young man to behold as if he should say looke my sonne is this man fit to learne which cannot heare nor see nor speake nor goe Therefore remember thou thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth before this dotage come This then is the leuell of our message to hasten them forward which trauell towards heauen because there is a great space betweene God and vs and much a doe to aspire the toppe of mount Sion but more a doe to aspire the top of the mount of heauen Therefore as Abraham rose early to sacrifice his sonne in the morning so in the morning of thy life sacrifice thy selfe to God and let him which is Alpha in euery thing be Alpha in thy conuersion that is the beginning as well as the ende Because wee are giuen to set the best last that wee may haue a longer time for our sinnes and pleasures like the Iewes in the 1. of Agge 2. which said alway the time was not yet come when they should build the temple Therefore the holy Ghost crieth so often This is the acceptable time this is the day of saluation to day heare his voyce like Rebeccah which taught her sonne the nearest waie to get the blessing When Christ went about to cast out diuels they said that he tormented them before the time so whensoeuer thou goest about to dismisse thy sinnes and pleasures though thou stay till thou bee an olde man yet they will say still that thou dismissest them before the time But then is the time when the diuell saith the time is not yet for the diuell is a lier knoweth that with what liquor our vessels be seasoned at first they will tast of the same euer after whether it be good or bad Therefore as God sueth to haue vs begin at goodnesse so the diuell wooes vs to begin at wickednesse alledging either that wee are not resolued yet to leaue our pleasures or els that God is exceeding mercifull to sinners or else that we shall haue space enough to serue him hereafter So he stands as it were at the ladder foote and keepes vs off with these weapons that wee cannot get vpon the first staffe but one thought or other pulleth vs backe when the foote is in the stirrop ready to ride away from all our sinnes at once Thus wee haue long purposed to serue God and euery man thinketh that hee should be serued but wee cannot accord of the time when to beginne One saith when I am rich an other saith when I am free another saith when I am setled an other saith when I am olde then my pleasure will leaue me and I shall be fitter to fast and pray and sequester my selfe but now I shal be mocked if I be not like others Thus like bad borrowers when our day is past alreadie we craue a longer and a longer and yet a longer til we be arrested with death so the prince of creatures dieth before he considered why hee liued for as no discipline is vsed where Christs discipline is neglected so no time is obserued where Gods time is omitted It is an olde saying Repentance is neuer too late but it is a true saying Repentance is neuer too soone Therefore we are commaunded to runne that wee may obtaine which is the swiftest pace of man The Cherubines were portraited with wings before the place where the Israelites praied to shew how quickly they went about the Lords businesse The Hound which runnes but for the Hare girdes foorth so soone as he sees the Hare start the Hawke which flyeth but for the Partridge taketh her flight so soone as she spyes the Patridge spring so we should followe the woord so soone as it speaketh and come to our Master so soone as hee calleth For God requiring the first borne for his offering and the first fruites for his seruice requireth the first labours of his seruants and as I may say the maidenhead of euery man Therefore so soone as man was created a law was giuen him to shew that hee should liue vnder obedience from the day that hee is borne So soone as he is borne hee is baptized in the name of God to shew that when we cannot runne to Christ we should creepe vnto him and serue him as we can in youth and age so soone as hee beginneth to praye hee saith Thy name be hallowed thy kingdome come thy will be doone before hee aske his dayly bread to shew that wee should seeke the will of God before the food which we liue by much more before the sinnes and pleasures which we perish by so soone as the Lord distributed the Talents he enioyned his seruants to vse them Who is so young which hath not receiued some talēt or other therefore youth cannot excuse him because the talent requires to be asked of euery one which hath it So soone as God had created the man and the woman hee commanded them to increase and multiplie shall we increase and multiplie in the flesh before we encrease and multiplie in the spirit the first thing which God did after hee had created heauen and earth he did separate light from darkenes to shew vs how we should separate good from euill before our good become euill The first lesson that Iohn taught was Repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Math. 3. 2. The first lesson that the Disciples taught was Repent too for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 10. And the first lesson that Christ taught was repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 4. 10. to teach vs what we should do first Repent was the first lesson to yong and old For what can we owe God to morrow which wee are not indebted to day Therefore Dauid prayed Teach mee O Lord to number my dayes not yeares nor my moneths nor my weekes but my dayes shewing that we shall answere for daies as well as yeares for to day as well as to morrow and for our youth as straightly as our age which made him cry Remember not the sinnes of my youth which hee would not haue spoken if God did not marke the sinnes of youth as well as age Therefore he calleth children vnto him as Salomon dooth and saith that hee will teach them the feare of the Lord. For should children honor their father and not honour God It was a sweete comfort when the children went before Christ to his temple and sang there Hosanna to make their fathers ashamed which did not know the Messias when he came when their little children knew him It is written that when Christ heard a young man answer that hee had kept the commaundementes from his youth Christ beganne to loue him which shewes how Christ loueth these timelie beginnings when wee make him our nurse and drawe our first milke from his brests There is not one confession for olde men and another for young men the old man saith not I did beleeue
him in another Countrey where he had no sepulcher prouided Herod hoped when the people cryed at his words It is the voyce of God that hee should be worshipped euer after as God but God resisted his pride and before he descended from his throane the wormes so defaced his pompe that none which called him God would be like vnto him so whē women take more paines to dresse themselues then they doe all the day after and pay deerer to maintaine one vice than they neede to learne all vertues they thinke to please men by it but God resisteth their pride and al that see them though they cap and curtsie to them yet they iudge worse of them and thinke that they would not weare these signes of lightnes and pride vnlesse they were light and proud indeede Thus if their apparell condemne them before men how will it condemne them before GOD If sinne did not blinde them would they so deceiue themselues to take the contrary way and thinke that should honor them which disgraceth other But as Balaam was stopped knew not who stopped him so they are resisted and know not who resisteth them Though they doe al to please yet they can please none they please not God for God resisteth them they please not the humble for the humble are contrarie to thē they please not the proud for the proud doe enuie them which striue to bee as proude as they they please not themselues because they cannot bee so proud and braue as they would bee onely they please the diuell because their pride doth intitle him to them Thus much of Gods battailes against the proud Heere Peter leaueth the proud with this brand in their forehead This is the man whom God resisteth then hee turneth to the lowly and comforteth them But he giueth grace to the humble as if hee should say you are like Iohn the beloued Disciple which leaned on Christs bosome Iohn 13. 23. though God resist the proud yet hee will not frowne vpon you but when he resisteth them he wil giue grace vnto you as if hee should say the proud are without grace for God giueth not grace vnto the proud but to the humble according to that to Esay 66. 2. To him will I looke euen to him that is poore of a contrite heart and trembleth at my wordes therefore Learne of me saith Christ to be hūble meek as though the humble and meeke were his schollers Therefore God must needes loue the humble because they are like his sonne they shall haue his best giftes of which hee sayth 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient as if hee should say hee which hath giuen you his grace can he denie you any thing as Christ saith Hee which hath giuen vs his Sonne will he not giue vs all things with him Therefore grace may be called the gift of gifts because all gifts come with grace as the Court goeth with the Queene Therefore feare not to bee humble least you be contemned for all the promises of God are made to humilitie and yet men feare to be humble lest they shuld be contemned Humilitie did not make Iohn contemptible but when he refused the name of a Prophet Christ saith that hee was more then a Prophet Mat. 11. 2. Humilitie did not make Moses contemptible but as he was the mildest man vpon earth so he was the greatest vpon the earth Numb 12. Humilitie did not make Dauid contemptible but when he humbled himselfe hee said vnto Micol I will be more humble yet and lowly in my owne sight yet thou and thy maides shall honour me 2. Sam. 6. 22. As Christ ceased not to be a king because he was like a seruant nor to bee a Lion because he was like a Lamb nor to be God because he was made man nor to bee a Iudge because he was iudged so man dooth not loose his honour by humilitie but he shal be honored for his humilitie as the Son was honoured when he was humbled Luk. 15. 8. Thus humilitie hath found that which pride sought like little Dauid which was least accompted of and yet gotte the victorie yea when no man durst encounter with the Gyant 1. Sam. 17. 28. This is the ladder whereby we must ascend Gen. 28. 12. pride did cast vs downe and humilitie must raise vs vp As the way to heauen is narrowe Mat. 12. 13. so the gate is lowe and he had neede to stoope which entreth in at it therefore be not proud least God oppose himselfe against you but be humble and the grace of God belongeth to you So long as thou art proude and readest this sentence GOD giueth grace to the humble thou mayst say to thy soule Soule thou hast no part herein for grace is the portion of the humble and the dowrie of the meeke and the treasure of the lowlie but to thee it is saide The Lord resisteth the proude as if he should say Auoide Sathan Math. 4. or Departe from mee ye wicked Math 25. 45. Thus you see howe you may haue GOD your friende or your enemie Hee resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble if thou disdaine to learne humilitie of man learne it of GOD who humbled himselfe from heauen to earth to exalte thee from earth to heauen to which Kingdome when the proud shall be shut out the Lord Iesus bring vs for his mercies sake FINIS THE YOVNG MANS TASKE Ecclesiastes 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth IF it be so as they say that none but young men do heare our doctrine then this Text is well chosen for the auditory to teach young men that which if they learne they may say with Dauid I haue more vnderstanding then the auncient Psalm 119. 100. All Scripture is mans duetie and answeres like Iohn Baptist to What shall wee doe In the first of Iohn the second and the twelfth Iohn sayth I write vnto you babes I write vnto you children I write vnto you fathers I write vnto you youngmen I write vnto you old men So the word which is called aflying booke flyeth from one age to another from one sexe to another from one calling to another till like a Iudge it hath giuen euery man his charge Among the rest I may call this Scripture The young mans taske Wherein the Wise man sheweth when is the best time to sow the seede of vertue that it may bring foorth the fruite of life and make a man alway readie to die Let him remember his Creator in the daies of his youth and all his life shall runne in a line the middle like the beginning and the ende like the middle as the Sunne setteth against the place where it rose After Salomon had described man like Martha troubling and toyling himselfe about many things at last hee bringeth him to that one thing necessarie which Christ taught Marie and shewes him that if he had begun there at first he had found that which
would make a commoditie of strife but now they are not best to be contentious for this law will hold their noses together till wearines make them leaue strugling like two spaniels which are coupled in a chaine at last they learne to goe together because they may not go asunder As nothing might part friends but If thine eye offend thee pull it out that is if thy friend be a tempter so nothing may dissolue mariage but fornication which is the breach of marriage for marriage is ordained to auoide fornication and therefore if the condition be broken the obligation is void And beside so long as all her children are his children she must needs be his wife because the father and mother are man wife but when her children are not his children she seemes no more to be his wife but the others whose children she beares and therefore to be diuorced from him In all the old Testament we read of no diuorce betweene any which sheweth that they liued chaster then wee yet no doubt this law was better executed amongst them then amongest vs. Such a care God hath had in all ages and callings to prouide for them which liue honestly for diuorcement is not instituted for the carnall but for the chast least they should be tied to a plague while they liue As for the adulterer adultresse he hath assigned death to cut them off least their breath should infect others Thus hee which made mariage did not make it vnseparable for then mariage were a seruitude But as Christ sayth of the Sabboth The Sabboth was made for man that is for the benefit of man and not for the hindrance of man so mariage was made for man that is for the honour of man not for the dishonor of mā but if mariage should turne to fornication and when it is turned to fornication there might be no separatiō then mariage were not for the honor of man but for the trouble greefe dishonor of man Therfore now ye haue heard how diuorcemēt is appointed for a remedie of fornicatiō if any be ashamed of this phisick let thē be more ashamed of the disease Because I haue spoken more then you can remember if you aske me what is most needful to bear away In my opiniō there is one saying of Paul which is the profitablest sentēce in al the scripture for mā wife to meditate often examin whether they find it in themselues as they do in other least their mariage turn to sin which should further them in godlines The vnmaried man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord but he that is maried careth for the things of the world how hee may please his wife Also The vnmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord how she may be holy but shee that is maried cares for the things of the world how she may please her husbād As though their pleasing of god wer turned al to pleasing one another their carnall loue had eaten their spiritual loue as the lean kine deuourd the fat Therfore it follows in the next words This I speake for your cōmoditie As thogh there were great cōmoditie in remembring this watch-word All men haue not the feeling of Gods word or els such a sentēce might be an anker for the maried to stay thē when any tentatiō goeth about this chaunge which Paul feared euen in them which feared GOD before If thou hast read all this booke and art neuer the better yet catch this flower before thou go out of the garden and peraduenture the sent thereof will bring thee back to smell the rest As the corps of Azael made the passengers to stand so I placed this sentence in the dore of thy passage to make thee stand consider what thou doost before thou marriest For this is the scope and operation of it to cal the mind to a solemne meditation and warne him to liue in mariage as in a temptation which is like to make him woorse then he was as the mariage of Iehoram did if he vse not Iobs preseruatiue to be iealous ouer all his life The allurements of beautie the trouble about riches the charges of children the losses by seruants the vnquietnesse of neighbours crie vnto him that hee is entered into the hardest vocation of all other and therefore they which haue but nine yeares Prentiship to make them good Mercers or Drapers haue nineteene yeares before marriage to learne to be good husbands and wiues as though it were a trade of nothing but mysteries and need of double time ouer all the rest Therfore so often as you thinke vpon this saying thinke whether you be examples of it and it will waken you and chide you and lead you a straight path like the Angell which led the seruant of Abraham Thus haue I chalked the way to prepare you vnto mariage as the Leuites prepared their brethren to the Passe-ouer remember that this day ye are made one and therefore must haue but one will And now the Lord Iesus in whom ye are contracted knit your hearts together that yee may loue one another like Dauid and Ionathan and go before you in this life like the Star which went before the Gentiles that ye may beginne and proceed and end in his glorie To whome be all glorie for euer Amen FINIS A TREATISE OF THE LORDS SVPPER IN two Sermons THE FIRST SERMON 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. The Lord Iesus in the night that he was betraytooke bread And when he had giuen thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe ye in remembrance of me THe word and the Sacraments are the two brests wherewith our Mother dooth nurse vs. Seeing euery one receiueth and few vnderstād what they receiue I thought it the necessariest doctrine to preach of the Sacrament which is a witnes of Gods promises a remembrance of Christs death and a seale of our adoption therfore Christ hath not instituted this Sacrament for a fashion in his Church to touch and feele and see as wee gaze vpon pictures in the windowes but as the woman which had the bloodie issue touching the hemme of Christs garment drew vertue from Christ himselfe because shee beleeued so Christ would that wee touching these signes should draw vertue from himselfe that is all the graces which these signes represent Therefore as the Leuites vnder the Law were bound to prepare their brethren before they came to the Passe-ouer So preachers of the Gospel should prepare their brethren before they come to the supper of the Lord. For which purpose I haue chosen this place to the Corinthians which is the clearest and fullest declaration of this Sacrament in all the Scripture The Lord Iesus in the night c. The summe of all these words is the
them which breake the lawes of men but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of God for Christ which shedde his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and saide as Esay saide to Hezechia Thou shalt not dye but liue loose him let him goe for hee is mine So we were staied like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and greeuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse God himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor angel offered his life for vs but the prince himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs y t we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sinnes by our works or by our pilgrimages or by our masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their doore Christ saith Take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and giue him so many pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many masses and paie so manie workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinit but our works are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you doo not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments against Popish transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie word doth stand First we are sayd to eate bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are saide to shew the Lordes death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill hee come if hee be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill hee come The effect of this verse was shewed in these wordes Doe this in remembrance of me For to say Doe this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as you doe this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembraunce of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shewe or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthely In the nine and twentith verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which hee knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnwoorthelie before I could say like Dauid My hart is prepared My sheepe saith Christ know my voyce as they discerne Christs wordes so they discerne Christes bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lordes table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and embrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will yee know beside what it is to bee guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guiltie of theyr owne death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians dyed onely for the vnwoorthie receiuing of this Sacrament As the Worde is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto may say to Hell this day haue I taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes blood Therefore it followeth immediatlie Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say If he which receiueth this Sacrament vnworthely bee guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the Word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue lest you receiue like the sonne of perdition which swallowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first and receiue after for if wee should receiue the bread of the earth reuerentlie how should we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot hee sayd Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when wee come to the Lordes table hee would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the Wedding garment sitteth highest at this table It is safer eating with vnwashen handes than with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passe-ouer on the tenth daye of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egypt and on the fourteenth daye after they were taught to eate him so they had foure daies respite betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare
