good the bad the wicked and the godly for whose sake were created his beneficiall and helpefull creatures and his plaguing and reuenging creatures Which god in his wisedome hath thus disposed to frame vs to thankfulnesse to a reuerence and feare of his maiestie that we should not offend him or prouoke his anger against vs. And although the foolish mind of man may thinke some creatures of god to haue no goodnesse in their creation because they that deserue the contrary finde it not yet in their nature they are good because they are the worke of God and this is their goodnesse that they execute Gods punishments A notable example whereof we sée in the Prophecie of Daniel concerning his malicious enemies and wicked accusers who when they were cast vnto the lions were torne in pieces before they came to the ground which if they had done vpon a rauening kinde of nature it would haue bene séene vpon Daniel himselfe who was cast amongst the lions before they were and yet was not touched To giue a manifest proofe vnto vs that God hath made them to execute his wrath and hath ordeined them to a good ende though in their tune they bee terrible and most hurtfull Which as yet more manifestly it appeareth in the examples of the Prophets that disobeyed Gods commandement and was therefore slaine by a lion whereof we reade 1. King 13. The old Prophet which had caused the yoong Prophet to transgresse Gods commandement as they were sitting at the table the word of the Lord came vnto him and he cried vnto the yoong Prophet saying Thus saith the Lord because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord and hast not kept the commandement which the Lord the God commanded thee but camest backe againe and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place whereof hee did say vnto thee Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water therefore thy carkasse shal not come into the sepulchre of thy fathers So when the Prophet was departed and gone a lion met him by the way and slew him and his bodie was cast in the way and the asse stood therby the lion stood by the corps also The asse which is wont to be the praie of the lion was vnhurt the hungry lion stood by as though â—e had no lust to eate because God had shut his mouth to shewe his iudgement and therefore the lion stood still till other came to behold the same and as it were to beare witnesse In the lion we may behold gods wisedome in all other cruell and terrible beasts who neuer rage till men be come to an outlawe I meane when they forget God and themselues then doth God vse the fiercenesse of his reuenging creatures because hee would haue good order kept and that men should liue in awe and as we say vnder a lawe euen Gods lawe which is most righteous and holy This is not ordinary for God hath put the sword into the Magistrates hand to punish offendors and to cut them off but sometimes he punisheth extraordinarily As we reade Eccle. 39. 28. 32. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes In the time of destruction they shewe forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine and death all these are created for vengeance The téeth of wilde beastes and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked They shall be glad to doo his commaundements and when néed is they shall be readie vppon earth and when their houre is come they shall not ouerpasse the commaundement The night and darknesse is created of God to a good end that all his creatures may take rest therein yet was it a gréeuous punishment vnto the Egiptians and a forerunrer of hellish darknesse Frogges and lice and grashoppers and such creatures lightly do no great hurt but when God would punish the Egiptians his enemies by them they came among them in aboundance and in swarmes and molested them gréeuously in so much that the land did stinke with their huge heaps No creature we think so vgly to looke to as a toad yet it is a good creature of God and in his time deserueth praise The phisitian knoweth it which creature though some do vse to mischief yet he to medicine for he draweth the vertue dried poâ—â—er therof into his purging helpes yet so that he allaieth it with greater preseruatiues Againe God doth make this creature commendable vnto vs if it were for nothing else but for the precious stone which is found in him and therfore is set in gold and some do weare it in their rings being there delectable to their sight which otherwise they take to bee so loathsome Concerning all hurtfull creatures which in their creation are good if we find our selues agréeued let vs consider and waigh the matter with greater deliberation and we shall then finde that no creature had bene hurtfull if man had not bene sinfull So that now the fault of man is to be blamed and lamented not Gods creation which is highly to be honored cannot sufficiently be praised The most hurtfull creature that euer was or is or shal be I meane the diuel let vs consider Gods worke in him For he was made angel of heauen which for his pride was cast downe into hell and forced to dwell in bottomlesse darkenesse and plagued with euerlasting torments In respect of which his excellent creation the history of Iob numbreth him among the children of God that is his Angels As in the chapter 1. v. 6. Now on a day when the children of God came and stood before the Lord Sathan came also among them Also the Prophet Michaah 1. Kin. 22. 19. speaking of the deceiuing of King Achab by a false spirite generally amongst Gods angels maketh mention of him The diuel was good at the first how hurtfull so euer he is now Which is a good instruction to vs that stand or rather that thinke we stand lest we fall away from God as he did and so be partakers of his wofull miseries Lastly let vs beholde our selues next to the angels none more excellently created then we but as the diuel fell away from God and all goodnesse so by our disobedience in our first parents did we deserue the like punishment and in like sort to bee cast away vnlesse God in great mercy had taken compassion on vs and deliuered vs from the gates of hell For whose goodnesse we haue the greater cause to be thankfull that he gaue his onely sonne to death for the redemption of mankind passing by and leauing these rebellious Angelles in their cursed estate And to sée no creatures haue defaced gods worke so much as they that were his moste excellent creatures and of whome it might haue bene very well saide They are verie good So that almightie God was highly displeased and sorrie that
conspiracie is remembred Oh that poore painfull students might meet with such liberall purses and with such noble and honourable Bromleion hearts Sat sit optasse et siinuenisse rarum What the poore both see and receiue let them report to the shame of them that hoord vp their wealth and consider not that God hath made them but stewards and hath put it in their hands if they had hearts to dispose Especially if they could remember this which is set downe in sacred writ Pro. 19. 17. He that hath pitie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and looke what he laieth out it shall be paide him againe Now as concerning these my rude and rurall labours if I might I would auoyd disdaine or if I may do any good it is the thing that would reioyce me greatly This vnlearned worke some will say should haue laine by me a long while vntill it might haue bin done more perfectly or else it should neuer haue bene put foorth Other excuse haue I none but this that I could not tell how otherwise to shewe my dutie and to giue a proofe of my good will where I was so greatly indebted It may be taken in good part if I answere you as one Iohn Philpot in the raigne of King Richard the second answered certaine noble and honourable personages who found themselues greatly agreeued that a merchant had got a prize on the enemie His answere was That he did it not to take away the praise of chiualry from them but rather that they might be incouraged to do greater exploits I haue not put foorth this slender exercise to barre any that are well disposed better learned and right willing to edifie of their praise and due commendation of the which I confesse my selfe farre vnworthie but rather to animate them that they let not their gifts lie hidden which being made manifest and knowne might procure the benefit of many He that cannot do better to him this may be some helpe the rest may take it in good part and labour to do other good who do both long for good helpes and would be glad of that which might further them to ease their painfull studie They that would attaine to learning lightly are those of the poorer sort who haue many hinderances Want of bookes want of sufficient maintenance want of time and many other lets I must needs acknowledge many wants and my imperfections are great wishing other that are better able that they would be of that minde as to do good to others whose capacitie is but weake and simple who haue small helpes and yet are set in such places where they of dutie should edifie and instruct and wold if they were better able If in this booke I haue not done wel I will be glad to be better enformed and willing to hearken to the direction of others and to follow their counsell Ending this tedious Epistle with this my wish desire and request to them that are learned and willing to doo good His meliora Thine to his power S. I. Of the feare of God and where it is to be learned namely in the word of God Of the word of God which coÌ„teineth the Knowledge of God that as he is to be considered In Himselfe His workes which are General creation Prouidence Particular creation of man according to his Image Certaine most comfortable Exercises of Christian Religion gathered togither in one volume for the benefit of all such as loue and feare the Lord. Psal 112. 1. 2. 3. Blessed is the man thâ—â— feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandements His seed shall be mightie vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed Riches and treasures shall be in his house and his righteousnes endureth for euer THe Prophet Dauid desirous to drawe true blessednesse and heauenly happinesse into a short summe dooth in this Psalm and likewise in the first Psalm intreate thereof as though hée meant purposely to discourse of nothing else but of the chéefest happinesse and chéefest delight of a godly man Whereof as he himselfe was fully perswaded so in a godly mind and Christian zeale hée thought it his part to spread this loue and excellent knowledge into the hearts of all Much like to the godly affection of holy Abraham of whom God testifieth I know yâ— he will teach others So King Salomon hauing tried all the delights and worldly happinesse that flesh and blood might desire crieth out Vanitie of vanities Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie not hiding his excellent knowledge within himselfe as the Prouerbe is Cunning men are dangerous and loth to let other men vnderstand what they know but being moued with a charitable affection he doth not reueale this secret to a fewe or to some of his friends and to no more but hée professeth himselfe to be a Preacher and as it were a publique Crier that all may take héede and beware So also this kingly Prophet Dauid is in stéed of a Preacher and beginneth his discourse somewhat vnlike to that of King Salomon but both to the same effect In the beginning of his booke King Salomon sheweth what we should auoyd in the beginning of this psalm and of this his booke of Psalmes and heauenly meditations King Dauid sheweth vs what wée should desire They that are desirous that men should hearken to their perswasions and to reade their writings promise in the beginning some excellent matter to intreate off that they may winne their mindes to séeke and search thereafter as for pearles and treasure And among all matters if all the bookes might bée read which hath bene made from the beginning of the worlde vntill this present time there shall nothing be founde to be so profitable so necessary so heauenly as is the disputation and discourse of the chéefest good Wherein these two Kings of blessed memorie the father and the sonne Dauid and Salomon haue not trauelled as worldly minded men to aduaunce either honour or riches or pleasure wisedome strength beautie eloquence and such matters as the worlde doth admire and wonder at but as if with the Apostle Saint Paul they had bene wrapt into the third heauen they scorne these worldly delightes and set before our eyes nothing else but what the spirite of God dooth put into their mouthes and mooue them to exhort vs vnto As it was said vnto the Prophets Thus saith the Lorde And againe Sonne of man thus shalt thou say and speake vnto the people The one that is King Salomon hée speaketh thus in his last Chapter of his booke called Ecclesiastes principally there setting downe what is the chéefest happinesse Let vs heare saith hee the end of all Feare God and keepe his Commaundements For this is the whole dutie of man King Dauid he beginneth his booke Blessed is the man whose delight is in the lawe of the Lorde and who dooth meditate therein day and night Both of them ayming at these two principall matters the
