ought to be obedient children towardes him if we will not be vtterly vnthankfull The true feare of God also comprehendeth an acknowledging of his soueraigntie rule dominion and superioritie ouer vs to the end that euery one of vs yéelding him his due honor may learne to please him in all thinges Thus yée sée that vnder this feare of GOD is comprehended all Religion all the seruice and honour which man a creature oweth to GOD the Creator There are also here you sée two thinges to be considered the feare of the Lorde and an holy life He whom GOD blesseth with the one shall by his holy Spirite be directed to the other Both which are the gracious gift of GOD which hée giueth to none but to them that are his The meanes for the attainment both of the one and the other is Prayer to our God and all these goe together for when by reason of our sinnes wée are turned aside from the feare of GOD and holy lyfe and from praying vnto his diuine Maiesty all our wisedome is but follie all our shewes of godlinesse are but hypocrisie all our knowledge is but ignorance all are but a wind to make vs breake painted sepulchers full of dead mens bones faire without but fowle within Againe Feare importeth asmuch as that our life must be ruled according to the will of God For what becōmeth of mē when they know not acknowledge not yea are not subiect and obedient to the Lord their Maker They like wild Colts bruite beastes and vntamed heyfers rush foorth and as the Prophet Hosea saith like a great riuer Hoshea 4. which before hath bene staied and dammed vp the sluces set open the dāme pulled down breaketh forth into all lewdnes abomination and wickednes Wée know or should know what our lusts are how vntamed vnruly they are Therfore if the feare of God raigne in vs wée must will acknowledge that the Lord hath not set placed vs in the world to liue as we list but reserueth his whole interest title right ouer vs he expecteth obediēce at our hands Againe Feare importeth that God requireth of vs to learne to direct our whole life to his wil. It hath pleased him of his great mercy vnspeakable goodnes to giue vs his whole lawes and holy word wherby as a scholmaster teacheth his scholer and as by the sterne the master of the ship guideth it euen so by the same hee directeth guideth and teacheth vs what to do what to leaue vndone how to discerne betwéene that which is good and that which is euill Then we must here beginne Salomon saith The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge Prou. 1.7 Yet notwithstanding nothing can further vs in the feare of God but onely the guiding gouernance and direction of Gods holy Spirite For is there any goodnes in the holiest and vprightest of vs all Are we giuen to any thing but to all euill and wickednes And if we lay Gods lawe to mens liues wée shall soone sée as great a deadly battell betwéene them as betwéene fire and water yea euen our whole nature and that there is nothing more contrary to the righteousnesse of God then the affections of our flesh For as the Apostle S. Paul in the 8. to the Rom. vers 7. They are he saith not enemies but enmity to God Seing it is so let vs pray vnto the Almighty and forasmuch as we are wholy giuē vnto wickednes and are altogether caried away vnto euill let vs zealously and earnestly beseech the Lord our God to lay his holy hand vpon vs to direct and guide vs to vouchsafe vs his holy and blessed spirite to rule and gouerne vs in such wise as we may fréely and with single harts lead an holy and godly life cleaue vnto his righteousnes be obedient vnto his holy precepts that of his louing kindnesse he will not suffer the temptations of Sathan to turne vs away from doing good that it would please him of his goodnesse to forgiue vs our sinnes be alwaies merciful louing towards vs. Praier ought to be ioyned with the feare of God that by his blessed Spirite we might be guided in the way that we should choose For it sufficeth vs not to be taught what wée should do what God requireth at our hands and what is our dutie but wee must repaire to him let vs haue our whole recourse to him let vs séeke of him those things that wée want for he hath all things in store for his children and beyng sicke in our soules let vs runne to him our carefull and louing Phisicion This is a profitable Doctrine and therefore I purpose the longer to insist hereupon knowing that this being well learned wee haue profited well in one forenoone in the Schoole of Christ You come oftentimes to the Sermons what profiteth that if we haue not the feare of the Lord wherof many are farre from liue not a godly life pray not to him to guide vs by his