testimonie of your ignorance and then after a litle conference they will graunt that indeed it doth not profit theÌ„ Then we must replie and say God hath made all things to profit vs hath commanded that nothing be vsed vnprofitably no not so much as a vaine word speaking saying that for euerie idle word we must giue account at the day of iudgement Then they replie againe saying Mat. 12. if it do them no good it doth them no harme But we must reply and say it were good to beware least it do thy selfe harme Another sort wil replie and say I pray God I neuer do worse But to such we must answer I pray God you may do better you should first know whether you do not harm before you do it For in deed it must proceed of harme being spoken in doubting without faith for if you beleeued that they were layde vp in peace whome you praye for what need you pray for them at all But it shewes an vnbeleeuing heart and we know that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and the Lord will say of them who hath required those things at your hand you haue wrought vanities Now therefore you will not leaue it because you vsed it then will you say also we will not leaue our lying nor our swearing nor our cursing because we haue vsed it It will grieue me if I heare you vse these speeches hereafter hauing no reason nor proofe of Scripture to maintaine it by or to be your warrant in it Therefore I charge you in the name of God that you vse them not but rather when you heare this or aniâ— other sinne condemned to lay hands vpon it see that you put it to death without delay according to the law of God Simeon wished to die and had good cause so to wish because God promised that he should be deliuered from this miserable life when he had scene his glorie and the light of Gentils The wicked wish to die that thereby they might haue deliuerance from their troubles worldly vexations as they suppose which in deed is rather an increasing and aggrauating thereof But the faithfull when they wish to die they do it in great zeale and loue of God vsing it as the best remedie against sinne that therby they might ceasse froÌ„ offending their good God shewing thereby that they are as it were weaâ—ie of the seruice and bondage of Sathan and sinne Therfore they desire death that therin they may glorifie God as in their liues they haue done and sought to do For man was not borne at his owne will neither shall he die at his owne will therfore they as it were begge leaue of God for it Sampson was a figure of Christ in that he Iudg. 16. glorified God at his death more then all his life in killing so manie of Gods enemies I shewed you that they are guiltie that killed themselues with surfets or drunkennesse or intemperat vsing of them selues yea although they teÌ„der their liues neuer so deere yet they are in the guilt because they vse the meanes that dotâ— shorten it According to thy word When Sathan hath once possessed 〈◊〉 theÌ„ profits and pleasures bring vs to our possession and though they do so professe religioÌ„ and godlinesse yet they can neuer haue anie comfort by it all their life For their owne hearts accuse them for hypocrites because they wayte not for the consolation of God according to his word whatsoeuer is not done according to that word can not be acceptable and this word they care not for neither set it in any estimation When AdaÌ„ seeth his nakednesse the suttle serpent can deceiue no longer but before he saw his nakednesse he is euer deceiued and led away with the multitude into innumerable errors Some say they shall be saued by mercy and some thinke by good workes and some by the Popes pardon others say by Purgatorie and these will haue a Masse song for them as long as the world standeth and all for one sillie soule thinking to be saued by it yet see their blindnesse for they seeme to thinke that their torment shall not ceasse as long as the world staÌ„deth else why should they find and hire men to say Masse for theÌ„ so long But these are the fat morsels of Bels priests for this cause is the Popish Creed made verie fauourable to the Clergie Well say that ignorance is the mother of their deuotion for when the couetousnesse of the priests and the ignorance of the people ioyned together then they inuented Purgatorie Masses prayers for the dead and then all their trinkets For if they had not held our fathers in ignorance they would neuer haue bin Papists But when they cast a mist before the eyes of men then the blind fel into the diteh which doth containe so manie grosse corruptions I shewed vpon this woord seruant that the godly would not leaue this priuiledge for all the riches in the world for that they are the seruaunts of God fellowes to Angels and princes for we serue him whom Salomon serued who is blessed for euer Euerie seruingman beares the cognisance of his maister vpon his sleeue But what will the Lord say when he commeth and findeth vs marked with the badge of Sathan surely he will say giue vnto Sathan that which is Sathans for all the houses of Israell are sprinkled with the blood of the Lambe and all Exod. 12. Ezech. 