by Sanctifie the Lorde of hostes and let him be your feare and let him be your dread saith the Prophet Esay 8. For loe he that formeth the mountaines and createth the wind and declareth to man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkenesse and walketh vppon the high places of the earth the Lorde God of hostes is his name And therefore hée may iustly and that with a maiestie report himselfe vnto his people The Lord the Lord. Euen high and terrible and a great King ouer all the earth who is greatly to be exalted in the congregation of Princes For the Lorde is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods the Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all Greatnes and power and glorie and victorie are his hée excelleth and is most mightie he is the Lorde and his name is most glorious the earth is his footestoole and hee is higher then the Kinges of the earth who are but his vassalles And saith the King Nebuchandnezer vnto Daâ—iel Cap. 2. I knowe of a truth that your God is a God of Gods and the Lord of Kings Pharaoh also the King of Egypt who so gréeuously persecuted the Israelites was driuen so to confesse in that hée spake vnto Moses that he would pray vnto the Lord for him to take away those gréeuous plagues wherewith hée was iustly punished for his disobedience and hard heart against the Lorde By which his punishment of the highest in the earth and as it is in the Prouerbes of Salomon Although they be mightie on earth yet are there mightier then they by which his punishment he declareth himselfe to be the onely Prince the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Which thing the example of Sanehereib the King of Ashur can well testifie whom the Lord withdrew from the siege and slaughter of his people and put a hooke in his nostrils and turned him backe the same way he came and caused the Angel of his wrath to sley a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand of his souldiers Although Rabshakey his Ambassadour in his be halfe gaue forth these words Heare the words of the great King the King of Ashur Thus saith the King Let not your King Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord saying The Lord will surely deliuer vs for who are they among all the gods of the nations that haue deliuered their land out of mine hand that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand But as you heard his souldiers were slaine himselfe was driuen to flight and furthermore as he was worshipping his Idole god Nisroch Adramelech and Sharezer his own sonnes flew him with the sword and escaped they flew this great King the King of Ashur The Lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwéene the Cherubins let the earth bee moued I make a decrée saith King Darius that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and feare before the god of Daniel for he is the liuing god and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shal not perish and his dominion shall be euerlasting King Nebuchadnezar to iustisie the Lord in these words The Lord the Lord did extoll and magnifie the King of heauen praised and honoured him that liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power and his kingdome is from generation to generation And this did the King confesse after that he had felt the mightie hand of god and his power Let the spirit of Princes be subiect vnto the Lord that euen the chiefest with the lowest may acknowledge this soueraigntie that he is the onely Lord who is highly to be praised and greatly to be feared for glory and strength are before him Wherfore giue vnto the Lord ye families of the people the glory of his name giue vnto the Lord the power which is due vnto his maiestie When the lion roareth all the beasts of the forest tremble and when god commaundeth who will not obey If the Captaine that hath authoritie ouer his souldiers may say to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he commeth and to his seruant Do this and he doth it Shall not we be as ready when the great Captaine the Lord of hostes shall charge vs If the seruants shall be diligent to fulfill their maisters will to how at his beck and to make haste when he calleth shal not we yéeld our selues to the obedience of our Lord maister which dwelleth in the heauens who hath the Angels at commandement and whose creatures we are who hath more authoritie ouer vs in the wide compasse of his dominion then hath the maister ouer his seruant within the circuit of his house The seruants that are disobedient may flie from their maisters displeasure and escape but if we be rebellious we cannot auoid the anger of the Lord. His eies are in all the corners of the earth neither is there any place wherein we may be frée if it please God according to our deserts to strike vs. Looke what the Prince may do among his subiects much more in the highest degrée may the lord of the whole earth do among vs. Many lawlesse people may resist that which the King commandeth although it may not be resisted by the authoritie of his crowne and dignitie yea furthermore may put the king in hazard but the authoritie of the highest King is such that he maketh the stoutest heart to tremble wel may they murmure grudge and set them selues in defiance against him but they shal be able to do no more although they were as mightie as the diuels in hell they shal no whit preuaile A consuming fire shall go before him the mountains shal be al in a smoke the earth shal tremble at his presence and the wicked yâ— disobey his commandements resist his wil and are as far as they dare at defiance shal in their time hide themselues in the holes of the rockes and wish yâ— the mountains might fall vpon them And then shall they know how yâ— he onely is the lord that he hath authoritie to command and yâ— they were bound to obey In diuers places of the holy scriptures in the prophecies of his seruants and messengers by whom he declared his wil and whom hee gaue in commandement to deliuer his message vnto the people when they speake of any matter of waight they vse these words Thus saith the Lord. To put yâ— people alwaies in remembrance of his high soueraigntie and authoritie ouer them As in the Prophecie of Ieremy the Lord saith vnto Ieremiah thou shalt say vnto them Thus saith the Lord If ye wil not heare me to walk in my lawes which I haue set before you and to heare the words of my seruants the Prophets whom I sent vnto you both rising vp early and sending them and will not obey them Then wil I make this house like Shiloh meaning that his Temple and his Church shuld be forsaken and the priests deliuered vp to the sword
to fauoure This goodnesse GOD dooth not onelie vse to the Heathen to make them lift vp their hearts and mindes from the creatures to the Creator but in like sort also hée dealeth with the wicked to make them chaunge their mindes Hée sendeth downe his raine vppon the vniust as well as the iust and for the moste part they enioy the goodnesse of God in a more plentifull measure then doo his owne children As it is saide in the Psalme Whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure for they abounde when other are in scarcitie they feele no want when other are pinched with penurie As though Gods benefites were hid from the good and secretly bestowed vppon the badde whiche matter hath suche ill successe that the wicked are more badde more proude more wrongfull more lewde and vicious as though they were not onelie Lordes or rather tyrants ouer Gods flocke but also had the blessings of GOD at their owne will and commaundement Such was the difference betwixt the rich man and Lazarus the one in his roabes the other in ragges the one faring delicately the other not hauing so much as a morsell of bread to satisfie his hunger so were the Egyptians Lordes when the Israelites were slaues the Canaanites dwelling in a lande flowing with milke and hony abounding in plentie without a scarcitie when the posteritie of Abraham wandred in the wildernesse and endured many extremities The Viole and the Harpe are in the feastes of some and Iacobs affliction is not once so much as thought on And who doeth not see howe the worser sort dooth abuse the aboundant goodnesse of God O that the complaintes and miseries of the poore could make their heartes relent or the wishes and prayers of the godly coulde procure a sufficient redresse or the fearefull endes of their forerunners could warne them The Egyptians drowned the Canaanites destroyed the riche man in hell O that they woulde thinke that they cannot haue their heauen héere and in an other worlde or that fearefull sentence might preuaile with them Reuelation 18. 7. So muche torment for so muche pleasure waight for waight and measure for measure at leastwise if it bee not beyonde all measure Yet more properly and more truely it may bee saide that GOD is aboundant in goodnesse towardes his owne people As the Prophet Moses doeth in moste large sort set it downe Deutronomie 28. According as hée had foretolde vnto his seruant Abraham testifying of himselfe I am all sufficient And againe I am thy exceeding great rewarde worke vprightly before mee When hée and his were straungers in other landes hée suffered no man to doo them wrong but reprooued euen Kinges for their sakes being readie to bee consumed by death and famine hee prouided they shoulde not want béeing gréeuously oppressed of their enemies hée heard their crye and deliuered them hée smote all their enemies and brought them foorth with siluer and golde and there was not one féeble person among their Tribes hée brought foorth his people with ioye and his chosen with gladnesse And gaue them the lands of the Heathen and they tooke the labours of the people in possession This doctrine is so comfortable to the good and godly that although the worlde sée it not yet they feele and perceiue in secrete sort that the Lorde is aboundant in goodnesse towardes them alwayes hauing regarde vnto them so farre foorth as standeth with his glorie and their good Blessyng them in prosperitie defending them from their bodily and ghostly enemies prouiding for them in all necessities standing by them and comforting them in all their miseries God was aboundant in goodnesse towardes his people and is and will bee vnto the ende of the worlde but alwaies with an exception as hee did to the Israelites Vnto all other blssinges saieth the Psalme GOD gaue vnto them the landes of the Heathen and they tooke the laboures of the people in possession To this end that they might kéepe his statutes and obserue his lawes But as it fell out amongest the Israelites so it is daily séene amongst vs. The Lorde in the Prophecie of Esay compareth his people to a Vineyard and his aboundant goodnesse to the care hée had ouer that Vineyarde Hee caused his Vineyarde to bee seated vppon a verie frutefull hill he hedged it in and gathered out the stones of it hee planted it with the best plantes and hée built a tower in the middest thereof and made a Wine presse therein Then hee looked that it shoulde bringe forth grapes VVhat coulde I haue done anye more to my Vineyarde that I haue not