We will not sinne therefore the heart of the godly is called a contrite heart but the heart the wicked is called a heart that cannot repent Beside as Christ cast out a legion of diuels at once so the godly would be purged of all their sinnes together but the wicked neuer consent to leaue all but as Naaman sayd Let the Lord spare me in this so euer hee excepteth one sinne which is his beloued sin like Herod which reformed many things yet would not leaue his brothers wife They are distinguished in Charitie for ye shall neuer see the wicked loue their enemies and therefore when the Pharisies could not loue their enemies they taught that men might hate their enemies and Christ speaking of Publicans and sinners exhorteth his Disciples not to loue like them because they loued none but their friends They are distinguished in Prayer for the wicked cannot praie therefore Dauid saith They call not vpon the Lord as if they had not the spirite of prayer and therefore Christ calleth their prayers babling for they thinke not of God when they speake vnto him They are distinguished in Patience no hypocrite can beare the Crosse but saith lyke Cain It is heauier than I can suffer but Paul and Silas sing in prison for a faithfull man would haue something to humble him reioyceth to beare his maisters markes because the wounds of a louer are sweete They are distinguished in the vse of aduersitie for this is a proper and peculiar mark of Gods children to profite by affliction and therefore we reade not in all the punishments of the wicked that one of them said like Dauid It is good for mee that I haue bene afflicted They are distinguished in Humilitie for the wicked are not hūbled before the crosse like Pharaoh that neuer sorrowed but when hee suffered but the Apostles learned humilitie of their Maister before their persecution came They are distinguished in their iudgement of the word for to the wicked it seemeth the hardest and simplest vnpleasantest booke that is and therefore Paul saith that it is foolishnes vnto them But to the godly it seemeth the wisest and eloquentest and sweetest and easiest booke of all other as though God did sodainely bring the vnderstanding of it to them as Iacob sayde of his venison according to that Hee that will doe his will shall know his doctrime They are distinguished in their Iudgement of God the wicked are persuaded now and then of Gods mercie for the present time while they feele it as the Iewes praised him alwaies when hee did as they woulde haue him but they cannot persuade themselues that God will be mercifull to them still like Iob which said Though the Lord kill mee yet will I trust in him therefore the hope of the righteous is called hope in death Beside if the wicked loue God it is but for his benefites as Saul loued him for his kingdome And this is alwaies to be noted that in the wicked the feare of hell is greater then is their hope of Heauen but in the faithfull the hope of heauen is greater then their feare of hell They are distinguished in their Delights for the sport of the vngodly is follie like Belshazzers and therefore when they are sicke or troubled they neuer runne to the Word for comfort as though Gods promises pertained not to them but to feasts or tables or tales or musicke as Saul did to the harpe But all the delights of the godlie are like Dauids daunce about the Arke they are neuer merrie but when they are dooing well nor at peace but when their praiers haue ouercome God like Iacob They are distinguished in their opinions of death for the faithfull long to bee dissolued although they might liue euer in continuall prosperitie yet they would not staie so long out of heauen but the wicked would neuer be dissolued because death comes alwaies vnto them like a iailor to hale vnto prison as Ahab sayd to Michaiah That he neuer prophesied good to him Hereby a man shall know whether hee haue faith for if hee doe beleeue the promises hee will be glad to receiue them They are distinguished in their sense of sinne Wicked men feele the lothsomnesse of their vices but none but the faithfull feele the defects of their righteousnesse The naturall man neuer complaineth of his good workes but vaunteth of them but a godly man findeth fault with his praiers and his almes and his watches like Isaiah that sayde his righteousnes was like a menstruous cloth As Christ met the tempter in the wildernesse a place of prayer and fasting and meditation so a godly man meeteth the tempter in his praiers and in his fasts and in his meditations that is he finds some lette or spotte or want in all his deuotions Therefore vnlesse thy righteousnesse mislike thee as well as thy prophanenes know that yet thou art no further than the wicked They are distinguished in their Endes for the children of God propose the glorie of God and leuell all their thoughts and speeches and actions as if they were messengers sent to carrie him presents of honor Thus did Dauid when hee sayd All that is within me praise the Lord. As though himselfe had rather bee without praise then his master but the children of the world set vp their owne glorie for their marke like Nabuchadnezzar which sayd For the honour of my Maiestie Dan. 4. 27. Therfore they speake and looke and walke as if they did say to their tongue and eyes and feet and apparell as Saul said to Samuel Honour me before this people Lastly they are distinguished in Perseuerance for the zeale of the wicked lasteth not and therefore God sayth They are soone turned out of the way but the zeale of the faithful was represented by the fire of the Temple which neuer went out By these differences thou maist see how much thou doost differ from the wicked or whether thou be of their band Then come to the third examination as the diuell tempteth thee to see what thou wilt do for him so thou must tempt thy self and get of thy soule what it would doe for God and what it would suffer for him which hath suffered death for it Therefore here we will set downe certain interrogatories wherof thou shalt examine it First whether thou hast the heart of Ioshua to worship God as boldlie as thou doest though all the world did renounce him and euerie one did mocke thee as they did Noah while he built the Arke Whether thou wouldst not denie Christ as Peter did if thou were in Peters straights and nothing to succour thee but thy policie Whether thou wouldst not steale if thou didst see a bootie as fit as Achan which thou mightest catch vp
and no man spie thee Whether thou wouldst refuse a bribe like Elisha if thou didst meet with one which were as willing and able to giue it as Naaman Whether thou wouldst not deceiue if thou were in such an office as the false Steward whose master referred all vnto him knew not when he kept any thing backe Whether thou wouldst not fulfill thy lust as Dauid did if thou haddest his oportunitie and allurement and mightest doe it without danger of law like a king as Dauid might Whether thou wouldst not tell a lie as Abraham did if it stood vpon thy life which made him twice dissemble that his wife was his sister least he should die for her beautie Finally if it should be said vnto thee as the diuell said to Christ All these will I giue thee if thou will fall downe and worship me that is no more but if thou wilt sinne whether thou wouldest yeeld or no If thou hast sinned thus and thus before I will not say therefore the Lord wil not heare thee but Dauid sayth If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if for any cause a man purpose and carie a minde to sinne when he is tempted the Lord is so farre from helping him that he wil stand like Baal as though hee did not heare him for he hath a traytors mind as deepe as any which thinkes for a Dukedome I would betray my prince though he neuer playe the traitor in his life Thus you haue heard how to trie spirits and how to discerne a Christian from an hypocrite how to appose your hearts that ye may be sure to iudge rightlie what ye are Now wee come to that examination which is the Epitome or abridgement of all these for memorie is short and all are not of one strength but some runne and some goe and some creepe and all do well so long as they striue to perfection The matters wherof principallie the mind should be examined before the sacrament are these First whether thou haue faith not only to beleeue that Christ died but that he died for thee for as the scripture called him a redeemer so Iob calleth him his Redeemer The second article is whether thou bee in charitie not whether thou loue thē which loue thee but whether thou loue them which hate thee for Christ commandeth vs To loue our enemies The third article is whether thou repent not for thy open grosse sinnes but for thy secret sinnes and pettie sinnes because Christ saith That we must giue account for euerie idle word The fourth article is whether thou resolue not to sinne againe for anie cause but to amend thy euill life not when age commeth or for a spurt but to begin now and last till death for Christ is Alpha and Omega both the beginning and the end as well in our liuing as in our being which hath made no promise to them which begin but to them which perseuere The last article is whether thou canst finde in thy heart to die for Christ as Christ died for thee for we are bid not only to followe him but to beare his Crosse and therefore we are called seruaunts to shew how we should obey and we are called souldiers to shew how we should suffer These are the receiuers articles whereof his conscience must be examined before hee receiue this Sacrament happie is hee which can say All these haue I kept for the Doue was not so welcome to Noah as this man is to Christ But if thou find not these affections within but a neast of vices leaue thine offering at the Altar and returne to thine examination againe for thou art not a fit guest to sup with the Lord vntill thou haue on this Wedding garment How is it then that some regard their other garments more then this Paul sayth Examine your selues and they examine their apparell if they haue new cloathes in the countrie then they are readie to receiue I haue knowne manie kept from the Sacrament a whole yeare together by their maisters for nothing but for want of a new sute to set thē foorth with their fellowes Others respect whether it be a faire daye that they may walke after seruice making that day vpō which they receiue like a scholers Thursdaie which hee loues better then all the daies in the weeke onely because it is his play-day Thus like the Iewes They sitte downe to eate and rise vp to plaie that as Christ calleth the Pharisies praier Babling Matth. 6. 7. so their receiuing may bee called dallying When they haue the Sacrament in their bellie they thinke that all is well as Micah when hee had a Leuite in his house thought that God loued him but as the Leuit did not profit him because he receiued nothing but the Leuit so the bread and wine dooth them no good because they receiue nothing but bread and wine for want of faith Maruell not then if you haue not felt that comfort after the Sacrament which you looked for for it is comfortable to none but to them which prepare their hearts and examine themselues before because it is not the mouth but the heart which receiueth comfort Now it may be that the most which are here haue brought a mouth and not a heart these go away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the sacrament to betraie him The other goe awaie like one which hath receiued a chearefull countenaunce of the Prince all his thoughts are ioy and the countenance of the Prince is still in his eye As he which hath eaten sweete meate hath a sweete breath so they which haue eaten Christ all their sayings and doings are sweete like a perfume to men and incense to God their peace of conscience and ioy of heart and desire to doe good will tell them whether they haue receiued the bare signes or the thing signified Euerie one which receiueth this Sacrament shall feele himselfe better after it lyke the Apostles or else hee shall finde himselfe worse after it like Iudas Heereby ye shall knowe whether ye haue receiued like the Apostles or like Iudas Thus we haue ended the doctrine of the Lordes Supper Now if you cannot remember all that I haue sayd yet remember the Text that is Examine your selues before you receiue this Sacrament hereafter FINIS THE EXAMINATION OF VSVRIE IN TWO SERMONS To the Reader HEre thou hast the Sermōs which haue bene often desired because of the matter fit for this Citie One saith that he would neuer speake to Vsurers and Bribe-mongers but when they be vpon their death-beds for hee which liueth by sin resolueth to sinne that he may liue But when he goeth to hanging Iudas himselfe will say I haue sinned If I speake not to Vsurers vpon their death-bed yet I speake to Vsurers
which shall he on their death-bed Three things do giue me hope One is that all hearts are in the hands of God to call them at what houre he list and therfore Saul may become an Apostle The next is that the third crow doth waken moe than the former and therefore after the crowing of other this Crow may happily bee heard The last is that there is no sinne but some men haue bene reclaimed from it and so may Vsurers from their sinne Therefore goe my booke like Dauid against Goliah and fight the Lordes battels against Vsurers The Lord giue that successe to his doctrine in these leaues that it may consume Vsurers as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him If I could take but this one weede out of the Londoners garden I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them Reade with thy best mind thou shalt profit more Thine H. S. THE EXAMINATION OF VSVRIE THE FIRST SERMON Psal 15. verse 1. 5. 1 Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holy mountaine 5 He that giueth not his mony to vsurie THese two verses must be considered together because one is the question and the other is the answere Dauid demaundes who shall come to heauen and God tels him that Vsurers shall not come thither as if he should say they goe to hell Therefore as Paul taught Timothie to warne them which are rich as though they had more neede to bee warned than other so this sentence seemeth to be penned for a warning to the rich because it strikes vpon the rich mans vice I haue spoken of Briberie and Symonie and now I must speake of their sister Vsurie Many times haue I thought to speake of this Theame but the arguments which are alleadged for it haue made me doubtfull what to say in it because it hath gone as it were vnder protection At last you see it falleth into my text and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer Therefore if anie heere haue fauoured this occupation before let him now submit his thoughts to Gods thoughts for I will alleadge nothing against it but that which is built vpon the rocke Vsurie is the sin which God will trie now whether you loue better than his word that is whether you will leaue it if hee forbid it For if he flatly forbid it and yet you wilfullie retaine it then you loue Vsurie better than Gods word Therefore one saith well that our Vsurers are Heretikes because after manie admonitions yet they maintaine their errour and persist in it obstinately as Papists do in Poperie For this cause I am glad that I haue anie occasion to gripple with this sinne where it hath made so manie spoiles where it hath so manie patrones for it is sayd that there be moe of this profession in this Citie then there be in all the Land beside There be certaine sinnes which are like an vnreasonable enemie which will not bee reconciled to death and this is one of these euerlasting sinnes which liue and dye with a man For when he hath resigned his pride and his enuie and his lust yet Vsurie remaineth with him and hee saith as Naaman saide Let the Lord be mercifull vnto me in this let mee haue a dispensation for this as though this were a necessarie sinne and he could not liue without it There be three sinnes which are counted no sinnes and yet they doe more hurt then all their fellowes and those are Briberie Nonresidencie and Vsurie these three because they are gainfull are turned from sinnes to occupations How manie of this Citie for all that they are vsurers yet wold be counted honest men and would faine haue Vsurie esteemed as a trade whereas if it were not so gainefull it would be counted as great a sinne as anie othe and so it is counted of all but them which liue by it This is the nature of pleasure and profite to make sinnes seeme no sinnes if we gaine anie thing by them but the more gainfull a sinne is the more dangerous it is and the more gainefull vsurie is the more dangerous it is I will speake the more of it because happely you shall not heare of this matter againe First I will define what Vsurie is Secondly I will shew you what Vsurie doth signifie Thirdly I will shew the vnlawfulnesse of it Fourthly I will shew the kindnes of it Fiftly I will shewe the arguments which are alleadged for it Sixtly I wil shew the punishment of it Seuenthly I will shew you what opinion we should holde of them which doo not lend vpon Vsurie but borrow vpon Vsurie Lastly I will shew you what they should do which haue got their riches by Vsurie Touching the first Vsurie is that gayne which is gotten by lending for the vse of the thing which a man lendeth couenaunting before with the borrower to receiue more then was borrowed and therfore one cals the Vsurer a legall theefe because before he steale he tels the partie how much he will steale as though he stoale by lawe This word more comes in like a sixt finger which makes a monster because it is more then should bee Another defining vsurie calleth it the contrarie to Charitie for Paul saith Loue seeketh not her owne but vsurie seeketh anothers that is not her owne therefore Vsurie is farre from loue but God is loue saith Iohn therfore Vsurie is farre from God too Now all the Commaundements of God are fulfilled by loue which Christ noteth when hee draweth all the commaundements to one commaundement which is Loue God aboue all things and thy neighbour as thy selfe as if hee should say hee which loueth God will keepe all the Commandements which respect God and he which loueth his neighbour will keepe all the Commandements which respect his neighbour therefore to maintaine loue God forbiddeth all things which hinder this loue and amongst the rest here he forbiddeth Vsurie as one of her deadliest enemies For a man cannot loue and be a Vsurer because Vsurie is a kind of crueltie and a kinde of extortion and a kinde of persecution and therefore the want of loue doth make vsurers for if there were Loue there would be no vsurie no deceipt no extortion no slaundering no reuenging no oppression but we should liue in peace and ioy and contentment like the Angels whereby you see that all our sinnes are against our selues for if there were no deceipt then we should not be deceiued if there were no slaunder then wee should not be slaundered if there were no enuie then wee should not be enuied if there were no extortion then wee should not be iniured if there were no vsurie then we should not be oppressed Therefore Gods law had bene better for vs than our owne law for if his law did stand then we should not be deceiued nor slaundered nor enuied nor iniured nor oppressed God hath
gaine against all them in the verse before which hold that Gaine is Godlinesse These two opinions are verie contrarie and here are many against one A man would thinke that Paul should be verie eloquent and sharpe witted and that he had neede to vse some Logicke for hee hath chosen a hard Text. What Paul will you prooue that Godlinesse is gaine You shal haue moe opponents against you then Micaiah had when he forbad Achab to fight If you had taken the former verse which sayth that Gaine is Godlines then you should haue had matters and examples inough the Merchant and Mercer and Lawyer and Landlord and Patron and all would come in and speake for gaine as the Ephesians cried for Diana but if you will be crosse to al and preach Godlinesse is gaine to them which account Gaine godlinesse men will thinke of you as Festus did that you speake you know not what These lessons are for Paul himselfe As Christ sayth All doe not receiue this Word so all do not count this gaine but losse We count him rich which hath his barns full like the Churle his coffers full like the Glutton his table full like Belshazzar his stable full like Salomon his groūds full like Iob his purse full like Craesus You speake against your master for Christ sent word vnto Iohn that the poore receiue the gospell as though the godly were of the poorer sort and Dauid calleth the wicked rich They prosper and flourish sayth he their seede blasteth not their Cow casteth not as if he should say It is not as you take it Paul that Godlines doth make men rich for this I haue obserued in my time that the wicked be the wealthiest and good Lazarus is the poore man and wicked Diues is the rich man Againe we reade that the Officers were asked which of the Pharisies or of the Rulers did follow Christ yet these were counted rich men though they had no godlinesse and if we should examine your owne selfe it seemes you were no great rich man for all your Godlinesse when you did worke with your hands for your liuing therefore if Godlinesse be such gaine how happeneth it that your share is no better So they which are like Nicodemus when Christ sayth that they must be borne againe thinke that hee can haue no other meaning but that they must returne againe into their Mothers wombe and when he calles himselfe Bread that he must needs meane such bread as they dine with As the Iewes hearing the Prophet speake so often of Christes kingdome and call him a King looked for a temporall King that should bring them peace and ioy and glorie and make them like Kings themselues so the carnall eares when they heare of a kingdome treasures and riches straight their mindes run vpon earthly and worldly and transitorie things such as they loue to whome Paul answereth as Christ answered his Disciples I haue another meate which you know not of so there are other riches which you knowe not of I sayd no◠that Godlinesse is earthly or worldlie or transitorie gaine but great gaine He will not onely prooue Godlinesse to bee gaine but great gaine as if hee should saie more gainfull then your wares and rents and fines and interest as though he would make the Lawyer and Merchant and Mercer and Draper and Patron and Landlord and all the men of riches beleeue that Godlinesse will make them rich farre sooner then Couetousnesse I feare this saying may be renewed If a man tel you ye wil not beleeue it nay if God tell you yet you will not beleeue it As the Lorde looked downe vpon earth to see if any did regard him and sayth There is not one so this sentence may go from Court to Cittie from cittie to countrie and say there is sacrce one in a town that wil subscribe vnto it Manie saith Dauid aske who will shewe vs any good meaning riches and honor pleasure which are not good But when he came to goodnes it selfe he leaues out Many prayeth in his owne person Lord lift vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs as though none would ioyne with him Yet wisdome is iustified of her owne children and the godly count godlinesse gaine To make vs loue godlinesse he calleth it by the name of that wee loue most that is Gaine as the father calleth his sonne which he would loue more then the rest by his own name to put him in mind of such a loue as he beareth to himselfe Here we may see that God doth not commaund men to bee godlye onely because it makes for his glorie but because godlines is profitable to vs. For godlines is not called gaine in respect of God but in respect of vs it is gaine to vs but it is dutie to him So it is not called a health in respect of vs because it is the health of our soules so it is not called a kingdome in respect of God but in respect of vs because wee are intituled to the kingdome by this difference from the reprobates Put all the good things in the world together the goodnes of all is found in godlines and therefore godlines is called by the names of those things that men count best to shew that the godly are as well as merrie as content with their loue toward God and Gods loue toward them as other are with health and wealth and pleasures Therefore it is sayd of the godlie The feare of the Lord is his treasure Therefore saith Ieremie The Lord is my portion as though he desired nothing else And therefore it is said of Moses That he esteemed the rebuke of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Egypt If crosses be riches as Moses thought what riches are in godlines But is this all the haruest shall godlinesse be all the godlie mans riches Nay saith Paul Godlines hath the promises of this life and of the life to come that is the godlie shall doe well in heauen and here too And therefore Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of God all the rest shall be cast vpon you euen as the sheaues fell before Ruth so riches shal fall in your way as they did to Abraham and Lot and Iacob and Iob and Ioseph riches were cast to them they knew not how but as if God had sayd bee rich and they were rich straight For al good things were created for the good and therefore they are called good because the good God created them for good men to good purposes and therfore as Iacob got the blessing so he got the inheritance also to shew that as the faithfull haue the inward blessing so they haue the outward blessing too when they are good for them For saith Dauid They which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Now God knowes better then wee what is
