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
specially in the eye 4 There is in euery man since Adams fall the diuels promise fulfilled that their eyes should be opened and this as it was the first punishment so it was not the least and besides this it is an argument of follie for Salomon saith A fooles eyes are in all the corners of the world and a wise mans eyes are in his head I looked into the streetes Prouerb 7. and sawe a young man c. Looke what obiects our eyes doe see such are our actions as it is saide of Iacobs sheepe looking on the rods they brought sorth young coloured like the rods not like themselues so our actions are like the obiects of our eyes The eye goeth before and bringeth the hart after and as Salomon saith he knoweth not that there is a snare And what followeth euen that which Gregorie saith that the innocent beholding becomes nocent or hurtfull by sight and his reason is for what he beheld vnaduisedly he cannot forsake willingly and hee addeth yet another reason of this for that which pleaseth the sense best liketh vs. Here is a sensuall appetite for as where the paine is there is the hand so where our loue is fastened there our eye is fixed The eye is not satisfied with seeing what then Surely as this was the first degree of walking the heart followed the eye so is it the second degree as saith Gregorie He that vseth the outward eye negligently hath a blind eye within and it is a second consequent the heart being corrupted it doth corrupt the eye for the heart will leade the eye to seeke all manner of euill sights for it So we become such as are mentioned Numb 7. As goe after their owne eyes 3 Againe Gregorie here saith Consider what a shame it is for men to sin in that from which women are commanded to abstaine The Apostle vseth a word strange and seldome vsed in those that writ since the Apostles time it is to note the strangenes of apparell The law of nature condemneth it Augustine saith He that exceedeth the boundes of custome in outward things is a very wicked man Ezech. 23. we see the iudgement of God vpon them for looking on strange apparel Zephan 2. 1. God saith he will sit in iudgement vpon the Kings sonnes and then what shall become of the base people And thus much for the fashion now for the cost for the Apostle forbiddeth also costly or pretious apparell He that breaketh into these expences of apparell more than is beseeming his state he is a theefe There is yet a third thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must thinke that he meant by this the putting on of apparell It is that whereof a Father speaketh They pray for one minute and be an whole houre in attyring themselues And yet we haue renounced this in our Baptisme with all the vanities of the world which the sonnes of Beliall must inuent and we must practise To conclude note one thing in Saint Barnards sermon which he made vpon the celebration of S. Iohn Baptists day where he speaketh to his auditorie on this wise Whose memorie doe ye celebrate this day Is this â—one in vaine delight or shew of gay attire what is tâ—â—â— to Iohn what you would haue vs goe in Iohn Baptists coate I wish not that thou beest like him iâ— attire but yet I would not you should be flat contrarie Finally this is the accusation of Corah and his companie Numb 16. What will yee pull Gods Prophets eyes out of their heads â—o but we would haue them vsed to the glorie of God as all the members ought to be 6 The Seraphins were full of eyes betokening they see euery way some thing to glorifie God Though other men haue indulgencie for their sight yet the sonnes of the Prophets are called seers for the vse of their eyes they must needs vse them The high places were frequented of the Prophets and Patriarches that from them they might see medowes full of grasse fields full of corne riuers townes and many things to consider the greatnes and goodnes of God that beholding these they might be drawne as Dauid was into that meditation What is man and as Christ in beholding the lillies are ye not much better than they These hils had this good vse at the first but afterwards they were vsed to il practises There was not one of the Prophets that vsed not this helpe Things past and present saith one are shadowes of things to come And no doubt though they had speciall reuelation yet they vsed the view of their present estates and did in wisedome foresee many things and we if we laid wel our estates with them might be more wise to foresee things to come The Prophets had their notes wherein they did insert those actions which they sawe in their times and so they made vse of that they saw besides the reading of histories which is also lawfull and commended in Assuerus and Daniel 11. Augustine maketh two questions What went yee out into the wildernesse to see water changed into wine this yee may see and not goe thither Or went yee not to see the bush burne and not consume as you may see the water turned into wine without the desert in that the Lord bringeth it through the vine tree so this also ye may see daily great fires made to consume the Church and it perisheth not What went yee into the histories to see There are as great things saith he in our daies done for the Church by Constantine as hath been before time there are now as great abominations as strange iudgements and so sufficient in euery age to proue the Lords arme is not shortened and to confirme vs in Gods promises if al the histories in the world were burnt If we did as God keepes a bottell for our teares and a booke of remembrance for our good workes keepe an Ephemerides of the actions of our time we might say with Dauid I neuer saw the godly begging their bread I haue seene the wicked flourish and I beheld againe c. Thus we might come by good experience It is said for her commendation that she is the mistris of fooles for that she teacheth very plainly Againe howsoeuer Aristotle saith Hearing is the sense of learning and of wisedome yet the eye is the sense of certeaintie God said therefore I will go downe and see God saw saith the Scripture The wise men say in the Gospell Let vs goe to Bethlehem to see The Apostle Thomas is discommended for not beleeuing till he saw and felt and Mary is commended for her quicke beleeuing But a man compassed with infirmitie may say with Gregorius Magnus Thomas doubting hath more profited me than Maries beleeuing If we could well see we should eschue that foolish question How commeth it to passe that these daies are
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
worse for the vsing that is lent Exod. 21. 14. but money for the lending is not worse Ergo nothing to be taken for the lending of it No member is permitted but that which directeth others in their callings as the eye or labours being directed as the hand so is it or ought to be in our vocations then the Vsurer doing neither is not to be permitted 2 A certaine man that was an Vsurer asking him how with a good conscience he might vse his money he said Occupie it in some trade of life and when you can lend to the poore do it freely willingly and that you may henceforth labour as well against couetousnes in occupying that trade as before you desired to striue against vsury especially vse prayer the word of God and the companie and conference of his children and whatsoeuer you get by lawfull gaine giue euermore the tenth to the poore Word of God and the hearing of it 1 EVermore be musing reading hearing and talking of Gods word and praying that we may keepe the puritie of doctrine and a good conscience to wade out of the iniquitie of the time and to doe good as long as we may 2 If you desire to heare the word with profit obserue these things Before you goe to Church humble your selfe in prayer to God that he may prepare your vnderstanding and affection to learne and memorie to retaine and that the preacher may speake to your consciences After in hearing with some short prayer applie the seuerall threatnings promises and instructions to your owne estate when you are come home from hearing change all that you remember into a prayer and desire God that you may remember it most when you should practise it and vse to teach others and to conferre of all things remembred And this is a good way to remember a thing and the reason of it 3 As the Lord doth feede poore prisoners euen with a little foode who though they desire more fooâ—e can haue no more and doe not refuse more ordinarie meanes and the same God suffereth many to be pined who hauing abundance thinke themselues rather cloyed with the meanes than nourished by Gods prouidence so the Lord extraordinarily doth nourish the soules of them who hauing few meanes doe looke for the ordinarie meanes more plentifully and suffereth some to rot in ignorance who being at the full measure of the meanes haue no reuerent regard of the necessitie of them And hereof it commeth to passe that some hungrie soules haue beene filled with more grace at one sermon than the proud who hauing heard many sermons are sent emptie away Witchcraft 1 SEnding his friend to one that thought her selfe bewitched he gaue these aduertisements First and chiefly to beware of sending to Wizards Secondly to vse prayer that Sathan might be confounded Thirdly to labour to bring the person to repeâ—t for sinne because God permitteth such things to be done either to correct some euill or to trie our faith Lastly to perswade the partie to waite for the time of deliuerance though it were long before it came because hauing repented for sinne yet the Lord will defeâ—e health to make a further triall of vs whether we will still trust in his helpe or flie to vnlawfull meanes 2 One asking what he thought of Fayries he answered he thought they were spirits but he distinguished betweene them and other spirits as commonly men distinguish betweene good witches and bad witches Worship of God 1 IT is good to take vp the oportunitie of the morning for the worship of God For first who so will see the image of his heart he shall by obseruing his first thoughts in the morning come to some light of it Againe of all times it is most fit to doe any thing in and we by reason of the alacritie which commeth vpon vs after our rest are most fit to do any thing in it Besides if we be seriously minded on good things in the morning other vile thoughts shall the more feebâ—y fasten on vs all the day after And againe delay the morning with suffering worldly thoughts to seaze on vs and our minde will be so forestalled with them that we cannot easily and roundly gather vp our affections afterwards to Gods worship For this is a sure note that he which consecrateth in truth the first fruits of the day to the Lord shuâ—teth vp the day with sacrificing to him if he haue any sin falling on him in the day time he is checked either with his first morning sacrifice because he hath not done as he prayed and promised vnto the Lord or he is controuled by the euening and latter sacrifice in that a feare and shame of his sinne makes him appalled to come into the presence of God World 1 VVHen two gentlemen ride a hunting it is hard to discerne each others hounds because they be mingled together which afterward is more easily done when the hunters are seuered Euen so so long as Gods children and worldlings walke as it were together it is hard to distinguish betweene the heires of the one and of the other but when they are seuered by persecution it will surely be seene who be the children of God and who be the heires â—f the world Word preached 1 MAny come to prayer and of custome resort to the Sacraments who either do not at all heare the word preached or else they heare at their leisure or else they do it buâ— in ceremonie without vnderstanding or if they doe vnderstand it they doe not practise it or if they practise it it is done coldly and not in power and yet their owne practise in some things is somewhat strange They will graunt that to come to the Sacrament requireth a more solemne preparation and yet they dare boldly aduenture on prayer and on hearing of the word without any preparation at all But certainly as the abuse of the Sacrament bringeth iudgement so the abuse of prayer and the word wil procure it for as the prayer of faith is a sweet oblation to the Lord so the prayer of the vnbeleeuer is an abomination to the Lord. We must not onely bring the eare of vnderstanding but we must also bring the eare of remembrance and of practise and beware that the word by little and little waxe not lesse pretious vnto vs as honey to the mouth that is satisfied And this is sure when how much the word preached doth preuaile so much our prayers sacrifices do preuaile looke how much the word preached doth profit so much doe we profit in prayer and in the Sacraments And whensoeuer our delights in the word waxe faint our prayers and all good exercises are like shortly to decay Prayer bringeth a feeling and the Sacraments a more confirming of that which we haue in the word We must beware therefore that