done vnto it VVhy haue I looked that it should bring foorth grapes and it bringeth foorth wilde grapes Suche also hath Gods care euer beene to vs and for vs as was that of the husbandman ouer his figge trée who dressed it and digged rounde about it and dunged it but when hée commeth to seeke for frute I am affraide hée shall finde none But with Gods aboundant goodnesse let vs also consider and feare this least the trée be cut downe For euerie trée that bringeth not foorth good frute shall bee hewen downe and cast into the fire And such iudgement that was pronounced against the Israelites shall also light vppon vs. I will tell you saith the Lord what I will do to my vineiard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall bee eaten vp I will breake the wall thereof and it shall bee troden downe And I will laie it waste it shall not bee cut nor digged but briars and thornes shall grow vp I will also commaunde the cloudes that they raine no raine vppon it God graunt that euerie one among vs may consider his estate howe good the Lord is vnto him and bee warned betimes I beséeche yée that yée bee not partakers of Gods bountifull goodnesse in vaine To Gods aboundant goodnesse hée putteth a seale of Aboundant in truth full assurance and that is his promise least that wée should stande doubtfull of his goodnesse The world is full of promises but they bee nothing else but deceit the diuell can promise as fast but his promises are vntruthes for hée is the father of lies The fickle and vncertaine mindes of men are readie to promise any thing but for the most part there is no more hold in their words then in the winde The worlde the diuell and men promise mountaines but the truth is if they performe any thing it is but molehilles So that it were better neuer to harken vnto their promises then to hope for helpe from them It is the Lorde onely that kéepeth faithfull promise who euer liueth and alwayes helpeth For GOD is not as man that he should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent change his minde Hath he said and shall he not do it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish Though man doo promise yet is he alwaies wauering and more likely to chaunge his purpose then to
and the relief of the poore but in stéed of thankfulnesse steppes in a slumbring kind of idlenesse and in stéed of reliefe disdaine and contempt of the poore and charitie waxeth key cold where iniquitie beareth the sway and hath the vpper hand Behold saith the prophet Ezech. 16. this was the iniquitie of Sodome Pride Fulnesse of breade Aboundance of idlenes nether did she strengthen the hand of the poore and néedie The better sort vse Gods benifits to his glorie their comforts and the helpe of others But in the worser sort of people of whome the world is too full whose minds are giuen altogither earthly fleshly and sensually there is no such regard no such consideration but the more wanton and vain they are the more they think they please others euen such as are like them selues Otherwise they giue great offence to them that are godlie and well minded and vertuouslie disposed and prouoke gods anger against themselues Come say they let vs enioy our pleasures as though they were borne for nothing else but to eate and drinke and to play Let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointments Let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered But to what purpose and what is their minde in so doing Their answere is this Let not the flower of our youth passe by vs and let vs all be partakers of our wantonnes and let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in euery place For that is our portion say they and this is our lot and this is the onelie life wée looke to haue They that sowe to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption and euerlasting heauinesse shall be theire portion For howe swéete so euer they thinke it is yet bitternesse shall be in the ende Though GOD haue created many things as well for delight as necessitie yet they turne them to a wicked delight as though the distemperature were the right vse Surfetting and drunkennesse pride and excesse whoredome and vncleannesse chambering and wantonnesse and what not Being farre from the minde of the holy Apostle Vse the worlde as though thou didst not vse it Let not this delight of the creatures drawe thée from thy dutie to thy Creator That which should prouoke thée the more to loue him let it not be a meane nor any occasion that his anger should be stirred against thée to punish thée The grace of God hath appeared to teach vs to liue not onely godly and righteously but also soberly in this present worlde looking not on these worldly delightes but wayting for the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who shall make our bodies lyke to his glorious bodie and at his comming who shall take vs togither with him into the heauens Let no man grudge if hée be debarred from some delightes For God hath not graunted to euery one alike and well is it for the poore if they haue sufficient to satisfie their necessitie although they also be not restrained from all the delightes of Gods creatures Wherein the rich and wealthie although they haue great liberty must also remember that God hath enioyned them a lawe of sobrietie let them looke vpon the wilde beastes which haue but their compasse and vpon the mightie waters which haue their boundes They that haue not this libertie let them take all things thankfully and be content with their estate which God hath placed them in And let them frame their mindes to the counsell of the Apostle Phil. 4. 12. I can bee abased and I can abound euerie where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to bee hungry and to abounde and haue want For I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to bee content If GOD hath graunted thée store and plentie thou maiest vse his creatures to thy delight but bicause the nature of man is giuen to excesse and fewe there be that know the meane therfore God with these delights requireth also sobrietie that all abuse may be auoided Vse a litle well that thou maiest be partaker of much more and so shall heauenly ioyes follow earthly delightes By these things god doth try vs whether we be méet and fit for him or whether wée will make our selues the seruauntes and slaues of the diuel God graunt wée be found gold and not drosse wheate and not chaffe which is lyke to be burnt vp with vnquenchable fire Ecc. 39. 26. The principall things for the whole vse of mans life are water fire and iron and salt and meale wheate and hony and milke the bloud of the grape and oyle and cloathing All these things are good to the godly but to the sinners they are turned into euill being made culpable and faultie before Gods iudgement seate by reason of their abusing of them Thus you haue heard how God hath created all things especially for his glory so also that they might serue to the health life necessitie and pleasure of man But more frankly and with greater consideration and respect to the good of his chosen people all which are vnto them as it were instruments ministers and meanes whereby God doing them good might be honoured and praised of them Onely man God created for himselfe and all the rest for man that man togither with all his creatures might set foorth his glore O speake good of the Lord saith the Prophet all ye workes of his in all places of his dominion and there withall doth stirre vp himselfe to do to Praise thou the Lord ô my soule For what is man ô Lord that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest so regarde him So long as liue will I praise the Lorde and my mouth shall be full of his praises All thy workes praise thee ô Lord and thy Saints also giue thankes vnto thee they shew the glory of thy kingdome and talke of thy power That thy power thy glorie and mightinesse of thy kingdome might be knowne vnto men O praise the Lord ye Angels of his ye that excell in strength ye that fulfill his commandement and hearken vnto the voice of his words O praise the Lord all ye his hostes ye seruants of his that do his pleasure O praise the Lord of heauen praise him in the height Praise him Sunne and Moone praise him all ye starres and light Let them praise the name of the Lord. For he spake the word and they weare made hee commanded and they were created They were not made by blind chaunce but by the power of his word they wer created From the heauenly creatures the Prophet passeth to the creatures of the earth whome he maketh to sing the same song Praise the Lord vpon earth ye dragons and all depthes Fire and haile snow and vapours wind and storm fulfilling his word Mountains and all hilles fruitfull trees and all cedars Beasts and all cattell Wormes and feathered foules Lastly when he had giuen all other creatures their summons and their warning
frutes of the trées and some vpon the flowers of the field He hath appointed some beasts to be a foode for other as the asse is the lions praie and diuers smal fishes are swallowed vp of greater And who is it that can perfectly set downe the diuers sorts of nourishment and foode which God hath ordained for all his creatures to the preseruation of their liues Which if it had not bene so I meane if God had not had care of the preseruation of his creatures his creation had not lasted but for a moment and the glory thereof had not reached vnto this time neither should it haue continued as it is like to doo vnto the worldes end But as God created all things to set forth his glory and next for the vse of man so also hath he appointed foode to all liuing creatures that they might minister foode vnto man Wherin we may wel perceiue the gracious and louing care that God had for man who before he wold haue him to be in the world prouided all things necessary for him Not vnlike to a man here among vs that louing the friend whoÌ„ he intendeth to haue with him and to come vnto him ere euer that he wil haue him come maketh all things ready that may be either for his pleasure or for his necessitie and then sendeth for him to come all things thus being ready and prepared Which is not so to be vnderstood as though God of necessitie did doth so prouide for man but rather of his goodnesse and of his mercy For in stéed of health we deserue sicknesse in stéed of plentie penury and scarcitie in steed of wealth riches pouertie and misery Therfore God through our prouokement doth sometime withdrawe his plentifull hand and in stéed of his gracious prouidence calleth for a famin for a drought vpon man vpon beast and breaketh the staâ—â—e of bread wherby mans hart is strengthned Indéed God reléeueth man aboue all other creatures but yet for sinne God taketh his foode away from him If ye kéepe all my statutes and continue in my feare ye shall eate the good things of the land if not I will withdraw my blessings and send the contrary saith God by his Prophets As especially we may read Deu. 28. among the rest of gods blessings If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God and obserue do all his commandements blessed shal be thy basket thy dough thou shalt haue plentie the Lord shall open vnto thée his good treasure euen the heauen to giue raine vnto thy land in due season But if thou wilt not obey cursed shall thy basket be and thy dough and the Lord shall shut vp his good treasure against thée and the heauen that is ouer thy head shall be brasse and send downe no rain and the earth that is vnder thée shal be iron so fast closed that it shall yéeld thee no frute nor any increase Thou shalt carry out much séede into the field and shalt gather but little in for the grashoppers shal destroy it Thou shalt plant a vinyard dresse it but shalt neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes for the wormes shal eat it All thy trées fruit of thy land shall the grashopper consume God shall prepare for thée and send thée plentie but for thy offences thou shalt not be partaker of it but he wil giue it vnto vermin before thy face to make thée wonder at his iudgements and to descend into thy self examine thy own hart conscience that hast giuen such cause As the Prophet