worship him As for the image we reade that to turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible creature is idolatrie Well may I then affirme with Moses Cursed be the Image and the Image maker The conclusion therefore of this poynt is this that we seeke the Lord and his strength euermore that wee pray vnto God in humilitie sinceritie and in full assurance of faith continually who without end is to be sought because without end he is to be beloued The third thing contained in our duetie is what effect this seeking and praying ought to worke in vs comprehended in these wordes If thou be pure vpright if the cloudes be ful they will powre forth raine vpon the earth vnpossible it is that a man that seeketh after God and prayeth vnto the Almighty should not bring forth the fruits of a godly life for if the tree be good the fruits cannot be bad if the head of y e water be pure it wil send forth pure waters into the cesterns Wherefore as good motions are stirred vp by praier so must they bee fostred by practise of life according to that of the Apostle Quench not the spirit nor grieue the holy one of God by whom ye are sealed to the day of redemption He quencheth dearly beloued the spirit which being once lightened with the sparkles of faith felte Gods motions in his hart doth neglect to increase the one to a flame the other to good workes in his life but with the dog turneth to his vomit with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing againe in the mire Therefore beloued loue and seeke the Lord pray to the almightie be pure and vpright in conuersation fly from sinne as from a serpent for if thou come neare it will bite thee The teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon to slay the soules of men and all iniquitie is as a two edged sword the woundes that it giues cannot bee healed I dare not stand as I would vpon these pointes fearing tediousnes wherefore let this suffice for the former general part concerning the duty we owe vnto God Now Gods promises for the performance herof yeeld vnto vs most plentiful matter of doctrine cōsolation First of his iustice that as he will suffer no sin vnpunished so he will leaue no good work vnrewarded but giueth to euery seueral actiō his seueral hire iust recompence of reward Shall the howre come in which al that are in their graues shal heare a voice come forth they that haue done vvel to the resurrection of life they that haue done euil to the resurrection of condemnation Shall the Lord search Ierusalem with Lanthornes Shall all foule corners be swept and all pleites and vvrinckles be vnfolded Shall the sea graue death and hell giue vp al that is in them and shal all the deade both great and small stand before God vvhen the bookes are opened and shall euery man haue praise of God according vnto his deseruing Shall vvee then discerne betweene the vessels of honour and of vvrath betweene sheepe and gotes the iust and vniust Finally shall there be an infallible generall and incorrupt iudgement wherein the booke of all our offences shall be laide wide open Now God bee mercifull vnto vs be fauorable O Lord bee fauorable But to proceede it is thy nature O Lorde to gather vp the wheate and burne the tares to cut down all fruitles trees cast them into the fire yea into a fierie furnace that neuer shall be quenched into an vtter darknes where is weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth then be fauorable O Lord be fauorable Doth not the Lord spare Dauid a king and a Prophet for murther doth he not spare the Sichemites for adulterie nor Absalom for treason nor Saul for tyrannie nor Eli for negligence nor Achab Ieroboam nor Iezabell for crueltie nor Herod Nabuchadnezzar Lucifer for pride nor Pharaoh for incredulitie then be fauorable O Lord be fauorable to vs in whom almost euery one of these sins doe dwell and remaine Did the Lorde for corruption ouerflow the world with water did hee burne Sodome for her villanie did he cast Adam and Eue out of Paradise for eating of the forbidden fruite did hee stone a poore wretch to death for gathering chips on the Sabboth day then be fauorable O Lorde be fauorable vnto vs. But dooth not the Lord spare the Cedar tree for his height nor the Oke for his strength nor the Poplar for his smoothnesse nor the Lawrel for his greennes No verely from the Cedar that is in Lybanon euen to y e hysop that groweth out of the wall yea euery one that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewne downe and cast into the fire it is a righteous thing with God to render vengeance to those that disobey him and to destroy such as haue forsaken the law by euerlasting perdition Behold the Lord shal come in the great and latter day of iudgement when none shall escape his iudgment seat with cloudes shall he come and euery eie shall see him euen they which pierced him thorow shall also waile before him being sūmoned al to appeare most fearfully before his imperial throne of maiesty thē be fauorable O Lord be fauorable A las with what eies shall we miserable sinners behold him so gloriously sitting in his roiall kingdome with all his mightie and holy angels and whole number of saints sounding with the voice of the archangell and trumpet of