holy spirite We do but wāder if we bring not these things heare not diligently for wherfore is our cōming resorting hither To know our dutie what the Lord requireth at our hands how we ought to walke differing frō them that are more like beasts than men God alloweth nothing but obedience to his lawes For all the deuices of mens braynes are méere vanities starke folly Mark how the papists torment thēselues what gaine they by their fond deuices For all their doings are but their owne deuices the law of the Lord is as though it were buried among them So then let vs take héed we deceiue not our selues but let our cōming to the Sermons be an attainment to a certainty wherin we may not faile which thing wil then come to passe when we allow of admit nothing but onely Gods will to rule and gouerne our whole life Howbeit that is not al that is to be done For it is in vaine for men to beat their eares with preaching which is This you may do this God cōmādeth you to doe vntill such time as we haue learned that it is he only that giueth vs the feare of God that it is he onely that by his holy spirit hauing giuen the first Grace doth also to thē giue a secōd that it is he onely that imprinteth his Law in our harts ingraueth it in our bowels that it is he only that giueth vs power to cleaue to his cōmandemēts that it is he only which by his holy Spirit giueth force efficacy to the heauēly doctrine that it is he only which of his great goodnes tender mercy accepteth vs forgiueth vs our sins I say it is al to no purpose vntil we haue learned these things pray vnto him for all things we stand in néed of Furthermore our faith alwaies engēdreth in vs a desire to praise God to pray vnto him When the holy Minister preacheth vnto you and
For they cast downe euery man his rodde they were turned into serpents but Aarons rodde deuoured their rodde Exod. 8.7 And the sorcerers also did likewise with their sorceries and brought frogs vpon the land of Egypt And of this sort was Simon Magus of Samaria of whome Luke in the 8. chapter of the Acts recordeth And of this sort are all Enchanters Coniurers which vse the seruice and worke of the Deuil to bring their matters to passe and as many as vnder the pretence of Religiō with false doctrine deceyue the mindes of men that the truth they cannot sée nor discerne or that by vnlawfull meanes apply and minister their medicines and Phisicke whyle they vse Exorcismes or do hang about the necks of the sicke enchaunted hearbes or rootes or any other thing of the like sort August de Doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 20. This beastly superstition the wisest of the heathen did as it appéereth greatly dislike and abhorre Theophrastus as Plutarch writeth noted Pericles who being sicke shewed vnto a friend of his who came to visite him certaine enchantments which by certaine women were tied about his necke and by that he iudged him to be of as badde a mind as a man could be seing that such madnesse he regarded Yet at this day such as vse manifest impiety and such as abuse the sacred name of God in their deuilish sorceries among Christians O lamentable are suffered vnpunished The other sort are called Megnonenim whom we call Diuiners The Etimon of the word is of diuers significations among the Hebrues Some deriue the word of Gnanah to answere to speake to testifie Isa 3.9.26.5 Deuter. 19.18 And this they thinke they are called because beyng asked they giue answeres as Apollos Interpreters vsed to do Some deduce the roote thereof of Gnanan a clowde Ezech. 1.4 who are so called because they prophesie of things to come by the celestiall influences or by the positions or situations of the Starres Some called them so of the roote Gnanah which signifieth a determinate appointed time Wherupon they are called Gnonemin which make computations of tymes and houres and of certaine signes do gather what at sometime can be begunne when euent of things as they say shall be Notwithstanding herein they all agrée that the Prophet speaketh of Diuiners which curiously enquire to know things both secret and to come by exercising curious and vnlawfull Artes. Vayne curiositie and heady rashnesse haue found out many artes of prophecyings whose names argue the vanity and incredible boldnesse of mans witte Of which sort are Necromātia Necromantia which is Diuination by calling of Spirites Hydromantia Hydromantia Diuination by calling Spirites out of the waters Pyromāiia Pyromantia Diuination by fire Coscinomantia Coscinomantia Diuination made by a siue Geomantia Geomantia working in sorcery by circles and prickes in the earth Cataptromantia Cataptromantia