Ezechiel testifieth cap. 14 13. Sonne of man when the land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then wil I stretch out my hand vpon it and wil break the staffe of the bread therof and wil send famin vpon it and I wil destroy man beast forth of it For he wil cause the heauen to staie it self from dewe the earth to deny her fruit And he wil call for a drought vpon the land and vpon the mountains and vpon the corn vpon the wine and vpon the oyle vpon all that the ground bringeth foorth both vpon men vpon cattle and vpon all the labour of the hands And what a grief wil it be to sée the séeds of corn rot in the earth and to be chaunged from corne into wéedes How gréeuous shal it be to heare the dumbe beasts for to mourn and to sée the heards of cattle to pine away because they haue no pasture and the flocks of shéepe to be destroied for want of fodder Yea the riuers of waters also are dried vp because the fire of the wrath displeasure of the Lord shal deuoure all How should a hundreth fall before tenne vnlesse God had giuen them vp to the handes of their enemies And how should Gods prouidence be debarred from man but that God did shorten his hand through their faulte For when Gods anger is hot against men then doth he cause the enemy to besiege them and in the distresse of the siege shall they féele the want of gods gratious prouidence As we reade in the aforesaid chapter of Deutronomy The enemy shall besiege thée in all thy citties vntill the high and strong walles fall downe wherin thou trust est Then shall the tender and excéeding daintie man that loathed common meates for want of foode eate his owne children also the tender and daintie woman which wold scarce put her foote to the ground and was fed as it wer with princes delicats be glad to eate her after burthen and hunger shall so byte her that she shall be readie to eate her child before it be deliuered Which distresse being foretold afterward fel out in the daies of wicked king Ioram For his enemies did so besiege him his people vntil the famine was so great that an asses head was at foure score pieces of siluer and that the women did eate their children Wel therfore might the king say séeing the Lord doth not succour thée how should I help thée with the barne or with the wine presse Meaning that it laie not in him to helpe them to any vittaile For when God shutteth his hand and withdraweth his prouidence who can help When there is plenty we thinke all things come by a coÌ„mon course but vntil we be pinched with waÌ„t we shal neuer perceiue gods prouidence then we crie to God for foode and neuer before For the sin of man God turneth plentie into scarcitie and in stéed of foode they finde famine yet to comfort the hearts of the godly when other are readie to die for famine they shall haue to serue their turn On euery side death famin misery crying wéeping and yet God shall fâ—ed them God shal prouide for them and they shall be so wel prepared that whatsoeuer fall out they shall be content with Gods visitation As the raine falleth in one place and not in an other so
the dagge charged cannot shoote off or the poinado readie can do no hurt No counsell and no practise against Gods care and prouidence and mercy What hindered king Saul from killing Dauid who afterward was king in his place Or who hindered the desperate Iewes from killing the Apostle S. Paul Or how came it to passe that Esau after he had purposed the death of his brother Iacob yet in stéed of crueltie shewed him mercy There was no other cause but Gods working and his prouidence who defendeth his with a stretched out arme and turneth his wrath against the rest Where also we may learne in the examples before remembred that none méete sooner with harme then they that most meant it they dig a pit for others and fall into it themselues they thinke it shall not so fall out but they know not what Gods power is and how he bringeth his matters to passe Which he so doth that we may haue iust cause to say Doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth and ruleth all things by his prouidence And the more that we may wonder hereat and glorifie God certain it is that Gods prouidence doth then shine most brightly when our matters are most troublesome yet how troublesome soeuer they be God directeth all to a good end to the good of the one and the punishment of the other to his iustice and to his mercy The thunder séemes to shake the heauens the lightning to burne vp all raine and haile and tempestes make men agast and yet in a moment God taketh away all and maketh the weather faire The blustering windes are vp the sea rageth riseth vp in mountains and threatneth to ouerflow the earth and suddainly there is no such matter but a still and quiet calme The Aramites they come in multitudes and readie to swallow vp the Israelites nothing before them but feare and hunger and famine and death and suddainly againe safetie and plentie and peace As if one in a dreame had séene dreadfull things as to bee slaine by his enemies or deuoured of wild beasts or drowned in the sea but when he was awake it was nothing so In all extremities God helpeth his by his gratious and mightie prouidence yet so that he will haue vs also to put Nomb. 14. 44. too our helping hand and not to stand still idlely and looke that God should do all for vs neither are we againe to put our selues rashly into daunger and so to tempt God If God do offer vs meanes of deliuerance let vs not neglect them or be slow to vse them if he foresheweth daungers let vs not rush into them as king Ioas did who although he were a godly king yet through his rash enterprise lost his life who being foretold what would fall out yet foolishly would aduenture God hath graunted vnto men the reason to beware and also to consult of doubtfull and daungerous matters which God vseth diuersly to the performance of his prouidence Let wisedome and care and diligence be vsed and commit thy wisedome and counsels to Gods will and then God will further our causes Be flothfull and negligent and sée what will follow euen dangers and mischiefs before thou art aware Yet let vs wade further into the affaires of men and search these two waightie points concerning prosperitie and aduersitie What greater prosperitie can there be in the world then is the prosperitie of a king yet nothing is more ruled by gods prouidence then this matter as though God had especiall care of them that should represent his owne person Wherein he hath alwaies regard to them who walke vprightly to kéepe his statutes and commandements As it was said vnto Ioshua Meditate in the lawe of the Lord that thou maiest obserue and do according to all that is written therein For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe and I will be with thée saith the Lord whither so euer thou goest Which is confirmed by the example of king Dauid who gaue his sonne Salomon this charge Take héede to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies and kéep his statutes and his commandements and his iudgemeÌ„ts and his testimonies as it is written in the lawe of Moses that thou maiest prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereto thou turnest thée That the Lord may confirme his word which he spake vnto me saying If thy sons take héed to their way that they walke before me in truth with all their hearts and with all their soules thou shalt not said he want one of the posteritie to sit vpon the throne of Israel Nowe marke howe the prouidence of God doth worke vpon this foundation and vpon this ground King Saul when hee thought vppon no such matter was made king by Gods appointment for God commanded the prophet to annoint him king who so continued vntill he disobeied Gods commandement And then he that annointed him was the messenger to tell him that God had dispossessed him of his kingdome Because saith he thou hast cast away the word of the Lord the Lord hath cast away thée that thou shalt not be king ouer Israel any more The Lord this day hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thée and hath giuen it to thy neighbour that is better then thou The like we reade of king Salomon the sonne of Dauid who had so large a promise with this excription if he kept the couenant of God Salomon brake it and in stéed of worshipping the true God he followed after other Gods euen strange Gods and such as his godly father knewe not Wherefore the Lord said vnto Salomon Forasmuch as this is done of thee and thou hast not kept my couenant and my statutes which I commanded thee I wil surely rent the kingdome from thee and will giue it to thy seruaunt As we reade 1. K. 11. 26. Ieroboam Salomons seruaunt and the â—uerscer of his works lifted vp his hand against the king and this was the cause The Prophet Ahijah met with Ieroboam and the prophet caught his garment and rent it in twelue péeces and bid him take ten péeces vnto himselfe signifying that the most part of the kingdome should be his because his maister king Salomon did most worship God aright but fell away from him by idolatry And that the prouidence of God may be more manifest we reade that after Ieroboam rebelled against Salomons son which sate in his throne I say this young and vnwise king he gathethereth a greater power to go against him But the word of God came vnto Shemaiah the man of God saying Thus saith the Lord Ye shal not go vp nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel Returne euery man to his house For this thing is done by me They obeied therefore the word of the Lord returned and departed And so was Ierochoam king Salomons seruant established in the crowne and the true heire put by
he hath purposed in him In whom also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worketh all things after the counsell of his own wil. Gal. 1. 4. Iob. 9. 10. God doth great things and vnsearchable yea maruellous things without number Rom. 9. 20. O man who art thou which pleadest against god shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus That God hath the ordering of mens affaires as also of hardning the heart Gene. 45. 7. 8. Ioseph to his brethren God saith he sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land and to saue you aliue by a great deliuerance Now then ye sent me not hither but God who hath made me a father vnto Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egipt Esay 10. 5. 6. 7. 8. 11. 12. 13. 15. O Ashur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hand is mine indignation I wil send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile and to take the pray and to tread them vnder féete like the mire in the stréete But hée thinketh not so neither doeth his heart estéeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and cut off not a fewe nations For he saith Are not my princes altogither Kings Shall not I as I haue done to Samaria and to the idoles thereof so do to Ierusalem and the idoles thereof But when the Lord hath accomplished all his worke vpon mount Sion and Ierusalem I will visit the frute of the proud hart of the king of Ashur and his glorious and proud lookes Because he said By the power of mine owne hand haue I done it and by my wisdome because I am wise Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith or shall the sawe exalt it selfe against him that moueth it As if the rod should lift vp it selfe against him that taketh it vp or the staffe should exalt it selfe as it were no wood When God hath punished his children with the rod he casteth it into the fire Iere. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his stepps For though man may purpose yet God will dispose 1. Kings 12. 15. The king Rehoboam Salomons sonne a wise father and a foolish sonne following the counsaile of young men and gréene heades harkened not to the lawfull request of the people For it was the ordinance of the Lord the he might performe his saiyng which he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat 2. Chro. 10. 15. A note out of the Geneua bible vpon this place of scripture concerning Rehoboam who yéelded vnto young mens counsaile Gods wil imposeth such a necessitie to the second causes that nothing can be done but by the same And yet mans will worketh as of it selfe so that it cannot bée excused in doing euiil by alledging that it is Gods ordinance 2. Chro. 11. 