for the seruants of God hauing a little mortified themselues through the grace of God they are come to this point that all they can doe is too little for the seruice of God but are desirous still to serue him more better still to bring more and more knowledge more faith and more repentance and more loue and more zeale and more holines and more courage and more good workes to the glorifying of their heauenly father So free hearted are the true children of God whome the sonne of God hath made free indeede that they thinke they can neuer doe enough like the free hearted Iewes which still brought either golde or siluer or silke or haire or one thing or another to the building of the tabernacle and as they left not bringing till they were stayed by proclamation So in building the spirituall tabernacle of the Lorde the children of God leaue not comming and going to the â—â—ercises of religion preaching and reading and hearing and meditating and practising till they bee stayed by death for proclamations and lawes and statutes haue been made but all that could not staye them nay it hath made them more diligent and painefull like the Pismire because they perceiued winter to approach yea they doe also encourage their owne soules and their brethren with them saying as Eliaâ— said to Achab Get thee vp eate and drinke for there is a sound of much raine so say they one to another get thee vp reade and studie preach and praye and lose no time for there is a sounde of much trouble and all their feare is that they shall be stopped and stayed by the waie when troubles arise as Eliah feared least he and Achab should bee stayed by the raine They can scarcely haue any rest in their hearts but are still panting with Dauid for breath like the Harte in continuall chase They thinke they haue done nothing they can see nothing but their sinnes and wickednes their rebellious motions and corrupt cogitations of their own false hearts doe still appeare vnto them and afright them they suspect all their dooings like Iob that holy man who feared all his waies And when they haue done the best they can they still condemne themselues for vnprofitable seruants still crying out to their soules as Christ saide to the young man that was so forward in the Gospell yet one thing is wanting so they say yet my soule either for the matter or for the manner something is wanting It is not then with the godly christian as it is with the superstitious Papists which thinke they may serue God enough by their owne deuises and stintes of mattens their euen songes and their Orisons and their Kyrileysons and their Masses and their Ladies psalters and their Iesus psalters and their often belabouring the name of Iesus and their pattering of beades besides their pipings and singing and perfuming and aboundance of draffe more to fil vp the tubbe withall that let the hogges come home neuer so hungry yet there is meate enough for them and some to spare for their friendes that will giue any thing for it which they cal works of supererogation Now when their tâ—skes are done all must be set vpon the scoâ—â— and the Lorde must bee beholding to them for their deuotions and Heauen they must haue of dutie not of fauour like the meritmongers of Ierusalem who going to Christ in the behalfe of the Centurions seruant that laye sicke tolde him that hee had deserued to be healed at his hands because the Centurion had bâ—ilded them a sinagogue And not much vnlike is the seruice of Atheists and Protestants at large liuing vnder the Gospell though they defie poperie with open mouth and wide throates yet they are too popish in this poynt for doe they not think that God is well serued of them if they goe to Church when 〈◊〉 comes and heare a few cold prayers read and after dinner spend the time at Cardes or Tables or Bowles or Church alings or in one â—â—nitie or other but if they haue been at Church in the forenoone though it were but to sleepe at the sermon the Lord is much beholding to them But to come at the beginning and continue waking attentiue to the ending both forenoone and afternoone that they thinke may serue for a great while but to haue preaching euery Sabboth day and in the weeke too that is counted an vnreasonable seruing of God But the godly thinke they haue neuer enough of the seruice of God and his worship and for this cause haue they desired to liuâ— stil not for feare of death which indeede is a vantage vnto them but for that they haue not sâ—â—ued God enough and in the graue they caâ—not praise his name So Dauid desired to liue still that he might declare the workes of the Lord. And in the 119. Psal. he saith Let my soule liâ—â— it shall praise thee This he craued because he had not praised God enough And vpon this Paul discussed this question in his heart For my selfe sayth hee it is better to dye but for 〈◊〉 meaning the Church it is better that I liue still to shewe that if we haue any desire to liue longer it must be that the Church of God may bee the better for vs for the godly are of that minde that they cannot doe enough for the good of the Church of God They are like Abraham who when 〈◊〉 began to speake with God would haue still one question more And like the Disciples who when they heard Christ commend the bread of life said Lord euermore giue â—s of this bread Now if this be the affection of the godlie all too little then what shal we say to the wicked which couÌ„t all too much that is giuen to God like Iâ—das that grudged at the cost that was bestowed vpon Christ couÌ„ting is more then needed But this was because Iâ—das had the bagge and was a theefe to Christ and so the wicked haue the bags and would fill their bags with the spoyles of Christ and his Church They say they haue heard a sermon once in a yere what so many say they heare one and follow that well c. This is the voyce of a wicked heart that knoweth not what he oweth to God If he knewe that he oweth him all his life he would not speake in that sort Concerning the things of the world they play the Horseleach that lye sucking still and neuer cryeth ho. And they are of Achabs humor when he had a kingdome yet he wanted a vineyard and a little was still wanting So wordling professors of the Gospell when they haue much and that which they desired yet they must haue a little more another house or another lease or another Benefice but as for the Lords part he shal haue the offall or refuse of their crooked old age when they can serue the diuell no longer but then the Lord will