Diuination which is made by a glasse and diuers others which are so called by the instruments that they vse Aruspices Of this sort are Bowelgazers to foretell things to come Exorcists whom the Deuill doth easily draw to be ministers of his impiety whereby he may the more easily draw men away from God and his holy word And although these Artes were in a manner odious among the wise and studious yet they gaue themselues many of them to the studie of Astrologie whereby they by the starres foretelling things to come got vnto themselues a great name to be accompted wisemen But let vs obserue and marke that these artes are of that sort that if wée vse them they will hinder vs for entering into the kingdome of heauen Leuiticus 20.6 If any turne after such as worke with Spirites and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Leuit. 19.26 You shall not vse witchcraft nor obserue times Leuit. 19.31 Yee shall not regard them that worke with Spirites neyther Soothsayers yee shall not seeke to them to be defiled by thē I am the Lord your God Deut. 18.9 When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee thou shalt not learne to do after the abominations of those nations verse 10. Let none bee found among you that maketh his sonne or his daughters to goe through the fire or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of fowles or a Sorcerer verse 11. Or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a soothsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead verse 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee The causes of Gods seuerity against such great and gréeuous sinners are waighty For first it is an inexcusable rashnes and presumption to search out the knowledge of those things which the Lord will not haue to be knowen This rash presumption is condemned by our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the Acts 1.7 when he answered to his Disciples asking him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel And hee said vnto them It is not for you to know the time or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Secondly it derogateth from the goodnesse and glorie of God as though that the Lord had not faithfully taught all things in the sacred Scriptures which were necessarie to be knowne of vs. Thirdly it taketh from Christ that honour which is due to him which of God is giuen a Doctor and teacher vnto vs and in whome all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidde as Paul teacheth To conclude therefore this poynt let vs not séeke vnto them but vnto our God in our afflictions then will he help vs and deliuer vs out of our miseries for hee is a God of power and therefore is able a God of mercie and therefore is willing to deliuer vs out of trouble for as a father hath pitie vpon his children so is the Lord merciful to those that trust in him The ninth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme verses 19 20. 19. Behold mine enemies for they are many and they hate mee with cruell hatred The sence is O Lord my God although I haue bin thy seruant yet sathan hath raised vp many aduersaries mortall enemies against mee who deadly cruelly and most tyrannously detest and hate mee so that except thou be good and gratious vnto mee to protect and defend me I shall surely perish Doct. 1 1. Doct. God is accustomed to whip his childrē for their sinnes by the multitude of Infidels that hate the truth Isai 10.5 O Asshur saith the Lord by the Prophet the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation verse 6. I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against
honors and reputations among men which all are vaine We sée after what sort men comfort themselues namely by forgetting God For it séemeth to them to be a melancholy matter to think vpon him And in sooth how many are there that wil say stoutly enough We are good Christians and yet notwithstanding when they entend to be merrie they driue away all thought of God and eternal life and not onely so but also offend God of set purpose After what maner They cannot be merry dut in doing euil Seing then that the nature of men is such that wée be attainted with that disease let vs looke well to our selues and be sure that our mirth shall not be blessed from aboue except we be assured of the remissiō of our sins Therfore if we haue Gods fauour and pray to him therein consisteth true gladnes which is approued of God is eternal will bring vs to euerlasting saluation But so long as we know not in what case we are in with our God nor seeke to be reconciled to him but lie rowting still in our owne filthines the more we