confusion shame and ignominie as Absolom not content to be the kings sonne but hunting after 2. Kings 18 the kingdome before his time tooke sword in hand against his father and was miserably confounded and destroyed So euen among vs within our times and knowledge some in high place some in lower roomes endeuouring by greedie desire to rise and aspire higher then reason and calling required haue applied themselues some with popular demeanor some with shamefull treason some with secreat conspiracies some with deuillish and vnnatural treacheries some with one horrible deuise or other to attaine their purpose But blessed be God all in vaine for thereby they seeking great honour haue come to fearefull endes Euen so let all thy enemies pearish O Lorde and the enemies of thine annointed But saue and defend thou her O Lord from the face of her aduersaries and keepe her vnder the shadowe of thy winges let her be before thee as the sunne shining in his might both now and for euer Amen Finally some ambitiously bent to enlarge and increase 3. Kings 23. their kingdomes haue either lost their liues and labours as Achab for his indeuour for Ramoth Gilead or haue spent more by seeking them then gained by the recouery of them or finally keep those kingdoms countreies or prouinces whereunto they haue aspired with greater labour and cost then either comfort to thēselues or commoditie vnto their people and so they haue not obteyned their purpose This hath fallen out in former times this I trust will fall out by the helpe of God to barbarous Turkes cruell Saracens bloudie Spaniards and such ambitious persons Thus no doubt in these as in a light ouershadowing wee see how truely the Apostle affirmeth that the vnrulie pleasures and immoderate desires of men are oftentimes without effect ye lust and haue not ye enuie desire immoderatly and cannot obteine ye fight and warre get nothing Now the reasons folow why such desires of men are voide of their effects commonly and for the most parte Why the desires of men are voide of effaecti frustrate and the reasons are two 1. Men desire riches wealth and honor and seek by all meanes to come therevnto yet they are often deceiued of their purposes because they aske not these things from God the only geuer of all good things yea whose gift riches and honour are in speciall And for riches who can deny them to be the gift of God Was it not by God that Abraham becam so wealthie were not Isaac his riches the gift of God did Gen. 13. Gen. 26. Gen. 30. Gen. 31 Gen. 41. not God blesse Laban with riches for Iacobs sake saith not Iacob to his wiues the daughters of Laban that God had taken away their fathers goods and riches and geuen it to him doeth not Joseph call the second sonne whō the Lord gaue him in Egypt Ephraim because the Lorde had made him increase in wealth riches as well as in children in the land of his affliction Iob confesseth riches to haue beene geuen him from God when thereof speaking he saith The Lord gaue and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. When God had tried Iob Iob had repēted before the Lord the Lord gaue vnto him Iob. 1. twice as much riches as he had before for his first wealth was seuen thousand sheepe but his later fourteene thousand Iob. 41. his former wealth was three thousand Camels but his later was sixe thousand his former wealth was fiue hundred yoake of Oxen his later a thousande his former wealth fiue hūdred she asses but his later was a thousand and this was from God When Salomon had from God choise geuen him what he would aske he asked wisdome 3. Kings 3. to gouern his people which thing so pleased god as that God therefore said vnto him because hee had asked neither long life nor riches nor the life of his enemie therefore he would geue him also that which he asked not both riches and honour Therefore the sonne of Sirach referreth riches to God as the geuer thereof Prosperitie Ecclus. 11 1. Sam. 2. 7. saith he and aduersitie life and death pouertie riches come of the Lord. Seeing then riches are from God they ought to be asked of him and sought for at his handes Which if wee doe not we may labour and trauaile long enough before wee shall attaine thereunto And as riches are from God so honour also is from 1. Kings 2. Psal 113. 7 him Anna the mother of Samuel confesseth the same The Lord saith she maketh poore and maketh rich brin geth lowe and exalteth he raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger out of the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the seate of glorie Whereunto the Princely Prophet Dauid Psal 75. subscribeth in the Psalms To come to preferment is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the iudge hee maketh lowe and hee maketh high God promiseth Salomon both riches and honour so that among the kings there shoulde be none 3. Kings 3. like him al his daies Dauid confesseth his preferment before 2. Kings 6 3. Kings 20. Saul to be from God The Queen of Saba referreth Salomons glorious and pompous aduancement to god Daniel confesseth all power all promotion all honour all preferment to be from the Lord. Cyrus the heathen king confesseth his glorie to haue beene of God also whereby it appeareth that both riches and glorie are Dan. 2. 4 1. Esdras from the Lord. Wherefore seeing these are both from him when they are not asked no maruaile they be not obteyned The first reason why mens desires concerning wealth and honout are oftentimes voide is because they aske not these things from the hands of God whose gifts they are but they seeke them by their owne meanes by euill waies by vnlawfull trades by wicked endeuours Thus one by fraud another by force one by violence another by villenie one by this euill meane another by that goe about and seeke to attaine to wealth and honour but they seek not these in the fear of god nor at his hāds which geueth them therefore full oft their purposes are frustrate Thus men lust haue not the thing they lust after they enuie and desire immoderately yet obteine not that which they desire and whereafter they enuie They fight they warre they striue they struggle they toile they moile yet compasse not nor comprehende that which they laboure thus after because they aske it not of GOD but seeke by euill meanes to obtaine it They acknowledge not God the geuer of these things therfore they labour in vaine They lust they enuie they desire they fight they warre yet they obteine not because they aske not Wherefore as men hauing any thing in their power and hand to geue looke to be asked and desired the
dovvne and abasing our selues before God vvorke our glory and our lifting vp by him it is reason sufficient thereunto to moue vs cast dovvne your selues before God and he vvill lift you vp Novv God exalteth and lifteth vp such as cast dovvne How God lifteth the lowly themselues before his diuine maiestie diuerse vvaies 1. When he ministreth invvard comfort of his holy spirite in all the difficulties and daungers of this present vvorld in so much as come life come death come sword come famine come plague come persecution come peril come nakednes come prosperitie come aduersitie come sicknes come health come wealth come woe these are lifted vp in heart with comfort from God So they which caste downe themselues haue the Spirite of God in all distresse to comfort them and so are they exalted by God 2 God also lifteth vp those who cast downe themselues and humble themselues before him by sending theÌ„ deliuerance and riddance from their troubles wherewith Gen. 41. they were afflicted So Ioseph submitting himselfe and casting downe himselfe in all Christian duetifulnes to God was therefore lifted vp by God and deliuered God speaking Esah 17. by his Prophet of the deliuerance of the Church and Saints which cast downe themselues in dutifull maner and were also low and contemned in the world affirmeth that as he would bring downe the high tree the proude so would he by deliuerance exalt and lift vp his seruant the low tree and the tree cast down in the world The Prophet Dauid entreating of the lifting vp of the Psal 149. Saints by deliuerance from their trouble sayeth The Lord hath pleasure in his people he will make the meeke glorious by deliuerance Thus lift he vp Jacob who in Gen. 3. 32. the humilitie of his minde cast downe himselfe before God when he kept him from the iniuries of Laban and from the crueltie of Esau his brother Thus did God lift vp Dauid whome he deliuered out of infinite troubles Thus did God lift vp Hezechiah when hee deliuered him from Sennacherib the king of Assiriah Thus lift he vp many of his deare Saints when hee rid them from their miseries and afflictions whereunto they were subiect Thus he lifteth vs vp dayly nowe deliuering vs from troubles at home now from troubles abroade now from troubles by sea and nowe by land nowe by straungers now by our domesticall and houshold people nowe by professed enemies nowe by counterfeit friends intended Hereof haue we examples innumerable hereof haue we experience in other in our selues thus God Almightie lifteth them vp by deliuerance from their troubles who humble and cast downe themselues before him Whereof neuer people nor nation hath had greater experience and An. 158â— triall then we of England nowe presently haue whome the Lorde hath deliuered by his owne hand from immenent daunger and present perill of the proude Spaniards who with determinate purpose and full resolution to haue inuaded our Countrie and subdued our Nation came with bloudie mindes prepared tortures with a mightie nauie with long preparation with helpe of manieprinces but the Lorde hath deliuered this humble and despised land and hath lodged their shippes in the bottome of the sea and sent their dead carkesses partly into this land partly into Scotland partly into Ireland partly into other Countreys to proclaime what accesse their diuelish and desperate attempte hath had 3 Neither thus onely but God aduaunceth them vp to great honour who in the humilitie of their heart humbled themselues before him When Dauid humbled himselfe before the Lorde and counted himselfe vnworthie 1. Kings 18. of that honour to be the kinges sonne in lawe the Lord not onely aduaunced him thereunto but made him to reigne and rule in the steade of Saul the wicked king of Israel When Moses was appointed by God to doe a Exod. 3. message to Pharaoh he in humilitie refusing it was therefore exalted to bee the prince and captaine of his people Daniel humble in minde and cast downe before the Lord Daniel 1. 2. 3. was by him exalted to great glorie euen to be the chiefe and ouerseer of all the princes of the prouinces of Babylon Psal 113. 1. Kings 2. And thus we see it true both that Dauid and also Anna the mother of Samuel song that the Lord raiseth vp the poore and meeke out of the dung-hill to set him among his princes and to inherite the seate of glorie 4 Finally God lifteth vp those which prostrate and cast downe themselues before him by exalting them in the ende to the glorious kingdome of his sonne euen to the eternall kingdome of heauen Which our Sauiour Christ promiseth to such as are truely humble Blessed Matt. 5. saith he are they which are humble in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen To this kingdome they are in due time exalted who prostrate and cast downe themselues before God And as Christ humbling himselfe before God was therefore highly exalted by him farre aboue Philip. 2. Ephes 1. all principalities and powers and euerie name that is named not in earth onely but in heauen also euen so doth our most gracious God highly exalt and lift vp such as in meekenesse of their hearts in humilitie of their spirites in lowlinesse of their mindes cast downe themselues before him These in fine he crowned with eternall glorie and immortalitie these hee raiseth vp together maketh theÌ„ to reigne with Christ in heauenly places to these he promiseth his eternal kingdome of gorie there to rule reigne with the Saints for euer according to the doctrine of the Apostle cast downe your selues before God and he will lift you vp Now the Lord for his mercie giue vs this grace that we may in all things humble our selues and prostrate our selues before him and be by him exalted And the God of peace which brought againe from the dead our Lorde Iesus Christ the greate shepheard of the sheepe by the bloud of the euerlasting couenaunt make vs perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom bee praise for euer and euer Amen Iames Chap. 4. verses 11. 12. Sermon 21. verse 11. Speake not euill one of another brethren he that speaketh euill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother speaketh euill of the law and condemneth the law and if thou condemnest the law thou art not an obseruer of the law but a Iudge 12 There is one lawe giuer which is able to saue and to destroy who art thou that iudgest another man â— part THese wordes and the rest to the end containe the fourth and laste parte of this Chapter which is touching the remoouing of two euils and mischiefes which grow of pride Whereof the one is reproch and speaking euill of our brethren the other is the vaine confidence of men whereby they rashly determine long â—wo euils
from false surmised crimes and voide of all deserued spotte of false suspicion to be assailed and assaulted with reproachfull slaunder of the wicked wherein they seeke neither the glorie of god neither the peace of their countrey neither the welfare of Princes neither the happie estate of Commonwealthes but onely their owne priuate profitte and commoditie which they endeuour to enlarge increase by the discrediting diffaming backbiting and slaundering of others Neither is this true in great personages in Princes and Peeres of Common-wealthes before whom the innocent oftentimes for gaine are accused of the wicked but also in our priuate and ciuile life it is a practise moste generall for our owne gaine priuate lucre and commoditie to accuse condemne speake euill of other men and to slaunder one another 3 Neither for these causes onely doe we speake euil of our brethren but also stirred vp by enuie for the graces and benefites of God poured in plentifull maner vpon our neighbours wherat we being moued through enuie we speake euil of them as vnworthie those graces and benefites receaued and therfore it commeth oftentimes to passe that the wicked moued with enuie for the blessings of God vpon his children speake euil of them Whē the malicious and malignant people of this worlde see the Saints of GOD to flourish in vertue to increase in grace to excell in faith to be zealous in religion constant in profession of good hope in all afflictions aduanced to honour enriched with worldly wealth or any such way either inwardly or outwardly blessed by God they enuying them for the same slaunder them taunte them and speake euill of them in most wicked and vngodly manner The princes of the prouinces of Babilon seeing the vertue honour and glorie of Daniel whereunto hee was aduanced by God through Darius the King of Babilon enuying his state forged and framed an accusation Dan. 6. against him to Darius whereby he was adiudged to the denne of Lions when the obstinate and rebellious Iewes saw the zeale boldnes constancie and courage of the Ierem. 18. holy prophet who would not be feared with the faces of men from exequting his charge then they through mere malice and enuie slaundered the prophet and deuised against him and smit him with their bitter and backbitimg tonges The scribes and Pharisies through enuy of the graces of God in our blessed Sauiour Christ Mat. 12. John 8. raised vp many false accusations and vttered many slaunderous speaches against his royall person as the holy gospell witnesseth Herewith were the Iewes stirred vp against Actes 6 Steuen whose spirite they not able to withstande and resist they raised false accusations and suborned false witnesses in forged manner slaunderously to accuse him as one that had spoken euill of Moses and God The same cause pricked them forward in like maner to speak Acts 13. against the doctrine of Saint Paul and to raile against his person through malice and enuie conceaued against him To cōclude there is nothing more cōmon in the life of man then for such as are indued either with inwarde graces of the spirite or outward benefites by the hande of God for the malice and hatred wherewith men followe and pursue them to be euill spoaken of and slaundered 4 Finallie that which properly concerneth this place our euill speaking proceedeth of pride and therefore as a mischiefe and effect of pride it is here condemned The pride which of our selues we haue conceaued maketh vs to mislike whatsoeuer is not according to our pleasures and mislike moueth vs to speake euill of other men who walke not liue not doe not all thinges to our liking For as the Ape and Rauen thinke their owne young ones fairest and best fauoured yet is there not a more deformed thing among beastes then the Ape neither a fouler among the birdes then the young Rauen So men like their owne doings be they neuer so bad and condemne all others in comparison of themselues The Isai 65. Iewes through pride of their owne heartes contemned the Gentiles and spoke euill of them Stand aparte say Luke 18. they to the Gentiles for I am worthier then thou The proud conceite of his owne righteousnesse which the proud Pharisie had conceaued made him to contemne the poore Publican and to speak euill of him euen to the face and in the presence of God in the Temple I thanke thee O God that I am not as other mē extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publicane The proud and wicked men of the world seeing that the Saintes woulde not runne the same excesse of riot with them and liue as pleased them therefore saith Saint Peter they speake euil 1. Pet. 4 of them Our Apostle here making pride the cause of this euill and insinuating that the proud and arrogant persons of the world will proudely condemne and slanderously speake of all those who liue not after their pleasures condemneth it as the effect of pride neither is there finally any thing that more moueth men to speak euil one of another then pride doeth So that the proud person hardly euer speaketh well of any but that he only may be in estimation account and credite he speaketh euill of al others These and the like causes may be alleadged of this euil and mischiefe which S. Iames worthely condemneth Speake not euill one of another brethren How men speak euil This mischiefe is manifolde and sundrie waies are men saide to speake euill one of another 1 When men misreport of vs and charge vs with that which is not true then speake they euil of vs. In this kinde was Dauid euil spoaken of as in the Psalme he witnesseth Cruell witnesses rose vp against me they asked me things Psal 35. I knew not they charged him with things vntrue to bring him into disgrace discredite and disfauour with men Thus Doeg the Edomite the chiefe of Sauls Heardmen spoke euill of Dauid and Achimelech the Priest of Nob affirming that they tooke councell together against 1. Kings 22. the king I saw the sonne of Ishai when he came to Nob to Achimelech the sonne of Ahitub who asked councell of the Lord for him Such euill speaches were they of those flattering Parasites and backbiting Sicophants who falslie infourmed Saul that Dauid intended mischiefe against him In this kinde proud Hamon spoke euill against Mardocheus 1. Kings 24 Hester 3 and the people of the Iewes who charged them with thinges vntrue in bringing vp euill and false reports of them There is a people saith he scattered and dispersed among the people in all the Prouinces of thy kingdome whose lawes are diuers to all lawes obserue not the lawes of the king In the seruice indeede of their God they obeyed not but in ciuill things they were obedient vnto the lawes of Assuerus and therfore were charged falsly with disloyaltie rebellion against the lawes of the king Thus we speake euill one
not all then vnder this condemnation Let as many then as haue any feare of God before their eies any care of their owne saluation any desire to escape endlesse condemnation any remorce of conscience for their sinne in this behoofe cōmitted any sparcle of grace any feeling of the Spirite of God whereby they are sealed vp to the day of redemption Ephes 4. repent themselues of this wickednes correcte this grieuous sinne in their manners reforme and refraine their lippes from all vaine swearing and blasphemie that thereby they fall not into condemnation but may liue for euer If condemnation be threatened to the vaine swearing of men how much more subiect thereunto are they which geue themselues to horrible periuries and false swearings Which thing almightie God reseruing finally to be punished in eternall torments of hell fire yet to shew how greatly hee detesteth this wickednes euen in this life in some measure he punisheth it When Iosua Josua 9. the Princes of Israel had made a faithfull othe to the Gibeonites Saul afterward violated it almightie God in the 2. King 21. daies of Dauid punished it with three yeares famine thorow out Israel till the seuen sonnes of Saul were geuen to the Gibeonites to bee slaine When Mataniah named by Nabuchodonosour Zedichiah had sworne subiection to the 4. Kings 24. 25. King but afterward forswearing him sealfe and rebelling the Lorde punished his periurie by the King of Babylon who tooke him prisoner slue his sonnes before his eies then put out both his eies and caried him bounde into Babylon where he was kept in perpetuall miserie I neede not say that therefore none of the posteritie of Edward the fourth came vnto the possessiō of the crowne of England because he solemnely swore at Yorke to holde him sealfe contented with his owne duke dome and to performe loyall obedience to the King Duke Elphred conspiring against King Adelstane for swore him sealfe in his purgation therefore at Rome wherefore almightie God stroke him presently in Saint Peters church there and so hee died Earle Godwine hauing treaterously slaine Alphrede brother to King Edward the third thereof charged by the King at table at a certaine time the Earle tooke breade in his hand and swore desiring that the bread might choake him if he were there of giltie which breade hee eating was there with all sodenly choaked that hee fell downe and died To be shorte one may stande for many which is notoriously knowen that a woman which in the yeare 1575. for alittle flaxce forswore her selfe in wood-streate in London therefore was presently stroken and miserably died with great torture tormentes and terrour Infinire like exampls of the iuste iudgements of God in this behalfe are exstant and albeit God doe not alwaies strike all persons in like manner offending yet that it might appeare how greatly he detesteth this wickednes he giueth men a taste of his anger and wrathfull indignation euen in this life present shewing thereby how much more sharpely they shal be punished in the world to come And thought in great patience he beareth with this intollerable sinne of men for a long time and season yet shall they not be vnpunished for euer Truely in this thing therefore saith the poet Tibullus Though that periurie be at the first couered yet at length punishment commeth without noyse secretely And Homer in like manner saith Albeit God foorthwith punish not periuries yet doeth hee at length whereby most grieuous punishments falle on the authour his companion and children which hath committed them Which thing seemeth to haue beene fulfilled in Philip king of Macedonia his children whom Pausanias recordeth to haue fallen into so many miseries calamities and troubles because he violated his othes and falsified his promises so often Wherfore howsoeuer either vain swearers or periured persons doe here escape the reuenging hand of God yet shall they vndoubtedly be subiect to eternall condemnation vnlesse they both leaue their wickednes and speedely repent themselues of their sinne embrace the councell of the Apostle who correcteth this euil Let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fal into condemnation This reason drawen from danger not temporal only but eternal rather might be a sufficient stop and stay to keep our lips from this wickednes from which refraining we are so far that we pretend excuses to our vanity 1 Some therefore say I am forced to sweare men otherwise will not beleeue me Shall man force thee to blaspheme and shal not Gods word drawe thee to obedience shall man make thee to doe more in transgressing then Gods word in obeying Is there any necessitie to force thee to doe that which doing thou fallest into condemnation yea is not thy owne vanitie thy inconstancie in thy words thy falshood in thy promises thy periurie in thy othes thy often swearing not vainly only but vntruely also cause that no man giueth thee credit if in al thing◠thy deedes were agreeable to thy words thy performāces according to thy promises if thou wert thy words master and neuer protestedst but the trueth if thy tongue were geuen to simplicitie and thy lippes not defiled with lies then shoulde thy worde be beleeued as well yea rather better then thine othe but because thy wordes are but wind and in thy speaches there is no hold because thy promises are without perfourmance in thy saying there is no faith because in thy tongue there is no trust and in thy talke there is no trueth therefore thou swearest yet thou art not beleeued The law saith He that is once presupposed and taken for an euill man is alwaies so presupposed and he that is taken once for faithlesse vntrustie is alwaies so presupposed Aristotle as Laertius writeth or Demetrius as other affirme being asked what Laertius de vitaphilo profite men gate by their lies falshoode and vntrueths in them answered this onely that oftentimes whē they tell the trueth yet men will not beleeue them The fault therfore redoundeth vpon thy owne head that thou art not beleeued so farre therefore is this pretence from excusing thy swearing that it rather encreaseth thy offence 2 If we pretend our custome doeth this excuse our sinne Nay doeth not custome of doing euill aggrauate the wickednes that seruant that is accustomed to rob his master and doeth it therefore more commonly is more punishable thē he that hath once done it so hath done The childe that by vse and custome groweth to be disobedient deserueth with more seueritie to be chastened then he that once offendeth and so leaueth Euery wickednes how much more commonly it is done so much more hainous is it The man more accustomed to adulteries is the more filthie whoremonger the wife that hath more vsually prostituted her selfe to others is the more detestable harlot the theefe that by custome robbeth deserueth more iustly to be hanged the more vsually any euill is committed the more haynous