now a breaking downe of the wall a plucking vp of the hedge and a laying waste of the vine in England to be thought vpon O sluggard if not to be looked for Hath not the Lord tolde vs of his purpose and determination herein againe and againe And are we not rather worse then better for all that Now if these things come to passe wee our selues shall bee iudges whether the Lord hath done vs any wrong or no. Now consider further with thy selfe O sluggard what priueledge hath England more then Israel had How much is the Lord beholding to vs more then to them surely neither to them nor to vs nor to any was euer the Lord beholding for if a man be righteous he is righteous for himself saith Iob. But what promise or warrant haue wee more then they had or any Church from the beginning of the world Hath there not been in nature a continuall intercourse and change of winter and sommer of night and of daye of fayre weather and of â—owle wether of colde and of heate of the spring and the fall And hast thou not obserued the like in the state of grace Surely if thou haddest not closed vp thy eyes of purpose O thou sluggard thou couldest not châ—se but see the Lordes worke therein Well yet thou canst not denye but that there haue beene many alterations and sundry changes in the worlde and thy selfe sometime betweene waking and sleeping but without any feeling wilt sitte and tell of them and what thou hast seene in thy time which shall bee sufficient to condemne thee for it is more then a dreame that thou speakest of But if thou wilt now besides thy owne drousie experience a little listen vnto the word of God and praye vnto God that hee may open thy eyes thou shalt see that which yet thou diddest neuer so much as dreame of like the seruant of Elisha which sawe 〈◊〉 mountaines couered with heauenly souldiers when the Lord opened his eyes which before hee sawe not Marke it well I saye and thou shalt see both how often the Lorde hath turned and as it were wheeled about his Church and the cause thereof to be still the Churches iniquitie And thou shalt see if not confesse that the continuall starting of men from GOD hath broken the course of his grace which otherwise had been continualâ—â— The truth whereof may appeare almost from the beginning of the world For first when the true worship of God was in the cursed of spring of Caine almost vtterly decayed 〈◊〉 Lord restored it againe in the dayes of Seth and his sonne Enos that it might thriue and florish in the world Now it was summer time with them but how long did it last Surely not long for scarce eight generations were passed when all the posteritie of them whom God had separated for his owne children did mingle themselues with the sonnes and daughters of men at their pleasure without the feare of GOD throwing themselues in such wise into all manner of wickednes that hauing defiled themselues and the whole world with their abhominations the Lorde brought a floud vppon them to destroye them all that they which had drowned themselues in sinne might bee also drowned in water and so they were twise drowned and now was winter come When the Church was brought to eyght persons it seemed then so purged that the little seede which remained should of it selfe bring forth nothing but pure holines and yet anon after it diminished almost by the fourth parte Afterwarde the Lorde renewed his couenant with Abraham and his seede for whome hee wrought many wonderfull thinges for first with a mightie hand and stretched out arme hee brought them out of Aegypt then hee led them through the red sea then hee fed them with breade from heauen then hee destroyed many Kinges for their sakes and made their very name famous and fearâ—full full whatsoeuer it came and thus they weâ—â— going towards the land of promise now 〈◊〉 would not of such happie beginnings 〈◊〉 iudged that there should haue ensued a coâ—â—â— nuance of a happie state Notwithstanding the very same people in whose deliuerancâ— the Lord had shewed so manifest a proofe 〈◊〉 his power and mercie did not cease continâ—ally to prouoke the Lord with their impatiâ—â—â— murmurings and vnkinde rebellions vntill by fearefull and horrible iudgements they were all destroyed in the wildernes At length the children of them tooke possession of the saidâ— land but yet such a possession as well neere in 600. yeares after had no stabilitie because they themselues through their owne falsenes and inconstancie did continually trouble it and still by shaking off the yoke of God they procured new mischiefes to theÌ„selues Moses had tolde them before how it would come to passe that when they were fatte and full they would lift vp the heele and forget the Lord And what dooth the storie of the Iudges rehearse but continuall backslidings When 〈◊〉 kingdome of Dauid was erected there seemed a more certaine and grounded state of a church to haue bin established for a long continuance But that lamentable slaughter of the pestileÌ„ce which