Saint Iohn writing to a Ladie which brought vp her children in the feare of God calleth her the elect Ladie shewing that the chiefest honour of Ladies and Lordes and Princes is to be elect of God Saint Luke speaking of certaine Beroeans which receiued the word of God with loue calleth them More noble than the rest shewing that God counteth none noble but such as are of a noble Spirite As Iohn calleth none elect but the vertuous and Luke calleth none noble but the religious so Christ calleth none his kinsmen but the righteous and of those onelie hee saieth These are my Mother and my Brethren which heare the word of God and doe it As Abrahams Children are not counted Children after the flesh but Children after the spirite so Christes Kindred are not counted Kindred after the flesh but kindred after the Spirite for the flesh was not made after the Image of God but the spirit was made after his Image therefore God is not called the Father of bodies but the Father of Spirites Now God which is a Spirite preferreth them which are a kinne to him in the Spirite Therefore Esau was not blessed because hee was of Isaacks flesh but Iacob was blessed because he was of Isaacks Spirite As wee loue in the flesh so Christ loueth in the spirit therefore he calleth none his kinsemen but them which heare the word of God and do it It seemeth that Paule thought of this saying when he said Till Christ be formed in you If Christ be formed in vs as Paule saith then we are Christs mother euerie one which wil haue Christ his sauiour must be Christs mother The virgin asked the angel how she could beare Christ seeing she had not knowen a man Luke Chapter 1. Verse 24. so you may aske how you can beare Christ seeing he is borne alreadie As there is a second comming of Christ so there is a second birth of Christ When we are borne againe then Christ is borne againe the virgin was his mother by the flesh the faithfull are his mother by the spirit the holy Ghost doth conceiue him in them hee was in her wombe and he is in their hearts shee did beare him and they doe beare him shee did nurse him and they do nurse him This is the second birth of Christ As the soule of man may bee called The Temple of the holie Ghost which is the third person so it may be called the wombe of the Sonne which is the second person Before these words it is saide that Christ asked Who are my brethren as if hee should say you thinke that I am affected to my kinsmen as you are but I tell you that I count them my kinsmen which heare the word of God and do it To shewe that Christ loueth vs with an euerlasting Loue hee sheweth that hee doth not loue vs for anie Temporall things but for that which doth endure for euer If Christ loued vs as Isaack loued Esau for venison then we might misse the blessing as Esau did But as Iohn saith He loued in the truth so Christ loueth in the truth To loue in the truth is the true loue euerie loue but this at one time or other hath turned into hatred as the truth ouercommeth falshood Nowe for this loue Christ calleth them by all the names of loue his father and his brethren and his sisters In Rom. 6. they are called his seruants If that be not enough in the fifteēth of Iohn they are called his friends If that be not enough in the third of Marke they are called his kinsmen If that be not enough in the foure twentith of Luke they are called his brethren If that be not enough in Mark 1. they are called his children If that be not enough here they are called his mother If that be not enough in Cantic 5. they are called his Spouse to shewe that hee loued them with all loues the Mothers loue the Brothers loue the Sisters loue the Masters loue and the Friends loue If all these Loues could be put together yet the loue of Christ exceedeth them all and the Mother and the Brother and the Sister and the Childe and the kinsmen and the Friende and the Seruant would not do and suffer so much among them all as Christ hath done and suffered for vs alone Such a loue we kindle in Christ when we heare his word and do it that wee are as deare vnto him as all his kinred together Now as wee are his Mother so should we carrie him in our heartes as his mother did in her armes As wee are his Bretheren so wee should preferre him as Ioseph did Beniamin Genesis Chapter fortie three Verse fortie three As we are his Spouse so should we imbrace him as Isaac did Rebecca if thou be a kinsman do like a kinsman Now wee come to the markes of these kinsmen which I may call the Armes of his house As Christ saith By this all men shall knowe my Disciples if they loue one another so hee saith By this shall all men knowe my kinsmen if they heare the word of God and doe it As there is a kindred by the Fathers side and a kindred by the Mothers side so there is a kindred of Hearers and a kindred of dooers In Matthew it is saide Hee which heareth the Wil of my Father and doth it Here it is saide Hee which heareth the worde of God and dooth it both are one For his word is his will and therefore it is called his will Psalme 119. As he spake there of dooing so hee speaketh here of a certaine rule which hee calleth the worde of God whereby all mens workes must be squared For if I do all the workes that I can to satisfie an others will or mine owne will it auaileth mee nothing with God because I doe it not for GOD. Therefore hee which alwaies before followed his owne will when hee was stricken downe and beganne to repent cried out Lorde what wilt thou haue mee to doe as if hee should say I will doe no more as men woulde haue mee or as the Diuell would haue mee or as the flesh would haue mee but as thou wouldst haue me So Dauid prayed Teach mee O Lord to doe thy will not my will for wee neede not to bee taught to doe our owne will no more than a Cuckoe to sing Cuckoe her owne name Euerie man can goe to hell without a guide Here is the rule nowe if you liue by it then are you kinne to Christ as other kinreds go by birth and marriage so this kinred goes by faith and obedience Hearers are but halfe kin as it were in a farre degree but they that heare and do are called his Mother which is the nearest kinred of all Therfore if you haue the deed then you are kin indeed there is no promise made to hearers nor to speakers nor to readers but all promises are made to beleeuers or
and the wicked are as neare kinne as Christ and the faithfull Now as Dauid saith Seemeth it a light thing vnto you to be the Sonne of a king seeing I am a poore man and of small reputation So may I saie seemeth it a light thing vnto you to be the sonnes of the king of kings seeing you are poore men and of smal reputation It is counted a great honor to Abraham Isaac Iacob that God was not ashamed to be called their God What an honor then is this that God is not ashamed to be called our Father nay our brother as though we were matched with him If the Israelites had such care to match with the seruants of God what a blessing is this to marrie with the sonne of God Therefore if any affect rich kinsmen or great marriages heere is a greater then Salomon marrie thou him This kinsman of ours is now gone vp into heauen that we may haue a friend in the Court. Ioseph desired the Butler to remember him when hee stood before Pharaoh and hee forgot him though hee had pleasured him But a Theefe desired Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdome and hee receiued him into paradise the same day though he had alwayes offended him to shewe that although wee haue beene as bad as theeues yet we may hope in Christ Therefore now I may conclude you haue heard the word if you goe away and doe it then you are the Mother and Brethren and Sisters of this heauenly King To whome with the Father and the holy spirit be all praise maiestie and dominion now and euermore Amen THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE To my late Auditors the congregation of Clement Danes all the good will which I can wish BEloued in Christ Iesus my first fruites I haue nothing but this myte to leaue with you which is the summe of all my Sermons ye haue heard it alreadie and as the Apostle calles the Corinthians his Epistle so ye should be my Sermon that is my Sermon should bee printed in your hearts as this is printed in paper If you haue not giuen your hearts to him which sent for them now thinke that God hath sent for them againe and heare mee writing whom yee cannot heare speaking Take not custome for Religion shunne occasion aswell as sinne seeke the vse of euery thing desire not to haue your Kingdome here And so I leaue you all with Christ whom I haue preached to bring forth the fruite of that seed which is sowne beseeching you for all the loue that you haue of heauē that ye would not count any thing in this world worthie to keepe your hearts from God but thinke of the day when ye shall giue account for euery lesson which ye haue heard and he which hath called you in this prison will glorifie you in his Pallace where ye shall see him to whom ye haue giuen your hearts and enioy that blessing of blessings which makes all the world to worship him The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath begun to draw you to his kingdome neuer leaue you vntill you come vnto it Amen Your late vnworthie seruant for the Lord Henrie Smith THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE Prouerbs 23. 26. My Sonne giue me thy heart TO binde all the lessons together which yee haue learned since I came this sentence came to my mind My Sonne giue me thy hart which is the summe of all that yee haue heard and shewes in what chest you should lay vp these treasures in your heart and then giue that heart to God he wil keep all safe A supplication is come as it were frō God to man that man would send God his heart penned by Salomon vnder the name of Wisdome and directed to her sonnes Wisedome intreateth her sonnes that they would giue her their hearts this Wisedome is God we by adoption are his sonnes and our heart is that which Christ calls spirit and truth without hypocrisie Giue me that heart saith God He which giues anie thing to another considers before what he loues giues that which he thinkes will be accepted that he may bee loued for the gift therefore Dauid as though he were at a stand sorrowed that he could not do enough for God breakes forth to him selfe What shall I giue vnto the Lord for all that he hath giuen me The Lord hearing as it were these sighs of his seruants which care studie what they may do to please him comes in their suspence and like a friend which desires nothing but good will answers from heauen My sonne giue me thy heart Vnder which sute he taxeth them beside which are suters alwayes to him and looke still to receiue like the Publicans but neuer cast in their minds what they should giue therefore their tribute is set downe by equall measure vnder the kings seale euerie man must homage his heart Hee which alwayes gaue nowe craues and hee which craued alwayes nowe giues Christ stands at the doore like a poore man and askes not bread nor clothes nor lodging which we should giue to his members but our heart that is euen the continent of all and Gouernour of mannes house which sits on the Bench like a Iudge to giue the charge and teach the tongue to speake the hand to worke the foote to walke the eare to attend the eye to obserue the minde to choose and the flesh to obey That wee must present to God like a burnt Sacrifice wherein all is offered together a wise tongue a diligent hand a warie foot a watchfull eye an attentiue eare an humble minde an obedient flesh put all together and it is but the heart My sonne saith God giuee me thie heart Here thou art the giuer God the petitioner thy heart the gift which he claimeth by the name of a Son should God be a suppliant vnto thee me but that our vnthankfulnesse condemnes vs that for all the things which he hath giuen vs we neuer considered yet what we should giue vnto him before he asketh He is faine to put in his petition like a Suter and say Giue me thy heart Marke what God hath chosen for himself not that which any other shall loose by like the demaunds of them which care for none but themselues but that which being giuen to God mooues vs to giue vnto euerie man his due as Zacheus when hee gaue his heart to Christ parted his goods to the poore and restored to all that which he had gotten by wrong Once God required offerings and sacrifices which men were vnwilling to giue because it was a deare seruice of God but now he saith that the heart is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices Iacob loued Ioseph more than all his brethren so God loueth the heart more than all her fellowes this myte God will haue for all his benefites which we may best affoord him thy
infect it torment it condemne it Will a seruant reach the cup to a stranger when his Master cals for it Or will a man sell his coate if he haue no moe What doost thou reserue for God when thou hast giuen Sathan thy heart Christ hath promised to come and dwell with thee where shall he staie where shall he dine if the chamber be taken vp and the heart let foorth to another Thou art but a Tenant and yet thou takest his house ouer his head and placest in it whom thou wilt as if thou wert Landlord Canst thou possesse another mans goods but he will molest thee and trouble thee vntill he haue his owne and doost thou thinke to keepe that which is Gods and holde it in peace No hee will neuer suffer thee to rest but crie vpon thee daie and night as Moses vexed Pharaoh vntil he let the people goe so thou shalt bee distracted with feares and thoughts as one plague followed another vntill thou let thy heart goe that it may serue God for as if a man should pull out thy heart and take it from thee so greeuous is it to God to keep thy heart from him Therefore let all Sutors haue their answere that thy heart is married alreadie As Isaac answered Esau Iacob haue I blessed and he shalbe blessed so thou maist say God hath my heart and he shall haue it and them that craue it hereafter send them to Christ for it for it is not thine to giue if thou haue giuen it to God alreadie But take heede thy heart do not lye to thy selfe and say it is Gods when it is the worldes like Ieroboams Wife which woulde not seeme to bee Ieroboams Wife By this thou shalt knowe whether thou hast giuen it to him or no if the Heart be gone all will followe As the Sunne riseth first and then the beastes arise from their dennes the Fowles from their neastes and men from their beddes so when the Heart sets forwarde to God all the members will follow after it the tongue will praise him the foote will follow him the eare will attend him the eye will watch him the hand will serue him nothing will staie after the heart but euerie one goes like handmaydes after their mistresse this Christ verifieth saying make cleane within and all will bee cleane therefore the Publican did beat vpon his hart as though hee were angrie with it because it did not waken all the rest shewing that as the Father gaue vs all when hee gaue his son so we giue him all when wee giue our heartes This is the melodie which Paul speaketh of Ephes 5. 19. Make melodie in the Lord in your hearts shewing that there is a consort of all the members when the heart is in tune and that it soundes like a melodie in the eares of God and makes vs reioyce while wee serue him Wee haue example heereof in Christ which said it was meate and drinke vnto him to doo his fathers will and in Dauid which daunced to see the Arke and in the Israelites of whom it is saide that they reioyced when they offered from their heart vnto the Lord. Therefore Salomon pricking out the heart for God spake as though he would set out the pleasantest and fairest easiest way to serue him without any grudging or toyle or wearinesse touch but the first linke and all the rest will follow so set the heart a going and it is like the poize of a clocke which turnes all the wheeles one way such an Oyle is vpon the heart which makes al nimble and currant about it therfore it is almost as easie to speak well and doe well as to thinke well If the heart indite a good matter no maruel though the tongue be the Pen of a readie writer but if the hart be dull all is like a left hand so vnapt and vntoward that it cannot turne it selfe to any good Therfore Gods sutes haue so hard passage in mens counsailes iudgements and Parliaments because they doe not giue him their harts which should be the first offering of all if they woulde giue him their hearts before they sit downe to heare his cause they could not denie him anie thing that is for his honour though it were against their profit but as Christ saieth Not my will but thy will so they would say It is not our Kingdome but thy Kingdome it is not our Church but thy Church therefore not our will but thy will not our law but thy law not our discipline but thy discipline raigne in it and all that giue their hearts subscribe to this the rest say not thy wil but our wil not thy law but our law not thy discipline but our discipline because as the Apostle sayth They seeke their owne glorie and not Christs Phil. 2. 21. This hath bene the rub euer since Antichrist was first resisted Herode could not see how hee should be King if Christ should raigne therfore as the Image-makers cried and stormed when Images should goe downe alleadging that they liued by that craft so if you marke what kind of men they were which did preach and write and labour so hotly against religion it is they that were like to loose some of their dignities or their commodities by it The Scribes and Pharisies resisted Christ more than the people because hee denounced woe to them and misliked that they should bee called Rabbi how hard it is to follow Christ when he saith Leaue all nay if he bid vs leaue any thing for him though we should leaue our selues Matt. 16. 24. The tongue wil not praise because the heart doth not loue the eare doth not heare because the heart doth not minde the hand doth not giue because the heart doth not pitie the foote will not goe because the heart doth not stirre all staie vpon the heart like the Captaine that should giue the onset Thus to shew that hee deserueth all the Lord requireth that which bringeth all Secondly God requireth the Heart shewing that all the things of this worlde are not woorthie of it nor a peece of it nor a thought vnles it be to contemne them as Salomon thought of vanitie for if the heart be the Temple of God hee which giueth it to anie thing else committeth Sacriledge and breaketh that Commaundement Giue vnto GOD that which is Gods Matthewe 22. 21. Thirdly that all should consent so with the heart that wee should speake as if our heart did speake pray as if our heart did pray heare as if our heart did heare giue as if our heart did giue remit as if our heart did remit and counsell as if our heart did counsell as the Apostle sayth Doe all things heartely Col. 3. 23. which if we could keepe nothing that wee doe should trouble vs because nothing is troublesome but that which goeth against the heart Fourthly that wee should
this day but thus it standes God hath sent vnto vs for our hearts and wee answere him as the husbands of the vineyard when he sent for fruites or as Nabal answered Dauid when he sent for food Who is Dauid or who is the Lord that I should take my heart from pleasure and sin and giue it vnto him Thus we demurre vpon the cause when we should giue whether we should giue or no and aske the flesh and our lusts and our pleasures and if the diuell will not giue his assent then wee returne an excuse it is not mine to giue or if thou canst get the diuels good will I will not stand or let sinne and pleasure haue it for a while and when they haue done with it then God shall haue it Thus euery thing which should be thrown out hath a place in our heart and he which should bee receiued in can haue no roome there though hee would open the doores of heauen if we would open the doores of our hearts that the King of glorie might come in What shall become of those hearts when he which craues them now shall iudge them hereafter Then shall they stand like Esau and see them blessed like Iacob which gaue their hearts and crie themselues as hee did to his father Isaac Hast thou not reserued a blessing for vs What a heauie heart will it bee then when it may not ioy any longer here and the ioyes of Heauen are shut agaynst it and hee which desired it will not haue it because it comes like the foolish Virgins when the doores of mercie are shut Thus ye haue heard what God requires for all that hee hath giuen you and how all your seruices are lost vntill you bring it What shall I wish you now before my departure I wish you would giue all your hearts to God while I speake that yee might haue a Kingdome for them Send for your hearts where they are wandering one from the Banke another from the Tauerne another from the Shop another frō the Theaters call them home and giue them all vnto God and see how hee will welcome them as the Father imbraceth his Sonne If your hearts were with God durst the Diuell fetch them durst those sinnes come at them Euen as Dina was defloured when she strayed from home so is the heart when it straieth from God Therefore call the members together and let them fast like a quest of twelue men vntill they consent vppon lawe before anie moe Tearmes passe to giue God his right and let him take the heart which hee wooeth which hee would marrie which hee would endowe with all his goods and make it the heyre of the crowne When you pray let your heart pray when you heare let your heart heare when you giue let your heart giue whatsoeuer you doe set the heart to doe it and if it be not so perfect as it should bee yet it shalbe accepted for the friend that giues it Now if you cannot command your hearts to turne vnto God because the diuell pleades custome and the flesh will not agree to leaue her possessions then remember what Christ saith When ye giue almes let not your left hand know what the right hand doth so the flesh must not knowe what the spirite doth Thou must not make thy lusts of counsel but as Abraham when hee was bid to offer his sonne rose vp betime and left his wife at home and neuer made Sarah priuie lest she should stop him being more tender ouer her childe like women than the father is so thou must giue thy heart to God before the flesh heare of it for if Abigaile had consulted with Nabal whether she shuld haue supplied Dauid with victuals or no when he sent the miser would neuer haue giuen his consent which scolded so soone as he heard of it therefore she went alone and gaue that which hee asked and neuer tolde her husband what shee would doe lest hee should hinder her which sought her welfare and his too so wee should steale our harts from the world as the world stole them from vs and transport them to God when the flesh is a sleepe I haue but one daye more to teach you all that you must learne of me therefore I would holde you heere vntill you assent to giue all your hearts to God If ye giue them not now where haue I cast the seede and how haue ye heard all this yeare If ye will giue them now ye shall bee adopted this daye the sonnes of God and I shall leaue you in the bosome of Christ which will giue you heauen for your hearts The Lord Iesu graunt that my wordes bee not the sauour of death vnto my soule here but that you may goe in strength thereof through prosperitie and aduersitie till you heare that comfort from heauen Come ye blessed and receiue the inheritance prepared for you FINIS THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES To the Reader TWo things we are apt to forget Gods benefites and our sinnes for the first the Lord saith I haue loued you and they say Wherein hast thou loued vs For the second hee saith Ye haue despised me and they say Wherein haue we despised thee THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES 1. Thess 5. 19 c. 19 Quench not the spirit 20 Despise not prophecying 21 Trie all things and keepe that which is good 22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill AT the last time which I spake of these wordes In all things giue thanks Quench not the Spirit Touching the first I shewed you that it is an easier thing to obtaine of God than to bee thankfull to him for moe haue gone away speeders than haue gone away thankers Then how the wicked are beholding to God as well as the iust and therfore it is sayd that the Sunne doth shine vpon the iust and the vniust Then how Iacob came not so barely to Laban when he brought nothing with him but his staffe in his hand as man commeth into this worlde without strength or staffe to sustaine him which made the Apostle to aske What haue you which you haue not receiued Therefore to teach man to be thankfull vnto his maker hee was not made in Paradise the place of ioy and happines but being made out of Paradise hee was brought into Paradise to shew how all his ioy and happines came from God and not from nature that he might know where to bestow his thankes Therefore Dauid to perswade all men vnto thankfulnesse saith It is a good and pleasant thing to be thankfull If he had sayd no more but good all which loue goodnesse were bound to be thankful but when he saith not onely good but pleasant too all which loue pleasure are bounde to be thankfull and therefore as Peters mother in lawe so soone as Christ healed her of a feauer rose vp immediatly to