4. When Rehoboam had gathered nine score thousand chosen men of warre to fight against Israell that is those his subiects which did rebell against him the Lord warned him them by his prophet Shemaiah saiyng Ye shall not goe vp nor fight against your bretheren returne euery man to his house For this thing is done of me saieth the Lord. They obeied therefore the worde of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboham 2. Chro. 22. 7. And the destruction of Ahaziah came of god in the he went to Ioram For when he was come he went forth with Ioram against lehu the sonne of Nimshi whom the Lord had annointed to destroy the house of Ahab 2. Chro. 25. 19. 20. King Ioash sent vnto king Amaziah and said Thou thinkest lo thou hast smitten Edome thy hart lifteth thée vp to brag Abide nowe at home why doest thou prouoke to thine hurt the thou shouldst fall Iudah with thée But Amaziah would not heare for it was of God that he might deliuer them into his hand because they sought the Gods of Edom. The note vpon the place Thus God oftentimes plagueth by these meanes wherein men most trust to teach them to haue their recourse only to him And to shewe his iudgements he moueth their hearts to followe that which shal be their destruction The ordering of the iourney of Abrahams seruaunt and of the thrée wise men that sought Christ by the leading of a starre the circumstaunces also of Christ his death and passion shewe how God ruleth the affaires of man Psal 64 8. 9. Their owne tongs shall make them fall insomuch that who so seeth them shall laugh them to scorne And all men that sée it shall say This hath God done for they shal perceiue that it is his worke Pro. 19. 33. The lot is cast into the lappe but the disposition thereof is of the Lord. Which thing is wonderfully expressed in the story of Ionas God ordereth not only their affaires but their affections also as hatred good-will ioy and sorow Pro. 21. 1. The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him Ge. 21. 22. 23. Esther 15. 11. Acts. 4. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Why did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine things The kings of the earth assembled and the rulers came togither against the Lord and against his Christ For doubtlesse against thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou hadst annointed both Herode and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues togither to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsaile had determined before to be done 2. Sa. 16. 11. Dauid saide to Abishai and to his seruants Behold my sonne which came out of mine owne bowels séeketh my life then how much more now may this sonne of Iemini Suffer him to curse for the Lorde hath bidden him It may be that the Lord will looke vpon my affliction and do me good for his cursing this day Pro. 16. 7. When the waies of a man please the Lord hée will make also his enemies at peace with him Gen. 31. Now Iacob heard the words of Labans sonnes saying Iacob hath taken away all that was our fathers and of our fathers goods hath he gotten all his honor Also Iacob beheld the countenance of Laban that it was not towards him as in times past And the Lord said vnto Iacob Turne againe into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred and I wil be with thée Then Iacob called his wiues and said I sée your fathers countenance that it is not towards me as it was wont and the God of my father hath bin with me And ye know that I haue serued your father with all my might But your father hath deceiued me and changed my wages ten times the is oftentimes but god suffered
quarrelling Let vs rather reuerence yâ— which passeth the reach and compasse of our wits and turne our mindes wholy to praise his mercy who by his onely grace hath saued vs when we deserued the like punishment and damnation and were no lesse sinners and wicked theÌ„ they The chief matters with places of Scripture for proofe God hath appointed a way to his infinit wisdome and to the execution of his predestination shutting vp al vnder disobadience sinne and vnbeleefe Gall. 3. 22. But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beléeue Rom. 11. 32. God hath shut vp all in vnbeléefe that he might haue mercy vpon all that beléeue So that the way to the Godly to be partakers of mercy is to beleeue wherein we must vnderstand that faith is a gift of God peculiarly belonging to the elect and chosen children of God Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained vnto eternal life beléeued Ephe. 2. 8. For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Titus 1. 1. Paule a seruant of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ according to the faith of Gods elect which is proper and peculiar vnto them so that they that are partakers of faith may assure themselues yâ— they pertaine to god Philip. 1. 29. For vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not only ye should beléeue in him but also suffer for his sake Gal. 5. 22. The frute of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffring gentlenes goodnes faith Iohn 6. 65. No man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my father As also they that doe not beleeue nor knowe God are iustly condemned 2. These 3. 2. Pray for vs that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men For all men haue not faith Mat. 13. 11. It is giuen vnto you saith Christ to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen For the gospell and meanes of saluation is hid to them that perish 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. 2. Thes 2. 10. Ihon 12. 37. And though Iesus had done so many miracles before them yet beléeued they not on him That the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fulfiled c. Man created in innocency puritie and holinesse Gene. 1. 27. Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female And what vertuous and holy qualities were there which were not in the image of God according as it is at large set downe Ephe. 4. 24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes true holines and so forth to the end of the chapter Man fell not from God by constraint or necessitie but became seruant of sin through his owne will Gen. 3. 6. So the woman séeing that the trée was good for meat and that it was pleasant to the eies and a trée to be desired to get knowledge tooke of the frute thereof and did eate and gaue also to her husband with her and he did eate which thing was contrary to the commaundement of God and a penaltie of death set vpon them if they did eate as we reade chap. 2. 16. 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying Thou shalt eate fréely of euery trée of the garden but as touching the trée of knowâ—edge of good and euill thou shalt not eate of it For whensoeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death By which fall and and disobedience he did binde and drawe the whole nature of man to sin and so consequently to the death of body and soule Ro. 7. 20. Nowe if I doe that I would not it is no more I that do it but the sinne that dwelleth in me Ro. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned This fall of man came not by chaunce or fortune because the prouidence of God reacheth euen to the smallest matters Mat. 10. 29. 30. Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father yea and all the haires of your head are numbred Pro. 16. 33. The lot is cast into the lappe but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. What matter God hath so ordained to shewe his glory by mercy to the one and wrath to the other Ro. 9. 21. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe on vessell to honour and an other vnto dishonour What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power to be knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction And that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorie Pet. 2. 6. 8. Behold I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious and he that beleueth therein shall not be ashamed A stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the word being disobedient vnto the which thing they were eueÌ„ ordained Neither saluation nor damnation is the finall end of Gods counsaile but his owne glory Ro. 9. 17. For the scripture saith vnto Pharaoh For this same purpose haue I stirred thée vp that I might shewe my power in thée and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth Pro. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill For ere the children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto Rebecca their mother The elder shall serue the younger As it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau Well in this cause may men pleade against God but it shall not preuaile Ro. 9. 19. 20. Thou wilt say then vnto me Why doth he yet complaine For who hath resisted his will But O maÌ„ who art thou which pleadest against God shal the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus But rather we ought to reuerence that which is past our reach and turne our minds wholly to praise god in his workes especially for his mercy toward vs. Ro. 11. 33. O the déepenesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vn searchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Ps 107. 8. O that men would therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and praise him for his wonderfull workes that he doeth for the children of men The fourth Chapter By what order God proceedeth to declare and
gospell that toward the latter end of the world heresies and errour shall so abound that if it were not for Gods grace and his instructing spirits euen the elect should bee deceiued and togither with the rest should be danmed For damnation is the effect of superstition and heresie and the diuell blinding vs and deceiuing vs dooth vse that forcible meane to draw vs from the knowledge of God and of our owne saluation Which thing the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians 2. Epistle chapter 2. dooth witnesse vnto vs that false teachers shall come vnto vs to deceiue vs â—y the working of the diuell But among whome shall they preuaile among none but them that perish because they receiued not the laue of the truth that they might be â—â—ued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beléeue lies and that all they might be damned which beléeued not the truth Many are the heresies that are sprung vp in the worlde and where the word of God is not their guide and the spirit of God doth not teach them there is nothing but wandring going astray in the vanitie of their thoghts For the true God the heathen worship the Sun the Moone and the Starres the Turke his Mahomet another people fall downe before Images créepe to crosses goe in pilgrimage to the reliques of Saintes put the only hope of their saluation in their good workes and if that serue not they make account that the praiers of them that are liuing shall doo them good after they be dead and release them being in torments They make their praiers vnto Saintes and thinke by pardons and indulgences and such meanes to haue their sinnes forgiuen them bee they neuer so many so great so hainous and so gréeuous But when the grace of God dooth teach vs instruct vs and lighten our mindes then all blind superstitions and vngodly heresies vanish away at the triall of the truth euen as the fogges and mistes doo breake away when the Sunne appeareth in his force And well may such false opinions vanish away because they are but vanities Copper beareth a shewe of golde and may bee flourished ouer to deceiue the eye of the simple but when it commeth to bee tried by the touchstone it appeareth to be a vaine thing and a thing of no account in comparison of gold So all superstition and heresies may goe for true religion in the mindes of simple and ignoraunt people but when they come to the touchstone the true triall I meane the word of God then if the grace of God do worke in our hearts by the reading and hearing of the word then wee beginne