they doe not practise it or if they practise it it is done coldly and not in power And yet their owne practise in some things is somewhat strange they will graunt that to come to the Sacrament requireth a moâ—e solemne preparation yet they dare bolâ—ly venture on prayer and on the hearing of the word oftentimes without any preparation at all But certainly as the abuse of the Sacrament bringeth iudgement so the abuse of prayer of the word will procure it For as the prayer of faith is a sweet oblation to the Lord so the prayer of the vnbeleeuer is an abomination to the Lord. We must not only bring the eare of vnderstanding but we must also bring the eare of remembrance and of practise and beware that by little and little the word waxe not lesse pretious vnto vs as honey to the mouth that is satisfied And this is sure when and how much the word preached doth preuâ—ile so much our prayers and our sacrifices doe preuaile looke how much the word doth profit so much doe we profit in prayer and in the Sacraments and whensoeuer our delight in the word waxeth faint our prayers and all good exercises are like shortly to decay Prayer bringeth a feeling and the Sacraments a more continuing of that which we heare in the word We must beware therefore that we be not too quâ—â—â—â—â— sinne that we please not our selues in a generall good course in a perswasion we haue heard enough but still let vs labour for the word for I dare say that all our power in prayer commeth from the word 21 Euen as the life that is in a tree is a thing inuisible and yet by the fruites comming out in due season is discerned of all howsoeuer it may be greene yet wanting fruite or as the life in a childe is a thing not seene but by mouing going and feeling easily perceiued so the life of faith is a thing very secret and yet by the effects of it at one time or at another is discerned of good men Howsoeuer there may be workes and yet no faith howsoeuer there may be faith and yet not by and by workes following Many men thinke the word now preached not to be the right word because no moe are brought to the obedience of God by so long preaching of it but we must rather reason to the contrarie this is a sure note it is the true word because it is so much refused and men are made the worse by abusing the word which as it would make them better and doth make better all that doe obey it so it maketh worse all that doe not obey it 22 Of all the Commandements we shall neuer be brought hungerly to seeke Christ vntill we can in the last precept see and feele our naturall corruption whereof we must not onely haue a knowledge but experience also as Paul had Rom 7. Now where the Papists say that this corruption is a sinne in the vnregenerate but not in the regenerate we say it is a sinne in both that which is sinne in one is sinne in another without respect of persons but yet we affirme that there is a diuers qualitie in this sinne in those diuers subiects because that sinne is imputed to the one and not to the other The not diligent obseruing and vnderstanding of this corruption doth hurt euen some of the godly bending to that other opinion whiles they thinke too little of the first motions of sinne for which if they were humbled truly it is sure that they should not only not breake foorth into any corrupt life but also they should haue lesse corrupted lips I say a bare knowledge hereof also is not sufficieÌ„t for euen the knowledge of our corruption is not without the corruption of priuie pride but we must ioyne therewith faith in the iudgements of God which the Niniuites hauing escaped the wrath of God which the old world not hauing fell into the wrath of God 23 Seeing prophanenes is not so much in grosser sinnes as in the vnreuerent and irreligious handling of most holy exercises we must more warily watch ouer our selues but especially that we beare sanctified mindes in our vsing of outward things which in themselues haue no great holinesse because we may easily be corrupted euen in prayer in hearing of the word in keeping of our Sabbath which in themselues do carrie a kind of holinesse which being not rightly vsed are said to be prophaned This sinne is so perilous and infatuateth vs so farre that it bringeth vs to make away not onely our maintenance on earth but also our inheritance in heauen for most vile and contemptible things as Esâ—â— did who though he did to supplie his neede vse vnlawfull meanes yet if he be set head by head with a great many not hauing any such neede he for his need in respect of theÌ„ might be lesse condemnable but they in respect of him most iustly reproueable Now if there be any Esau who will not sticke to sell heauen his soule and the kingdome of God vnder pretence of necessitie let vs beware we follow not Iacob in taking this aduantage for this was a particular thing permitted of God and Iacob will doe so no more but let vs exhort him to waite vpon God his prouidence to take a better course for the safetie of his conscience and contribute to his necessitie that Esau may not haue by our vncharitable dealing a cloake for his prophanenes but that if he will needes be prophane he may be prophane and guiltie in and of himselfe alone 24 We must not be proud in our owne gifts for God hath in iudgement giuen iudgement to many simple ones to spie vs out 25 If we confesse our sinnes to God we must frankly and freely bring our selues into the presence of God and lay our hearts naked and bare before him We must not as harlots wipe our mouthes and say we offended and yet fall into sinne againe but with remorse of conscience acknowledge them and in feare and reuerence leaue them 26 Satan is not discouraged at the first though he lose his possession yet he will keep his title and will lay claime to vs as to his mansion place and yet though Sathan thinks vs to be sties for himselfe Christ makes vs of the sties of Sathan palaces of his spirit 27 Though when Satan findeth vs waste and voide he may enter into vs yet if we haue any store of good yea if we haue a sparke of goodnesse it shall fire out the diuell the least groune pronounceth a iudgement against him euery teare is as a pearcing sword to him but wholy to quench the spirit to be waste to be swept of all the graces of God yea and not onely to offer violence to God his spirit but to build and labour for the diuell is a very fearefull thing for that maketh the diuell to looke better to his possession
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
is an house of hearing the word of receiuing the Sacraments of executing discipline as well as of prayer but yet this one name comprehendeth all Now before we shew the reason of it how commeth it to passe that few care for the word fewer for the Sacraments and fewest for discipline yet all shew themselues friends to prayer yea and Heretikes which in the other things will depart from vs will acknowledge this thing This is God his goodnes that none doe forsake this That by prayer is meant all parts of God his worship it is manifest Matth. 24. 13. where our Sauiour Christ saith But he that endureth vnto the end he shall be saued Now the meanes to auoide these iudgements come after The Gospell of the kingdome must be preached to all nations Iohn 3. Christ by the preaching of the Gospel must be lift vp that who so hearkeneth to the word should be saued These are ioyned both together Rom. 10. where it is sâ—id Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord he shall be saued and a little after But how shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue vnlesse they doe heare So that as faith saueth so faith commeth by the word of God And Eccles 4. 17. and 5 1 When then entrest into the house of God looke vnto thy feete c. In which place the holy Ghost first teacheth men to heare then to pray because as they came into the Temple to pray so also to heare Likewise Psal. 95. first the Prophet saith O come let vs worship and kneele donne exhorting to prayer and after To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearis making mention of the word because these must be ioyned together That the Ministers of God are ioyned to come to the one and to the other the Scriptures shew as Deut. 33. where the Leuites dutie is first to teach Iacob then to offer incense that is to pray as Psalme 141. and 2. Sam. 12. where the people acknowledging their sinnes request Samuel to pray for them who answered them that he would not onely pray vnto God for them but that he would also preach God his word vnto them threaten God his iudgements and proclame God his mercies to them if they would repent Act. 6 wheÌ„ the Apostles found themselues troubled with the ordinarie ministerie of tables they ordained new meanes and they would giue themselues to the word and prayer 1. Timoth. 1. and 2. Paul teacheth Timothie first how he should preach to the people then how he should pray for them and so the Lord would haue the people as well to come to heare the word preached as to pray We shall see this the better if we consider what the Lord requireth of vs in praying First a man cannot be heard vnlesse hee doe the will of God Matth. 7. Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heâ—uen but he that doth the will of my father that is in heauen Matth. 15. 8 9. This people draweth neere vnto mee with their mouth c. But in vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrine mens precepts Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in truth And it is saide in the Prouerbs that the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord and his prayer is his sinne Psal. 34. 15. 16. The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are opon vnto their crie But the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill c. But notable is that place Psal. 66 18. If I regard wickednes in mine heart the Lord will not heare me Now if we cannot call on God without faith because Iam. 2. 6. saith we must aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue c. and as Christ saith whatsoeuer wee aske beleeuing wee shall obtaine seeing he taught his Disciples so to pray Lord increase our faith and Iam. 5. 15. the prayer of faith shall saue because it is grounded on God his promises and infallible truth and seeing with faith the Lord would haue vs ioyne repentance because 2. Timot. 2. 19. euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord must depart from iniquitie we must labour in all our prayers to come with faith and assurance that in Christ we shall bee heard waiting on the Lord in newnes of life If such faith feare and holinesse is required of vs in prayer seeing both faith and repentance are begun continued and increased by the word it is meete that the ministerie of the word should be ioyned with prayer Therfore where it is said Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord it is as much as whosoeuer worshippeth and serueth God although great calamities come yet if hee be a true worshipper beleeuing God his promises repenting of his sinnes and giueth himselfe to serue the Lord aright he shall be preserued from all plagues and either he shall be taken away in mercie if the Lord seeth him to be weake or else if he liue hee shall haue strength to passe thorow them and by them take his voyage to heauen euen as the wicked by them make a way to the hels We stand on this point the rather because most men nowadaies are of this mind that if they come to the Church to pray a little all is wel they haue bin very religious not thinking it in the meane time so necessarie a thing to come to the word preached which may breede in them faith and repentance And therefore in that all will graunt prayer some few forlorne persons excepted we say there is no true prayer where is no faith and no faith without the word and therefore without the word neither faith nor prayer nor repentance Now if wee will aske on the contrarie why the Lord rather nameth prayer than hearing of the word I answere that naturally men had rather heare than pray and then wee are fit truly to pray when wee haue reuerently heard because the hearing of the word inferring prayer when we haue heard we are most readie to pray We shall see that ignorant and superstitious persons much commend prayer but not preaching but come to them that haue knowledge and they on the contrarie are more readie to heare than to pray and they will longer continue in hearing than in praying The holy Ghost then not respecting Turkes Papists or such like but professed Christians which will bragge of their worship to Godward teacheth vs that all is nothing without prayer knowing that neither foundation nor continuance of repentance can be without prayer the word and Sacraments are vnfruitfull without prayer without which wee are vnworthie of any thing because wee will not vouchsafe once to aske it of the Lord. I appeale to the consciences of God his children who that I might passe by other lothsome