God causing the heauens to passe away with a noise and the elements to melt like waxe the earth to burne with the works thereof yea with what eies shall wee behold him when we see the Sun darkned the Moone eclipsed and the stars fall down from heauen But alas when he taketh the furbished blade into his hand when he is ready to throw the fiery thunderbolts of his wrath when hee summoneth before him the worme that neuer dieth the fire that neuer shall bee quenched to reuenge vppon the wicked into what a plight are they then driuen then leaue they off be fauorable O Lorde be fauorable and say to the hils O ye mountains come and couer vs O yee waters come and ouerwhelme vs wo wo wo how great is this darkenes The godly on the other side are bathed in such streames of blisse and aduanced to such happines as neither tongue can vtter nor heart conceiue The second thing wee haue to note in his promises is his mercy which exceedeth al his workes For God though hee haue giuē a curse of the law against sinners yet seeing Christ for the penitent hath borne the curse whereby his iustice is not impaired he is content to accept our weaknesse as our strength to recompence our imperfection with rewarde of greatest perfection and that which we can performe but in small part hee is content to accept as whole not for any
that the naturall man vnderstandeth not the thinges of God These things are hid from the wise and prudent and are reuealed to babes and sucklings Alas what were manif he were once left to himselfe A map of misery and a sinke of calamitie Alas how vvere he able to resist the fierie dartes of the aduersary who cōtinually goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may deuoure Here ye may note first his malice for he daily accuseth vs before the chiefe Iudge of the kinges bench when hee cannot preuaile in this court but seeth his billes of accusation repelled then hee remooueth the matter to the court of our owne consciences where on the one side hee laieth the bookes of the lawe and statutes made against sin on the other side the billes of accusation brought in against vs out of the bookes of the Law alleadging these strict places against vs The soule that sinneth shall die the death Cursed is he that abideth not in euery point of the lawe to doe it On the other side hee bringeth in our consciences to witnesse against vs and then inferreth this harde conclusion Therefore there is no hope in saluation Then if hee see that wee appeale from iustice to mercie and say At what time soeuer a sinner repenteth the Iudge putteth all his wickednesse out of his remembrance hee dealeth with vs as craftie worldlinges deale in matters of lawe who when they see their matters passe against them in higher Courtes bring downe their case into the countrie to bee decided by the neighbours who either for their simplicitie cannot or for their fauour dare not iudge of the truth of the matter So our aduersarie though God himselfe do discharge vs though our conscience doth testifie our innocencie yet hee accuseth in the third court before men where he is bolde to powre out his vvhole venome and poison of his malice against vs and to forge what lies and slaunders and lybels hee list because hee knoweth they shall bee receiued as true Thus hee accused Christ Iesus our blessed Lorde and Sauiour before Pontius Pilate and caused diuers false and vntrue witnesses to come in against him But if hee vvere malitious onely to vvish our destruction and not mightie to vvreake his malice wee shoulde haue little cause to feare but he is mightie therefore hee is tearmed alyon the power of darkenesse a great dragon which drewe to the earth the thirde part of the starres of heauen that is with earthly temptation to haue ouerthrowne them which seemed to shine in the church of God as Lamps and Starres O then how easie is our ouerthrow if the Lord did not holde vs vp which shine not as starres in heauen but creepe like wormes on earth 3 Yet if he were but malicious and mightie it were better with vs but he is fierce and therefore called a roaring Lyon who laying waite for the bloud of the godlie stirreth vp bloud-thirstie persecutors to make themselues drunke with the bloud of the saintes as most grieuoussy he did from the time of Iohn Baptist to the raigne of Maxentius the space of 294. years flaying some by the sworde burning other with fire hanging some on the gallowes drowning some in riuers stabbing some with forkes of yron pressing others vnto death with stones deuouring many thousands of the tender lambs of Christs flocke 4 To this malice might and rage is added his subtil policy which he vseth in circumuenting the faithfull hee doth not pitch his tentes in any one place but walketh about from place to place to spie out his best aduauntage in the night hee soweth Tares and in the daie hee hindereth the growth thereof 5 He proceedeth after further and addeth to his policie industrie hee considereth our natures and dispositions and to what sinnes wee doe most incline and thereunto he applieth himselfe sometimes by flatterie sometimes by feare sometimes by feeding our humours hee subtilly entiseth vs sometimes by violence he goeth about to enforce vs sometime by changing