9. Reuel 10. the mourners are marked and al the chosen are sealed with the seale of the liuing God Well was it sayd the poore receiue the Gospell The young men are more forward in the truth and more zelous then the aged Once the younger brother stole away the blessing froÌ„ the elder therefore the elder hated him euen for his zeale wheÌ„ was Iacob hated more then he is now when was he so hated and persecuted as he is now by Esau Yet in the old time men were more zealous in their age then euer we heare of them to be in their youth yea they were zealous in the Lords businesse Age hindered not Noah Gen. 6. from building of the Arke when God commaunded him age hindered not Simâ—on froÌ„ reioycing and mirth when he beheld embraced the Lord Iesus Christ Then old Simeon embraced Christ and he enioyed him with heartie ioy in zeale but now where is old Simeon there are but few of them to be seene comming to the Temple to receiue Christ but now yong men receiue yong Dan. 1. 1. Sam. 2. 3. 1. Tim. 4. PhilemoÌ„ 10 Simeons yong Daniels yong Samuels yong Timothies and yong Onesimus and the yong infants begin to speake againe The yong haue him they are zealous and I hope they wil keepe him though old men neglect him Sathan thou hast too much for nothing alreadie Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation He which
desire with conteÌ„plation thereof For as Peter was sent to Act. 10. Act. 8. Cornelius and Philip to the Eunuch so the Lord will stirre vp such of his sernaunts as may be fit instruments to minister the same vnto vs. Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation c. Iudas died before the time and liued not to see Christ crucified but the Disciples which loued Iesus did see him die like an vndefiled and innocent lambe and that to their exceeding comfort and ioy wheÌ„ they vnderstood how that he suffered death for loue of them for their redemption Now if Christ can not hide him from such as huÌ„ger after him through loue then what shall we say of our fathers which liued in the time of ignorance that longed to see this light although they had a mist cast before their eyes surely such died not til they saw Christ and embraced him in their hearts And this is our iudgemeÌ„t concerning them that died in the time of Poperie and likewise as concerning the rest which thought to be saued by Purgatory and Masses after that they are dead we say that they which sleepe without oyle in their lampes they die â—re they are aware of ere they wish for it like the Philistines which sent for Sampson to laugh Iupg 16. mocke at him and to sport them selues vpoÌ„ whom the house fel and destroyed them all or like the Egyptians which thought that Exod. 14. the waters had made passage for them aswel as for the Israelites both which died in and for their securitie because they were not watchful nor prepared against the Lord called them Haue seene c. There be manie sights of Christ all go not vp to the mount as Peter Iames and Iohn all see not his face with Moses Mat. 17. Exod. 33. Iohn 13. 2. â—oâ— 12. 2. all sleepe not in his lap with Iohn all are not taken vp into heauen like Paule all embrace him not in their armes with Simeon But as pleaseth God so he sheweth him self vnto vs and all that loue him both see him and imbrace him To some he shewes him self as in a glasse to some generally to some particularly some he calleth early and some he calleth late and Mat. 20. there is no hower in the day wherein he calleth not some to go labour in his vineyard To some he sheweth him selfe by Angels to other some by visions Abraham saw three Gen. 18. Gen. 19. Iud. 13. Iohn 8. Angels Lot saw but two Manoahs wife saw but one and yet one was enough It is sayd that Abraham saw Christ his dayes but we see him cleerer then Abraham and cleerer then Iohn if we beleeue in him as we should Some see Christ and not his saluation and some see his saluation and do not embrace it We see Christ when we heare his word and we embrace his saluation when we beleeue it they see him that heare him they imbrace him that follow him Here if they had heard me I would haue searched IerusaleÌ„ with lampes to see who sitteth in darknesse But how can they beleeue the word of God which heare it not How can they imbrace Christ which know him not no not though they see him and all through ignorance hauing not the meanes to see him because their leaders are either blinde guides sleepie watchmen or hireling shepheards And surely it is a woful case wheÌ„ shepherds go to taske and let their owne sheepe alone sommer and winter They sheare them but neither sommer nor winter do they feede them How should those people vnder their charge see Christ his saluation when they are so neglected of the wholsome foode and euen starued to death manie thousands of their soules because they haue not the food which nourisheth the soule vnto saluation and how many be there which are as old as Simeon and yet haue not imbraced Christ Iesus yea they know him not though they see him neither do they wayt for his comming because they haue no desire to imbrace him and therefore they deferre that put it off from their youth to their middle age from their middle age to their old age from their old