for three daies space raged most moâ—sterously in the worlde did greatly abate 〈◊〉 felicitie When Salomon came to the Crowne summer came againe to the Church for God gaue him great peace on euery side and in his rest he builded the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem But by and by after the death of Salomon the bodie of the realme was diuided and the torne members ceased not afterward to bite one another And both the kingdomes I meane of Israel and Iudah were miserably turmoyled by forraine warres Shall wee say that this came vnto them by fortune and chaunce Nay rather they themselues through their sins enforced hastened the vengeance of God for euen when they seemed most innocent namely while Dauid goeth through with nuÌ„bring of them because it was the peculiar fault of one man yet the holie storie sayth plainlie that God was wroth with them all At length followed that great euersion little differing from vtter destruction when al the whole nation was led captiue to Babilon but after 70. yeres they were restored home againe which ioyfull returne was vnto them another birth Notwithstanding so soone as they were returned home straight waies forgetting so great a benefite they degenerated againe into sundrie kinds of naughtines Some defiled themselues with heathen mariages some defrauded the Lord of his tenths and first fruites othersome neglecting the building of the Temple were whollie occupied in making of braue houses and bestowed excessiue cost thereon whiâ—â—â—oule vnthankfulnes of theirs was such as euerie man must confesse the Sluggard and all that it ought not to escape vnpunished Neither did it escape for after that the Lorde brought them in subiection to the Romanes who burned their Temple and made hauockâ— of all When Christ the Prince of
condemned for they had yet some â—loake for their desire of so seuere a reuenge because the Samaritanes refused â—ost vâ—kindly and coÌ„temptuously to let their Lord and master the Lord Iesus our Sauiour into their citie But for the careles crueltie cruell carelesness of these men there is no pretence for their seruants doe not shut them out of their doores as the Samaritanes shut Christ out of the citie but they receiue them and labour for them And if they did offer thee such vnkindnes which God forbid yet is it not lawfull for thee so to be reuenged by suffering them to perish in their sinnes but to pray for them rather The spirit of God doth not vse to speake on that manner for that is a spirite of loue and lâ—ue sayth the Apostle seeketh not her owne things that is it is not all for it selfe but as it is carefull to edifie it selfe in the most holy faith by vsing such meanes as are appointed by God to that purpose so hath it also coÌ„passion of others as S. Iude saith labouring in all holie wisedome to pul others out of the fire But these are all for themselues therefore they haue not true loue they haue not true loue therefore not true faith for faith worketh by loue as Saint Paul teacheth the Galathians If they haue neither faith not loue theÌ„ haue they not the spirit of God in them if they haue not the spirit of 〈◊〉 them thâ—â— are they 〈…〉 children of GOD but hypocrites 〈◊〉 themselues and so consequently they neither prouide for their own soules 〈…〉 of other but as they suffer their 〈◊〉 soules to perish for want of the meate 〈◊〉 which they should haue so doe they suffer their owne soules likewise to perish for want of that which they suppose they haue but haue it not indeed That wee may bee throughly moued with that which hath been sayd and touched with compassion towards our owne soules and the â—oules of others that depend vpoâ— vs it shall not bee amisse to hearken a little vnto the piteous moane and crie of the godlie in behalfe of their soules Dauid â—ayth his soule 〈◊〉 after God as the Hart braieth for the riuers oâ— water to shew that our soules are as it were iâ— a continuall chase and therefore must haue prouided for them the liuing waters of Gods word or els they will perish In another place he sayth that his soule thirsted after God in â— drie and barren land where no water was This moane did Dauid make to God for his soule and yet he had more abundance of Gods gâ—â—ces then ot hers haue to shew that if we had aâ— good prouisioÌ„ for the keeping and strengthening defending and coÌ„forting of our poore soules as Dauid had yet all is too little for still they lie thirsting and panting for more grace for more â—aith for more zeale for more repentance for more loue for more knowledge and for more vnderstanding c. for the temptations and assaults of the soule are so many so continuall so strong so mightie and so hot that it is not a little prouision of knowledge or vnderstanding or â—aith or patience that will serue the turne to make resistance for the â—â—â—ell shooteth his darts thicke and burning for they befierie darts But as souldiers in a caâ—tle besieged must haue day â—e a newe supplie of powder and shoâ— of men and munition of money and victuall or els they will yeeld vp the castle so must our soules haue a daily supplie of the graces of Gods spirit from the word of God or els they wil faint and yeeld vp their hâ—ld For the soule fighteth aswell as the bodie And therfore Deborah sayd her soule had marched valiantly to shewe that there is a marching and a fighting of the soule aswell as of the bodie and therefore there must be good prouision made for that as well as for the body or els it will not march valiantly but fight faintly and yeeld most cowardly and perish most miserablie Which daily and wofully appeareth by that fearefull staggering and yeelding of so many when any scoffing Papist doth but as it were breathe vpon them And what