desire to be merry the more we kindle Gods vēgeance against vs the more we encrease still the fire of his wrath we plunge our selues the déeper into his bottomles pittes We see then that it is more thē néedfull that it should be shewed vs how much it standeth vs in hand to be well assured of Gods mercifulnesse towards vs. And that also is the cause why the holy Scripture when it treateth of giuing ioy and comfort to vs doth alwaies set before vs the fauour of God Isa 49.13 Reioyce O heauens and be ioyful O earth brast forth into praise O moūtaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted Isa 44.23 Reioyce ye heauens for the Lord hath done it showte yee lower parts of the earth brast forth into praises ye mountaines O forest euery tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob and wil be glorified in Israel Isa 52.1 Arise arise put on thy strength O Sion put on the garments of thy beauty O Ierusalem the holy one for hēceforth there shall no more come into thee the vncircūcised the vncleane Isa 60.1.2 3. c. thoroughout Luc. 2.10 11. to the end of the Chapt. Zach. 9.9 Reioice greatly O daughter Siō showt for ioy O daughter Ierusalem behold thy King cōmeth to thee he is iust and saueth himselfe poore and riding on an Asse and vpon a colt the foale of an Asse Hereby we are taught that we must néeds be in trouble vnquietnes so long as we know not whether we be in Gods fauour True it is that the wicked will séeke meanes enough to make thēselues merry they ruffle it out you sée in despising God but howsoeuer the world goe with them yet he sendeth them such prickings and torments of mindes so as they be grieuously distressed and if they daūce it is as Moses saith namely that yet neuertheles sinne lieth at the doore that is tormenteth their consciences there waiteth for them like a dogge that waiteth for his master Yée sée then that the wicked may ruffle it out but yet can they not goe out of their doores without gnawing of their consciences and GOD must still hold them at that bay Therefore so much the more ought wee to thinke vpon this doctrine that we turne not our backe vnto God nor burie our sinnes when wée would haue peace but that wée alwaies haue some promise of GOD to comfort vs. And when wée sée that GOD allureth vs to saluation let vs be glad thereof for then shall our gladnesse be blessed And if wée haue the taste that GOD is our louing Father it will swéeten yea it will sanctifie all our ioyes but without it wée must néeds quayle and there is no other meanes for vs truely and in deed to reioice Marke this Also let vs consider that the onely grace of God ought to suffice vs although we haue neuer so many sorrowes mixt with it according as God will exercise vs. For he in this our fraile life will not send vs full ioy so as we may laugh with open mouth as they say yet not withstanding it behoueth vs to reioyce in this certainty that we haue him to our good and louing father and that we shal find mercy with him Then if we haue this grace to call vpon God and can assure our selues that the gate is open to vs and that we in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ shall haue accesse vnto him I say if wée can haue that boldnesse not through our owne rashnesse but that he hath vouchsafed to open his holy mouth to witnesse his loue to vs which thing he doth when to vs his holy Gospell is preached then notwithstanding that many and infinite were our temptations and afflictions yet he will comfort vs and she we himselfe as a kind comfortable and louing father vnto vs. Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenaunt and his testimonies The 2. part of the 4. Sermon The sence is THe faithfull the children of GOD which onely kéepe his couenaunt and testimonies shall surely taste and féele in this life and in that to come both his eternall and swéete mercy and his perpetuall and constant truth of his promises Doct. 1 1. Doct. They onely which remaine in and obserue the couenants and testimonies of God shal taste and féele that all the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them The Reason is God hath so promised Psal 50.23 To him that disposeth his way will I shew the saluation of God Vse The Vse is That we neuer can assure our selues of Gods mercie and his promises of fauour except we endeuour to kéepe his couenant and testimonies which his law containeth consisting of two tables The first concerning our dutie towards GOD immediately which I haue oftentimes heretofore handled and the second concerning our neighbours And that I may the better comfort you with assuraunce of Gods mercy and truth which GOD graunteth