age to death and so they can haue no leasure in all their life to imbrace him But to such as do seeke him and wayte for him with vnfained diligence we say as the Angell said to the women at the sepulcher feare not you seeke the Lord Iesus How is Iohn 21. this world set to deceiue vs we can find leasure to do euill at anie time but we can find no leasure in all our life long to do good I haue somewhat to say to you of this parish a daintie was prepared for you and you let the strangers take it from you You were required to a fast and you did feast your selues you were required to come and pray vnto the Lord and to humble your selues in his sight that he may turne away his wrath from you you let the temple stand open and emptie for your parts and your shops were as open and you were about your marchandise forsaking God and seeking to win the vniust Mammon and the vanities of the world For mine eyes haue seene thy saluation c. You may see what deepe root sinne takes when custome is added vnto it therfore you had neede all of you to take my part for though I and you fight against it neuer so long yet some of his darts sticke in vs still He which beleeueth him doth that which pleaseth him and he that hath no will to please him doth that which delites him selfe and he that offers him selfe to be reformed by the word of God is offred in truth But what shall I shake off the dust of my feet as a witnesse against you and say let them that will perish perish Nay I will rather wash Naaman yet seuen times that I might make him cleane if he will be cleansed If you haue no Scripture for it then thinke froÌ„ whence you haue receiued it If you haue no reason for it then thinke from whence you haue learned it If you haue no example for it theÌ„ thinke whence it first came or sprong vnto FroÌ„ poperie you Thy saluation Thereby to shew that he came not by Angels or by men or by anie other meanes but onely from the alone and eternall God He calleth him thy saluation for his name was not giuen him by Ioseph nor by Marie but by the Angell of God Mat. 1. Luke 1. signifying that he was come from heauen the father saw him when he was borne the spirit came vpon him when he was baptized the Angels ministred vnto him in the Luke 3. Luke 4. Mat. 27. Mat. 2. wildernes his enemies subscribed vnto him vpon the crosse the Virgine trauelled the starre walked the wise men came out of far countreyes to worship him then is not this Iehouah the mightie God whose birth is glorious
and welfare for she euer putteth on a vizard that she might not be knowne to be so vile as she is so vnder the colour of goodnesse euill is alwayes lâ—â—king Therefore Christ is called the light because that we should leaue our foolishnes seeing light is come and that we should forsake all our lights which are but darknesse and 〈◊〉 vnto his light which is the true light indeed He came to lighten the Gentiles and they receiued him with thankfulnesse of whom there was no hope of goodnesse left Who would suppose that the barren woman should become frutefull or the prodigall sonne returne home againe It is like as if an owle should be conuerted to see light or as if the streame should returne into the fountaine or as if an old man should become yong againe A light to be 〈◊〉 to the Gentiles To be reuealed not yet reuealed the Iewes must first reiect him before the Gentiles receiue him and when the Iewes did oppresse him condemne him and crucifie him then were his armes spred vnto the whole world When the guests would not come then he sendeth into the high wayes to compell others that would come willingly vnto it Luk. 14. 23. Comfort is on foote and that which will come shall come c. The Queene of Saba Mat. 12. came from the vttermost part of the earth to heare Salomons wisedome and the wise men came from the East to see Iesus Christ Mat. 2. but we may say the Lord was here by in the Temple and I was in my shop selling and buying lying deceiuing swearing Well when he comes backe againe I will be better acquainted with him and so we esteeme not of his presence in any reuerent sort The Sunamite sayd Let vs build a chamber for 2. Kin. 4. 10. the man of God then we should build an house Zacheus did climbe vp into a tree to Luke 19. see his sauiour and the Lord seeing his diligence called him Zaoheus come downe for I will dine at thy house this day that was a ioyfull day with Zaoheus for then saluatioÌ„ came into his house and vpon al his family he gaue the Lord a feast and the Lord made him a farre better feast of peace a feast of ioy a feast of heauenly things and so for his zeale and indeuor to see Christ bodily he shewed him selfe vnto him spiritually euen to his hearts desire To be reuealed Haue an eye to the future tense that which 1. Kings 3. 12. 11. Iud. 13. 