lawfull vnto him for his blessings bestovved vpon vs which is the matter here by the Apostle mētioned though sometimes our godly songes may containe some other argument as the songs Psalmes of Dauid vvere for sundry purposes and of manifold matters Yet here I say S. Iames speaketh of singing praises vnto God Concerning the manner how we must sing though curious and deuided musike in our priuate houses for the exercise of our skill for the attaining to perfection of that arte cannot be condemned yet in our songes and exercises to GOD moste chiefely in the face of the church and in the middle of the holy congregation vve must sing in most plaine and modest manner and so as shall serue beste for edification that vvee haue regarde not so much to the sound as to the sense of that which is songe Singing in the best times and among the most holy men of God hath had and now may also haue three ends or opportunities when and wherein it is lawfull and laudable to sing 1. To recreate our heauie and sorowfull heartes with some holy and godly songe and Psalme The princely prophet Dauid oftentimes in the sorow and heauinesse of his heart song to solace recreate his sorovvfull spirite before God Christians in like manner in the anguish of their spirites the troubles of their hearts the vexations of their mindes the griefes of their soules may sing for their godly recreation songes and Psalmes vnto God that thereby they may be lightened and comforted 2. Another ende vse and occasion of singing is the testifying of our thankefulnes vnto God for his immeasurable mercies bountifull benefits gratious goodnes towards vs. Wherin Miriah the sister of Moses with the damsels Exod. 15. and daughters of Israell is an example vvho after the destruction of Pharao and his armie in the redde sea to testifie their gratefull memorie and thankefull hearts for so vvonderfull a deliueraunce songe as followeth I vvill singe vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously c. When Barak by the counsell and pricking on of Deborah had armed the people against Sisera the captaine of Iudges 5. the hoste of Iabin king of Canaan and had confounded discomfited his armie and chased him to the tents of Iael who slew him so deliuered the people frō the slauery of Iabin for so vnlooked for a victory for so glorious a conquest mighty deliuerance Deborah and Barake in token of their thankefulnesse song the same day saying prayse ye the Lord for the auenging of Israell and for the people that offered themselues so willingly When litle Dauid so victoriously had triumphed ouer the prowde Goliah of 1. King 18. the Philistines the daughters of Israell met Saul the king and Dauid his seruaunt singing and playing vpon their timbrels violes and other instruments and in token of thanks giuing said Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand Dauid being marueilouslie preserued from his infinite enemies and at the length by the mightie power of Psal 18. God brought to sitte on the throne of Israel in signe of his thankfulnes to God therefore euen at the entring in to his kingdome he singeth a psalme of praise vnto God I will loue thee dearely ô God my strength the Lorde is my rock and my fortresse and he that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne also of my saluation and my refuge When almightie God had heard the humble suite 1. Kings 2. of Anna the mother of Samuel who being barren desired that she might haue a childe at her request he had geuē her Samuel her sonne to testifie her thankfulnes to God for the same song a song of praise therefore vnto GOD. When the Lord had looked to the humilitie of the blessed Virgin and made her the vessell of Christes conception for that blessing she brake out and sang My soule Luke 1. magnifieth the Lord and my spirite reioiceth in God my Sauiour Zacharie and Simeon in like manner the one after the birth of Iohn Baptist his sonne the other after he had receaued Luke 1. 68 Luke 2. 29. Christ into his armes according to the promise of the holy Angell song in token of their thanksgeuing the song of the former is Benedictus Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel the song of Simeon is Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Whereby and by the like examples it is not only lawful but laudable also in the Saints of God either for benefites blessings either of victory against our enemies or of deliuerance out of trouble or for the fruits of the earth receaued in due seasō or for what thing soeuer we haue mercifullie receaued at his hand to sing to God and so be thankful 3 The third vse and ende of singing is to aduaunce thereby the glorie of God to stirre vp men to zeale to his worde feruencie in praier and earnestnes of perfourming all laudable seruice vnto him Whereunto the example of Elizeus may be referred who at the request of Iehosaphat 4. Kings 3 called for a minstrell who playing singing psalmes to God thereby was stirred vp to pray and prophecie Dauid prouoked himselfe by all meanes forwarde more earnestly to pray to God and to praise him for his Psal 57. mercie wherefore he saith Awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake early I will praise thee among the people ô Lord I wil sing vnto thee among the nations Thus by all possible meanes as by playing vpon instruments and by singing the Prophet stirreth vp himselfe to the aduaunancement of Gods glorie And to this ende he brought in sundrie instruments of musick diuine kindes of songs and psalmes varietie of tunes and harmonies into the church of God The old Hebrewes toke vp and set downe the arke of God with singing this was vsed in the time of the Apostles Saint Paul saith I will pray in the Spirite I will pray with the vnderstanding also I wil sing with the spirit I wil sing with the vnderstanding also wherunto he exhorteth 1. Cor. 14. all the Saints be filled with the Spirite speaking vnto your selues in psalmes and himnes and spiritual songs Ephes 5. 19 Col. 3. 16 singing and making melody in your hearts vnto God geuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the name of Iesus Christ This vse the beleeuing Iewes afterward retained as both Plinie his answere thereof to Traian the Emperour and Tertullian in his Apologetico aboundantlie recordeth Lib. 10. Epist Tertul. apolog 2. ca. who both auouch of them that they rose vp early to sing songs and psalmes to God Saint Augustine writeth that Saint Ambrose brought the same manner into the Church of Mediolanum where Lib. confis 9. c. 7. he was Bishoppe Whom the other of the west Churches followed
desert of Maon perceiuing the inestimable loue of God toward Psal 116. Psal 143. 12. 144. 10. him protesteth that he will therefore be thankfull and do God seruice Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaide In this sence infinitely is setuant taken in holy Scripture meaning all such as serue God in profession of religion Specially they are called the seruants of God and of Christ who in some seueral and chiefe calling do homage vnto God and promote his kingdome So Princes in common wealths Preachers and Ministers in the Church of Christ are seruants of God and of Christ in speciall seruice Our sauiour Christ in some sence is also a seruant in that in the office of a mediatour he serued the wil and pleasure of his father whereof the prophet Ezechiel speaketh Ezech. 34. I will set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feede them and be their Shepheard By Dauid not meaning Dauid the king the sonne of Ishai but Iesus Christ of whom Dauid was a liuely type and figure Isai also speaketh of Christ in the Isai 52. 53 v. 11. 42. 1. person of God Behold my seruant he shall prosper hee shal be extolled and exalted very high speaking of our sauiour Christ in whose hands the worke of our spirituall deliuerance prospered Seruing therefore as the head great Shepheard of the church he is called in a special respect the seruant of God Dauid and other Princes seruing God in the chiefe place of the common wealth in handling the scepter of gouernment are called Gods seruants Magistrates seeking by setting foorth Gods glory and true religion by geuing precepts and making lawes for the aduancement of godlines and vertue are called the seruants of God in that speciall seruice as Augustine Epist 50. to Boniface the Earle at large sheweth So the Apostles and Ministers of Gods word specially called to the ministerie of the word and sacraments are called in respect of that speciall seruice specially the seruants of God and of Christ as Saint Paul in sundrie his Epistles Saint Peter and this Apostle of himselfe speaketh calling themselues the seruants of the Lord. Princes themselues haue no greater honour then to 1. Iames 1. become seruaunts vnto Christ and to licke dust vnder the feet of his Church as the Prophet speaketh which is that earthly Princes should not feare to set out the gospel Psal 72. and geue all their strength to the enlarging of Christ his kingdome though it bee with hazard of their crownes Yea this is by the Apostle to the Hebrewes 1. chap. verse 7. attributed to the angels of God as their hiest honour to be ministring spirites to Christ and to be subiect vnto him How many times doeth Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Iosua Dauid Ezechiah and all the zealous kinges of Iuda entitle themselues the seruants of God How often doeth God shew foorth his great loue fauour and goodnes to Israel yea and many other vnder this name that they are his seruants Who euer of the Princes of the earth but Pharao and Senacherib and the like exalted themselues against him in this wise Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voice I know not the Lord neither vvill I let the people goe Exod. 5. Exod. 5. If thou vvert as mightie as Dauid the King and Prophet yet this is thy greatest honour vvith him to say Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Psal 116. If thou excellest al kings in vvisdome riches honor as Salomon did yet this is thy Psal 116. glory to reioyce in the seruice of Iesus Christ If thou vvert vviser then Daniel more righteous then Noah more perfect then the Prophets this is thy glory the seruice of Christ If vve vvere Princes on earth Prelats in the Church Angels in heauen yet this is the height of all glory to reioyce in the seruice of Christ Who are vve and vvhat are our fathers houses vvho can imagine and frame vnto our selues greater glory then to bee seruantes vnto Christ This the Apostles did not vvho alvvais held it their greatest glory to be indeed the seruants of Christ 1 Now this name of seruant must teache vs humilitie that we submitte our selues to Christ whose seruants we are and for his sake and by his example to serue one another wherunto he exhorteth You know that the Lords of the Gentiles haue rule ouer them and they that are Matt. 20. exercise authoritie vpon them But it shall not be so among you but who so will be great among you let him be your seruant and who so wil be chiefe among you let him be your minister euen as the sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to geue himselfe John 13. for a raunsome for many Whereunto his example in washing his Disciples feet serueth Whereupon he concludeth You call me master and Lord and ye say well for so I am if I then your Lord and master haue washed your feete ye ought also to wash one anothers feet For I haue geuen you an example that ye should doe euen as I haue done vnto you Verely verely I say vnto you the seruant is not greater then the master neither the Ambassador greater then hee that sent him So by their calling vnto his seruice hee by his example teacheth them humilitie both to serue him and to serue one another also The holy Apostle teaching the Saints that their freedome and liberty Gal. 5. consisteth in mutuall seruing one another in the humilitie of their hearts thereunto exhorteth Brethren you haue been called vnto libertie onely vse not your libertie as an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one another Elsewhere about to entreate of the particular dueties of Ephes 5. speciall persons as a sentence generall he premiseth this Submitte your selues one to another in the feare of God Vnto whom Saint Peter subscribeth Submitte your selues 1. Pet. 5 one to another deck your selues inwardly in lowlines of minde for God resisteth the proud and geueth grace to the humble Hereof our profession and calling putteth vs in remembrance who are seruāts by calling to serue God in spirite and trueth and to serue one another in the feare of God Let disdainfull contempt let ambitious honour let insolent pride let peeuish arrogancie be abandoned abolished frō the harts of the Saints who are therfore seruants to serue God his sonne Iesus Christ in all pure holy obediēce for his sake to serue one another in loue 2 By our seruitude we are furthermore taught what we owe vnto Christ Iesus our Lord and maister euen all Luke 1. seruice which is the ende of our redemption and cleansing by Christ from our sinnes Zacharie the father of Saint Iohn Baptist therefore saith wee are redeemed and deliuered
place subscribing thereunto he Psal 145. affirmeth that the Lord is neare to them that call vpon him euen all such as call vpon him faithfully Our blessed Sauiour in the Gospel to allure all men earnestly to pray commendeth praier and the force thereof from the Mat. 7. promise thereof made of obteyning therefore saith he 2 Seeke and you shall finde aske and you shall haue Iohn 14. 16. Mat. 21. 22 knock and it shal be opened vnto you And againe What soeuer you aske the Father in my name hee will geue it you Seeing then to praier so liberall and large promises are made by God and by Christ doeth it not greatly aduaunce and set foorth the excellencie and vertue of praier The Apostle Saint Iohn to commend praier vnto meÌ„ from the largenes and certainty of this promise witnesseth 1. Iohn 5. vnto vs that whatsoeuer we aske of God according to his will it should be geuen vs. And finally our Apostle thererence to shew the excellencie and rare vertue of praier willed if any man want wisdome he should aske it and it should be geuen him Herence then is praier commended James 1. that thereunto are so large promises made that what we aske in praier shal be geuen vs. 2 As the promises made of obteining doe greatlie commend the excellent vertue and force of praier so doe the testimonies and witnesses in Scripture touching the worthines thereof not a little commend it vnto vs. For what vertue is there whose praise in more places whose force in better manner whose excellent vertue by more Ecclus. 35. testimonies is commended Sirach extolling the great vertue inlarging the singular excellencie of prayer c. writeth that who so serueth the Lord should be accepted with fauour and his praier should reach vnto the clouds Matt. 21. Our sauiour Christ expressing the rare force and vertue of praier auoucheth that men shal be able to make mouÌ„tains remone out of their places to cast themselues into the sea Saint John in the Reuclation calleth the praiers of the Reuel 5. 8. Saints that sweet odour which came out of the golden vials and censers and ascended vp to God S. James expressing James 5. the great vertue of praier saith that the praier of the righteous is of great force if it be ferueÌ„t Many like are the testimonies of holy scripture wherin great force is attributed to praier which were tedious to set down in particular Finally our apostle attributeth this force power vnto James 1. it that it obtaineth the vertue of pacience a singular point of diuine wisdome To all which S. Augustine subscribing in Sermon 226. de tempo aduancing the worthines of praier affirmeth that it is the key which openeth heauen and bringeth vs to the presence of God our praier ascendeth and Gods mercy discendeth vpon vs. Praiers therefore proceeding from faith easily mount vp and pearce euen vnto God S. Chrisost in Vpon 22. Mat. opus imperf de prefect euangelij like maner both vpon the Gospel in other places of his writings setting downe the great praise of praier and the excellencie thereof concludeth that there is nothing of greater force power then sincere earnest praier Whether then we respect the promises made vnto the praiers of the Saints or whether we looke vnto the liuely testimonies of the holy scriptures the reuerend fathers whereby the force of praier is witnessed both waies praier for the excellent vertue is commaunded vnto vs. 3 Finally the vertue and force of praier by sundrie effects diuerse examples of men by praier working great matters and miracles also is manifest and apparant Herein leauing the effects of the praiers of the holy Patriarkes before the time and law of Moses wherein the great power and force of praier appeared let vs come to Moses and Exad chap â—4 and 17. such as succeeded in their times and places What shal we here say of the praiers ef Moses were they not of great force when thereby he both remoued the plagues of God from Pharao and also obtained passage by the red sea Pharao and his armie therein destroied Were they not of great vertue when at the praier of Moses the people ouercame Exod. 17. the Amalakites their enemies when hee ceassed they were ouercome of them The praier of Iosua was of great vertue when thereby the Sunne staied in the heauen Iosua 10. vntill hee had subdued the fiue kings his enimies Great was the praier of the man of God when at his praier the hand of king Jeroboam which was dried vp for 3. Kin. 13. that he stretched it out against the Prophet was restored Great were the praiers of Dauid who in infinite places witnesseth that he cried vnto the Lord his praiers were Psal effectuall Great was the force of Elias his praier who praied to God and it rained not for three yeeres and sixe 3. King 17. 18. chap. monethes and he praied againe and it rained and the land was fruitfull as the Apostle out of the storie gathereth Great were the praiers of the same Prophet and Elizeus Iames 5. 3. King 17. 4 chap. 4. Job 24. also by whose praiers the dead were restored Great was the praier of Job when God accepted it for his three friends which had in the matter of Job so shamefully offended in handling so euill a matter so cunningly What should I rehearse vnto you the praiers of Peter and Iohn Acts 3. whereby the begging cripple was healed The praiers of Peter alone whereby both Eneas was healed of the palsie and Tabitha restored to life also The praier of Paul and Asts 9. Acts 16. Acts 4. Sylas whereby the foundation of the prison was shaken They shake then both earth and heauen to make way and passage vnto God As also the place was shaken wherein the Apostles were praying being persecuted of the Iewes By praier Iehosaphat was deliuered from the danger when with Ahab he fought against the Aramites in Ramoth Gilead By praier hee obtained victorie against the Moabites 3. King 22. 2. Chron. 20 2. Chron. 32. and Ammonites which came out against him By praier Hezekiah escaped the huge host of Sennacherib king of the Assirians whose princes captaines and people were mightily by the Angel of God destroied and Hezekiah deliuered By praier Anna obtained a sonne By praier Daniel was deliuered from the rage of cruell Lions What shall 〈◊〉 1. â—e say of the rest of gods Saints who through praier haue wrought miracles raised the dead vanquished their enemies subdued the rage of cruell tyrants obtained victorie ouer Satan got strength against temptations wisdome to beare afflictions and finally haue seene wonderfull effects of their praiers so that the vertue and force of praier herehence is worthily commended vnto vs which in this place the Apostle by all these meanes intimating willeth if any man
God diuerse wayes 1 In How are men subiect to God 1 obediently and reuerently yeelding themselues to his worde and will in hearing what he commaundeth and carefully perfourming what hee inioyneth For as the sonne is subiect to his father and the seruant submitteth himselfe to his maister then when the sonne heareth and obeyeth the will of his father and the seruant of his maister euen so the Saints of God are subiect to God and submit themselues to him when they obey the will and comaundement of God which thing vndone wee submit not our selues to him but rebell against him VVherefore as all the Prephets so Isai chiefly in Isai 1. Ezech. 20. 8. the person of God calleth Israel the people of GOD rebelles agaynst him in that they neglected his commaundements Almightie God in like manner measureth our submission Mal. 2. by our obedience confessing that wee haue cast off his Lordly and fatherly yoke where wee denie him honourable obedience as vnto a father and fearefull reuerence as to a maister All the Prophets our Sauiour Christ Steuen the martyr the blessed Apostles haue condemned the Israelites and Iewes as a rebellious people in that they woulde not obey his worde and therein chiefly shewe their submission Nowe the will of God what is it but our sanctification that we shoulde abstaine â— Thes 4. from fornication that euerie one might knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour And wherein is our obedience to him shewed Is it not in the puritie of our life As obedient children sayeth Peter fashion not your selues vnto the former lustes of your ignoraunce but as he that hath called you is holy â— Pet. 1. so bee ye holy in all conuersation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy If then our submission to God shewe it selfe in the obedience to his will and worde then neither idolatours neither cursed couetous persons neither filthie fornicatours neither pestilent vsurers neither blasphemous swearers neither bitter backebiters neither cruell extorcioners neither violent oppressours neither proude Peacockes neither bloudie murtherers neither shamefull lyers neither beastly drunkards neither deceitfull dealers neither any such like of the rabblement and route of the wicked submit themselues to God but rather therein rebell against him 2 As by obeying his will men submit themselues vnto God so by yeelding themselues to Gods pleasure to doe with them after his will men submit themselues vnto him Thus the three children yeeldinng themselues to the pleasure of God either to deliuer them or not to deliuer them from the fierie fornace submitted themselues Daniel 3. to him Dauid the king of Israel submitted himselfe to God in like manner when hee sayeth If I haue 2. King 15. founde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde he will bring me againe into the Citie and shewe me the Arke and Tabernacle thereof But if he say I haue no delight in thee beholde here I am let him doe with me as seemeth good in his eyes Our Sauiour Christ was subiect and submitted him selfe to God when he yeelded himselfe applyable to the Mat. 26. 1. Pet. 4. 1 pleasure of his father concerning the drinking of the bitter cuppe of his passion Father take from me this cuppe if it bee possible but if this cuppe can not passe away but I must drinke thereof thy will bee done So when in all our temporall estate for honour orignominie on earth when for health or sickenesse when for children or for other things whatsoeuer wee yeelde our selues wholy and obediently vnto God when we freely and voluntarily abide his pleasure therein when without grudging or groyning muttering or murmuring Matt. 6. wee can pray as our Sauiour teacheth Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen when wee prescribe not to God eyther time or place or manner or meane or measure in any thing but subscribe wholly and in all things vnto him then submitte wee our selues vnto GOD but if wee otherwise doe then submitte wee not our selues to God but rebell against him 3 Neyther thus onely submit men themselues vn-God but also when they beare with pacience the crosse which the Lorde layeth vpon them then submitte men themselues to God Thus the holy Prophets afflicted of the princes and people thus our Sauiour Christ reuyled slaundered falsely accused cruelly executed by the Iewes thus holy Iob spoyled of the Ismaelites or Sabeans robbed of the Caldeans tempted of Satan vprayded of his wife condemned of his friendes the Apostles suffering manifolde iniuries of the aduersaries of the gospell Finally the holy martyrs and all Gods Saints suffering with pacience manifolde afflictions and bearing willingly the crosse imposed and layde vppon them thereby submitted themselues vnto God VVhereunto the Apostle here exhorteth Submit your selues vnto god which is the thing which the Apostle commaundeth and the first thing in the first point of our duetie obserued 2 The next thing in this first part of duetie is the contrarie wee must submit our selues to God but we must resist the diuell which thing the holy Apostle Saint Peter in like manner commendeth vnto vs bee sober 1. Pet. 5. and watch for your aduersarie the diuell like a roaring lion goeth about seeking whome hee may deuoure whom resist steadfast in the fayth To this purpose not altogether impartinently serueth that of Saint Paul bee angrie and sinne not let not the Sunne go downe vpon Ephe. 4. your wrath neither giue place to the diuell VVhich thing had Euah our great grandmother learned which lesson had shee concâ—yued to haue resisted and withstoode the subtile sâ—eights of Satan the diuell who egged her to disobedience to God and drewe from her submission to him shee had not tasted of the forbidden fruite Gen. 3. whereby she plunged herselfe and all her posteritie into perdition Had the Israelites learned to haue resisted the diuell when by the beautie of the daughters of Moab he Num. 25. tempted them they had not burnt in lust neither committed fornication with them where by the wrath of god was prouoked and they therefore destroyed Had the men of the first world rmembred to haue resisted Satan when with carnall pleasure they were tempted they had not Gene. 6. 7. caused the doores and windowes of heauen to open and poure downe water vpon them whereby they and all the worlde was drowned Had the Sodomites beene hereof Gene. 19. mindfull as no doubt they were taught by Lot the preacher of righteousnesse when they burnt in vnnaturall lust one with the other they had not so sore offended as thereby to call fire and brimstone from heauen by which they perished Had Absalon remembred to haue resisted Satan when by ambition he pricked him on to rebell agaynst 2. Kin. 15. 16. his owne father Dauid the Lordes annoynted he had not endeuoured to haue thrust him from his royall seate of honour neither had he taken sworde in hande against
al pride and vanitie the adulterer beareth vp head as if he were right honest the couetous persons vsurers oppressours extortioners deceauers lyers and the rest of that rabble marche on bare-faced without all remorse and spende their daies in prodigalitie and care not Wherefore if there be any consolation in Christ Iesus if there be any feare or dread of endles death or loue to long and euerlasting life if we haue any care of saluation or any feare of vtter condemnation if we haue any desire to the continuance of the Gospell amongst vs or any zeale to Gods eternall glorie if wee delight in sweete and pleasant peace or take pleasure in the prosperitie of our Countrey then let vs in the feare of GOD sorowe and weepe before our destruction come vpon vs let vs turne our wanton mirth into mourning and our ioye into heauines that by our true and heartie repentance and vnfeyned mortification before God wee may turne away the indignation and wrath which wee haue most iustely from him deserued 2 As our humbling our selues before God standeth in thus afflicting of our selues by repentance so also doeth it in our casting downe of our selues before God wherein there are two things to be noted 1 The precept 2 The reason Touching the thing thus saith Saint Iames Caste downe your selues before the Lorde Like vnto which councell is that of Saint Peter Humble and prostrate 1 Petr. 5. your selues vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt this casting downe of our selues whereby wee acknowledge our owne vnworthines and testifie and beare witnes of our sinnes before his diuine maiestie confesse from our hearts that we haue deserued al plagues al miseries all calamities all punishments and thereby craue pardon and forgeueues that we may escape that whereof our consciences are afraid is and hath been a signe of our humbling of our selues of true repentance in the saints of God When holy Dauid saw the wrath of God kindled against him for his adulterie and his sore indignation beginning to burne in the punishment of the child then besought 2. Kings 12. he the Lord then went he in and fasted and lay all night vpon the earth and so cast downe himselfe before God In like manner when Absolon had slaine Ammon his brother Dauid the king feeling the wrath of God vpon his house as was threatned by Nathan rent his garments 2. Kings 13 Luke 18. 13 Mat. 8. 8 lay on the groūd in most humble and lamentable maner casting down and prostrating himselfe before God Therunto Saint Iames in this place exhorteth and willeth vs to humble our selues by casting downe prostrating our selues before the Lord. Thus must we abate our proud spirites cast down our loftie and lordly lookes couer our faces for the shame of our sinnes against God committed Whereunto the Apostle respecteth in this exhortation Cast downe you selues before God thus to do how holy a sacrifice how acceptable an offering how pleasant a duetie is it to the Lord To the perfourmance wherof the rather to moue vs The reason the Apostle setteth downe a reason full of comfort Caste downe your selues saith the Apostle before God and he 1. Pet. 5. will lift you vp The same reason Saint Peter vseth Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of god that he may exalt you in due time That men therefore should not thinke their labour lost when they prostrate and cast downe themselues in true humilitie before God neither their humilitie to be destitute of reward the Apostle reasoneth from the effect Cast down your selues God will lift you vp The proud then shall not alwaies be aloft neither shall the humble alwaies be cast downe but the daies will come when both the proude which exalt themselues shal be brought lowe and the humble which cast downe themselues shal be exalted The Lord exalteth those which in true humilitie of their hearts cast down themselues before him This preached Ezech. 17 God by Ezechiel where promising to pull down the proud enemies of the Church which exalted themselues against it and to exalt and lift vp the Church which was lowe cast down and contemned both in the sight of the world by maliciousnes of the wicked and in the sight of their owne eyes through humilite saith All the trees of the field shall know that is all the world shall know that I haue brought downe the high trees and exalted the low tree that I haue dried vp the greene tree and made the drie tree to flourish God exalteth those that are caste downe and humbled Herunto holy Iob subscribeth God setteth vp on hie Iob. 5 them that be lowe that the sorowful◠may be exalted to Iob. 22 saluation In another place intreating of the deliuerance of the Saints which humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God and cast downe themselues before his his throne of glorie when the proud and wicked shall be destroyed round about them he faith When others are cast downe then shalt thou say I am lift vp for God will saue the humble person And Salomon to like purpose auoucheth that the Pro. 29 pride of a man should bring him lowe but the humble in spirite should enioy glorie The sonne of Sirach witnesseth Ecclus. 10 to like effect that God casteth downe the thrones of the proud Princes and setteth vp the meeke in their places Which thing our blessed Sauiour preached to the Luke 14. people whom when as ghestes they shoulde be bidden to any feast hee exhorteth that they should not take the highest but the lowestroomes because such as humbled themselues shoulde be exalted In the parable of the Pharisie and Publicane wherof Luke 18. the one lifted vp himselfe in pride and therefore was contemned of God the other cast downe himselfe was exalted hee concludeth and knitteth vp the matter with this heauenly diuine and most godly sentence Hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought lowe and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Finally disswading his Apostles from vaine desire of honour exhorteth them to serue one another in humilitie and true loue because Mat. 23. they who exalt themselues are brought lowe of God and they which humble themselues are by him exalted Seeing then our casting downe before God is rewarded with exaltation and lifting vp by him we thereby ought to be moued to cast downe our selues before him Falling abasement as the Grecians say is the companion of pride and the loftie minde goeth before Prou. 16. 18. ver 12. Prou. 15. destruction saith Salomon so the casting downe of ourselues goeth before our exaltation and glorie Salomon therefore a little before saith to this purpose the feare of the Lord is the instruction of vvisedome and before honour goeth humilitie So then the high vvay and right path to be exalted of God is to humble and cast dovvne our selues before him vvherefore if our casting