himselfe into an Angell of light he endeuoureth to betray our soules into his hands and in whatsoeuer estate he findeth vs hee thereby taketh occasion to lay siege to our soules Thus ye see noted in a word the force of our aduersarie examine nowe your selues whether yee haue any thing in yourselues and you shal finde nothing but weakenesse and corruption It is God that giueth strength to the mightie wisedome to the prudent and knowledge to the vnderstanding he teacheth Dauids hande to fight and his fingers to battaile hee giueth strength to his armes to breake a bowe euen a bowe of steele wherefore let neither the wise man glorie in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength but let him that glorieth glory only in the Lord. Secondly we are to seeke vnto God alone because none is so present as he for God because he is almightie and with his power filleth both heauen and earth is present alwaies with them that feare him and readie to succour them in distresse The Lord is neere to all that call vpon him in truth he heareth our gronings sighs and knoweth what things are necessary for vs before we aske The third reason vvhy vvee must seeke vnto God is none is so able to helpe vs as he but of this I shall haue particular occasion to speake when I come to this point And pray to the Almighty The fourth reason vvhy vve must seeke Christ alone is because there is none so willing to helpe vs as hee It is a great courage to vs to make sute vvhen we are perswaded of the willignesse of him to whom vve make sute and I praie ye vvho vvas euer more carefull for our saluation and more vvatchfull ouer vs than the Lorde vvho euer put his trust in him and vvas confounded In this respect he is called a Father because as the father tendreth his sonne so the Lorde doth al those that put their trust in him Can there bee anie more willing to helpe vs than Christ vvhose vvhole heade vvas sicke and whose hart was heauy for our sakes yea in whose bodie from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the heade was nothing but woundes and swellings and sores But alas this was nothing to that hee suffered for our sakes He was compassed about with feares and horrours till his sweat was drops of bloud and his bones bruised in the flesh he was whipped and scourged and chastised with sorrowes till he cried out in the bitternes of his soule O Lorde if it bee possible let this cup passe from me The heauy hande of God was so grieuous vpon him that hee bruised his verie bones and rent his raines asunder hee could find no health in his flesh but was wounded yea wounded to the death euen the most bitter death vppon the Crosse. His tender fingers were nailed to the crosse his face was wrinkled with weeping and wailing his sides imbrued and gored
desert of ours but in the satisfaction of his son who paid with the seale of his owne bloud the ransome for our sins he hath cancelled the hand writing that was against vs. Wherefore we are to pray vnto God that whensoeuer our sinnes shall come in question before him that hee would looke vpon Christ Iesus the true looking glasse in whom he shal find vs most pure and innocent and to shine most cleerely in the righteousnesse which he had giuen vs by faith so that wee appeare not in our own righteousnesse but in the righteousnesse of the lambe who hauing taken away the sins of the world and hauing made vs as white as snowe though wee were as red as crimson saith he will be mercifull to our iniquities and wil remember our sinnes no more Of him do al the Prophets be are witnesse that through his name all that beleeue shal receiue remissiō of their sins Againe Drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud which is shed for the remission of sins Christ gaue himself for our sins that hee might deliuer vs from the curse of the lawe euen according to the will of the father Christ bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that wee being deliuered from sin might liue in righteousnes by whose stripes we are healed for we were as sheep going astray but are now returned to the shepheard and bishop of our soules It is no more but beleeue be saued beleeue and receiue remission beleeue and lay off thine own righteousnes and inuest thy selfe with the righteousnesse of the vnspotted lambe Dauid was yong and after was old yet in all his daies he neuer saw the righteous forsakē Somtimes he scourgeth his childrē but like a louing father he laieth no more vpon them thā they are able to be are for he afflicteth thē for his own iustice because they are sinners for his wisedome to exercise their faith for his mercy to cause thē to repent but this is the end of al he helpeth thē in their distresses he reuengeth himselfe vpon his enemies giueth to his people rest and quietnesse O that we would therefore praise the Lord and forget not al other his singular benefits O that we would confesse that his mercy endureth for euer The third thing to note in his promises is his boūtiful kindnes in requiting so smal a thing with so great liberal blessings and bindeth himselfe by obligation as it were that as sure as wee performe the one so he will not faile to accomplish the other The fourth is his patience and long suffering