thou wilt see the shame of it look vpon Haman hanging vpon his own gallowes If thou wilt see the end of it looke vpon the Glutton frying in hell These are the pictures of sinne which GOD hath set for a terror before vs like the piller of salt or Achans Sepulchre to speake to vs. Take heed by those when I haue warned you as I warned them I will punish you as I punished them This is the Epitaph as it were which God ingraueth vpon Nabuchadnezzars Sepulchre Be thou an example to Kings and Rulers for all the children of pride to beware how they set themselues agaynst him who aduaunced them Thus hee which sets vp can pull downe Did not I sende thee dreames to warne thee Did not I sende a Prophet to warne thee If eyther of them woulde haue serued thou mightest haue ruled still and walked in thy galleries and feasted in thy pallace and iudged vpon thy throane and dyed a King but now thy kingdome is departed from thee Who would bee like Nabuchadnezzar now he is like a beast If this heathen was thus challenged for his warning which had heard but one Prophet we may tremble to thinke what wee shall answere for our warnings which haue been threatned as often as the Israelites and yet prouoked the Lord while he serueth vs like those which curse the sunne while it shineth vpon them Thus haue you seene the fall of pride Euen now he sayd Is not this great Babel Now he may say Is not this vnhappie Babel euen he sayd which I haue built by the might of my power and now hee may say which I haue built by the vanitie of my pride euen now he sayd for the honour of my maiestie now hee may say for the ruine of my kingdome yet after this he rose againe and came to himself and receiued his kingdome and honoured him which punished him so but the time will preuent me to speak of his restitution therefore here I ende FINIS THE RESTITVTION OF NABVCHADNEZZAR Dan. 4. 31. c. 31 And at the ende of these dayes I Nabuchadnezzar lift vp mine eyes vnto heauen and mine vnderstanding was restored vnto me and I gaue thankes vnto the most high and I praised and honoured him that liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power and his kingdome is from generation to generation 32 And all the inhabitants are reputed as nothing and according to his will he worketh in the armie of heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hande or say vnto him Why doest thou so 33 At the same time I had my vnderstanding restored vnto mee and I returned to the honour of my kingdome my glorie and my beautie was restored vnto mee and my counsellors and my Princes sought vnto mee and I was established in my kingdome and my glorie was augmented toward me 34 Now therefore I Nabuchadnezzar praise and extoll and magnifie the king of heauen whose workes are all trueth and his wayes iudgement and those that walke in pride he is able to abase NOw wee are come to his Restitution first Nabuchadnezzar was humbled as God humbleth his enemies now he is humbled as GOD humbleth his children that although he had more honour than he had before yet he is not proud of it as he was before but cryeth with the Prophet Dauid Not vnto me O Lord not vnto me but vnto thy name giue the glorie So he which sayd not only with heart but almost with mouth too there is no God now with heart and mouth honoureth none but God His pride and his fall Daniel declared but when hee came to his restitution hee makes Nabuchadnezzar to speake himselfe and giue thankes in his owne person like a witnesse brought in to testifie the trueth of this wonderfull storie When the Prophet had shewed how this King vaunted and how he was debased for it presently after he had spoken it he calles in as it were the King himselfe to witnesse his report and declare how he was raised agayne like a man which hauing receiued grace from a Prince or great person is brought in before him to giue thankes for his fauour receiued and then is dismissed In these verses two things shewe themselues at the first view that is Nabuchadnezzars Restitution and his thankfulnesse in his Restitution First he shewes the time when he was restored in these words At the end of these daies then hee shewes the manner how hee was restored in these wordes I Nabuchadnezzar lift vp mine eyes to heauen and mine vnderstanding was restored to me In his thankfulnes first he extolleth Gods power in setting him vp and pulling him downe and raising him agayne then he commēdeth Gods iustice and trueth which deserues to be praised for his iudgements as much as for his mercie as though he reioyced that God had made him like a beast that he might dye like a man At the end of these dayes As Daniel noted the time of his pride when hee walked in his pallace to shewe how pride growes out of buildings and wealth and apparell and such rootes so he noteth the time of his fall while the wordes were in his mouth to shewe that he was punished for his pride and ignorance that he might knowe where to begin his conuersion and abate his pride and when he had taken away the cause then God would take away the punishment so likewise he noteth the time of his Restitution At the ende of these dayes that is after seauen yeares were expired to shewe how long the sicknesse of pride is in curing and to shewe how euerie thing was fulfilled which was prophesied euen to the poynt of time for it was tolde him by Daniel that he should be like a beast seuē yeares therefore Nabuchadnezzar is prompt as it were to confesse the trueth and sayth as the Prophet sayth At the ende of these dayes that is at the ende of seauen yeares I Nabuchadnezzar was restored to my kingdome as Daniel tolde me Yet another note is set vpon this beast least wee should thinke that God only regarded the season and thinke seuen yeares punishment enough for such a sinne He saith not barely that his vnderstanding and honour were restored vnto him when seuen yeares were ended but that they were restored vnto him when hee began to lift vp his eyes vnto heauen to shewe that this blessing came from aboue and that hee which had humbled him had restored him agayne as if hee should saye to all that are cast down with sicknesse or pouertie or infamie or any trouble whatsoeuer in bodie or minde hee which hath humbled you will raise you as hee hath done mee but you must looke vp vnto heauen and lift vp your hearts vnto him and then your vnderstanding and comfort and wealth and pleasure health and libertie and good name and all shall returne vnto you agayne like Iobs sheepe and cammels and oxen in
greater number than he had before as all the blessings of God returned to Nabuchadnezzar when he looked vp to heauen so they shall come backe like a riuer vpon you when your eyes can goe by these vanities and looke vpon him which lookes vpon you or els seuen and seuen yeres shall passe ouer you and you shall be neuer the better but worse and worse like Saul which was vexed more and more till he had killed himselfe Therefore as the Iewes looked vp to the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ when they would bee healed Numb 21. 8 so all that woulde recouer that which they haue lost or obtaine that which they want Nabuchadnezzar doth teach them here to lift vp their eyes to heauen from whence sayth Christ commeth euerie blessing of man At the end of these dayes I Nabuchadnezzar lifte vp mine eyes c. Like a man which is wakened out of a long traunce now he began to stirre and lift vp his eyes when the heart is once lift vp it wil lifte vp the eyes and the hand and voice and all to heauen he which neuer looked vp to heauen so long as his comfort was vpon the earth nowe his minde is changed his lookes and iestures speeches and all are chaunged with it As though God would shew a visible difference betweene the spirituall and the carnall euen in their lookes and iestures as there is betweene a childe and an olde man The spirituall mindes are heauenly and looke vp because their ioy is aboue The carnall mindes are earthly and looke downe like beasts because their treasure is belowe As the serpent grouels vpon the ground so doth the serpents seede and hath not so much as the countenance of grace Therefore by lifting vp his eyes to heauen is signified that the time was come which the Lord had set downe that he should bee like a beast vntill he had learned that lesson That the most high beareth rule ouer the sons of men Therfore Nabuchadnezzar sheweth that hee had learned his lesson for he looked not vp to heauen to beholde the Sunne the moone or the starres like an Astronomer but thinking howe hee had set himselfe against Heauen from whence came all his honour in a godly shame holy anger toward himselfe he turnes his face from earth to heauen to magnifie him which had humbled him that so contemneth him which aduanced him Nowe hee talkes no more of his Pallace nor his power nor his Maiestie though it be greater then it was but hee looked aboue his owne pallace to another Pallace from whence that terrible voyce came down vnto him Thy kingdome is departed from thee Which expresseth his contrite hearte and wounded spirit howe many passions batled within as if hee should chide himselfe and saye Vnthankefull man my power euer descended from aboue and I euer looked vpon the earth and mine honour came downe from heauen and I neuer lifte vp mine eyes before But now sayth he goe vp my voyce and my handes and my eyes how long will ye pore vpon the earth like a beast so he lifted vp his eyes vnto heauen After hee had lifted vp his eyes he beginneth to pray praise and giue thanks to God which sheweth that he did not onely lifte vp his eyes but his heart too for vnlesse we can say with Dauid I lift vp my hart Psal 25. 1. it is in vain to lift vp eies or hands or voice as the hypocrits doe because he which is a spirite will be worshipped in spirite Iohn 4. Therefore Marie sayth My heart doth magnifie the Lord. Luke 11. 46. As for the Infidels and Idolaters they haue no heartie seruice but their religion is like an occupation which is done with the body For when we reade of the sacrifice or prayers of the Idolaters and Infidels we doe not find that they lifte vp their hearts to their Idols but their hands or their eyes or their voyce as the Baalites roared to Baal 1. King 18. 28. and the Marriners cryed to their Sea-gods 1. Ionas 5. and the Ephesians showted to Diana Act. 19. 28. But the lifting vp of the heart is the holy seruice and alway appropriate vnto God which saith My sonne giue me thy heart Pro. 23. 26. Therefore now Nabuchadnezzar lifts vp his heart to God shewing that he had learned that lesson which GOD gaue him 7. years to study that The most high beareth rule ouer the sonnes of men c. Now God thinkes the time long enough as he reformed the ground after the flood with fruit and hearbes and flowers agayne so hee reformeth Nabuchadnezzar with vnderstanding and beauty and honour againe As when he repented himselfe and sayd I wil drown the earth no more Gen. 8. 21. so I wil chase Nabuchadnezzar no more nowe he knowes a king aboue him he shall bee king againe nowe he seekes my honour I wil giue him honour now he magnifieth him which debased him I will returne to exalt him So the voyce which thundred from heauen Thy kingdome is departed from thee sounds again Thy kingdome is restored to thee For it was not tolde that he should be like a beast vntill he dyed but vntill he knew that the most high beareth rule ouer the sonnes of men Therefore when he knew this nothing could stay him from his kingdome no more then they could stay him in it before Thus the displeasure of God is but an interim vntill we knowe some thing that we should know and then Nabuchadnezzar shalbe king againe then the sick man shalbe whole againe then the bondman shall be free againe then the poore man shall be rich againe His mercies are called euerlasting because they endure for euer Psal 136. 1 2. But his anger is compared to the clouds because it lasteth but a season whome he loueth hee loueth to the ende but whome hee scourgeth hee scourgeth to repent as Hezekias was sicke vntill hee wepte Nabuchadnezzar was banished but vntill hee repented Now the first cure of the Kings restitution was of his mind Mine vnderstanding saith Nabuchadnezzar was restored vnto me To shewe what an inestimable gift our vnderstanding and reason is whereby wee differ from beasts for which we cannot be thankful enough therefore he records it twise as though his heart did flowe with gladnes and his tongue could not choose but speak often of it as a man thinketh and speaketh of that which he loueth Mine vnderstanding was restored vnto me c. That which was first taken away was first restored againe which so soone as it was gone he was counted a man no more but a beast As Dauid sayth Like Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding Psalme 32. 9. counting them which are voide of vnderstanding to better then horse and mule Therefore they which haue lost their vnderstāding at the Tauerns as many here haue done somtimes they which vnderstād not yet what is the booke of God are but horse and mule
as haue been healed by her that as the Author of the Hebrewes saith By faith Abel offered a better Sacrifice than Caine by faith Enoch was translated before he sawe death by faith Noah prepared the Arke and was preserued from the Floud by faith Abraham was content to sacrifice his Sonne and yet beleeued that in his seede all the world should be blessed by faith Sara receiued strength to bring foorth a child when she was strooken in yeres and past the strength of the wombe So I may say of patience by patience Iob did beare all the torments that the diuell could heape vpon him by patience Iacob put vp a thousand wrongs from Laban and his children and neuer complained in one twentie yeares before he departed by patience Ioseph forgaue his brethren when hee might haue put them to death and gaue thē food when they feared reuenge by patience Christ suffered banishment and reproaches and scourges vntill he went to his death like a Lambe to the slaughter Among the strange cures of patience Dauid may report of his experience what this plaister hath done for him for being a figure of Christ he was alwaies hedged about with the crosse which prooued his patience like a Touchstone euery day As Christ was contemned of his Countreymen so Dauid was contemned of his brethren as Christ fled to Egypt so Dauid fled vnto Gath as Christ receiued foode of women so Dauid receiued food of Abigail as Herod persecuted Christ so Saul persecuted Dauid and the wrath of the King brought many enemies with it that when hee was annointed yet hee coulde not reigne and when he reigned yet his reigne was but a warfare the Philistines agaynst him the Ammonites agaynst him the Edomites agaynst him the Moabites agaynst him and Absolon his owne bowels agaynst him for whom he cryed Would God I had died for thee This sonne which was his dearling was his traytor and sought his death that brought him to life as though Saul had been risen from the graue againe In all these troubles Samuel shewes what was this pilgrimes comfort But Dauid comforted himselfe in the Lord his God as though hee had no comfort but in GOD alone This was the stone vpon which he leaned his head Be patient for Manie are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all When hee did behold his trouble like the hoast of the Aramites he looked backe vnto God like Elisha and spied one with him stronger then all against him Therfore respecting his afflictiōs he crieth Many are the troubles of the righteous respecting the promise he singeth The Lord deliuereth them out of all Thus by his owne foote Dauid measureth the condition of the righteous and saith Many are the troubles of the righteous and then by his owne cure hee sheweth how they shall bee healed saying The Lord will deliuer him out of all If ye marke the spirite hath directed Dauid to those two things which make vs take our troubles grieously one because we doe not looke for them before they come Therefore as Christ told Peter before he suffered to strengthen him when he suffered so the holy Ghost doth run vpon the Crosse to keep vs in expectation of troubles that wee might prepare faith and patience and constancie for thē as Noah prepared an Arke for the floud The second thing which makes vs to start so at the Crosse is because we are like the Prophets seruant which did see his foes but not his friēds so we see our sore but not our salue Comfort seemes a far off like Abraham in the heauens as though it would neuer come so low therefore wee goe about to deliuer our selues as it is said Let vs breake his bands as though we could deliuer our selues But Hold your peace saith Moses the Lord shall fight for you So Dauid comes in like a pacifier and saith Vexe not your selues for the Lord will deliuer you Beare both these sentences in mind that you must go through a sea of troubles then that you shall come to a hauen of rest and no affliction shall take you before you be armed for it and in euery trouble you shall know where to haue your remedie Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lorde deliuereth him out of all Here bee the two hands of God like a wound and a plaister one casteth downe the other raiseth vp It is good for a man to knowe his troubles before they come because afflictions are lightned in the expectation Therefore GOD sayth of Paul I will shewe him how many things he shall suffer for me God dealeth plainlie and tels vs the woorst at the first what wee shall trust to as Christ told his Disciples at the first If ye will bee my Disciples yee must take vp the Crosse cold entertainment to breake their fast with the rod. Other feastmakers sayth Christ broach the best wine first but Christ himselfe keepeth the best till the last This is the manner of Gods proceedings to send good after euill as hee made light after darknesse to turne iustice into mercie as he turned water into wine for as the beasts must be killed before they could be sacrificed so men must be killed before they can bee sacrificed that is the knife of correction must prune them and dresse them and lop off their rotten twigs before they can bring forth fruite these are the cordes which binde the ram vnto the Altar least when he is brought thither hee should runne from thence agayne this is the chariot which carrieth our thoughts to heauen as it did Nabuchadnezzars and our assumption before our assumption This is the hammer which squareth the rough stones till they be plaine and smooth and fit for the Temple This is the fierce messenger which is sent to compell them to the banquet which will not come when they are inuited Because we are naturally giuen to loue the world more then is good for vs therefore God hath set an edge of bitternesse vpon it to make vs to loath it like a Nurse which layeth Mustard vpon her breasts to weane the childe from the dug so Many are the troubles of the righteous to weane vs from the dugge of the world The crosse is one of our Schoolemasters in this life and the best wisdome is deerest bought prosperitie seeketh for nothing but necessitie seeketh and studieth and laboureth and prayeth for her wants As the rodde maketh the Scholler to applye his booke so all our knowledge is beaten into vs some learne theyr goodnesse of pouertie some of sicknesse some of troubles aduersitie is the fit time to learne the iustice mercie power and prouidence of GOD a fit time to learne the patience wisedome faith and obedience of man a fit time to learne the subtiltie frailtie and miserie of this worlde All this thou buyest for troubles yet
there is of troubles which come from sinne as one heauy messenger came to Iob one after another so now we are not in Paradice but in the wildernesse we must looke for one trouble after another therefore afflictions are called waters because as one waue falleth vpon another so one trouble falleth vpon the head of another As a Beare came to Dauid after a Lyon and a Giant after a Beare and a King after a Giant and Philistines after the King so when they haue fought with pouertie they shall fight with enuie when they haue fought with enuie they shall fight with infamie when they haue fought with infamie they shal fight with sicknes like a labourer which is neuer out of worke This you see the righteous in troubles like the Israelites in exile Now the Lord commeth like Moses to deliuer them aduersitie seeketh out the promise the promise seeketh out fayth fayth seeketh out prayer then God heareth and mercie answereth All this while Christ seemed to sleepe as he did in the shippe nowe hee rebukes the windes and waues and troubles flie before him like a troupe of Woolues before the Shepheard As he asked the adultresse where are thy accusers and she sayd they are gone so he may aske his patients where are your troubles and they may say they are gone the sunne rose and the mists vanished yet saith Dauid God is good to all that are pure in heart that is he remembreth them while he afflicteth them and is preparing an issue while the crosse prepareth them When Christ heard them say he whom thou louest is sicke he answered this sicknes is not to death Ioh. 11. 3. So when it may be sayd he whom God loueth is sicke then it may be sayd this sicknes is not vnto death though it be to the first death yet not to the second Who would thinke when Ionas was in the sea that he should preach at Niniuie who would think wheÌ„ Nabuchadnezzar was in the forrest that he should raigne again in Babel who would think wheÌ„ Ioseph was banished of his brethreÌ„ that his brethreÌ„ shuld seeke vnto him like his seruants who would thinke when Iob scraped his sores vpon the dunghill all his houses were burned all his â—attell stolne all his Children dead that he should be richer then euer he was these are the acts of mercy which make the righteous sing The Lord hath triumphed valiantly This is the priuiledge of the righteous as God saith Ye sons of Iacob are not consumed So they answere againe We are not consumed Therefore Paul saith we are in distresse but we are not forsaken as Christ rose out of his graue so we shall rise out of trouble and when the gold is fined the fire shal hold it no longer WheÌ„ Iesus was in banishment with Mary Ioseph at last the Angel came and said They are dead which sought the childes life so when the daies of our banishment and scarsitie bondage and sicknesse are ended at last tidings shall come that our troubles are dead and then the righteous shall looke vp like Moses when hee was past the sea and see all their enemies all their troubles drowned behinde them then the heart shall daunce like Miriam and sing the song which sounded before Moses The Lorde the Lord is strong mercifull and gratious slow to anger but aboundant in goodnesse and truth And if Dauid had staied at troubles and spoken of nothing but rods the wicked might say as they doe in the 115. Psalme Where is their God and the righteous might coÌ„plaine with Dauid I haue clensed my heart in vaine but as the waters of the sea flow ebbe againe so the waters of afflictioÌ„ flow ebbe again one casteth Moses into the water and another draweth him out of the water There lieth Lazarus at the gate there lieth Ioseph in prison there lyes Ieremie in the dungeon there lies Iob in the Ashes there lyes Iacob in the fields there lies Dauid in the wildernesse there lies Abraham in exile there lies Daniel among the Lions there lies the children in the Furnace at last comes the yeare of Iubile and al the prisoners of the Lorde are set at libertie therefore they are called the prisoners of hope because they may hope to be deliuered c. Therfore God translateth his Crosse from the head to the heart from the heart to the foot from pouertie to sicknesse from sicknesse to labour that wheresoeuer he placeth it we might haue patience knowing that he can remoue it as hee placeth it Then are fulfilled all these sweet scriptures The Lord retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie pleaseth him Mich. 7. 8. After two dayes he will reuiue vs and the third day he will raise vs vp Ose 6. 2. Surely there is an end and thy hope shall not be cut off Prouer. 23. 18. Heauinesse may endure for a night but ioye will come in the morning Psal 30. 5. He which hath ouercome death and Sathan and the world can easilie ouercome all the troubles in the world rather then Eliah shall starue the Rauens shall feede him rather then Ionah shall drowne the fish shall saue him as when the Glutton did not pitie the Dogs tooke compassion Vntill Dauid saith The Lord will deliuer the righteous and the wicked goe together but now they part one is taken and the other is refused one is deliuered the other is left in prison As Abraham came not to deliuer the Sodomits but to deliuer his brethren so Christ came not to deliuer his enemies but to deliuer his seruants not to deliuer them from troubles but to deliuer theÌ„ out of troubles that they may say as well The Lord hath taken as the Lord hath giuen As Dauid gaue charge to his Souldiers that they should not kill Absolon his sonne though he sent them against Absolon to stay his rebellion so God forbids his crosses to destroye his children though he send them against his children to purge their corruptions As the Angel passed by the houses of the Israelits when he saw the bloud of the lambe vpon their doores so God hath his markes whereby he knoweth whom he should deliuer out of trouble whom he should leaue in trouble to one he saith Take my crosse to another he saith Be thou healed to another he saith Stay till thy time coÌ„meth euerie hard word may be spoken to the godly as wel as the wicked but that deadly word Depart into euerlasting fire Although they seeme to depart here yet then it shall be said come and not depart As Iohn after the voice of thunder heard the voice of harpers so wheÌ„ they haue bin beaten they shal be cherished therefore the trials of the righteous though they be called many troubles yet they are not called euerlasting troubles As Dauid saith here Many
