suffer vniustly of men iustly they suffer of God And when Gods children doe not thus profit the Lord in mercie will let the rod still tarrie vpon them vntill they haue profited in some good measure Thus wee see the iustice of God wil not suffer him to punish vntill sinne be come to the full and the loue of God will not leaue to correct his vntill there grow some profit and yet so as in the meane time the chilren of God sustaine no losse because whatsoeuer they outwardly lose they inwardly gaine Wherefore seeing the Lord hath promised that the rod of the wicked shall not fall on the lot of the righteous and that our temptation shall not bee greater than wee shall bee able to beare we must knowe that when the godly once begin to faint and the wicked thinke they are come to their height euen then it is due time with the Lord to send happie deliuerance to the one and a speedy ouerthrow of all the counâ—â—ls of the other The man of God then hauing these effects in him was neere his deliuerance but the wicked being in their pride were neere Gods vengeance How necessarie this doctrine is common practise may admonish vs for thus reasoneth flesh and blood in time of aduersitie We haue thus long kept a good conscience neither haue wee done against the will of God we haue serued the Lord this while yet this is our gaine our
latter dayes of sinne and iniquitie wherein heresies haue so corrupted doctrine and vngodlines hath so stained our liues if we had not this constant rule of Gods word among vs Oh what a treasure is it whereby we may see heresie and auoide it whereby we may see truth and follow it Which rule of equitie seeing willingly the wicked depart from they are worthily plunged and plagued in their owne sinnes Vers. 156. Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy iudgements THat is True it is I am a sinner O Lord but yet I am not a desperate sinner as mine enemies are but such a one as on whom thou wilt shew thy mercies therefore I hope that thou wilt helpe If thou shouldest simply deale with me according to my deseruings I should be condemned for who can stand in thy sight iustified but I compare not my selfe with thee but with them who are become mine aduersaries According to thy iudgements Such is thy fatherly mercy which forgiueth my sinnes and heareth my prayers that thou wilt not reward me according to mine iniquities but wilt fauourably looke vpon me according to the multitude of thy mercies Vers. 157. My persecutors and mine oppressors are many yet doe I not swarne from thy testimonies THis sentence is the same in effect with diuers other in diuers portions of this Psalm As The proude haue had me exceedingly in derision the proude haue digged pits for me the wicked haue laid a snare for me and such like Now in that he saith my oppressors are many he sheweth that he had not to doe with one man or two but with many It is a matter as wee haue shewed before to be godly among the godly but he is a diuel that is euil among Angels and therefore was he worthily cast downe into hell and he is a sinner that will sinne among Saints and therefore iustly was Adam throwne out of Paradise If we liue among the godly what praise is it to be godly nay what an horrible thing were it not to be godly If the Church discipline were truly executed it were a small commendation to do well and to abstaine from sinne yet now in this want it is praise-worthie to abstaine from sinne for feare of God But it may be we taste not of such troubles as the Prophet tasted of because we liue not so carefull of godlinesse as he did which if in truth we did we should haue troubles as he had Well we are in this world as sheepe among wolues to trie vs whether we will be corrupted with the euil examples of this world or whether we will swarue from the Lord our God whilest he proueth vs. Their carnall reasoning commeth to nothing which say the world is set on euill the world was neuer so wicked charitie was neuer so colde a man cannot now professe without taunts scoffes and troubles For we see here that the Prophet in his time had many and great persecutors whom notwithstanding so manifold corruptions could nothing mooue Wherefore we must learne although sometime we are slaundered though sometime we are euill spoken of taunted and troubled our estate is not worse than our forefathers hath bene and the beloued Saints of God haue had before vs. So long as we are well entreated of God and man we will keepe the lawe but when we suffer reproaches taunts iniuries losse or discredit we then run either to euill meanes or to reuengement or to dispaire Where many iniuries haue bene offered many haue bene rendred againe if they haue not requited iniury for iniury with reuenge they haue vsed some ill means to escape out of their trouble if they haue not vsed ill meanes yet they haue secretly begun to mistrust God his promises and prouidence and haue gone to wisards and witches if they could doe nothing in malice they would doe something in policie if they could preuaile with neither they would fall to dispaire But the Prophet of God vseth here no vnlawfull meanes he goeth not in his affliction to Sorcerers hee recompenceth not ill for ill hee did not dispaire in God his promises he did not thinke with himselfe that the Lord would defend his enemies cause and forsake him but hoped still in God his good and appointed time to receiue helpe wherein the man of God is set before vs for our imitation in that neither his faith could bee shaken nor his obedience slaked nor daunted And surely this is Sathans last refuge and most daungerous assault to perswade vs in affliction that therefore the Lord doth plunge vs in miserie because he hath no loue towards vs. But the man of God opposing his faith to all such temptations saith I know O Lord by the records of thy law that thou hast laide vp helpe for mee and that thou art my defender How sweete and comfortable this is they which are humbled and well exercised by temptations know What greater assault vsed the diuell to our Sauiour Christ than this what saith he doest thou thinke if thou werst Gods childe thou shouldest want bread it is not like if thou werst the sonne of God that hee would or could suffer thee to be without food Like are his temptations to vs art thou thinkest thou the childe of God then thou shouldest be helped then thou shouldest not lie in this case This was his last dart which he threw at Christ on the crosse if thou art the childe of God then we doubt there is nothing but thou canst helpe thy selfe Well we see here that the man of God neither mistrusteth Gods promises nor forsaketh his law Neither surely is our faith sound vntill we can beleeue in miserie neither is our obedience pure vnlesse we continue euen when we are oppressed not of a few but of many For then we may perswade our selues to haue true faith when it is wrought in prosperitie and tried in aduersitie and being voide of all helpe of men wee still hope for helpe of God that we may say I will not be afraid often thousands of the people that should beset me round about Psalm 4. 6. Though I walke through the vallie of the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe doe comfort me Psalm 23. 4. I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other thing shall be able to separate vs from this loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Verse 158. I saw the transgressors and was greiued because they kept not thy word THis also in substance we had before where the Prophet saith Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they kept not thy law my zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word The Prophets words in a word haue this meaning Lord as for mine owne things or priuate iniuries I am cōtent to put
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
haue committed them They obiect our corrupt nature is disposed to winke at the offences of our brethren I answere howsoeuer corruption may be intermingled yet the first motion of rebuking sinne is of God A good Father said I was neuer acquainted well with any but first I displeased him by admonishing him of some sinne And like as the children of Israel were going but eleuen dayes iourney in thirtie yeeres so we might goe by admonition as farre in eleuen dayes as some without it can doe in many yeeres And as in a lethargie we haue neede of a purgation so when the grace of God freezeth in vs we haue neede of admonition 2 As hee that admonisheth another of sinne and is not grieued profiteth another but not himselfe so he that seemes grieued not admonishing his brother when time serues is not truly grieued 3 In admonishing it is good to obserue the rule of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 18. before wee proceede either to Minister or Magistrate than so doing all things with loue lenitie and prayer wee may not doubt but the Lord will blesse his appointed meanes and so in faith and meekenes offer our selues to him if it be so that wee see no fruite yet wee shall possesse our soules in peace with the conscience of our simple obedience 4 A godly man doubting whether being moued in heart to admonish an vnruly partie by writing and fearing that it would not be profitable hee should continue in his purpose or no he was answered it was a great sin then not to do it and also a great great iudgement of God came on that sin often which was that we should forget the good motion or hauing the good motion we should want oportunitie to doe it wherefore let vs do the thing and leaue the successe to God after we haue prayed for it And if it so come to passe as often it doth that though the action be good our hearts vpright in the doing of it our affection louing considering the thing right and good yet our labours and our praiers be vnfruitfull let vs remember that in all these were secret imperfections and sinnes for the which the Lord might hinder the successe which by deferring hee doth scoure away that afterwards in fuller measure of his mercie when we shall be the better prepared by humilitie to be thankfull he powre out a more rich measure of granting our requests vpon vs. 5 The children of God become better and profite more when they are rebuked and a rebuke is not without effect in anie but in the wicked They that harden their hearts and necks when they are admonished thinke that sharpe handling doth make them worse had neede to take great heede to themselues for if the Lord cannot preuaile by great admonitions nor sharp rebuking he will certainly punish for though he did beare with the often murmurings and many sinnes of the Israelites yet at the last hee sware in his wrath they should not enter into his rest 6 Iethro doth not rashly reprehend Moses Exod. 18. 14. but hee first commeth to the knowledge of the cause and when he saw cleerly that there was an ouersight in his sonne then doth he admonish him giue him such counsell as is agreeable to the word of God The want of this wisedome doth often make our admonitions vnprofitable because we take not aduisement how the case standeth then for that wee doe not labour to haue a sure ground for our counsell out of the word of God If then we will that our admonitions take place let vs first duly consider of the thing it selfe and by the word trie it to be a fault then let vs also labour to haue a way out of the Word whereby the matter may be better handled If this were an ouersight in Moses that hee had neede of an admonition who can exempt himselfe from it None at all but euery man must be content to be admonished yea though it be of his inferiours for so Moses farre excelling his father in graces yet is profitably admonished by him and willingly receiueth it So was Naaman the Syrian admonished by his seruant and Abigail by her seruants and shee did also admonish Dauid the King and Prophet of God Wee must then admonish and be admonished euen by them that haue receiued lesser graces then wee and with all modestie and loue and thanks-giuing as Moses and Dauid 7 The nature of the wicked soone appeareth in admonition who will at no hand bee admonished by the godly albeit the cause be neuer so iust The wicked Israelite could be content to suffer the wicked Aegyptians to whip him but not godly Moses to admonish him The world will be subiect to the world but not to God 8 Wee must learne to admonish speedily after the offence is committed because our nature in good duties and in them especially which haue offence with them is readie to put off we must not-tarrie vntill we meete the offender but goe to him whilest the brunt is vpon vs for our nature is giuen to coole too fast if we plie it not whiles it is hot So our modo and modo neuer haue a modum when wee post it off from time to time and our anger against sinne is quickly shaken while we are hote then and our brother is sicke the equitie of the thing requireth that we should goe to him though otherwise he should come to vs The reason is because after sinne is once committed there is a darknes a dimnes or a myst brought on our soules whereby howsoeuer in iudgement we receiue somewhat of other mens sinnes as Dauid did of his offence that tooke the poore mans sheepe yet wee cānot see our owne Besides there is cast a deformed blemish on the glasse shewing vs our sinne and the diuell so prouiding that sinne neuer dieth we abhorre those meanes which should recouer vs we on our parts receiue our standing to this end to admonish Wherefore Peter not being able to requite Christ for praying for him that satan might not ouercome him is commanded by the confirmation of his Faith to remember to confirme the faith of others And Psal. 26 the Lord is content to set ouer the debt due to himselfe to others And Iohn makes this a speciall note that we are not dying if we loue the brethren The third reason that should moue vs to make haste is this whilest sinne is yet tender greene headed and shamefast whilest it hath blood with blushing in the face whilest it is like a little aspe or like a small corde it is wisedome to admonish the partie of it otherwise it will fall out with vs as with the practise of an ancient Father who planting one yeere pluckt vp the plante with one hand who suffering it two yeeres was faine to pull it vp with both his hands but planting three yeeres he vsed both handes and breast at the length when it was a plant of foure yeeres old hee was
