then reason thus with your selues this is not agreeable to my profession this is contrary to that I haue learned this will procure the name of God to be dishonoured my religion to be defamed and my selfe to be discredited therefore though it might be gainefull delightfull or any other way pleasure me I may not doe it this you had neede to marke very well for I tell you you haue many lookers on that would laugh to see your fall you dwell in a country where the Gospell is very litle preached insomuch that your ignorant neighbours make them selues sport to mocke at you that will be so foolish as to suffer your selues to be seduced by the Scriptures you haue godlesse and profane men that doe deride you Libertines and freewill men that doe despise you worldlings and bellygods that doe carpe at you insomuch that you haue very great neede to walke warily that it standeth you vpon to behaue your selues circumspectly therefore doe thus be diligent in publike hearing and as it may stand with your calling priuate reading of the worde of God for that is the onely schoolemaister to teach you all truth vsing daily and hartie prayer vnto God for the presence of his holy spirite to teach you the true meaning thereof looke what you finde therein required of euery Christian be carefull to doe it in your dealing with others deale faithfully without facing out of ill matters without swearing or lying reproue others with the spirite of mildnes that doe amisse in your presence shewe your selues obedient vnto all authoritie that is appointed of God and that for conscience sake Bring vp your children and seruants in the feare of God instructing them in the principles of religion detract no man secretly but tell them plainely of their faults to conclude shewe your selues approued vnto the Lord in the testimonie of a good conscience being alwaies carefull to seeke the glorie of God and benefit of your brethren be alwaies in worde and deede that which according to the Scriptures ye professe and then let Satan broach his lyes let the wicked carry them abroad let godlesse persons hate you as long as they may it shall turne to their shame at the length as to our great comfort we see it doth daily and being a triall of your patience to your greater glorie in the kingdome of heauen and let not the glory of this world bewitch you for ye are not of this world let not the successe of godlesse persons dismay you for the world loueth his owne and is liberall vnto them let not the slaunders of the wicked discourage you for because you runne not on into the same excesse of riot with them therefore they speake euill of you let not the multitude of your aduersaries feare you for God is strōger then all men let not the threatnings of great ones daunt you for their heartes are in the handes of the Lord to be guided at his pleasure let not the pronenesse of your owne nature seduce you for he that liueth after the flesh shall die let not the crosses that accompanye the Gospell wearie you for they bring the ioyfull fruite of righteousnesse to all that are exercised thereby so shall the name of God be glorified by you so shall your foes be put to flight your profession known to be the truth of the eternall God that liueth for euer Now to come to speake of these present sermons which I haue dedicated chiefly vnto you partly for that by that calling which the Lorde hath layd vpon me I am at this instant bound by all lawfull meanes to doe you good partly because it is the earnest sute of some of you to haue them penned partly for that they contain in them sundrye pointes of religion which you doe professe and for which you are of the world condemned that euery man may see thereby the impudencie of Satan that dare note Gods owne word with the marke of infamie onely let me craue this at your hands as a recompence for my trauaile that you woulde expresse the doctrine in your liues that I haue expressed though simply yet truly therein that I may once see in you all that zeale which the example of these sheepeherds may teach you then shal I thinke my labour well bestowed when the beames of righteousnesse doe breake forth as the sun at noone day which the Lord for his mercie graunt in his Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honor and glorie both now and for euer Amen Your seruant for Iesus Christes sake his vnworthy messenger IOHN VDALL The table The birth of Christ reuealed by the Angells did worke effectually in the sheepeherds in whome are to be considered these things their conference the time when it was 1. the maner of it 2. their iorney in going with haste vnto the place where the childe was 3. the fruite of the conference and iorney 1. founde the child 4. 2. published it abroad 5. returned praysing God 6. the people who wondered at the thinges which they had heard 7. Marye who kept all these things 8. pondred them in her hart 9. Two sermons of obedience to the Gospell Luke 2. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Verse 15. AND it came to passe when the Angels were gone away from them into heauen that the sheepeherds sayd one to another let vs goe then vnto Beth-leem and see this thing that is come to passe which the Lord hath shewed vnto vs. 16 So they came with haste and found both Marie and Ioseph and the babe layde in the cratch 17 And when they had seene it they published abroad the thing which was tolde them of that child 18 And all that heard it wondered at the things which were told them of the sheepeherds 19 But Marie kept all those things and pondered them in her heart 20 And the sheepeherds returned glorifieng and praising God for all that they had heard and seene as it was spoken vnto them WHEN the birth of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ was made manifest vnto the shéepeherds that were kéeping their shéepe by night it wrought effectually as you haue heard first in the Angels of God that they were moued to praise and glorifie God saying glorie to God in the highe heauens and peace in earth towards men good will Whereby they both declared that all praise honor and glorie was due to God for the work of Christs incarnation and also made knowne the blessing of god y e was shewed vpon mankind thereby to wit that here on earth they should féele themselues at peace in conscience because of the full perswasion of the remission of their sinnes and also should be tyed together one to another in a true league of spirituall vnitie all which floweth neither from mans will nor desert but onely from the frée fauour and good will of God our heauenlye father Secondly it wrought most effectually in mankind generally
perswasions I beléeue in Iesus Christ hope to be saued by his bloudshedding I knowe that Christ died for my sinnes and that I ought to liue wel as for those points of doctrine that be so many they belong to preachers and men that professe learning and so forth In which kind of people you may most liuely behold the subtiltie of Satan that vnder pretence of beléefe in Christ would ouerthrow the knowledge of God and perswade them that he can bring them a nearer way to heauen than by that ordinary way which God hath ordeined but we are to know that God whose wisedom shineth in the least of his creatures hath not set downe his word to be an idle thing or belonging vnto a fewe but vnto al yea euen to giue vnto the simple wisedome and sharpenes of wit and to the childe knowledge and discretion And therefore howsoeuer they arme themselues against knowledge and hide their hearts in the dungeon of ignorance we must make this vse of it that as God hath appointed his ministers to teach all the councell of God vnto his people so it is his will that his seruants should learne it all to the ende that they may haue vse and consolation of it in the gouernment of their liues and strengthening of their faith If this were truely learned it would ouerthrow that setled perswasion which Satan hath grounded in the heartes of many whereby they thinke themselues if they haue heard the word for some smal time that they haue learned enough that they haue sufficiently profited in religion and therefore they become colde and carelesse not regarding whether they frequent the holy exercises of religion or no. Which is the cause at this day that so heynous enormities reigne in mens liues to the great dishonor of God and slaunder of the Gospell But let vs perswade our selues that euery poynt of Gods word is of most weightie importance néedefull for vs to be knowne and that doe what we can we shall neuer knowe but in part neuer go farre enough neither in knowledge nor strict obedience for still we be vnprofitable seruants and therefore that we with all humilitie and reuerence be most diligent in frequenting those places where we may learne to knowe more and more of Gods will and praye vnto him that we may become euery day more godly than other so long as we liue They sayd one to another The second braunch of the first part which conteyneth the maner of the conference the meaning wherof is this that when they did sée both the weightines of the matter and also the necessitie of the knowledge thereof in themselues they began one to exhort and stirre vp another to the earnest hastye séeking out of the thing Out of which there may be gathered diuerse doctrines for our instruction First in that they say one to another let vs go vp then vnto Bethleem we may behold the beginning of the performance of that propheste where it was foretold that in the time of Christ they should say come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of y ◠Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teache vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes Whereby the holy Ghost teacheth vs that in the time of the Gospell there should be such zeale that euery one should excite and stirre vp his neighbour vnto religion which prophesie being verified in these shéepeherds doth teach vs our dutie to wit that if we acknowledge our selues to be of that number whom Christ in his Gospel ruleth then must we practise this point of obedience to him and loue to our brethren that we be meanes to stirre them vp to exhort and further them in the duties of christianitie