may whollie rest and relie vpon his diuine pleasure that after we haue suffered a little he may make vs perfect confirme strengthen and stablish vs. To whom be glory dominion and maiestie now and for euermore Amen Iames Chapter 5. verse 12 Sermon 26. Ver. 12 But before al things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor by any other othe but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least ye fall into condemnation 3. Place of the Chapter NOw commeth the Apostle to the thirde place in this chapter handled which is concerning swearing Vnto which he slideth descendeth very orderly for that in the former treatise he had exhorted the Saints to patience and disswaded al murmuring and impatiencie and commonly most grieuous and horrible othes with most bitter execrations growe of our impatiencie Therefore hauing discoursed thereof he addeth in the next place admonition and councell touching swearing willing vs to detest all such wickednes and to accustome our tongues to simple and true speach Though then the Apostle seeme properly to speake of such vaine and wicked othes as where unto men breake oftentimes through impatiencie yet will I touch this more generally and hereunder conteine all othes whatsoeuer are rashly and wickedly made by men In this 12. verse conteyning the third place concerning swearing three things are to be noted Namely 1. The condemning of the thing as horrible and detestable sinne 2. The correcting of that euil what men in stead of wicked swearing should doe 3. The reason why men ought not to sweare 1 Touching the first of these thinges thereof thus saith our Apostle Aboue all things my brethren sweare not Where he condemneth othes and swearing Which place being falsly applied by the Anabaptists for the condemning of all othes and of swearing it shall not be impertinent to this place but both profitable and proper to consider whether all swearing ought vtterly to be condēned or no. And if not then what swearing what othes the Apostle here reproueth Which thing that it may the better appeare let vs in briefe and in a word consider what an othe is what it is to sweare An othe is the affirming or denying of a thing An othe with the calling on of the name of God to witnesse and auouch the trueth of the thing vttered To sweare is to affirme or denie a thing with the calling on of the name of God for the auouching of the trueth of that thing which with solemne othe we haue protested Or an othe is an earnest and vehement affirmation or negation of a thing lawfull and honest by the name of God whereby we desire him to be a witnesse vnto the trueth and a reuenger and punisher of all such as vse deceat falshood This being the definition of an othe whether is it altogether condemned or not The Anabaptists abusing this place and that of our Sauiour Christ Sweare not at all condemne all othes as Mat. 5. vnlawfull in Christians But the word of God rightlie and trulie vnderstoode permitteth Christians in some causes and cases to sweare By which men must not challenge vnto themselues libertie of swearing for what they luste but ought to learne neuer to sweare at al but so and vnder such condition as the scriptures teach them and no other wise That Christians and the Saints of God may sweare Wheather Christians may sweare in some cases and therefore all othes and swearing not vtterly condemned it may by sundrie groundes and arguments be proued 1 What the morall lawe of God permitted that is lawfull for the morall lawe is perpetuall vniuersall and generall binding all men comprising all times containing al things that are lawfull This lawe permitteh men to sweare this giueth licence to the Saints in some cases and some causes to sweare Moyses in the repeating of the Deut. 6. lawe from the mouth of God gaue this charge to Israell the people of God thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and thou shalt sweare by his name To the like purpose in the same booke the prophet giueth the like commaundement thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God Deut. 10. thou shalt cleaue vnto him sweare by his name Thus almighty God maketh the calling vpon his name in their lawfull othes to be a parte of his diuine seruice and permitteth the same vnto his people so that to sweare by the law of God is permitted The holie prophets the best expounders and interpreters of the lawe haue therefore taught the people in certaine cases to sweare Ieremie saith thus to Israell thou shalt sweare the Lorde liueth in Ierimie 4. truth in equitie in iudgement The prophet Dauid the Psal 63. worthy prince of Israell protesteth that all they shal be commended that sweare in the name of God their heauenly King Isay exhorteth and willeth that who so sweareth Isay 65. Ierimie 12. on earth should sweare by the true God The Lorde in Ieremie his prophet teaching this not only to bee lawfull but laudable and praise worthy in al his seruantes and therefore also requireth it as a parte of his diuine seruice and saith it shal be that if they haue learned the waies of my people then they shall sweare in my name the Lorde liueth Thus the lawe and the Prophets teach that in certaine cases and in some respects it is lawfull to sweare 2 That whereof we haue God himselfe the Patriarkes Christ and Saint Paul for our example and warrant cannot be altogether vnlawfull But the Lord our God a most holy God and most iust the Patriarkes the most deare seruants of God Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of the father and the onely true patterne of all perfection the holie Apostle the most elect vessell and most pure seruant of Iesus Christ haue sworne how then are al othes vnlawfull how is all swearing forbidden And first touching God is not hee recorded at sundrie times to haue sworne and that by himselfe VVhen Abraham at Gods commaundement was readie to haue Gene. 2◠offered vp his onely sonne in sacrifice to God the Lord stayed his hande and saide by my selfe haue I sworne sayeth the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee and will greatly multiplie thy seede as th◠starres of heauen and as the sande which is vpon the sea shore and thy seede shall possesse the gates of their enemies The princely Prophet Dauid prophecying of the Psal 110. eternall Kingdome and Priesthoode of Christ bringeth in God swearing vnto him The Lorde sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech VVho speaking also of the othe of the Lord made vnto him touching his posteritie whereon the Psal 132. people grounded their praiers and desired the establishment thereof sayeth in like manner the Lorde hath sworne in trueth to Dauid and hee will
follow in the other two Apostles which may not be Another reason is This Writer maketh not mention so oftentimes of the merites of Christ as other Apostles doe therfore Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Luke 24. it seemeth he was not an Apostle For all the Apostles were sent to preach Christ remission of sinnes by his death The answere hereunto is not hard He maketh memorable mention of Chtist and his profession calling him our glorious Cap. 2. Lord whose faith and religion he counselleth to be without respect of persons And for his parte his endeuour was in this place to root out securitie and hypocrisie out of the heartes of men who with a bare name of faith deceiued flattered them selues against which fond perswasion and vaine ostentation of faith the Apostle bending himselfe could not so often mention the merits of Christ as others did who hauing to doe with others which professed not Christ altogether almost entreat of his death merites and redemption as hauing more matter ministred to labour in doctrine then S. Iames had who against carnall professors and counterfetting hypocrites frameth his stile and spendeth his labour to that purpose A third reason moueth them hereof to doubt This Author Chap. 2. 3 cyteth say they the story of Abraham to proue iustification by works which S. Paul to the Romanes Galathians citeth for iustification by faith Thus seemeth this Author to preach coÌ„trary to Paul whose doctrine is plaine that we are iustified by grace freely without the workes of the lawe euen by faith in Christ Iesu This may thus be repelled These Apostles spake not in the same sence of faith and iustification but S. Paul of true faith S. Iames of couÌ„terfet faith S. Paul of iustification by faith before God Saint Iames of being knowen to be iustified which is before men by good works therfore they are not contrary Neither this onely but they dealt with diuers persons S. Paul with them which ascribing too much to their works derogated from faith in Iesus Christ Against whom Paul disputing proueth that iustification before God is by faith onely in Christ vnto which purpose works auaile nothing Saint Iames dealt with men quite contrary affected euen such as boasting to much of their bare faith neglected the study of good works so slept in the cradle of securitie wherfore S. Iames to rouse and rayse them affirmeth that bare faith neglecting and not regarding good works is dead and profiteth nothing because works are as testimonies and fruites of our faith whereby it is knowen to be either dead or liuely as the tree is manifest by the fruites thereof Euen as Abraham being before God iustified yet by his works shewed his faith wherby he was knowen to be righteous and thereby so reputed of men and therto citeth he faithfully the story of Abraham not to prooue that by his works he was iustified before god but to shew that his faith was fruitful in all good works to the glory of God and that by his works he was knowen to men to be righteous and so the Scripture fulfilled Abraham beleeued and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnes So that there is sweet melody and a ioyfull harmonie betwixt these Apostles in that that S. Iames in the second chapter teacheth that which almost in euery Epistle Paul preached that men must not professe religion in word onely as hypocrites do but by good works beautify their calling that their coÌ„uersatioÌ„ may be answerable correspondeÌ„t to their profession so God in al things glorified through Iesus Christ S. Iames then saw the pestilent hypocrisie of men who like the olde Philosophers could speake welof vertue but would not perform that theÌ„selues which they gaue in precept â—culans â—tions vnto others as Tully coÌ„plaineth so these could talke much of faith but would doe neuer a whit thereafter therfore bendeth himself wholly against theÌ„ as in the discourse appeareth agreeable to the scripture So then if al things be truly weyed circumstances duely considered it may appear that this epistle is most catholick so that neither of the author neither of the autority ought men to dout but as coÌ„moÌ„ly so generally it is to be receaued vnder the name of Iames the Apostle of Iesus Christ 2 The writer being Iames the holy Apostle it followeth that we consider his profession and calling wherof the place it selfe teacheth vs in that he is called a seruant of God and of Iesus Christ Seruants as Saint Augustine sheweth in the Latine tongue were so called because such as by right of war might haue beene slayne were reserued and kepte Lib. 19 c. 15. ciuitate Dei aliue and so called and named seruants a seruando from sauing The kinds whereof if we wil consider as may serue to this purpose I suppose they be two One kinde of seruants which are so by condition as borne by nature caught in warre bought with money of which there were not a fewe in the daies of Christ and his Apostles of such Iohn 8. our sauiour might seem to haue spoken when making difference betwixt the sonne of a man and his seruant which he applieth to the cursed Iewes which were the seruantes of sinne He saith the seruant abideth not in the house for euer but the sonne abideth for euer Saint Paul of this seruitude speaketh both exhorting him that was by conditioÌ„ 1. Cor. 7. 1. Tim. 6. Tit. 2. Col. 3. Ephes 6. 1. Pet. 2. a seruant in that condition to continue without grudging and also exhorting seruants to be obedient to them which were their bodily masters Whereunto Saint Peter also exhorteth When the Apostles speake of seruants by condition euen such as were borne in captiuitie or such as were taken in warres or finally such as were bought with mony and were their slaues seruants to whoÌ„ they belonged but of such S. Iames speaketh nothing here 2 There is another kinde of seruants which are seruants by profession calling who offer their seruice vnto God and his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord which are also of two sorts Men are the seruants of God either generally eyther particularly Generally they are all the seruantes of Iesus Christ whosoeuer professe his religion and promise their seruice vnto him in the generall calling of a Christian Thus bond and free male and female young and olde rich and poore prince and people wise and foolish learned and ignorant base borne and honourable one and another euen all such as professe the religion of God and of Christ are his seruants Samuel being a childe before 1. Kings 3. fore he serued in the place of a Prophet being called by God was taught to say by Ely the priest Speake Lord thy seruant heareth Iob in sinceritie professing the religioÌ„ of God is called Job 1 2. 42. the Lords seruant Dauid not yet aduaÌ„ced vnto the kingdome but persecuted by Saul and in danger in the
large discourse sheweth that by patience we are commended and presented to God that anger is repressed the tongue refrayned the minde gouerned and man thereby on euery side perfect True then is the Apostles saying auouching that patience maketh vs perfect and entire lacking nothing But now that the Apostle here saith that by pacience we are made perfect we may note that perfection is double One perfection there is of the substance of thinges as he that beleeueth constantly vpon Christ without wauering is perfect in faith for hee hath the perfection of the substance of faith Who so holdeth the doctrine of Christ as the infallible word of trueth and therunto cleaueth immoueably as to the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast hee hath the word of God perfectly concerning the substance Who so constantly continueth in the Heb. 6. profession of his religion that neither with blast of vayne perswasion neither with storme of cruel persecution he be remoued is perfect Thus men in this world may be perfect in vertues when they haue the true substance of the vertues for which they are commended There is another perfection which is of degrees which is such as cannot be encreased in any degree as to haue such faith as that we need not to pray Lord increase Luke 17. our faith to haue such knowledge as wee neede not with Dauid desire further to be enstructed in the wayes of the Psal 25. 119. 86. Lord to haue such patience as that cannot be augmented such perfection as in nothing canbe encreased thus no man is perfect in this infirmitie and weaknes of nature by patience we grow to perfection of the substance of sundrie vertues but not to perfection in degrees but to such a measure as of men in this life may be attayned whereunto the name of perfection is geuen Thus both men in holy Scripture and things are sometimes called perfect as Iob Zacharie and Elizabeth and others yet not absolutely but either in comparison of the wicked and vngodly then whom the Saints are more holy and in comparison perfect either because the Saintes excell in the greater part of their life in excellent vertues as S. Augustine auoucheth and another father to like purpose Men 2. De meritis remis c. 2. are called perfect not that there is no imperfection in thē but because they are commended with a great heape of vertues Or finally because that measure whereunto wee grow and those vertues whereunto we aspire and clime are reputed in the Saints for perfect by the imputation of the perfection of Iesus Christ whereby all the vertues of the Saints are accepted with God Seeing then by patience vnder the manifold afflictions of this life we increase in vertue and growe to be entire perfect and as lacking nothing shall we not thereby be moued to holde fast the exhortation and proposition of the Apostle Brethren count it exceeding ioy whē you fall into diuers temptations knowing that your triall of faith bringeth foorth patience and let patience haue her perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire lacke nothing And these are the three reasons wherefore wee ought to count it exceeding ioy when we fall into diuers temptations These things thus set down the Saints might haue obiected 3. A preoccupation against his doctrin It were good thus to do we deny not but it is not so soon done as easilie spokē as thogh we were able of our selues thus in our afflictions to moderate our selues that whensoeuer we be afflicted to accoūt it exceeding ioy This obiection the Apostle answereth I know this is not a qualitie in the power and strength of nature but it is a speciall grace and gift of God in our affliction to comfort our selues that we be not cast downe nor faint hearted but rather be glad and reioyce Therefore it is to be asked of him which onely geueth this heauenly wisdome In which place there may two things be obserued 1. The obiectiō which might haue been made 2. Then the answere thereunto 1 The obiection is Wee cannot of our selues thus beare the crosse we haue no such strength in nature there is nothing more vnpleasant or vnsauourie to the flesh then is the crosse We know that in vs that is in our flesh Rom. 7. dwelleth no good thing of our selues as of our selues wee cannot so much as thinke a good thought How vnequall 2. Cor. 13. are we then to the bearing of so heauie a burthen Wee must needes sinke vnder the crosse wherefore in vaine O holy and blessed apostle in vain assuredly is this doctrine preached vnto vs. 2 The answere hereunto is this I know that this is a hard doctrine to the flesh I confesse wee are vnable of our selues to performe it this is the speciall grace gifte of God to account our afflictions exceeding ioy vnto vs. Therefore is it not to be hoped for in our selues but from him to be praied for wherfore if any man lack wisdome let him aske it of God which geueth to all men liberally and reproacheth none and it shal be geuen him but let him aske it in faith and wauer not In which answer foure things are to be considered 1 What this wisdome is It is the doctrine of the crosse here specified namely to endure patiently whatsoeuer God layeth vpon vs and to know that God in singular loue correcteth all those with the rodde of affliction whom he purposeth to make heires of his eternall glory This to knowe is wisdome farre greater then the wisdome of men This wisdome standeth in two things 1. In knowledge that we wisely vnderstand the causes for which we are thus afflicted of God as that partly for the punishmēt of our sinnes as the princely Prophet recordeth For iniquitie Psal hast thou chastened man partly for the more manifestation and plainer triall of our faith as Abraham Iob Israel the seruant and people of God partly for the aduauncement of Gods greater glory that thereby in the deliuerance of men from their calamities hee might be more glorified Finally that hereby wee being touched 1. Cor. 11. might repent lest that wee perish with the worlde Hereof to haue true vnderstanding and knowledge is a great point of wisdome euen of this wisdome whereof the Apostle speaketh As the wisdome how to beare the crosse consisteth in knowledge and vnderstanding of the ends wherefore it is inflicted and laide vpon vs so also it consisteth in an inward feeling and iudgement when in our heartes soules and consciences we haue sense and feeling of the comfort of the spirite which in afflictions of this life and in the crosse wherunto we are subiect vpholdeth and supporteth vs and with assured hope of safe deliuerāce in due season vnderproppeth vs This point of wisdome to feele inwardly the comfort of the spirite was in holy Iob who therefore in the Iob. 19. midst of all his miseries and in the
greatest brunt of his afflictions in liuely hope in assured faith in wonderfull confidence in inward feeling of rare comfort of the holy Ghost breaketh out and saith I know that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise againe in the latter day shall see God in my flesh and not with other but with these same eyes This point of wisdome had Dauid learned wheÌ„ Psal 23. in great confidence and truste and singular consolation of the spirite he brake out and cried Though I shoulde walke through the shadow of death yet will I feare no euill for thou Lord art with me thy rod and thy staffe comforte me This wiseome was in the Prophets Apostles holy Martyrs whereby their torments and sufferings being in themselues extreame yet became to them tollerable To know therefore the ende and vse of the crosse and outward afflictions to feele the presence of the spirit of God in midst of our miseries comforting vs whereby the burthen of the crosse is lightened This is surely the wisdome mentioned by the Apostle If any man lack wisdome 2 This wisdome is not a qualitie in nature but grace an excellent grace and gift of God therefore of him onely is this wisdome to be sought which the Apostle to intimate willeth that if any man lack this wisdome he should aske it of God to beare the crosse patiently to know the vse of affliction truely to feele the comfort of the spirite inwardly this is wisdome not of man but of God not of our selues but from his heauenly goodnesse from whom all wisdome floweth as from a fountain truely therefore Salomon The Lord geueth wisdome out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding And Pro. 2. 6. the holy Patriarke Iob searching and seeking out the fountaine of wisdome and the wel-head from whence all heauenly Job 28. knowledge commeth and confessing that there is no naturall meane by which men might attaine thereunto concludeth finally that it is the speciall gift of God who only knoweth the way of wisdome and vnderstandeth the place thereof When the dreame of Nabuchodonosor was reuealed vnto Daniel the prophet the Prophet Dan. 2. referring all wisdome vnto him as vnto a fountain geueth thanks and praise to God the name of God be praysed for euer and euer for all wisdome and strength are his hee changeth times and seasons he taketh away kings setteth vp kings he geueth wisdome ro the wise and vnderstanding to those that vnderstand This Solomon the king rightly considering praieth for wisdome vnto the Lorde 3. Kings 3. 4. 29. who gaue him wisdome in wonderfull manner aboue all kings and princes To this infallible trueth wise Sirach subscribing in the entrance of his treatise and booke of Ecclus. 1 Esd 3. 4. 60. wisdome confesseth All wisdome saith he commeth of the Lord and hath beene with him for euer and is with him for euermore and as a I wisdome generally is from him so is this speciall grace and gift to beare the crosse paciently and not to faint vnder the yoke and burden of afflictions Which when Paul perceiued confesseth to Philip. 1. the Church of Philippi that it was giuen them not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for him To this purpose it serueth that almightie God is called the God of Rom. 15. pacience consolation because he giueth both pacience and consolation vnder the afflictions of this life Can flesh and blood beare the heauie yoke of Christ vnlesse it bee strengthened by Christ through whom wee can doe all things Could man indure infinite and intollerable torments Philip. 4. and so manifold afflictions as whereunto wee are subiect vnlesse it were giuen him from God Could anie suffer the spoile of their goods the losse of their children the slandering of their names the restraint of their libertie the beating of their bodies the departure from their countrey the sicknesses and diseases wherewith they are compassed the diuers temptations whereinto they fall dayly were it not that they had receiued this wisedome from God The holy and blessed Apostle therfore acknowledging this to bee the gift of God wisely to behaue our selues vnder the crosse affirmeth that it is a gift from God of whom onely we must looke to craue it if any man saith he lacke wisedome let him aske it of God 3 Paciently to beare the crosse and wisely and well to behaue our selues in our afflictions being a gift from God what hope haue we to obtaine it by asking of hâ—â— Three wayes are we here to conceiue hope of obteining this wisedome from God 1 From the promise we haue from God that hee will heare when we call open when we knocke giue when we aske it of him almightie God assureth vs of this hope by his Prophet by whom he willeth vs in the dayes of tribulation Psal 50. Luke 15. 30. to call vpon him with promise that he will heare vs In fine he protesteth that he is more readie to heare vs then we to call vpon him and more willing to supplie Isai 65. our neede then we desirous to aske it at his hands therefore saith he before they call I will answere while they Mat. 7. speake I wil heare them Our blessed sauiour inuiteth vs to pray by this hope of obtaining aske and you shall haue seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you therefore in another place he assureth his that John 14. whatsoeuer they shall aske in his name he would doe it that the father might be glorified in the sonne And againe in that day shall you aske me nothing verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall aske the father John 16. in my name he will giue it you hitherto haue you asked nothing in my name aske and you shal receiue that your ioy may be full And the Apostle in this place promiseth that if we aske we shall receiue the wisdome we pray for Seeing then wee haue promise to obtaine whatsoeuer we aske at the hands of our heauenly father if we aske it according to his will And particularly Saint Iames here 1. John 5. promiseth that wisdome shall be giuen vs when we aske it of God then is there great hope we shall obtaine it let vs therefore aske it 2 As from the promise is made vs that we shal obtaine so from the liberalitie of God we must conceiue hope of obteining the thing we pray for God giueth to euery man liberally shall he not giue vs wisdome who is liberall to all men Shall we distrust his goodnesse who is rich to all Rom 10. that call vpon him Shall we suspect his bountifulnesse which powreth out plentifully his blessings vpon al flesh Rom. 8. So liberall is our God that he hath not spared his owne sonne but hath giuen him for vs all vnto death how shall he not together with him giue vs all things also Such is the bountie