but when wee knowe that wee haue to deale with God before whom no wickednesse will stand this will humble vs. 3 The people of Israel would not heare Moses though hee did sharply rebuke them wherein we learne to pray that our affections be masâ—red betime for many are so heady in their affections that they will giue no eare to admonitions and as it is said of the belly to haue no eares so it is of such headstrong affectioÌ„s Some giue so much place to their grief that they will not receiue comfort of the promises noâ— be rebuked by the threatnings of God in his word This griefe is carnal and dangerous and therefore euery man is to search his heart to see how such corruption is setled in him let him in time stâ—iue against it suffering himselfe to be rebuked by the word and so grace assisting him he shal ouercome it 4 Many see Gods workes with Moses but cannot profit by them because the Lord hath not giuen them the affections of Moses According to our affections so wee profit both by workes and word of God let vs therefore euer pray vnto God to fill our hearts with good affections CHAP. V. Of Affliction WHen we are in affliction we are not so wise of our selues as to see the cause of it or if we see the cause we cannot see the mercy of God that his hand which is vpon vs is not a destroying hand but a deliuering hand 2 Afflictions worke much in men but most when they come with the word of God to giue vs a more liuely sight of sinne and to manifest the rich mercies of God in Iesus Christ to deliuer vs from sinne Iehosaphat was more humbled by the speech of Iehu the Seer than he was being compassed with an host of enemies round about 3 When affliction commeth to Gods children not so much the sinnes themselues as the not auoiding of the meanes which procured their sinnes and not the vsing of the meanes which might haue preserued them from sinne will torment their consciences for as a man falling into some sicknesse if it come whilest he is walking in his calling is then lesse grieued than if through surfetting hee had procured and haâ—ched the disease in himselfe euen so it commeth to paâ—â—â—m in the other By vsing the meanes of godlines in simplicitie of heart we shall be either freed from sinne wherein we haue lyen or else be confirmed in some good things begun in vs. 4 Although the godly shaâ—l escape hell in the world to come yet they shall be punished in this world and though the wicked be not punished in this world yet shall they not escape hell in the world to come 5 When Sathan doth descaâ—t vpon our afflictions we must be comforted being Gods children because we suffer no more than Gods childreÌ„ before haue suffered and the Lord himselfe doth suffer with vs. 6 It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to saue them that they freeze not with the wicked world in their dregs 7 When Moses was rebuked of the Lord for the not circumcising his sonne his faith was weake and his wife in performing that dutie was almost without faith yet the Lord saith and that if any affliction lie vpon vs it is for want of faith and if it depart without effect in vs then a sorer punishment is like to light vpon vs because we haue not profited by the crosse of Christ but if we effectually profit by it and still it lie vpon vs let vs then patiently abide for it is to trie our faith 8 If we would so prouide for our selues that no afflictions make vs quaile let vs in the time of prosperitie and quietnes cut off all headie affections as griefe sorrow and such like and then shall they not in our trouble preuaile against vs. 9 When our afflictions doe not driue vs to God nor cause vs more humbly to heare and seeke his word but rather to stoppe our â—aâ—es and to runne from it and to seeke vnlawfull meanes let vs then mourne secretly and heartily vnto God for the direction of Gods spirit for that case is dangerous 10 It is the Lordes mercie that wee are not destroyed Lamenta Chap. 3. But when we are freed from punishments and others are afflicted it is either to shewe his further mercie or his further iudgement if wee waxe better and bee more thankefull then it is of mercie but if wee waxe proude and thinke our selues better then others then is it assuredly to confound vs And heereby wee may gather comfort or griefe when wee escape punishments If hee puâ—ish not in this worlde eyther GOD is vniust or else there is a hell to punish them euerlâ—stingly But his children if they profite not by one he sends another to condemne them in this worlde that they may escape in the worlde to come 11 We must denie our selues and our owne reason that we may continue with Christ we must take vp our crosse and follow him and if wee will be glorified with him wee must also suffer with him and if we will rise againe with him we must first die with him and if we will partake of his benefits we must also drinke of his cup. But many would willingly haue in Christ forgiuenes of sinne yet would they not beare his crosse 12 We must faithfully remember Gods corrections and though our trouble be past yet still with feare to remember the hand of the Lord not to attribute our crossâ—s to Fortune complexions or humours nor health to Physicke but only to God glorifying him continually and making our daily profite by all his louing chastisements vpon vs. 13 The deliuerance of the people of Israell is often repeated in the Scripture And it is not without great cause for it serues notably for the comfort of the godly and the terrour of the wicked for if we would thinke that hee were not able to helpe vs we see that he diuided the mighty Seas If we should think our selues vnworthy of helpe he then did miâ—htily deliuer the vnworthie So that if wee being in any danger can be perswaded that the Lord is able to helpe vs and that he will helpe them that are vnworthie it wil be a notabâ—e stay vnto vs that we fall not away vnder the crosse by the vehemencie of temptations 14 Curses are turned into blessings through Christ as by sinne blessings are turned into curses The benefices of God being in themselues good yet by our corruption wee make our table a snare vnto our selues and so in other of his mercies 15 Iob serued God in trueth and yet punished and so Lazarus but this was not so much for their own sin as for the trial of their faith and that after them the Church might receiue great coÌ„fort by their examples For as it hurts not the gold to be put into the fire
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
they say Faith is too hastie it should take a greater pause A deepe point of policie to vse deliberation Well Faith is not to morrow it must be presently Christ gaue not so much respite to the young man as that he should burie his father And surely if we knewe all there is great reason of not staying n ithese matters There will be embassadours to stay our well-doing there are fellowes will vse a dialogue with vs and surely if we will needs shake hands with the world if we will bid the flesh farewell and take our leaue of profit it will be violence rather then a habit at first For these are such eloquent perswaders that if a man admit their orations he shall soone be pluckt backe from the right way or it is a maruell else 12 There is a great reason of honestie that we will not obey God if hee requireth our obedience wee haue other callings calling vs away we haue a good liking of this that Caesar commandeth vs to waite vpon him in the house of exchange Doth Christ not want a Christian as well as Caesar doth want a custome Surely wee must needes haue leaue of Caesar to serue Christ. Caesar is not greater than Christ and therefore euen by demonstration Christ must be first waited on As for those that thinke that the worshipping of Baal and of God wil stand together that we may serue Christ and Caesar profit and religion the errour for the grossenes is not worthie confutation for it is a manifest halting The very coÌ„mandement sheweth vs that we must be knit to God as a man is to his wife It is a possession in priuate and not in common if we do not so iealousie will arise But may not God and Caesar be serued together It may be so if they both command one thing but I would wish a mans eye in the obedience bee still vpon God For surely if God and Caesar bee followed in one thing it is hard to say how wee stand affected whether wee followe God or Caesar. And for this cause the Lord is faine often to pull off the vizâ—rd of hypocrisie herein that when God and Caesar haue parted companies it may bee seene how many thousands goe after Caesar and how scarce seuen follow the Lord. And if when God needeth his glorie needeth when his glorie needeth his Church needeth it is sure that rather than the Church should need Caesar must tarrie and giue place It is beter that Caesar should want an auditor than Christ an inheritour if Church and common-wealth want at once it is better the Common-wealth should want than Christ should be left destitute of seruants Let vs therefore wait on Christ not onely a mile or two out of the towne but euen to the riuers of Babel and not onely so farre as we can with the Câ—pernaites conceiue Christ with reason but euen to the resisting with blood not Christ as a King but as Christ to the bar we must not with Peter follow along to see what will become of him but hard at the heels to the bar of iudgement and to beare his crosse with Simon also if neede so bee euen through the lane of reproches though we see many pillars to fall away and to become flat Apostatacs through the ranke of false opinions and though iniquitie so get the vpper hand that there seemeth no religion to be left 13 Then we may be said to walke after Christ when as it is said Iob 13. we haue troden his footsteps when our steps stand as Christ his steps that is wheÌ„ our paces stand as Christ his paces and not contrary to Christ but agreeing with Christ in wel doing The best signe for our gouernmeÌ„t is to haue Christ his word in our eies But some through the bleaâ—ed sight of their consciences are afraid that Christ should looke behind and see them for going backward yea if they doe but dreame of him if they see but Paul or some good man they are afraid But if we haue the peace and testimonie of a good conscience we will desire that Christ would espie vs out as he did Nathaniel and others of his Saints 14 There be some notable markes whereby wee shall know whether our trauell be to heauen or hell First though a man be so close that he will not open the way whether he is purposed to trauell yet a man shall espie his intent by marking whether he sendeth his cariage if our carriage follow the flesh to the flesh we goe if it followe the spirit to the spirit it will carie vs Galat 6. If a man will conceale his intent yet one may discerne it by his iniquiring of this way or that way If hee aske how hee may goe to Canaan and which is the way through the wildernes it is an argumeÌ„t he is going to the promised land Thirdlâ— though he would keepe his iourney neuer so priuily yet he is bewrayed if when a man speakes against his Countrie and dispraiseth the Prince or people thereof he begin to be grieued and take offence at it So if when men disgrace God his word speake euill of the way of the Lord reproch his Saints we finde our selues mooued and not able to containe our selues from reprehension it is a token we are going to heauen-ward 15 Oh that men would feare and follow the Lord well follow we must one way or other If wee will not follow the Shepheard to the fold we must follow the Butcher to the shambles If we will goe to the shambles rather than to the fold we are beasts indeed and as the case is with vs worse than beasts But men here haue gotten an old distinction They say they will one day seeke the Lord that is when they are not able to turne their sicke bones on their beds but seeing they offer their old sinewes to the Lord he wil leaue them and they shall seeke but they shall not finde CHAP. XXXII Of Gods free Grace Iustice and Mercie and how we may trie our loue to God GOd saith the Apostle is a consuming fire Hebrues 12. 29. Fire and water are mercilesse who shall quench him when hee burneth there is nothing so cold as lead and nothing so scalding if it be heated there is nothing so blunt as yron if it bee sharpened nothing so sharpe there is nothing so calme as the sea in a boistrous weather nothing so tempestuous nothing so mercifull â—s God and if he be prouoked nothing so terrible to sinners And if his mercy were seuen times more than it is I know and am sure that hee is prouoked Well as the Lord will haue his power knowen in creating the world his wisdome in gouerning and his truth in his word and his mercy in redeeming mankinde so necessarily must his iustice be knowne in punishing especially those who seeing his creatures marke them not feeling his gouernance