to none but to them that leade a godly and charitable life and that except you doe good workes you cannot assure your selues of Gods mercy I purpose the rather to insist vpon this necessarie vse of the doctrine that I might thereby exhort you to good workes that you may féele the fauour and goodnesse of GOD thereby towards you Our Sauiour Christ in the 25. of S. Math setteth down a Catalogue of good workes among which hee accompteth To féede the hungrie To giue drinke to the thirstie To cloth the naked To visite the sicke and prisoners To lodge the barbourlesse Gen. 18.1 2 3. To entertaine straungers and waifaring men not the least This did good Abraham wel vnderstand and practise who sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day of purpose to inuite and call in straungers and wayfaring
them but theirs which are their neighbours but forasmuch as the Lord in one body hath bound vs we ought to be carefull to benefite our brethren and profite our neighbours to maintaine brotherly communion and equitie not to doe that to others which wee would not to bee done vnto our selues Doct. 2 2. Doct. In all our troubles and tribulations when the sorrowes of our hearts are enlarged let vs come to God by prayer humbly beséeching him to draw vs and deliuer vs from them all then shall our troubles when it séemeth méete to his heauenly wisedome haue an end The Reason is first it is his propertie for hee is a gratious and louing father Psalm 130. As a father hath pittie vpon his children so is the Lord mercifull to them that feare him Secondly he hath promised to heare the prayers of his Church and of euerie particular member thereof Psal 50.15 Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Vse The vse is that wee exercise prayer at all times but especially in aduersitie séeing that it is the greatest meanes to attaine to comfort in affliction Dauid did vnfainedly powre foorth his complaints and sorrowes vnto God Hée was not benummed as infidels and incredulous which among the Christians like an huge streame lamentable it is to consider thereof do ouerflow Christendome this Land yea this Towne are If God handle them any thing roughly they thinke yea many times they say Sée this misfortune that is happened vnto me they looke no further Dauid did not so But he knew and was fully resolued that it behooued him to impute these thinges vnto God Had we learned this lesson we had profited well for one day I meane if we had practised it throughly as we ought to do For most can well enough confesse that diseases deaths and other miseries as warres plagues famines and all such things come of God but if it come to the proofe wée are amazed and not able to make this sound conclusion within our selues Well seeing that God visiteth and commeth home vnto vs it behoueth vs now to returne vnto him Hitherto wée haue like loose colts as it were flung into the aire wée haue wilfully runne astray from him and nowe with a rough bitte hee rayneth vs he shaketh his rodde at vs yea hée maketh vs to feele it therefore we must learne to stoope vnder his hand But contrariwise how deale wée in that behalfe If a man be afflicted any way either in the losse of his goods of his libertie of his life or be gréeued in spirite what will hée else doe but chafe and grind his téeth in grudging against God Wherefore no doubt if a man tell him he hath offended GOD he will easily grant it to bee true but hee hath no true remorse to restraine himselfe Wherefore Because wee haue but a confused conceite thereof Hereby it is euedent that few they are and smal is the number of persons that haue this lesson well printed in their hearts That all afflictions are Gods Archers and that hée is garded with them to shew himselfe to be our Iudge As much is to be said of the ordinary aduersities that GOD commonly inflicteth If people or a whole countrie bee touched with warre when pollings extortions and other outrages are there done how many people are there that thinke vpon the Lord Wee sée that all is out of order to our séeming yet wee consider not that God guideth the sterne When we sée such turmoylings we are admonished to marke and not so much the more the sacred Scriptures wherein GOD sheweth vs as in a looking glasse or rather as in a liuely picture that on what side soeuer man be afflicted it becommeth him to acknowledge the same to be the hand of GOD and especially if an whole country be plagued it must be acknowledged to be Gods visitation Wherefore when any such thing commeth let vs follow the example of Dauid to desire our good and gracious GOD to extende his holy hand and powre forth his