all wauering and doubting it easily refuteth those fantasticall spirites which condemne prayer as superfluous God say they knoweth our need seeth our want before we aske he will for his fatherly goodnes supplie this want without asking he heareth the inwarde sighings and sobs of the spirite and knoweth what the spirite meaneth therefore is prayer in Gods children superfluous Indeed if God because he knoweth our need and heareth the sorowfull sighings of the Saints Woulde therefore supplie our want without asking then were prayer superfluous but to be therfore superfluous because he knoweth our needes and necessities is a reason carnal sensuall and deuilish For were this carnal reason sufficient God knoweth our needes before we pray therefore praier is superfluous why doeth the Apostle here will vs If any man lacke wisdome to aske it of God God knoweth our infirmities he seeth our impatieÌ„cy he beholdeth the vnablenes of mans nature he seeth whether in afflictioÌ„s we behaueour selues as is coÌ„uenient notwithstanding the apostle willeth vs to aske this point of wisdom from God Neither Saint Iames here onely commendeth praier as needfull but the whole course of the Scriptures of God require it in the necessities of men as an instrument most necessarie Almighty God though he knew our troubles whereinto by his will we should be plunged yet commaundeth hee vs in our troubles to call vpon him for deliuerance The Lorde Psal 50. foresaw the miserable captiuitie of Israel his people in the land of Babylon yet doeth the Prophet will them to Lament 2. poure out their hearts before God both for their present miserie and also for their future calamitie Our Sauiour Mat. 6. Christ auouching to the Saints that God their heauenlie Father knew their necessities and therefore they shoulde not be distrustfull as the heathen and Gentiles yet for all necessities both bodely and ghostly he set downe prayer as a helpe and remedie the forme whereof he left vnto alposteritie and commaunded also that men shoulde aske seeke knock for at the gates of Gods mercies the thinges Mat. 7. that were needfull It were horrible blasphemie to say that Mat. 26. Luke 22. God did not know the distresse and agony of our Sauiour in the garden and impietie without comparison most detestable to thinke that the Father was not readie to helpe him yet doeth our Sauiour thrise on a rowe pray to the Father that that cuppe might passe from him The hearts of the Apostles were knowen and it was needefull for the accomplishing of their ministerie that to the eleuen a twelfth Apostle in Iudas his place might be substitute yet in that so heauenly a busines they pray to God for direction Acts 1. God knew that Anna the mother of Samuel was 1. Kings 1. barren and despised therefore of her enemie he sawe her affliction and considered her teares yet was it not geuen her what she desired but after her prayer vnto God Praier is not therefore superfluous because God knoweth our needes and necessities before we aske What haue not the holy Patriarkes haue not the blessed Apostles haue not the Saints of God in all times vsed praier May it then be iudged as superfluous What haue we either to supplie our bodely necessities or to minister to our spirituall wants as of our selues and may we not truely of both say We haue nothing but what we haue receaued And vvhereby doe vvee receaue 1. Cor. 4. these things from the hands of God Is it not by praier Is it not necessarie then in all The Poet saith vvell therefore that praier profiteth both poore and rich alike when it is vsed and hurteth both children and olde men being neglected Men praye therefore to God Saint Augustine affirmeth Epist 121. to Proba the vvidovv not to teach him their necessitie for vvho knovveth the minde of the Lorde to instruct him but to exercise themselues in praier make them capable of those thinges vvhich vvillingly he doeth geue them Therefore men pray to God that thereby it may appeare that he is the geuer of all good things that the effects and euents of things depend vvholly vpon him that increase of his graces is to be looked for onely from his heauenly maiestie and thereby vve taught to behaue our selues more thankfully and duetifully vnto him Seeing then no man can be so blinde vnlesse he vvilfully stoppe his eies against the light of the trueth but needes confesseth praier to be a thing most necessarie in the life of man vvhich neither man nor vvoman rich nor poore learned nor ignorant Prince nor people one nor other can vvant altogether but is the onely meane and instrument vvherby all the treasures of God reposed and laide vp in store for his Saints in Iesus Christ are plentifully poured out vpon men then notvvithstanding this to holde it as superfluous in the Saints is not onely like Gyants to fight against God and his trueth but as hauing put off the vvhole nature of men and transformed into the shape of bruite beastes to striue and contende against the course of nature it selfe vvhich vvho so doe are not onely vvorthy to be secluded the societie of the Saintes but also to be sequestred and put out from the companie of men Were there then no other place in all holy scripture to commend prayer as a thing most necessarie vnto men yet vvere this one al-sufficient that the Apostle S. James here maketh it the meane to attaine vnto vvisdome If any man lack vvisdome let him aske it of God 3 Besides this vvhereas Saint James promiseth that if we lack wisdome we should aske it and it should be geuen vs doeth hee not most highly commende praier vnto men whose vertue force and excellencie is such as whereby the most excellent gift and vertue of patience a singular point of heauenly wisdome is obteined the vertue efficacie whereof is set downe farre and wide in the scriptures of God whereof if we will consider a little it commendeth praier not a litle 1 That almightie God hath made so large and liberall promises thereunto as that we shall obteine that from him by praier which we aske to which â—â—rpose almighty God by his Prophet saith Call vpon me â—n the day of thy trouble and I wil deliuer thee Psal 50. and thou shalt glorifie me call vpon me and I will deliuer thee By another Prophet to like purpose is it said Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answere thee thou shalt crie Isai 58. and he will heare thee The wiseman Salomon commending Pro. 15. vnto men the excellencie of praier by the promise therunto made that God woulde heare it saith God is farre from the wicked but he heareth the praiers of the righteous Dauid by great experience and long triall hauing felt the trueth hereof crieth out The eies of the Psal 34. Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their praiers And in another
but of debt Rom. 4 Rom. 11. And againe in the question of election If it be of grace it is no more of works els were grace no grace if of works it is no more of grace for then were workes no more works This contrarietie Saint Augustine confessing sheweth that grace fauour and free gift cannot be mingled Epist 120. with works and therefore concludeth and defineth what grace or free gift is Haec est gratia This is fauour free gift grace which is geuen freely not for the merites of the worker but by the mercie of the geuer Seeing therefore that wee which were all by nature the children of wrath the sonnes of Adam subiect to eternall death and Eph. 2. damnation replenished in minde heart and will with iniquitie and sinne compassed about with thick darke and mistie cloudes of error and wickednes loathing heauen and louing earth caried away of our owne desires to work wickednes with greedines are now not for our merites but of Gods meere mercie not by our workes but by his Eph. 4. grace not of our deserts but of his owne will begotten againe and regenerate We must referre this whole work to his good wil and account his goodnes for the only efficiēt cause of our regeneration Whereby it appeareth that he is the fountaine of all goodnes and that our wickednesse must not be imputed vnto him The regeneration then of Gods Saints a most manifest testimonie of his goodnes sheweth that he is ōly author of good not of euil which th'apostle here prouing addeth of his own wil begat he vs. 2 The good will and fauour of God being the first and efficient cause of regeneration The second cause which is the instrumentall cause and meane whereby wee are regenerate is the word of God which Saint James expresseth in this place in this manner of his owne will he hath begotten vs with the word of trueth In which place he slideth and falleth into the cōmendation of the worde of God the chiefe thing in this laste parte to be obserued Which words are as it were the circumscribing and setting foorth of the word of God and the gospell of Christ whereunto is attributed specially aboue all other wordes that it is the word of trueth Which addition the Prophet Dauid geueth to Gods word because therein onely is the Psal 86. sound trueth to be found and in no other In which word as in many other places he desirous to be instructed geueth that addition to the word that it is trueth Teach me thy waies O Lord saith the Prophet and I will walk in thy trueth And in another place calling the word of God by Psal 119. the name of trueth saith Thy word endureth for euer in heauen thy trueth is from generation to generation Our Sauiour Christ in his most holy praier to God hereunto subscribeth who desiring that the Disciples might be sanctified Iohn 17. with the trueth sheweth that by the trueth he meaneth the word and gospell Sanctifie them saith he with thy trueth thy word is trueth This name of excellencie this marke of difference S. Paul geueth vnto the gospell 2. Cor. 13. 3. Gal. C. 5. 7. 2. Cor. 6. 7. 1. Col. 5. Ephes 1. 13. Heb. 10. 16. Ephes 4. aboue other words whē he affirmeth he could do nothing against the trueth but for the trueth Who vpbraiding the Galathians for reuolting and sliding away frōthe gospell crieth out O you foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that ye should not beleue the trueth To like purpose exhorting the Ephesians to be constant in the profession of the gospell calleth that the profession of trueth where fore he thus exhorteth Let vs folow the trueth in loue the gospel the profession of the trueth it is therfore an excellent ornament and an honourable addition in this place geuen to the word of God that it is the word of trueth And this addition to be called the word of trueth most fitly agreeth vnto the holy word and Gospell of Iesus Christ and that in foure respects and for foure chiefe considerations 1. in respect of God 2. in respect of Christ 3 in respect of the holy Ghost and spirite of God 4 in respect of the particular things them selues in the word contained 1 In respect of God the word and Gospell is the word of truth because it is Gods word and Gospell who is true and cannot lie therefore this his word is then the word of truth That this word is Gods word and Gospell it is euident 1. Rom. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Rom. Saint Paul calleth it therefore the power of God to saluation to al that beleue and in another place the preaching of the crosse is to them which perish foolishnes but vnto vs which are saued it is the power of God he saith in the beginning of his Epistle to the Romās that he was seperated to preach the Gospell of God and cleering him selfe from the surmised suspicious of his aduersaries 2. Cor. 11. he thus writeth haue I therefore offended because I abased my selfe that you might be exalted and that I preached freely the Gospell of God vnto you Saint Peter subscribeth thereunto the time is come that iudgement beginne first at the house of God if iudgement beginne first at vs what shal be the end of those that beleeue not 1. Pet. 4. the Gospell of God And this God who is the author of this word and Gospell is true and cannot lie Balam the Numb 23. prophet could say of God that he is not a man that hee should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repente Moyses in his song beareth recorde to the truth of God perfect saith he is the worke of the mightie God for Deut. 32. all his waies are iudgements God is true and without wickednes iust righteous is he Samuel telleth King Saul that indeede the strength of Israell wil not lie nor repente 1. Kings 15. John 8. Rom. 3. for he is not a man that he should repent Our blessed Sauiour Christ speaketh of his father and saith I haue many things to say and iudge of you but he that sent me is true and the things that I haue hard of him those spoake I vnto the world Saint Paul defending Gods trueth saith Rom. 3. Let God be true and euery man a lier as it is written that thou maiest be iustified in thy words and ouercome when thou art iudged And for this cause holy Dauid calleth god Psal 31. the God of truth into thy hands I commende my spirite thou God of trueth Seing the Gospell is the word Gospell of God and God the God of trut hand cannot lie thē must needes this word be true and the word of truth 2 As in respect of God the author thereof the Gospell may rightly be called the word of truth so in respect of Christ who is the matter the very substance
of trueth whereby we are regenerate and borne againe why are men and women so daintie and coy why are they so choise hereof that they wil heare it onely when where and of whom they luste as if the men make it the word of trueth and the instrument of our regeneration Let not men and women pretend that they are sanctified men and women let them not vaunte themselues to be purer then their brethren and heare this word with this partialitie For I protest vnto euery such in the feare of God that vnlesse this word of trueth and instrument of regeneration be sweeter vnto them then the hony and the hony combe by what messenger soeuer the Lord doeth send it that they flatter and deceiue them selues in a vaine shadowe of holines and are not truely sanctified vnto the Lord neither haue effectually tasted of the doctrine of regeneratioÌ„ wherof this word is the mean and instrument As then our regeneration is attributed vnto the word of trueth as vnto the meane and instrument so is saluation also as afterward is added to the Sacraments in like manner as Saint Paul saith that Christ washeth and sanctifieth Ephes 5. his Church by the washing of water through the word And againe when the bountifulnes of God our Sauiour Tit. 3. appeared not by workes but according to his mercie hath he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost The holy Sacramentes are meanes the word of trueth the instrument mean whereby we are begotten againe and new borne which greatly commendeth the excellencie of the word which this Apostle expressing saith Of his owne will begat he vs with the word of trueth 3 The finall cause of our regeneration is that wee should bee the first fruites of his creatures that is that out of the whole lumpe and masse of mankinde out of all people tongues nations and kinreds of the earth wee might be select culled and chosen out to bee a peculiar proper and speciall people vnto him who had called vs euen vnto God whose chiefe treasure whose portion and lot whose inheritance and peculiar people the Saints are In which place hee alludeth chiefly vnto the lawe wherein the first fruits and first encrease were the Lords as things picked out set a part chosen out for God himselfe Whereof thus saith God in the law Thou shalt not Exod. 22. linger nor deferre to render thy tithes and thy first fruits and thou shalt giue me thy first borne of thy children In the same booke of Moises it is commaunded the people that they offer the first fruits of their ground in the house Exod. 34. 35. â— Leuit. 2. 14. Deut. 12. of the Lord their God In the repeating of the lawe by Moises thus was it saide to Israel Thou maiest not eate in the towns the tithes of thy corne wine or oile neither the first fruits of thy cattell or sheepe nor the fruits of thy hands The first fruits therefore as appeareth were dedicate to God neither was it 〈…〉 for men to eate or touch them as things reserued for the vse of the Lorde onely As then the first fruits were the Lords portion of the people and things dedicated and consecrate as holy vnto him so the Saints of God regenerate by his word are holy peculiar proper sanctified to the vse of the Lord the chiefe treasure he hath the thing he hath commaunded to bee receyued for himselfe which the Apostle insinuateth in this place when setting downe the ende of our regeneration affirmeth it to bee that we might bee the first fruites of his creatures of his owne will begate he vs with the worde of truth that we might be the first fruits of his creatures The Israelites Iere. 2 were called sometimes the first fruites of God because they were chosen of God aboue all other people to serue the Lord only and the first offred vnto the Lord of al nations whereof the prophet Ieremie saith Israel was as a thing hallowed vnto the Lord and his first fruits all that eate it shall offende euill shall come vpon them saith the Lord. This is most true of the true Israel which is of God of the Saints of the Church whom God hath separated from all people hallowed and sanctified vnto him selfe chosen to be a speciall possession inheritance and treasure vnto himselfe for which cause we by him are regenerate Of his owne will hath he begoten vs with the word of trueth that we might be the first fruits of his creatures S. Paul disputing to like purpose of the causes Tit. 3. of our regeneration and saluation teacheth vs the ende thereof to be the inheritance of life we are saued by his mercie through the washing of the newe birth and the renuing of the holy Ghost which he shed vpon vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Lord that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternaâ—l life The like end shall we find of our redemption predestination and the like all which tende to one end to shew that we are redeemed called iustified regenerated to be partakers of immortal glorie that therfore we should be dedicate and consecrate to God to be a speciall treasure vnto him to serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life We are begotten by the will of God with the word of truth according to the Luke 1. Apostles doctrine Being now to this end regenerate we must endeuour our selues to shine in vertue to excell in holinesse to abound in all righteousnesse and be chiefly carefull that we bereaue not our selues of so holy an ende of regeneration by contagion of sinnes and the workes of wickednesse The excellencie therefore of the word of God is here apparant partly in that it is called the word of truth partly in that it is here the meane and instrument of regeneration the most manifest token of Gods goodnesse towards vs. Sundrie are the commendations of the word of God Psal 19. and the Gospel of Christ Dauid the holy Prophet falling into the praise therof saith the law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth light or wisdome to the simple the statutes of the Lord are right and reioice the heart the commandement of god is pure and giueth light vnto the eies the feare of the lord is cleare endureth for euer the iudgements of the lord are true righteous altogither more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the honie and the honie combe Moreouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect and in keeping of them there is great reward In another place to like praise is it Psal 12. spoken The words of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen folde It is no small commendation of the word that it is the
teach men this how much more ought the light of Scripture to teach vs this wisdome 4 As the time so the maner how must not be neglected Sometimes we speake familiarly sometimes reuerendly sometimes meekly sometimes sharpely somtimes gentlely sometimes hastily respect had to the disposition of men with whom we haue to talke 5 The things we speake of must be weighed they must be honest seemely good profitable necessarie for time and person such as we our selues know and therfore can the better talke of them to others 6 Finally our talke must be to aduaunce the glorie of God whereof it ought to be the instrument it must tende to the benefite of our brethren to peace godlinesse iustice equitie loue and all maner of vertue These things being diligently obserued wee may speake and offende not against this place of the Apostle wherefore my deare brethren let euery man be swift to heare but slow to speake But we obseruing neither person place nor time regarding neither maner matter nor end babble out we know not what and oppose our selues to the Apostle here being swift to speake but slow to heare Euerie one will now speake all men will become teachers The Artificer the shoomaker hosier tinker and tailer the vintener the clothier the weauer and the cobler the marchant the mariner the carpenter and the painter the master the seruant the fathers the children the mistresse the maiden the mother and the daughter the yong men the olde folke the simple and the ignorant will now take vpon them not to speake onely but to teach also and not other but their teachers of whom we should learne with pacience heare with silence take counsell with reuerence and be informed with humblenesse Therefore our Sauiour in the song of Solomon biddeth his Church being ignorant to go to the pastor to learne knowledge 1. Canâ—ic if thou knowe not saieth he O thou fairest of women get thee forth by the sheepe folds and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards And almightie God perswadeth the people to take the lawe of the Lord at the Mal. 2. mouth of the priest who should be as the treasure house of Gods word of whoÌ„ the people ought to be instructed Dauid being a prophet in the humilitie of his mind with gratefull memorie and great thankefulnesse to God Psal 11 of whom he was instructed saieth vnto the Lord thou hast made me wiser then my teachers He truely humbly thankefully but men and women now in arrogancie of their spirite in pride of their hearts in vanitie of their mindes in presumption of their owne knowledge thinke themselues wiser then their teachers and take vpon them to alter and change to order and set downe what in the Church ought to be done obserued and retained These falsely proudly vnthankefully disorderly contentiously preposterously deale wherfore let them learne here a better lesson and holde fast the counsaile of the Apostâ—e that they be swift to heare but flowe to speake as they are exhorted let them hearken with reuerence to the woorde preached by the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ and be not new fangled nor caried away with euerie Ephes 4. winde of vanitie that they may follow the trueth in loue and in all quietnesse humilitie peace and godly vnitie growe vp vnto him that is the head euen Iesus Christ and heare his word with reuerence and not rashly prate and prattle thereof with insolencie that thereby they may preuent this first inconuenience and remoue the first hinderance of our attention Whereof the Apostle speaketh wherefore brethren let euerie man bee swift to heare but slow to speake This place then remooueth loquacitie and rash speaking when we should giue attentiue eare to the word of God taught vs this is an enemie to knowledge to heauenly doctrine this hindereth the course of the worde of God in out hearts wherefore it ought to bee farre from the Saints of God which to abolish the Apostle here exhorteth Let euerie one be swift to heare and slow to speake 2 The other euill which hindereth the woorde of God in man is wrath and anger choler and snuffing wheÌ„ wee are taught and informed in the worde For we cannot profitably heare vnlesse we be peaceable quiet and modest both towards all men and specially towardes our teachers Many kindes there are of wrath and anger manie things wherefore and wherein men are angrie but to passe that ouer as appertaining to another place the Apostle speaketh of that wrath and anger which riseth from desire of contending and of intractablenes of way-wardnes 2. Chro. 16. 7. Acts 54. 2. Chro. 26. 18. 19. Luke 4 28. whereby we suffer not our selues to be taught or reproued no not by the word of God it selfe Thus by the affections and perturbations of our minds we oftentimes make the word of God frustrate fruitlesse in vs and so to lose not onely the blessed effecte it would worke in vs but also in a manner the credite and estimation which it should haue among men Whereunto were we the seruants and true Disciples of Christ we would yeald all attentiue audience This anger groweth partly from selfeloue and preiudicate Cyrilin Iohn lib. 4. c. 34. opinion of our selues standing wise in our owne conceites we disdaine to bee checked controlled informed or reproued of any Partly herence that naturally we more esteeme darcknes then light falshood then trueth error then veritie superstition then religion From which if men draw vs then are we angrie Herence in all times haue risen perfecution imprisonment calamity affliction with all manner of violence and villanie against the reprouers of wickednes teachers of true religion reformers of corruption and superstition by the wicked of this present euil and corrupt world Herence the anger furie and madnes of the princes and people against Isai Ieremie Michat Amos and the rest of the Prophets arose sprong and flowed Herence the outrage of the Scribes and Pharisies against Christ Iesus our Sauiour and his most holy Apostles the cruell persecution by the bloudy tyrants and Emperors of Rome against the Saints and blessed Martyrs was raised Herence the vnquenchable wrath and malice neuer reconciled of the Romish Cleargie against the faithfull preachers of Christian religion who caried away partly with selfeloue and preiudicate opinion of themselues as the onely learned and wise men in the whole world and partly being naturally blinded in superstition whereunto they haue sworne their allegiance curse with bell booke and candle persecute with fire sword and fagot whosoeuer speaketh against them whereby the course of the word of God is hindered Herence mislike rebuke disgrace reproch disdaine and all manner euill dealing towards the ministers groweth for that men cannot ne will not heare of their faultes be reclaymed from their sinne and informed in their duties roundly and sharply without offence and anger who seeme they neuer so wise in them selues yet are they both
hypocrites thinke their counterfeite hoâ—ynesse to bee true holinesse wherefore they embrace it they brooke it they delight therein they loue it as if it were sincere and perfect integritie And thus they may bee compared vnto fooles looking into glasses who heare the worde awd looke into the law being carelesse to obey it The other part of this similitude is who so looketh into the perfect law of libertie hee not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worde shall be blessed in his deede In which member we see the lawe is called perfect and a perfect law of libertie 1 Perfect which addition Dauid also giueth vnto the law The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule Psal 19. therefore so called because whatsoeuer appertaineth to faith and godlinesse is therein aboundantly set downe and deliuered so that neither in doctrine neither in maners we ought to seek for any other thing whatsoeuer S John entreating of the perfection of the newe lawe which is the Gospell confesseth that therein all things which Iohn 20. our Sauiour did were not written yet sufficient things to be written which men beleeuing might thereby liue wherefore he saith Many other signes and tokens did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke but these things are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name Saint Paul writeth that he kept not backe any thing from the Church of Ephesus but hath shewed them all the Acts 20. counsels of God Tertulian crieth out that that Church is happie to which the Apostles haue powred out all the Tertulian doctrine of God euen with their owne bloud Our Sauiour promiseth the Church a Comforter which should Iohn 16. bring them into all truth What truth is it that the holy Ghost did not teach the Church But yet least wee should thinke there were other truthes beside such as were preached by Christ and penned by the Euangelists it is added that that Comforter should teach them whatsoeuer Christ had taught them before Wherein was enough to saluation as Iohn witnesseth Saint Paul sheweth the excellencie of the worde of God and how perfect it is in all poynts affirmeth that all Scripture is inspired 1. Tim. 3. from aboue and is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God might be perfect instructed to euerie good worke Vnto this truth the fathers reuerendly subscribe Saint Tract 49. vpon Iohn Augustine sayeth that where as Christ had done manie things which were not written yet such things were chosen to bee written which the writers thought sufficient for the saluation of them which beleeued Saint Cirill Lib. 12. vpon Iohn hath almost the same wordes All things that were done by Christ were not written but those things onely which seemed sufficient both to maners and to doctrine that men shining through true faith and good workes might come to the heauenly kingdome by Iesus Christ our Lorde Chrysostome vpon Matthew not once and Vpon Mat. 22. 4. hom vpon the Epistle to Titus in like manner sheweth that all things necessarie are in Scripture reuealed therefore concludeth he that they are perfect Athanasius finally affirmeth that the Scriptures inspired froÌ„ aboue is sufficient for instruction in all vertue And this is true in the whole lawe of God but most manifest in the doctrine of the Gospel The lawe which by Moises ministerie was giuen the people was so perfite that almightie God forewarned them that they should neither adde nor diminish therefrom end howe seuerely he punished that malapert and Deut. 4. 12. Prou. 30. sawsie boldnesse in the Israelites which aduentured to adde any thing either to the doctrine or the ceremonies so many sermons of the Prophets the interpreters of the lawes so many testimonies of holy Scripture the holy sacred diuine histories our Sauiour Christ himselfe witnesseth most plainly Shall we thinke more basely now of the Gospell which is a doctrine more excellent then the â—awe Shall wee thinke God had lesse carefull consideâ—ation of his church in the daies of his son being on earth â—nd afterward then he had in the time of Moises Or shall â—e dare to imagin the Prophets to haue left a more perâ—ect doctrine then the apostles taught by the very mouth â—f Christ and ledde into all truth by the holy Ghost according to the promise Wherefore if the lawe were perfect so that the people durst adde thereto or detract therefro nothing which who tempted were punished shall not the Gospel containe a most perfect doctrine whereunto nothing may be added from which nothing may be detracted This the Angel acknowledged wheÌ„ in Reuel 22. the shutting vp and concluding of the Gospel he protesteth that if any man adde to the wordes of that booke God should adde the plagues in that booke written vnto him and if any should diminish any thing therein God would diminish and take away his name from out of the booke of life Thereby therefore is the perfection of the Gospel concluded Which thing the holy Apostle here to expresse vnto vs calleth the worde of God the perfect law For this cause the Scripture hath the name of a Canon giuen it and is called Canonicall because it is the onely perfect rule line leuell and square whereby all doctrines and all maners must be meet measured examined and prooued as by that which is most sufficient and perfect which suffereth no addition nor detraction for then the rule and measure faileth This being true as most true it is not onely by the infallible worde of God but by the manifest testimonies of the reuerend fathers then Ambrose 3. de virgini all inuentions dreames doctrines traditions vnwritten verities must fall to the ground and be condemned as counterfet adulterie and sacriligious which are not warranted out of the perfect law of the Gospel as Saint Ambros affirmeth The Gospel here hence then is proued to be perfect 2 As it is perfect so is it a law of libertie not that it bringeth men into carnall freedome to do what they lust 1. Pet. 2. whereunto the wicked abuse it for a cloake of wickednesse but because it setteth vs at libertie in our consciences from Satan sinne and death which we obtainie by Christ Iohn 8. who freeing vs we are free in deede He therefore calling vs to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God and the Gospel preaching this libertie of conscience vnto men is called the law of libertie 3 In this law must we continue herein must we looke continually herein must we meditate day and night herein must we spend our dayes Some thinke it enough Psal 1. to looke into this law once in their liues Some thinke it much to looke into it once in a yeare two three or seuen Some perswade