in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon for the death of the good King Iosias Euen so must men mourne because they haue pierced Christ through with their sinnes wounded him with their abominations And men must know that a few drie teares when they haue offended are not sufficient repentance or sacrifice to God but they must rent their hearts and be heartily sorie and turne vnto the Lord Now many are so stricken with the sense and feeling of their sinnes that thereby they are moued to confesse and lay open their wickednesse in such sort as a man would thinke them to be such as for euer afterwards would stand in feare to offend the Lord any more but these after that they haue receiued some comfort by the word of their sinnes and haue seene that their sinnes are pardonable not distinguishing between these two that it is one thing to haue their sinnes remissible and another thing to assure themselues that they are remitted After I say this comfort receiued by the preaching of the word they labouring no further to be renewed and throughly reformed although they had some sorrow for a season yet because they did not search themselues more narrowly and endeuour to purge themselues as well from inward sinne as from outward and to be wholy transfigured and transformed into a new holie and righteous life therefore it commeth to passe that the loue of righteousnesse departeth from them and they returne againe to their old by as and are become praies for Iesuites and massing Priests such is their prophanenesse And this is because they rested onely in the vniuersall promises of God which although they bee all most true and comfortable yet they can minister no true comfort and consolation vnto mans soule except hee make a particular application thereof vnto himselfe Lastly some there be who would faine seeme to the appearance of the Church to haue forsaken and sold their sinnes and to haue made a full and perfect reformation of their former liues euilly spent which notwithstanding harbour and nourish sinnes in their hearts which afterward will breake foorth and discouer their hypocrisie and this they doe because they were but a little enlightened with the flash of the holy Ghost and were not throughly reformed inwardly which is euident in this that they couet to approoue themselues more before men than before God nourishing in their hearts secret selfe-loue as in shewing themselues zealous vntill they come to preferment or to this end that many perceiuing their zeale may flocke after them to heare them so they may procure themselues fame whom so soone as Sathan beginneth a little to buffet them they fall away and shew that they had sold sinne but for a season This is contrarie vnto that course which the true ministers of God and those which feare him aright ought to take for it is their dutie to seeke the praise of God and not of themselues to couet the profit of the people of God and not their owne priuate lucre knowing this that they serue not men but God and that they must professe religion religiously setting before their eyes the praise of God the crowne of immortall glorie the saluation of soules and the acceptation of their labour before God And all men must desire rather to be religious than to seeme so giuing themselues to the exercises of priuate praier reading fasting to priuate admonition conference and other priuate duties at such time and in such place when and where they neede not to boast of any thing done seeing it is done in secret which who so doth let him assure himselfe that there is nothing so secret but it shall be reuealed whether it be good or euill If we doe this then shall we not be in the number of those which beginning in the spirit end in the flesh or of those which serue God for a season and in the end fall away from him and his seruice Doublesse it is a strange thing to see some who haue bin themselues a light vnto others so now to shrinke from Gods truth as that they should become Papists or of the Familie of loue or of some other heresie The cause of this is because their inward stuffe was corrupt and not fullie cured by effectuall repentance And thus much of grosse sinnes Now of the infirmities of nature which remaine euer in the best this inward corruption must be sold also for it is not enough to leaue outward and grosse sinnes except also we beate downe the inward corruption of our owne nature and although we cānot altogether blot out this our naturall corruption yet the righteousnesse of Christ may be so resident and dwell in vs that it shall not onely keepe vs from grosse outward outrages and offences but also will holde downe keepe short our naturall corruptions neither must we thinke it enough to sell the fruites of our corrupt nature but we must also sell the corruption it selfe for as we see so long as the tree remaineth there will alwaies spring foorth some buds euen so of the children of God so long as the corruption of the nature raigneth in them so long do they burst out into some offences or other but most men make either little or no conscience at all of these little faults but it must be otherwise with vs or else we cannot but displease God greatly For as a riuer drieth vp vnto the fountaine yet if we doe rest from all emptying of it it will encrease againe So except the children of God doe keepe downe their naturall corruption although they offend not as the reprobate and wicked in monstrous sinnes against God yet they cannot but haue great downfals Wherefore we must not with the woman whereof the Poet speaketh see and behold good and lawfull things and follow that which is euill neither must we be as the Philosophers whose reason fighteth with their appetite but we must fight both with reason and appetite we must be as new creatures borne againe and we must be more willing to endure all shame and reproches than to fall and offend to the dishonour of God Being grieued that we see our selues ready to displease the Lord. The Apostle Paul Rom. 7. saith of himselfe I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members Heere the Apostle sheweth his captiuitie vnto sinne by reason of his inward corruption now when men are in imprisonment or captiuitie then they are fed with the bread of aduersitie and affliction and therefore the Apostle viewing the miserie wherein he was by nature in the type of a true regenerate man saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Here he crieth out against himselfe from the truth of his heart as he findeth himselfe
for whatsoeuer is ours by gift it is the interest of others by necessitie whatsoeuer is proper to vs by possession is common to the Church by vse and participation and whatsoeuer wee haue wee haue it for dispensation as the stewards of God his gifts and disposers of his graces And therefore as at the audites and dayes of accounts such stewards are culpable and vnworthie of their places who hauing large summes of money for the liberal maintenance of the family haue appropriated all to themselues so likewise in that great day of reckoning and audite of Angels those stewards will bee found damnable and iudged vnworthie to haue had accesse to the Lord his treasurie who hauing receiued of God singular graces and plentifull gifts for the building vp of his Church and distributing things necessarie to the Saints in due season haue notwithstanding enriched themselues alone and impouerished their fellow seruants vnto whose vse and for whose good such rich reuenewes of God his graces and gifts were committed to their fidelitie It followeth in the Psalme The sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied their offering of blood I will not offer neither make mention of their names with my lips Heere the man of God declareth himselfe to bee no lukewarme professor and therefore as in the third verse hee sheweth the profession of his faith concerning the communion of Saints so in the fourth verse be protesteth his hatred to the false worshippers and he teacheth that none can truly loue the Saints but he must also hate the wicked God cannot abide to be worshipped in part or by mixture of religion as though the Arke and Dagon God and Mammon Christ and Belial should bee ioyned in worship together Many are not so fully contented with the Saints as that they are throughly discontented with the wicked who so long as they see matters of ciuill authoritie and good order haue successe can loue the word to serue time and season whose liking of it is so small that when other religion commeth they find not themselues much discontented But we must learne so to belieue in the true religion as our faith may drawe out of vs an vnchangeable loue and this true loue must be free from all appearance of idolatrie and contrary religion whatsoeuer If euer this doctrine was necessarie it is now most needefull sith true religion so decayeth false religion so aboundeth heathenish prophanenes so groweth all which no doubt arise oâ— so little esteeming and small liking of the truth For whereof first did spring heathenishnesse Euen from hence men were contented that euery nation should worship as they listed and liked whereupon they did grow to haue both their country gods and houshold gods for we reade that the Senate of the Romans would receiue Christ as their God yet so as they would also maintaine their owne gods Not much vnlike is our familie of loue and common sort of Protestants both which can easily tolerate any kind of religion come what profession come will Wherefore we may see how this Psalme fitly may be vsed when we will accuse our selues of want of loue to the Saints or when wee will accuse our selues of waâ—t of hatred to idolaters seeing the spirit of the man of God so earnest and our selues so cold herein In that he saith hee will not make mention of their names with his lips he declareth his through hatred vnto them which the more euidently appeareth in that hee would not only not coÌ„municate with them in his goods but also that hee would not meddle with their ceremonies Neither must wee thinke that this was any peculiar thing vnto Dauid but that it was common also to all the Israelites as we may see Exod. 23. 13 ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth and not to them alone but to all Christians in like manner as appeareth Zechar. 13. 2. And in that day faith the Lord of hostes I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land yea and they shall bee no mâ—re remembred Besides the law commaundeth all auoyding of occasions of idolatry Deut. 7 25. where are set downe two reasons the one that wee should not bee snared with such occasions the other because it is an abomination to the Lord wherein although somewhat be political yet because whatsoeuer is impure is abhominable to the Lord and our nature is prone vnto and hardly kept from corrupt religion wee hating the impuritie of the doctrine must also hate the impuritie of the ceremonies To the Law agreeth also the Prophet as Esay 30. 