to denie the vngodlinesse of false religion and daily more and more wee growe in this grace and in the knowledge of his truth The ignorant mindes of the Heathen worshipping the Sunne the Moone and the Starres when GOD graunteth them of his knowledge as no doubt GOD vouchsafeth some they shall vnderstand that the Sunne the Moone and the Starres are but Gods creatures and that there is a Creator that made them and a Redéemer that died for them For the mercy of God shall be preached throughout the world and then shall the end of the world come The Turkes although many of them and that the most part of them mocke and scoffe at our crucified Christ yet the seale of God remaineth sure and some are called to the knowledge of the truth and God forbid yâ— the grace of God should be denied vnto them although thousands of them do perish They may be inwardly touched and God may vouchsafe them of fauour and make them partakers of his mercy and they may beleeue althogh they make not so ample profession of their faith and beliefe Those whom we call Papists who are deceiued concerning the truth of religion and the certaintie of their saluation and giue their names and consent vnto falshood before they haue had iust triall of the truth many of them are not perswaded nor euer will yéeld to be perswaded because the grace of god to them hath not as yet appeared For why they are carried away with high conceits of their owne deceiued mindes They thinke their owne inuentions and traditions to be of equall force with Gods word whereas they should in all humble sort submit themselues theâ— unto they thinke so highly of themselues that by their owne good workes they may deserue heauen so that the saluation of God which commeth by his grace and mercy is troden vnder their féete What are pilgrimages and reliques and praiers to saints and purgatorie but mans inuentions Which they can neuer approue to be good neither shall they euer finde warrant for them in Gods word The grace of God teacheth them to deny the vngodlinesse of mens deuices inuentions and traditions and so much the more because God hath pronounced a curse to them that shall adde or put too or diminish and take away any thing from his word I protest saith the spirit of of God vnto euery man Reu. 22. 18. 19. that heareth the words of the Prophecie of this booke if any man shall adde vnto these things God shal adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophecie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and from those things which are written in this booke Daungerous therefore are the deuices and traditions of men and likewise in a most dangerous estate are they who are ruled by them because that in them are contained many thinges that are contrary to the will of God and to his word What is it for vs to be perswaded that we shal be saued by our good workes although good works be necessary and commanded when the truth of Gods word shal direct vs that only by the grace and mercy of God we are saued and not by good workes let them beare neuer so glorious and glistering a shewe in the sight of men and séeme neuer so much to be approued Ephe. 2. 8. By grace are ye saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe The most righteous men next vnto our sauiour Christ that euer liued when they make their praiers vnto God what say they Say they with the Pharisée I fast twise a wéeke I giue almes to the poore I pay tithe of all that euer I possesse No they come not in with such titles and with so glorious a stile Bâ—t as we reade Dan. 9. O Lord be mercifull vnto vs that haue sinned we haue committed iniquitie and done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and departed from thy commandements O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thée and vnto vs open shame As Daniel so also righteous Abraham confesseth of him selfe I am but dust and ashes and as one of no account God regardeth the humble
bread and they that know the right vse therof will be also readie to giue thanks to God when they haue refreshed themselues Whereas they that are giuen to their pleasures are like to swine that are gréedie of the maste so that their flesh being prompt their lusts may abound In the Epistle to the Gal. where other sinnes are noted by one name the sin of lecherie is expressed by diuers names as adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse to note vnto vs the pronesse of mans nature and their gréedie desire to sin Watching and waking night day deuising and casting how to bring their naughtie purpose to passe making only account of them that shall further them in their desires and serue their turnes spending all their wealth nay further then that wasting al their strength and yet more laying their soules to pawne for the enioying of a little pleasure vntill their wealth bee turned to pouerty their strength to weaknesse sicknesse and loathsome diseases vntill all hope bee turned to dispaire life to death and saluation to damnation Wherefore the holiâ— spirit of God knowing the sinfull hastinesse and vnsatiable desire of mankind herein draweth the excesse into a meane and for extremitie enioyneth vs sobrietie and for auoiding all mischiefes dooth set vs downe a remedie For sobrietie is the moderatour of the minde and dooth restraine our vnbrideled affections It is a gift that dooth kéepe the mind from pleasures altogither and in those that be lawfull it kéepeth vs from the excesse and abuse of them The gift of chastitie is rare and the coÌ„trary is to rife which causeth the Apostle to vse these words Good it were for a man not to touch a woman and I could wish it were with other as it is with my self neuerthelesse to auoid fornication let euerie man haue his wife and euery woman her owne husband And againe if they cannot abstaine let them marry for it is better to marry then to burne And that they might vse the benifit of marriage soberly and not in excesse as a remedy to theire concupiscence and not as a libertie to the flesh he giueth counsaile further This I say brethren because the time is short Let them that haue wiues be as though they had none Vnto the which agreeth that of the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epi. 4. 7. Now the ende of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in praier As if he had said as much as is possible let the whole time of our life be spent in holinesse knowing this that no vncleane thing shall enter into the kingdome of God Let vs walke honestly not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse but let vs put on the Lord Iesus Christ and be clothed with the garment of holinesse neither let vs take thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it I beséech you receiue not the grace of God in vaine Pride and brauery in apparrel excesse in building no Apparrell measure in expences this is the fashion of the world And the ouerplus and ouerlashing that euerie one is giuen vnto declareth howe farre we are by nature from sobrietie and that sobrietie and a measure is the gifte of the grace of God True it is that men are too too giuen to pride and braue apparrell and many doo set their glorie and their felicitie therein whose glorie is to their shame and whose felicitie and happinesse is sinfull Lightly they are but scorned and contemned in the sight of others who shall beholde theire vanitie while they thinke thereby to be honoured And as we reade that God regardeth the humble so he beholdeth the proud afarre of The prophet Esay the apostle S. Paul séeing the excesse of apparell and this vice of pride more to abound in women dooth especially note it and rebuke it in them The Prophet Esay in his third chapter sheweth the vanitie of the women in his daies and howe God would punish theire excessiue desires his words are these The Lord also saith Because the daughters of Sion are hautie and walke with stretched out neckes and with wandring eies walking and musing as they goe and making a tinkling with theire féete Therefore shall the Lord make the heades of the daughters of Sion bald In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tiers the swéet balles and the bracelets and the bonnets the tiers of the head the tablets and the earings the ringes and the muflers the costly apparrell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses the fine linnen and the hoods and the launes And in stéed of swéete sauour their shal be stincke and in stéed of a girdle a rent and in stéed of dressing of the hair baldnesse and in stéed of a stomacher a girâ—ing of sackcloath and burning in stéed of beautie No man can be ignorant that apparrell was ordained to couer our nakednesse to kéepe vs warme and to preserue our health and not to shew our brauery or to spend our thrift thereon And because the Apostle did perceiue that women were more faultie herein therefore he counsaileth them 1. Tim. 2. 5. That if they will be accounted to be godly and sober that they should lay aside all brauery and array themselues in comely apparel with shamefastnesse modestie not with broidered hair or gold or pearles or costly garments but as becommeth women that professe the fear of God that they shuld deck themselues with good works and shewe their brauerie in their almes and relieuing those yâ— stand in néed The Apostle S. Pet. 1. Epi. 3. 3. Likewise hath almost the same words and giueth a little more light to this perswasion The apparrelling of women let it not bee so much outward saieth hée in breivered haire and gold put about and in glorious apparell But if they will be commended for their modestie and sobrietie let the hid man of their hearts be vncorrupt with a méeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by And if they delight in braue apparrell let this be theire apparrell and no other For euen after this manner in time past did the holy woman which trusted in God tier themselues and were subiect to their husbands A note well put in And were subiect to theire husbands For many of them being too wilfull and too stately altogither against the wills of their husbands and beyond their husbands power and abilitie bring them into debt and pouerty and make them oftentimes to vse vnlawful meanes to maintaine their brauery Which is a token of incontinency that they had rather please the eies of others then their owne husbands For commonly lewde women are noted by their braue attire Braue without and foule within painted sepulchers and rotten bones Better it were braue within and comely without modest and sober at home and abroad in euery place To this warning which is giuen to