wherevnto in the doctrine of the Gospell which is the statute law that Christ gouerneth his kingdome by we are oftentimes exhorted The holy Apostle S Paule sayth wherfore exhort one another and edifie one another euen as ye doe And in another place exhort one another daily while it is called to day And againe let vs consider one another prouoke vnto loue and to good works The reason whereof is this that séeing by the mercifull calling of God we are members of one body wherof Iesus Christ is the head and linked together by one spirit the fellowe féeling of the griefe of others if we be féeling members in déede constraineth vs to doo good one to another and therefore especially to informe those that néede in the way of righteousnes Thus we sée what is our dutie required of vs by the Lord himselfe which we are diligently to consider of for we may not thinke that the gifts of God bestowed vpon vs are for our selues alone but for the benefite also of others Which if it were rightly weyed religion would not be so geason amongst vs as it is for men thinke now adayes that if they sée others wallow in ignorance and bring forth the fruites of the same most enormious sinnes in their conuersation it is not their dutie to instruct them because forsooth it is the office of the preacher nay they thinke the minister ought not to doe it neither vnlesse he be in the pulpit and therefore his documents are vnsauerie vnlesse he himselfe be hedged in with a péece of wood on eche side but howsoeuer they would shut out knowledge by these and such like spéeches we are to learne that it is the duetie not only of ministers publikely but also of all men priuately to instruct those that be ignorant and to bring them from error the partie informed is not to cauil at the man that doth it nor the place where it is done but in reuerence to receiue it as from the Lorde and to laye it vp in his heart for the amendment of his life Secondly in that these shéepehers doe after they haue hearde the message of God by the Angell thus conferre of it howe they may be further edified we learne that they were careful that they shouldnot forget the things that they had heard therfore they are earnest to goe to y ◠place which the angels had named for their further satisfaction An example of fruitful hearers of the word of God by whom we may learne a very profitable lesson which is that when we come to y ◠hearing of the word of God forsomuch as we are vnfit in truth vnable to cary al things away that we heare partly thorough y ◠corruption of our nature the remnants whereof we shal alwaies carry about with vs partly thorough the subtiltie of Satan wherby he suggesteth other cogitations into our minds to the ende that he may bereaue vs of the benefite of Gods heauenly word steale our minds from attending to it After that the sermon is done we ought at our comming home to méete together say one to another come we haue al bene where we haue heard Gods word
to denie my selfe wholly but this I will doe I will take vpon me the profession of Iesus Christ and giue him some intertainement in my heart but not wholly I will not trust him too farre but take him in the one hand and the world in the other that if at any time I be troubled for the one I may cleaue with honesty to the other and say I neuer meant any lesse Thus doe a number in these dayes as their déeds doe most euidently declare but what get they by it Surely the Lord in his iust iudgement doth so bridle them because they would not trust him wholly to be their gouernour that they doe neuer féele the swéetnesse of Religion in so much that in time of persecution they vanish away and in the dayes of trouble they knowe not which way to turne because they would gladly retaine Christ and yet feeling no comfort by his worde dare not cleaue wholly vnto him But let vs beware of parting stakes betwéene God and the world let vs not come limping vnto the Lord but with our whole wils hearts and minds haue affiance in him that by his mercy we may reape the benefit of Iesus Christs obedience for our full contentment in this world and glorification in the world to come And wheÌ„ they had seen it they published abroade that which was tolde them of the Childe Nowe followeth the second fruit of their trauaile to wit that they séeing the truth of God in his promise and perceiuing that God had some greater work to doe in him they dispersed it abroade and told it to others as they coulde get conuenient occasion so that this being the meaning of the wordes let vs obserue those things that are to be learned out of the same for our instruction first let vs consider the time wheÌ„ they published it euen when they did sée and perceiue plainely that it was so indéed as they were told of the Angell so that there could be no deniall of it any way Which teacheth vs this lesson that religioÌ„ must first be knowen before it be vttered for how can a man reueale a thing vnto an other whereof he is still ignorant himselfe How can a blind man sée to directe an other in the way and therfore the first thing that is required at our handes