acknowledge it not hauing his word regard it not enioying his mercies inful measure wilfully resist them all If we so lie vnder sinne and fancie to our selues the Gospell and promises and mercie we deceiue our selues for as those that haue the fruites of the spirite haue no lawe written against them so they that haue not such fruites haue no Gospell written for them It is not the vniust man that shall liue by faith for hee lyeth vnder the law but the iust Gala. 3. Rom. 1. 17. Heb. 10. 38. Might not a man thinke you pen a Psalme of as many verses wherin the foote might run in this tenour For his Iustice endureth for euer as Dauid had done of his Mercie Psalme 136. The Lord will not part from any drop of his mercy to them which first haue not bin swallowed vp of his iudgements which haue not laboured and been heauie laden which haue not beene locked vp in hell for a season and felt for a time the fire thereof in their bones which haue not been baptized with the baptisme of their owne teares He that feeles not these things in some measure here elsewhere shall he feele them It is the iudgement of Abraham The diuels policie in youth in health in prosperitie is to sing vs songs of God his mercy but in age in sicknes in tribulation vpon thy death-bed he will make such reasons for his iustice as we shall neuer be able to answere Wherefore the Lord hath to make it more terrible in our eyes put vpon it the name of his most wrathfull indignation fierce and heauie displeasure It is not for vs as we do to put the remembrance of this farre from vs or to shift it lightly by turning ouer to a Psalme of mercy but to terrifie our owne soules with it and to cast our selues downe with the trembling consideration of his iudgements Of one example without a precept nothing is to be concluded and therefore in great wisedome that men at the last gaspe should not vtterly despaire the Lord hath left vs but one example of exceeding extraordinary mercy by sauing the theefe on the crosse by faith onely yet the peruersnes of all our nature may be seene by this in that this one serueth vs to loosnes of life in hope of the like whereas we might better reason that is but one and that extraordinary and that besides this one there is not one moe in all the Bible and that for this one that sped a thousand thousands haue missed what folly is it to put our selues in a way where so many haue miscarried To put our selues in the hand of that Physition that hath murthered so many going cleane against our owne sense and reason whereas in other cases we alwaies leane to that which is most ordinary and conclude not the spring of one swallow It is as if a man should spur his asse till he speake because Balaams asse did once speake so grossely hath the diuell bewitched vs. And yet if we mark in that example which the diuell so oft tempteth vs with we shall see euen in that little time he liued sundry good works as many as in that time case would be required first prayer secondly confession thirdly glorifying of Christ fourthly humilitie remeÌ„ber me fifthly reprouing of his fellow sixtly acknowledging of his own deserts seuenthly patience And it is to be thought by these few that if he had liued he would not haue been behind any of the Saints The root being holy the braÌ„ches must needs be like vnto it My senteÌ„ce is that a man lying now at the point of death hauing the snares of death vpoÌ„ him in that streight of feare and paine may haue a sorrow for his life past but because the weaknes of flesh and the bitternes of death doth most commonly procure it we ought to suspect our selues if we neuer sorrow till then And therfore let vs store our selues with good things against the euill day come vpon vs for our life past for as that man which in his health and good successe hath been diligent to feare God and to do good feeles in his sicknes an vnspeakable comfort which he would not misse for all the world and a mighty boldnes to speake vnto God towards whom he knoweth he hath not beene vnkind doth not feare at all so that man which whiles the world prospered with him neuer thought of God nor regarded his word nor the preaching thereof when the visitation of the Lord is vpon him when God shall take his soule from him his case is most miserable feeling no comfort nor daring to speake to God whom he hath neglected And sorrow such a one neuer so much yet he doubteth and must needs doubt for that he knoweth not whether his remorse be of the loath somnes of sin or for the feare of death whether he be humbled before the Lord or before sicknes It is good policie to print his iudgements first in our bowels and to diet our selues more sparingly with his mercies least making vp our sins in the remembrance of his mercies they breake forth flame to our confusion in body soule euerlastingly Eccles. 12. Psal. 73. Heb. 12. Rom. 11. Thy iudgements are as the great deeps Then to feare God when he sheweth mercy and to loue him when he executeth iudgements are two hard things yet necessarie Howsoeuer God doth now forbeare he will not doe so alwaies but he will set him downe in his iudgement seate and throne of iustice and our chiefe care must be how we may appeare without feare and trembling before him This is it that we must thinke of at midnight what we shall answere that dreadfull Iudge when he shall aske for our account Let vs set him before our eyes not as our fond braine is wont to imagine of him but as the Scriptures describe him When he will arise to commaund the Angell to blow his trumpe such a God as the Seraphins hide their faces at his glorie at whose presence the mountaines smoke and melt away whose wrath shall shake the foundations of the earth who ouertaketh the wise in their policie who wil not account the guiltie innocent at whose purenesse all our innocencie is as a stained cloth whose iustice the Angels themselues dare not call for whose iudgement when it is once kâ—â—dled burneth to the bottome of hell Let this God take his place let him trie our hearts and examine our thoughts let him call for the account and take his reckoning let vs thinke how we shall stand before him quietly with peace of conscience who is it that can doe it Esa. 33. 4. let him of vs come forth Alas none shall dare to doe it If the Lord in his owne person should appeare vnto vs without Christ a redeemer we should flie from him with horrour and feare and neuer be able to stand in his sight 2 He that searcheth
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
mingled with an impure and base thing is made most corrupt as gold mingled with drosse wine mixed with water what more precious than the soule of man remaining pure what more base being corrupted with the mixture of the vilest things than it The world knoweth no good but riches which are yet not so purely good for God himselfe possesseth neither gold nor siluer and if they were things meerely good he would not want them because he hath all good that is those things which are alwaies good 11 Christ is not as a Well locked vp or drie spring head but an open and plentifull fountaine from whence runne streames on euery side to the lowest vallies euen the pleasant riuers of grace CHAP. XXXIII Of Godswrath and iustice and mercie THere are three things which doe slake our paines in this life mittigation hope and comfort but none of these can helpe in hell For the first we know the rich man could not haueâ— drop of water In this life it may fall out that a man that whippeth vs an whole day long may be weary but our tormentors in hell are spirits and therefore neuer wearie Againe if such whippers in this life should neuer waxe wearie in whipping vs yet it may bee they shall kill vs or at the least leaue vs nuâ—â— and senselesse but in hell though our bodies continually burne yet shall they neuer consume Thirdly on earth though neither tormentors waxe weary nor we tormented be coÌ„sumed yet the whippes and instruments would weare and waste and should haue some ease that way but hel fire is vnquencheable and the worme of conscience vnsatiable and therefore no hope of mitigation But what comfort is there in hell if the sight of the pleasures lost which they might haue had if the beholding of our enemies aduanced into that glory which we could not denie to them and wish for our selues if the entring into paine and shame euen before our aduersaries whom we hate and in whose sight we would bee better esteemed doe increase the paines of the sufferers then all these shew there is little comfort in hell First the damned shall be within the hearing of this which they haue lost Come yee blessed of my father and the godly shall be within the hearing of this to the damned Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire The wicked indeede shall remember their pleasures they had on earth but to the increase of their woe for it is a double miserie to haue beene happie and now to haue lost it The old man in the comedie saith I haue a sonne nay alas I haue had a sonne The wicked I say shall wish then that they had heard the word of the Lord and that will be another discomfort Last of all they shall bee in the hand of the diuell their enemie and hee shall torment them euen in the sight of the godly whom they hated as their enemies the diuell played with them in this world but hee will not play with them in his kingdome and therefore there is no comfort The last helpe is hope and but for that they say the heart would burst and surely for any hope in hell their hearts may burst indeede Oh saith a heathen man hoping for release in time God shall also giue an ende to these euils But here is our hope of ende for the inhabitants of this place are immortal so that though they haue but one good thing which is immortalitie yet euen that is such a thing as makes their paines the greater what auaileth it to knowe these things if the Lord doth not keepe vs from them Feare them therefore before hand and ye shall escape them neglect them and ye shall fall into them No man is so deepe in hel as he that least thought of these things And if the speech of this be so vnpleasaÌ„t vnto you what think you will it bee to them that shall feele it Well though wee were not told and if I should hold my peace the fire burnes still and if yee neglect to heare of it by experience ye shall feele it 2 When we are to speake of the displeasure of the Lord we are so become humble suiters to God that he would reueale more to the hearts of men by his spirit than the mouth of man is able to deliuer For the tearmes of wrath and fire are not able to vtter the depth of the iudgements of God though for our capacitie he can vse no words more vehement to vs. For as in expressing the power of God the highest name wee can reach vnto is to call him King so to expresse his anger he often challengeth to himselfe the title of wrath whereby he sheweth to vs nothing else but that he is purposed to plaiâ— the part of an angrie one as if indeed he were angry and though it be true that we finde no such affections fal into the Lord yet because we cannot otherwise imagine how he should be reuenged on the vngodly he is content to instruct vs herein by the name of an angrie God And indeed it is the purpose of the Lord in such places to shew his iustice to meÌ„ but because to say the Lord is iust moueth too little he somtimes saith he is angry to moue vs more effectually out of this attribute of the Lord wee may make our profite First nothing in the world no kinde of word setteth out the vile nature of sin more than this doth to say our sins make the Lord angrie It carrieth some force to say that sin is the worke of the flesh to call it the worke of darknes the worke of the diuell and all these are effectuall but none of them is able to come into the balance of comparison with this one that it moueth the Lord to wrath because though it be not possible that God should be angrie yet if it were possible that any thing should doe it it is sinne Secondly I would haue no man henceforth perswade himselfe that God will be a proctour of his sin or that he will giue him pillowes to ease bolsters to hold out or curtaines to couer his sin for sinnes moue the Lord to wrath He could not leaue sin vnpunished in Dauid his chosen nay he would not spare his whole Church the people of Israel from punishment and therefore hee will not beare with one particular member Leaue men and come to Christ who though he had comitted no sin yet because he tooke vpon him our sinne how was he punished though he liued in al obedience first in heauen then in earth yet when he came to death how bitter was that cup of wrath to him If God then did not beare with sinne in his Sonne being but imputed vnto him he will not bee a bearer of vs in sinne hauing to the full committed it but we may well make our accomptes come sinne come wrath Thirdly if the Lord be angrie with our inuentions which do not
also in doing of good otherwise than we ought to doe To leaue sinne in it owne nature is a commendable thing but if we doe it for feare of punishment or for shame of the world rather than for conscience of sin it is not at all praise worthie The adulterer may restraine his loathsome and sinfull action not for that he feareth to defile himselfe with sinne in the sight of God but because he would not be knowne to haue sinned in the sight of the world the theefe may surcease from actuall theft for feare of the law and to auoide the gallowes but neither of these haue repented of their sin though after a sort they haue left their sin This is manifest in that they leaue not euery sinne as true repentance doth without all exception or dispensation but onely those bloodie faced sinnes which ciuill discipline censureth with shame and suffrings as murther treason adulterie and theft making no bones to commit sins as grieuous before God though not so punishable before men as are swearing prophaning of the Sabbath lying drunkennes such like which sinnes if they were worthy of imprisonment by law either men must change their accustomed course or all the prisons in the realme would not be able to receiue the offendaÌ„ts Such men learne the common statutes and penall lawes of the land the lawes of the Lord the statutes of the highest they will learne hereafter If they had a conscience of sin then it should be in vniuersall not in particular because one sinne is as grieuous to the Lord as another and no sin must haue a placard before his presence Other will leaue sinne because they haue beene in seruice so long and spent their body so much in sinne that now not that their action is lamed but because their abilitie is gone they for feare of some sickenesse will leaue it but if they might runne through a new body they would runne through their old course againe Others haue consumed all to feede and cloath sinne and therefore now because their purse constraineth them not because the law commaundeth them or the curse feareth them they count it for husbandrie to staie a while Others being somewhat politike thinking it good to get some profit that may giue longer life to pleasure hereafter for a while bridle in their wantonnesse whiles they haue gotten some sure hold of their inheritance and after so soone as they haue brought with sorrow their fathers olde age to the graue recompence the diuell with their hote pursuite of sin much more than they lost in their former sparing of sin Others when either for deadnes of nature or want of abilitie or feare of man they dare not or cannot commit sinne in their owne persons yet they drawe