22. where the Lord not only commaundeth them to auoid all idolatrie but euen the appertinances thereof Yee shall pollute the couering of the Images of siluer and the rich ornaments of the Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous cloth and thou shalt say vnto it get thee hence This seemeth precisenes and puritanisme to the world which can be content to vse things for forme and fashion but if we vrge vpon puritie wee are counted precisians Well if it be so then Dauid was a precisian The holy ghost also exhorteth vs also to abstaine from all apparance of euill 1. Thess. 5 22. 1. Iohn 5. 21. Babes keepe your selues from idols And the Apostle Iude verse 23. willeth vs euen to hate the garment spotted by the flesh True it is that one may haue a priuate vse of the meate prepared for Images but as it is an appertinance of idolatrie it is to be auoided Wherefore we are to pray that we may so haue our hearts rectified by the spirit of God as not only the substance of false religion may be auoided but also the appertinances thereof whereby we may the better prouide both for God his glory and our owne peace Whereas he saith the sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied hee sheweth how besides the comforts which he had in the Saints he so much the more hated the idolaters because hee sawe the more they inwrapped themselues the more their spirits were troubled in them and then they could find least rest wheÌ„ they had most trouble So that as the man of God commendeth true religion by this effect that it yeeldeth peace of mind and comfort of conscience in trouble so hee discommendeth false religion by the contrarie because howsoeuer in prosperitie it bringeth aswelling ioy yet in aduersitie it maketh men cry to the rocks to couer them to the mountaines to fall vpon them This must cause vs more narrowly to search our hearts whether we haue this loue of true religion or no against the which neither the gates of hell nor terrours of Satan nor troubles of conscience can preuaile for this religion is no lesse comfortable than true when wee feele our selues assured thereby of our iustification by Christ of the ministerie of God his Angels watching ouer vs and that
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
To him will I looke that is of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words Those that are afflicted are either such as are instructed before both whence their affliction cometh and to what ende they are sent or else they are such as are ignorant and know nothing hereof They that are ignorant when they see themselues so punished they are driuen into great streights they looke onely vpon the curse of God they neuer consider the appertinances thereof and that the cause thereof is the transgression of Gods law and that it is sinne for which God is angry and that which hee punisheth in them vpon which their blindnes they attribute the cause of their paine either to Witches or to naturall causes or fortune or some such thing and hereupon to be released of their griefe they goe and runne and ride to wise men as they call them to Witches yea oftentimes to the Diuell himselfe and vse all vnlawfull meanes that they can deuise But for these what remedie is there surely euen first to consider that their afflictions are sent from God Secondly to enquire at his word the cause that moued the Lord to lay them vpon them The Lord no doubt will answere them out of his word that it was sinne Thirdly the end which the Lord hath set downe which is to humble vs. Now if wee consider that the Lord hath sent it that sinne was the cause thereof and wee bee truly humbled because of our sinnes then may wee bee bold to seeke to the waters of comfort and drinke freely of the water of life which our Sauiour hath promised to all that come vnto him to be refreshed They which are instructed both whence affliction commeth and wherefore and to what end they commonly are very sory and do earnestly repent them and although they are something troubled because before they were neuer sufficiently humbled yet are they not dismaid they haue the stay in themselues they hold it as most certaine that their God as he is all wisedome and therefore knoweth all things that are best so hee is infinite in mercie and putteth vpon him the affection of a father to those that feare him and giueth nothing to his children but those things which may be best for them and therefore they know he scourgeth as a father or beateth as a schoolemaster and no tender father or wise schoolemaster will correct the child with beating when words may serue so that they knowe the Lord was euen to take his rod in hand before hee could renew them and hereby hee meaneth to fine them that they may come out of afflictions as fined gold whom the Lord will make vessels to eternall glorie That which is set downe here of the afflictions of Iosephs brethren wee may tearme more rightly by the name of scaring than of punishment and affliction for they were but put in feare onely and though they were put in ward it was but for a very small time and wee reade of no correction that was laid vpon them no it appeareth by Iosephs affection to them who could not abstaine but was faine often to burst forth into teares when he had gone from them that he so tendred them as his brethren when by the wisedome of the spirit of God hee made a shewe as though hee would deale very hardly with them yet this fearing and searing of them it humbled them and draue them to confesse and to say one to another we haue vtterly sinned against our brother in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and wee would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. And here we see how they confessed their fault when they were scared before they â—eit any punishment vpon them which may be an argument that it was a true humbling from the heart with a griefe not of the punishment for there was yet none laid vpon them but of their sinnes which then they brought into their remembrance and it lay as a burthen vpon their conscience that they euen saw Gods iudgements readie to giue sentence of condemnation against them except they preuented him by speedie repentance Whereas if it had been done and had been in time of affliction that they had been so humbled it had been hard to say whether it had been done truely or dissemblingly with a feeling of their sinnes or the greatnes of their griefe which they sustained as is said before Thus we may learne that the Lord God doth not onely to humble vs before his Maiestie set forth the law vnto vs and preach vnto vs the threatnings thereof and then if they take no place amongst vs he laieth his rods and scourges vpon our backs but commonly of his infinite wisedome and mercie before hee afflicteth betweene the preaching of the law and affliction he scareth vs he shaketh the rod of correction ouer vs and before he punisheth hee sheweth tokens of displeasure and that wee haue prouoked him to anger wherefore we haue experience of his great mercie in this land amongst vs at this day We haue had the law preached vnto vs loe these twentie yeeres but where is any humbling any confessing of sinnes before the Lord nay wee neglect the word and haue it in contempt amongst vs wee euen loath the bread of the Lord which is of power to worke saluation to all that by faith shall feede thereon we preferre our pleasures before the keeping of the Lordes Sabbaths wee esteeme of the Lord himselfe who hath made vs of nothing bought vs with a price euen his owne blood and who one day will call all before him to iudgement as nothing we come to pray to him with lesse reuerence than to miserable men our lips say some prayers vnto God but our hearts haue some other Gods namely our belly or our goods wherein we wholy delight and in whom wee onely trust And indeed it is lamentable that prayers are saide of a number to keepe a custome and a fashion euen mocking of God and deceiuing our own soules Will the Lord suffer this Is the sacrifice acceptable that commeth not from an humbled and prepared heart no hee will not accept it All these abominations are in the land and may not the Lord haue good cause to visit amongst vs nay to come euen in iudgement against vs And yet see the vnspeakable mercie and the long suffering and the exceeding loue of God towards vs who hath for borne his rods thus long and yet destroieth vs not but before his beesome of destruction shall come to sweepe vs away hee sheweth vs foretokens of his displeasure he now beginneth to scare vs to see if yet by this meanes he may humble vs and so preserue vs from those plagues and iudgements which hee is presently purposed to bring vpon all the vngodly of the earth But how doth the Lord scare vs and what whips be they wherewith he meaneth to scourge They are many and we cannot see them all
He wisheth in another place that the wicked may be ashamed and confounded yea that they may be cloathed with such garments as for himselfe hee would faine liue without shame and surely no maruel for what fruite haue we of those things whereof in the ende we must be ashamed saith the Apostle Rom. 6. 21 True it is that if a man commit sin he hath good cause to be ashamed of it but it is better to carrie such behauiour in our liues that we neede not either in our selues or before men to be ashamed of any action but that he may faile vs as Saint Paul doth this is our reioycing the testimonie of our conscience c. Hee that walketh vprightly walketh boldly saith Salomon but hee that peruerteth his wayes shall be knowen I cannot here omit a worthy saying of that wise man who did write that Booke which wee call Ecclesiasticus thus I finde it chapt 41. verse 17. c. Be ashamed of whoredome before father and mother be ashamed of lies before the Prince and men of authority of sinne before the Iudge and ruler of offence before the congregation and people of vnrighteousnes before a companion friend or of theft before the place where thou dwellest and before the truth of God and his couenant or to leane with thine elbowes vpon the table or to be reproued for giuing or taking or of silence to them that salute thee or to looke vpon an harlot or to turne thy face froÌ„ thy kinseman or to take away a portion or a gift or to be euill minded towards an other mans wife or to sollicite any mans maid or to stand by her bed or to reproach thy friends with words or to vpbraide when thou giuest any thing or to report a matter that thou hast heard or to reueale secret wordes Thus maiest thou well be shamefast shalt find fauor with all men But of these things be thou not ashamed neither haue regard to offend for any person of the lawe of the most High and his couenant â—nd of Iudgement to iustifie the godly of the cause of thy companion and of strang 〈…〉 of distributing the inheritance among friends to be diligent to keepe true balance and wâ—ight whether thou haue little or much to sell Merchandise at an indifferent price and to correct thy children diligently c. Note we then here that the meanes to auoide shame before men and confusion before God and men is a reuerend respect to all Gods commaundements I say vnto all For he that offendeth in any one is guilty of all Dead flies saith Salomon cause to stincke putrifie the oyntment of the Apâ—thâ—â—arie so doth a little fâ—llie him that is in estimation for wisedome and for glorie A little hole if it be not stopped will sincke a shippe a little spot if it bee not taken out will defile a garment and a little sinne if it be not washed away by that blood of Christ which was shed for the least sinne will endanger the soule We must haue a respect to all or else we haue true respect to none Adams one sinne made him so ashamed that he could not without blushing behold himselfe much lesse durst hee come into the presence of God Dauids one sinne made him so ashamed that for a long time he could not looke vp What shall we say then of the sinners of our time who imagine mischiefe vpon their beds who drinke vp iniquity like vnto water who eate vp Gods people as it were bread who delight when they doe euill to whom it is a pastime to committe sinne whose foreheads are brasse faces iron and countenances as that of the whorish woman impudent and past shame Were they ashamed when they committed abhomination Nay they were not ashamed neither could they haue any shame saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremie chapter 6. 