in the seruice of God is that we seeke thoroughly to knowe his will to the end that we may haue a most certain ground both how to directe our owne wayes and also to make our lightes shine to others which al men do desire to do or at least to be so accounted but because they haue not that care to be directed by certaine knowledge both their own wayes that séeme good in their own eyes yea thoughe they be workes in themselues good are odious in the sight of God as being fruits that procéede not from faith and also their profession or outward shewe is espied faultie euen in the world and they accounted hypocrites so that if we enter duely into the coÌ„sideration of the estate of such persons we shall sée it to be of all others most desperate for in the sight of God their doings are abhominable insomuch as they haue not learned by the knowledge of his word to do them in faith and in the iudgement of men they are also reiected for both the godly to whom the Lord hath giuen the spirit of discretion to discerne those thinges that differre do sée their course to be only in outward appearance and therefore ioyne not with them and also the wicked who cannot discerne otherwise then by the fruites do sée that they make a shewe of one thing and practise an other and therefore doe euen of all other detest them most so that they being neither beloued of God nor man must néedes of all other be in the worst case Therefore they that intend to take a right cause where with they may both please God â—… bring comfort vnto their owne soules and also stoppe the mouthes of their aduersaries as they be desirous to doe those thinges that may be approued before men so let them first beginne with this that they may learne of the worde how they may haue warrant from him and be sure that they doe his will and not to take vpon them for any priuate occasion either of gaine credit or pleasing others to make shewe of that which neither they know nor yet haue any féeling of so shall they in any extremitie haue the testimony of a good conscience the comfort whereof ouercom meth all those euils that the godly are continually thorough the malice of Satan haunted withall Moreouer as wée sée that these shéepheards begunne with knowledge and were first instructed thoroughly in the thing themselues so we see that as soone as they had sure intelligence of the matter they published it and made it knowen to others wherein they make knowen both their thankfull heartes to God and also their louing affections to their bretheren their thankfull heartes that hauing reciued such a benefit from the hand of God thinke it their duetye to make knowen vnto others what a bountifull God he is Their louing affections to their brethren that are desirous to haue them partakers of those notable benefits of God in the birth of his Sonne Iesus Christ whereby we may learne a most notable point of our duety that our thankefulnesse to God and loue to our brethren must moue vs by al lawfull meanes to make that knowen vnto others which we our selues doe learne out of Gods worde the summe whereof standeth in these two pointes to reproue our bretheren offending and to instruct them when we sée them ignorant The carnall man that would not be reproued because he will not amende nor be instructed for that he despiseth knowledge will say that a minister must doe so but priuate persons are not to meddle in any such matter against whom if I shoulde aleadge no more but only the doings of these shéepheardes he were thoroughly answered but to make it more cleare by the Scriptures for reprouing sinne which is the first point The Lord sayth thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sin Whereby we do most euidently sée both that we ought to reproue one another offending and also that if we doe it not we hate him and for instructing the second point Dauid saith restore to me O Lord the ioy of thy saluation and sta blish me with thy frée spirit then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee So that it appeareth plainely hereby what is the duety of euery Christian which indéede causeth them that haue a care to kepe Gods commandementes to take this course where with all the godlesse are moste of all offended and are readye to offer them any violent iniury charging them to doe it not of
so many as were made partakers of the knowledge thereof Which parties remayne now together with the doctrine conteined in the historie of them to be considered of that we may learne out of the same such doctrine as may serue for our edification comfort the place of Scripture therefore that we may procéede according to our ordinarie maner offereth the doings of thrée sorts of people to our consideration 1. The shéepeherds 2. The people that heard of it 3. Marie In the doings of the shéepeherds the holy ghost setteth downe their conference their iorney to the place where it was told that Iesus was and the fruite or euent of their iorney In the conference there is set downe the time when it was and the thing it selfe The maner of their iorney is set downe to be in haste the fruite or euent