are the troubles of the righteous so in Psalm 32. 10. he sayth Many are the sorowes of the righteous but it followeth the Lord will deliuer them out of all nay saith Salomon when the righteous escape out of trouble the wicked shall come in his stead that is the troubles of the righteous shal shift to the vngodly as the leprosie of Naaman went to Gehezi and therefore the wicked are called the ransome of the iust because they lye in baile for them As one bird chirpeth to another so one plague shal whistle to another and say come and helpe mee to tormēt this sinner for one plague will not serue the Egyptians vntill he be so loden with torments that he crie like Caine My punishment is greater then I can beare The righteous neuer said that their troubles were more or greater or longer then they could beare For God hath promised he will not lay more vpon them then they are able to beare but when they begin to sinke like Peter vpon the Sea then the hande is readie to catch them and straight GOD maketh an issue for theyr troubles As the Viper lept vpon Paul lept off againe so troubles leape vpon the righteous and leape off againe as though they had mistaken the partie and rapt at the wrong doore Therefore Mark the vpright man saith Dauid and beholde the iust for the end of that man is peace Though his beginning be trouble yet his end is peace He will not suffer the righteous to fall for euer he sayth not that he will not suffer him to fall but that he shall not fall for euer that is at last his shackel falleth from him the net breakes the prison openeth and he goes foorth like Lazarus out of his graue to shewe what wonderfull things the Lord hath done for him So Paul after he had spoken of his troubles as thought hee thought vpon this sentence of Dauid repeateth the same of himselfe saying But the Lord deliuered me out of all Therefore one calleth affliction the trance of the righteous because they seeme dead for a while but they wake againe therefore they chalenge their enemies and say Reioyce not against me O mine enemie for though I fall yet I shall rise This should content the righteous to bee deliuered at last as Dauid quieteth himselfe saying By this I know the Lord fauoureth me because mine enemies doe not triumph ouer me not because I haue no enemies or because I haue no troubles which would ouercome me Therefore when he wrote downe Many troubles hee blotteth it as it were with his pen againe as a Merchant raceth his booke when the debt is discharged and in stead of many troubles he putteth in The Lord deliuereth Because he forgiueth all sinnes he is sayd to deliuer from all troubles to shew that wee haue neede of no Sauiour no helper no comforter but him The Lawyer can deliuer his client but from strife the Phisition can deliuer his patient but from sicknesse the Master can deliuer his seruant but from bondage but The Lord sayth Dauid deliuereth out of all As when Moses came to deliuer the Israelites hee would not leaue an hoofe behind him so when the Lord commeth to deliuer the righteous he wil not leaue a trouble behind him but euen as they pray in 25. Psal Deliuer Israel O Lord out of all her troubles so he will answere them B◠thou deliuered out of al thy troubles that is this this and this that trouble that thou thinkest intollerable that trouble which thou thinkest incurable the almightie hath might against all When Iob is tryed not a sore shall sticke vpon him Therefore as Elisha feared not when he saw as many angels as enemies so now you see as many mercies as troubles let the comfort satisfie you which satisfied Paul Feare not for I am with thee thy pardon is comming like the Angell which staid the sword ouer Isaacks head Reade on but a little further and thou shalt heare the voyce which proclaymed warre proclayme peace many troubles in the beginning of the verse and no troubles in the ende What Phisition hath been here The Lord sayth Dauid the Lord was in this place saith Iacob I knew it not So the Lord is in affliction and men know it not he which sayth I put away thine iniquities must say I put away thy infirmitie For there is no Sauiour but one which saith to death I will be thy death As the woman was sicke vntill Christ came so vntill the Lorde come there is nothing but trouble Manie troubles of the righteous but one deliuerer of the righteous manie tortours but one Comforter Troubles come in an hundred wayes like waters through a grate but mercie entreth alwayes at one doore like a pardon which cōmeth only from the Prince therefore sayth GOD In mee is thy helpe Hos 11. 6. I create comfort Esay 65. Marke that he calleth himselfe a creator of comfort that is as there is but one Creator so there is but one Comforter and as hee created all things of nothing so hee createth comfort of nothing that is when all comfort is worne out and no seede of ioy left to raise vp comfort againe then he bringeth comfort out of sorrow as he brought water out of the rocke that wee may say The finger of the Lord hath done this This is the anchor of the righteous As he lookes vpon his troubles the promise commeth in like a messenger from Christ while he is praying and weeping and sayth The Lord will deliuer thee out of all Then hee resolueth like Nehemiah and saith Shall such a man as I flye Shall such a man as I recant If I be faint in the day of aduersitie Salomon saith my strength is small as if hee shoulde say I was neuer strong but did counterfeite like Demas if I want comfort in trouble Salomon sayth A good conscience is a continuall feast As if he should say that I haue not a good conscience if I haue not comfort in the Crosse Therefore I will wayte the Lords leisure because Esay sayth Faith maketh no hast I will not breake his bands because then I am like the Heathen I will not flatter the Iudge because Salomon saith it is vaine I will not betray the cause because GOD hath appoynted it to trye mee I will not offend my brethren because Paul had rather dye than doe so I will not charge my conscience because it can vexe mee more than their bands I will not turne from my profession because I learned it of GOD and vowed to leaue all for it in the daye that I was baptized a Christian Though my friends tempt me like Iobs wife though my flesh flatter mee like Eue though my persecutors would bribe me like Balaac though they which suffer with me should reuolt for feare yet
I will be as Ioshua which stoode alone and as Elkanah was in stead of children to Annah so Christ shall be in stead of comfort in stead of wealth and health and libertie to mee For manie were the troubles of Ioseph and the Lord deliuered him out of all many were the troubles of Abraham and the Lord deliuered him out of all many were the troubles of Dauid and the Lorde deliuered him out of all manie were the troubles of Iob and the Lorde deliuered him out of all therefore he can deliuer me out of all But if he doe not say Sidrach Misaac and Abednego yet wee will not doe euill to escape daunger because Christ hath suffered more for vs. Therefore if I perish I perish saith Hester She was content that her life should perish but if my purse suffer my money doth but perish if my bodie bee imprisoned my pleasures doe but perish and who can tell wheÌ„ he hath suffered that which is appoynted Therefore God sayth When I see conuenient time will I execute iudgement Not when thou doest thinke it a conuenient time but when he doth think it a conuenient time Therefore saith Dauid to the Lord In thee doe I trust al the day that is if he come not in the morning he will come at noone if he come not at noone he will come at night at one houre of the day he will deliuer me and then as the calme was greater after the tempest than it was before so my ioye shall bee sweeter after teares than it was before the remembrance of Babylon will make vs sing more ioyfull in Sion Thus Dauid describeth the iourney of the righteous as if they should goe through the sea and the wildernesse as the Israelites went to Canaan Looke not for ease nor pleasure in your way but for beasts and serpents and theeues vntill ye be past the wildernesse all is straight and darke and feareful but so soon as you are through the narrowe gate all is large and goodly and pleasant as if you were in Paradise Seeing then your kingdome is not here looke not for a golden life in an iron world but remember that Lazarus doth not mourne in heauen though he suffered paines vpon earth but the glutton mourneth in hell that staied not for the pleasures of heauen To which pleasures the Lord Iesus bring vs when this cloud of trouble is blowen ouer vs Amen FINIS THE CHRISTIANS Practise Rom. 12. 2. Be yee changed by the renuing of your mindes that yee may prooue what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect WHen Christ sent foorth his Disciples he said vnto them Goe preach and baptize ioyning these two together Preaching and Baptizing This being the occasion of our exercise because I am to speake of Baptisme which is the Sacrament of Regeneration I could not choose a fitter Scripture then this which I handled last which speakes of the renuâ—ng of our mindes for when our mindes are renued then the vow which we made in Baptisme is performed When Paul had forbidden the Romanes to fashion themselues vnto the world he sheweth them another fashion which hee calles The renuing of the minde As the Eagle renueth her youth so men must renue their mindes This fashion is called the Wedding garment which euery man must weare that comes to the banquet of the King As when men haue gone ouer one fashion after another at last they come to the olde fashion againe so here Paul calles them to the olde fashion again which was vsed in Adams time that is the Image and fashion wherein they were created Nowe the reason followeth That they might proue what the wil of God is as if hee should say This shall be the fruit of your regeneration when your mindes are renued you shall know many thinges which are hid from you you shall bee able to iudge doctrines who preach truth and who preach error and you shall vnderstand the will of God what he would haue you doe and what hee would haue you flie as if you were in his bosome As new wine will not abide but in new vessels so this new knowledge will not abide but in new mindes The minde renued knoweth God so that this Scripture may be called the path to knowledge or the waie to sound the minde of God which is a secret that euery man longs to know but the most turne a wrong leafe to finde it as Paul sayth of Peter He lookes a wrong way to the Gospel When the serpent taught knowledge he said If ye eate the forbidden fruite your eyes shalbe opened and you shall knowe good and euill but Paul sayth If ye will not eate the forbidden fruite your eyes shal be opened and you shall know good and euill This is one reason why Paul would haue them renue their mindes That they might know the will of God Why doth not the word of God teach vs the wil of God Yes but no man doth vnderstand this word but hee which hath a new minde because as the Sunne is not discerned by any light but by his owne light so no spirite can interpret the Scripture but the same spirite which wrote it which is called the holy spirite because it is holy and because it makes holy Sinne was the first vaile which obscured mans vnderstanding and till the cause of this eclipse be taken away the Apostle sayth that we shall see but in part that is as the Sunne may be seene in his eclipse but he seemes liker to darknesse then to light so vnderstanding may be seene in the wicked but it is liker ignorance then knowledge therefore Paul makes knowledge one of the fruites which bud out of righteousnes They which haue renued their mindes saith he shall proue what the will of God is that is they shall trie all that they doe heare and learne by all that they see vntill they tract out the will and meaning of GOD. As the water ingendreth Ice and the Ice againe ingendreth water so knowledge begets righteousnes and righteousnes againe begetteth knowledge according to that in Eccles 2. 26 To a man that is good in his sight God giueth wisedome and knowledge therefore though ye haue seene cunning Lawyers by much reading and expert Phisitians by long study yet you could neuer see a perfect and sound and iudiciall Diuine without holynesse I cannot tel how this knowledge is rather feeling than learning in the aboundance of the heart or an extreame study sent by God vnto good men like the Ramme which was brought vnto Abraham when he would sacrifice his Sonne As Salomon sayth The knowledge of good things is vnderstanding so none but they which are holy haue this vnderstanding He which can say with Dauid I loue thy lawe and I keepe thy precepts may follow with Dauid I haue more vnderstanding than my teachers and know more then the auncient
A seruant of seruants shall he be as if he should say a seruant and more than a seruant that is of a seruile condition and seruile minde As the Sabbaoth of Sabbaoths signifieth a high Sabbaoth and as the Song of Songs signifieth an excellent Song and as the Holie of holiest signifieth the holiest place and as the Lord of Lords signifieth the chiefest Lord so Vanitie of Vanities signifieth the gretest Vanitie and seruant of seruants signifieth the vilest seruant Seeing then that the Pope taketh this name vnto him and writeth himselfe The seruant of seruants in all his Indulgences as thogh he did ground vpō this curse of Cham it seemeth that the Lord would shew thereby who is like Cham and who is cursed therefore let not vs denie him that which the holy Ghost dooth giue him but as hee taketh Chams name so let him take his curse too Cursed be Canaan c. It was not Canaan which tempted Shem and Iaphet to gaze vpon their fathers nakednesse but it was Cham. How commeth it then that Noah dooth curse Canaan and not Cham In the 22. verse Cham is called the father of Canaan so that Canaan was Chams sonne therefore God not content with the punishment of Cham alone saith Cursed be Canaan also shewing that both Cham and Canaan the father and the children shall bee cursed for this impietie because Cham had shewed himselfe a rebellious childe to Noah God sheweth that his children shall doo the like by him Heere is to bee noted that whereas Cham had elder sonnes then Canaan and Canaan was his yongest yet God for a purpose nameth the yongest in the curse shewing that his wrath should last euen to the yongest and be a great while before it were forgotten Here is to be noted againe that whereas the countrey of Canaan was so fruitfull so blessed a countrey that it was called the land that floweth with milk honny yet vnder the name of Canaan Chams youngest sonne of whome the countrey of Canaan tooke the name God sheweth that the Canaanites shall be cursed in this blessed land as Cain was a vagabond vppon his owne ground to shew that the ioye of heart and peace of conscience commeth from God and nothing else Now the issues which followed vpon this curse doe shew that Noah spake not from the spleen but from the spirite of God For first you read how the Canaanites who came of Canaan were slaine of the Israelites then you reade how the Gibeonites which came of Canaan were made slaues to the Israelites then you reade how the Egyptians and Ethiopians which came of Canaan were taken captiue by the king of Ashur then you reade how Nemrod and his complices that came of Canaan were confounded at Babel when they went about to exalt themselues Beside where as length of daies is a blessing to them which honour their father Cham which dishonoured his father had not one sonne of his line which liued aboue an hundreth yeares so as Isaac said Iacob haue I blessed and hee shallbee blessed so Noah may say Cham haue I cursed and he shall be cursed for he was cursed indeede cursed in himselfe and cursed in his children cursed in heauen and cursed in earth cursed with God and cursed with men for after this he began to bee abhorred and they that came of him Therefore Abraham commaunded his seruant that hee should not choose a wife for his sonne of the Canaanites Isaac giueth the like commaundement to his sonne Iacob because they were a cursed nation and hated of God euer since Noah saide Cursed bee Canaan Thus when Cham saide vnto his brethren Come and I will shew you my father naked he might haue saide Come and I will shew you my selfe accursed If GOD haue such wrath against a scorner think whether thou followest not some sinne worse then scorning Now after Noah had cursed Cham hee blessed his brethren Blessed bee the Lord God of Shem c. Of Shem came the Iewes which had the first blessing and therefore Shem is blessed first of Iaphet came the Gentiles which had the latter blessing and therefore Iaphet is blessed after the forme of Shems blessing is Blessed be the Lord God of Shem c. One which heareth this blessing would thinke that Noah did not blesse Shem but that hee blessed God for he saith not blessed be Shem but blessed bee the Lord God of Shem. This is to signifie that as cursed Canaan came of Cham so the blessed Messias should come of Shem which though he were Shems sonne yet heere hee is called Shems Lord as hee was called Dauids sonne and Dauids Lord. Then to shew that Noah dooth not blesse Shem but God dooth blesse him and Noah prayed that hee might bee blessed as Christ gaue the spirite and Iohn ministred but the water Thirdly to shew that God for blessing vs should be blessed of vs and therefore Noah said Blessed bee the Lord God of Shem c. as if hee should say blessed bee the Lord which blesseth Shem. Further this sheweth the difference betweene Shems blessing and Iaphets blessing that is the Iews and the Gentiles for he saith God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem as though Iaphet were not blessed yet but should bee blessed but he saith of Shem Blessed bee the Lord Gods of Shem as if hee should giue him possession and say take thy blessing for to assure him of Gods blessing he calleth God Shems God As were say my landes or my goods so hee might say my God and my Lorde such a propertie the faithfull haue in God As Paul saith God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing so I may say God is not the God of the wicked but of the righteous and therefore he is called The God of Abraham the God of Isaak and the God of Iacob which were all good and righteous and holy men The next blessing is Iaphets the forme of his blessing is God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Shem that is God perswade the Gentiles which come of Iaphet to imbrace the Religion of the Iewes which come of Shem. See how God counteth it for a blessing to be in the true Religion and how men should bee perswaded vnto it because it is loue which cannot bee forced this is the first prophecie in scripture of the calling of the Gentiles that is of our calling to Christ And to put vs in minde that we were once out of the couenant and but added to the couenant the name of Iaphet which was the father of the Gentiles dooth signifie perswaded or inlarged as it were added to the Church as though the time were when wee were out of the Church therefore first wee are indebted to our good mediatour which added vs to the kingdome when we were out of the kingdome and then that hee did it by persswasion not by compulsion As Noah prayed God to perswade Iapheth so he
and then a little vntill at last the inheritance come too As they which trie a vessell first put water into it to see whether it will holde water then they commit wine vnto it so first God giueth vs one grace if wee vse that wel then he giueth another another and another according to that He which is found faithfull in a little shall bee made Lorde ouer much My Father sayth Christ is an husbandman Iohn 15. shewing that as wee dresse the ground that it may bring foorth fruite so God dresseth vs that we may bring foorth fruite All commeth not at once but as the body groweth so the spirite groweth first good thoughts and then good speeches and then good workes as the blade followeth the seede and the eare the blade and the corne the eare Looke howe in our first generation one thing comes after another so it is in our second generation As the child springeth in the mothers wombe from a gellie vnto milke and from milke to blood and from blood to flesh and she knoweth not how it groweth till it come foorth so the spirite groweth in vs and we see not how it groweth but that it is growen Fayth calleth to loue and loue calleth to obedience and obedience calleth to constancie and one grace is the foundation of another Therefore Paul sayth Whome hee predestinated them he called whom he called them he iustified whom hee iustified them he glorified Thus as the rich easily growe richer so the good easily growe better hee which hath power to aske hath power to receiue for it is sayde Aske and you shall receiue hee which hath power to seeke hath power to finde for it is said Seeke and you shall finde he which hath power to knocke hath power to enter for it is sayde Knocke and it shall be opened vnto you As Gods riches are infinite so he is neuer wearie of giuing when a man serueth God at last it commeth to this that God delighteth as it were to doe him good as it is sayd Ieremiah 32. and Micah 7. I will delight to doe them good Now when it commeth to this passe that God hath a delight to doe a man good then Aske what thou wilt sayth Salomon to his Mother and I will not say thee nay so Aske what thou wilt and GOD will not say thee nay He which hath the Sonne may haue the Father hee that hath the Wedding garment may haue the Wedding feast he which hath the spirite of Elisha may haue the spirite of Eliah he which commeth vnto Christ may make Christ come vnto him as when the Sonne came toward the Father the Father met him in the way shewing that God is as ready to giue as wee to aske When Dauid did well Nathan sayd vnto him The Lord hath giuen thee this and this and this and if that had not been enough hee would haue giuen thee such and such things shewing vs that the cause why wee haue not such and such things is for that we are not thankefull for these and these thinges When the Eunuch beleeued he said what letteth me to be baptized so when thou beleeuest thou mayst say What letteth me to be loued what letteach me to be blessed What letteth mee to be saued And as Philip said Nothing so Christ saith Nothing but Bee it vnto thee as thou beleeuest From that day righteousnesse standeth ouer their heades as the Sunne did ouer Iosua and they renewe their vertues as the Eagle reneweth her youth Therefore when Isaac had said Iaacob haue I blessed he addeth and he shall be blessed as if he should say he beginneth to be blessed now but hee shall bee more blessed so they which are blessed of God shall be more blessed rising and rising like the Sunne vntill it come to the height When God hath begun to blesse he saith as hee said to Abraham What shall I hide from him What shall I keepe from him As though one of his giftes did binde him to giue another therefore his mercies are called euerlasting mercies because when they begin they haue no end So soone as hee had mooued Salomon to pray for wisdome he gaue him wisedome so soone as he had moued Abraham to goe from his Countrey hee began to guide him so soone as he had moued Gedeon to fight he began to strengthen him Gods mercies are resembled to raine first it raines small drops and after fall great drops and the small are signes of the great First you see Elisha with a single spirit and after you see him with a double spirite first you see Paule sitting at Gamaliels feete and afterward you see him preaching in Moses Chaire first you see Timothie a student and after you see him an Euangelist First you see Cornelius praying and after you see Peter instructing first you see Dauid repenting and after you see Nathan comforting first ye see the Disciples worshipping and after you see the holy Ghost descending first you see the Wisemen seeking Christ and after you see them together with Christ first you see the Sonne comming toward the Father and after you see the Father comming toward the Sonne first you see the Eunuch reading and after you see him vnderstanding and after you see him beleeuing and after you see him baptised Moste notable is the example of Nathaniel so soone as he beleeued Christ remembred this promise and said Beleeuest thou for this thou shalt see greater things than these so hee gaue more to him which had some That which he said to Nathaniel he saith to all which are like Nathaniel Beleeuest thou this Sermon thou shalt heare other Sermons than this repentest thou for this example thou shalt see other examples than this louest thou for one benefite thou shalt receiue moe benefites than one honourest thou God for his giftes vpon others thou shalt feele his giftes vpon thy selfe for Hee which keepeth Israel dooth not sleepe but watch What dooth he watch He watcheth who seeketh for comfort and who looketh for wisdome and who prayeth for faith and who intreateth for patience that hee may giue aboundantly to him which desires feruentlie If hee see one pray like Cornelius he sendeth another to strengthen him like Peter if he see one studie like the Eunuch he sendeth another to instruct him like Philip if hee see one mourne like Dauid hee sendeth another to comfort him like Nathan if hee see one willing like Esay he sendeth another to able him like the Seraphim if he see one that thinketh well hee teacheth him to speake well if hee see one that speaketh well hee teacheth him to doe well if hee see one doe well he teacheth him to continue well if hee see one meeke like Moses hee maketh him wise like Salomon if he see one wise like Salomon hee maketh him righteous like Abraham if he see one righteous like Abraham he maketh him patient like Iob if hee see one patient like Iob he maketh him penitent