bowels of compassion vpon vs. When we are scourged that we can to our thinking beare no more his heauie hand in afflicting vs let vs flie to our good God for succour And if we wéepe before him so it be with true lowlinesse surely there shall not one teare droppe from our eyes which shall not come to be accompted of in his presence For euery one of them are sacrifices according as it is said in the Psal 51.11 That a sorrowfull heart or an heart cast downe is a pleasant sacrifice to God If our teares sighes pantings and gronings tend to this ende and be as witnesses of our flying vnto God with all lowlinesse acknowledging that for as much as his hand is against vs and that our onely remedie is to beseech him to be mercifull vnto vs it is certeine he will greatly account of them Whosoeuer is wise wil ponder these things and he shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged Text. Doct. 3 3. Doct. As our sinnes euen so shall our sorrowes increase 1. Reason New sinnes must haue new afflictions Examples are many in the sacred Scriptures Pharaoh and the Egyptians as they hardened their hearts in not suffering the Israelites to go into the wildernes to sacrifice to the Lord Exo. 7.8 9.10 so GOD sent plagues vpon plagues vpon them The ten Tribes Amos 4.6 And therefore haue I for your peruerting of Iustice and your idolatrie sent vnto you cleannesse of teeth in all your cities and scarcenesse of bread in all your places yet haue you not returned vnto me saith the Lord. vers 7. Also I haue withholden the raine from you when there was 3. moneths to the haruest I caused it to raine vpon one citie haue not caused it to raine vpon another citie c. Thus did the Lord by Moses presage Leuiticus 26. from the 14. verse to the 40. Deut. 28.15 to the ende The vse is that as we desire our sorrowes to be mitigated euen so we cease increasing heaping vp sinne vpon sin When we shall sée the whole world corrupted so that we are as it were among bryars and can sée nothing but euill examples let vs resist all such things Wherefore If wee be so lazie as to make excuse that because the world is wicked and froward wee may wel doe as others doe that is fond and foolish for Lot Iob and Ioshua are set before vs to condemne vs. For if Lot were so iust that hée not onely abstained from the grosse sinnes excepting drunkennesse and incest which hee committed as pride fulnesse of bread aboundance of Idlenesse and vnmercifulnesse and that namelesse sinne which they committed but that for their sinnes his soule was vexed from day to day in séeing their abominations If iust Ioseph abstained from that sinne of whoredome whereunto his mistresse not without promise of great
preferment as it is probable did allure and tempt him If Iob the iust abstained from euill If Ioshua whatsoeuer others would yet hée and his houshold would serue the Lord ought not wee then in these daungerous dayes to doe the like especially séeing the Lord giueth vs warning that we cannot liue holy without great battailes The Lord of his vnspeakeable goodnesse giueth vs power and grace to ouercome all Sathans assaults in such sort as there is none excuse for vs if wee doe not as they did For they liued not in times when all things were well ordered or when men were as Angelles No they liued among Idolaters aboundance of wickednesse raigned in their time there was as great store of vice that raigned in the world then as there is at this day Yet notwithstanding they followed not the bent of other mens bowes as the Prouerbe is but they retired to them selues being well assured that they ought to serue God So then let none of vs in these daies wherein wickednesse hath gotten the vpper hand alleadge the corruption of the time in that all goodnesse is turned topsi-turuy but rather let vs consider that God by the meanes thereof prouoketh vs to bee so much the more careful by all possible meanes to shunne and auoyd those things that may any way infect vs. For seeing that wee plainely perceiue that vices are as it were an euill aire we must flie from them as if a man should tell me if I trauell such a way théeues lie in wait for me I shall be robbed my meat is poisoned I shall be slaine if I escape not another way Wherefore then are we not carefull séeing that the Lorde himselfe sheweth vs that all the vices in the world are as badde as deadly plagues And séeing that the Lord of his great mercy had giuen them his spirite to abstaine euen from not onely euill but from the appearance of euill let vs not doubt but if we by feruent and deuout prayer repaire vnto him that at this day he will assist vs with like power The second