that came of it is thréefold first that they found Marie and Ioseph and the child secondly published those things that they had heard thirdly which is in the last verse of all they returned glorifieng and praysing God The second sort is the multitude that wondered at the thing The third is Marie y ◠kept al these things and pondered them in her heart These be the braunches of the matter conteined in this text And it came to passe that when c. The first braunch that is to be considered of is the time when these shéepeherds conferred to wit presently vpon the departure of the Angells that is as soone as euer the Angells had made an ende of speaking and were gone from them they began to consider with themselues that the matter was of great importance and therefore not to be deferred that it was a thing most necessary and therefore not to be neglected but further to be enquired after Out of which we haue to learne for our instruction two profitable doctrines First that we may not linger or prolong the time in the performance of those things that God enioyneth vnto vs we may not deferre the matter vntil hereafter but presently vpon the hearing of his worde by his ministers we must obey it the reason whereof is most apparant for when God speaketh then doth he offer the thing whereof he speaketh If he threaten his iudgements for sinne his word speaking the same his hand is ready to powre downe the thing if he teach vs any point of doctrine for the confirmation of our faith then is he ready with his spirite to seale the same in our hearts if he exhort vs vnto amendment of life with promise of reward then doth he mercifully bind him selfe to the performance of the same so that we may surely settle our faith vpon an vndoubted expectation of it the which doctrine is notably vrged in the epistle to the Hebrewes out of the saying of Dauid to day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts Where the holy ghost doth tell vs that whensoeuer the worde of God is preached vnto vs euen at that instant doth Almighty God offer his mercie and maketh this vse of it that then we should not harden our harts with contempt or carelesse harkening therevnto and to imprint it the déeper in our hearts the Lord by the mouth of Salomon hath vttered this fearefull threatning because I haue called sayth he and ye refused I haue stretched out myne hand none woulde regard but ye haue despised all my counsell and would none of my correction I will also laugh at your destruction c. then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall séeke me earely but they shall not finde me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord wherevnto that of the Prophet accordeth beholde the dayes come sayth the Lorde God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north euen vnto the east shal they runne to and fro to séeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it We haue a moste terrible example of Gods iustice herein in that profane person Esau who despising the blessing of god in the birth right sold it away for a portion of meate of whome it is sayd that he found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares We sée then both the necessitie of present imbracing Gods word with faith and amendment of life and also the terrible threatnings that God denoūceth to powre vpon the heads of the contemners the which we ought to apply most diligently vnto our selues for if God estéeme so greatly of his word and punisheth so sharpely the neglect thereof we haue great cause to searche our owne consciences how faithfull obedience we haue yéelded therevnto for we haue heard his word longe we haue professed the same and doe professe it to the sight of the world Nowe if by triall we can finde thorough the testimonie of gods spirite in our hearts and examination of our liues that we haue not heard in vaine but haue increased both in knowledge of the gospell and also reformation of life according to the same our owne consciences may minister vnto vs matter of vnfeined consolation but contrariwise if we haue long time bene hearers of the worde and haue neither profited in knowledge of god nor obedience to his lawes surely our estate is most lamentable howsoeuer we flatter our selues in our owne imagination and therfore let vs search our owne consciences whether we finde that ready mind in our selues that we sée to be in these shéepeherds to make present profit of gods word when we haue heard it The second thing that we haue to marke out of this point is that we sée the word of god was effectuall in them and made them carefull to séeke further to be informed in the matter of the birth of Christ that they hauing the whole knowledge of the thing in euery point might not lacke the vse of it any way because they did know that the thing both being straung and also comming from God must néedes be most necessary for them to know The lesson that is to be gathered out of the same for our instruction is this that those who be truely called vnto the faith in Iesus Christ and haue the vnfeined earnest of Gods spirit within them doe perswade themselues that Gods word in euery point is to be knowne of them and also euery way to be practised which is a doctrine most néedefull to be learned for Satan hath so inueigled the hearts of a number yea euen of them that take themselues to be gospellers that they thinke the most part of Gods worde not to appertaine vnto them that the knowledge thereof is néedelesse the comfort of it fruitlesse and the particular obedience therevnto more precise than necessarie insomuch that they settle themselues in these and such