15. and 16. Luke 6. Act. 1. Act. 9. Mat. 26. Act. 4. Act. 7. is not shall be As for example Salomon was wise but he is foolish Sampson was strong but he is weake Iudas was a preacher but he is a reprobate Paule was a persecutor but he is a preacher Peter was a denier of Christ but now he is a bold professor of Christ Moses was learned in the wisedome of the Egyptians but now he is learned in the wisdome of God by which the wisdome of the Egyptians is made but meere foolishnesse in the sight of God Other wise men as heathen Philosophers Plato Aristotle Cato Crates and such like these were counted verie wise men in the sight of the world yet these were Gentiles that wrote so manie â—ookes full of wisedome and all so adorned with notable sentences wittie sayings that one would thinke all wisdome were buried with them so famous were they and so full of earthly vnderstanding teaching maners counsels and pollicies yet for my part I haue neither seene nor heard of any such being wise in worldly things and without the wisdome of God but that they haue committed some notorious foolishnesse in the sight of all men like Achitophel of whom we reade 2. Sam. 17. that he was so wise a counseller and yet see the end of him he hanged him selfe and all for want of the knowledge of God It were better therefore for him to haue had more wisedome and lesse wit Crates Aristotle Plato all the rest of the wise Philosophers haue either poysoned burned or drowned them selues and so we see that the ende of worldly wisdome is meere foolishnesse and 1. Cor. 1. 20 the foolish haue more peace then the wise for their wisedome without the feare of God doth theÌ„ no more good then the Arke did to the Philistines which did nothing but Iâ—d 5. torment them because they knew not how to vse it and therefore vnreuerently abused it For if your wisedome consist in eloqueÌ„ce of words in profunditie of wit to gain craftily and spend warily to inuent lawes to expound riddles and interpret dreames to tell fortunes and prophecie of matters by learning all these without the feare of God do vs no more good then their wit did these Philosophers which notwithstanding sate in darknes And I am afrayd though Christ brought light vnto the Gentiles yet it may be sayd that the Gentils sit in darknesse stil sauing a fewe Leuites scattered vpon the mountaines for whose sake Sodome is spared And because those had not the knowledge of God therfore they worshipped Mars Cupid sunne and moone beasts serpeÌ„ts so the Philistines worshipped DagoÌ„ Iud. 5. Act. 19. the Ephesians worshipped Diana the Assyrians Nesroch the Israelites worshipped a calf IeroboaÌ„ worshipped Belzebub the Moabites worshipped Chamos the Samaritanes did worship vnto Baall so the truth seemeth falshood and error seemeth truth As for example that the world should be made of nothing that the word became flesh that God and man was ioyned together in one bodie then one man may be righteous in the righteousnes of another which is Christ and that the dead shall rise againe these seemed foolishnesse vnto the Gentiles neither could they beleeue them No more can some Gentiles amongst vs at this day which are but naturall men therefore they do not beleeue them for when they professed them selues to be wise they became fools saith the holy Ghost So then we see nowe what Christ hath Rom. 2. done for vs he hath bounde that serpent which hath sowen all the tares so that the deuill is faine for want of better lodging to enter into swine Heretofore whereas one followed God a thousand folowed Baall but now kings Princes lift vp their heads desiring Christ to raigne with them and in them Heretofore we made our selues like the wounded man we were spoyled we were stript naked and we were bathed in our bloud being full of wounds but now Christ hath furnished vs he hath washed vs he hath clothed vs we are now become true Israelites we which were the vile and wild oliues he hath grafted vp vpon the true oliue and planted vs in a frutefull soile And what cause can we shew for this but onely mercie For heretofore we were called foolish but the Lord hath made vs wise according to the wisedome of God in these dayes by his spirit but if you deserue to
sinne and giue it gall to eate and when you haue done so set a crowne of thornes vpon his head and when you haue thus crow 〈…〉 you haue condemned it put it to death and when you haue put it to death burie it and when you haue buried it â—oll a great stone vpon the head of it and set watch men to keepe it and let your watch-men be fasting and prayer that it may neuer rise againe to raigne any more the which the Lord for his mercie sake grant Amen THE CALLING OF IONAH Ionah 1. 1. 2. 1 The vvord of the Lord came to Ionah the sonne of Amittai saying 2 Arise and go to Niniuie that great Citie and crie against it for their vvickednesse is come â—p before me YOu haue heard the sweet song of old father Simeon like the pleasaunt song of a sweet bird before her death setting foorth the ioy of the righteous which embrace Christ Iesus Before Christ Iesus vouchsafed to come vnto vs we would not come vnto him but in all our doings we wrought our condemnation through the innumerable heapes of our iniquities laboured to driue him without all hope of mercie from vs. So we continued like flies which flutter about the candle till they haue consumed them selues When we had done as much as in vs lay to driue him away from vs then he saued and recompenced good for euill vnto vs. So that if God had loued vs no better theÌ„ we loued our selues we might haue perished in our sinne and our bloud should be vpon our owne heads If Christ be the light of the Gentiles let vs embrace himâ— and let euerie one walke as becommeth the children of light but many do shut their eyes against it least they should see and many do not onely smoother their owne light but the Sunne sayth vnto the Moone shine not and the Moone sayth vnto the Stars be not bright And many haue smothered their light so long that the dampe hath put out the candle and thus they labor to bring the darkenesse of Egypt vpon Goshen so that their eyes haue forgotten to see and so manie goe out of the way because they would not looke vpon the candle and the deuill giueth to euerie one that which he wisheth so it may be for his hurt to the bramble fire and who can but pittie that the same Manna which commeth from heauen should be poysoned with it The Iewes had no cause to enuie our light for he gaue theÌ„ glorie he was poore and yet he gaue them riches he was counted base and yet he made them honourable he was contemned and yet he made them beloued they were full of darknesse and he brought them light but they contemned this light and so procured their owne condemnation And therefore now it is come to passe that they are become vagabonds vpon the earth and most contemned of all other nations euerie people haue a dwelling but since they prophesied euill vnto themselues saying his blood be vpon vs and our children goodnesse hath put on the face of bath fulnesse amongst them If thou embrace Christ as Simeon did then Christ is thy glorie but if thy glorie consist in beautie which fadeth in gay clothing which weareth in wealth which wasteth or in gold which rusteth then Christ is not thy glorie We haue gone long with an olde man and now we haue lost him but we are loth to part with him he is such a good companion neuerthelesse we hope to finde him againe in Ionah We haue gone but slowly with him as with an olde man which is not verie swift on foote but now we must runne with Ionah as with a poste least Niniuie be destroied The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah I neede not shew the authoritie of Prophets but concerning their sorts and difference there are three sorts of Prophets The first were such as called vpon the name of the Lord in prayer for the people and receiued an answer from the Lord in the peoples behalfe of which sort was Samuell these 〈◊〉 Sa. 10. 9 were called Seers A second sort of Prophets were such as God raysed to expouÌ„d the law and declare the will of God vnto the people when the Priests and such as should do so were slacke in their callings of which sort was Esay Ieremie Ezechiell Damell Hose Ioell Aâ—â—os Obadiah Ionah and the rest of the holy Prophets A third sort were such as haue beene since Christ woorking such like effectes of which sort was the Prophet Agabus of whome mention is Act. 11 28. made in the eleuenth of the Acts and the 28. verse Now in the second sort of these was Ionah whom God sent to declare his wil vnto his people vnto whom also the Lord did reueale the subuersion of kingdomes the ouerthrow of Tribes the captiuitie of Nations and calamities that were to come vnto the sonnes of men for iniquitie and rebellion against God As all wise men were not borne at once nor liued togither so these holy Prophets haue not beene at once but were raised vp by the Lord God some here some there according to his pleasure and as he sawe the people stand in need of them by reason of the corruption of the times And furthermore the Lord hath not at any time reuealed vnto one of these all things that might be reuealed but as much as was sufficient for them euerie one in their times and places Neither hath any of them told as much of the will of God as might be nor the expounding of his lawes But the Patriarkes haue left some to the Prophets and the Prophets haue left some to the Apostles but they haue left none for vs but they haue all left open the whole will of GOD vnto vs and euerie one bringeth Golde and Myrrhe and Frankensense like the wise men which came to see our Lord. There are three things which moued me to take this storie in hand aboue al others First because you know the storie and therefore can the better conceiue of the matter as I go forward with it Secondly because it is brief and doth containe a great deale in a little Thirdly because it is most agreeable for the time and state of this sinfull age wherein we liue and therefore most conuenient for vs. It is manifest that Ionah liued in a very troublesome time namely in the time of Ieroboam a wicked king of whom it was said that he not only sinned himself against the Lord but it is he which is called the IeroboaÌ„ that made Israell to sinne Also this commeÌ„deth the constancie of Ionah that he in the midst of all the corruptions wherwith all the people were ouerflowne kept him selfe vncorrupted and vnspotted amongst them all And furthermore it layeth open and magnifieth the great loue of God in that he sent a Prophet to admonish his vngodly people when as he should haue sent a thunderbolt to terrifie them or rather vtterly to destroy