15. In former times sinne walked not without a couering as we may see in Thamar Genes 38. 14. Nay sinners might not be looked vpon as we may read of Haman Hester 7. 8. But now the wicked walke on euery side they sit in the dore stand at the windowe and are not ashamed to appeare before God in his house and at his Table though in steede of their wedding garment they come cloathed with the menstruous ragges of sinne and iniquitie Shall not God be auenged of such a stiffe-necked people Yea though Noah Iob and Daniell pray for them in the ende he will be auenged For cursed are they that erre from his Commandements None can looke vp better then then the godly none shall hang downe his head sooner then the godlesse Then shall I not bee confounded By this wee vnderstand saith Caluin that so manie as followe their owne lusts and phantasies which looke this way and that way and imagine themselues a marke and forge themselues such a way as seemeth good in their owne sight that they shall be confounded and deceiued The onely way to auoide this confusion is inwardly in heart and outwardly in practise to settle our eyes vpon the law of God without turning aside either to the right hand by superstition or to the left hand by prophanenesse of life â— vers 7. I will praise thee with an vpright heart when I shall learne the iudgements of thy righteousnes BVt what Dauid wilt thou giue vnto God when he shall direct thy heart so to keepe his lawe that hauing respect to all his commandements thou needest not to be ashamed I will praise thee saith he with an vpright heart and thus as I take it is the connexion of this verse with the former The meaning is that when it shall please the Lord throughly to teach him his will which he calleth here the iudgements of his righteousnesse because it containeth in it perfect righteousnesse then will be magnifie and praise the name of God alone and that with a sound and sincere heart voyd of hypocrisie and counterfaiting Learne we here 1. what Dauid especially desired to learne namely the word and will of God he would euer be a scholler in this schoole and sought daily to ascend to the highest forme that learning to know he might remember remembring might beleeue beleeuing might delight delighting might admire admiring might adore adoring might practise practising might continue in the way of Gods statutes This learning is the old and true learning indeed and he is best learned in this art who turneth Gods word into good workes Too much of other learning will make thee mad vpon thine owne wisedome yeathy wisedome and thy knowledge may make thee to rebell but this will make thee wise vnto saluation Other wise men are ashamed they are affraid and taken Lee they haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ier. 8. But Gods wiseman hath more vnderstanding then the ancient Psal. 119. vers 15. more circumspect than his enemies Ps. 19 better learned then either the wise
humilitie to acknowledge this seruitude Hee desireth that God will make good his promise vnto him and this is all that hee will desire God had promised that hee would make him King that hee would deliuer him from his enemies that hee would guide him and quicken him in his way by prayer he desireth the accomplishment of this promise Out of this learne we that as Dauid prayeth for nothing but that which God had promised to graunt so wee ought to pray for nothing but that which he hath promised to graunt If we thus aske according to his will he will heare our prayers and graunt our requests But God promiseth nothing but to his seruants he heareth not sinners the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Because he feareth thee And who would not feare thee O King of Nations for to thee apperâ—â—inâ—th the dominion for among all the wise men of the Gentiles and in all their kingdomes there is none like thee Iâ—r 10. 7. Some reade these wordes thus that hee may feare thee as if hee should haue saide O Lord thou hast promised to bee good vnto mee I beseech thee establish this promise of thine that I fearing thee may trust in thee and preferre thee before all earthly meanes in this world And indeede the true feare of God breedeth an holy securitie in the children of God Others thinke that the Prophet by this doth proue that hee is indeede the true seruant of the Lord because his conscience telleth him that hee feareth God aboue all earthly things which in truth is a true note of a true seruant of the liuing God But none must thinke that Dauid here doth alledge his owne merits but onely doth testifie that hee is not an vnfaithfull seruant because the feare of the LORD was euer before his eyes his seruice was not eye-seruice Of the feare of GOD you may reade much in this booke ¶ Vers. 39. Take away from mee rebuke which I feare for thy iudgements are good Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes saith Salomon Prâ—u 28. Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling saith Paul Philip. 2. 12. Take away from mee rebuke which I feare saith Dauid In the Hebrew it is take away my rebuke as if hee should haue saide O Lord I may commit some such euill against thy good law yea some such notorious transgression as may tend to my shame I beseech thee take it away or else I haue alreadie O Lord by diuers sinnes and by name through adultery and murther brought shame and rebuke vpon my selfe amongst meÌ„ I entreate thee to remoue this shame and rebuke Out of the first Exposition wee learne First that the godly are subiect vnto notorious sinnes Secondly that those sins wil cause shame in them though the wicked wil not be ashamed Thirdly that God onely can take away this shame Fourthly that we may pray for the remouing of shame eueÌ„ amoÌ„gst meÌ„ especially that which may bring with it some dishonour to God Fiftly that the godly are most iealous ouer themselues Sixtly the way to auoide sinne is euer to bee afraide least wee should sinne Out of the second Exposition note that the remembrance of our former sinnes must drawe out of vs prayers vnto God that for them wee may not bee rebuked in displeasure in this life nor confounded and abashed in the life to come But some doe yet make another interpretation of these wordes and thinke that the Prophet heere praieth not onely against those priuate contumelies and reproches which were cast out against him because hee followed that which was good though to an heroicall minde any thing can bee better borne then reproch but especially against those publique reproches which the aduersaries of the Church obseruing the destruction of Gods lawe and oppressions of Gods people doe foame out against God himselfe and say where is now their God These Dauid feared and because they were ioyned with the dishonour of God and hurt of the Church hee prayeth against them Thus the Prophet feared least God should bee dishonoured so ought wee thus hee was grieued when Gods people were oppressed so ought wee thus hee made the rebukes of others his rebuke so ought we and thus hee prayed that this might be taken away so ought wee For thy iudgements are good The iudgements of the wicked are badde iudgements but the iudgements of God are good I pray against those I appeale to these I feare the one I approue the other Now the iudgements which God pronounceth in his word be they threatnings in the law or consolations in the Gospell yea and those also which he executeth in the world whether vpon the godly or godlesse they must needes be good 1. Because God is goodnesse it selfe 2 Hee cannot be deceiued 3 He will not be corrupted 4 Hee alone is no respecter of persons but iudgeth according to euery mans worke To this iudgement seate we may appeale this righteous iudgement we must acknowledge by this court if we be once tried we may say with the Apostle I passe not of mans iudgement for he that iudgeth me is the Lord. What auaileth it if man absolue and God condemne or if God condemne and man absolue Let them contemne the vnrighteous iudgements of men who can in the testimonie of a good conscience approue themselues and all their actions before the righteous iudgement of God Shall not the iudge of the whole world doe righteously Genes 18. ¶ Vers. 40. Behold I desire thy commaundements quicken me in thy righteousnesse AS before he saide that Gods iudgements are good so now hee maketh his appeale to this iudge and it is in effect thus much O Lord my Lord doe any doubt whether I desire thy commandements or not I appeale vnto that eye of thine that seeth all things behold I desire c. I desire to knowe them and I desire to obey them yea with an earnest and ardent affection I desire both to knowe and doe thy will Behold I find this word vsed these seuerall wayes 1. As a note of prediction Isay. 7. 2. Of attention Psal. 133. 3. Of admiration Matth. 2. 4. Of admonition Iohn 5 14. 5. Of irrision Ioh 18. 6. Of testification as in this and other places in which they desire God to behold that which they are most willing he should be witnesse of If God say to man behold it argues the thing is worth seeing and that man of himselfe is vnwilling to see it if man say to God behold it seemes it is a thing not hypocrâ—tically counterseyte and that hee would haue him to behold it I desire thy commaundements O that this desire were in the people of this land then the booke of God would be more in their hands the knowledge of God would bee more in their hearts and the practise of godlinesse more in their liues They would come to learne learne to liue and liue so here that they might liue euer hereafter men
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
fearefull curse to be vpon it when we vse it not The fourth rule is that if we will labour for true zeale wee must be patient in our owne causes and deuoure many priuate iniuries that the Lords cause may be the better prouided for and that his glory may goe the better forward For wee see how soone and how grieuously we are moued for our owne causes and how soone we are cold in defending Gods cause This then is true Christian zeale to deny our own reason and priuate commodities and especially to seeke Gods glory though it be with our danger This would so stop the mouth of the aduersarie that howsoeuer for a while he thinketh vs to be cholerike mad men and esteemeth of vs as reuengers of our own affections yet one day he will confesse that wee did not seeke either our owne commoditie or our owne reuenge but that whatsoeuer we did we did it for Gods glorie and in the defence of a good cause The seeking to reuenge our priuate euils doth much hurt and bringeth great iniurie to this godly zeale for if we could speake with the tongues of Angels and could speake neuer so gloriously to the delight of all men and haue not loue euen to our very enemies all were nothing all were abomination in the sight of the Lord. Contrariwise if wee can be content to forsake our selues and to be accounted as nothing wee shall bee more acceptable to the Lord and finde lesse trouble to our selues True it is that God his children euen in their best actions are troubled whiles they suruay their inward affections and gage their hearts before the Lord whether they haue not done their things in selfe-loue rather than for loue of God whether in vaine glory rather than for the glory of God without which exercise we shall neuer see whether our actions be pure or whether they be vnpure or whether they be mixed whether they be in respect of God or in respect of our selues Many can reioyce at good things in themselues and repine to see them in others many can be grieued with euils in themselues which will reioyce to see it in others Wherefore we are greatly to suspect our selues and our zeale when we are thus affected because it is a manifest token that we are not pleased with that which is good for Gods glory but for selfe-loue neither doe wee repine for Gods dishonour but at our owne discredit But wee are to learne howsoeuer the good is done to reioyce and howsoeuer euill is committed to be sorrowfull We see the Prophet here was not grieued so much because they were his enemies as because they were the enemies of God For if he had thought theÌ„ to haue bin Gods childreÌ„ whatsoeuer priuate iniurie he had receiued he could haue swallowed it vp and more haue reioyced in them as they had been the children of God than haue beene griued because they iniured him Here then we must learne to beare with the infirmities one with another but especially with the frailties of the children of God neither are we so hainously to be offended with the infirmities of the godly as with the presumptuous sins of the vngodly and obstinate True it is indeed that our zeale must cause vs most to be grieued for the sins of the godly by how much they were come neerer to the image of God than others Howbeit it must alwaies be with a fellow feeling and pitifull sympathie towards them as the Apostle exhorteth vs Rom. 15. that the same minde should be in vs which was in Christ Iesus of which place we haue spoken often before Wherefore we must make Gods friends our friends without any respect of persons howsoeuer they be otherwise farre distant from vs either by place or familiaritie or nature or howsoeuer and on the contrarie whosoeuer is Gods enemie must also be ours howsoeuer we are ioyned together yea though we lie both together in one wombe This would seeme an hard doctrine to flesh and blood and yet our Sauiour Christ hath manifestly and plainly taught it vs Matth. 