ouer as much pleasure as men in their case may doe by commending and chronicling of their owne sins past or by laughing in their sleeues at the artificiall sinning of some other present They can laugh at sinne hartily whereby they shew they cannot mourne for sinne hartily they make a mocke of it therefore bewray they haue little conscience of it and therefore they die in their sinnes howsoeuer they haue left their sinnes To deale carefully in Gods worship and faithfully with man are things both commaunded and commended and yet to doe them without zeale of Gods glory and with a care or our vaine glory rather to win credit to our selues than to gaine credit to the Gospell is neither commended nor commaunded And yet how many beguile their owne soules hreein it may appeare by so many frequenters of the word and so few fruitfull hearers of the word if they profit not it grieues them not if they remember it not they â—est at it if they cannot speake of it they scoffe at it and yet they thinke they be great protestants Many goodly and godly things we may seeme to doe before men and be thought to be petty Angels come out of the cloudes and yet being impoisoned at the hart with vaine glory the Lord hath no delight in vs our owne hearts euen in these glorious workes doe accuse vs our consciences doe controll vs and without repentance God that is greater than our conscience will in the end condemne vs Contrariwise be our action neuer so beggerly for want of abilitie neuer so deformed for want of beautie in the eyes of man yet if it commeth from a sincere heart sound and sincere in the eyes of the Lord it is acceptable and through Christ accounted righteousnes vnto vs. If then for sins sake we leaue sin and leauing sinne repent of sinne repenting of sin leaue sinne though the lees of it remaine in vs if for righteousnesse sake we labour for righteousnesse â—hough an essentiall righteousnesse be not inherent in vs though we do not all good we loue but in loue desire to doe it though we leaue not all sinne we hate but in hatred of it labour to resist it the good we do is accepted the good we desire to do is imputed the euill we leaue is discharged the euill we desire to leaue shal not be imputed True it is indeed no maÌ„ can say my hart is vpright I am pure if he measure himselfe by the rule of the law which thing whosoeuer seeth not by his manifold corruptions as yet he seeth nothing as he should see yet the children of God may say their hearts are right within them when by faith in Christ and a pure purpose to approue themselues vnto God their hearts are purified so as they labour for the death of sinne though the whole body of sinne be not slaine in them and labour for true righteousnesse though the man of righteousnesse be not fully fashioned in theÌ„ This doctrine then hath two especial vses the one to humble vs the other to comfort vs. Good cause we haue to be humbled by it seeing it teacheth vs that the cause of sinne is stil in our selues and cannot be charged vpon any other as the cause thereof For if our corruption were not neither Satan by feare and tyranny neither the world by preferment and glory neither the fleshly delights by subtiltie neither our enemies by their feares and tyrannie could euer preuaile against vs Christ Iesus was thrise vehemently assaulted yet because the Princes of this world could find nothing in him and all his temptations were as a little arrow shot at a brazen wall no corruption being in his heart no guile being found in his lips they nothing preuailed against him Adams heart was corrupted before Adams hand had sinned Sathan doth offer we doe yeeld vnto our temptations he is the occasion but we are the cause of our owne woe The fond sophistry and lying logicke of theeues is here to be withstood who thinke they wash their hands from all sinne by crying woe worth such a man that euer I knew him for had not he constrained me and
too much or too long whole daies from morning vntil night til we be set on fire with them We come to be too effuse Nabals feasts are like the feasts of a king he being but a countrie farmer 14 This is a general rule wantonnesse is the beginning of sinne we see in Esau to what great prophanenesse his wanton pleasure in hunting grew So in the Scriptures there can be found none other beginning of Salomons fall but this that 1. Reg. 5. when he had spent seauen yeeres in building the house of God hee spent thirteene yeeres after in building an house for himself This was scarse a good propertie to bestow thirteene yeares on his own house and seauen yeares on Gods house and the Apes and Peacockes that hee brought into the Land set the people on such vanitie that they vanished awaie in their wanton thoughts Idlenes and trifling be the callings of Gentlemen now adaies as also needelesse expenses 1. Tim. 5. CHAP. XLII Of Inuiries offences and controuersies WHen an iniurie is offered thee the Lord doth trie thee what loue patience and meekenesse is in thee to blesse them that curse thee which will followe if thou be the childe of God contrariwise if thou requite euill for euill then doth the Lord shewe vnto thee the corruption which thou must labour to pull out of thee if thou wilt ouercome 2 When we see that others stand in neede of our helpe and wee are able to helpe the Lord requireth our obedience 3 Meditations of GODS promises and prouidence will driue from vs all desire of reuenge 4 We must not tarry vntill others reconcile theÌ„selues vnto vs but as God doth rather oftentimes by heaping his benefits than powring his plagues vpon vs shew vs our sinnes so must we rather by courteous dealing than seuere handling shew others how they haue offended vs. 5 The more Pharaoh restrained the more Moses stood in the thing that was commanded coÌ„trary vnto those which making a mingle mangle in religion yeeld in some things but wee must not yeeld a lot of that the Lord requireth although in worldly matters wee ought for peace to yeeld one to another In religion it skilleth not how little the matter seeme for which we doe contend The least thing that God commandeth is great in the sight of God and Gods children haue been punished for small offences in appearance as Moses and Aaron for grudging were debarred from the land of promise Iosiah was slaine because he asked not counsell to goe to warre which may teach vs to beware of the least offences It ought not to be condemned nor counted precisenesse not to giue consent in the breach of the least thing though we may beare them when they cannot be redressed but not with consent 6 Shall we be contentious I thinke no nature is so misâ—reant that it doth delight in contention if any delight to dwell in Meshâ—ch as Dauid calleth it I would he had a tabernacle there if any delight in contention I wish no more harme than that he may be neuer without it What then shall we blot out controuersies That were to teach the spirit of God wisedome Could he not as well haue said let there be peace as let there be light â—ay God hath ordained there should be contentions and not onely permitted them but saith they must be and such as be about the waightiest matters in truth called heresies 1. Cor. 11. Then it is a dreame of idle braines that any good can be receiued without controuersies and as the Prophet Esaiah saith without the barking of some dog or other It is not so in euill things they are receiued with silence what then shal we play the pots and aske the potter a reason of his doing Albeit I like not that humor of men which wil search out the reason of God his doings when they know his flat wil yet in this we may because he hath set it downe There be three reasons first that those That are stedfast may be approued we will haue it in this As Sathan did to Iob God called him what saiest thou of my seruant Iob Liueth he not vprightly No grandmercie said he for he hath all blessings of thee but take away them and then c. Secondly there are cities to be gouerned and to that ende we must vse our talent Iohn reproued the Scribes and Pharisies and came to reproue Herod Samuel reproued Ely and came to reproue Saul that might haue smitten off his head Thirdly that the Diuell may haue the greater ouerthrow that as God triumphed ouer him in Iob so in our constancie he might doe the like Then controuersies are necessarie How then is it that God is called the God of glorie and peace that Christ is called the prince of peace the Gospell the Gospell of peace the Ministers the Ministers of peace of glad tydings and vnitie commended so generall Surely it is the fault of our age to deliuer the word by halfes and so I say that he that teacheth peace to be good simplie without exception teacheth an errour Therefore peace must be peace in truth and for this cause Christ saith I am the way the life and truth for to haue contention with such as hold not in him is no breach of peace Nay the wicked among themselues haue no peace it is but truce they haue couenanted with hell for a time a day a few yeares or as the rearme of their life and then is great and euerlasting debate we may see it in the first agreement among the wicked The serpent disputed with Heua vntill she had yeelded then all was quiet vntill the euening but then came one brake the truce Separate peace from truth and peace is no peace The reason therefore is set down Ps. 138. Lord thou hast magnified thy truth aboue al things therfore aboue peace And that I fal not into that error aforesaid my selfe I will tell you what truth is We thinke we are at peace haue vnitie perfect among vs if we be of the same religion and we agree that we must and wil be all Protestants but the fathers haue al distinguished truth into three parts First truth of doctrine in religion Secondly of life in our conuersation Thirdly of iustice in giuing preferments Vnlesse a man hath al these he hath none of them and if in all these be peace I will seeke ensue after peace as saith the Psalmist if any offend in these I will not haue peace with him We knowe that veritas doctrinae hath had witnesses martyrs so haue the other two though they send vs not to heauen in a firie chariot but an euil name which euery maÌ„ for their stakes must prouide to suffer we must be in this as Christ when he kneeled before his father in the garden If maÌ„s saluation may be wrought let this cup passe if not thy will be done So
must haue it fresh 5 It is our fault too much to commend euery trifle our tongues are our owne we call euill good if one bee not an open offender so that hee drawe not his sinne after him with cart-roapes though we see neither zeale nor feare of God in all his wayes wee tremble not to call him a good man In our flattering lippes we speake nothing but superlatiues and thinke otherwise we commend not a thing to any purpose But in the Dialect of the holie Ghost it is not so he is no giuer of titles and yet this much of his mouth is more then seuen swelling hyperboles from a vaine man This word good is his emphasis and in this word he expresseth matter of most high commendation If we should take vpon vs to speake of the workmanship of the Lord in the creation of heauen and earth and the Hosts of them both would we not vse the statelyest words in all our store Nay could we find any words stately enough to expresse them I tell you nay but they are able to swallow vp our vnderstanding and to make our tongues cleaue to the roofe of our mouth And yet the holie Ghost reporting the creation of them all as of Light which is saith Iob the Lords rose of estate of darknes which is the swadling bands of the Day the out-going of the Euening and Morning and declaring how he powred out the Heauens like molten glasse and set vp the firmament as a water ouer vs how he laid the beams of his chamber in the waters how he railed in the proud Seas with barres and doores and planted plaines in the midst of it how he lighted those euerlasting Cressets the Sunne and the Moone and gaue charge to the Starres not to faile in their watch telling how he created the clowds to be the bottles of heauen and diuided spouts in them for the raine how he laid vp his treasures of Snow and of haile and prepared the Forge for his Lightnings and Thunder describing the creation of Plants from the Cedar of Libanus to the hysop that groweth by the wall of birds from the Ostrich to the flie of beasts from Behemoth and Leuiathan to the little Emeâ— And last of all Man the Countie Palatine of the whole world and of the passing Wisedome in his reynes these workes be highly to be commended if any thing be to be highly commended to be magnified if any thing be to be magnified in all these the holy Ghost neither riseth nor falleth but this word serueth him throughout and God saw it was good and why not excellent good but that we might know his word is mightie in the simplicitie thereof and that what he calleth good is excellent good Yea heauen and earth may be glad of it seeing the word of God whereof one iote is of more price then they both that the word Hebr. 6. is called the good word of God and to stoppe the mouthes of them that will teach the holy Ghost Rhetoricke Christ himselfe Iohn 10. entituleth himselfe no otherwise but the good Shepheard And good was thought good enough for him and doe we yet require a more stately commendation 6 The Calling of the Ministerie is an alluring Calling and as I may say a Calling that calleth men vnto it a louely Calling such a Calling as the beames of it are able to rauish an eye yet some being to marrie this Virgin thinke her but hard fauoured and therefore before hand will be sure of a good portion with her or els they will none of her but she is full of grace euen downe to the feete in their eyes that loue her and full of Maiesty terrour euen to the dust of her feete vnto al them that despise her which more respect the reward than the worke but this I confesse withall that our eyes are so dazled with the golden stone and the horsseaches daughter Giue Giue cries so in our eares and euer since Adam did eate the apple all the mouthes of his posteritie are so out of taste that we can neither heare nor see nor taste any thing that good is True it is that if we looke vpon this calling with an eye of flesh it lookes euen like Christ for all the