els doth this shewe but a great emptines in the knowledge there is no preseruatiue of the word against the infection Besides that in regard of thy brethren thou shouldest labour to store thy selfe with the co forts and counsels of Gods word and to bee strong in the heauenly graces of Gods spirit for such a famine of the foode of soules may come that one man may bee glad to seeks to another for counsell and comfort And if thy house be emptie or haue but a little thou wilt bee readie to say to thy neighbour as the widowe of Sarepta sayd to Eliyah when he asked a morsell of bread of her in the great famine that was in Israel I haâ—e not a cake but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little â—yle in a cruse and beholde I am gathering of stickesâ—to dresse it for me and my sonne that wee may eatâ— thereof and die So if any man troubled in conscience come to thee for comfort and resolution of his doubts thou wilt say Alas I haue not for you I am no Diuine I am troubled aswell as you I haue nothing but the Lordes prayer and the Beleefe and the Commaundements by heart but I vnderstand none of theÌ„ and some good prayers and lessons I haue in a booke beside And if those will not serue my turne when the tempteâ— commeth I may goe hang my selfe or despayre I must die or doâ— as it please God Now what crueltie is this so carelesly to neglect the meanes of thy soules health who was bred and brought vp with thee from thy conception and hath in thy seruice spent her selfe ministring strength and reliefe to thy bodie to euery part of thy bodie yea to euery member to euery ioynt to euery vaine and sinew in thy bodie And more seruice then that too for it hath made thee to differ from the beast in that it hath ministred to thee both reason and vnderstanding and iudgement memorie and affections for it is a reasonable soule which the beasts want it hath taught thee to speake and to speake sensible wiselie and to conceiue things quicklie and to vse all other of Gods creatures comfortablie and to rule ouer them all which the beasts cannot doe And wilt not thou oh sluggard finde so much leisure as to gather heauenly meate and foode for thy soule that in the day of affliction and iudgement it may saue both it selfe and thy bodie too Nay further consider how the Lord hath shut it vp in thy breast that it might bee alwaies in a readines to supplie thy wants and wilt not thou be readie againe to supplie her wants If it should depart from thee but a foote for a minute of an houre it were present death vnto thee how
land yea with countenance credite too perhaps more then shall be aforded to better men And where is he that dare speak almost against theÌ„ much lesse bridle them for feare of many displeasures and dangers And is it not come to passe that a man may with more saftie credite commit sinne then control sinne which is most lamentable It was once said of Rome so far was it degenerate froÌ„ all grace goodnes that Omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonâ—◠〈◊〉 was lawfull to bee any bodie and to doe any thing in Rome but not to bee a good man And is it not almost come to that passe in some places of England that it is more tollerable for a man to bee what hee will sauing a good man indeede For that can hardly bee without some trouble Doest thou see now how the poore Church of GOD is pestered and ouâ—â—runne with weedes and wildernes And 〈◊〉 thou not maruaile that the Lorde hath let it â—lone so long When thou seest the Church of God thus pained though in respect of others of her sisters very blessed imagine thou seest Iob aliue againe sitting downe vpon his ashe heape and breaking out with botches sores from the top to the toe and his griefe encreasing so that his friends begin to sit aloofe from him being so grieued with the sight that they know noâ— well what to say to his comfort And what doth all this foreshew but that the Lorde is hard at hand to visite the land with scourges and to feede his people with the breade of affliction And further it is to be obserued how the enemies of the Gospell and the Churche of Christ doe encrease how bolde they growe how disguisedly they goe and how they can fitte themselues to the present time and frame themselues to euery companie hauing change of sutes and visards wherein they maske it at theâ—â— pleasure that the Church of Christ hath 〈◊〉 a doe to 〈◊〉 her friends and foes asâ—â—der neither doth she know with whom to 〈◊〉 for pietie or whom to trâ—st for safetie All our comfort vnder God whose 〈◊〉 still watcheth ouer the righteous â—s that our Mother is yet liuing I meane her 〈…〉 on whose lappe the poore Church of the Lorde Iesus may lay her head whose tender loue and care doth still â—euiue the fainting spirits of Christs little â—â—ocke which otherwise were euen readi◠〈◊〉 yeeld vp the ghost but that their trust is in their great shepheard who will both keepe and defende them that they miscarrie not No not oâ—e of his will 〈◊〉 lose This is some comfort yet God make vs truely thankfull for it to his diuine Maiestis This is some comfort yet I say that our tender Mother is yet liuing amongst vs and Lord for thy mercies sake long prolong her daies â—o the coÌ„fort of 〈◊〉 Church But yet in this blessâ—d comfort there appeareth sâ—fficient matter to huÌ„ble vs and to make the sluggard looke about him For is not the Church now very sick weake Is not her Mother our gracious Soueraigne in continuall danger of 〈◊〉 hangbies and bloudie traytors Are not hollow hearted and false hearted subiects aâ—mitted to her gracious â—â—â—sence many times more then she or her friends knowe of But that the Lord hath still 〈◊〉 them as cunniâ—gly as they masked it blessed be his name And doe not the bloudie