which is not slacknes as some men account slacknes but is patience because willingly he would haue no man to pertsh but gladly would haue all men to come to repentance He is content to stay our leasure till wee seeke and pray vnto him and neuer smiteth til there be no hope of redresse The fift is his loue in that he is content to stir vs vp to holy exercises purity of life to allure vs with faire promises of aid prosperous increase of al his blessings in this world The particular examinatiō of these blessings would require a larger discourse thā fearing tediousnes I dare presume to trouble ye withal wherefore a word of each and so I end Touching the first where it is said God will awake vp vnto thee it is a greater benefit than the words import for it signifieth not only that he will heare thee but that hee will also do what thou desirest and satisfie thy request As long as the sinner sleepeth the Lord is said to bee asleepe but as soone as the sinner awaketh from sinne God wil arise saith Dauid and his enemies shall bee scattered and they that hate him shal fly before him as the smoak vanisheth before the wind as the wax melteth before the fire euen so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God Wherfore as Paul exhorted the Ephesians so I exhort you Awake thou that sleepest stād vp frō the dead christ shal giue thee light awake vnto God God wil awake vnto thee Christ euen the son of God the bright morning star shall giue thee the light of life In the second hee promiseth abundance of worldlie blessings in recōpence of praier for it is said He wil make the habitations of thy righteousnes prosperous that is the Lord wil make peace within thy wals prosperity within thy palaces he wil commād his blessings to be with thee in thy store house and in al thou settest thy hand vnto he will open vnto thee his good treasures euen the heauens to giue raine on thy land in due season Thou shalt lay vp gold as the dust the gold of Ophir as the flint of the riuer thou shalt wash thy paths with butter thy rocks shall powre out riuers of oile thou shalt cal saluation thy wal praise shall be in thy gates Lo thus shal the man be blessed that feareth God Lastly for being pure vpright he wil make thy latter end greatly increase that thou maist the lesse mistrust his promise he wil do it though thy beginning be but small Here brethren ye see what a sea of matter is offered me whereunto if I would commit my selfe I might discourse vnto ye what strange euents by Gods prouidence haue hapned in the world what great kings and potentates haue bin plucked down from their thrones and what contemptible persons in the eie of the world haue been aduanced to their roomes How Mardocheus a stranger was exalted into Hamons place how Ioseph and Daniel the one a bond-man in Egypt the other a captiue in Babylon were made Princes in those kingdomes But because I will not ouermuch transgresse the bondes of modesty or hold yee longer than in this place I haue beene accustomed onely remember what the Prophet saith He raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth the poore out of the mire that he might set him with the princes euen with the princes of the world Remember the example of Dauid whom the Lord chose and tooke from the Ewes great with young that hee might feed his people in Iacob his inheritance in Israel Remēber the example of Iob how the Lord turned the captiuitie of Iob as the riuers in the south how he blessed the last daies of Iob more than the first how he gaue him sheep camels oxen she asses in more abundance than he had before how he increased him with sons and daughters euen to the fourth generatiō so y t he died being old and full of daies Remember euen our own estate for whom the Lord hath don great things already as created vs and redeemed vs sanctified vs and not long since deliuered vs from the gaping iawes of those that sought to sucke our bloud Vpon some he hath bestowed humility whereby their mindes are adorned with
maruaile though wee haue so many beggers contrarie to the minde of Christ. The poore saith Christ yee shall haue alwaies with you but when you will you may do them good and we shall be sure to haue the poore amongst vs alwaies but wee must make such good prouision for them that they bee not faine to beg their bread Thus was Zaccheus rich to himselfe for hee was a Publican but he was rich toward God also for hee had a desire to see Christ. Almighty God who is rich in mercy Ehp. 2. hath so inspired his heart with the desire of heauenly riches that whereas before his whole delight was in seeking of worldly wealth nowe his greatest care is to seeke for heauenly treasure Hee now forgetteth what his profession is and begins to be of a newe profession and hee whose heart was whollie set vpon earthly profit is nowe like olde Simeon most desirous to see his Sauiour The Tetrarch Herod desired to see Christ and despised him when hee saw him Luke 23. ◠11. but Zaccheus the Publican desired to see Christ and reioiced when he saw him like Abraham that desired to see the day of Christ Iohn 8. 