world Esay chap. 53. like a withered branch and like a roote in the drie ground and there is neither beautie nor fauour in it that we should desire it I am sure the eye of a carnall man can see no good in it vnlesse it be good to cleane vnto the Lord or it is good for me that I haue beene afflicted and such like which are like pilles and will not to die for it downe with a carnall man Well Christ saith this Calling is good We see what is thought in heauen of this Calling Howsoeuer it be shut vp in contempt of the men of this generation that though they say not it is not good yet by shrinking from it they proclayme so louder than a trumpet that they thinke it is not good Let them laugh we know that euen an Asse if she could laugh would laugh at any whosoeuer he were that eateth not thistles Let them iudge when mans iudgement is done we shall receiue the fruite of a better Fountaine Let them spoyle Church-liuings and deuoure the Lords portion let them swell with disdaine and burst with contempt against vs a blessed contempt it is that fashioneth these dayes of my vanitie into the similitude of the age of Christ. Christ doth not onely say this Calling is good but he hath magnified this Calling in his own Person He himselfe saith Paul Roman chapter 15. verse 8. was a Minister of the Circumcision with vs. The Princes themselues haue no greater honour than to ouersee the Church The best day that euer Dauid liued was when in a linnen Ephod he daunced before the Arke and that was the day that he weepeth and panteth to remember Psalme 42. Salomon the wisest richest mightiest and most glorious among the sonnes of men Ecclesiastes or Preacher was the crowne and beautie of his honour and aboue all titles of kingdomes and countries this was most honourable Salomon the Preacher But what are men or what are Kings or Princes in respect of Angels Yet euen these glorious Spirits the whole host of Angels whether they be Dominions Principalities or Powers the highest Honours they haue the proudest Title they boast of is to be Ministring Spirits If he be an Angell he hath no greater glory And who art thou and what is thy fathers house that canst farme vnto thy selfe greater Honour than to serue the Lord in this busines These arguments might moue vs but aboue all arguments take this The Sonne of God before whom euen the very Cherubins couer their faces spent his life in this Calling and shall a peece of clay a man a stinking worme so farre exalt himselfe in his birth in his riches in his
his sonne for he knew that the Lord who had made the promise who wold prouide the meanes also to bring it to passe so if wee be perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs we shall not doubt that any other thing shall hurt vs for seeing sinne the cause of all miseries is taken from vs we may be sure that no miserie shall hurt vs and if the Lord hath giuen vs his sonne he will giue all things with him and the loue wherewith he loueth vs in his sonne will not suffer vs to want the things that are for our good for if a father will prouide for his sonne the Lord will prouide for vs who is a heauenly father and cannot bee changed though earthly fathers he 4 To this faith in the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ wee must adde the faith in the sanctification of the spirit for if wee beleeue that the Lord hath made vs of sinfull men iust men of varieâ—s vessels of righteousnes and temples of his spirit if he can make the Leopard and the Kâ—â— to lye together Esay 11. if he can make the couetous person liberall and the whoremonger a chaste person if wee beleeue that the Lord will and is able to change vs from any sin be it neuer so great and strong by nature or by euill custome wee may then be sure that the Lord in this life will not suffer vs to faile in any thing needefull for vs neither are wee to doubt thereof seeme it neuer so vnpossible for it is a greater worke to change a sinner than to worke wonders in nature 5 Fourthly if we beleeue that the Lord will prepare a kingdome for vs in the heauens we cannot but beleeue that in this life he wil perserue vs. For if we beleeue that our bodies shall be turned vnto dust and yet raised vp againe we shall be sure he will not but prouide for vs in this world for it is a greater thing to raise vp the body from death and out of the dust than to preserue iâ— being aliue And to this faith of our redemption we must beleeue in the prouidence of God first in creation so that if wee beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing we shall beleeue that he will giue vs sufficient for we see that the light was before the Sunne Moone and Starres and the grasse before the raine and dew that we should not put too much trust in them and to teach vs that without these meanes we may haue these blessings for the Lord hath prouided these meanes not for his weaknes but for ours Do we beleeue that God made all men and shall we feare men therefore we beleeue not these things or els we would not so much feare the want of earthly things for if a sparrow fall not on the ground without his prouidence shall we thinke he will not prouide for vs wee must then beleeue the particular prouidence of God in the gouernment of all things which will be an helpe to keepe vs from distrust and murmuring doe wee beleeue that the Lord made vs then shall wee not thinke that hee will preferre vs for it is more wonderfull Psal. 1. and 139. Eccles. 11. 6 We are therfore to beleeue the prouidence of God first generally ouer all creatures then particularly ouer euery one of them yea euen ouer the sparrowes Againe if the Lord hath care of beasts as indeede hee hath because they were made for man hee will much more haue care of man for whom they were made He hath a care for the wicked to do theÌ„ good for hee filleth their bellies with his hidden treasure then wil he much more reioyce ouer the godly to doe them good if he loued vs when we were his enemies will hee not prouide for vs being reconciled to him by the death of his owne and onely sonne If hee did vs good when we sought him not will he not much more when wee doe seeke him in praying vnto him as he hath commanded If he hath done vs good when for our sins hee might haue punished vs will he not when with his spirit he hath sanctified vs Oh then let vs not be vnfaithfull and so become murmurers against the Lord but let vs be faithfull and to looke vnto the Lord to doe vnto vs according to our faith 7 Furthermore this prouidence of God must bee confirmed by the example of Gods children in all ages as in the time of the fathers before the flood who did eate nothing but hearbes veâ— some of theÌ„ liued nine hundred yeeres to teach vs that men liue not by these meanes â—f by these meanes he nourished them he will by greater as by flesh and fish nourish vs. The Israelites were fed with Manna which was neuer seene before nor since for the space of fourtie yeeres If they gathered any more thereof than the Lord commanded it stanke yet being kept before the Arke 400. yeeres it did not so and when they came to the promised land it ceased whereby we may learne that it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon the meanes that giueth nourishment Did not Moses and Elias liue fortie daies without meate and the children of Israel goe fortie yeeres in the same garments not waxing old and othersome hauing meate in abundance been hunger-starned and shal it not teach vs that these things are ordained for our weaknes and that the Lord without these meanes can nourish vs If Dauid proued by experience that he neuer saw a righteous man of righteous parents begging his bread if wee bee now righteous as they were then the Lord will prouide for vs now as well as he did then for them and we shal haue the like experience 8 To this prouidence we must come with a patient minde to let the Lord giue what he will and therefore wee must haue contented miâ—â—es and know that godlinesse is great riches and not to looke for great matters Ier. 45. as it was said to Baruch and therefore are wee taught to pray for daily bread so that we may haue the same minde that was in our father Iacob Gen. 28. who was content with meate and cloath which generally is commanded to all 1. Tim. 6. if the Lord giue more than this take it as an ouerplus A patient minde prescribeth not to God the meanes nor the time nor indenteth with God but is content with the grace of God in forgiuenes of sinne and the sanctification of the spirit though it want other things our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs not too desirously to seek after earthly things but rather after the kingdome of God and wee ought to receiue the loue of God with all contentment though it come alone and for outward things to enioy them or not to haue them as it pleaseth him for the children of God doe for outward things possesse their soules in patience and commit the rest
inditement to be executed there against some sinne Therefore when we blesse our selues for our riches and say the Lord be blessed for my wealth this is a goodly inheritance My lines are fallen in a faire place we must also say though this also be a good saying All this I haue of the Lord and hold whatsoeuer I haue of him doe I keepe that part of the couenant which is of my part as he hath performed his part of his condition with me If I doe then I am no vsurper for he hath giuen me a condition and I haue kept it he commended knowledge to me and I know in knowledge so that I am able to make an account of it c. but otherwise though I neuer come for any other sinnes to iudgement yet our action for dwelling in our possessions is sufficient to stand against vs. For if we keepe not the couenant the Lord hath or will enter an action and to thee or thy posteritie he will surely performe the execution of it CHAP. LXI Of Sacraments GOd might haue wrought miracles without the rod which he willed Moses to vse for he vsed it not for himselfe but for Moses and the people of Israel to helpe their infirmities So must we receiue the Sacraments as helpes Contraâ—aereticos And as the rod in it selfe was a common rod but being appointed of God for more excellent vse was so to be accounted of them So water bread wine although in themselues common yet put apart for the vse of the Sacraments are to be esteemed and receiued as the ordinance of the Lorde for the strengthening of our Faith wherein also the Lord will trie our obedience whether we will worship him in these things which haue so small a shewe 2 The neglect of Gods Sacraments doth prouoke him against vs as it did against Moses for the neglect of the Circumcision of his Sonne The Lord met Moses with some such affliction as that he was readie to die according to the threatning Gen. 17. Where we may see the neglecting of Gods ordinance punished but not the want for Moses did omit it either to please his wife or his father or both wherein hee honoured them more then the Lord. The like is said of the Passeouer Num. 9. Deut. 27. Our Baptisme and the Lords Supper doe answere these Sacraments therefore the neglect of them requires the like punishment Wee haue no lesse grace offered to vs in our Sacraments then they had in theirs if they then were worthily cut off much more are wee if we refuse either of our Sacraments vnlesse it be for necessities sake And although the Lord doth not presently meete vs as he did Moses yet is he the same God as in mercie to those that vse them in Faith so in iudgement to take vengeaÌ„ce vpon the contemners of them But some wil say they would come but the Ministers will not suffer them If the Ministers do hinder them without cause they shall beare their condemnation but if for want of Faith and repentance he doe stay them and be diligent and willing to teach and warne them and they still continue carelesse their blood shall be vpon their owne heads they can claime no part in the companie of Gods children for hee should communicate with them in their sinne if he should receiue them being vnworthie either for want of knowledge or because of sinnes which they lie in 3 The institution of the Passeouer Exod. 12. hath in it some things which are peculiar to the first celebration other some things which belong to the continuall obseruation as in the â—â— verse and before that they must not goe out of the doores c. These belonged to the first celebration of it afterward were not to be vsed because they had respect onely to the present Time therefore our Sauiour Christ offended not when they did eate the Passeouer sitting and went forth after the institution of the Lordes Supper some things were personall and had respect to the present time which were not after to be vsed as that it was to be eaten with vnleauened bread for then there was none other then that it was at Night in a parlor which was that it might be shewed that the other Passeouer was abrogated and this came in it stead other things that had no such particular respect are whollie and onely still to be obserued 4 We must be prepared to receiue the Lords Supper with sinceritie and holines which is the truth of the ceremonie of vnleauened bread for vnleauened bread had first respect to true doctrine as our Sauiour Christ himselfe expoundeth it Beware of the leauen of the Pharisies And this teacheth vs not onely to beware of all false doctrine as the doctrine of the Papists or such like which in it selfe is euill but also to beware that wee be not defiled with the corruption of the true doctrine which in it selfe is most pure for the doctrine of the Pharisies was much of it true yet somewhat mingled and otherwise defaced and this corruption of true doctrine is called leaueÌ„ because if it be suffered it wil corrupt the whole Secondly this hath respect to maliciousnes for so Paul expounded it The leauen of maliciousnes where also not onely the grosse sinnes are said to be of the nature of leauen but euen the very rootes of sinne maliciousnes Contrary to this are we commanded to come in a pure and sound religion and doctrine also in sinceritie and trueth of heart hauing respect vnto and hauing a desire to fulfill all the commandements of God Thirdly whereas it is called the bread of tribulation Deut. 16. 3. it sheweth with what affection wee must eate this Passeouer namely that as the poore man hath much paine and labour before he can get bread so that his hart fainteth with want or when all taste is gone by reason of his sicknes and when he hath gotten bread or findeth nourishment thereby he euen weepeth for ioy so should wee euen a long time bewaile our sinnes and repent vs of the euill which we haue done and euen saint for the desire of IESVS CHRIST that so we comming to the table of the Lord being refreshed may effectually receiue grace and be heartily thankfull 5 This is one great cause why the Family of loue and others doe with so deadly hatred despise our Sacraments because they neuer felt the power of them nor sought to haue by them the assurance of the merits of Christ conueied vnto them and sealed in their hearts Would we not then be like vnto this kinde of people in dâ—spising the Word Sacraments and other holy graces let vs not then rest in the bare vse of them let vs not come to them of fashion let vs not content our selues with hauing the outward things but let vs labour to feele in our hearts the power of the spirit let vs pray that by them the