with the wicked therefore their gifts are not like the tree planted by the waters side but like the Chaffe which the winde bloweth away Nay saith Dauid themselues are like Chaffe which the winde bloweth away If they bee Chaffe then their fruite is Chaffe The Gluttons table was for the vngodly but the Lords table was for the holy Therfore he which had not the Wedding garment had not the wedding feast For if the Lord would cast pearles vnto Swine why doth he forbid vs to doe so Therfore it is not said Be it vnto thee as thou desirest lest all should looke to receiue but Be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest that all might care to Beleeue It is not said to them which seeke not yee shall find but Seeke and you shall find How should they Enter which haue not a hand to knocke at the doore How should they Receiue which haue not a tongue to aske the giuer How should they haue wisedome which haue not the feare of the Lorde which is the beginning of wisedome Thus as Iames saith Shew me thy faith and I will shew thee my faith So God faith shewe mee thy loue and I will shew thee my loue as Christ was knowne at Emaus by breaking of bread so you may knowe him heere by dealing his giftes It is said when Ioseph feasted his brethren Beniamins messe had fiue times more than any of his brethren because Ioseph loued him more than the rest so the mercy and graces of God will shew to whome his affection standeth If you see Christ leaning on a mans breast as Iohn did on Christs breast then may you say this is a beloued Disciple For as Lidia perswaded Paule and Silas to come to her house saying If you iudge me to bee faithfull come to my house so you may iudge them to be faithfull to whose house the Lord commeth If you aske Salomon to whome the Lord giueth wisedome and knowledge hee answereth To a man which is good in his sight Eccles the second Chapter and twentie sixe verse shewing that those men are gracious in Gods sight as Ioseph was in Pharaohs Contrariwise if you see God flying from a man as Dauid fled from Saul that is withdrawing his spirite as the Master did his Talent then you may saie this is not a faithfull seruant to his Master for if he had vsed his Talent well the Lord would increase it as hee promised but because he doth abuse it therefore the Lorde dooth withdrawe it againe as he threatned To some God giueth and neuer recalleth againe to some he giueth and after taketh it from them As some Angels went vp the ladder and some went downe so some mens gifts increase and some decrease To the Ephesians the fourth Chapter you haue GOD giuing In Matthew 21. you haue him taking In Genes 1. you haue God blessing In Genes 4. you haue God cursing In Acts 26. you haue God opening eyes In Esay 6. you haue God shutting eyes In Dan. 2. you haue God making wise In Esa 44. you haue God making fooles In Iohn 15. you haue God dressing trees In Matthew 3. you haue God hewing downe trees When one sea floweth another â—bbeth When one starre riseth another setteth When light is in Goshen darknesse is in Aegypt When Mordecai groweth into fauour Haman groweth out of fauour When Beniamin beginneth Rachel endeth Thus wee are rising or setting getting or spending winning or loosing growing or fading vntill wee arriue at Heauen or Hell As Elisha his spirite was doubled so Saules spirit departed As the Gentiles become beleeuers so the Iewes become infidels As Saule becommeth an Apostle so Iudas becommeth an Apostata As Iohn groweth in the spirite so Ioash decaieth in the spirite As Zacheus turneth from the world so Demas turneth to the world As Lidias heart is opened so Pharaohs heart is hardened Euen as the thornes burne while the Vines fructifie When Ishbosheth was a sleepe vpon his bed Baanab and Rechab came and tooke away his life So while men sleepe and do no good God commeth and taketh away their gifts It was neuer said Sampson hath lost his strength vntill he harkened vnto Dahiah It was neuer said Saul hath lost his spirit vntill hee harkened not to Samuell It was neuer said Take his Talent from him vntill he hid it in the ground One sinne openeth the doore for many vertues to goe out While Iaacob staied with Laban Labans cattell increased because God blessed him for Iaacobs sake but when Iaacob went from him many of Labans sheepe went with him and he grewe poore againe so while the loue of righteousnesâ—e is with thee to husband thy knowledge and wisdome like Iaacob thou shalt thriue in graces and one daye shall teach another but when that steward departeth from thee then looke that thy wisedome and knowledge and iudgement should decrease as fast as the widowes oyle increased the world will winne the flesh and the flesh will winne the spirit and one sinne will crie to another as the Moabites did at the riuer Now Moab to the spoyle now sinnes to your spoyle then thy knowledge shall flie as though it were afraide to bee taken captiue of ignorance thy loue shall not abide thy hatred thy humilitie shall not abide thy pride thy temperaunce shall not abide thy concupisence As thou seest the leaues fall from the trees in a boystrous winde so thy graces shall drop away one after another as though thou were in a consumption As the Arke would not staye with the Philistines so the grace of GOD will not staie with sinners but flieth from them like persecutors Dauid was not so readie to flie from Saule but the spirite was as readie to flie from him too This must come vppon all which sinne like Sampson their strength must departe from them vntill they learne like Nabuchadnezzar from whence it came This sentence is such a meditation that hee which would preach it to the quicke had neede to haue an eie in all mens hearts to see how one vertue dieth after another vntill the soule die too As there is a fall of leaues and an Eclipse of the sunne and a consumption of the bodie so there is a fall of giftes and an Eclipse of knowledge a consumption of the spirit It is straunge to see how wisdome and knowledge and iudgement doe shun the wicked as though they were afraid to be defiled As Barach would not goe vnles Deborah would go with him so knowledge will not stay vnles vertue will stay with her To this Ieremy poynted when he mocked the Iewes for saying Knowledge shall not depart from the priest nor counsel from the wise nor the word from the prophet to this Esay pointed when he saith The wisdome of the wise men shal perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hid as if he should say one day Christ will tell you that Whosoeuer hath not from him c. And
Dauid as appeareth in the first booke of Samuel the thirteenth Chapter fourteenth verse As all those whom God set ouer his people in his mercy and not in his anger had some note of excellencie aboue the rest which God chose them by as it were the Magistrates marke the mildest man Numb 12. 3. or the wisest man 1. Reg. 4. 31. or the iustest man Heb. 7. 2. as though if all these had met in one the inquisition should haue staied there and all giue place to him but our vertues are so singled that he which was called the mildest is not called the wisest and hee which was called the wisest is not called the iustest as though God found some defect in his owne election For when hee chose one milde another wise another iust he shewed that hee would haue one which is milde and wise and iust like himselfe that is as I may say a man made euen in print As Paul biddeth to choose widdowes which were widdowes indeed 1. Tim. 5. 3. so we should choose Magistrates which are Magistrates indeed that is such as seem to be sent of God for that purpose as Pharaoh chose Ioseph because he was the fittest in all the Land Gen. 41. 38. Elisha thought that the single spirite was not enough but required that the spirite of Eliah might be doubled vpon him because he was a Prophet which should teach others so we should picke out them which haue a double spirit to be Magistrates because they must gouerne others as God picketh foorth Iosua in Moses roome hee might haue chosen many out of all Israel which had the spirite of widome but he chose Iosua of whom he sayth that hee was full of the spirite of wisedome Deut. 24. 9. shewing that if one bee better than another he should be chosen before the rest because the best haue said Send another Exod. 4. 14. as though none were fit but for want of Angels we are faine to make Magistrates of men Therefore as Samuel went ouer all the sonnes of Ishai to annoint a successour to Saul and put back one after another which thought themselues fit yet there was but one amongst them which pleased God and the Prophet could scarce discerne him so necessarie it is that this choyce bee committed to none but to the godly because he which would haue chosen the best yet liked another before him Therefore there was such a scrutinie amongst the tribes to finde out the man whom God had chosen as Iethro taught Moses to cull out of all the people those which had best courage and feared God and dealt truly and hated couetousnes Therefore a wicked man may not supply the place of God as the Scribes and Pharisies sate in Moses Chaire but as it is said of Iudas Let another take his place so let better take their place for they which are called Gods must be like God If all should be holy as he is holy how much more should they be pure as he is pure wise as he is wise iust as he is iust which beare his name which supplie his person and guide the world vnto good or euill If the race should be to the swift and the battell to the strong then as Saul did exceed all the men of Israel from the shoulders vpward so he which commaunds others should exceede other in giftes of grace that they may know him from the rest and say this is hee for he exceedes the rest in vertue as Saul did in stature like the King of Bees which is fairest of all the hiue Therefore if Pharao would let none but Ioseph gouerne Egypt Pharao shall rise vp against those Kings which care not whom they place ouer their people imitating Rehoboam which made them his companions whome he should haue expelled from his Court 1. King 12. 8. Secondly this extolleth the calling of Magistrates As Iacob honored Iosephs children when he said they should bee called after his name so God honoureth the Magistrates when he giues them his owne name calling them Gods as though there were a kinde of Godhead in them These things pertayne to the wise and they themselues do not alwayes see it yet he which hath a spirituall eye and carries the patterne of GOD in his hart may see another like nesse of God in Magistrates than in common persons As the builders of the Temple had a speciall wisedome and spirit which God gaue them for that worke which they were chosen too so when Samuel had anoynted Dauid hee saith that the spirite of the Lord came vppon Dauid from that day forward as though hee had anoeher spirite after than he had before There is difference betweene Kings inferior Magistrates for the Prince is like a great Image of God the Magistrates are like little Images of God appoynted to rule for God to make lawes for God to reward for GOD to punish for God to speak for God to fight for God to reforme for God and therefore their Battelles are called the Lordes battailes and their Iudgements the Lordes Iudgements and their Throne the Lords Throne and the Kings themselues his Kings to shewe that they are all for God like his hands by some he reacheth mercy by some iustice by some peace by some counsel as Christ distributed the loaues and the fishes by the hands of his Disciples This God requires of all when he cals them Gods to rule as he would rule iudge as he would iudge correct as he would correct reward as hee would reward because it is said that they are instead of the Lord Godâ— that is to doe as he would doo as a Scholler writes by a Copie This is a good studie for Magistrates in all their iudgementes to consider what GOD would doo because they are in steede of God I rule for God I speake for God I iudge for God I reward for God I correct for God then as hee woulde doo and determine so must be my sentence As we should thinke how Christ prayed before we pray and how hee spake before we speake because his actions are our instructions so they should thinke how Christ would iudge before they iudge because Gods lawe is appoynted for their lawe Such a thought must needes leuel the way before them put them in mind of a good iust holy iudgement because God is good iust and holy Thirdly they are called Gods to teach them how they should gouerne Howsoeuer other care for the glory of God the performance of his will the reformation of his Church Princes and Rulers which are Gods themselues are to doe the businesse of God as their owne busines because they are Gods Gods busines is their busines Gods Lawe is their Lawe Gods honour is their honour When the King or Iudge or Magistrate doth seek the Kingdome and glorie of God he should thinke he seeketh his owne
Kingdome and glorie And therefore seeke it and further it as earnestly and diligently as hee would his owne and rule and iudge and speake and punish and counsaile as he would for himselfe Euen as Dauid counted Gods foes his foes and Gods friendes his friendes And Moses persecuted them that were Idolaters against God as he did them which were Traytors to himselfe If this were obserued we should see such a change that diuers which take should giue they which giue should take they which labour should rest they which rest should labour Howe can they pray to God which know that the lawes of God are not obeied that his will is not regarded but the poore vnpitied because of the remissenes in not bridling the insolent It may seeme that in Eliah his answere to Achab it was prophesied who should trouble Israell to the worldes end for speaking to the wicked Magistrate he sayd It is thou which troublest it So the vngodly Rulers and gracelesse striuers against lawful rule in their owne hearts calling themselues Gods not being so called of God are cause of all disorder in euery Common weale Fourthly they are called Gods to encourage them in their office and to teach them that they need not dread the persons of men but GOD dooth that which is iust and good without the ielousie of men so they vpon the Bench and in all causes of Iustice should forget themselues to be men which are lead by the armes betweene fauour and feare and thinke themselues Gods which feare nothing This boldnesse is so necessarie in them which should iudge all a like that in Deut. 3. 28. Moses encourageth Ioshua in Ios 1. 18. the people encourage him in ver 9. God doth encourage him saying that hee will be with him but here he is with him for hearing GOD call them Gods shewes that God is there nay that they are hee which should strike a wonderfull minde into them As a princely spirite came vpon Saul so soon as he hee was king so hearing that they are Gods it should change them make them excell the order of men vntill they resemble God after whom they are named as Salomō studied and prayed till he was wiser than all that he gouerned then they need not blush to reade this testimonie I haue sayd yee are Gods Or else it wil seeme a checke vnto them like the mocke which GOD gaue to Adam when he said that he was become like himselfe As many sit in Gods place and yet neuer knew that the Scripture called them Gods nor why they haue this name no more than Nabal so many play Nabal in their offices and are readier to aske Who is Dauid Who is Christ when his cause comes before them then speake or doe any thing for him but the women goe before them againe like Abigail as though GGD would shame them with the weaker vessell I cannot compare them fitter then with King Agrippa who thought it better to be a Christian almost than altogether This is the Religion of these times they feare nothing more then to be counted too precise but God doth call them more thā precise for he calles them Gods of all men then they should not forget his name Princes and Rulers haue many names of honour but this is the honourablest name in their Titles that they are called Gods other names haue been giuen them of men for reuerence or flatterie but no man could giue them this name but God himselfe Therefore their name is a glasse wherein they may see their duetie how God doth honour them and how they should honour him What am I more than he that God should set me in his owne Chaire and giue me his owne name more than others he hath not done so to all but if they which are called his children are happie they which are called his disciples are happie they which are called his seruants are happie how happie are they whom he calleth Gods It seemes that if GOD could haue called them by a higher name than his owne he would haue called them by some other name but this worde is enough to put them in minde of all that they should doo Thinke that yee are Gods and it will make you ashamed to obey the diuell for then ye are like Gods no more but like sinnefull men and the poorest vassal which serues God in a cottage is liker God than you Are they Gods which oppresse Gods children Nay dooth not he lie which calles them worshipfull or noble If such deserue not their titles how can Antichrist of Rome thinke of his vsurped names and not be abashed Can he sit downe in Gods place and speake against him iudge agaist him decree against him euen in the Temple of God resisting God Againe for another sorte of Gods Doth iniquitie become Gods Doth partialitie become Gods doo bribes become GODS They are greedie Gods Idol Gods bellie Gods and may be tearmed Gods because they are like the God of this worlde which doe but stay like Nabuchadnezzar vntill their iniquities be full that they may bee cast out like beastes as a derision to them they gouerne But they which regarde this honourable testimonie of God as Nehemiah sayd when he was tempted to flie Should such a man as I flie so when they are tempted with bribes should such a man as I take bribes shoulde such a man as I doe wrong should such a man as I be a lyar or a swearer or a scoffer or a drunkard or a gamester or a vsurer or a prophaner vpon whome all eyes are set to take their example and would harken sooner than to God himselfe Then he resolueth to rule according to his name knowing that all the soules which might be wonne by him shall be required of him as the sinnes of Israel were imputed to Ieroboam Thus GOD doth catechize them in their owne names and calles them Gods to teach them their duetie to God All should be godly but they should bee like Gods that is as I may say more then godly or the nexte to GOD in godlynesse If any come betweene them they lose of their honour and would thinke themselues put downe like a guest which is set lower or a Iustice which is turned out of office For so GOD doth humble them and disgrace them which dishonour their calling as he did Saul when the princely Spirite departed from him his sonnes and his daughters and his subiects did fauour Dauid more than him that he could do nothing with them because God did not loue him hee would not let his seruaunts loue him But when Dauid came to the Crowne because he had grace with God he prospered in all that he went about and euer reformed what he would for the Lord as hee saide subdued the people vnto him that is made them incline to his will as wee reade of Saul in