56. and therefore of the seruaunt of Sathan Zaccheus is nowe become the childe of Abraham which reioyced to see the daye of Christ. Happie were hi◠eyes that sawe soe blessed a sight for manie Prophets and righteous men haue desired to see and to heare those thinges that Zaccheus both sawe and heard and could not see nor heare the same If Iacob thought himselfe happie if that he might but see his son Ioseph before his death then surely thrise happy Zaccheus whose hap it was not onely to see as Iacob did but to reioyce as Mary did in christ his Sauiour As Zaccheus was desirous to see christ in earth so I would haue the rich men of our time desirous to see Christ in heauen For although with the eies of our bodie wee cannot see Christ as Zaccheus did yet with the eyes of our faith wee may behold him as Stephen did Acts. 7. But if our faith bee so weake sighted that we cannot see Christ yet let vs haue a desire to heare Christ in his word whereby our faith may be increased for faith cōmeth by hearing the word of God And as the Queene of the South desired to heare the wisedome of Salomon so let vs be desirous to heare the wisdome of Christ our Sauiour King Salomon left some bookes in writing wherein is seene some part of his wisdome and Christ our King hath left vnto vs his most sacred worde as it were a taste of his wisedome sufficient matter for our saluation this is that heauenly foode Math 4. 4. whereby our soules are fed vnto eternall lyfe let vs therefore labour for that heauenly foode and as the Israelites were carefull to gather Manna to sustaine their bodies so let vs bee as carefull to heare the worde to feede our soules The people in the time of Christ Iohn 6. 24. tooke great paines to follow Christ both by lande and sea and many now a dayes I confesse are very forwarde to follow his faithfull ministers but as they followed Christ so fast to fill their bellies so these frequent sermons for fashion to serue the time Zaccheus is desirous to see Christ a godly care but yee he could not obtaine his purpose a thing common for euery one that hath any good motion hath alwayes some hinderance to crosse the same and Zaccheus hath a double impediment to hinder his honest enterprise The prease of the people and his little stature Whereof the former that is the multitude is alwaies wont to be an enimie to those that would come to Christ. This hindered the blinde man from receiuing his sight Luke 18. for the people rebuked him that he should hold his peace till Christ called him and opened his eyes This hindred them that brought the man sick of the Paulsie Mark 2. for they could not come at Christ for the prease till they vncouered the roofe of the house and let downe the bed wherein the sicke of the Palsey lay This hindered the healing of the deafe and dumbe Mark 7. till Christ tooke him aside out of the multitude and cured him This hindered the raising of the Rulers daughter Mat. 9. till Christ had thrust out the Minstrels and the multitude and then restored the may de to lyfe Finally this hindered Zaccheus here from comming vnto Christ till Christ vouchsafed to call him to himselfe Thus alwayes a multitude that is prone to euill doth withdraw and hinder vs from approching vnto Christ and therefore we must not follow a multitude to doe euill nor decline after many to ouerthrow the trueth Exod. 23. The second impediment that hindereth Zaccheus from seeing Christ is his little stature Hee was so lowe of stature that hee could not see Christ aboue the multitude but Christ was aboue the multitude therefore could see Zaccheus though he were so lowe of stature For God looketh not on the countenance nor on the height of a mans stature but the Lorde beholdeth the heart and preferred little Dauid before Eliab his eldest brother because hee findeth in him a better heart to serue the Lorde And Zaccheus in his little bodie hath a heart and mind prepared to seeke and see the Lord. Zaccheus was so low that he could not see Christ but manie amongst vs are so high that they will not see Christ. The common people in time of Christ were so desirous to follow Christ that neither lamenesse nor blindnesse nor sicknes could stay them from comming to him but the common people in our time are more readie to followe their sport and pastime then to come to the church to heare of Christ. And as for our rich men who seeth not that they will make great haste to see a commoditie but will scarce come out of doores to heare a Sermon They come to Church as Nichodemus came to Christ by night as if they were ashamed to come to Church but they runne after profit to get riches as Geheziran after Naaman the Syrian to get a bribe Thus hath Zaccheus two lets that he could not see Christ the one in the people the other in himselfe and wee haue many lets to withdrawe vs from Christ some are externall and without vs as the inticements of the world some are internal and within vs as the lustes of our owne flesh The prease of the people hindereth Zaccheus from seeing Christ in his humility and the multitude of our sinnes doe presse vs downe that we cannot see Christ in glory Zaccheus was a man of little stature that hindred him from seeing Christ in earth and wee are men of little faith and that is the cause we cannot behold Christ in heauen Though Zaccheus was a man of little stature yet it appeareth that he was not a man of