vnto thée from thy God For I will set mine eies vpon them for good and I wil bring them again to this land and I wil build them and not destroy them and I wil plant them and not roote them out saith the Lord. Therfore they shall come reioyce in the height of Sion and shall run to the bountifulnesse of the Lord euen for the wheat for the wine and for the oile for the increase of shéep bullocks and their soule shal be as a watred garden they shall haue no more sorrow Then shal the virgin reioyce in the dance and the yong men the old mē togither for I wil turn their mourning into ioy wil comfort them giue them ioy for their sorrows And y◠voice of ioy and the voice of gladnesse and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride shal be heard in their stréets as also the voice of them y◠shal say Praise the Lord of hostes because the Lord is good for his mercy endureth for euer Hagar Abrahams handmaid being ready to wéepe out her hart with sad mournfull teares and pittious lamentable cries God caused her to behold ioy and gaue her the life of her infant when it was ready to die with thirst promised her moreouer that of him shuld come a great people What trobles did king Dauid endure whē he was a subiect vnder king Saul who continually sought his death and most cruelly and vndeseruedly to shead his innocent blood how many feares how many flights how many dangers Where death was God made life appeare where contempt was God gaue credit and when his crosses were ended God gaue him his crowne to reioyce him Which made him thankfull to God saying Thou hast turned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded mee with gladnesse Therefore shall my tongue praise thee and not cease O Lord my God I will giue thankes vnto thee for euer Ieremiah the Prophet beaten cast into prison readie to starue for hunger like to be put to death but the Lord hi◠him Who had regard of his trouble and of his sorrow and sent him ioy with great credit For in the sight of them that were led into captiuitie Zabuzaradan the chiefe steward according to the commaundement of king Nabuchodonozor who willed him to looke well vnto him and to doo him no harme but euen as he himselfe would desire to be dealt withall loosed him from the chaines which were on his hands and intreated him most kindly saying If it please thée to come with me into Babel come and I wil looke wel vnto thée but if it please thée not to come with me into Babel tarry still Behold all the land is before thée whither it séemeth good and conuenient for thée to go thither go So the chiefe steward gaue him vittailes and a reward and let him go If we looke vpon the deathfull sorrow of chaste Susanna do we not in reading her storie reioyce with her to sée what ioy of heart God sent her The Apostle Saint Peter being in prison his bands were loosed the prison doore set wide open and he by an Angel willed to come forth so was his ioy increased vpon the suddain beyond expectation Tolet goe other examples I will vse but this one King Ashuerus through the accusations of wicked Haman gaue out his letters that the Iewes should be slaine throughout his dominions A pittifull thing it was to sée and heare the outcries of the poore distressed Iewes Mardocheus gréeuously mourning yea Hester the Quéene her selfe fainted and fel down in a swoune Yet behold after a while the kings heart and mind is changed after a while life ioy yea and a solemne and a yearly remembrance of that ioy throughout their posterities and generations After a tempest a calme after stormie weather faire All which examples ought to be sufficient incouragements vnto vs not to be daunted or dismaied for any sorrow but rather to sustaine our selues with the hope of ioy to come After pouertie may come wealth after sicknesse Psal 107. 41. health after imprisonment libertie after shame by false reports credite againe after miserie dignitie after hatred good will after sorrow ioy and who knoweth what a day may bring foorth The seruant that endureth much drudgery that is beaten vndeseruedly that continueth painfully that performeth faithfully is in time released and with riches store and plentie blessed when as to remember what great miserie hee hath abidden and gone through is one of his chiefe ioyes Experience prooueth this to be true and the example of Iacobs seruice vnder Laban vnrequited by his grudging maister but plentifully rewarded by God himselfe dooth shewe howe thy sorrowes may bee turned into ioy Feare not saith Tobit to his sonne though thou bee poore for thou hast many things if thou feare God For indéed all Gods blessings especially pertaine to them that feare him though otherwise enioyed by vsurpation and an easie thing it is with God suddeinly to make a poore man rich The sorrowes of sicknesse may ende in ioyfull health King Hezekiah had fiftéene yeares added to his daies and it reioyced him more then his kingdome Compare Iosephs imprisonment with his honour and Susannais credite with her shame and Mordecais miserie with his dignitie and Esaus hatred Pro. 16. 7. toward Iacob altered to good will and louing affection and sée whither it be not true that Christ hath said set downe in the behalfe and respect of the godly Ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy It was a benefite and a ioy to Hezekiah to haue his daies prolonged and it was promised to king Iosiah for a great blessing to haue his daies cut off But the cause of this blessing and ioy was the great sorrowe that he tooke considering the great plagues that were to come vpon his people As it was answered by Hulda the Prophetesse These euils which you haue heard read vnto you shall come vpon this land because of their idolatry But to the king that sent you thus shall you say Thus saith the Lord because thy heart did melt when thou heardst what was spoken against this place and didst rent thy clothes and wéepe before me I haue heard it saith the Lord. Behold therefore I will gather Esay 57. 1. thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not sée all the euil which I wil bring vpon this place Moses wéepeth and mourneth to himselfe that he could not be partaker of his desire as to enter into that promised plentifull pleasant land that hée could not sée that goodly mountaine and Lebanon and was angry with his people who were the cause that he was bereaued of his ioy but in that he was taken vp into paradise and placed in the heauens were not all sorrows think you fully and most aboundantly requited with ioy The world
appointed the woman to this sorrow and therfore it ought to be a ioy to shew her obedience in perfourming Gods will And if she pertaine to God this she may boldly say with the Apostle that if she liue she liues to the Lord if she die she dies to the Lord. Wherefore whether she liue or die she is the Lordes Come life come death if Gods will be obeied it is life and ioy what euer falleth out Such also ought our resolution to be with that of the Apostles We receiued the sentence of death within our selues knowing that we are appointed to these things as shéep for the slaughter And if things come to passe beyond our expectation the more shall we haue experience of Gods mercie and fauour which imbraceth vs euen as the tender kindnes of a father to a childe who while he beateth wéepeth ouer vs as Christ did ouer Ierusalem for louing affection his good will toward vs is such and so great We are in the Lords hand who in his good time will send ioy what burden soeuer of sorrowe he lay vpon vs in the meane time There is the houre of throes there is also the instant of deliuerance the sorrow is not so great but the ioy also excéecéedeth in greatnes And what are the afflictions and persecutions of the godly in this world is not the continuance thereof compared to a moment which is afterward recompensed with an eternall waight of glorie If the time of her deliuerance be long ere it commeth yet is not too long that comes at last According to that we reade Pro. 13. 12. The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart but when the desire commeth it is a tree of life The ioy of the godly although they long wayt for it yet when it is come it bringeth comfort enough euen at the sodaine change and at the very first taste therof There is a great passion and we are mooued much at the first knowledge of sorrowe or of ioy which in time abateth more and more King Belchasar at the first when that hée did see the hand writing on the wall his countenance chaunged and the ioyntes of his loynes were loosed and his knees did smite one against the other Likewise also king Agag at the first thought of ioy that his life should be preserued came foorth pleasantly and said Truly the bitternes of death is passed The very time of deliuerance doth bring with it the chiefest part of reioycing Yea her reioycing is so great that presently vpon the féeling of this ioy all sorrow is forgotten not only that she findeth present ease but that she is safe and well deliuered Why therfore should we not suffer sorrow and affliction paciently séeing that a moment of ioy will make vs forget all sorrow yea in a manner that we had any sorrow at all And what can bee more safe and more sure then that which God kéepes then that which God giues warrant for I know to whom I haue committed my selfe saith the Apostle 2. Tim. 2. 12. And the Lord will deliuer and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen 2. Tim. 4. 18. Pharao made a cruell edict against the Israelites that the men children should be slaine and the Midwiues that were appointed for that cruell decrée refrained and gaue answer that the women of the Hebrewes were not as the women of Egipt for they were liuely were deliuered ere the Midwiues came at them In like sort also is the deliuerance that God sheweth toward the godly For oftentimes by Gods mercy and gracious prouidence they are deliuered from great and mightie dangers without the help of man God taking the matter into his own hands The Israelites deliuered from the Egiptians in the redde sea for God gaue passage the thrée children in the firie furnace for God sent helpe Only this is to be marked and to be amended that presently vpon ioy we do not only forget all sorrow but also forget to giue him thankes who is the authour and sender of our ioy Are there not ten leapers healed but where are the nine Good reason it is that we be kept so long from ioy because we are so forgetfull to bee thankfull therefore The Prophet Moses Deu. 8. 10. forewarned the Israelites of this forgetfulnesse against they came into the lande of Canâ—an as if he had leene and perceiued how forgetfull they would be And when thou hast eaten and filled thy self saith he thou shalt blesse the Lorde thy God for the good lande which he hath giuen thée He laieth a commandement vpon them Furthermore he giueth them this caueat Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God not kéeping his commandements and his lawes and his ordinances which I command thée this day for thy wealth And that they might be the more circumspect hee sheweth them howe they are like to fall into this fault Lest saith he when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe and hast built goodly houses dwelt therein and thy beasts and thy shéepe are increased and thy sâ—iuer and gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is increased Then thy heart be lifted vp and thou forget the Lord which brought thee out of the land of Egipt from the house of bondage Learne therefore to giue thankes for deliuerance when God sendeth it impute it not to fortune and chance to midwiues and to men whem often but not alwaies God vseth for thy helpe haue principally an eie to Gods gracious prouidence and furtherance Many comforts and ioyes are outward as when the women reioyce to see her well deliuered the midwife that the matter to come to so good a passe the husband that hee hath receined his wife as it were from death to life But Prou. 14. 10. all this ioy is not so much as that which the woman her self féeles within her her heart so greatly abounding with ioy This ioy also God doth adde to the ioyes of the godly that the swéetnesse of ioy that they perceiue within themselues and none knoweth it so well as themselues is so excellent that of all other ioyes this doth surmount Which ioy S. Iohn in his Reuelation expresseth chapter 14. 3. in these words And they sung as it were a newe long before the throne and the elders and no man could learne that song but the hundreth sortie and foure thousand which were bought from the earth To them also was giuen a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knew sauing they only that receiued it Re. 2. 17. Which stone and Re. 19. 12. name I may compare to the seale Emanuel which is lawfull for none to vse but the prince onely Such princely prerogatiues are graunted them But the onely ioy of the woman being deliuered and which the text doth specifie is at the birth of a man childe Man child To be deliuered of her childe is a ioy