part of the eight Sermon Psal 25.18 Looke vpon mine affliction and my trauaile and forgiue me all my sinne The sense thereof is MAny and grieuous are the trauailes troubles and afflictions which I thy dutiful seruant and obedient sonne doe suffer in such sort as though thou haddest no regard thereof I most humbly beséech thée O Lord my God for the Messiahs thy dearely beloued sonnes sake to behold and looke vpon thē that thou mightest powre forth thy bowels of mercie and compassion vpon me in ridding and deliuering me out of them and because I am not O Lord onely outwardly afflicted but inwardly tormented the cause of all I most humbly and sorrowfully confesse vnto thine vnspeakeable goodnesse to be the huge and odious multitude of my sins which for filthines do stincke in thy nostrils for whose sake thou layest this heauie burthen both of outward and inward griefes vpon me I humbly beseech thee to burie them in the pit of obliuion that they neuer come into thy remembrance to cast them into the bottome of the sea that thou neuer sée them and to remitte and forgiue them al through the meanes and mediation of the Messiah thy dearly beloued sonne Christ Iesus who shal when the fulnesse of time is come take vpon him our nature and suffer the most bitter death and passion on the crosse for the redemption of all that beléeue in him both of them that liued before his incarnation in whose number and in which time I am one as also after his incarnation to the worlds end Text. Looke vpon mine affliction Doct. 1 1. Doctr. Generally out of the whole verse The principall desire of the godly is that the Lord would weigh their wofull estate The reason is Because first they know him to be a righteous iudge euer dealing fauourably with his people Secondly their consciēces do tel thē that notwithstanding they are gréeuous sinners against the Lord yet their enemies abuse them for the truthes sake Vse The Vse is to teach vs in all our miseries vnfainedly to repent vs of all our sinnes against the Lord so may wée with good consciences come vnto him with complaints in all our miseries Chastisemēts we sée are profitable for they cause the godly afflicted to come to God by praier to confesse and craue pardon for their iniquities transgressions and sinnes But yet notwithstanding we daily and hourely see that these said chastisements profite not all men also that hée giueth not all men the grace to returne vnto him For it is not enough for God to strike vs with his hand except hée touch vs within also by his holy spirit If God soften not the hardnes of our hearts it wil be with vs as it was with Pharaoh Similitude For men are like vnto stithies or Anuiles the beating vpon them is not able to change their nature for we sée how they beat backe the blowes againe Euen so then vntill God haue touched vs to the quick within it is certaine we shal in our afflictions do nothing but kicke against him and gather rancour more and more whensoeuer hée chastiseth vs we shall gnash our teeth at him and vntill regeneration alwaies storme at him And without all doubt the wickednes of men is so mischéeuous so head-strong and so desperate that the more that God chastiseth them the more do they vomit vp their blasphemies shew themselues to be vtterly past amendment so that there is no way to bring them vnto reason Let vs learne then vntill God hath touched vs with his holy spirite that it is vnpossible that his chastisements should serue to bring vs to repentance but rather to make vs worse and worse yet can it not be said that God is not righteous in so doing for thereby men are conuinced euen so much as if God held them not at a bay in such sort by punishing their sinnes they might pleade ignorance that they neuer knew of it and that they had ouer-shot themselues because God had not prouoked them to acknowledge their faults but when they haue felt the hand of God so as they haue béene faine to perceiue his iudgements in despight of their téeth and haue bene as it were summoned yet notwithstanding haue not onely gone forward from euill to worse but also bin puffed vp with open rebellion against God Héereby wee sée they haue their mouthes stopped and that they haue not any more to say for themselues You see then how God sheweth his iustice as often as he punisheth men notwithstanding it be not a correction for their amendment Obiecti ∣ on Furthermore when God chastiseth the reprobate it is all one as if he should out of hand begin to shew his wrath vpon them and that the fire of it were alreadie kindled Soluti ∣ on True it is that they are not vtterly consumed for the present time howbeit they are