Papists for that is their brand staÌ„d be 〈◊〉 the cloth as it were with their swords drawâ—â— readie euery houre to steppe vpon the stage to play their parts doe they not onely waite for a day like Esaw who purposed to kill his brother when his father was gone Well 〈◊〉 Lord is in heauen laugheth them to scorne and knoweth how to dispose of their purposes and intents wel enough and can preuent them if it please his Maiestie as he hath done but this may greatly humble vs and awake vs. Againe as we haue obserued in the preaching of the Word where it is a great defect in respect of the manner which is too pleasing so also may we obserue if our eyes be in our headâ— some corruption in respect of the matter in many places though not so general as the former And that is not lightly to be passed ouer but wee should learne in the feare of God to make some vse thereof And let the sluggard consider well of it that when any shall now in so great and cleere a light of the Gospell popishly maintaine the 7. deadly sins or call in question our iustification by faith in Christ alone or denie to the Church the assuraâ—câ— of her saluation by Christ or discourage men 〈◊〉 the reading of the scriptures we are to 〈…〉 of these things Last of all to conclude 〈◊〉 poynt when any shall teach that we must beleeue as the Church beleeueth without examining the doctrine by the word and if any man be deceiued that it is sufficient for him to say before the Lord that the Church deceiued him as if it had been sufficient for Adam to say his wife deceiued him and the serpent deceiued her When thou Hearest I say of these things day them to heart take them as prognostications of further matters and forerunners of greater euils to ensue especially seeing the people are as greedie to drinke as otheâ—◠〈…〉 broach whatsoeuer it be Therfore the 〈…〉 his rich mercie open our sluggish eyâ—◠〈…〉 of our 〈…〉 curitie And as Christ sayd When you see the abomination of desolation stande in the holie place let him that readeth consider So I say wheÌ„ you see the corruption of sound doctrine and the abomination of popish filth stand in the holie place let him that heareth consider for it is Gods doing though it bee the diuels suggestion and that iustly for our sinnes Thus haue wee runne about the streetes 〈◊〉 Ieremie did and in casting our eyes here and there wee haue found that which you see much more is behind that we see not But this is sufficiâ—nâ— to proue vnto the sluggards face that as a winter is likely 〈◊〉 come so if God bee not exceeding mercifull by all signes and â—okens it is hard at hande for the figge tree hath lost her tendernes and there is generally a fall of the leafe in all places and whâ—n wee see that we may know for a certaine that winter is neere Therefore O Sluggard put off the time no longer but while it is yet summer prouide against winter least thou repent it too laâ—e By this time the Sluggard might haue been awakened but he sleepeth still and therfore now let vs heare the. Lord calling 〈◊〉 him and what answere hee will make when hee is called The fift Sermon 9 How long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard whâ—◠〈◊〉 thou arise out of thy sleepe 10 Yet a little sleepe c. THis question demauâ—ded of the Sluggard doth most 〈…〉 set foorth his nature which â—â—lighteth in sleeping long which loueth ease and
all other things belonging both to their calling and to their profession they haue still tasked themselues and applied their taske through the grace of God which as S. Paul sayth worketh and laboureth in them fearing least otherwise they should doe but little or nothing And in the doing of their taskes it is a wonder to see how sluggish they are and what a number of lets and lions lye in their way as the Prouerbe sayth that they bee constrained to pricke themselues forward and then they dragge their legges after them too In this demand we are as we see accused and indited of making great delaies of those dueties which we owe to God A matter surely very worthie to be expostulated for it is a true token of a soule that feareth not God to driue off so long the doing of that which the Lord by his word requireth to be done for if they feared God they would be more diligeÌ„t knowing that God is able euery minute to cast them downe to hell and to presse them with his iudgements Some goe on for all this and say the time of their calling is not yet they are not called yet although they heare the word and knowe in their owne conscience that they doe euill yet they goe on like desperate wretches making a mock at the iudgements of the Lord and say they are not called yet wheÌ„ they are most euidently conuicted in themselues by themselues And being tolde of it they tell vs that they must pray to God to be mercifull to them in that and so they continue still in their rebellion bathing and rotting in their sinnes like Naaman the Assyrian who said God be mercifull to me in this for though he knewe it to bee a sinne to goe into his Rimmon yet he must goe in and do as his master did and God must dispense with him in that Many such Naamans there are still which haue one Rimmon or other that they knowe of and yet they sleepe on still in their beloued sinnes some in vsurie some in whoring some in stealing some in swearing some in oppressing the poore some in deceiuing both poore and rich some in scoffing at Religion some in prophaning the Lordes sabbath some in persecuting their brethen some in their ambitious and vaine-glorious attempts and some in one sinne and some in another euery one hath his Rimmon And thinketh in his base conceite that the Lord is as negligent in punishing of their presumptuous rebellions as they are in obeying his holy commaundements