recorde against it selfe repenting for breaking this commaundement and that commaundement and neuer repenteth for breaking this commaundement reioice euermore It is not an indifferent thing to reioyce or not to reioice but wee are commaunded to reioyce to shew that wee breake a commandement if we reioyce not Oh what a comfort is this when the comforter himselfe shall coÌ„maund vs to reioyce God was wont to say repent and not reioice because men reioyce too much but heere God commaundeth to reioyce as though some men did not reioyce enough Therefore you must vnderstand to whom he speaketh In 149. Psal 5. It is said Let the Saints be glad not let the wicked be glad and in Esaiah 40. 1. Hee saith Comfort my people not comfort mine enemies shewing to whoÌ„ this commandement of Paul is sent reioyce euermore it is not in this as Christ saieth that which I say vnto you I say vnto all but that which I say vnto you I say not vnto all Giue wine saith Salomon vnto him that is sorrowfull that he may forget his griefe So giue comfort vnto him which is penitent that he may forget his feare Salomon saith fiue times that this is the portion of man vnder the sunne to receiue the gifts of God with thankefulnes and to reioyce in them hee which would haue vs holy as he is holy would haue vs ioyfull as he is ioyfull he which would haue vs do his will vpon earth As the Angels doo it in heauen would haue vs reioyce vpon earth as the Angels reioyce in heauen he which hath ordained vs to the kingdome of Saints woulde haue vs reioice that we haue such a kingdom to receiue Therefore he saith to his Disciples Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life as Bâ—az said vnto Ruthâ— goe not out of this fielde to gleane in any other field for here thou shalt haue inough so he woulde not haue vs goe from this comfort vnto any other comfort for here we shall haue enough the spirite of God is called the Comforter because we should haue comfort in it I will send you the Comforter saith Christ to shew that they which haue the spirit haue comfort too and they which resist comfort resiste the spirit therefore the sonne of GOD is called the Consolation of Israell to shew that hee bringeth Consolation with him and that ioye is where Christ is as light is where the SuÌ„ne is Therefore the chiefest ioy is called the ioye of the holie Ghost to shewe that they haue the chiefest ioye which haue the holie Ghost therefore the greatest peace is called the peace of conscience to shew that they haue the greatest peace which haue a good conscience therefore the faithfull are said to be annointed with the oyle of ioy as though ioie were in their countenance therefore they are said to be cloathed with the garmeÌ„t of gladnes as though gladnes did compasse them like a garment therefore Paul in al his Epistels doth ioine grace peace together shew that the peace of God doth follow them which haue the grace of God It is not in vaine that the holy Ghost when he named Barnabas interpreted his name too because it signifieth the sonne of consolation as though he delighted in such men as were the sonne of consolation Comfort one another saith Paule How shal we comfort one another without comfort Therefore Paule saith GOD comforteth vs that we may be able to comfort other by the comfort wherby we our selues are comforted of God shewing that wee cannot comfort other vnlesse wee be comfortable our selues and therefore that we may performe this dutie we are bound to nourish comfort in our selues Paul saith I am full of comfort who then can say I am full of sorrow but he must contrarie Paule As the bodie may not offend the soule so the soule may not iniure the body because it is the bodis keeper but a pensiue man doth iniure the body and the soule too for Salomon saith A sound spirit will beare his infirmities but a wounded spirite who can beare As if he should say The heart must be kept couragious and strong liuely like an instrument which is tuned to tune all the rest or els euery griefe wil make thee impatient In Deut. 30. 9. it is said that God reioiceth to doe vs good therefore in the 28 of Deut. the Iewes are reprooued because they reioyced not in the seruice of God As he loueth a cheerfull giuer so hee loueth a cheerfull seruer and a cheerefull Preacher and a cheereful hearer and a cheereful worshipper and therefore Dauid saith Let vs sing hartelie vnto the Lord shewing as it were the tune which delighteth Gods eares If you would know with what tune ye should sing vnto God Dauid saith Heartelie that is you must giue heartelie you must loue heartelie you must obey heartelie you must pray heartelie and when you do all thinges heartely then you shall doe all things cheerfully Therfore now I may say vnto them which resist comfort and nourish griefe as the Prophet saith Who hath required these things of you GOD doth require no sorrowe but the sorrow for sin no feare but the fear to sin no care but the care to please him nay hee hath forbidden al other care and therefore Peter saith Cast your care vppon him As though God did not allow vs to care he sent his Apostle with this charge Cast your care vppon him As wee doo cast our sinnes vpon Christ so we must cast our cares vpon him for God hath commaunded vs to labour but not to care because care hindereth our labour like the Samaritanes which seemed to helpe the Iewes to build the Temple hindered them to build the Temple so care and sorrow thought seeme to helpe vs in our labours our studies our prayers and our strife but indeede they hinder vs for they take al the time from that which we should do disable vs to do it and therefore when care commeth to vs we shal answere it as Christ said vnto Sathan Auoide Sathan auoide care for euery care which is not of God is of Sathan and we may not beare that which God commaundeth vs to cast vppon him shall I hang my ioy and my faith and my hope because I haue sinned as Iudas hanged himself The Scripture saieth not let him which hath stolne despaire of mercie but Let him which hath stolne steale no more and it is enough As we are taught to discerne of spirites of doctrines so we must discerne of cares and sorrowes for when Paul saith There is a repentance not to be repented of Hee sheweth that there is a repentance to be repented of that is a repentance which is a sin like the teares of Esau which wept not for his sins but for
day It would haue troubled them to watch so long for a good cause but it was fit that the worke of darknes shoulde be done in draknes therefore Christ saith This is the houre of darknesse the houre of darkenes and the power of darknes and the worke of darknes met together When they should rest malice would not suffer them to rest but they became like Owles which watch in the night and cannot sleepe Heere was fulfilled Salomons saying They cannot sleepe before they haue done euill so eagre wee are vpon reuenge more than anie thing else They say that hee cannot stay which rideth vpon the Diuell for malice draweth him and furie spurres him Therefore Zacheus went not so hastely to receiue Christ as his enemies hast to destroy him Nay rather I may say to destroy themselues For as they prayed at Christes death so it came vpon them They sayed his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children so his bloud is vpon them and vpon their children which haue beene Vagabonds ouer the earth euer since and haue no countrie of their owne for if they be cursed which do the Lords busines negligently they must be cursed too which doe the Diuels busines diligently If men were so hastie in executing Iustice as they were in executing malice so many mē should not be vndone by sutes of Lawe for in one day they could apprehend accuse and examine and condemne and execute him which was Innocent but hee which is iust cānot be quit in one terme nor two nay if he haue right in a yeare it is counted quick dispatch and hee is glad that hee met with such a speedie Lawyer How then when they take a bad cause in hand and prolong it too which keeps their Clients in suspence from day to day and from weeke to weeke in great charge and sinne together I would to GOD that some did not sit in counsaile against good Christiās as these Priests did against Christ but GOD in his mercie dooth daily confounde and bring to nothing the accursed counsailes of the wicked Antichrist and all his rebellious confederates So when the wicked tooke counsaile together wickednesse was the ende of their counsayles for there is nothing woorse to the vngodlie than to meete together for before they meete their wickednes is a little hid like the poyson in a Serpent but when they meete together one setteth on another and the poyson breakes forth into vile speeches and detestable workes and vngodly practises as we see in Tauernes and such like assemblies as this For now they are met together they haue conspired amongst themselues to accuse vnto the Gouernour the most innocent man in the world as if he were the worst man liuing they abused him and mocked him and reuiled him and buffeted him before they brought him to the Gouernor which sheweth that they woulde haue killed him too if they durst without the Gouernour but sin is craftie and therefore they obserue the order of lawe and forme of iudgement lest they should be takē in the snare which they made for him First because Pilate had the authoritie ouer iudgements of death and not they Therefore they are inforced to seeke vnto his iudgement seat to saue themselues from blame and to be deliuered out of trouble if they did vsurpe any thing vpon the Magistrates Office Then because they might not runne vnto the gouernour before daye without suspition of tumult they staide vntill it was morning but so soone as they coulde come they came post hast for the Sunne did no sooner peepe but euen at the verie breake of day they were all readie to flocke vnto the Iudge against him This they did without knowledge but God directed euery thing vnto a right end For it was meete that the Sonne of GOD shoulde bee cleered in a solemne manner by an earthlie Iudge to shewe how wee shalbe cleered by the heauenlie Iudge and therefore as it appeareth in the seuen and twentieth Chapter and foure and twentieth verse of Saint Mathewes Gospell Pilate saide that he found no euill in him before he gaue sentence against him which sheweth that he died not for his owne sinnes but for our sinnes and therefore though they went to the Iudge to saue thēselues from blame yet God sent them to the Iudge that his worde might be fulfilled Lastly this Pilate was a Roman gouernour which ruled for Caesar as Zacheus was a Romane collectour which gathered for Caesar For at that time the Romanes had brought much of the worlde vnto their subiection as since that time they haue brought much of the worlde vnto Idolatry and therefore God would haue his sonne to be iudged by the Romane policie and to be condemned by a Romane Iudge and to be slaine with a Romane death as it were ioyning the Iewes and the Romans in impietie together to shewe that these two Nations shoulde be the odioust people vnto him in all the worlde and how his seruaunts should be crucified there where hee was crucified himselfe for as the Romanes then did crucifie Christ vpon a Crosse so they crucifie him nowe vpon their Altar and resemble the Dragon which when he could not preuaile against Michaell himselfe then hee fought against the woman and her seed that is the Church and her children which are slaine in Rome as the Prophets were in Ierusalem Thus Rome began with the heade and ends with the members So much of the Priests and the Scribes and the Pharisies and the elders Pilate what they did against Christ of whome was fullfilled Dauids praier Lord turne the counsell of Achitophell vnto follie So their counsell was turned vnto follie For as Paule reuiued when he was stoned so Christ rose againe when he was buried to shewe that there is no counsell against God and therefore let all our counsels be for God Now we come to Iudas to aggreuate this tragicall counsell The Euangelist annexeth vnto it the desperate end of the cursedst mā that euer was Three things are speciallie noted of this Traitor his death the cause of his death the confession which hee made before his death His death in the fift verse Hee went hanged himself The cause of his death in the 3. verse For that hee had betrayed his Lord now did see him condemned had no ioy of the money which was giuen vnto him for his Treason His confession in the thirde verse I haue sinned betraying innocent bloude I will speake of euerie worde as they lie for your memorie Therefore first of his Treason When Iudas the traytor before hee was called Iudas the Apostle now he is called Iudas the traitor to distingish him from other of that name lest anie of his name shoulde be defamed for him a brand is set in his forehead like the letter Tau or Caines marke to make him hatefull like a rogue which is burned in the eare so Esau was called Edom which signifieth Redde
neuer brought Agrippa to altogether Therefore they which fishe for soul 〈◊〉 must take Paules net and remember what God saith to Ieremie 15. 19. Let them bee conuerted vnto thee But be not thou conuerted vnto them for then thou shalt neuer conuert them Signifiing that our constancie in goodnes shall induce others to turne from their wickednes and make him which is but almost come to altogether This is the substance of Paules replie that it is not enough to be a Christian almost that is to haue a kinde of religion a little knowledge a little faith a cold zeale a flattering holines like the touch of the hem but we must march to perfection and doe his will vpon earth as it is in heauen and contend to be holie as hee is holie This is religion saith Iames to keepe thy selfe vnspotted like a glasse which is still wiped To this end saith Paul 2. Tim. 3. The Scripture doth teache and reproue and instruct and comfort That the man of God might bee absolute And in the 1. to the Ephe. 41. To this ende wee were elected that wee might be holie and without blame And Rom. 1. He describes our iourney from faith to faith not from faith to distrust As Dauid describes the waie of the righteous Psal 840. 7. From vertue to vertue as a trauailer goes from towne to towne till he come to his Inne What a foolish thing were it for the Scribe to stay there whē our Lord telles him Thou art not farre from the kingdome of heauen for therefore Christ telleth him that he is not farre from heauen to incourage him lest he should giue ouer before he come to it So if yee staie at almost and repente in some sort as Esau did when hee wept you may hunt for the blessing as Esau did and goe without it for God is not mocked but God is mocked if colours and shewes will serue When GOD said Seeke my face mine heart aunswered said Dauid I will seeke thy face Psalme 27. 8. So wee must aunswere the Lorde to that which he asketh and not when hee biddes vs seeke his face seeke his backe when he requireth al giue him halfe God asketh Art thou a Christian and thou aunsweres O Lord I am almost a Christian What niggardlie aunswere is this to him which deserueth a thousande times more than the best can giue If thy maister aske thee art thou my seruant wilt thou aunswere him I am almost thy seruant If the Prince aske thee Art thou my subiect wilt thou aunswere I am almost thy subiect If thy father aske thee art thou my sonne wilt thou answere I am almost thy sonne If thou art but almost his son then he is but almost thy father And so it is with God a son or no sonne halfe a sonne is a bastard How doest thou know God to be thy God but as thou art his seruant How doest thou knowe God to be thy father but as thou art his son By thy loue thou shalt know Gods loue for according to thy minde towards him is his minde of thee whereby thou maist truelie iudge whether he fauour thee or hate thee and no way else God loueth nothing almost therefore he doth not loue almost Therefore loue as thou maist be loued or else thy loue is lost Thou must seeke as thou maist finde or else thy labour is lost They shall seeke and finde me saith God because they shall seeke with all their hearts as in Ieremie 29. Chapter and the 13. verse as though they should not finde him though they sought him vnlesse the sought him with all their hearts Naaman is not onelie commaunded to wash himselfe in Iordan but to washe himselfe seuen times and then he shall bee healed So man is not onely commaunded to obey God but to obey him while hee liues and then he shall be saued Be faithfull saith the Angell vnto death and then I will giue thee the Crowne of life Reuel 2 10. When Saul was commanded to kill the Idolatrous beasts he was commaunded to kil all and because he spared some God reiected him Yet God hath more mercie on beasts than on sins Would he haue the beasts of sinners die their vices liue No saith Christ Make cleane within that is leaue no filth behind Whensoeuer Christ cast out one deuill we read that he cast out al euē the legion together so when thou castest out one vice cast out all for one is not worthier than another The Prophet doth teach vs to power out our sins like water which leaueth no taste or colour or sent behinde There is a whole old man and there must be a whole newe man The old man must change with the new man wisedome for wisedome loue for loue feare for feare his worldlie wisedome for heauenlie wisedome his carnall loue for spirituall loue his seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holy thoughtes his vaine wordes for wholesome wordes his fleshlye workes for righteous workes This is a Christian altogether as if he were cast in a newe mould As a Painter woulde drawe a beautifull picture which should bee fairer than all women in the worlde hee would marke the speciall grace of euerie one and make one beautie of all so we must make vp a Christian and take modestie from him faith from him loue from him patience from him zeale from him and humility from him vntill it be like the Image of Christ This is the building of a Christian First his foundation is laide and then his walles and then his roofe and then a Christian like Adam in Paradise God made all things good therefore if we bee but almost good all thinges are better than wee The wicked man speaketh out of the corruption of his fleshlie heart and shall not the righteous speake of the aboundance of his spirituall heart Hee which is merrie would be merrier if he knew how He which is enuious would looke sterner if he could He which is proud would goe brauer if hee had it and all if wee could bee worse wee would but let them amend which looke to die For what kinde of man should hee bee which must beare the Image of God be the Temple of the holie Ghost and inherite the kingdome of heauen Who is fit for these things saith Paul Nay who is fit for these things Do ye know no enough in riches nor pleasure nor sinne and thinke that you haue enough of religion before yee haue any The good are knowne because none but they which are good striue to be better Wee are inuited to a banquet shall we go but halfe the way vnto it Were it not better that the fig-tree had borne fruites than leaues that the Virgins had carried oyle than lamps So is it not better for vs to be vessels of gold that come to the Lords table than like the image in Daniel part of gold part of siluer part of brasse part of iron part of clay
which was after broken If the crowne did lie in the midde way then thou needest run but halfe the way but to shew that there is no reward for them that begin well all the promises are made to him that continueth to the end Hee is cursed not onely which doth euill but hee which dooth the worke of the Lorde negligently or by halfes that is hee which offereth a maymed sacrifice for a sound almost a Christian for altogether Therefore Dauid before hee prayes summoneth his thoughts his speeches actions and saith All that is within mee praise the Lorde as a man giueth that which he thinketh wil be accepted that he may be welcome for it If we did serue an vngratefull master then we might thinke almost enough But Christ did not loue almost when he shed his heart bloud for vs therefore he cannot aske more than he gaue and yet the inheritaunce of his blessings is behinde why shouldest not thou giue as much for them as Abraham or Dauid or Simeon which would haue serued God till this time if they had liued still reformed themselues yet thought they had done nothing as Iacob counted his seruice for Rachel nothing because he loued her but thou thinkest that if thou giuest thy pleasures thou shalt want thy pleasures No as Abrahā did not lose his son when he would haue sacrificed his sonne so God can keepe his pleasures when thou resignest thy pleasures Thou thinkest that God will not misse it as Ananias thought that Peter woulde not misse it but if Peter did misse it will not God misse it So we pare the offering like Elies sonnes which kept the best and fatest to themselues which made the people abhor the sacrifices and shall not God abhor such sacrifices If Ely reprooued his sons how wil God reproue them which reproued Ely for not reprouing thē enough A spirituall eare can heare GOD reprouing this land for this mincing of his worship Can the preaching of the word the signes of heauen the shaking of the earth the victorie of your enemies and all the blessings of God make you but almost Christians almost religious almost thankefull Is this my reward saith God as though you were afrayde to bee too good If you thinke that you shall bee mocked if you bee too zealous as Micholl scorned Dauid when he daunced before the Arke Dauid tels you how you shal stop such scorners mouthes O saith Dauid I will be more humble yet before my God When Michol sawe his resolution she mocked him no more but reuerenced him euer after So tell the Diuell and all his mockers I wil be more zealous more feruēt and more holy yet vntill I be like him which said Follow me and they which mocke thee shall reuerence thee as Michol did Dauid This when thou art in the way to heauen remember that thou must goe forwarde or backward for Iacob did see none stand vpon the ladder which ascended vp to heauen but either thy went vp or down they which go not forward go backward They which will not come so forward as altogether shall not stay at almost but fal from their faith loue and knowledge and zeale by descents till Christes threatning be fulfilled That which they seeme to haue shall be taken from them as though they neuer had any taste at al. Thus I haue set you a glasse to beholde whether you are in almost or altogether Yet Paul lured for Agrippa Now he sues to the people When he had caught the King hee spred his net for the people I would to God that not onely thou but all that heare mee were not onely almost but altogether as I am Hee might wish rather than hope and therefore hee praies I would to God that all were Christians As Moses wished that all coulde prophesie Peter was taught both to feede the sheepe and the lambs great and small and old an young rich and poore So Paul praies for the King and for the people too wisheth that they were all Christians This prayer we may say for them that doe not praye for themselues to make them ashamed when they see other more careful for their soules than they thēselues The Pastours care extendeth to all although some are more to be laboured yet none is to be despised which is but a lamb of the flock Paule doth not wish Agrippa more honour or more wealth or more friēds but more religion which is the greatest want of Princes Although they haue receiued a kingdome yet they are not so thankfull as they which haue receiued nothing but from hande to mouth Though they haue done a thousand times more euil yet they are not so penitent as he which hath done least of all They sit in Gods seat are called Gods but are not like God but like Mammon more than their names and their Crownes except Dauid or Salomon or Iosua a fewe which remember whose person they bear the rest are like Herod and Saul and Nabuchadnezzar which know not from whō their kingdoms come As I am saith Paul directly Paul shoulde haue replied altogether a Christian and not altogether as I am but who shall teach the Spirit to perswade Hee chose to say as I am that Agrippa might see his single heart and loue toward him who went not about to seduce him but wisht it vnto him as vnto him selfe Euen as I am If any thing will perswade most fit is the example when he which teacheth vs goes before vs for then we see that hee dealeth plainly and speakes of loue and meanes no deceit when we see him doe as he saith Saul hath slaine his thousand but Dauid his ten thousand So where another conuerts a thousand hee shall conuert ten thousand which can say like Christ Follow mee Oh what is this when a Christian and I am all one that ye might say to your children I woulde to God thou were a Christian when you say I woulde to God thou were like me The king shoulde bee like Paule by this saying How then doe some say with Festus Too much zeale hath made thee mad If the people know the Lords prayer the ten cōmandemēts the Articles of beleefe it is enough is this to be like Paul No Festus the knowledge of the word doth not make a mā mad but makes him wise to saluation Can that which makes a mā wise make him mad Therefore they which say that we are the worse for knowledge or worse for religion or worse for zeale are like Festus which had neither knowledge zeale nor religion in him And they which teach the people that they shall not neede to be as Paul but that a mediocritie will serue incurre that curse of Paule Hee which teacheth another doctrine than that which yee haue receiued of vs which wished all as perfect as himselfe Let him bee Anathema that is accursed They which loue you like Paul doo not wish you zeale by waight and knowledge by