Aristotle the Philosopher and heathen sending Calisthenes the Philosopher to Alexander the great king of Macedonia Aristotle oftentimes admonished and commaunded him to speake more rarely and most pleasantly to the King because he carried life and death in his tongue The which the wiseman foreseeing saith He that keepeth his mouth Pro. 21. and his tongue keepeth his soule from trouble And in another place comparing a man whose tongue is vnbrideled to a City vnwalled affirmeth As a citie lying open Pro. 25. and vncompassed with walles euen so is a man that cannot refraine his tongue Which when holy Dauid rightly weyed and aduisedly Psal 141. considered he praieth the Lord to set a watch before his mouth and to keep the dore of his lippes And the sonne of Sirach to the like purpose crieth out Who shall Ecclus. 22. set a watch before my mouth and a seale of wisdome before my lips that I fall not sodenly by them and that my tongue destroy me not Thus men thinking themselues to haue an absolute libertie to prate and prattle what they lust without hurt or danger by their saucie pratling and brabling by the euill of their tongues they greatly endanger themselues and so deceiue their owne hearts Neither that onely but by much talke they thinke to attain to the opinion of wisdome with men who onely speaking would be thought to haue all knowledge but hereby they shewe their greater follie and so deceiue their owne hearts The wise man shewing that it is great follie not to bridle and moderate the tongue saith That the voice of a foole is in the multitude of words and elswhere to like Eccles. 5. purpose A wise man concealeth knowledge but the harts of fooles publish foolishnes The same writeth that wise Pro. 12. men vse fewe words then it followeth that such as vse many words are fooles Wherefore when by much talking Pro. 17. we thinke to obteine opinion of wisdome then most of all we descrie our owne follie and thereby we deceiue our own hearts and therefore we ought to refraine our tongues Finally we thinke our tongues to be geuen vs to prattle at our owne pleasures but they are geuen as instruments to set foorth the mightie and manifolde power of God his miracles and wonderous works which he doth towards the children of men abusing then our toungs at our own pleasure we deceue our own harts Seeing therefore by not moderating our tongues we thus deceiue our selues and our owne hearts we ought with all carefulnes to bridle moderate our tongues by the word of trueth As not moderating our tongues we deceiue our own hearts so we descrie our hypoctisie we corrupt and defile our religiō and make it vaine before God therfore ought we to moderate and refraine our tongues whose speach is not good their religion cannot be acceptable Wherefore vnlesse we refraine our tongues our religion is frustrate and in vaine Now the euils and faults of our tongues frō which they not refrained deceiue our heartes and make our religion vaine are sundrie 1 Vaine talke idle friuolous seruing to no profit to no purpose prating and pratling where there is no neede Mat. 12. for which we shall geue account to God as Christ witnesseth protesting that we shall geue accounts vnto GOD Ephes 5. for euery vaine and idle word proceeding from vs. Saint Paul exhorteth the Saints to put from them all vaine and foolish talke as a thing not becomming them From this euill if we refrain not our tongues our religion is in vain For if any man among you seem religious and refraineth not from this this mans religion is in vaine 2 Another euil to be restrained in men is when we talk of god of his word of his law religion not desirous to reforme our liues according vnto his cōmandements This is a great euil and point of halting hypocrifie wherby our religion is frustrate and in vaine For to talke of Gods word and not to walke in his will profiteth or preuayleth nothing to religion therefore almighty GOD shewing their religion to be but in vaine which talked of him in their mouthes but folowed him not in their harts crieth out This people draweth neare vnto me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me worshipping me in vaine teaching doctrines precepts of men Dauid in Gods person telling the hypocrites that their talking of his couenants was in vaine in as much as Psal 50. they would not be reformed in their conuersations saith What hast thou to doe to declare my ordinances and to take my couenants in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and castest my words behind thee Our blessed Sauiour intimateth and witnesseth vnto men that to Mat. 7. call vpon him in their wordes maketh them but hypocrites and sheweth their religion to be vaine when they doe not that which he commaundeth therefore he saith that not euery one that saith vnto him Lord Lord shall therefore enter into his kingdome but such as did the will of his father Finally Saint Paul accounting their religion as 1. Tit. vaine which talke of God in their mouthes but obey him not in their deedes condemneth them as hypocrites who say they know God in word but deny him in deedes being abhominable disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate From this vanitie and foolish prating if wee refraine not our tongues though we seeme neuer so religious yet deceaue wee our selues and our religion is in vaine And yet this is our religion in these daies consisting in lip-labour and talking of God and his commandements but not liuing according as in his lawes he chargeth vs and therefore are we not better then very hypocrites For if any man among vs seem religious refraineth not his tongue from this vanity also surely this mans religion is in vaine 3 As from these euils our tongues must be refrayned so from rash iudgement of our brethren when vpon surmised suspitions we condemne them for this also maketh Mat. 9. our religion vaine Therefore our Sauiour to remoue it farre from the Saints his Church forewarneth them not to iudge least they be iudged not to condēne least they be condemned To whom the Apostle agreeth Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who 1. Cor. 4. shall lighten things that are in darkenes and make the counsels of the heart manifest In which kinde they sinne which by euentes iudge and condemne their brethren accounting them for most wicked vppon whom the hand of the Lords chastisement lighteth The wicked iudged Christ condemned of God Isai 53. Wisd 3 5. chap. Job 4. Psal 41. 8. because he was chastened of the Father The vngodly condemned the Saints for despised because they were subiect to affliction in the world The frends of Job iudged Iob wicked because hee was so many waies plagued of God The people condemned the Galileans those
it is with men in our age let a poore man owe ought to the rich he shall forfette his bande he shall paye for the time he shal be sued for the debt with all vnmercifulnes and crueltie he shal be forced to satisfie to the vttermost farthing which is a sinne for which the prophane rich men are to be accounted accursed Or finally when rich men pretende title to the right of the poore and so wrongfully sue him to take from him his right patrimonie purchase or inheritance partly by his owne countenance partly by his riches calling the poor before iudgements for his owne Not that it is now not lawfull for any rich man to sue the poore for his right or that all rich men doe bring the poore before iudgement seates alwaies for as it is lawfull for the rich to get his owne in some respectes So neither doth euery rich man sue euery poore man which is indangered vnto him but because the prophane couetous and wicked rich men commonly so doe and that then when they should forgeue for Christes sake as when the poore is vnable to pay when he is godly and desirous to liue by his labour and endeuoureth to liue out of debt and danger and yet cannot Now to call such before iudgement seates to sue them for extremities to sollicite and trouble such and with crueltie to seeke the vttermost of them is mercilesnes and crueltie for which the prophane rich men are to bee accounted execrable and accursed These wicked prophane vngodly rich men care not for wife nor children houshold nor familie of their poore distressed brethren they regarde neither vertue religion godlines nor honestie they turne their eyes frō their pouertie vnablenes carefull endeuour they will be satisfied they will cast them in prison bring them to seats of iudgement keepe them in durance they wil make dice of their bones but they will haue the extremitie of them and the more godly men be the more these tirannes rage against them forgeuing rather great summes to the voluptuous prodigall lasciuious wicked and wanton persons then to release small matters to the godly Seeing then the rich vse such vnmercifulnes towards the poore for which we should rather account them cursed it seemeth great madnes in men so partially to honour them which are thus wicked 3 The third sinne and euill in the rich men of the Blasphemie world wherefore they are to be helde accursed is their blasphemie against the religion of Christ they blaspheme the worthie name whereby ye are named You are named after Christ Christians this worthie name is by prophane rich men blasphemed they blaspheme the worthy name which is called vpon you that is where after you are called or named The Apostle according to the phrase of the Hebrewes speaketh As the name of the father is called vpon by the child that is the childe is named after the name of the father Which phrase Iacob vsed when hee blessed the two sonnes of Joseph the Angell which hath Gen. 48. deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be called vpon them and the name of my Fathers that is let them be named by the name of my Fathers and by my name The name of the husbande is also called vpon by the wife that is the wife is named after her husband as the Prophet Isai speaketh In that daye shall seuen women take holde of one man and say Wee will Isai 4. eate our owne bread and weare our owne garments that is we will finde our selues but let thy name he called vpon vs let vs be called by thy name In religion the true worshippe and seruice of God the name of God is called vpon the professors of Gods seruice Moses speaking of Deut. 28. the preferment of Israel aboue all other people that God was their God and they his people saith Then all people of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee Daniel the Prophet of God in his prayer and confession of his sinnes and the sinnesnnes of the people Dan. 9. saith in this wise O Lord heare O Lord forgeue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy name is called vpon thy Citie and vpon thy people thy Citie people are called after thy name the citie of God the people of God Amos prophecying of Amos 9. vniting the Edomits and other enimies of the Iewes with them in the misticall bodie of Christ in like maner speaketh in the person of God I will raise vp in that day the Tabernacle of Dauid which is fallen downe and I will raise vp his ruines and builde it as in the daies of old that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen because my name is called vpon them saith the Lord that doeth this Vnder the Gospell Christian religion and the name of Christ is called vpon Christians that is Christians are named after the name of Christ as here the Apostle speaketh The worthy name of Christ which was called vpon the Saints that is whereby the Saints were named being Christians of Christ by the wicked worldlings and prophane men of the earth is blasphemed and euill spoaken of For rich men commonly are enemies vnto religion and either openly they blaspheme it or secreatly scorne at it So that as not many wise according to the fleshe nor many noble nor many mightie are called thereunto so neither many rich men because their happinesse trust and confidence is in their wealth which withholdeth frō comming to the kingdome of GOD. For the which cause our Sauiour pronounceth it easier for a Camell to Mat. 19. passe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Seeing then these prophane rich men dishonour God and his Gospell it were madnes for you his children to geue honour vnto them The worthie name of Christ and his Gospell as generally of all men so specially of prophane rich men may two wayes be blasphemed dishonoured and euil spoken of 1 When they deride iest scorne and scoffe at Christian religion speaking maliciously disdainfully against Christ and his profession Thus the Scribes and Pharisies with the Iewes blasphemed the worthy name of our profession when they called Christ Samaritan when they saide hee cast out deuils by the power of Beelzebub the Iohn 8. Mat. 12. prince of the deuils when they called and counted his doctrine deceite heresie newe and strange doctrine not to be suffered Thus Iulian the Apostata blasphemed this worthie name when in contempt he called Christ Galilean Carpenters sonne the man crucified Thus Porphirius Tripert hist. lib. 6. c. 6. Cyril contra Jul. c. the Philosopher Lucian the scorner blasphemed the worthie name whereby we are called when they reuiled reproached spoke euill of and scorned the Gospell The Heathen Philosophers and Galen the
sinne and translated into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of Rom. 8. God And here to bee iudged is to bee discharged quitte deliuered and absolued from death and damnation as the place it selfe may import vnto vs so doe and so speake as they which shall bee iudged by the lawe of libertie that is such as trust by the mercie of God to be deliuered from death and damnation The reason of this exhortatorie conclusion is there shall bee condemnation mercilesse vnto him that sheweth no mercie and mercie reioyceth agaynst condemnation Such as in disdayning and contemning the poore and preferring the rich beeing prophane and wicked shewe themselues mercilesse and voyde of loue shall themselues taste not of mercie but of iudgement not of loue but of the wrath of GOD but they which in this poynt fulfill the royall lawe of GOD commaunding men to loue their neighbours as themselues and so shevve themselues mercifull euen tovvardes the poore brethren they shall triumph ouer iudgement and condemnation vvhereunto they shal not be subiect This thing as in the proposed matter it is most true so in other officices and dueties it is no lesse manifest for generally vvho so is of an hard heart merlesse currish and cruell towarde men shall finde God seuere rough sharpe against himself For mercy shal be restrained from those which shew no mercie and iudgement or condemnation mercilesse shal be to them which shewe no mercie If in Christian assemblies men preferre the rich with mercilesse contempt of the poore brethren Almightie God in the assemblie of his Saints and in the meeting together of thousands and ten thousands of his angels shal neglect disdaine thē In the works of mercy who so is merciles shall finde no mercie for he that stoppeth Pro. 21. his eare to the crie of the poore shall crie himselfe and not be heard Wherefore the glutton in the Gospell Luke 16. neglecting the humble suite of poore Lazarus onely for the crummes which fell from his table crieth in hell fire for euer to haue the tippe of his tongue onely to be cooled and findeth no fauour Almightie God in his prophet sheweth himselfe angrie Isai 1. not fauourable to such as by their auarice vsurie oppression and extortion fraud deceite and crueltie in Psal 18. dealing haue beene without pitie Dauid the man of God protesting that God reiecteth them when they crie for helpe either in paine or in feare who reiecte the crie of the poore afflicted saith They cried but there was none to helpe them euen to the Lord but hee answered them not In mutuall pardoning and forgeuenes of sinne when we our selues are harde and straite laced wee finde God harde and seuere toward our selues for he shal find vengeance at the handes of God who seeketh vengeance Ecclus. 28. Mat. 18. Marke 11. 2 in his owne priuate quarrels as Sirach recordeth The seruant who would not haue pitie vpon his felow for one hundred pence is dealt withall in seueritie til all the debt of tenne thousand talents be discharged in the Gospell Who therefore saith Cyprian lost that fauour which before was shewed him because he shewed not fauour to his fellow seruant In iudging of our brethren and all other Vpō the Lords praier dueties to be perfourmed vnto men wee must looke to receaue with the same measure whereby wee haue deliuered If we geue by hard measure of rash and cruel iudgement wee shall reape and receaue againe by the like Wherefore our Sauiour Christ exhorteth men not rashlie to iudge or condemne least they be likewise iudged and Mat. 7. condemned for with what measure we meate vnto other men it shall bee measured with the like vnto vs againe which is the iust iudgement of God against men in the whole course of their liues Such then as are mercilesse and nourish not loue shall not only not obteine mercie but cannot aske mercie at the hands of GOD or man For with what face what looke what countenance can they aske that which they haue denied to others Yea experience and vse of things doe plentifully teach vs that mercie shal be denied the mercilesse and condemnation without pittie shewed vpon them which shew no mercie Haue we not seene many pinched with pouertie bitten with famine eaten with noysome diseases spoiled of their wealth robbed of their riches vexed in their mindes tormented in their bodies afflicted on euerie side who in the daies of their flourishing wealth in the soundnes and health of their bodies and quietnes of their mindes haue beene merciles towardes such as in this wise were afflicted Hath not condemnation execution punishmēt been merciles towardes them for that they shewed no mercie This is therefore generally in al things particularly true in hauing the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons that there shal be condemnation merciles shewed vnto them which shew no mercie The opposite and contrarie member hereunto is mercie reioyceth against condemnation for they which are mercifull shall finde fauour grace and mercie before the iudgement seate of God and reioyce ouer condemnation which through the grace of God they shal escape in as much as by their loue and fruites of mercie they shewe themselues truely inserted and ingraffed into the body of Rom. 8. Iesus Christ whereby they are exempted and freed from condemnation For there is now no condemnation vnto those that are in Iesus Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the spirite These being made by the mercy of God the liuely members of the body of Iesus Christ these being the children of the resurrection these beeing the heires of the grace of god these being the iointheires with Iesus Christ these by their vnfeined loue shewing themselues the faithfull and vndoubted Saints shall not come into condemnation neither see death neither feare they the seueritie of Gods iudgements as doe the wicked but reioyce and triumph ouer condemnation Wherefore seeing that iudgement shal be mercilesse towardes them which shewe no mercie and that mercie reioiceth against condemnation let vs not respecte the outward appearance of men and regarde the riche with disdainfull contempt of the poore and so appeare mercilesse least that we fall into mercilesse condemnation but let vs haue a right iudgement of the brethren that wee serue one another in the feare of GOD And so geuing testimony of the mercie wherof we are partakers through Christ by him may triumph and reioyce ouer condemnation This the GOD of all might maiestie and mercie graunt vnto vs To whom with the sonne and the holy Ghost be all praise honor and glorie both now and for euermore Amen Iames Chapter verses 14. 15. 16. 17 18. 19. Sermon 12. Verse 14. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no workes Can his faith saue him 15 For if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of dailie foode 16 And one
deade without workes Which thing Saint Iames to insinuate giue vs to vnderstād he breaketh forth into these words but wilt thou vnderstande O thou vaine man that the faith which is without workes is deade was not Abraham our father iustified through workes when he offered vp Isaac his sonne vpon the altar Wherein first let vs with Illericus see the annotation and obseruation or note of Cardinall Caiatan one of the Romish clergy vpon these wordes wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that faith which is without works is Cardinall Caietane deade Marke reader saith he that James meaneth not that faith without workes is deade because it is manifest that we are iustified by faith euen without workes as appeareth by infants baptized and in olde folke also baptized and forthwith deceasing and dying but he meaneth faith without workes that is faith refusing to worke is deade vaine and not able to iustifie Thus euen one of their owne who would herence conclude the necessitie of workes in the matter of iustification spoke that same which we all speake and defende and for which wee are wrongfully condemned of them that faith which is not prepared to doe well when occasion is offered but then refuseth to worke is deade and profiteth nothing for as much as true faith worketh alwaies when matter occasion and opportunitie is offered through loue as Saint Paul auoucheth This sence of Saint James if the Romanistes Gal. 5. would holde if not with vs yet with their owne Cardinall there should remaine out of this place no controuersie at all betwixte vs and them in the matter of iustification This foretold the words of the Apostle are plaine the storie euident the matter manifest therefore a briefe and pataphrasticall running ouer them may bee sufficient Wilt thou vnderstand saith he ô thou vaine man that faith without workes is dead Faith in men iustified destitute of workes or as Caietane saith refusing to doe well when occasion is offered is dead indeede for that all the Saints shewe foorth their faith in the practise of workes and vertue The apostle Saint Iames also here calleth hypocrites and men vaunting and boasting of faith without the fruites of righteousnesse emptie or vaine borowing his similitude from barrelles or other like vessels which the emptier they be the more they doe sounde and rumble so likewise these men the voider they are of true faith the more they prate and prattle therof the lesse substance they haue of sound religion the greater shewe and sound they geue and therefore may bee well called vaine or emptie Was not Abraham our Father iustified when he offered Gen 17. Gen. 18. his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar was he not iustified through workes Moses recordeth that when Abraham had obteined a Sonne according to the promise which was made vnto him by God both when he talked with Abraham and gaue him circumcision the seale of the couenant and also in the day of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha he was commaunded to goe to the mount Gen. 22. Moriah and there to offer vp that Sonne whom GOD had witnessed should be his heire and in whom all the nations of the world should be blessed Which thing Abraham willingly obeying causeth his Asse to be sadled wood to be prepared fire and a knife to be in a readines and the next morning he and his sonne and two of his seruantes tooke their iourney towardes the mount Moriah there to offer vp Isaac Abraham a farre off seeing the place commaunded his seruants to stay laide the wood vpon Isaac tooke the knife and fire in his owne handes and so with his Sonne came to the place which the Lord appointed Where hee taketh and bindeth his sonne hee stretcheth out his hande for the knife to haue cut his throate This his obedience the Lord seeing sendeth his Angell stayeth Abraham from touching the childe and saith vnto him Now I know that thou fearest God in that thou hast not spared thy sonne for my sake This was the worke of Abraham whereby he made manifest and declared his liuely faith for which work S. James saith he was iustified that is knowen to be iust This his faith wrought with his workes and was effectuall and fruitfull through his obedience and through that worke of his obedience was his faith made perfecte declared to be sound shewed to be true knowen to be liuely and acceptable before God and man Who the more he by his obedience shewed his faith the more was his faith thereby knowen to be perfect not that his faith or any mans faith in this world can be perfect and absolute 1. Cor. 13. on euery part For we haue here no gift in the highest degree of perfection which may not daylie be increased and all men must learne in humilitie of their Spirites dailie to praie with the most holy Apostles Lord increase our faith But in as much as by good workes our faith Luke 17. daily riseth and groweth to greater measure of perfection and is daily more and more thereby confirmed and knowen to be perfect as the more often the tree bringeth foorth fruit the more plainly is it knowen to be good it is called perfect That Saint James here saith of Abrahams faith that it was made perfect by workes wee may not therence conclude that the beginning and first rising and springing vp of faith is from God but the consummation and perfection thereof from our selues and our own works For what were this but intollerable pride in ascribing the lesse to God the greater to our selues the beginning of good to him the consummation and accomplishment to our selues to chalenge and arrogate praise vnto our workes and to derogate from his glorie where against the Princely Prophet Dauid prayeth when he saith Not Psal 115. vnto vs ô Lord nor vnto vs but vnto thy name geue the praise For were the beginnings from God but the perfection in our works then looke how much more excellent the perfection and ende of euery thing is then the beginning and the consummation of faith then the entrance or inchoation thereof so much more praise shoulde belong to vs then to God himselfe Which thing to desire were great vngodlines to attempt were horrible pride boldly to chalenge were not onely shamefull presumption but the full measure of all iniquitie Wherefore let vs learne a better profession and ascribe all in all vnto God who both beginneth and also maketh perfect whatsoeuer is perfect in vs hee it is that Philip. 2 worketh in vs both to will and also to perfourme according to his good pleasure From whom we haue all 2. Cor. 3 our sufficiencie who of our selues as of our selues are not able to thinke a good thought much lesse to make perfecte any thing in our selues but all our sufficiencie is from God from whom euery good and euerie perfecte Iames 1. gift proceedeth as from the father of lights So