but let them take heed of dallying too long with his Maiestie for hee will not bee mocked though they bee deceiued The Children of God are commended in the word for their diligence in obeying the will of God when once they know what was his pleasure When Abraham was commanded to circumcise himselfe and all the male that were in his familie he might haue sought many toyes to driue off the time as that he had many soules in his house himselfe was 99. yeres olde but he circumcised them al presently that selfe same daye So when he was commanded to cast out his sonne Ismael ouer night hee gate vp early in the morning and did it as hee was commaunded which might bee a hooke to pull out his very bowels to cast out his sonne was grieuous vnto him as the storie sheweth yet hee did neither deny nor delaye the dooing of it So in the 22. of Genesis we reade that when he was commaunded to offer vp in sacrifice his onely sonne Isack which might haue cut his heart strings in peeces yet hee delayed not the time but rose vp early in the morning and went speedily about it I am perswaded that Abraham loued his sonnes and he had cause so to doe as dearely as wee loue our sinnes and yet when God commaunded him to cast out one and to kill the other he was readie to doe both how ready then should we be to obeie the Lord when hee commaundeth vs to cast out not our children but our iniquities and to sacrifice not ouâ— sonnes but our sinnes which else will cast vs out of Gods fauour and sacrifice vs in the valley of Gehinnom that is in the pitte of hell fire Surely if wee beleeued the promises of God and feared the iudgements of God as Abraham did we would no more sticke at the matter then he did Many haue receiued as good a warrant from God and her Maiestie both of Magistrates and Prelates and Pastors and people for the casting out of many abuses and corruptions both in the Church common-wealth and in their priuate families as Abraham had for that which hee did but they are not yet halfe so forward as Abraham was nay would to GOD they were not backeward which sheweth that though Abraham were the father of the faithfull yet he is not their father because they are vnfaithfull If men cannot like that duetie which commeth slowly from vs much lesse is it acceptable to God We must first serue our selues and then obeye GOD as he that would first goe home and burie his father and then come and followe Christ. But this obedience loseth the fauour of GOD therefore what rewarde can â—hey looke for which haue a purpose indeede to leaue their sinne but not till their sinne leaue them That will serue God but that is when for want of abilitie or occasion they can serue the diâ—ell no longer That will measure out the Lorde a parte but yet with a false ballance That will giue the Lord the cuppe but it shall be wheâ— the diuell hath drunke the best of it and nothing is left but the dregges of old age in the bottome Oh let vs consider what 〈◊〉 praie when we say Thy will be done in earth by vs 〈…〉 Aâ—gles doe it in heauen The Angels neuer 〈◊〉 their busines but doe it 〈◊〉 and therefore the scripture doth giâ—◠〈…〉 note their swiftnes now if wee sayâ— his 〈◊〉 and doe not 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 â—hat doe wee else 〈…〉 with his 〈◊〉 How long wilt thou sleepe O Sluggard How long shall God daunce attendance vpon thee As the Lord in this demaund doth charge vs with delayes in his seruice so in the same wordes he doth likewâ—â—e teach a way to redresse the same And that is to consider how long wee haue slept or â—ow long wee haue made the Lorde to waite our leisure in euery thing And in the Scripture wee shall finde that by this meanes the children of God haue been much stirred 〈◊〉 to doe their duetie In the 119. Psalme 〈◊〉 60. Dauid saith He considered his waiâ—◠〈◊〉 then made haste to keepe the Commaâ—â—â—â—ments of GOD which hee did not befoâ—â— he considered his waies that is before he considered how long he had gone out of the rigâ—â— waie and wandred in his owne crooked 〈◊〉 to shew that the cause why we put off the kâ—â—ping of Gods commandements is because we consider not how long wee haue
a signe of greater plagues yet to ensue Now this is fearefull and grieuous when the Lord commeth vpon vs with such questions for that sheweth that he doth not onelâ— note our sinnes but the long time that wee haue prouoked him by them and that he is euen wearie in bearing them any longer and mindeth to vnburthen himselfe of them and to beare no longer And commonly we may obserue in the scriptures that when the Lord coÌ„meth with How long and how often there is some great iudgement following as in the 14. of Numbers the 11. verse The Lord sayd tâ— Moses How long will this people prouoke me and how long will it be yeâ— they beleeue me for all the signes which I haue shewed amongst them Then marke what followeth in the next verse I will smite them with the pestilence and destroy them c. to shewe that though the Lord beareth long yet hee will not beare alwaies When Christ sayd O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thee as a henne gâ—thereth her young ones and thou wouldest not So great was his griefe conceiued with the remembrance of those mischiefes that were to come vpon Ierusalem that hee could not vtter his speech without shedding of teares Therefore when the Lord commeth expostulating the matter with vs in this sort with How long and how often c. then let vs beware if euer wee beware whether it be spoken in generall to al or in particular to any one man that hath been often warned by the hand of God vpon him Had not Moses prayed for the Israelites they had perished oftentimes in their sinnes so if some did not pray for vs whom yet wee can