taught let vs confer about it that we may not onely call to remembrance those things that euery one of vs haue caried away but also that one may haue y ◠benefit of the labors of others surely it must néedes proue a very profitable way for if one haue missed y ◠obseruation of this or that point an other hath marked it so that among them they may bring away the whole and so be edified one by another And as all are to be careful herein soespecialy it is to be practised by maisters fathers of families that forsomuch as children seruāts be often carelesse in attending vnto the word of God the very feare of rebuke or correction at their faithers or maisters hands wil make them learne somwhat If the benefite of this course were perceiued and the practise of it vsed besids the commodity redoūding to the parties it would be y e meanes to stay manie horrible offences that are committed For what is y e cause of such idle talk that mē haue delight in Euen the lack of better matter wherein they might be occupied What is the cause y ◠Lords saboths be so ill spent yea so horribly prophaned Euen this that so soone as they come from Church if yet they come there at all they thinke their dutie to God fully performed and so go in all haste to dice cardes bowling tipling and euerie other wicked pastime as they call them wherin want neither cursing swearing nor blaspheming to the great dishonour of God and procuring of his heauie wrath to be powred vpon this land and the decay of all religion but marke in this point the height of all iniquitie in these out daies whereas Magistrates should redresse these things and others that take vppon them the correction of vice in the Church do make a shewe of defending religion if there be anie smal number which is rare y ◠woulde gladlie following the example of these shéepheardes confer priuately of those things that they haue hearde and be carefull to grow in the knowledge of religion by and by it shalbe charged to be within the compasse of a conuenticle and their good and godly course shalbe checked and blamed by pretence colour of law but if twenty méete togither in an Alenouse though they most prophanely abuse the creatures of God lewdly mispend their time blasphemously dishonour the Lord and vncharitably reuile euen the very profession of Iesus Christ all this is no harme it is but good neighbourhood it is no conuenticle they haue or will haue no law to punish it from hence do spring all the abominable sinnes that reigne in this land euen that religious exercises by the secret papistes and prophane atheistes that be in authoritie and abuse the law and meaning thereof are discoūtenanced godlesse and irreligious dealinges boalstered whose reckoning for their partes in the day of account wil be most intollerable which they least think of but let vs pray vnto God y ◠he woulde grant vs reformation of these and such thinges when his good will and pleasure is and in the meane while to grant vs the spirit of wisdome and discretion that we may walke warily in these daungerous dayes Moreouer in the consideration of the parties what kinde of people they were we may note that which concerneth our instruction They were as you see shéepheardes men of no greate calling and most like of small learning yet beholde both howe the Lord doth reueale the birth of his Sonne first vnto them and also how carefull they are to search out euery circumstance of y e same There is no doubt but if they had liued in these our dayes they should haue bene charged with great presumption that being men of meane vnderstanding durst meddle with such high matters whereof the very Rabbines could not agrée But we learne by their example 1. to admire the wonderfull wisdome and loue of God wisdome that doth thus reueale his Sonne to these simple ones not to the great clarkes of the Iewes y ◠Scribes and Pharisies his loue that so mercifully maketh him self knowne vnto these that in their own eies no doubt and also in truth were by reason lesse capable of so high mysteries y e vse wherof we must acknowledge to be this which also S. Paul teacheth vs that the Lord thereby stoppeth the way for anie man to reioice or boast in himselfe but that he may learne to ascribe all glorie onelie vnto God Secondly we learne that it is the dutie euen of the simplest to séeke the knowledge of Iesus Christ out of his word and to exercise himselfe continually in the same and not to say as commonly is said I am a Lay man I haue no learning let them that are preachers and haue béene brought vp in Schooles meddle with Scriptures I must attend