10. 37. and 16 14. Luke 14 26. If amy man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life he cannot be my disciple What would he haue vs to cast off all naturall affection and so the Scripture should repugne whereas it is set as a note of them that should come in the last perillous times 2. Tim. 3. 3. That they should be voide of naturall loue and affection and might be contrarie to that Exod. 20. Honour thy father and thy mother c. No he meaneth nothing lesse but he meaneth that we should so be ioyned in naturall loue as he speaketh of himselfe Who is my mother who is my brother euen he that heareth the word So that though we be neuer so farre asunder we must loue them that loue God and though that we be neuer so neere we must hate them that hate God yea and so farre as our friends would pull vs from God and from his truth we must shake off all naturall affections not because they be ioyned to vs in the flesh but because by no meanes they will be ioyned with vs in the spirit Yet in the meane time we must remember that we doe all duties of loue and obedience to them as in admonishing them in praying for them and mourning for them and then if nothing will serue but we must either cleaue to them and forsake God or forsake them and clâ—â—ue to God we must separate our selues from their corruptions knowing alwaies that we must obey the first Table before the second and pietie must goe before charitie and we must serue God before we serue man and nature must giue place to godlinesse The fift rule is that we must be stricter to our selues than to any others in some things and we must offer more libertie to others than to our selues If we complaine of sinne let vs be at most defiance with our owne corruptions so when we fight against the corruptions of others we shall not fight against their persons but against their sinnes This is the doctrine which our Sauiour Christ also taught vs that if we would see well to pull out the more of sinne in another man we should first labour to take away the beame of sinnes in our selues Why calleth he it a beame in vs and more in others because our owne corruptions are or ought to be farre better knowne to vs than the corruptions of other men we should be best acquainted with our owne infirmities and know that there is in vs a bottomlesse pit of corruptions Which Paul saw when he said that of all sinners he was the cheifest that is he had the greatest light of his owne wants and was most familiar with his owne corruptions Wherefore we must first iudge our selues and cast the first stone at our selues we
cause is not heard our enemies crueltie is nothing diminished but much increased as though the Lord either heard vs not or hath forgotten vs. But let vs learne to reason with the Prophet on the contrarie Our enemies O Lord are neere to hurt vs but thou art as neere to deliuer vs what doe we but obey thee what doe they but disobey thee wilt thou then forsake the godly and canst thou suffer the wicked to prosper No thou art the Iudge of the whole world it cannot be for thy deliuerance and saluation is ready and neere for them who labour to keepe faith and to ioyne thereunto a good conscience We see then when flesh and blood would perswade vs that all time of deliuerance is past euen then faith beholdeth it to bee neere at hand for when wee thinke that we are at the last cast then we see saluation and helpe is neerest As this doctrine serueth for our comfort so we must learne for our instruction that if happily we suffer the longer yet we shall receiue for our temporall euill a spirituall recompence remembring alwaies the Apostles consolation 1. Pet. 4. who would not haue vs discouraged when we suffer for they which haue done vs euill shall be iudged of him who will come to iudge the quicke and the dead Although we see not this by the iudgement of the eye and by the light of nature yet although we should die suffering as weldoers cursed are they that shall ouerlie vs Blessed shall we be for we shall rest from our labours God is the iudge of the whole world of the quicke and of the dead he will not forsake his nor leaue his enemies vnreuenged Well although wee perswade our selues of this trueth yet it is to bee feared when the abomination of desolation shall be set vp we wil notwithstanding all this stand in a mammering and doubting what is truth what is vntruth what is good what is euill But alas if the Lord should be any thing the longer from vs in helping no maruel seeing we were the longer from him in obeying Experience will proue that though we haue neuer so many outward gifts neuer so glorious wisedome yet vnlesse wee still depend on the word and promise we shall stagger and falter in the time of temptation For this was the onely staffe that vpheld the man of God at what time he was ready to stagger They are farre from thy Law that is as if hee should haue saide Thou canst not O Lord but punish them for thou hast long suffered them to see if they will turne but there is no hope that they will conuert therefore there is no cause of despaire that thou wilt not punish them Oh true faith O sound perswasion of Gods mercie most needefull in trouble yea when the face of all things shal be changed and things shall be turned vpside downe we shall know the vse of this doctrine to be aboue gold and siluer The like were the man of God his Meditations as wee may see Portion 11. when his eyes failed him his heart fainted his spirit panted and was as the bottle in the smoke The proud saith he digged piâ—s for me which is not after thy Law all thy commaundements are true they persecute me falsely Thus wee see hee vseth two effectuall reasons the one drawne from his owne person who maintained a good cause the other from his aduersaries who defended an ill cause Vers. 152. I haue knowne long since by thy testimonies that thou hast established them for euer I Know O Lord not of late but long since that thou euer hast beene and art the selfe same God thou art no changeling thou doest not sometime maintaine the cause of thy children and some other time forsake them I know now by the couenant and records of thy loue that thou doest defend thine euen vnto the end I know that from the beginning thou hast hated punished sinne thou hast loued and maintained righteous dealing I am perswaded that thy iudgements proue not true once or twice alone but alwayes We see how needefull it is to vs for vs to haue knowledge throughly of the testimonies of the Lord. For this was an assured knowledge of the man of God I haue laboured saith the Prophet in effect to establish my knowledge whereby I may knowe that hereafter which I know now and that I must knowe that now which I must knowe hereafter yea I haue taken great paines to confirme this knowledge in me not of late but of long time Thus we see how the man of God laboureth to fetch out many arguments to strengthen himselfe in time of temptation wherein we also must imitate him For if wee shall store vp great plentie of reasons our enemies may push at vs and shake vs but they shall neuer ouerthrow vs. PORTION 21. RESH Vers. 153. Behold mine afflictions and deliuer me for I haue not forgotten thy Law THe selfe same argument and matter is here repeated which was before but after another manner Hee saith portion 16. 1. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressours The which in sense being all one with the other and seeing we haue deliuered the doctrine at large before here is not much to be spoken Onely we may obserue this he here laieth his misery open and vnfoldeth his estate before the Lord Behold saith he O Lord thine eyes are vpon the righteous thine eares are open to their prayers Thou seest my case let me sâ—e thy grace that I may knowe for a trueth that thou lookest on me The cause then why we oftentimes are not helped is because we hide our troubles from the Lord. True it is that the Lord seeth all although we should hide all neither needeth he the displaying of our owne miseries but yet in all troubles hee would haue vs to open and acknowledge our griefe vnto him that he might the better make knowne to vs that hee hath helpe laid vp for vs. Wherefore we must beware least at any time we smoother our estate or seeke vnlawful meanes but in all things with prayer and supplication make our necessitie knowne to the Lord. His reason ioyned herewith is this For I haue not forgotten thy Law that is although O Lord there is great want of obedience in me and I cannot and haue not exactly kept thy commandements yet I am none of them that contemne thy Law wherefore O Lord help me Thus we see stil that the man of God suffered as a weldoer teaching vs that if we suffer as ill-doers the rod of correction shall not depart from vs vntill in some measure it hath wrought in vs repentance but if we suffer with him as wel-doers we may boldly vse this argument and with this reason desire the Lord that hee would take his owne cause which we maintaine into his own hand And although he was a sinner which here he doth not denie and did forget many particular