of the soule and spirite is deade so fayth vvithout vvoorkes is deade also That vvhen the soule is out of the bodie the bodie is voyde of office of action and all things which argue life So fayth destitute of good workes sheweth no duetie of loue giueth no testimonie of life hath no signe or force and efficacie profiteth not is like a deade carkasse is but an idoll or shadowe of fayth And this is the conclusion These things thus setdowne howbeeit it maie plainely appeare what the drifte and scope of Saint Iames was onelie to beate downe the pride of hypocrites who bragged and boasted of faith without the fruites of iustification and righteousnesse and not to oppose himselfe agaynst Saint Paul who in so manie places prooueth that wee are iustifyed by fayth without the woorkes of the lawe and thereunto alledgeth the same Abraham for example of iustification by fayth whome the Apostle vseth for iustification by workes as Rom. 4. Gal. 3. our aduersaries oppose them and set the one agaynst the other as if the spirite of GOD in them were deuided yet that all doubting and halting betwixt diuerse opinions may bee remooued all controuersie which in appearaunce seemeth great betwixt these Apostles may bee taken away that the controuersie betwixt vs and our aduersaries may the better bee appeased and all occasion of abusing this place for their iustification by works before GOD secluded there are foure things diligently to bee examined and discussed wherein the whole matter consisteth 1 What fayth Saint James meaneth when in this place hee so inueyeth against it 2 In what sense iustification is to bee taken in this controuersie 3 VVhat woorkes hee meaneth woorkes before or after fayth when he ascribeth iustification to woorkes 4 What manner of men and people he dealt withall and to what persons he speaketh 1 Touching faith all men almost boast thereof Faith is diuerse all men glorie therein yet the hundred thousand person scarsely knoweth aright what true sound and iustifying fayth meaneth in respect whereof and in regard that the sundrie signification thereof breedeth controuersie betwixt vs and our aduersaries in the matter and argument of iustification therefore may we profitablie consider thereof The acceptions and significations of faith vsuall and common are chiefly fiue 1 Is ciuill faith consisting in vpright dealing and keeping touch worde and promise with men Of which the Philosophers speake much and M. Cicero giuing the deriuation of the name and worde 1. Off. saith that faith is so called because that is done which is sayde The Prophet Dauid seeing faithfulnesse to Psal 12. perish and decay in men touching the trades and businesse of this life complayneth thereof before GOD Helpe Lorde there is not a godly man left for the faithfull are perished from the children of men and the decay hereof Ieremie lamenteth in like manner let euerie one take heede of his neighbour and trust not in anie Iere. 9. brother for euerie brother will vse deceyte and euerie friend will deale deceytfully This faith is the truth and constancie which ought to bee in our deedes and wordes and the keeping of promise in matters of this life and is therefore called ciuil faith as being conuersant in ciuill things 2 There is also faith which is hystoricall which is the knowledge and confession of the things to bee true which wee reade in the olde or newe Testament Thus in generall wee call the knowledge of these things faith The knowledge of the Articles of our beliefe is called Christian fayth The knowledge of things indifferent is called faith The knowledge of the storie which Rom. 14. the diuels themselues had is called faith the diuels beleeue they beleeue the storie of the creation of the Iames 2. worlde and other things therein contained they beleeue the storie of Christes life death passion sufferings miracles to bee true yet are not saued This faith is historicall because it beleeueth onely the storie written as they that beleeue the Chronicles of Englande Fraunce Irelande Italie Germanie that such Cities Townes Riuers Mountaines are therein haue faith and are sayde to giue faith thereunto To beleeue that Carthage was destroyed by the Romanes Numantia by Scipio Hierusalem by Titus and Vespasian the Kingdome of Israel to haue ended when Shalmanaser the King of Assiria ouercame them the Kingdome 4. King 7. of Iudah and Hierusalem by Nabuchodonosor of Babel who caried them into captiuitie into Babylon that the Babylonians were subdued by the Medes and 4. King 25. Persians that GOD made the worlde that Christ was borne of a Virgine that hee was conuersant vpon earth thirtie yeares or thereaboutes that hee was put to death by the malice of the Iewes through the treason of Judas that hee rose againe and aftetwarde ascended and so therein to go no further is an historicall fayth which is common to men and diuels to Turks and Christians the godlesse and godly the righteous and the wicked 3 Sometimes fayth is taken for the power which is giuen men whereby they are able to worke and doe great miracles That fayth which there about is conuersant is called a fayth myraculous as occupied in 1. Cor. 25. doing miracles Saint Paul so vseth it when he saith to one is giuen the worde of wisedome by the same spirite to an other the worde of knowledge by the same spirite to another is giuen faith by the same spirit Wherof Theophilact saith not faith of doctrine but faith of Theophilact signes which when they are wrought haue power to moue mountaines In which sense in the next Chapter Paul is to bee 1. Cor. 13. vnderstoode where intreating of the faith which consisteth in working of miracles saieth If I had faith so that I coulde mooue mountaines out of their places and haue no loue I were nothing Which kinde of faith Saint Ambrose affirmeth may bee euen in them Ambrose which are wicked and not of good conuersation Which our Sauiour putteth out of doubt when to manie Mat. 7. which prophecied and wrought miracles in his name hee sayde Away from mee ye workers of iniquitie I knowe you not This fayth was euen in the traitour Iudas who with the rest wrought miracles and did wonders among the children of men This faith also if it Luke 10 stay in working of miracles profiteth nothing to saluation 4 Moreouer faith is applied to the outwarde pretence of men when in wordes and shewe they seeme to beleeue in Christ yet are carelesse of the fruites of sanctification and righteousnesse whereby faith is knowen vnto the world This is the faith of hypocrites and therefore called hypocriticall Saint Iames calleth it deade fruitlesse barren This faith beareth great sway and swinge in the worlde ruleth and reigneth in the most part of men and in the common multitude of professours whereof the number is infinit which professe great faith great holinesse great religion yet are
and immortall as God is betwixt our soules and Gods substaunce albeeit the inequalitie be infinite yet is there a resemblance of God in vs. 2 This image is in sanctification and holinesse whereinto as first we were created so againe by Christ are we restored The first is cōmon to all men the secōd is proper to the saints Ephe. 4. 2. Beeing made to the image and likenesse of God of all the creatures on earth most excellent little inseriour to the Angels themselues beeing diuine natures and substaunces Who so speaketh euill of him curseth and reuileth him so excellent a worke of God howe can hee reuerence honour blesse and glorifie GOD the maker creator and woorkemaister of man The ignominie and reproch done to man redoundeth vnto GOD to whose likenesse man is created VVhereby it is euidently apparant that no man can rightly blesse God who cursseth or slaundereth man Which Saint James noteth when hee reasoneth from things vnpossible therewith blesse wee God euen the father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God If God then be blessed in his creatures as Dauid sayth God is faithfull in all his sayings and to be blessed in all his works and man the most excellent of all Gods creatures vppon the vniuersall face of the earth onelie Psal 145. of all creatures made vnto the image of God then can not a man honour God himselfe which vseth cursed speach and bitternesse vnto man Let all men and women herehence learne an infallible truth a resolute conclusion a singular poynt of wisedome that they pretende Gods Religion in vaine that they honour not woorshippe not serue not blesse not ne yet glorifie GOD aright so long as they are giuen to cursed speaking reprochfull slaunder bitter backebiting one of another This Dauid the princely Prophet weighing excludeth from the Lordes Tabernacle from the holy hill of Psal 15. GOD as hypocrites all such as pretende seruice to God yet giue themselues to slaundering their brethren And almightie God himselfe protesteth to the wicked that it is a vaine thing and profiteth nothing to talke of the lawes of God and take them in their mouthes Psal 50. If they slaunder their brethren to which purpose hee sayeth in this wise to the wicked What hast thou to doe to take my ordinaunces in thy mouth and declare my couenant seeing thou hatest to bee reformed and castest my woordes behinde thee VVhen thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him and art partaker with the adulterer thou giuest thy mouth to euill and with thy tongue thou forgest deceyte Thou sittest and speakest agaynst thy brother and flaunderest thy mothers sonne these thinges who so doe haue not to declare or speake of Gods ordinaunces or to take his couenant in their mouthes They pretende religion they shewe a countenaunce of godlinesse they set a face of honestie they seeme to be desirous to praise and blesse God yet they slaunder and curse their brethren This no man can doe for no man can rightly honour the workemaister which speaketh euill of the worke no man can praise the Creator which reuileth his creature no man can blesse GOD which curseth men made to the image of God himselfe If they in whome the generall image is ought not to bee cursed much lesse they in whom the second and speciall resemblance appeareth 2 Nowe as this cannot be by the reason from the worke to the worke maister from the image to him whose image it is from the resemblaunce or patterne to him whose patterne and resemblaunce it is in deede so in like manner sheweth hee the impossibilitie of this by an argument from contraries the order and course of things which God the establisher of nature hath set will not suffer contrarie effectes to proceede from the same cause things in nature opposed and repugnant in extreeme contrarietie cannot agree together and be at one in the same thing Now to blesse and curse to praise and slaunder are things contrarie therefore can they not agree in one tongue at once together And this appeareth euidently by two similitudes whereby the matter is amplified and enlarged I As the fountaines and heades of waters issuing and springing from the same place cannot sende out sweete water and bitter 2 And as the figge tree cannot bring foorth Oliues nor the vine tree figges Our Sauiour himselfe confirming the same Mat. 7. when hee auoucheth that good woorkes cannot come from an euill man no more then thornes come of grapes or figges of thistles which were against nature So neither can blessing and cursing come out of one mouth praise and dispraise speaking well and slaundering godlinesse and impietie truth and falsehoode Cursing and blessing are contrarie so that they can not agree in one mouth and man together but it were as monstrous as for sweete water and bitter to come at once naturally out of the same fountaine and for the same tree to beare figges and oliues grapes and figges together As euerie tree in nature beareth one kinde of fruite and not diuerse and sundrie much lesse the fruite of other trees so must the tongue haue her proper effect fruite and worke and that one not diuerse much lesse contrarie it must blesse therefore both God and man and curse no bodie as Paul exhorteth Wherefore if we pretende to blesse God in our tongues and therewithall doe curse Rom. 12. 14. ◠Pet. 3. 9. our neighbour the bitternesse of our cursing so turneth the nature of our blessing that it is vnseasonable and vnsauerie before God For as sweete and bitter water mingled blended together the bitter easily taketh away the nature of the sweete and as honie and poyson tempered together the poison farre lesse in quantitie turneth the honie so when cursing and blessing are in one mouth together the bitternesse of the curse turneth the sweetenesse of the blessing and maketh it odious before God Wherefore it is apparant that we can not blesse God if wee curse and slaunder our neighbour The doctrine of this place may then bee this that with this instrument and member which is the tongue there is no duetie acceptably perfourmed vnto GOD when thereby wee harme or hurt our neighbours and brethren Whom when we thus harme if we thinke to please God wee deceyue our selues through hypocrisie And thus much concerning the moderating of the tongue both in respect of the profites and discommodities thereof which out of this place may bee sufficient to haue obserued specially seeing in the first chapter verse 26. and in the next Chapter beeing the fourth verse 11. more may be gathered Nowe the God of peace and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ powre downe into our hearts his heauenly spirite that not onely our liues may bee refourmed according to his blessed woorde but our tongues also refrayned after his holie will that all the powers of our mindes and partes of our bodies may bee instruments of his prayse
gifte thereof and thinke them vnworthie the benefit which thinke themselues too good to craue and desire it and therefore men often misse those things they woulde full faine haue because they seeke not to the geuer but goe about by other meanes to obteine them Euen so God though he geue many things vnasked especially to his seruants and sometimes vnto the wicked yet woulde hee for his riches and honours be sought vnto and thinketh them vnworthie his singular benefits who thinke scorne to desire them wherefore they ofttimes misse of their purpose because they seeke to obteine it otherwise then by praier vnto God who geueth these thinges onely vnto men Which reason Saint Iames here setteth downe in the first place why men lust desire after things which they obteine not because they aske them not of God Now as this is specially applied here by Saint Iames so may we more generally consider of it and as it is geuen here for a reason why honour and riches whereafter men seeke are not alwaies attained so may it be a reason certaine and sound in other thinges innumerable that therefore we attaine not vnto them because we seek them not from God We haue no children and we desire them but we obteine not for we seek by some slibber slabber or other deuice to obtain theÌ„ but not froÌ„ god We haue not our health of bodie and we desire it but wee obtaine it not because we seeke to cunning women which for the most part are arrant witches or to skilfull Physicions in whom we put our confidence and by whom not by God we look to obteine it To be short generally in all other things and particularly in enery one this is a iust cause of not obteining because we aske not the things we would haue from god the only geuer of all good things Where Saint Iames saith that men obteine not the things which they desire because they aske them not we may herence learne how necessarie a thing it is to pray in all our needes and necessities to God for the supplie of our wants Wherof hath beene spoken Chap. 1. verse 8. sermon 3. fol. 25. Sermon 27. 2 The second reason why men lust and desire but obtaine not because they aske these things amisse to lay them out vpon their pleasures They desire and aske riches to spend them lewdly they would haue honour to abuse it shamefully Thus they aske but they aske amisse to spend and lay out riches vpon their pleasures that is to euill vses to euill purposes This reason is added by the way of preuenâ—ing an obiection these men might haue said Doe not we aske yea assuredly we aske and we aske dayly and yet oâ—taine not Wherefore sayest thou O blessed Apostle that wee obtaine not because we aske not Hereunto Saint Iames answereth well it may bee that you aske but when you doe aske yet you aske amisse for you aske these things and Gods good blessings to spend them vpon your pleasures to euill vses to euill purposes therefore though you aske yet you obtaine not God who is rich to all such as call vpon him promiseth to heare men but yet so as that they pray according to his will and a right but when we pray amisse he will not heare vs. Saint Iohn saith that what soeuer we aske according 1. Iohn 5. to the will of God wee shall obtaine it If then we aske not aright neither according to Gods will then may we not looke to obtaine the thinges wee pray for Saint Hierom writing vpon the wordes of Christ in the Vpon 7. Matt. gospell saith well and worthily If hee that asketh obtaine and he that seeketh finde and it be opened to him that knocketh then to whom it is not giuen who findeth not and to whome it is not opened it is apparant that he hath not asked sought knocked as he should agreeable to the words of this Apostle you aske and haue not because you aske amisse Many other causes there are why men desiring and asking things from God yet doe not obteine the thinges they aske 1 They which aske are oftentimes wicked and such God heareth not though they multiplie sundrie praiers The Lord therefore said to the wicked Iewes that he would not heare them though they poured out many Jsai 1. praiers vnto him neither see them albeit they stretched out their hands vnto him To which purpose he protesteth Ezech. 8 Amos. in Ezechiel that for their abhominations hee woulde not heare his people Amos in many places almost in euery Chapter witnesseth that God woulde not turne to sundrie people hauing regard to the manifold transgressions which they had committed for which hee woulde shewe no fauourable countenaunce vnto them neither Mich. 3. heare them The Prophet affirmeth that God woulde not heare the wicked people which hated the good loued the euill oppressed their brethren by cruell extortion and plucked their skinnes from their backes and their flesh from their bones and chopt them in peeces as flesh to the pot and meate to the caldron The blinde man in the Gospel restored to sight by Christ whom the Iohn 9. malicious Scribes and Pharisies reputed for wicked because hee did that miracle on the Sabboth day sheweth that Christ was righteous because that God heard him we know saith he that God heareth not sinners wicked men contemning God and delighting in sinne but if any man be a worshipper of God and dooth his will him God heareth VVhereby it appeareth that the wickednes of men is one cause vvhy they are not heard of God 2 Sometimes men aske and obtaine not because they themselues are hard hearted vnto others and will not heare them Dauid auouching that God reiecteth Psal 18. the praiers of such as themselues reiected the crie of the afflicted sayeth They cryed but there was none to saue them euen vnto the Lord but he would not heare them Solomon his sonne subscribeth to his father when he writeth that such as shutte their eares vnto the cries of other Prou. 21. men shoulde crie themselues and not be heard Therefore our Sauiour exhorteth all men when they pray to Mat. 6 s 7. Marke 11. Mat. 18. be readie to forgiue others and heare their desires that they themselues crying may be receyued VVherefore when vvee will not graunt the humble and needfull desires of the poore afflicted when wee are so strait laced so maliciously minded so hard hearted that wee will heare no suite made vnto vs our selues may often crie and not bee heard and sundrie times aske that wee obtaine not For God is not commonly woont to heare such as disdaine the cries of their poore brethren 3 Sometimes men aske those things which are hurtfull vnto them therefore not to aske them were wisedome but when we aske them not to obtaine them is mercie from God The Israelites asked meate for their Num. 11. lust in anger it was giuen which
Now how and by what meanes doth God resist the How God resisteth the proude proud by many meanes and sundry 1 He resisteth them by punishing them for their pride against him as he did the builders of the Turret of Babel whose toppe should haue reached to heauen if Gen. 11. their purpose might haue bene effected But God seeing the vanitie of their mindes the pride of their hearts and the insolencie of their spirites punished them with confusion of their language that one could not vnderstand another and so they were resisted When Manasses was 2 Chro. 33. Daniel 4. puft vp with pride he was resisted by the punishment of God who deliuered him vp into captiuitie wherein he was humbled Nabuchodonosor waxing proude of his goodly and gorgious citie which he had builte was resisted by God through punishmentes for the Lord made him seuen yeares to remaine in the fieldes as a beast and bannished him the societie of man So Jsai the prophet speaking against the proude Babilonians Isai 13. 14. 13. Iere. 29. v. 16. 50. v. 29. 30. Psa 31. 18. v. 27. bringeth in God threatening by punishments to resist them I will visite the wickednes vpon the world and their iniquitie vpon the wicked and I will cause the arrogancie of the proude to cease and caste downe the pryde of tyraunts Dauid mentioneth this way of resistance the Lord preserueth the faithfull and aboundantly rewardeth the wicked doer Thus was the pryde of Goliah resisted when God punished him by little Dauid who with his sling stone patted him on the pate cast him 1. Kings 17 to ground and with his owne svvorde cut of his head and so abated the pride and glory of the Philistines Thus God resisteth the pride of Assur by bringing many punishments vpon him for his arrogancie and insolencie of spirite Thus God punished the pryde of Absalon and so resisted his seditious enterprices by hanging him by the 2. Kings 16 haire of his head in a thicked Thus God resisted the pride of Antiochus vvho in the hautinesse of his harte had threatned to make Hierusalem a common buriall place for the Ievves but immediatly 2. Mach. 9. GOD smote him vvith an incurable disease in his bovvels vvherevvith till his death he vvas tormented So resisted he Herode Agrippa vvho making on oration to the people vvhereat they cried it is the voice of Acto 12. God and not of man he proudly chalenging this praise was resisted by God by like punishments Capanêus in Capanêus great pryde being one of the captaines which besieged Thebes saide he would besiege it in despite of GOD whose pryde God resisted by punishment for a thunder boâ—â—e as some say or as other write a stone from the wall fell vpon him and slewe him Finally when Apryes king Apryes of Aegypt had proudely sayd that neyther man nor God colde take his kingdome from him he was by the iust punishment of god resisted for he was choked and so destroied Thus by sending punishments vpon the proude the Lord resisteth them 2. Sometimes he resisteth the proude by hindring their purposes by some meane vnlooked for As when the proude king of Assiriah had intended the destruction of Hierusalem god resisted him first in raysing vp Tirrhaka the king of the Blackemores to fight against him for 4. King 19 Act. 4. 21. which he departed and afterward vpon a second siege by sending his Angell to destroy his people which when he sawe he departed and went to his owne countrie In like manner was Saules proude and malitious heart a bated 1. Kings 23 who purposing the destruction of Dauid hearde say by a messenger vpon the sudden that the Philistines had inuaded the lande for which cause he returned from pursuing Dauid and so he was resisted 3. God also resisteth the proude when hee turneth their deuises vpon their owne neckes and maketh them fall into the mischiefe and snares which they haue prepared for others When Haman in intollerable pride had Esther 7. 9. determined the destruction of the Iewes and had prepared a iubbet or gallowes for Mardocai the Lorde resisted his proude purpose and caused him to be hongevpon the same gallowes which he had prepared for another When the proude princes of the prouinces of Babylon had diuised and determined the death of Daniel Daniel 6. and by a false accusation had condemned him to the denne of Lions God resisted their proude and malitious deuise and caused that the same Lions deuoured them their wiues and children whom they had thought should haue bene the death of Daniel When Cush one of Saules kinsmen had falsly accused Psal 7. Dauid the man of god threateneth that God would in this wise resist him and therfore saith that he hath made a pitte and himselfe was fallen thereinto and that his mischiefe should fall vpon his owne pate and his crueltie vpon his owne head In another place shevving how Psal 9. God resisted the wicked and proude men of the earth by ouerthrovving them in their ovvne enterprises and causing their ovvne vvicked and mischieuous deuises to sall vpon themselues affirmeth that the Heathen were sunke dovvne in the pitte that they made and that their feete were taken in the same nette they had spredde for other Againe witnessing that the vvicked enterprises of Psal 34. the proude should turne to their ovvne destruction the Prophet saith wickednesse and malice shall slay the wicked and they which hate the righteous shall perish To that purpose is that saying the wicked haue drawen their Psal 37. 57. 6. 94. 23. sword and bente their bowe to caste dovvne the poore and needie and to slay such as are of an vpright conuersation but their svvord shal enter into their owne harts and their bovves shal be broken Therefore Salomon his sonne saith he that diggeth a pitte shal fall therinto he Prou 26. Ecclus. 27. v. 25 26. 27. that rolleth a stone it shal returne vpon him To turne the wicked deuises of the proude vpon their owne pates to make the mischiefes of the vngodly to light vpon themselues to bring the proude into the pitte of perdition which they haue deuised for other men is a way whereby also god resisteth them 4. Moreouer GOD resisteth the proude by confounding their councels enterprises and deuises as appeareth 2. Kings 17. in proude Achittaphell and others As in the inuincible nauie of the proude Spaniardes so they called Anno 1588. it sent against little England so miraculously confounded and in greatest parte destroyed by the mightie hand of God 5. Neyther thus onely are the proude resisted but also God resisteth the proude by remouing and taking avvay froÌ„ them the things vvhereof they haue bin proude as he threatened the damsels of Israell to take avvay all Jsai 3. their brauerie and excellent ornamentes because they vvere proude thereof Novv some are proude of riches as