thy sonnes take heed to their way that they walke before me in truth with al their hearts and with all their soules thou shalt not said he want one of thy posteritie vpon the throne of Israel So also because the Rechabites kept the commaundement of their father their continuance by posteritie was their blessing as we reade Iere 35. 18. 19. which God caused to be pronounced vnto them by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremiah Thus saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Because ye haue obeied the commandemeÌ„t of Ionadab your father and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he hath commanded you Therefore saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rachab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer but his posteritie shal continue and be continually in my fauour What greater preserment can come to the godly to requiâ—e their sorrowes withall then that it pleased God to make them all men-children and also heires of his heauenly kingdome if so be they can frame themselues to be content to suffer with him else are they in no sort worthie to be glorified with him For all the sorrowes and afflictions of this life are nothing to the glorie that shall be reuealed They may also be well said to be heires of the crown which is not so lightly obteined for oftentimes such a matter costeth many a man his life And how many dangers are vndertaken before we may be capable of this royaltie or thought worthie to be princes fellowes All things that are excellent haue a deare price and he that would be a prince must perswade himselfe it shall cost him full deare Yet a worthie mind thinkes no labour too painfull no danger impossible and all sorrowes to be swéete which haue so swéete a recompence Reu. 4. 4. I sawe round about the throne foure and twentie seates and vppon the seates foure and twentie elders sitting cloathed in white raiment and had on their heads crownes of gold Reu. 3. 11. Behold I come shortly hold that which thou hast that no man take thy crowne To the preferment of the godly this also may be added Nâ—me that their name and good report shall liue for euer wheras 〈◊〉 39. 13. the remembrance of the wicked rot Many things are done by the wicked for a name but it turnes cleane contrary For the credite of their name shall be but shame and discredite shall be their glorie They that built the tower of Babel got themselues a name but with dâ—risition of their follie and as good haue no name as such a name But the name that the godly leaue after their death is precious and the constant Martirs that gaue vp their liues for the profession of Christ his truth are remembred with reuerence Their bodies although they haue bene put to extremities and gréeuous punishments yet shall their names liue for euermore The congregation shall talke of their praise and although they be dead they shall leaue a greater fame then a thousand The doating foolishnesse of the world is such euer to neglect heauen and to séeke for a name in earth where nothing is firme nothing continueth but sadeth away and perisheth as a thought What is a name of great wisedome of great wealth of great eloquence of warlike prowesse yea of the princes fauour In the world they are obtained in the world they are enioyed and to the world they must be left Besides this the name of the godly is more durable and of longer continuance he that will loose his life shall saue it he that estéemeth more of the fauour of God then the fauour of the world shall in this life haue sorrowes and persecutions but in the life come ioyes Their names are defaced on Reâ— 2. â—7 earth among the wicked but they are written in heauen and registred in euerlasting remembrance Reioyce saith Christ that your names are written in heauen Yea let them reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable because that none shall be saued at the dreadfull day of iudgement but they whose names are sounde in the writing of Israel and recorded in the booke of life For whosoeuer was not founde written in the booke of life Reuelat. 20. 15. was cast into the lake of fire where is nothing else but burning and brimstone wéeping and gnashing of téeth and wofull lamentation without any compassion The former part of the similitude and comparison being Application I will see you againe ended now followeth the second consisting in application set downe in these words And ye now are in sorrow but I will see you againe and your hearts shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you This application Iohn 1. 51. 14. 19. as you sée is furnished with thrée proofes whereof the first is I will see you againe The woman when she trauelleth hath sorrow but when she is deliuered of a manchild her sorrow is turned yea and swallowed vp of ioy I will see you againe So still he performeth his word and promise Your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy When the Apostle Saint Paule tooke his leaue and his last farwell of the Church of Ephesus knéeling downe and praying with them they wept all aboundantly and fel on Pauls necite and â—â—â—ssed him Being sorrie for nothing so much as for the words which he spake That they should sée his face no more How then could the Apostles choose but be sorrie and wéep aboundantly at the departure of our Sauiour Christ which was so deare a friend vnto them and whose presence they had so long enioyed to their great comfort and contentment Departure of louing friendes bréeds paine and taking of leaue is often with great heauinesse As we sée when one is to depart from his friends and to take his iourney into some farre country this griefe of departing is ioyned with sheading of teares But when there is departure by death theÌ„ what wéeping what wringing of hands what outcries and lamentation The reason of this their excessius sorrow for the departure of their friends is that they are without hope Who although they shâ—l â—ée their face no more yet ought they to be assured that their soules shal be at rest and in the hands of God and that no torments shall touch them They that are thus perswaded leaue their sorrow and are contented with Gods will and are also thankful that it hath pleased God to take them to his mercy and that he hath released them out of the troubles of this miserable world Yet are there some that are of opinioÌ„ that euen in heauen also they shal haue knowledge and sée their friends again which are departed in the Lord which is a matter to abate all sorrow Neuerthelesse we may not imagine any worldly knowledge For greater things are reserued for the saints of God According to that we reade 2. Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh
blemish the which the more we desire the more we may and our longing shall neuer be satisfied Behold the ioyes of the world and sée whether they be as durable as the Moone which changeth euery moneth When the Sunne ariseth the beautifull floure withereth and the place thereof shall knowe it no more Glorious Tyrus shal be robbed of her riches Ezech. 26. and they shall spoile her marchandise her walles shall be broken downe and they shall destroy her pleasant houses and they shall cast thy stones and thy timber and thy dust into the midst of the water and thou shalt be built no more For I the Lord haue spoken it Thus wil I cause the sound of thy songs to cease and the sound of thy harpes shall be no more heard Reu. 18. O beautifull Babylon the apples Eze. 26. 21. 27. 36. 28. 9. that thy soule lusted after and those things which thou louedst best are departed from thée and al things which were fat excellent are gone and thou shalt finde them no more And they that wondred at her beautie and shouted for ioy to sée the great cittie that was cloathed in fine linen purple and skarlet and guilded with gold precious stone and pearles euen for her shall they wéep and lament saying Alasse Alasse With great violence shall the great citie Babylon be destroied and cast away and shall be found no more The voice of harpers musitians and of vipers and trumpetters shall be heard no more in thée and no craftsman of whatsoeuer craft he be shall be found any more in thée and the sound of a milstone shall be heard no more in thée And the light of a candle shall shine no more in thée And the voyce of the Bridegroome and of the Bride shall be heard no more in thée What is it to haue the ioy of the world to sée the multitude of children increase of cattell to liue in outward peace to reioyce in the sound of organes and pleasant instruments and suddainly to goe downe to the graue and that without all hope Who though he be dead and gone yet is he kept vnto the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath Wordly comforts and outward ioyes shall be taken away But the ioyes of the godly are such which are not séene and which this world is not worthie of and which shall not be taken away for God hath so promised Let this word be thy warrant and a stedfast beliefe thy anchor-hold Esay 3 5. Strengthen the weake hands saith the Lord by his Prophet and comfort the féeble knées Say vnto them that are fearefull of sorrow and trouble and persecution beholde your God commeth with vengeance euen God with a recompence he wil come and saue you Then shall the eies of the blind be lightened and the eares of the deafe bee opened then shall the lame man leape as an hart and the dumbe mans toong shall sing Therfore the redéemed of the Lord shall returne and come Eze. 28. 25. 26. to Sion with praise and euerlasting ioy shall be vpon their heads they shall obtaine ioy and gladnesse and sorrow and mourning shall flie away Lift vp your eies saith the Prophet Esay 51. 3. 6. to the heauens and looke vpon the earth beneath for heauens shall vanish away like smoke and the earth shal wax old like a garment and they that dwel therin shall perish in like maner But as for the desolations of Sion they shall be restored and she shall be built vp and her stones shall be laid with the carbuncie her wridernesse shal become like the gardein of Eden and more plentifull then paradice it selfe which God at the first created Ioy gladnesse shall be found therein praise and the voice of singing And if thou wouldst behold that ioy that shall not be taken away be hold it in these thrée matters The ioy of the holy Ghost which is vnspeakable and indeterminable the hope of promised reward which is immoueable the reward it selfe which is most glorious Which arguments heare touched heareafter may more fully be enlarged Your ioy shall no man take from you no nor the diuel himselfe with all his legions and millions of companies who haue done vs spight inough and would as yet to the end and in the end put vs from all comfort and kéepe vs backe that we should not be partakers of any ioy Who though he hath throwne vs out of the earthly paradice yet out of the heauenly Ierusalem shall he neuer be able to cast vs although he endeuour neuer so much and labour might and maine For his labours shal be like the buildings of Babel which were without effect and altogether in vaine and in the heigth of his strength he shal be cast downe like lightning He that hath vndertaken to be our helpe and to kéepe vs will neuer faile vs Iohn 6. 39. This is the fathers will which hath sent me saith Christ that of all which he hath giuen me I should léese nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day and that euery one of them should receiue euerlasting life when as death and damnation the power of the diuell and hell torments shall vtterly be broken Iohn 10. 28. I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand For my father which gaue them me is greater then all and mightier then the mighty and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my father are one Reâ—e 20. 4. And I sawe seates and they sate vpon them and iudgement was giuen vnto them and I sawe the soules of them that were be headed for the witnesse of Iesus and for the word of God and which did not worship the beasts neither his image neither had taken his mark vpon their for heads or on their hands and they liued reigned with Christ a thousand year as if he had said ten thousand worlds And againt cap. 7. 13. One of the Elders which appeared vnto S. Iohn in a vision said vnto him What are these which are arraied in long white robes whence came they And he said vnto him Lord thou knowest Who answered these are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their long robes and haue made their long robes white in the blood of the lambe Therefore are they now in the presence of God who now hath wiped away all teares from their eies For the former things are passed and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine and griefe And him that ouercommeth will I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the cittie of my God which is the newe Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God and I