ouercame â—ll corporall feare of 〈◊〉 The r 〈…〉 corporall feare are which so much dâ—unteth the heart is to craue a greater feare of Gods Maiestieâ— the strength whereof may ouermatch the 〈◊〉 feare When the Kings of 〈◊〉 had conspired against the people of God the Prophet of God said vnto them Esay 8. 12. Say â—ee 〈◊〉 A confedâ—racie to all them to whâ—me this people â—â—ith a confederaâ—â—â— neither 〈…〉 nor be afraid of them 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hostes and let him be 〈…〉 your drâ—â—â— And least we should think that this appertaineth not as well to all Christians as to the Iewes Let vs heare what the Apostâ—â— Peter â—aith 1. Perâ— 3. 14 Blessed are yâ—e if we suffer for righteousnes sake yea feare not 〈…〉 e neither be troubled 15. But 〈◊〉 the Lord in your hearts be ready 〈…〉 were to euery sin â—n that 〈◊〉 you a reason of the â—oâ—e that is in you Were the blessed Apostle sheweth that wee are not readie to make Confession of our hope vntill wee put away this feare and sanctifie the Lord in our harts glorifying his truth in promising and his 〈◊〉 in performing And to applie this to our selues if the Magistrate should bring vâ—to the Racke or torture to betray the good cause of God or innocencie of our brethren let vs rather feare to displease God for his threatnings then man for his punishment And in particular example to applie this doctrine we heare Ierem. 1. 17. what the Lord saith to the Prophet Say not I am a childe c. Be not afraide of their faces for I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. Here the Lord addeth ver 17. Thou therfore 〈◊〉 vp thy loynes and arise and speake vnto all that I commaund thee be not afraide of their faces least I destroy thee before them In which place the Lord setteth downe a promise to assist him and a threatning to punish him both which did so preuaile that he durst speake boldly and prouoke the King to wrath Acts 5. wee reade that when the Priests and Sadduces being full of indignation laide hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison Peter the rest of the Apostles answered We ought rather to obey God then men Menace vs say they as much as yee will we care not for it we feare to discredit the blessed promise and lightly to passe ouer the heauie threatnings of our God and wee feare you not Againe this feare was written in the heart of Paul 1. Cor 9. 16. Though I preach the Gospell I haue nothing to reioyce of for necessitie is laid vpon me and woe to vnto me if I preach not the Gospell c. Howsoeuer we thinke this easie to be learned it is doubtlesse most hard to be practised For though Princes doe not their duties yet wee must not therefore rebell against them and though we be persecuted of rulers without a cause yet we must stand in awe of Gods word and our Sauiour CHRIST hath pronounced that whosoeuer striketh with the sword shall perish with the sworde If then either our Princes shall be vngodly or their vnder officers vnfaithfull we must not therevpon grudge to pay tribute to giue taske and to yeeld subsidie but we must doe them euen with conscience as to the ordinance appointed of God knowing and acknowledging that the hand of Gods wrath in their corrupt Gouernment is iustly layd vpon vs for some sinne Wherefore the holy Ghost saith Eccl. 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought neither curse the Rich in thy bed-chamber for the fowle of the heauen shall carrie the voyce that which hath wings shall declare the matter If then our Princes should vse all their tribute to sensualitie or take vp all their taxes for pleasure withour either feare of God or loue of their Common-wealth yet curse not the King saith the Wiseman no not in thy bed-chamber So that if flesh and blood should moue vs to murmure that wee should be readie to thinke euill of them that are in authoritie the holy Ghost here warneth vs that wee vse no such speeches and put away such thoughts because both our speeches and thoughts stand at the controlling of God his iudgements but we must humbly ascribe it to our sinne that hee withdraweth his grace from them and pulleth his wrath vpon vs. Wherefore if we thinke as many worldly men doe that thoughts are free and are not called into the Court and that euery man is a King in his priuie chamber the spirite of God chargeth our conscience here before the Court of heauen and telleth vs that our chambers are the Lords chambers also and therefore as true Israelites euen in secret we should thinke no guile for the Lord will reueale it and punish it openly yea euen the fowles of the ayre shall bewray our vnfaithfulnes To come lower to our selues because we must not thinke that this affection must be in Dauid and not in vs for so shall we make vnprofitable whatsoeuer is taught whereas the man of God did feare to offend euen when Princes are against him we not onely cannot sustaine so great a triall in the feare of our God but if the losse of any worldly pelfe come to vs we are straight voyde of all feare and cannot abide to be taught any good thought we are vnquiet vntill we haue consulted with wizards witches not withstanding in awe of Gods threatnings against that sinne Deu. 18. 10 Let none be found among you that vseth witchcraft 11. Or that is a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a southsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord c. where the Lord counteth no otherwise of these things then of the vp-heape of sinne Againe 1. Chron. 10. 13. it is said that Saul died for his transgression that hee committed against the Lorde euen against the word of the Lord which hee kept not in that hee sought and asked counsell of a Familiar spirit 14. And asked not of the Lord c. where we see that in reckoning Saul his sinne this is the laâ—â— and wrappeth vp all the rest in that hee asked not counsell of the Lord but went to a witch So this was the heape of his sinne this filled the iust measure of his iniquities because when he should haue repented of all other sinnes hee made this the full heape of his sinnes and pulled consequently vpon him the height of Gods iudgements for he was cut off from the kingdome and desperately ended his life Esay â—8 when the Lord reckoned vp the sinnes of the people as their infidelity their obstinacie he commeth at the last to their sorceries saying 19. When such shall say vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuâ—â—ation and at the south sayers which whisper murmure should not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead
might bee better spent on themselues For saith hee the time will come when mothers shall thinke them most happy that are no mothers and in this case Teares shall bee the onely vent to ease your hearts keepe them therefore against those dayes So that griefe in some sort is sweete and allowable in the sight of God Now that wee may discerne the better betweene sorrowes let vs note there is a griefe of passion and a griefe of compassion the first we sustaine in our selues either vpon some euill present or vpon some good thing absent the other workes in vs vpon the estate of others when we shall see the Sword of the prophane sheathed in the bowels of our owne brethren who can make a doubt that a good man might say with the Apostle Rom. 9. I speake the truth my conscience bearing me witnes in the holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrow And if for others shall we not much more be grieued for things in our owne persons Yes for be it that a man were free from the griefe of indignation wherewith Dauid so laboured be it that a man were free from the griefe of emulation wherewith he also was tried be it that a man were free from the griefe of contrition wherewith euen Dauid was exercised be it I say that a man were free from all these yet from the griefe of a longing expectation in their prayers how free or vnfree rather Gods children are their sighes and sobs doe shew We crie for aide we seeke for helpe and yet it is deferred this is a great griefe and this is an holy griefe But marke how in our best affections Sathan takes occasion by these things most good to draw vs to things most euill 11 In suffering griefe we shall be prouoked to mistrust God and therefore not in vaine was it spoken by our Sauiour Christ to arme them against the griefe of his departure Pray that ye fall not into temptation Surely whatsoeuer our estate be here Sathan will not leaue vs without some sollicitation to sinnes Art thou in prosperitie say not in thy heart ther 's is no God The Phenix of the world by wealth became a wanton Is the world in an vproare the Diuell if he can will keepe thee without all feare And of this an ancient Father complaineth saying It is a dolefull thing to see how honorable men of gray haires were wholy in time of publike calamities giuen ouer to securitie and that when destruction was imminent when as much as all their liues were worth did hang on one single thred Nay he goeth further Mens iniquities grew vp with the punishment of iniquitie as if their sin should feed still the punishment of sinne so many of them did dye dallying because they dallied with destruction But if wee cannot come to this stupidirie not to be moued at all our case must be thought the happier yet are wee not freed from as great a temptation as the former for euen this leadeth vs along to another triall and that is a temptation to distrust if our sighes and grones haue not successe in things praied for 12 There is no kinde of griefe voide of some speciall prouocation to euill The griefe which is least dangerous is the griefe of compassion for we cannot be too much touched with the miseries of our brethren and yet this griefe makes vs spare oftentimes where we should strike but the griefe of our own sufferings is far more full of griefe How many the griefe of indignation hath cast away the histories shew by whole millions The griefe of emulation marke how it grieues the godly Dauid sawe the wicked hauing their children dancing before their faces and this chastised him euery morning and see the downefall whereunto it brought him to say I haue in vaine washed my hands in innocencie Griefe of contrition is counted a godly griefe euen by Pauls own testimony but into what extremities this godly griefe doth bring many the number of afflicted consciences can shew and speake to the world Nay the holiest griefe the griefe of deuotion and longing for heauenly things is not free from temptation as wee may see in Habacucke who seeing the delay of his prayers concludeth Thou wilt not heare This suggestion though it be once and againe expelled yet the minde will grudge againe though we haue once controlled and giuen a checke to such a sinne yet must wee not thinke to bee quiet but still Sathan is at the elbow with the same argument With our conquest of our corruption wee must not hold our selues contented and though wee giue one repulse wee may receiue a double foile for it But in this case a godly conscience dealing in a godly cause with his God may thinke if I were an Idolater the Lord might say Goe to thy Gods in whom thou hâ—â—st trusted see if they will helpe thee for thou hast refused mee and cast mee behinde thy backe If I were a murtherer the Lord might say thy hands are full of blood and thy Sacrifice is an abhomination vnto me If I were a blasphemer the Lord might say what hast thou to doe to call vpon mee and to take my name in thy mouth thou hast polluted my name how should I take pleasure in thy prayers But when we see wee simply protesting as did Ezekiah Remember Lord how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and hâ—ue done that which is good in thy sight and yet cannot bee heard what a prouocation to temptation is this For we would thinke if God will heare any hee would heare the godly if euer he will heare that hee would heare after long praying if any thing when wee complaine of violence and miserie But to crie and a good man to crie and to crie long and to crie in extremitie and yet no hearing this is grieuous From this griefe growes another temptation If I haue prayed so long and cannot be heard what booteth it me to pray I will spare the labour rather than labour without hope and helpe 13 To be left when wee please our selues and take our pleasure in sinne were a thing more easie but when wee shall begge on our bare knees when the sorrow of sinne shall make our cheekes full of teares when wee shall wrinkle our faces with weeping and our throats shall grow hoarse with crying and then be as forelorne and forsaken is not this a sore assault what then in such a temptation may we doe We must ouercome griefe with patience and care out and burne out with this temptation by faith and purge distrust in Gods promises by perseuerance in prayer Griefe naturally is heauie and lies as lead at the heart and consequently presseth vs downeward so that if faith and prayer can keepe the heart the hands the voice the eies vpward it is apparant that patience surmounteth griefe
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