vpon my worldlie businesse by which and such like spéeches they thinke they haue gotten inuincible shields to defend them from knowledg and shrowd them in their ignorance but they will proue no better than broken réedes and figge-leaues in the daie of iudgement for God hath not placed any man in this earth to the ende that he sléeping in ignoraunce should fatte vp himselfe with the vse of Gods blessings here and seeke no further but that he should aboue al things be carefull to search out of Gods worde how to know his will that knowing it he may obey him and so earnestly set foorth the glorie of his holie name Againe we sée the maner of their procéedings to be this that they say let vs go then vnto Bethlehem and sée this thing that is come to passe which the Lord hath shewed vnto vs as if they should haue said as we are careful to be further certified in this matter so must we both be wary that we go to the place and also search the things that haue been told vs least we doing otherwise reape no benefite by our iorney wherein wée may behold for our example a patterne of right obedience vnto God they are verie forward and yet notwithstanding ty themselues vnto that which they had heard Al men by the verie instinct of nature are desirous to knowe the trueth but yet in the manner all naturally doe erre for they seek it after the course that their owne fancies doe imagin but they that wil séeke the truth truly in truth they that euer shal come to y e knowledge of the same do follow the stricte rule of Gods worde neither swaruing to the right hand nor declining to the left and they be most earnest and diligent in the same Whereby we may make notable triall of our selues both whether we be in the way of truth or no and also how carefull we be to finde it Which triall if it were duely applied vnto our hearts y e greatest number of vs no doubt should find themselues carelesse and so haue iust matter with in themselues either to
more in it nor so much as hée did therefore I will be gone But Marie was not of this minde for shée considered that the shéepeheards could not come to the knowledge of the thing without the will of God and that the Lord who guideth all things had directed them to come thither and therefore it was méete forher to harken diligently and marke euerie word verie attentiuely Which vse also we must make of the like for if a Sparrowe fall not vppon the grounde without our fathers will then can not wée neither shal we heare anie part of his heauenlie worde without his appointment Therefore I must make this vse rather of it reasoning with my selfe thus I thinke that I know this point that is now in handling well ynough but yet I am deceiued for God woulde not then haue it spoken to me againe therfore I am now to heare it as diligently and marke it as carefully as though I had neuer known â—…rst what it meant and on the other side the partie who hath heeretofore refused to obey such or such a doctrine and heareth it sounding in his eares againe may reason thus with himselfe why doth God offer it vnto me knowing that héeretofore I haue despised it Surely because hée hath a loue vnto me and would haue me repent and not be condemned Beholde the greate loue and mercie of God vnto me vile and wretched sinner therfore now will I goe vnto him and saie Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight and am not worthie to be called thy seruant I haue done wickedly in contemning so often thy holie worde in casting it behinde me despitefully and now Lord for thy mercies sake be fauorable vnto me and receiue me vnto thy mercie Happie is that man that can make this vse of Gods word but if they doe not they may take it thus for it is vndoubtedly so that the oftener they be inuited to amend aud conuert not the more horrible shall their condemnation be And pondered them in her heart The second thing that Marie did they beeing kept in the chest of her heart it is saide moreouer that she pondered them that is called them often to her remembrance and was alwaies muzing of them Wherein wée may beholde an example of most Christian modestie that hauing so great matters reuealed vnto her she maketh no bragge of it as though she were to be honoured of all men and admired for it but is rather carefull to make vse of it vnto her selfe By whose example is corrected that proud spirite of worldlings who albeit they neither knowe one point of religion aright nor yet can tell how to begin the practise of a godlie life yet notwithstanding they wil oppose them selues both in knowledge against the learnedest and in godlinesse against the most holie whose helpe in déede Sathan vseth to out face the true seruants of the Lord with their bragges and to the vttermost of their power to bring them into hatred and contempt But Marie was not of that minde she was inspired with that spirite which teacheth true humilitie which instructeth the godlie to be lowlie in their owne conceit and humble in their owne imaginations bicause it doth bring them to the sight of their manifold sinnes and the desert of the same wherby they are brought low