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
Church to begin and end their assemblies with praises And no marueile for of all sacrifices this seemeth to be most principall First it was an exercise in Paradise and it shall be an exercise in heauen Againe this exercise shall continue when all other shall cease For in heauen we shall not neede the word nor praier nor Sacraments nor discipline but the praising of God shal not cease being a peculiar exercise of the Angels and Saints of God in heauen Besides to this exercise of praising God are all other exercises directed For why do we heare the word but that feeling increase of knowledge we may praise God Why doe we pray but that hauing experience of God his mercie we may more amply giue thankes to God Why doe we receiue the Sacraments but that being rauished with comforts by them wee might giue greater glorie to God And moreouer if we may coniecture the goodnes of a thing by our vnwillingnes to do it this exercise may be thought to be the best because it is the hardest Large volumes of protestations flie from vs but in our neede which would make one beleeue we would be thankfull but scarse a word of performing any thing is found in vs after our prayers be heard wherin also we are not vnlike to the dissembling Shipmen who in extreame dangers leaue their Oares and fall to prayer but comming to the land they fill Cans and drowne all the remembrance of their gracious deliuerie with deepe drinking In sicknes health we are full of praying but the tempest past wee are too quiet and carelesse It is marueilous in our Liturgie that among an hundred praiers scarse one thanksgiuing is found and yet in euill matters either by a natural Logick or cunning Rhetorick we haue learned to begin a new suite with a thankfull commemoration of receiuing the old CHAP. LXX Of Temptation GOd tempteth vs not as the diuell or the wicked doe to euil but to trie in what measure we haue profited by his mercies and yet by the same meanes that the diuell doth but to a far other end as to let vs see our vnworthinesse and weaknes of our faith If wee did throughly beleeue this that as many benefits or afflictions wee haue so many baites are for the diuell and so many meanes for God to crowne his owne mercies we should bee very carefull to finish our saluation with feare and trembling 2 If wee doe truly acknowledge God to be he that preserueth vs in mercie from euill and wee haue the testimonie of a good conscience then if the Lord trie vs with want of things with disquietnesse of minde c. wee shall sustaine our selues because wee knowe it is not for sinne but for the triall of our faith because we haue walked in our wayes and taried in our calling hee hath some ende in it which wee know not and therefore wee may looke for his helpe and comfort in his good time and that hee will giue vs wisedome to beare it or else recompence our wants in spirituall graces 3 The Israelites had a great temptation yet many thinke they were not tempted to bee brought into a wildernes without meate if hee should trie vs so now we would bee as readie to murmur though we thinke the contrarie now as they were seeing wee repine if wee want but a little 4 It is certaine that the Lord doth as wel trie men by benefits as by want and a dangerous temptation is it for as the Israelites were at the bitter waters tried by want so also were they tried by enioying the goodnes of God in the Manna Seeing theÌ„ that both waies men are tried euery man hath to trie what his temptation is and against what he hath to fight as if hee be in prosperitie he hath to fight against pride securitie and contempt or smal regarding of Gods creatures with which we must continually striue or else he shall haue no triall of his faith nor comfort in that he hath receiued Againe if a man bee in aduersitie then hath hee to fight against distrust murmuring repining vnpatiencie and such other which will ouercome vs if by faith we do not resist them and so shall we spoyle our selues of the goodnes of the Lord. 5 Herein hath also euery man to discerne his temptation a man is sicke and yet not altogether cast downe a man is poore and yet not oppressed therewith euen here doth the Lord trie him whether he loue him or no whether he worship him in truth or not Herein doth the Lord tempt euery one of vs still when hee commandeth vs to pray but only for daily bread wee ought therefore herein to take a triall of our selues but the ouer â—â— hartnesse of our nature is such that wee can neuer looke to our owne estate present wisely to thinke of that but if we be in pouertie oh then we would serue God indeed if we were rich if we be in sicknes we would serue God if we had our health Againe being in health we thinke we would serue God if we were somewhat tamed with sicknes if wee be rich wee thinke we should well serue God if we were in pouertie in the meane time not studying to glorifie God in sicknes riches health by thankefulnes for them and the right vsage of them to that ende for which he hath giuen vs them neither yet regarding in our sicknes and pouertie with faith and patience to waite on the Lord being contented to serue and worship him with whatsoeuer he shal lay vpon vs for by the want of these things the Lord doth proue vs whether wee worship and serue him for these outward things or for the louing zeale that we haue of his name and glorie so that if wee cannot willingly come to reade and heare Gods worde to pray and receiue the Sacraments though wee be pinched with want of things but we bestow more study care and time vpon them then of this worship of God it is a manifest signe that for these things we serue the Lord or else we would not 6 By the example of the Israelities we are taught to take heed that our hearts be rightly wholy with God that not onely in the plentifull abundance of things we can be content to serue him but also euen in want and in greatest afflictions knowing that by this meanes the Lord doth take triall of vs euen as siluer is tried in the fire that the drosse may bee burnt and taken away Secondly that the mettall bee more pure and fine euen so wee by such trials should not onely haue our great corruptions purged but wee should also bee made more fit for the vse and seruice of the Lord. For of our selues whether we be tempted on the right hand or on the left wee are not able to stand as we see in the Israelites So long as the Lord continueth true ReligioÌ„ with this gouernment euery man thinketh he
may stay Gods children for a time that they looke not to God nor to their sin yet if the punishment be long vpon them then they lift vp their eyes vnto God Psal. 30. 2 As when a man brought into the iayle conueying him out by bribing the iaylour purchaseth to himselfe greater punishment if after he be taken yet suing to the prince for pardon getteth it and scapeth cleerely so if a man be healed by a witch or wizard which is vnlawfull he deserueth a greater euill if the Lord visit him wherefore let such speedily repent but if we be healed by the Lord and the meanes he hath ordained then wee freely escape and may be thankfull 3 The wise men of Aegypt could not doe as Moses and Aaron in the small creatures where we shall note that witches cannot hurt further than the Lord wil as the diuels paces are also limited and they cannot hurt when nor where they wil but as the Lord is displeased as Balaam confessed And Ahab was not deceiued before the Lord gaue the spirit leaue that so the hypocrisie of men which receiue not the truth in loue may bee detected yea the Lord may afflict his children for a time hereby for to let them see their vnbeliefe and to stay their faith 4 Many not knowing their owne infirmities rashly vow and promise liberally as whores and theeues and therefore anon after returne to their vomit But the children of God knowing their owne weakenes are afraid to make large promises and yet stand more strongly afterwards against sinne CHAP. LXXIII Of the word of God and of the confirmation thereof by wonders THe Lord being about to giue his lawe vnto the Israelites by the ministerie of Moses his seruant doth aforehand warne Moses therof this he telleth him that he wil be seen of him in a darke clowd Of this the Lords strange and wonderfull appearing there are two ends or causes the first was that hee might get more credit to his law and also to Moses the Minister of the law The second was to shew Moses his weakenes infirmitie whereby he might be humbled And for the first wee see that when the Lord would bring to passe any mighty workes he did withall shew such mightie signes as made his works with reuerence to bee receiued and those whom in his businesse hee had appointed Ministers to bee well accepted In the day of Elias when the law had lost credit in the hearts of men and was little or nothing at all regarded then did the Lord wonderfully worke by his seruant Elias and did great things by his hands that credit might once againe bee wonne vnto his law And when hee brought his sonne into the world by whom he would publish the Gospell euen the sauing health of all men such works were shewed as had not beene from the beginnings and such wonders were wrought as made all men amazed at such time as these more than ordinarie mercies were brought and offered vnto the world whereunto these extraordinarie works were coupled and adioyned and therefore such works cannot ordinarily be looked for because they were neuer ordinarie For if such works and signes and wonders should now be looked for and if we should attend vnto them and beleeue them the Lord would then haue warranted them to vs by his word and then hee would haue foretold vs that such things should after come to passe And hath he done this No no hee hath taught vs another lesson and cleane contrarily hath he admonished vs when he biddeth vs beware of false Prophets which come to vs in sheepes clothing and would purchase credit to themselues by lying signes and wonders Seeing therefore that there shall be many such false Prophets especially in the latter daies which shall be sent abroad euen into all places effectually to delude those that haue not receiued the truth in loue And againe seeing the Lord is not bound to meanes but hee will worke when and where and how it pleaseth him that we may wisely iudge of them and discerne the spirit of error from the spirit of Truth and life it shal be profitable for vs to set downe some true notes of those wonders which are set out to vs in the Word if by cōparing them together it may appeare when and how farre they must be receiued and contrarilie when we may and ought to refuse them The first note or difference is in the works themselues the other is in the persons by whose ministery they are wrought for the works themselues which God hath extraordinarily wrought there hath euermore such Maiestie appeared in them that the finger of God might be so plainly seene that all men yea euen wicked sorcerers haue bene brought and forced to acknowledge the same and though the Diuell can turne himselfe into an Angell of Light and his ministers make a shewe as though they were indeede the ministers of righteousnes yet let them worke what they will and say what they can neither their workes nor wordes shall beare such an apparant shewe of Maiestie as the workes of God haue euer done Euery man therefore may plainely see God in his workes and none shall bee deceiued by the othes but those that loue to belieue lyes and are willing to deceiue themselues whome God doth iustlie giue ouer to bee deceiued and to fall from Faith because they loued not to abide and stand stedfast therein For as an Ape of all other liuing things most like a man in shape yet most vnlike of all others in qualitie and condition can deceiue none but euery one will easily know an Ape from a man vnlesse they be fooles or children or such as will bee willingly ignorant so betweene the workes of God and the lying wonders of the Diuell there are so cleare notes of difference that all may easily discerne them but those that shut their eyes that they may not see and harden their harts that they cannot vnderstand The children of God do receiue such wisdome from aboue and such knowledge doth the Lord in mercie bestow vpon them that they are able to discerne the spirits to trie their workes whether they be of God or no and to seuer true doctrine from the false And albeit the Lord sometimes correcting them for their sinnes doe suffer them for a while to bee deceiued and that they might hate falsehood the more doth let them a little bee deluded therewith yet because the Truth of God it cannot faile not an haire of their heads perish it is impossible that they should for euer fall away it is impossible that they should finallie be deceiued and become open enemies of the Trueth or obstinate maintainers of a lye Secondly the Lord did neuer raise vp such extraordinary worke-men or shewe such extraordinarie workes but it was either to confirme the doctrine that had bene taught to get further credite vnto it or else to make it more cleere