as hardly abide as they could abide Moses when they would haue stoned him surelie wee had perished yet this time When the Lord sware in his wrath that the Iewes should not enter into his rest he set them downe the causes which moued him thereunto and those were in number fiue They tempted him to trie what he could doe then they prouoked him by their often murmurings c. then they grieued him with their continuall vnkindnesses and rebellions then their hearts were filled with error And how could it be otherwise for they cared not for the knowledge of his waies And to aggrauate the matter make their sinne appeare in his full ripenes he sets downe the time how long they had continued at that stay saying Fortie yeares long haue I been grieued with this generation c. Fortie houres had been much to grieue the Lord but fortie yeares was intolerable Now the same sinnes are we also to be endited for and if no Iurie will finde the inditement our owne consciences will crie guiltie And how long haue wee grieued and tempted and prouoked the Lord Hath it not been euer since the Gospell came among vs waxing euery day worse and worse And what doth that now lacke of fortie yeares long haue I been grieued with this generation surely but a little Thus the Lord we see marketh wel enough euery thing not onely what we doe and how we liue and how we sinne but how long we haue sinned and how often we haue been warned how long we haue refused to returne to humble our selues yea the Lord marketh how many yeres how many moneths how many weeks how many houres how many sermons how many senteÌ„ces in euery sermon we haue passed ouer in careles coÌ„tempt without trembling at the word of the Lord or profiting by his corrections And according to the time of his loÌ„g suffering patience of our stubbornnes disobedience shall his iudgements be powred vpon vs if wee doe not preuent them by true and speedie repentance Long did the olde worlde sleepe in their sinnes long did Noah preach against their sins and at last the floud came and awakened them to their cost Long did Sodom and Gomorrha sleepe and long did they vexe the soule of righteous Lot amongst them at last the fire of Gods wrath awakened them Long slept Ierusalem in securitie but at the last their enemies awaked them So Nabuchadnezzar heard his dreame as a dreame and Daniel told him what would come of it long before it came but he fell a sleepe againe and at last the Lord turned him out amongst the beast and then he remembred himselfe but he was seuen yeares first in learning his lesson And this is most certaine The longer the blow be in fetching the heauier will the wouÌ„d be when it commeth And the deeper the arrowe bee drawne in the bowe the deeper it pearceth when it is let flie Now in trueth all this time the Lord hath forborne vs he is but bending of his bowe and whetting of his sword and aiming at the marke and because he doth not yet let goe at vs wee thinke there is no such matter But we deale with the Lord oh miserable wretches that wee are as birds play with a skare-crowe standing in a corne field with a bowe and arrowe in his hands as though he would shoote but doth not and therefore they euen waxe bolde by little and little and at last euen flie to him and sit downe vpon him and picke vpon him In all holie reuerence of Gods vnspeakeable maiestie be this comparison made which serueth onely to declare the base and brutish conceipt that the wicked haue of God and his long suffering of them But who knoweth the force of the Lords wrath sayth the Psalmist for after as a man feareth so shal his wrath be and when it commeth it shall burne like mountaines of fire which no sea of water shall be able to quench if once his wrath be kindled yea but a little And on the other side for the comfort of the godly and faithful which haue a sanctified desire to awake out of their sleep and to serue the Lord at the last in all holie obedience and careful diligence though we haue long tempted the Lord and tried him yet if now at the last we awake in trueth we shall finde that as he hath been long in suffering so he will bee as rich in mercie The prodigall childe was long absent and at last returning truely humbled was welcome to his father and ioyfully receiued and so shall we be to our heauenly father if wee make such a returne and that betimes Therefore let none be so desperatly minded as to continue still his old course as though there were no hope of grace at his returne And let none be so discouraged with the remembraÌ„ce of his long sleepe as to runne quite away from the Lord for God will finde vs out wheresoeuer we become as he did Adam when he had hidden himselfe as hee thought among the trees of the garden The diuell indeed will be readie to shewe thee what a great way thou hast to goe backe againe what a number of dueties neglected thou hast to repent of while thou didst lie asleepe and how