Thou art bound by this commaundement to doe it with all thy strength Therefore when Dauid went about the seruice of God he called al his powers together summoning them like a Cryer All that is within me praise the Lorde If euery parte looke to be glorified of GOD it is reason that euery part should glorifie him for this is all that they pay As euery subiect oweth loyaltie vnto his Prince so euerie member oweth a duety vnto his Creator The heart to loue him the tongue to praise him the eye to marke him the eare to attend him the hand to serue him the foote to followe him and euery parte shoulde serue GOD as it serueth vs Nay more than it serueth vs because wee are bound to loue GOD more than our selues For it is saide Loue God aboue all therefore we must giue more to Gods desire than to our owne desire Christ hath a parte in euery parte Nay euery parte is his parte because hee gaue all for all Shall the hande saye to the heart serue thou him or the heart say to the tongue serue thou him or the tongue say to the eye serue thou him or the eye say to the foote serue thou him Nay if Christ bee the head euery part will serue him for all the bodie is ruled by the head and therefore if hee bee the head euery parte of the bodie will serue him like a head Nowe if you will knowe how euery part may be a sacrifice thus it is When thou canst say with the Virgin Mine heart doth magnifie the Lorde then thine hearte is a sacrifice to God When thou canst saie with Samuell speake Lorde for thy seruant heareth then thine eare is a sacrifice to God When thou canst saie with Dauid Mine eies are euer towarde the Lorde then thine eie is a sacrifice vnto God When thou canst say with Dauid All the daye long I stretch out mine hand to thee then thine handes are a sacrifice to GOD. When thou canst say with Dauid as it appeareth in the 25. Psalme and the twelfth verse My foote standeth in vprightnes then thy feete are a sacrifice to God So at length by following of these examples euerie member is a sacrifice Hee which offereth this sacrifice is freely excused of all sacrifices besides For since Christ sacrificed himselfe God hath required none other sacrifice of Iewes nor Gentiles But that they sacrifice themselues Nowe when God doth require of thee to sacrifice thy bodie he doth but require thee to sacrifice the sinnes of thy body as you may picke out of the next wordes Be chaunged that is chaunge thy thoughts chaunge thy wordes chaunge thy workes Let thy tongue speake no more idelly Let thine eies looke no more to vanitie Let thine eares hearken no more to folly Let thine handes worke no more iniquitie and then thou hast Sacrificed thy bodie This seemes a deare sacrifice to sacrifice the bodie yet thou seest it is but a cheape sacrifice for it is nothing but to sacrifice thy sinnes which woulde Sacrifice thee If GOD had required thee to Sacrifice thy Sonne to him as hee required Abraham Genesis the twentie two Chapter and the second verse Wouldest thou not giue him But nowe he requireth nothing of thee but thy sinnes it is as if he should sue vnto thee for thy shame and thy trouble and thy guilt and thy feare that he might haue all which hurtes thee What wilt thou parte from if thou wilt not part from thine hurte Therefore sacrifice thy bodie and thou hast Sacrificed all that hurts thee Heere Christ is the alter and we the sacrifice and the fire which kindleth it the loue of God and the smoake which goeth vp the cōsumption of our sinnes but a worldly man killed and a spirituall man reuiued and the sacrifice is ended This sacrifice goeth vnder three titles liuing holie and acceptable Euerie one perswades with the Apostle that they shoulde offer it for in it is a holie sacrifice it cannot but please because hee is holy which takes it in that it is a liuing sacrifice it cannot lose them any thing because there is no death nor losse in it as there was in the Iewes sacrifices in that it is an acceptable sacrifice it must needs benefite thē for when the sacrifice is accepted the sacrificer is accepted too as Abel pleased when his sacrifice pleased First it is called a liuing sacrifice because the beasts died when they were sacrificed but men liue when they are sacrificed nay they die vnles they be sacrificed As Abraham did not lose his sonne when he was cōtent to sacrifice him to God so mē do not lose their pleasures when they sacrifice thē to God But as Christ saith He which leaueth father or mother for me shall receiue an hundred folde So he which leaueth any cōfort for God shall receiue an hūdred comforts for it For Gods demands are not onely demands but gifts Hee bids thee sacrifice thy bodie that thou mightest partak the sacrifice of his body Here then is but one Sacrifice for an other one body for another a beggers body for a Kings body Well may he require a liuing sacrifice which hath giuen a dead sacrifice Christ died for vs but hee desireth not our death but our life that we would serue him with our life It is called an holy sacrifice because our bodies are the temples of the holie ghost that is if they are not they shoulde be the Temples of the holy Ghost But as the Iewes abused the Temple of stone so we haue abused the Temple of flesh and there is no waie to make it holy againe but for the holy ghost to dwell in it that is to sacrifice it to God then it is holie because as vertue came out of Christ to heale the womans disease so holynes commeth out of Christ to heale euerye mans sinnes and then they are holie As nothing dooth please vs vnlesse it bee some waie like vs and agreeable to our nature so nothing doth please God but that which is like God therefore because God is holy no sacrifice doth please him but the holie sacrifice therefore holie goeth before acceptable to shewe that our sacrifice is not acceptable vnlesse it be holie Aliniug holy and acceptable sacrifice 3 It is called an acceptable sacrifice because no sacrifice is so accepted as when we offer our selues Therefore Sāuel saith obediēce is better than sacrifice that is it pleaseth God better than sacrifice Now if we must sacrifice to God we should doe as we doe to Princes that is offer that which may be accepted that we may be accepted for our gift or els better vndone than done When Caine had sacrificed to God because his sacrifice was not accepted therefore Moses saith that his countenance was cast downe but if wee sacrifice our bodies our countenance neede not bee cast downe for Paul saith that this sacrifice is accepted All other sacrifices
Antichristes religion yet we bee of Antichristes fashion so long as wee shew foorth the same badge and cognisance you know what I meane This is to iumpe with the world and leape to hell This is not to be in fashion but out of fashion therefore nowe yee shall heare the best fashion It followeth Be you changed by the renewing of your mindes This is the second part of your reasonable seruice The changing and renewing of the minde to the likenesse wherein it was created As before he required you to giue your bodies so here hee requireth you to giue your mindes Outwarde seruice is like a tinckling Cimball though it hath neuer so pleasant a sounde yet it doth not please God because it hath no minde to please him so is the seruice of the eie or the eare or the hand or the foote if the minde be away it may please other like the Cimball but it pleaseth not God The body is a seruant as well as the soule but there is no promise made to the bodilie seruice but to the Spirituall seruice For vnlesse the minde worke the bodie will serue but a while Therefore make cleane within saith Christ Sanctification begins within vntill the minde be renewed the body is neuer sacrificed Therefore now Paul shewes as it were the knife that must kill this sacrifice that is the minde the minde must sacrifice the bodie Be ye chaunged as if he should say Suffer your selues to be chaunged as Noah suffered himselfe to bee couered that is Grien◠not the spirit doe not resist God bee not against your conuersion and GOD wil conuert you God will comfort you God will renew you By this renewing of our minds Paule calleth to our remembrance that once we had a pure minde and that we come the neerer vnto God the neerer we draw to that similitude againe And therefore the Scripture calleth so often for a newe man a newe creature a new heart As ye may reade Psal 51. 10. Dauid praieth the Lorde to create him a new heart not to correct his olde heart but to create him a new heart Shewing that his heart was like an old garment so rotten and tattered that he coulde make no good of it by patching and peecing but must euen cast it off and take a newe Therefore Paul saith Cast off the olde man Not pick him and wash him till hee bee cleane but cast him off and begin a new as Dauid did Wil yee knowe what this renewing is It is the repairing of the Image of God vntill we bee like Adam when hee dwelt in Paradise As there is a whole olde man so there must bee a whole new man the olde man must chaunge with the new man wisedome for wisedome loue for loue feare for feare his worldy wisedome for heauenly wisedome his carnall loue for spirituall loue his seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holie thoughts his vaine wordes for holesome wordes his fleshly works for sanctified works If the minde must be so renewed I would know of the Papists where are their pure naturals if our naturals were pure our mindes neede not to bee renewed for it is good to bee pure and euill to change it but because there is no purenes in vs therefore the Apostle would haue vs changed Againe let them tell me why our mindes should bee renewed if we haue free will to doe good if wee list But because our mindes are so corrupted that wee haue no free will to good nor will to doe good neither therefore the Apostle would haue our mindes renewed Thus one word of God hath battered two Castles of Antichrist FINIS A looking Glasse for Christians Rom. 12. 3. I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to euerie one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that he vnderstande according to Sobrietie as God hath dealth to euerie man the measure of faith FIrst of the Preface and then of the counsell In the first verse of this Chapter Paule perswaded the Romanes by the mercie of GOD towardes them heere hee perswadeth them By the grace of GOD towardes him Paul speakes like a man in his deathbed which is set to giue good counsel and goeth from one lesson to another as though hee would speake al with a breath First he counselled them to make their bodies serue God because the bodie is a seruant as well as the soule then he forbad them to fashion themselues to the worlde because no man can serue two contrarie maisters Then he aduised thē to renew their mindes because except the minde be reformed the body will serue but a while And he setteth them to seeke Gods will because the will of man doth seduce him And now to make vp this Testament as it were hee admonisheth them to rest in the knowledge of Gods will and not to search further nor to be proud of their knowledge but to vse their knowledge to humble their pride This lesson may seeme vaine to the Romanes for they were not yet come to be wise and he councelleth thē not to be too wise Paule saith That the Gentiles sought after wisedome but he saith there That the preaching of the Gospell seemed foolishnes vnto them which was wisdom therefore God calleth them a foolish nation because they counted the true wisedome foolishnes and their owne follie wisedome For this cause there was such emulation between the Iew and the Gentile one despised another because they did not accorde what wisedome was although both sought for it Therefore that ye may not only seeke wisdome as the Gentiles did but finde wisedome as Salomon did Paul laieth a foundation for wisedome to stay vpon which he cals Sobrietie Be wise according to Sobrietie which is this By the grace of GOD which is giuen to me Because he speakes to all and his charge is of great moment and they which thinke themselues wise will hardly bee perswaded but that they are wise therefore he comes with authoritie like an ambassadour from GOD and saith By the grace of GOD which is giuen to mee that is by the vertue of mine Apostleship which I haue not receiued from men but from GOD nor from earth but from heauen I charge you that no man among you whether he be learned or vnlearned whether he bee an hearer or a teacher presume to knowe aboue that which is meete to knowe that is make himselfe wiser than he is or boast of the graces which GOD hath giuen him or despise the giftes of God in other or rome beyond his calling or trouble his head with curiosities but that hee bee wise according to sobrietie that is walke within his vocation be humble in his knowledge and vse his gifts to the profite of other as GOD hath giuen to euery man the measure of faith that is remembring that it is a gift of God which hath dealt gifts
Hee which forbiddeth vs to trust in our riches and in our friendes in our strength forbiddeth vs to trust in our wisedome Trust not in thine owne wisedome Wee count the simple fooles but God countes the craftie fooles He which thinkes himselfe wise is a foole ipso factâ— And to shew that they are most fooles of all the Apostle saith that God chooseth the foolish to confound them It is said Be merrie and wise but it may be saide Be wise and wise for euerie wisedome is not wise As the wise men went no further than they were guided by the starre so a wise maÌ„ shoulde runne no further than hee is led by the worde When God hath brought thee vnto goodnes hee saith acquiese set downe thy rest goe no further than goodnesse So when thou art come to wisedome rest where thou are well as the Doue did in the Arke The first blessing which Christ pronounced to anie is to the poore in spirite As Paule woulde haue you rich in knowledge so Christ woulde haue you poore in spirite that is humble in your knowledge for the proude knowledge is the diuelles knowledge and wisedome to the wicked is like the Arke vnto the Philistines which did them more hurt than good Therefore as God appointed the people their boundes which they might not passe when he talked with Moses in the Mount so he hath appointed certaine precinctes of wisedome which when wee transgresse we may bee said to exceede our commission like Shemei when he went beyond the riuer which Salomon forbad him The Rayle or Pale of wisedom is Sobrietie As wisedome is made ouerseer of all other vertues so Sobrietie is made ouerseer of wisdome to measure it foorth in euen portions and due reasons that none of Gods gifts be lost as water is vnto the wine to delaie the heate of it and salt is to meate to make it sauourie So Sobrietie is to wisedom to make it wholesome and profitable to him which hath it and them which seeke it of him If thou hast found honie saith Salomon take not too much lest thou surfet Nay if thou haue found wisedom take not too much lest thou surfet There is a surfet of wisedome which is the daungerousest surfet of all other When a man beginnes like Paul to bee puffed vp which was Aaron and Miriams disâ—ase when they murmured against Moses because they thought themselues fitter to gouerne than hee No vertue is better than wisedome and humilitie but if a man bee proude of his wisedome and humilitie then the vertue is turned into a vice If the light bee darknes saieth Christ howe great is that darkenes So if our humilitie be pride howe great is that pride If our knowledge be ignorance how great is that ignorance Therefore as we remember Bewise as Serpents so let vs remember Be simple as Doues or else we drowne in our wisedome like a light that quencheth in his owne tallowe Nowe that yee may knowe howe to bee wise according to Sobrietie there be certaine properties of his sober wisedome which I will shewe you The first is not to arrogate to our selues more than GOD hath giuen vs. As the man saide I beleeue Lorde helpe my vnbeleefe So the wise man may saie I vnderstande Lorde helpe mine ignorance For one thing which wee knowe wee are ignorant of a thousande thinges which we shoulde knowe yet the foolish virgins woulde be thought as wise as their sisters No man can abide to be disgraced of his wit wee had rather seeme wicked than simple As euerie birde thinkes her owne birdes fairest so euerie man thinkes his owne wit ripest There is a generation saith Salomon which are pure in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their filthines So there is a generation which are wise in their owne conceipt but they are not cleansed from their foolishnes There is a generation of such wise men but he which is wise in deed saith I am more foolish than any man He which is called wisedome saith Learne of me to be humble And hee which was counted the wisest man before Salomon is called the midest man vpon the earth Therefore Iames describing the wisedome which is from aboue saith that it is a gentle wisdome the gentle are not arrogant but the scornefull The second propertie is not to glorie of any thing in our selues as Iames saith Let him which is merrie sing Psalmes So Paule saieth Let him which glorieth glorie in the Lorde For as wee saie Thine is the kingdome so wee say Thine is the glorie and therefore Dauid saith Not vnto mee Lord not vnto mee c. Oh saith Sathan this is a thing to glorie of knowledge and learning and wisedome or els what should a man bee proude of But when Christ heard his disciples glorie that they had the gift of miracles which is a greater matter than knowledge yet hee said Glorie not in this that yee can worke myracles therefore glory not in this that ye know him which can worke miracles If thy wisedome be giuen thee then thou hast receiued it if thou hast receiued it then I say with Paule Why doest thou glorie as if thou hadst not receiued it Wisedome is not so base a thing that thine owne glorie should be the ende of it but as Hester thought that her honour was giuen her for the glorie of God so the learned shoulde thinke that their learning is giuen them for the glorie of God the rich shoulde thinke that their riches are giuen them for the glorie of God the wise should thinke that their wisdome is giuen them for the glorie of God the value and praise and honour of wisedome is to doe good if we be wise to doe euill wee are not as wise as serpents but wise serpents The third propertie is not to despise other therefore Iames calleth the true wisedome a peaceable wisedome because it makes no strife as hee which had fiue talents did not disdaine him which had but one so they which haue moe giftes should not contemne them which haue fewe For as the Vnicorne dooth more good with one horne than other beasts do with two so some man doth more good with one gift than other do with fiue because they choake them with pride When the Pharisie said I am not like this Publican hee said true for then hee was not like the Publican in deede because the Publican was better than he The fourth propertie is to keepe within our calling he which medleth with that hee hath not to doe is compared to one that catcheth a dogge by the eares and dare neither hold him still nor let him go so he can neyther go forward for waÌ„t of skil nor backward for shame Paul saith hee was set a part to preach the Gospell so to euerie worke God hath set some men apart and fitted them to that work as he did Bezalred to the building of the
men and by consequence that he compasseth good men The diuell is like an Archer and man is his marke and temptations are his arrowes As Peter is called a fisher of mē so the diuell may be called a hunter of men for of all creatures his enuie is onely to men because man was made to serue GOD and inherite the ioyes which hee hath lost therefore he is called no slear but a manslear When there are no men vpon earth then the diuell will compasse the earth no more Secondly he assaulteth all men like Ismael which was against al. It is said of Saul and Dauid Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand but if you put in Satan you may set vp the number and say Satan hath slaine his hundred thousand As there is a legion of men so there is a legion of diuels that as they said Peters angell so they may say Peters diuell for Christ would not haue called Peter Satan if Satan had not backed him as death killeth all so the diuell tempteth all when hee hath Eue hee hunteth for Adam when he hath Adam he hunteth for Caine as the father was tempted so must the sonnes as the mother was tempted so must her daughters Euery man but Christ may say I haue been ouercome but Christ himselfe cannot say I haue not been tempted In the Spanish Inquisition the Protestants are examined but the Papists slip by but in the diuels Inquisitiō Papist and Protestant and Atheist and Puritane all are examined He is not a captaine of forties nor of fifties nor of sixties nor of hundreds but hee is Generall ouer all which fight not vnder Christs banner he possessed the two Gergesites which were men he possessed Mary which was a woman he possessed the mās son which was a child Nimrod is called a mightie Hunter which killed beasts but this is a mighty hunter which killed Nimrod himself God keep vs out of his chase Thirdly he warreth against the righteous euē because they are righteous as God makes the barren fruitfull the fruitfull to beare more fruite so the diuell would haue them serue him which serue him not and they which serue him to serue him more therfore as the Grāt encoūtred with Dauid so the diuel encoūtred with Dauid and with Dauids Lord he which gaue him leaue here to tempt Iob was after tēpted himselfe although the net brake and the bird escaped yet as he tempted Christ thrise together and as he desired to sift Peter more then other so they that follow Christ and are like Peter are sifted more then other For this viper is like the viper which seased vpon Paul Among many which stood by the fire the viper chose out Paul and lighted vpon him before all the rest so if one bee holier then another this viper will battaile with him and there is great reason why the godly are tempted more then the wicked because the wicked are his seruants and doe tempt others As he tempteth all men so he tempteth to all sinnes for hell and the diuell are alike therefore as hel is neuer filled with sinners so the diuell is neuer filled with sinnes and therfore when he had made Peter deny his master once he made him deny him twise and when he had made him denie him twise hee made him deny him thrise For this cause our sinnes are counted amongst those things which are infinite because the diuell and our flesh meet together euery day to ingender newe sinnes All the diuels riches is in baytes hee hath a packe full of othes for euery one which will sweare a pack full of lyes for euery one which will deceiue a pack full of excuses for euery one which will dissemble As he dooth goe through the streetes into euery shoppe he casts a short measure or a false balance as hee passeth by the Tauernes hee sets dissention betwixt friends as he passeth by euerie Inne hee casts a payre of Cardes and a payre of Dice and a payre of Tables as hee passeth by the Courtes and findes the Lawyers at the barre hee casts among them false euidences forged writings and counterfeite seales Thus in euery place where he comes like a foggie mist he leaues an euill sauour behinde him The murmuring of Moses the dissimulation of Abraham the idolatrie of Aaron the incest of Lot the dronkennes of Noah the adulterie of Dauid the flight of Ionah the deniall of Peter name Satan thou hast named the very spawne of all sinnes which with his taile plucked downe the starres from heauen How many hate their enemies friends too and yet imbrace this enemie because he kisseth when he betrayeth as though he would not betray Auarice saith I will make thee amiable tyrannie saith I will make thee dreadfull sloth saith I will make thee beautifull vanitie saith I will make thee merrie prodigalitie sayth I will make thee beloued So the poore sinner stands distract how he may follow all sins at once seeking grapes of thistles and roses of thornes As he tempteth to all sinnes so he tempteth by all meanes for the name of a compasser doth import a cunning tempter There is craft in compassing the Hunter maketh a raile about the Deere as though he would gard thē when he meaneth to take some of them the Fowler goeth about the bird as if he did not see her when he comes to snare her If men haue so many sleights to compasse their matters how can the compasser himselfe hold his fingers if the Serpents seed be so subtil what doe you thinke of the old serpent who hath been learning his trade euer since the creation If mens trades may be called crafts the diuels trade may be called craft Herod is called a fox but this fox taught him his subtiltie this is he that prepared flatterers for Rehoboam which prepared lyers for Ahab which prepared concubines for Salomō which prepared Sorcerers for Pharao which prepared witches for Saul which prepared wine for Benhadab which prepared gold for Achan which prepared a ship for Ionas which prepared a rope for Haman he goeth not about for nothing But this is the first tricke of his compassing he marks how euery man is inclined what he loues what he hateth what he feares what he wants when he hath the measure of his foot then he fits him Aske what you will heere is he which offered the whole world What shall Ionah stay for want of a ship nay here is a ship go flie from the Lord shall Esau stay for want of broth nay here is a messe of broth go and sell thy birth-right shal Iudas stay for want of thirty pence nay here are thirtie pence goe and betray thy master shall Pilate stay for want of an halter nay here is an halter goe and hang thy selfe The Tyrant shall not want a flatterer the and Apostles as they followed Christ lest following that which they repented wee sustaine or suffer that which they