heare thou the word of God preached diligently Potest enim tibi id in animo contingâ—re quoa Eutycho in corpore 2 There bee some of this sect that will yeeld vnto men their bodies to doe with them what they will but their soules they say are for the Lord. And why not their bodies for him also they haue an inward and a darke kinde of godlines that so thinke it enough to make the night or a corner of their chamber a witnesse of their religion which kinde of men are to giue an account for detracting from the Lord his worship Others there are and they will goe to the congregation but it is when the chaine of idlenes other busines is growne so long that they may goe with some case Some will come to the Church more often but when the iudgements of God are denounced they say they shal not come neere them Deut. 29. 19. we are deliuered though wee haue committed all these abominations We haue al vncircumcised eares and naturally we haue a praeputium before our â—ares and they that are skilfull in Anatomie knowe that there is as it were a hammer at the â—are which will open wide when wee heare vanitie but it is fast shut when the Lord speaketh vnto vs. It is a common disease in others to seeke after varietie and so after vanitie and so nature desireth an infinitum And these meÌ„ either hunt after words which may cause them to erre from the word of truth or else they say they heare such cold vncomfortable sermons as they cannot away with If good gifts bee ioyned with the preaching of the word and we heare the word with the gifts it is a question whether we heare for the words sake or for the gifts sake but if the word come without such glorious gifts a man may stirre vp himselfe sufficiently thereby And when it doth come to passe that such vnsauory liquors be drawne out of mustie vessels we must be driuen to this consideration that God for our dulnes hath shut vp the mouthes of his Preachers and hath denied the power and puritie of preaching vnto vs and that our dead and deafe eares are the cause that the Lord tieth vp the strings of our Preachers tongues Neither is this to smooth or sooth vp any one in negligent vsing of their gifts for the Lord will haue his gifts vsed and a candle put vnder a bushell is not of the Lord his setting it is the diuels doing when our gifts are suppressed Well if we haue eares and heare not the word then is no difference betweene a mans eares and an Asses and it is rather a propertie of Idols which haue eares and heare not haue eies and see not And as they that haue mouthes and speake not are rather Idoll shepheards than true Pastors so they that haue eares and heare not are rather Idoll gazers than true hearers of the word Againe for this cause we must heare because we heare the most excellent obiect the obiect of the eare is a sound or voyce now the most excellent sound is the sound of the Gospell the most excellent voyce is the voyce of the Preacher Another reason may be that our members are put to their best vse when they serue most for the glory of God as our feete are put to the best vse when they carrie vs to the congregation our hands when they are lift vp in prayer our eares when they be hearkening to the word of God and therefore they prouide well for themselues that early in the morning before they doe any thing else doe put out their members to the best vse in the worship of God And surely if there were nothing but the bare word of God deliuered vnto vs as it is a thing containing the will of God it were worthy the reading hearing and meditating but when it openeth to vs the treasures of saluation when it teacheth vs wisedome and equitie so as we may be able to discerne euery affection it is a thing much more worthie our trauell We think that we may flie vp to heauen by the wings of profound knowledge but saith the Scripture that learned preaching shall saue vs No the foolishnes of preaching must saue vs all our saluation must be fetched from hence therefore it is worth the hearing this is Ioels trumpet and of great force We must learne therefore to vse a preparation without which all our seruice stinketh before the Lord. When thou enterest into the house of the Lord looke vnto thy feete Eccles. 4. 17. Stand in awe saith the Prophet commune with your owne hearts Psal. 4. And Iob. 1. 6. Iob is said to sanctifie his sonnes 2. Chro. 30. 18. 19. though many of the people had not cleansed themselues yet Ezechtas prayed for them that prepared their whole hearts to seeke the Lord. But all we rush to the congregation as a foxe out of his forme And though we haue knowledge enough yet we had need to be straighted because we are as a broken bow and in seeking of knowledge we must seeke it fruitfully scire vt scias audire vt audias is meere vanitie Euery one would be a patient in the word of God but there be many pragmaticall things Beatiqui audiunt What is that enough Beati qui ambulant qui custodiunt eati qui perseuerant If we will not heare the time will come when we shall be constrained to heare if we will not heare when the Lord speaketh we shall crie but not be heard if we heare it as a bond to tie the Lord to heare vs againe according to his promise 3 Looke how neere we come vnto the practise of Dauid so neere are we to the liuely members of God and looke how farre we are from that so farre are we from the image of God Men rather seeke for profound knowledge than for faith that worketh by loue and couet more the ministeriall doctrine than after the power of the Spirit Therefore God who is as able to send a lying spirit into the mouthes of 400. Prophets as into any of the meanest Israelites doth punish them commonly with strange doctrine giue them vp to strong illusions We ought to haue such a burning affection in vs that we should not be able to expresse it as Dauid had who because he could not expresse it vseth an exclamation Psal. 119. 97. O how loue I thy law but mens hearts are dull and their spirits heauie they are farre from this affection that was in Dauid 4 Our loue to Gods word is a triall of our loue to God he that trembleth at Gods word and is obedient vnto his voyce doth better than he that offereth sacrifice and he that loues Gods word doth loue God and else not Where the loue of a man is the practise will be there Matth 6. where the treasure is there will be the heart As the couetous are bent vpon their riches as the adulterer is bent vpon his
our guide and goe before and we must follow after Many make strange to follow his call they will not giue vp their names they wil it may be goe before him or euen by him or cheeke by cheeke but they will not follow after And wherefore Surely they will doe all with reason But Christ requireth faith and reason to Christ is a very euill seruingman A great number already taught in the word will not follow it but if any thing proceed from the forge of their own reason that they magnifie that they wil follow So Ezech. 20. certaine prophets would not follow God and his word but their own spirits and yet there is no greater ods in the world than betweene our owne reason and Gods wisedome as Esa. 55. My thoughts saith the Lord are not as your thoughts Well if wee will follow Christ wee must follow him not as a great Lord to graunt vs great leases fat farmes or high towers but as a man contemned as the reproch of the world as a man full of sorrowes Christ hath two crownes the one of thornes the other of glorie he that wil be honoured with the last must be humbled with the first CHAP. XII Of Conference and Godly wisedome in the gouernment of the tongue AS we often speake of things lawfull but yet for want of wisedome to examine the time place and persons when where and with whom we talke Sathan laboureth to make vs strict silent in our speech when often we might speake to Gods glorie to the auoyding of which temptation we must endeuour to speake when God giueth occasion and that with thankefull acknowledging of Gods spirituall grace by the motion whereof we speake as also with humble acknowledgement of our weakenes who being measured with Gods iustice we should be found to haue stained our speeches and Gods graces with great corruptions and to faile in many circumstances How be it if we do it in a single heart and euen because we loue Gods word and in zeale of Gods glorie we may boldly speake committing the successe which on vs if we obserued all circumstances did not depend to the omnipotencie of God to the blessing of Christ and to the working of the holy spirit for we being neither God nor Christ nor Angels must not thinke to preuaile of our selues by our speeches nor stay vntill we thinke our selues most fit but cōmend our hearts to the Lord who vndoubtedly spareth weakelings 2 Being Christians we must not stay our selues in our meetings for others to begin good speeches but if God giue vs any good thing in our mindes let vs with all humblenes put it forth to be examined if we feele nothing let vs complaine of our dulnesse and deadnesse euen thereby we shal giue occasion of good conference For as in silence among euil men one euill word setteth abroch many so in deadnes among good men one good word may quicken many 3 It were to be wished that godly men in their meetings would first by prayer offer vp their speeches to God to vse them aduisedly reuerently and not passing their bounds of knowledge and if they could not speake of any thing yet they should aske some thing if they could not aske yet they might speake of the communion of Saints if they could say nothing yet at the least they should complaine of the dulnes of their mind so that of their dulnes and deadnes should arise quicknesse and life of speech againe 4 We must be carefull in vsing and watchfull in restraining the tongue Dauid prayed for a watch before his tongue and for a porter at the doore of his lips he would keepe his mouth with a bridle that it should not go riot nor open oft without a cause The eie glaunceth our hands slip our foote treads awry yet if we hold our tongue qualified we shall doe the better It is a little peece of flesh small in quantitie but mightie in qualitie it is soft but slipperie it goeth lightly but falleth heauily it striketh soft but woundeth sore it goeth out quickly but burneth vehemently it pierceth deepe and therefore not healed speedily it hath libertie granted easily to goe forth but it will finde no meanes easily to returne home It is compared with perillous things to a sharpe two edged sword to a razor to sharpe arrowes to an Adders sting to the poyson of an Aspe to fierie coales and being once enflamed by Sathans bellowes to the fire of hell CHAP. XIII Of the Church THe Papist of pride the Familie of loue of hypocrisie and many of singularitie haue singled themselues from vs as Hymenaeus did But we are little discouraged and lesse follow it For if they separate themselues as stones from the building and as members from the body what hope is there of them The Papists will say we forsake them and not they vs. We forsake them in the wall they vs in the foundation For our faith was before their opinion though their persons were before ours As Noah forsooke the world as Lot forsooke Sodome as Abraham forsooke Aegypt as our Sauiour Christ forsooke the Pharisies so wee for sake them and Christ shall be the iudge who hath bene the runnagate who hath bene the Apostata 2 Behold a miracle heauen made subiect to the earth O what is man that thou art so mindfull of him not onely to giue him the rule of the earth but euen of heauen Whom the Church doth loose on earth the Lord doth loose in heauen and whome the Church hath bound on earth he also hath bound in heauen Hee doth manie things without vs yet when we haue done this he will not alter it nor doe otherwise 3 Albeit the Church be base and contemptible in the world yet hee counteth it as the apple of his eye The earth the aire and the heauens attended on it and hee hath made the Angels to serue it Hee hath committed his treasures to it And what bee his treasures Surely when Dauid commeth to value it hee saith that it is better than golde than much golde than much fine golde than all pretious stones The word of reconciliation the couenant of grace the broade seales of his kingdome Baptisme and the Lords Supper binding and loosing life and death are left and committed to the Church and her holy Ministers 4 The Church is euen the quintessence of the world such as Sathan hath sifted to the proofe it is euen washed and made cleane with the bloud and water which issued out of Christs side It seemeth hee forgot to loue himselfe that hee might loue vs yea if that one death and suffering had not beene sufficient hee would yet once more come againe for vs. 5 It is one thing to liue where meanes of pure worship are wanting another to bee where false worship is erected for the first we are not to flie the Church but by prayer and patience