from the harlot not to come neere the doores of her house and giueth this as a reason lest sayth he thou giue thy honour vnto others and thy yeares vnot the cruell and leâ—t the strangers bee filled with thy strength and thy labours be found in the houses of strangers And last of all it is a piece of a punishment for the contemners of the worde and those that obstinately disobey the lawes of the almightie For saith Moses If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God to keepe and to doe all his commandements and his or 〈◊〉 which I command thee this day The heaâ—â—â— shall be brasse and the earth iron The Lord shall giue thee for the raine of thy land dust and ashes vntill thou be destroyed So that pouertie and necessitie bee like a common gallowes at the townes end which hang vp both theeues and murtherers and traytors and witches and all that are brought to be executed Then it is not a part of happines nor a degree of perfection as papists holde but a verie sore iudgement of God Here is now the Sluggards pouertie and the niggards pouertie and the vnthrifts pouertie and the hastie mans pouerty the whoremongers pouertie and the cruell mans pouertie aud the vngodly mans pouertie and pouertie is a whippe for them all By which we are taught not to blame others as many doe if they bee fallen behinde hand but let euery man examine himselfe in these poyntes and if thou canst cleere thy selfe of one suspect thy selfe in another and trie thy heart in all till thou hast founde out the cause as thou wilt trie euery keye of the bunch vntill the locke bee opened And saye to thy soule as Dauid saide to the woman of Tekoah who came to the King about Absalom Is not the hand of loab in all this So is not the hand of flouth or negligence or the hand of crueltie or the hand of incontinencie or of niggardlines or of rashnes or of vngodlines in this my pouertie And this may suffice for the pouertie of the bodie And nowe a little of spirituall pouertie Where of the Scriptures speake sometime in the better part and sometime in the euill part in the better part it is attributed to the children of God to their great commendation and as a speciall veâ—tue and grace of God and that is when they be humble lowlie in their owne eyes and thinke poorely and basely of them themselues in respect of others And this is that â—pirituall poâ—ertie which our Sauiour 〈◊〉 speaketh of and calleth it blessed poâ—â—itie in Maâ—th 5. â— â—hen hee saith Blessed 〈◊〉 â—oore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of 〈◊〉 To shew that it is not onely a blessed but a rich pouertie because the kingdome of Hâ—auen doth follow it And this is a grace founde â—swell in Kings and great rich men of this worlde sometimes as in the pooret 〈◊〉 when God dooth sanctifie their hearts and teach them to knowe themselues such a one was Abraham a rich 〈◊〉 and Iob a rich man and Dauid a King yet were they poore in 〈◊〉 rite and therefore blessed the contrarâ—e wheâ—of is found in those that are wise in their own conceite and wedded to their owne waiâ—r whatsoeuer can bee said to the contrarie whether they bee rich or poore of such Sal 〈◊〉 saith There is more hope of a foole then of 〈◊〉 Againe to bee poore in spirite is sometime taken in the euill parte not as a vertue but 〈◊〉 fowle vice not as a grace but as a disgraceâ— and that is when men a bounde in their owne spirites and in their owne iudgements and â—â—ing altogether carnall and 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 of the spirite of God and barren in the grâ—tâ—â— of the same spirite abounding in pride and baâ—reâ— in humilitie abounding in maâ—â—ce and barren in loue abounding in ignorance and barren in knowledge abounding in 〈◊〉 â—ie but barren in 〈◊〉 and so iâ— the rest and yet thinke not so â— president of which pouertiâ— wee haue in theminister and 〈◊〉 of Laodicea to whom Christ speaketh in 〈◊〉 sorte Thou saiest thou are rich and 〈◊〉 with goods and bast needs of not â—ing and 〈◊〉 est not that thou art wrâ—â—â—â—ed and 〈◊〉 and poore and blinde and naked And in 〈◊〉 do the soule that is destitute of the heauenly 〈◊〉 câ—s of the holy ghost is a poore soule although he iette it vp and downe in his silkes and veluets yea and in cloth of golde too But the soule that hath them is rich indeede though otherwise for want of worldlie necessaries they bee constrained to lye begging in the streetes Therefore the holy ghost doubteth not to call them riches saying that God sent the Gospell of his sonne amongst the gentiles that hee might shew thereby to the ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindenes towards vs in Christ lesus To shew that the giftes of the holy ghost sanctified to the children of God are riches and more then riches for they are exceeding riches And in the same Epistle the Apostle saith that he preached vnto the geÌ„tiles the vnsearchable riches of Christ to shew that whosoeuer hath Christ is rich enough Therefore is the Gospell of Christ compared to a pearle of inestiâ—nable value which could not bee bought except a rich man solde all his substance to buie it to shew how rich they are that haue that pearle Many rich men want these riches Therefore let no man saye oh I am rich and well increased in worldlie goods therefore I am not guiltie of the sluggards sinne for through thy slouthfulnes thy soule may bee poore enough in the riches of Gods spirite how rich soeuer thou bee in the things of this world And if any man woulde haue these riches he must earnestly desire and long after them for the Lord filleth the 〈◊〉 grie with good things but the rich that is the full stomack he sendeth emptie awaie In the 2. of Prou. Salomon propoundeth two thingâ— and sheweth what course must bee taken of those that will obtaine them The 〈◊〉 the vnderstanding of the feare of God and the knowledge of God the way to get them is to receiue the worde and to hide it then he must hearken with his eares and encline his heart then to calland crie afâ—er them as if they were going away for feare they shuld not beintâ—â— rained as they are worthie â—nd if they cannot be had with calling and crying then hee must fall to seeking and searching as if they sought for filuer and searched for treasure This being done then shalt thou vnderstand and fiâ—â—â— c. to shew that these things sent from God must be earnestly sued vnto and will not maâ—rie but with such as will vse them well and 〈◊〉 count of them as speciall guests Vnto whiâ—â— hunger and longing must also be ioyned 〈◊〉 gence and painefulnes for A slotfull 〈◊〉 saith