euill is present with you and that when you do the euill you would not then do you not it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more then whē Sathan worketh withall buffeting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shal be perfect in your weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you belieue according to your faith it shall be done vnto you But you will say you cannot belieue that this vile and crooked hardnes of your heart can bee remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to God his spirit nor to your selfe who haue receiued it tell me what is the reason why you think you haue no faith Verily because you haue no feeling nor no other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and a fruite of faith And therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded or diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man be so sore wounded by Sathan and diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptation that he may thinke yea and may appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid Psal. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirit crooked or vnstable and vers 14. that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet vers 13. he prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore hee was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth repugnance but there is none He was depriued for a season of the graces of the fanctifying spirit but none of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified Which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will vnto you yea I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy and partly Satan worketh therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirit in you which I beseech you take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedies you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall inable me And I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate iu particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because hee is of your acquaintance and will bring it vnto me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring how hee had no feeling of his heart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God chap. 57. 23. I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is fare off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid Therefore say with him often and with God his people Esay 64 12. O Lord thou art our father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and we are the worke of thy hand c. Know you that God can cause Wolues Lions Leopards c. dwell louingly with Lambes Calues Kine Esay 11. 6. c and that which is vnpossible vnto men is possible vnto God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours Yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your harts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must make an end I commend you vnto God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them which are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so I shall pray for you and much more Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede A LETTER CONSOLATORIE TO Mistris Mary Whitehead THe Lord Iesus Christ by whose blood you are iustified stay and strengthen you now and for euer Amen Seeing we be so miserable blessed bee God that wee bee also mortall seeing wee be subiect to sinne praised bee God that wee are also subiect to corruption It would now grieue vs to bee mortall because wee sinne and by sinne purchase miserie it is sufficient that we shall then neuer die when we shall neuer sinne and then wee shall no more taste of corruption when wee shall no more so much as feare condemnation In regard whereof good Mistris looke not so much to your griefe for the death of your sonne which you see to be the cōmon lot of al and the happie lot of the godly as vpon his freedome from misery his libertie from sinne and his holy change to eternall felicitie And albeit he was young in yeares yet was hee come to sufficient yeares to goe to God that hee that hitherto did grow in Christ should now bee gathered and reaped vp to the kingdome of Christ so that we cannot thinke him to die in his flowers whose perfection groweth to so blessed a maturitie before the Lord. If then you reioyced in him as he was the interest of the Lord you are not much to sorrow that the Lord hath his right Which if your loue to him was right you know did euer appertaine vnto him Hee must not of you his earthly parents be deemed to be lost which of his heauenly father is so surely preserued And without all question his very growing in godlines vnder so manifold afflictions in this life could not haue been so profitable to him and comfortable vnto you as the losse of a few and faint pleasures recompenced with so infinite and vnspeakable ioyes in the life to come are I hope and must be vnto you Be not then so grieued for that
seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taried not stil at Cambridge according to mine aduise you must know I aduised it not as a thing necessarie but more conuenient as I then supposed but I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelded I cannot see how you offend it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knoweth whether being there you might not haue beene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knoweth whether it bee the Lords pleasure for the example and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you will now thinke that here you were neerer the moe and stronger meanes yet knowe you and bee perswaded that God can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercie vnto you to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them And then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of mee than for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre forth as I shall bee at any time instructed in your particular estate in some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I perceieue presently by M. S. Letter is that you are afflicted with the blindnesse of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot bee moued either with the promises of Gods mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with the loue and delight of the things which bee good nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of despaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somewhat through your owne default First therefore knowe you for a certaintie that this is no other tentation than such as diuers of Gods children haue beene humbled with and afterward haue had a good issue out of it and if it please God to mooue you to credit me I my selfe haue knowne others as deepely this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare And yet further to confirme you herein the holie Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth O Lord looke downe from heauen behold from the dwelling place of thy holinesse and of the glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions They are restrained from mee And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare And in the next Chapter verse 6. Wee haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthie clouts and we all doe fade as a leafe and our iniquities as the winde doe take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold on thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And before Wee grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we roare like Beares and mourne like Doues So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue And when Dauid crieth Create in mâ—e O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish mee with thy free spirit Doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirite crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage So that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption hee could neither crie Abba Father nor haue any power against sinne Thus you see how Gods children may be blinded in minde and hardened in heart for a time so that they feele in themselues the grace of the holie Spirit to bee as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kinds of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearfull when anie doe purposely resist the motions of Gods spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation of which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh 7. 11. They refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Lawe and the words which the Lord of Hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes Wee haue made a couenant with Death and with Hell wee are at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falshood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hidden This was a fearfull estate indeed yet for all that no man can say but some of these hauing hardened their hearts might bee and were afterward conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearfull yet it is daÌ„gerous enough is in such as although they wilfullie resist not Gods spirite in good meanes yet securely carelesly and willinglie they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet came to reprooue him and rouze him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwise then in temptations Sathan may somtimes moue you thereunto The other kind of hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they doe finde small or no ease at all in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of Gods people complained And
depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth to be repugnance but there is not any hee was depriued indeede for a time of the graces of the sanctifying spirit but not of the holy Ghost wherwith he was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will doe vnto you Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly Melancholie partly Satan working therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirt in you which I beseech you to take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedie which you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall enable me and I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because he is of your acquaintance and will bring it to me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnesse of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth declaring that he had no feeling of hart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is farre off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid therefore say with him often and with Gods people O Lord thou art our Father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and wee are the worke of thy hands c. Know also God can cause Wolues Lyons Leopards c. to dwell louingly with Lambes Calues and Kids c. and that which is vnpossible to men is possible with God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours yea know you that all things are possible to him which beleeueth Crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe and I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your hearts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must ende I commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them that are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so shall I pray for you and much more Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in any neede R. GREENHAM ANOTHER COMFORTABLE LETTER BY MASTER R. G. TO MASTER M. BRother beloued in our LORD IESVS CHRIST seeing you haue had heretofore not onely Knowledge but also experience of Gods gracious and mercifull goodnesse in Iesus Christ of your owne vnbeliefe and of Sathans subtlenesse I could maruell why you should giue such place and not keepe your ground no surer if I were not much acquainted with such occurrences I knowe not therefore whether with wordes of rebuke or of comfort I should seeke to relieue you Because I cannot come vnto you my counsell and desire is that you would come vp to London the next Terme at the farthest that so I might aske of God to frame my speech to your good In the meane season I beseech you to call vnto minde that which you cannot bee ignorant of that in the Lawe Sacrifices were offered for Gods people not onely at their first entrance into couenant with the Lord but also afterwards many times and that not onely for sinnes committed by ignorance but also by error that is Forgetfulnes Frailenes Retchlesnes Carelesnes c. If you haue not Tremelius his Translation by you you must take heed of the English that hath ignorance for they failed that so translated it It is manifest that the sinne of error is there opposed against the sinne committed with an high hand that is a blasphemie with contempt of God and making his Law of no effect but to be in vaine Which sinne I am sure you are most farre off from I would you were as farre off from vnbeliefe and distrust That Gods children may fall after their calling into diuers foule faults may appeare by many proofes First in the Law when the Lord speaketh in his Maiestie and proclaimeth his glorie yet in how manie wordes commendeth he his mercy and for how many seuerall sorts of sinnes Doth not Esay the holy Prophet call the people of his dayes the people of Gomorrah and their Princes the Princes of Sodome Doth not hee accuse them as grieuous transgressours both of the first and second Table and yet doth afterwards promise them that though their sinnes were as crimson they shall be as white as snow though they were red like skarlet they should be as wooll Doth he not charge them that they were sunke deepe in rebellon and yet exhorteth them to returne vnto the Lord Yea doth he not charge them not onely with rebellion but also with vexing the holy Spirit of God And yet reade what is written Pray as there you may learne of Esay chap. 63. vers 7. 15. 16. What doth not the holy Prophet Ieremie shew that Ephraim was as an vntamed calfe c. yet so soone as he mourned and was ashamed of himselfe doth not the Lord shew that his bowels of mercy were troubled for his estate Doth nor the Lord offer mercy vnto the prophane and forgetfull transgressours of his holie couenant Is not this part of the couenant made with all the sonnes of Dauid in Christ Iesus that if they not only omitting many good things but also committing rebellions iniquities that though he may visite them yet it shall be with the rod of his children and that his mercy he will not take from them nor breake off his couenant made with them in Iesus Christ Therefore remember that the holy promises threatnings precepts examples are written that we should not sinne but If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is â—he reconciliation of our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Doth not the blessed Apostle Paul charge the Corinthians whom hee affirmeth to be rich in Christ and destitute of no spirituall gift to bee more carnall than spiriuall yea babes in Christ yea to be fallen into idolatrie committing of euill things fornication tempting not onely of God but of Christ yea murmuring against them yet doth he not herein comfort them that no temptation hath taken hold on them but such as appertaineth to man and that God will be mercifull vnto