he that said to his soule soule eate and drinke and take Luke 12. thy pleasure for thou hast much goods reposed for many yeares him God resisted by remouing him his riches Some are proude of beautie vvhom God resisted by sending sicknes or other meanes to hinder and remoue that from them Some are proude of their vvitte those he resisteth by causing thē to fall eyther by palsies or such like into doting follie Some are proude of their strength vvhich languishing sicknes abateth Some are proude of their powre as Nabuchodonosor Senecherib Antiochus Pompey Alexander the like whom God resisted partly by taking away life partly by remouing their power wherin they trusted frō them Which thing Job insinuateth when Iob 12. he saith that God loseth the color of princes and causeth them to be girte with a girdle he leadeth away Princes as a pray and ouerthroweth the mightie he taketh away speach from the counseller taketh away the iudgement of the auncient he powreth contempt vpon princes and maketh the strength of the mightie weake This God doth not only to punish the people in the defects of their Magistrates and Princes but also when men are proude of any of their gifts they are resisted by losing the things whereof they are proude and this vvay doth God also resist the proude not seldome 6. God resisteth the proude also when he turneth their ambition and vaine glory into ignomie and shame Esd 1. 1. Macchab. 2. 62. 63. It is verified lib. 2. ca. 9. v. 5. 6. 7. c. Isai 14. 11 as is apparent by the priestes vvhich seeing the office of the priests to be in contempt vvould haue chaunged their estate by their names and so called thēselues by straunge names vvho seeking their vvriting in the Geneologie by the names they pretended found them not and therefore vvere depriued of their offices Thus such as do ambitiously seeke honour and glorie by the iuste iudgement of God lose both their offices oftentimes and also their estimation with men and Pro. 16. 11. 2. 18. so are they resisted Salomon noting this kinde of resisting when God causeth a downefall into all miserie in them which were puffed vp with pride and swelled in arrogancie of spirite affirmeth that pride goeth before destruction and an high mind before the fall Thus the fall followeth their ambitious exaltation confusion their vaine glorie ignominie their hautines and arrogancie and so they are resisted 7 Finally God resisteth the proud in destroying their remembrance and cutting off their posteritie from the earth for their pride and wickednes Thereof the holy Psal 34. 37. 35. 36. Ecclus. 10. 21. 4. Prophet Dauid may be vnderstood The face of the Lord is against them which doe euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth The wise Sirach saith that god cutteth off the remembrance of the proud Thus did God by Elias threaten to resist Achab by destroying him and cutting off his posteritie for their pride and rebellion against 3. Kings 25 him When proud persons therefore think to make their names immortall and seeke to make their houses and habitations to continue for euer and call their landes also Psal 49. by their names then contrarie to their expectation to roote out their remembrance is a mightie resistance of God against them By these and the like waies the proud are resisted by God and this place of the Apostle is found true God resisteth the proud Now as God resisteth the proud so he geueth grace vnto the humble which is the other member of this sentence of the Apostle Such as forsaking all worldly things addict themselues wholly vnto him to serue and worship him in humilite who cast the crowne of their owne wit riches wealth glorie at the feete of God and prefer him before all creatures These doeth God helpe these hee furthereth to them he geueth increase and greater measure of his grace as to those only whom he looketh vnto As by his Prophet Isai he recordeth To whom shoulde Isai 66. I looke but to him that is poore and of an humble and contrite hart and trembleth at my words These are they in whom he multiplieth his graces and furthereth with his fauour as our Apostle speaketh GOD resisteth the proud but geueth grace to the humble This song Anna the mother of Samuel song in her psalme of praise The 1. Kings 2. Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dunghill to set him among the Princes and to make him inherite the seat of glorie Whereunto holy Iob agreeth The Lord setteth vp on high those that are lowe that the sorowfull may be exalted Iob. 5. to saluation Salomon auoucheth the same trueth The pride of a man shal bring him low but the humble in spirite shall enioy great glorie And what is the glorie of the humble is it not the increase of the graces of God here Pro. 29. and the recompence of our humilitie in the life to come S. Peter vseth the same words which S. James here geueth out God resisteth the proud but geueth grace to the hūble 1. Pet. 5. In many of the former cited places both mēbers are in one sentēce expressed that as god resisteth the proud so he geueth grace to the humble These he blesseth with plentifull benefits to these he giueth a greater measure of his holy spirite to these he sheweth his louing fauour and mercie in ample manner these he daily ladeth with greater and greater blessings from his hand these he mightely exalteth of his fatherly goodnes and thus sheweth or geueth he grace vnto the humble Which thing Chylo the heathē Philosopher perchance meant who being asked Chylo what god Iubiter did answered hee casteth downe high things and exalteth the things which are lowe This thing is manifest in Moses who being of an humble spirite and walking lowly before the Lord receaued grace many waies from God Dauid being humble in spirite was therefore taken from the flock of sheepe to rule the people of the Lord. Elizabeth the mother of Iohn B. and Anna the mother of Samuel Marie the virgin mother of Christ seruing God in their humilitie receaued grace and plentifull fauour from the hands of God Finally the Lord encreaseth his blessings multiplieth his graces enlargeth his promises extendeth his fauourable countenance to those which setting aparte all worldlie things cleaue immoueablie vnto him according to this place of the Apostle God resisteth the proud but geueth grace to the humble Almightie God therefore hath his two hands outstretched the one wherewith as with a mallet or hammer he bruiseth and beateth downe the proud the other wherwith he poureth out his plentifull graces vpon the hūble the one wherewith he resisteth and withstandeth those who through loue of worldly things rebell against him the other wherwith he fauorably entreteth greatly enlargeth such as renouncing worldly vanities cleaue vnto him in humilitie of their mindes
discomfited Thus the saints and church of Christ for Peters deliuerance drewe neare Acts 16. vnto god by praier Thus Paul Silas drew neare to god when at their praier ihe very foundations of the earth shooke and trembled Thus the praiers of gods Saints shake heauen and earth and make away for vs wherby we draw neare vnto God Thus flie we to God in our needes thus drawe we neare vnto him thus are we ioined vnto god to whom we draw neare by praier which leadeth vs to the presence of god and of Christ 4 Neither do men draw neare to god by praier only Sophon 3. 2. Zacha. 1. but also by repentance which is a returning again to god vvhom through the sinnes and iniquities of our liues we had left and forsaken Thereof thus saith the Lord by his prophet turne againe vnto me and I will turne vnto you saith the lord of hosts In another of his Prophets the lord speaketh in like maner of drawing nere to god by repentance O Israel if thou returne returne vnto me saith the Iere. 4. lord Thus did Dauid draw nere to the lord when after his horrible sinnes he repented was reconciled vnto god 2. King 12. Psal 51. Thus Manasses the king falling away from god by shamefull idolatrie and wilfull obstinacie by his repentaunce in prison returned and drewe neare to God Marie Magdalen running away from god by loose life drewe neare vnto him by repentaunce VVhen the prodigall childe by his doting follie had forsaken his father yet by confession Luke 15. and earnest repentaunce hee drewe neare vnto him So when wee our selues by the transgression of our liues sequester and separate our selues from god by our vnfeined repentaunce and sorrowe of our hearts vve returne and dravve neare vnto him This thing is greatly neglected of vs men and vomen chuse rather to run and raunge further further from god by levvdnes loosnes of their liues then by sorow of hart remorse of conscience repeÌ„tance for their sins to returne dravv nere vnto him surely this is a most necessary approching dravving nere vnto god then which there is nothing more expedient in the vvhole life of man For seeing the iust man falleth Prou. 24. seuen times a day froÌ„ god euery man so long as he liueth by his iniquitie he seperated himselfe froÌ„ the Lord dayly neither is there any bord left for vs to swim out by but this of repentance wherby we grow in fauour a fresh and drawe neare vnto God then must repentaunce needs be a necessary thing in the life of man for which cause it is so often and so highly commended vnto vs. 5. Men are said more ouer to drawe neare to God when they seeke to his holy arke when they runne to his Leuit. 24. 13. 14. Num. 9. 8. Nu. 15. 33. 27. v. 15. â— Kings 14 word to aske counsell As Moses oftentimes in matters which were hard and difficult or whereof he had not manifest coÌ„mission from God drew neare to God by asking counsell from him When Saul was to follow the Philistians the priest willed that they might draw neare vnto God whereby was meant the asking of counsell at the mouth of God and of his word Thus such as in matters wherof they are ignorant seeke counsell from the mouth and word of God in his preachers and prophets drawe neare vnto God 6. By reposing all trust and confidence in God and cleauing constantly vnto him wherof Psal 73. 28. 7. Of none of all these the Apostle here seemeth to speak properly but of an other drawing neare which is by puritie sincerenes of life wherof chiefly in this place he speaketh which he commendeth vnto vs in these words cleanse your hands your sinners and purge your harts you double minded Which I take not for a new precept but with Bede others as the meane maÌ„ner of performing â— Bede that which here now is enioyned that we drawe neare to God in puritie and sinceritie of life which consisteth in the cleansing of our hands and purging of our hearts before the Lord. Let vs then coÌ„sider the place 1. In calling them sinners Sinners he meaneth not them which are subiect by naturall infirmitie to the committing of sinne as all men are so long as they rest remaine vpon the face of the earth but hereby he noteth their hainous and hornble iniquities 1. Tim. 1. 9 whereunto they were giuen 2. By wauering or double minded he noteth the shamefull hipocrisie which vvas crept in euen into their liues vvhich made some shewe of religion and had a pretence of godlines such as in outward shevv seemed deuout religious righteous holy but in their harts vvere full of vngodlinesse and impietie thus they seeme outvvardly one invvardly another in vvorde one in vvorke another one in talke another in truth therfore are they called double minded Like Ianus whom some take for Iapheth one of the sonnes of Noe others for Saturne whom the Heathen paint double faced These the prophet Dauid often sharply reproueth for that Psa 12. â—1 55. c. they speake with a double heart hauing one thing proÌ„pt in their mouthes another couered in their minds a sinne euill and odious before God and man Therfore if we will draw neare to God our double harts must be purged that we may be such indeed as we pretende to be in shew least we heare with our great shame blush you not at it that when as in shew you beare the person of noble Agamemnon in deed you play the parte of cruell and deformed Thersites in being one in shew and another in deed If this holy Apostle did so earnestly call vpon them for reformatioÌ„ of their liues which were double minded what shall wee do to such as are triple quadruple three minded foure minded yea of hundreth minds what voice shall we sounde what speach shall we vtter what mouth shall we open against such Who with the Camelion can turne themselues into all shapes who are now hote now colde in religion now professours now Romanish Catholikes now thus now otherwise minded and affected to bleare the eyes of the simple is it not high time that we call out a lowde to them to be cleansed and with open mouth crie to them to be purged 3. The wordes bearing this signification the matter followeth that men in puritie sinceritie of their liues draw neare vnto God which coÌ„sisteth in two things 1. In cleansing of their hands 2. In purging of their hartes before God Cleansing of the handes noteth the redresse and reformation What meaneth the cleansing of hands of all the outward life of man the correcting of all his actions and deedes of all which though it bee not yet of most of them the hande is the instrument wherefore the outward workes of men are vsually called the works of mens hands because most of them haue the
dwell in our mindes then shall God himselfe draw neere in louing fauour vnto vs and ouershadowe vs with the presence aâ— brightnes of his countenance then shall we be one in tâ—â— God and God with vs then shall hee dwell reâ—â— affliâ—â— with vs Mala. 4. for euer Which thing he geue and graunt vnto vs who hath not spared his only sonne for vs EueÌ„ god the father to whom with the sonne and the holy Ghost one one God in glorious trinitie bee praise dominion and maiestie now and for euer Amen Iames Chap. 4. verses 9. 10. Sermon 20. Verse 9 Suffer afflictions and sorrowe ye and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauines 10 Caste downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp THese wordes conteine the thirde part and place of this 4. Chapter which is touching The thirde place â—â— part of the Chapter our humiliation and humbling our selues before God which coÌ„sisteth in two things as here by the Apostle is set downe Namely 1. In chastising our selues throgh repentance and mortification of life wherein are two things to be obserued of vs. 1. What he commaundeth To suffer affliction 2 How it is to be done 1. Sorrowing 2. Weeping 3. Turning laughter into mourning 4. Ioy into heauines 2. In casting downe and prostrating our selues before the Lord wherein two things are to be noted 1. What hee commaundeth To prostrate our selues before God 2. Why That God may exalt vs. Now concerning this place it is the doctrine of humiliation and humbling our selues before God for the iniquities and sinnes by vs dayly against him committed Wherein the Apostle opposeth to the former vices in man things contrarie to their wantonnes and pleasures the afflicting and humiliating of themselues to their pride and arrogancie Christian modestie to their carnal delights lasciuious and lewde mirth he setteth down vnfained sorow and griefe whereby their repentance might be shewed whereunto these two verses serue Suffer affliction sorrowe and weepe c. wherin two things are to be considered 1. The chastising of our selues 2. And our casting downe our selues before God 1 Touching the chastising of our selues therin two things may bee obserued 1. what hee commaundeth 2 how the same is to be perfourmed The precept Suffer afflictions which is not an exhortatioÌ„ to patience in trouble wherof afterward c. 5. 7. but to chastise and afflict our selues by true repentance and mortification of our liues suffer affliction be you afflicted afflict your selues by true repentance before the Lord. Which exhortation is right necessarie because the whole life of worldly carnally minded men whose happines is in pleasure lust delights of the flesh is altogether spent in riot wantonnes banquetting iollitie laughter miâ—th and wicked reioising wherin men drowned forget neglect their duetie vnto God neither remember they the iudgements of god and his heauie wrath which therfore hangeth ouer them as the storie of the first world in the daies of Noe declareth Wherein they were geuen to eating to drinking to riotousnes to wantonnes and all Gen. 7. pleasures of the flesh vntill such time as the floud came vpon them and destroyed them And the example of Sodom confirmeth in the dayes of Lot whereof the Gen. 19. men and the women with al the people gaue themselues whollie to the satisfying and fulfilling of al the lustes and desires of the flesh and excesse of their liues till the Lord rained fire and brimston vpon them from heauen and miserablie destroyed them Which negligence rising from the plentie and prosperitie of worldly thinges almighty GOD foreseeing gaue charge thereof vnto Israel his people that when they came into the land of Canaan where they shoulde Deut. 6. 8. possesse great and goodly Cities which they builded not houses replenished with all manner of goods which houses they filled not welles digged which they digged not vineyardes which they planted not When they had eateÌ„ and droken and were full abounding and flourishing in all worldly prosperitie they should take heede least they forgat the Lord who had geuen them all these thinges Seeing then prosperitie and worldly wealth seeing carnall delightes and fleshly pleasures make vs stubborne forgetfull and negligent in our dueties to God is it not necessarie that we be often admonished and earnestlie exhorted thus to chastise our selues by repentance true mortification least we be carried away with the sway of earthly things vnto finall destruction Which when our Apostle Saint James had considered as hauing care of our soules health exhorting vs to true humiliation and chastising of our selues saith Suffer affliction or be chastised and sorowe and weepe that therby our repentance which is to saluation not to be repented of might be witnessed Will we liue for euer then 2. Cor. 7. 2. Tim. 2 must we die here by repentance and mortification to sinne Will we obteine eternall rest then in this life must 1. Pâ—t 1 we be afflicted Wil we reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious then must we here sorowe for a season Will we haue mirth without end then must wee lament our iniquities in the bodie that our soules may liue in heauen for euermore with God They which haue their pleasure in this world shall surely haue their paine in the world to come as Abraham witnessed to the rich glutton in the Gospell they which are here full shall there want they which here laugh shall Luke 16 Luke 6 there weepe waile and lamente they that liue in pleasure vpon the earth shal suffer punishment and torments in the world to come vnlesse here they mortifie theÌ„selues and be chastised through repentance let vs there fore be admonished by the Apostle let vs holde fast the exhortation of S. Iames Suffer afflictions The afflictions which here we are exhorted to suffer What is affliction here are nothing els but the conceauing of griefe for sinne true and vnfeined repentance for the life past the chastising of our selues by fasting watching praying and such like before the Lord the true mortification of our earthlie members and the subduing of all carnall desires in our selues that thereby we may bee truely humbled before God This affliction holy Dauid suffered thus did he chastise himselfe thus was he afflicted before the Lord when he washed his couch with his teares in the night season Psal 6. Psal 35. and watered his bed with weeping when in the sicknesse of his enemies he humbled himselfe with fasting and his prayer was turned into his bosome when his iniquities Psal 38. 102. 9. were gone ouer his head and as a weightie burthen they were too heauie for him to beare when his wounds were putrified and corrupt because of his foolishnes when he was bowed and crooked very sore when he went mourning all the day long when his reines were full of burning and nothing sound in his flesh when he was weakened very much
why we should not speake euill of ◠Reason or condemne the brethren is drawen frō the duetie of the saints it is the dutie of Gods children to do the lawe not to iudge or condemne it The law saith speake not euil of thy brother neither condemne thy brother this law must Leuit. 19. Mat. 7. we do and endeuour to fulfill it in euery point not by withstanding it seeme to cōdemne it and be iudges of it Men condemne the law when they condemne their brethren they iudge the lawe when they will not be taught thereby nor reformed but as iudging it vnworthy to be the rule and line of their life they withstand it God hath not appointed vs to iudge his lawe but rather to doe it therfore by not speaking euil of the brethren must we do the law and not by resisting it condemne and iudge it How men are saide to do the law See S. Iames ch 1. v. 22. The meaning of this place is that we are ordained to be doers of the lavv and by God vvilled to labour to fulfill it therfore it standeth vs vpon thereunto to tende therein to labour and trauell and not by arrogantly iudging of our brethren rashly to iudge of the law Men become the iudges of the law when by obstinately transgressing of the law they seeme superiours and aboue the law as such as will not be subiect therunto and not by doing it seeme inferiours as they which will be ruled thereby then when we speake euill of our brethren which the law forbiddeth in rising vp resisting against this law we seeme to be aboue the law as such as will not be restrained thereby To iudge the law not to do it is great sinne Therfore must we rather in not speaking euill Deut. 27. of the law do it then in speaking euill thereof iudge it Great blessings are promised such as do obserue the law a great curse likewise is threatened to them which do not keepe it Moses therefore saith Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all the wordes of this law to do them This Apostle pronounceth them blessed which looke into Iames 1. 1. Ioh. 2. the perfect lawe of libertie to do it Saint Iohn witnesseth that such as do the will of God shall remaine and abide for euer and we are called to the doing of the law vvee ought therefore to do it that vve may be blessed in our deede and remayne for euer and not iudge it by violating thereof least vvee taste of the curse vvhich is threatened When vve speake not euill of our brethren vvee fulfill the royall lavve vvhich saith Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe vvhen vvee speake euill of them and iudge them because they vvalke not according to our pleasures vve iudge the lavve vvhich is farre from our dutie The lavv is by God ordained to be the line and leuell of our life the guyde of our feete the gouernour of our pathes therefore the princely Prophete Dauid Psal 119. saith Thy vvorde ô Lorde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes this lavv of God is the touchstone of our actions the triall of al our vvorkes the ballance to waigh vvhether they be according to the lavve of equity iustice to do this law not to iudg it ar we called For which cause almighty God in his law witnesseth that Deut. 4 6. he had giuen lawes vnto his people to do them Our Sauiour so often requireth the doing of the lawe and worde of God in the saints not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Mat. 7. but hee that doth the will of my father which is in heauen to the woman which pronounced the wombe blessed Luke 10. that bore him and the pappes that gaue him sucke He saith yea rather blessed are they that heare the worde of God and doe it To his disciples after the washing Iohā 13. of their feete blessed are yee if you know these thinges and doe them Saint James requireth this and calleth Iames 1. men to the doing of the lawe and worde of God be yee doers of the lavve not hearers onely Finally the Apostle in his Reuelation blessed is he that readeth and heareth Reuel 1. the vvordes of this prophesie and keepeth those things which are written therein to this law we must submit our selues and giue ouer all our actions thereby to be iudged this law forbiddeth euill speach of the brethren this forbiddeth proudly to iudge them arrogantly to cōdemne them because they walke not according to our wils this law must we not resist but obey notwithstand but fulfill this is the dutie of the saints of God this is the thing wee are bound vnto vvherefore if notwithstanding we speake euill of the brethren we do not the law but we iudge it and so swarue from the dutie of Gods saints and the thing whereunto we are called which is to be doers not to become iudges of the lawe of God And this is the second reason of the Apostle why we may not speake euill of the brethren because in so doing we are not doers of the law which dutie requireth but iudges which becommeth not the saints 3. A third reason why men may not proudly condemne 3. Reason arrogantly iudge their brethren is drawen frō the vsurping of the office of God of Christ men must not proudly arrogate that to themselues which is proper to God to giue lawes of their liues vnto men which if they embrace not at our pleasure to speake euill of thē to cōdemne thē therfore appertaineth not to vs for there is one only law giuer which prescribeth rules to vs to our brethren how we shall liue one iudge which shall iudge both vs and them if we doe not thereafter and this law maker and iudge is not mans fancie will pleasure but God himselfe so that when we will take vpon vs to prescribe vnto other men and woulde haue all men liue after our examples and pleasures Which if they will not proudly to iudge them bitterly to speake of them seuerely to censure and condemne them is to vsurpe the office of God our heauenly father to arrogate to our selues the thing which apperteineth not vnto vs therfore ought we not to doe it That God is the onely Law geuer and iudge which is able to saue and to destroy and that no man ought to take vpon him to set lawes of life and death to mens consciences and restraine them to their pleasures it appeareth For in the holy mountain with great feare and terror with sights and soundes from aboue almightie God Exod. 19. 20. deliuered vnto Moses the two tables of the lawe In the preface whereof the Lord setteth downe his own name as the authour thereof I am the Lorde thy God which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt thou shalt haue no
acceptable sacrifices vnto him whom they serue in holines John 4. Rom. 12. Luck 1. and righteuousnes al the dayes of their life do not alwaies vse it in vvord of mouth but giue the consent of their hearts there vnto And in all things and at all times to repeate the vvordes might seeme vaine superstition and babling follie But the spirite of God in this place is vehemently caried avvay vvith iuste condemnation against such as vvith out regard had to the good pleasure of God or respect had to the mortalytie of our nature vvould haue all times seasons things and euents to serue them at their wills for which cause in the pride of their hartes they determine presumtuously of things to come and say in their vaine confidence to day or to morow will we go into such a cittie and there continue a yeare by and sell and gaine which thing the Apostle condemneth and correcteth and in stead thereof teacheth vs to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will doe this thing or that thing 4 The Apostle hauing thus reproued the sinne and corrected this euil among mē in the fourth place he repeateth the same vice and mischiefe with reprehension although in other words yet to like purpose and therefore saith You reioyce in your boasting all such reioycing is euill you doe not onely conceaue such vaine confidence in your heartes but you also vtter it in your wordes neither doe you only vtter it in wordes and in your speaches but also you boast of your sayings you reioyce in your boastings all such reioycing is euill In presuming thus of your selues in the vaine confidence of your owne heartes in the lewde libertie of your tongues wherby you derogate from Gods prouidence and arrogate to your selues you reioyce but all such reioycing is euill And in that he saith not all reioycing is euill but all such reioycing is euill it is apparant that he condemneth not all reioycing but onely vaine reioycing conceaued of the trust and confidence we haue in worldly thinges For otherwise God permitted yea willed and commaunded Deut. 12. his people to reioyce as the Scripture teacheth vs. By his seruant Moses he charged Israel his people that they should not eate their offeringes within their owne gates but in the place where the Lorde had appointed they their children their seruantes and the Leuite that was within their gates and so to reioyce before the Lord Deut. 16. their God in all they put their hands vnto To which end and purpose they were commanded to keepe the feast of weekes which was Whitsontide and therein also to reioice before the Lord through the viewe of the plentifull encrease which the Lorde God had geuen vnto the earth Other Feasts also as the Feast of vnleauēed bread the Feast of Tabernacles at the gathering in of their haruest wherein it was alowable and permitted them to reioyce Exod. 23. The Prophet Dauid often exhorteth to reioicing therfore he aduiseth the people to sing ioyfully vnto the Lord Psal 81. their strength and to sing laud vnto the God of Iacob to take the song to bring foorth the timbrell the pleasaunt Psal 122. harpe with the lute or viole Dauid himselfe was not void of this affection but rather therewithall rauished hee breaketh out I reioyced when the people said we wil go into the house of the Lord. To which affection as in some respects lawfull he stirreth vp his people and godly Subiects O come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartelie Psal 95. reioyce in God the strength of our saluation The Sauiour of the world euen Iesus Christ the righteous commendeth Mat. 5. reioycing vnto his in miserie and exhorteth thē in the midst and among their greatest afflictions persecutions to reioyce Whose example the elect vessell of God Saint Paul imitating aduiseth the elect seruants of Christ in their Rom. 12. troubles to reioyce Which thing of himselfe and the rest of his brethren he freely and liberally confesseth When Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 4 Ephes 5 he speaketh vnto the Church and Saintes of Ephesus exhorting them to be filled with the spirite and to sing to themselues in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs making melodie in their hearts vnto God Doeth he not cōmend vnto them the affection of reioysing When hee willeth the Saints of Philippi to reioyce in the Lord alwaies what els commendeth he then the affection of reioycing Philip. 4. What that the Prophet willeth that neither the wise man Ierem. 9. glorie and vainly reioyce in his wisdome neither the rich man in his riches nor the strong man in his strength but that he that reioyceth should reioyce and glorie in the Lord Doeth he not condemne one and commend another kinde of reioycing What that Christ willeth his not to reioyce that the deuils were subiecte vnto them but Luke 10. that they should reioyce that their names were written in the booke of life What that hee exhorteth the Church against the day of iudgement to lift vp their heads and to reioyce because their redemption approacheth Doeth he not commend the affection of ioy as lawfull in some Luke 11. measure in the Saints of God What that Paul beseacheth Philip. 2 the Saints of Philippi in Macedonia by their vnitie and religious consent to fulfill his ioy What that S. Iohn reioiceth Iohn 2. 3. Epist ouer the saints because they walked in the trueth argueth it not that there is a ioy and reioycing lawfull in the people of God To reioyce therefore in the aide and helpe of Gods spirite and in the presence of his power to reioyce in his gifts and graces either vpon our soules or bodies plentitifully poured moderately to reioice in our publicke peace and priuate quietnes in our obedient wiues and tractable children in our trustie seruants and faithfull friendes or the like tokens of Gods fauour towardes vs so that all confidence be wholy reposed in him that is the authour and fountaine of all graces and goodnes is not forbidden the mirth of their hearts proceading from a good conscience in the holy Ghost the ioy of their mindes lightened by assurance of the mercies of God in Iesus Christ the affection of reioycing stirred vp raysed in the inward parts of man through duetifull vew and thankfull remembrance of the blessings of God towardes vs as tokens of his loue is not condemned by S. Iames nor heere forbidden the Saints of God Which the very circumstance of the place doeth teach vs for inueying against the vaine confidence of proud persons who without regard had to the will of God and the shortnesse of their owne liues say within themselues and sometimes vtter their speaches vnto other To morrow we will goe to such a Citie and there continue a yeare and by and sell and gaine he inferreth this speach now you reioyce in your boasting all such reioycing is euill