which we freely renounce but of the merit of his obedience and of the value of his death vnto the saluation of those that beleeue in him So shall we at once stop vp the mouth of the enemie when refusing to plead our owne cause we referre our selues vnto Christ whom we know to be the wisedome of God and able to answere all that can possibly be obiected against vs. For seeing Sathan is a wrangling and subtill Sophister it is our surest and safest dispatch to breake off all dispute with him and to send him thither where he may receiue his best answere and we need not to doubt but he that hath answered the iustice of God and cancelled the obligation that was against vs before his heauenly father will easily defeate whatsoeuer the old Serpent our accuser the diuell is able to alleage against vs. But if we cannot so auoid his assault but needs we must enter the combat with him let vs take vnto our selues that courage that becommeth the souldiers of Christ and in the name of the Lord Iesus manfully oppose our selues knowing that he which hath brought vs into the battell will both saue vs and deliuer vs out of all dangers Then if the enemie shall say that we haue no faith and therefore haue no interest in Christ we may answere that our beleeuing dependeth not vpon his testimonie it is enough that our selues doe know and feele by the grace of God that we doe beleeue As for him we doe the rather perswade our selues of faith because he saith that we beleeue not knowing that he is not onely a murderer but also a lyer from the beginning and the father of lying Now he that was neither ashamed nor afraid to charge God himselfe with vntruth will make lesse scruple to deale falsely with vs and that therefore we vtterly reiect his witnes as the witnes of a notorious and treacherous deceiuer vnworthie all credit and whom we cannot beleeue euen in the truth it selfe without danger For which cause he was so oftentimes silenced by our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles euen then when after his deceiueable manner he bare witnes vnto the truth Againe when the question is of our faith in Christ whether we beleeue in him or not we must beware that we stand not here vpon perfection of knowledge which in the best Diuines is vnperfect or vpon the perfection of our perswasion which in all flesh is mingled with imperfection It is enough for our present comfort and to the silencing of our aduersarie that we haue a competent knowledge of the mysterie of our saluation by Christ farre remoued from that ignorance and implicit vnderstanding which Sathan hath planted in the kingdome of Antichrist For perswasion also we acknowledge that partly by the corruption of nature and partly by his assaults by the grace of God it is such as the same is oftentimes assailed and shaken yet faileth not nor falleth vnto the ground but standeth inuincible against all his attempts and inuasions whatsoeuer And finally for that faith whereby we rest for our saluation vpon Christ Iesus wee glorie not in our owne strength but wee say euery one for himselfe with him in the Gospell We beleeue Lord helpe thou our vnbeleefe Foâ— if faith he as it is indeed a repose setling placing and putting of our trust and confidence for our saluation in Christ whom the Father hath sealed then we doubt not to proue against Sathan and all his instruments of infidelitie that we doe beleeue and that the weaknes of our faith which we willingly acknowledge and that remnant of vnbeleefe which yet hangeth vpon vs is so farre off from dismaying vs that it is both a warning and motiue vnto vs of great force to stirre vs vp and to set a worke by all good meanes to establish and to increase our faith when wee finde the good hand of the Lord not to bee wanting vnto vs and his eares not to bee shut vp against our prayers in which we alwaies say with the Apostles of Christ Lord increase our faith If it shall bee obiected that because wee haue not the same sense and feeling of faith which sometime wee had as Sathan himselfe could not then denâ—e therefore we haue now no faith but haue vtterly lost the same wee may answere the argument followeth not for euen in many diseases of the bodie it is so with them that haue them that they seeme little better than dead corpses and yet there is life in them which hidden for a time after is recouered and raised vp againe so it is many times with the children of God that being ouerborne and distressed with extremitie of affliction and temptation they seeme for the time both to themselues and others to haue lost the life and light which once they enioyed Yet so it is that when the tempest is ouerblowne and the gracious countenance of the Lord againe beginneth to shine vpon them the faith which was as it were hid for the time taketh life and steweth foorth it selfe and plainly proueth that as the trees when they budde in the spring time and bring foorth their fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed to bee so the faith of Gods children springing afresh after the stormie winter of temptation declaring manifestly that it was not dead when it seemed so to be but was onely respited for the time that afterward it might bring foorth more fruite and whereas the afflicted soule desireth nothing more than to beleeue though it feele not a present operation of comfort by faith euen that desire argueth a secret sense that cannot easily be discerned together with assurance of better estate in time to come according to that of our Sauiour Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied And that of the blessed Virgin He filleth the hungrie with good things but the rich he hath sent emptie away Also that bewailing and deploring of vnbeleefe which is found in the afflicted is not onely a stâ—p vnto their former comfrort but a certaine proofe and demonstration of the returne therof For the Lord working by his spirit in the hearts of his childrens gronings that cannot be expressed thereby assureth theÌ„ that in his good time he will heare them grant their requests And so much the more wee may bee perswaded hereof because the loue of God towards vs as it began not of vs as S. Iohn saith so it dependeth not vpon vs but vpon the truth constancie of him with whom there is no change nor shadow of change Againe the temptation it selfe from which our affliction doth arise though it haue of itselfe a most bitter and sharp taste euen vnto the wounding of our soules neere vnto death yet hath it also in it an argument of comfort the Lord himselfe out of darknes raising vp light vnto his childreÌ„ For euen by
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
soule I haue sinned against the Lord was it think you a small comfort that Nathan said immediately vnto him The Lord hath pardoned thy sinne I will say nothing of the prayers of so many of the seruants of Christ as haue commended your cause vnto the Lord which cannot be frustrate the Lord himselfe directing them to pray according to his word and vpon the assurance of his promise Reade Iob 33. 23. If there be present with him that is with the afflicted soule as verse 22. a messenger from God an interperter of the will of God such as is one of a thousand who may signifie vnto man the equitie of the Lord and intreating him for fauour shall say Redeeme thou him that hee goe not downe into the pit by that redemption which I haue found when he hath humblie be sought the Lord he doth graciously receiue him that hee may behold his face with ioy and hee restoreth vnto man his righteousnes In which words there are many excellēt things to be noted for the comfort of those that are afflicted The first is that the anguished soule finding no comfort at home and in her selfe by reason of the strength of temptation must seeke reliefe abroad at the hands of those whom God hath appointed to make glad the sorrowfull minde and to giue rest vnto the wearied and distressed conscience Wherein you must consider with all thankfulnesse how great mercie the Lord hath shewed vnto you for I doe perswade my selfe as before I haue said that since the time of your affliction there hath not been almost one that hath any special gift in that kinde who by conference writing or otherwise hath not bestowed some part of his trauaile vnto your comfort I could my selfe name a great number besides those aboue mentioned but yourselfe can remember many more Now the testimonie of many faithfull seruants of Christ witnessing the grace and goodnesse of God towards you must bee as the voyce of God himselfe who is not as man that hee should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should repent or alter that which he hath once testified And if Iob doe acknowledge that the comfort of one faithfull witnesse on the behalfe of God is enough to the erecting cherishing of the heauiest minde what can Satan say vnto the testimonie not of two or three witnesses which the law onely requireth but vnto the testimonie of two or three score the meanest and weakest whereof should be able to answere in your behalfe vnto all that the enemie is able to obiect against you The second thing I note is that these haue not come vnto you by error or by chance but by special addresse of Gods prouidence as sent from the throne of grace to bind vp your wound and to minister comfort vnto your conscience The third that these speake not their own words nor of themselues but are the faithfull interpreters of the will of God not indeede immediatly from himselfe but by viewing and esteeming of the worke of God and the fruites of his grace in those that are his The fourth that as they declare vnto the afflicted that fauour of God towards them which themselues are not able for the present to discerne so they commend them by prayer vnto the Lord who hath promised to heare to graunt their requests The fift that for cōfort in this case we must passe out of our selues in whom there is nothing that may ease our griefe and cast our eye and cogitation onely vpon Christ in whom al fulnesse of saluation doth dwel considering that this is one of the meanes whereby Sathan doth most distresse and anguish the afflicted soules that hee holdeth them in the cogitation of their sinnes and transgressions against God and suffereth them not to see that length breadth height and depth and to knowe that loue of Christ that passeth all knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God The sixt that the Lord both mercifully blesseth the labours of his seruants in comforting his children and also graciously heareth their praiers and supplications made in their behalfe vnto his Maiestie And the last that God in his good time erecteth the mindes of the afflicted and openeth their mouthes to praise his name to protect his goodnes that he hath brought againe their soule from the pit and hath shined vpon them with the light of life Which effect of the grace of God because you haue both seene in others and felt in your selfe many times you haue great cause to hope and expect the returne of his comforting hand in due season who also shall once determine these conflicting daies and set vs in that peace which shall neuer be interrupted and wherein all teares shall bee wiped away from our faces for euer The malice of the enemie during this life hath no end nor measure at all and therfore we may iustly feare all extremitie of attempt against vs but we must strengthen our selues in him who can and will enable vs vnto all things The last and most grieuous assault of Sathan against the afflicted is that he calleth into doubt their election For that saluation is onely of the elect hee laboureth by all meanes to snake this ground and pillar of comfort and if it bee possible to subuert and ouerthrow the same It behooueth vs here to take heede how we carrie our selues as in that temptation which of all others is most difficult and dangerous First therefore wee must beware of that gulfe wherein the enemie hopeth to deuoure vs that wee enter not into the secret and hidden counsell of God For the secrets of the Lord are for himselfe but the things that are reuealed are for vs and our posteritie after vs for euer as Moses saith What then hath the Lord reuealed concerning our election First the spirit of God witnesseth vnto our spirits that we are the children of God then it teacheth vs to cry Abba Father and stirreth vp in vs those gronings that cannot bee expressed From these let vs descend vnto faith it selfe the voyce whereof if it be not suppressed by the grieuousnesse of temptation soundeth cheerefully vnto vs that wee are beloued of God redeemed by Christ and fellow heires with him of his fathers kingdom If here also the enemie haue darkened our senses and obscured our light we must of necessitie with Iob relieue our selues from the fruits of our faith These what they are hath alreadie beene said If necessitie doe so compell vs we must flie vnto the times that are past and referre our selues vnto the testimonies of the faithfull ministers of God who as they are for their wisedome and manifold experience better able to iudge of our estate than our selues so haue they power and authoritie from God to decide the controuersie betweene vs and our enemie and to pleade our cause against him Also where the enemie from
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