from whome he had both commaundement and courage for the fighting of the Lordes battailes After whose death and the manifolde battailes hee had with Kings and Countreys the people came to the Lord to enquire who should succeede him as their captaine to Iudges 1. fight against the nations and hee appointed Iudah captaine ouer them Dauid the valiant warriour confesseth in sundrie Psalmes that his warrely prowis and fortitude Psal 18. was from the Lorde therefore hee cryeth out in the Lordes prayse I will loue thee dearely O Lorde my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and hee that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne of my saluation and my refuge To like purpose in another place Through thee Psal 44. saith he to God we thrust backe our enemies and in thy name shall we tread downe those that rise vp against vs. Finally he breaketh out and praiseth God Blessed be the Psal 144. Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to fight and my fingers to battaile he is my goodnesse and my fortresse my tower and my deliuerer my shield and in him I wil trust whch subdueth my people vnder me Which had beene great impietie in the princely Prophet had warres beene altogether vnlawfull Salomon the diuine and heauenly Eccles. 3. preacher affirmeth that there is a time for all things a mong other things he sayth there is a time for peace and a time for warre Nowe we knowe there is no time for wicked things if warre were wicked and euill there were no time for it 2 Neither doe these places onely shewe it to bee lawfull in the former times vnder the lawe and Prophets in the time of the olde Testament but also the new Testament confirmeth the same to bee as lawfull vnder the Gospell VVhen Iohn Baptist preached and infourmed all Luke 3. states and degrees of men in their dueties when the soldiours asked him vvhat they should do he biddeth them not forsake their calling as a thing vnlawfull but sheweth how it might be vsed aright oppresse no man saith he and be content with your wages Whereupon Saint Augustine thus concludeth whom he willeth to be content with their wages he willeth not Epist. 5. Marcellino Mat. 8. to leaue their warfare When our Sauiour was besought to heale the Centurions seruaunt vvhich vvas a man of vvarre the gouernour of a hundreth soldiours he neyther disdained his person neyther condemned his calling nor denied his suite but cōmended his faith without any more ado vvhich he would not haue done had the calling beene vnlawfull Saint Peter by God was sent to another Centurion Act. 10. to whom he preached all the wordes of life yet is there no sillable nor sounde of condemning the condition and calling of the Centurion Cornelius When there was a greate conspiracie against Paul of more then fourtie which sought his life he was contented through the ayd Act. 23. of armed souldiours to be brought safely to Cesaria and so deliuered from the rage of his enemies which eyther he would neuer haue done or if through feare hee had done yet it should and would eyther by Luke in the storie or by himselfe in some place haue beene confessed to haue bene euill done vvere vvarres vnlavvfull altogether The author to the Hebrewes commending the most holy men and Saints of God as for other many excellent Heb. 11. effectes of faith so also that through faith they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stoppeth the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sworde of weake were made strōg waxed violent in battle turned to flight the armies of the aliants If to waxe stronge in battle to subdue kingdomes and putte to flight the armies of the aliants be praise-worthie hovv then can vvarres bee but lavvfull 3. Tributes are certaine contributions made by the people and giuen to the Prince to defend them by warre if occasion serued whereof beyng demaundeth his iudgement whether it were lavvfull to giue it or no our Sauiour Mat. 22. willed tribute to be giuen to Cesar the Emperour and himselfe for himselfe and his traine paid it as Saint Mat. 17. Rom. 13. Matthew recordeth Saint Paul exhorteth the Christian subiectes to the paying of tribute as parte of their subiection and obedience vvilling that custome be payed to whom custome and tribute bee paid to whom tribute belongeth 4. The learned auncient fathers found no such matter in vvarres but commended them as things most lavvfull Saint Cyprian in his Epistles saith of vvarre When 2. Lib. epist 2. priuate men shedde bloud it is sinne and a great faulte but when it is publikely done it is a vertue wherein he counteth priuate reuenge and thereby shedding of mans bloud haynous murther but waging lawfull warres he reputeth as a singular vertue Saint Augustine in sundry places as in his Epistles to Epist 5. 48. to Bonifa a warrier others and also in that which he writeth to Bonifacius a warrier sheweth that as the Gospell hath not taken away the lavvfull vse of meate and drinke mariage riches and such like so neyther hath it taken away the vse of lavvfull warres without which no common-wealth can bee preserued the lavvfulnesse vvhereof the examples of Abraham Moses Josuah Dauid the godly Centurions in the gospell and infinite the like shevv most euidently 5. Conditions in vvarres required that they may be lavvfull though there might many be assigned yet I suppose that these be the chiefest 1. That no warres be vndertaken but by the authoritie of the King Prince Emperour or other chiefe officer and gouernour in the common-wealth so that warres without his appointment are not lawful warres but vprores rebellions and ciuill seditions vtterly condemned Thus Core Dathan and Abiram rising vp against Moses Absolon Num. 16. 2. Kings 15 taking sworde in hande against Dauid his naturall father Adoniah against Salomon Basha Zimrie Shallum and 1. Kings 1. the seruants of Ammon the king not armed by the authoritie of their princes but against them are thus condemned Brutur and Cassius and such like of their owne heads arming themselues against their common-weales and countries haue bene condemned as seditious persons 2. Warres also must be vvaged and vndertaken for defence of religion of publike peace of the state of the countrie and the safetie of the common-wealth and people committed vnto princes for the suppressing of wicked malefactours and the lavvfull defence of loyall subiectes Saint Augustine therefore vvriteth thus to Boniface Augustine to Bonif. 48. Epist the vvarrier all thinges are quiet and husht vvhen vvarres are vvaged for they are not vndertaken of desire to rule or for crueltie but for studie of peace that the godly may be supported and the vvicked punished which endes euen the very Heathen respected For Homer bringeth in Hector exhorting his souldiers Homer Ili to
length of daies from seede time to haruest shall not christians looking for immortall fruite of their patience settle their hearts so that neither multitude of troubles nor waight of miseries nor grieuousnes of oppressions nor number of iniuries shal be able to dawnte and disquiet them be yee therefore patient and settle your hearts saith the Apostle And in the manifold afflictions of this life the harts Mēs minds settled in affections minds of Gods Saints are sundrie waies settled 1. Our hearts are settled in our afflictions by the sweete promises we haue from God of our deliuerance who hath promised to deliuer the righteous out of troubles and such a◠put their trust in him Dauid thereof saith Many are Psal 34. the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth out of all In another place to like purpose the saluation Psal 37. of the righteous is of the Lorde hee shal be their strength in time of trouble Therefore almighty GOD Psal 5◠saith to his people call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee The Prophete exhorting men to settle themselues to rest Psal 36. 91. 15. and relie vpon God in their miseries yea in all thinges giueth this counsell from the promise of God commit thy cause or thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe He will bring foorth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy iudgements as the noone day Thus hath God promised to defend our cause to restore vs to our right and in our miseries to deliuer vs therfore ought we therby to settle our mindes God saith 1. Cor. 10. Paul is faithful which wil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but wil giue the issue with the tētatiō that we may bear it And S. Peter The Lord knoweth how 2. Pet. 2. to deliuer the godly out of tentation Seeing then wee haue such sweete promises of deliueraunce out of troubles therefore therein ought we to be patient and to settle our mindes vpon these promises that the Lorde will deliuer vs in due time from all afflictions and finallie washe away all teares from our eyes as the Scripture teacheth 2. As by the promises of our deliuerance our hearts or settled through patience in our oppression so also ought they to be settled in the experience we haue of the power of God in the deliuerance of the righteous If we looke to others or our selues we shall finde experience triall of this truth whereby our heartes ought in all our miseries to be settled Hath not God deliuered Moses and Exod. 14. Israell his people from the armie of Pharao when the red sea was before them hard sharpe rockes on both sides the enemie at their heeles following so that their state was daungerous What did not God deliuer Dauid from 1. King 18 19. 20. 21. 23. 24. sundry attempts of Saul who sought by many waies his vtter confusion for which cause he so often praiseth God for his deliuerance as the booke of Psalmes therewith is replenished and full Was not Hezechiah the godly king deliuered Psal 18. 23. 27. 86. 144. 4. Kings 19 mightily by God from the powre and armie of Sennacherib into whose iawes God put his bitte bridle and ledde him away into his owne countrie by a rumour of inuision that vvas brought him and by the destruction of his armie by the Angell of God Did he not deliuer the Israelites out of the hands of the Philistines other their enemies which often and long time had them in subiection as the booke of Iudges of Samuell recordeth When the Aramites had besieged Samaria therfore Iudges 1. Samu. 4. Kings 7. the people Prince and countrie in great distresse by famine and perill by reason of the enemie was it not deliuered miraculously by God who caused the Aramites to heare a noyse of horses and charrets vvherewith they terrified fledde and lefte their prouision behind them Was not Iehosaphat by him deliuered both in the battle 3. Kings 22 in Ramoth Gilead and also from the Moabites Amorites and Amalachites which ioyned battle against him hath he not deliuered infinite other his holy Saints from 2. Chron. 22 their oppressions afflictions and troubles they haue suffered if wee seeke experience in our selues vvhich of See Psalm 61. v. 4. 63. v. 7. 91. 4. vs is it vvhom at one time or another God hath not deliuered eyther from peril by lande or by sea at home or abroade eyther from oppression and iniuries of open enemies or daungers of counterfaite friendes either from griefe of minde of sickenesse of bodie eyther from spoyle of goods or perill of life by the wicked Seeing therefore we haue this triall and experience of Gods helpe in our oppressions shall we not therein be patient and settle our hearts 3. Neither thus onely are our hearts settled in our miseries but also when we cast our eies vpō the crowne of glory which we shall receaue the glorious hope whereof we shal be pertakers if we endure with patience we should settle and quiet our mindes in our miseries Thus Paul exhorting the Romanes to settle their hearts and in their Rom. 8. afflictions which by the example of Christ they should suffer comforting them telleth them that the sufferings of this their mortall and temporall life are not to be compared to the glory which should be reuealed to the sonnes of God And in like manner to the Church of Corinth the 2. Cor. 4. momentanie afflictions which are for a season cause vnto vs a far more excellent eternall waight of glory while we look not to things which are seen but to things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporal but the things which are not seene are eternall Our Sauiour Heb. 12. Christ settled his hart vpō the hope he had of the glorious crowne wherof he should be partaker By whose example S. Paul exhorteth vs also to endure with patience the afflictiōs of this life run with setled minds the race which is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of the faith Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and dispised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God This crowne is giuen the Saints after their miseries here be ended and they are made partakers of the promises after the troubles of this life are finished whereunto hauing an earnest regard and casting their eyes continually thereby their hearts and mindes are settled so that these miseries and afflictiōs are mightily borne of them vnder the burden whereof they are not greatly disquieted As in the Apostles the holy martyrs and many other of the chosen Sonnes of God is apparent 4. Finally our hearts in afflictions are settled when we record and recount often the
another This grudging and murmuring is either when we greiue that wicked rich men should so highly be exalted should abound in wealth excell in power and the poore yet righteous and iust men should by pouertie iniurie and penâ—rie be pressed downe in the world Or els it is that muttering and murmuring whereby we take it in euill parte that our selues should be so tost and tormoiled other should be dealt withall more gently thinking that wee beare a greater burthen and heauier crosse from God then wee haue deserued and that other men as yet not touched haue deserued more Or finally it is that grudging which is in our afflictions whereby we are discontent that wee should sigh so long vnder our afflictions and the wicked which afflicte vs should so long scape vnpunished and through impatiencie complaine hereof to God This ought not to be in the Saints of God who ought to bee renowmed for their vnspeakeable pacience Whose bounden duetie it is to pray euen for their enemies to wish well to them which haue done them iniurie to blesse them that curse Matt. 1. 6. 18. Ephes 4. 1. Pet. â— them or forgiue and forget offences committed in all godly moderation to settle their hearts and to commit their cause to him that iudgeth righteously And if this moderation and equitie of our minds be to be shewed towards our enemies for whose iniuries and oppressions we ought not to murmure or impaciently to complaine against them vnto god how much lesse ought we then to grudge or murmure one against another How much lesse becommeth it the Saints to grudge and murmure one against another for the dayly offences which are giuen For who is he that can liue so vprightly but that in one thing or another at one time or another hee shall giue offence If euerie one giue some offence vnto another shall we complaine to God in the bitternesse of our heart shall we desire reuenge from God against theÌ„ and shall we not all then perish for no man liueth without some offence giuing We therefore in these small offences asking iudgement from God and reuenge agaynst others desire the same agaynst our selues in as much as we in the like offende our brethren and so shall we all be condemned This grudging and muttering proceedeth from impaciencie argueth discontentment of the mind causeth mutuall complaining vnto God and desireth reuenge against such as haue done vs iniurie VVhich thing is farre from the excellencie and dignitie of a Christian Finally it bringeth condemnation vpon vs who haue lost pacience according to the denouncing of the scripture wo be vnto them that haue lost pacience thereby falling from dutie to men from charitie to the brethren from obedience to God from trust in his diuine prouidence from sincere imbracing of the Gospell of Christ which prescribeth vnto vs pacience and so we incurre iust and deserued condemnation for which cause the holy Apostle in this place doth not onely recommend vnto the Saints the excellent vertue of pacience but also disswadeth murmuring therunto contrarie grudge not one against aâ— other brethren least ye be condemned The reason why we should not murmure one agaynst another is drawne from the presence of the Lord who is at hande as a iust iudge to auenge vs of our enemies and to crowne vs for our pacience or punish our murmuring The Lorde our God beholdeth our iniuries with open eie and seeth our oppression by the wicked he is prest and at hand to rescue and deliuer vs as it shall seeme best to his diuine maiestie he marketh all our behauiour vnder the crosse let vs not therefore be impacient neither murmure but therein shewe all Christian moderation as becommeth Saints The Lord is at hand the iudge standeth before the How God is at hand doore 1 In that he seeth all the creatures of the world and beholdeth all the miseries and oppressions of his people Thus was he at hand and at the doores of the Aegyptians to see and behold the grieuous oppression of his people Exod. 3. Israel Wherefore he protesteth to his seruant Moises I haue seene I haue seene the trouble of my people Israel in Aegypt and haue heard their crie because of their taskemasters and do know their sorrowes For it is the Lord that beholdeth from heauen al the children of men Psal 33. and from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth them all that dwel on the earth Thus was he at the doores of Abraham to behold the mocking and persecution of Jsmael Gene. 21. against Isaac at the doores of Isaac to heare the intended murther of Esau against his brother Iacob He was at hand and at the doores and gates of Laban to beholde his oppressing of his nephew Iacob He was at the doores Gene. 27. Daniel 3. of Nabuchodonosor to beholde the fierie triall of the three children At the heeles doores and gates of the princes of the prouinces of Babylon to beholde and see heare and marke the wicked purpose and deuise they imagined against Daniel At the doores of Saules palace to beholde Daniel 6. 1. King 18. 19. c. the persecution of Dauid At the doores of the Sâ—cibes Pharisies high priests and princes of the Iewes marking and viewing their crueltie against his sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Apostles At the doores of the persecuting Emperours to beholde their crueltie towards the blessed martyrs At the doores of all oppressours extortioners vsurers couetous persons iniurers and hurters of their brethren to see view marke and beholde with open eye the violence wickednes of men against his seruaÌ„ts 2 As he is at hand and at the doore to see our miseries so also is he at the doore to deliuer vs from our enemies rescue vs from our oppressours Moises telleth Israel Deut. 4â— that there is no God that coÌ„meth so neare to any people as the Lord commeth neare to them to helpe and deliuer them from all their dangers Dauid the princely prophet Psal 34. subscribeth and consenteth hereunto the Lord saith he is neare vnto them that are of a contrite heart and wil saue such as be afflicted in spirit to deliuer them for though many be the trobles of the righteous yet is the Lorde at hand to deliuer them Therefore saith he in another place God is our hope strength our helpe in trouble neare Psal 46. readie to be found And the Lord himselfe promiseth his presence to helpe his Church and defende it against all Isai 27. their oppressions and iniuries I the Lord sayth God doe keepe it that is his Church I will water it euery moment least any assault it I will keepe it night and day Thus is the Lord at hand thus standeth the iudge at the doore euermore prest and readie 3 The Iudge standeth at the doore to beholde our behauiour vnder the crosse and to see howe we take these afflictions which he suffereth according to
father of many children in one houre to become childlesse altogether of whole to become fore of reuerenced to be contemned to be reproched of his wife to be slaūdered of his familiar friends to be abhorred of all men what calamitie like vnto this one miserie to follow at the taile of an other one affliction to follow another at the heeles as water followeth water in the conduits water pipes one Psal 42. trouble to meete another in the necke that all miserie might seeme to haue bene powred out vpō one man was a wonderful triall yet was he patient in al these his troubles Wherefore as the onely patterne of rare patience is he proposed vnto vs in the holy Scriptures of God Of whom with reuerend mention the Apostle speaking vseth his example for a reason to moue vnto pacience you haue heard of the pacience of Job and haue knowen what ende the Lord made But thou wilt say how may he be thought a vvorthie example of patience who shevved so many signes of impatiencie he cursed the day of his birth he vvished he had perished in the vvombe of his mother and vttered Iob 3. many such like speaches vvhereby it appeared that he was impacient I answeare that as his trials were wonderfull so had he diuers and sundrie conflictes in himselfe wherein hee shewed the great weakenesse and infirmitie of nature Yet after many combattes and conflictes with his owne reason and naturall wisdome after diuers striuinges and struglinges against his owne weakenesse and fraile affections in fine and ende he submitted his iudgement to Gods wisdome he raunged himselfe vnder the good pleasure of the almightie and became tractable vnto his will So that hee carried away like a most triumphant and victorious Captaine most glorious victorie in all his temptations and is therefore sette downe as an example of singular patience to all posteritie for euermore Whose example we must follow whose patience wee must imitate whose vertue we must imbrace whereunto we are referred in this place You haue heard of the patience of Iob and you haue knowen what end the Lord made As the patience of Iob was rare so the gracious and mercifull Lord gaue and made a good ende thereof for he both gaue him strength to preuaile against all temptations and blessed him in the ende after his sundrie afflictions Sathan tempted him but did not subdue him anguish and griefe of minde assailed him but did not suppresse him losse of goods losse of children and all that euer the man had troubled him but did not ouercome him inhumanitie of men wickednes of wife sorenesse of bodie pressed him but did not cast him downe miserie and affliction disquieted him yet therein was hee more then conquerour through the assistance and help of God who in all thinges gaue him good successe and issue and in the ende encreased and doubled his wealth multiplied his children enlarged his daies and blessed Iob. 42. him with long life So that he sawe his sonnes and daughters to foure generations This was the end which God gaue to his patience By whose example if wee suffer losse of our goods death of frends decay of wealth oppressions of men iniuries and manifold afflictions which here shal be offred vs then will the Lord also look downe fauourablie vpon vs then wil he send happy successe good issue blessed end to our afflictions also euen in sorrow ioy in bonds freedom in prison libertie in sicknes health in trouble comfort in death life and in miserie happines and true felicitie let vs therfore by his example learne to be patient 4 The last reason is drawen from the nature of god who in punishing vs any manner of way yea euen by the oppressions and iniuries of the wicked is therin merciful howsoeuer he seem to our corrupt affections seuere rigorous and hard Then seeing euen in these our afflictions his mercie appeareth therin we ought therfore to be patient The princely Prophet Dauid saith that as a Father pittieth his childrē euen so hath the Lord compassion on Psal 103. them that feare him and as the mercie loue of natural parents appeareth no lesse in their fatherly corrections then in their fonde cockerings so the louing kindnesse of God and his mercie appeareth no lesse towards vs when for our benefite he punisheth then when for our comfort he sendeth his manifold blessings vpon vs. Therfore the authour to the Hebrewes exhorteth men in their corrections chastisements from God to shew themselues patient Heb. 12. My son despise not the chastisements of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom he loueth those he chasteneth and he scourgeth euerie sonne whom he receaueth Albeit then God for great and iust cause lay affliction vpon our loines though hee cause vs to passe through Psal 66. fire and water though he cause cruell men by infinite oppressions to ride ouer our heads and many waies to afflict vs yet euen in the midst of these afflictions hath he remembrance of his mercie and therfore neuer suffereth his to be tempted aboue their strength but euen in the 1. Cor. 10. temptatiō geueth he an issue that we may beare it Whether therefore we be afflicted in our selues or in others which are neere vnto vs whether we suffer losse of goods or be oppressed by the wicked whether we be reuiled by the bitter teeth of backbiting or be iniuried by the prophane wicked men of the world or whatsoeuer other calamitie we are subiect vnto all in God is of mercie who therein is euermore prone to lenitie kindnes and louing compassion so that thereby we ought to be patient Let vs therefore in our afflictions respect the nature of God who bringeth calamitie vpon men not alwaies in rigour and seueritie of his iudgements but oftentimes in mercie thereby to correct enormities in our nature as the mercifull and pittifull Surgeons and Physicions doe many things which are painfull to the patient thereby to correct and represse corrupte humors and other infirmities of the bodie we acknowledging him in the middle of our afflictiōs to be prone vnto mercie might in all things shewe our selues patient which is the force of the Apostles reason why in our afflictions we should be patient because euen therein the Lord is mercifull and inclined to pittie correcting vs for our benefite readie in our afflictions to deliuer and rescue vs and to sende vs a gloririous deliuerance out of all our miseries according to Psal 50. the vnfallible trueth of his promise who willeth vs to cal vpon him in the day of our trouble and promiseth to deliuer vs that we might glorifie him And thus much of the second part and place here set downe by the Apostle of the matter of patience God for his infinite mercies sake graunte vnto vs this most excellent gift of patience that without fretting fuming stamping staring grudging or murmuring against him in all our troubles we