and taught to depend vppon the méere mercie of God to boast in nothing but their owne infirmities to desire to knowe nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified Againe wée are to obserue that shée therefore pondered them in her heart because shée did not yet beholde what would be the euent of these things and yet shée would not neglect them By whose example we may learne a profi-table lesson to teach vs how to vse the doctrine that wée learne from the Lords messengers It may be that at that present time when we heare it we cannot tel how to haue the present vse of it as they that be certainely perswaded of Gods fauour to them haue not present or so great néede of the comforts against distrustfulnesse they that be sufficiently humbled néede not greatly the seuere reprehensions of the Law yet notwithstanding when they heare the doctrine they are not straightway to thinke they néed not harken vnto it but rather they ponder it in their heart and lay it vp there as in a store house We may learne this lesson by the example of a good housholder who finding anie implement in his house which he presently knoweth not how to bestow wil saie I wil keep it seauen yeares and once in that time I shall haue vse of it euen so it fareth with Christians they are to prouide for warre in the time of peace to arme them selues as wel where Sathan striketh not as where he doth strike and to be furnished with the complete armor of God to be instructed with doctrine euerie waie that wheresoeuer or whensoeuer he shall assaile vs his blowes may be warded and kept backe with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God for we are not worthy to be so much of Gods counsell as to know with what trial he wil search vs next therefore we are to be euerie way prouided persecution sicknesse pouertie and all other Crosses that we are subiect vnto come very sodenly wheÌ„ it wil be too late than to séeke armour of proofe for our comfort if we lacke it then we had as good lacke it still and therefore lette vs prouide for it aforehand that we neuer be found as the foolish Uirgins without oile in our lamps And the sheepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seene as it was spoken vnto them This is the third and last effect that is sette downe vnto vs to be wrought in the shéepeheards by the knowledge of the birth of Christ which containeth in it three things first their returning second their glorifying and praysing of God third the cause wherefore for al that they had heard and seen as it was shewed vnto them The sheepeheards returned The first thing as you sée is that when they had séene and were fully instructed in the birth of Iesus Christ they returned back againe from Bethlem vnto the place of their former abode to exercise the dueties of their ordinary vocation wherein we may beholde in what place they set the workes of their calling euen in the last place of al for we sée that they first went in haste to the place where Christ was to be séene then published it abroade tothe worlde and lastly when they had done they returned wée are to learne then if we mean to profit by their example to preferre the knowledge of Iesus Christ and the spreading abroad of his will whereby he may be glorified before our owne matters of this world For the first end of our creation is Gods glorie and the second our own saluation
wherevnto in their seuerall places the businesses of this world must attend and giue place that is that no things that be in or vppon this earth should be anie hinderaunces vnto vs for the setting foorth of Gods glorie and the séeking of our owne saluation a lesson that is sooner taught than it is learned and sooner spoken than practised for howe fewe are there to be found in this worlde that doe kéepe their worldlie desires so farre vnder that they be wholly eaten vppe with the glorie of the Lorde And howe manie are there euerie where that do place this world in equall degrée with religion yea and suffer it beeing of it self an vnderling the things wherof God hath put vnder mans feet to be so saucie as to be check-mate with religion yea and to checke often times and to controll the very motions of the spirit of God But of all other how easie a thing is it to find euery where those persons that do entertaine this present world as a Quéene giuing vnto him the whole rule and gouernement of their hearts and minds and turning religion cleane out at the doores do bid her farewell and set her to begging Wherevppon she hauing so long offered herselfe vnto this land and finding so base intertainement shée is at this present almost banished out of it so that a man may séeke whole houses and not finde her townes and countries and yet her face is founde scarce to appeare But howesoeuer the worlde despiseth her being that wisedome of God spoken of by Salomon that crieth in the stréets we are to preferre her before golde and siluer before delights and pleasures we are to make it the finall end of all our deuises and counsels to procure him vnto vs who onely teacheth the seruice of God and openeth the way to eternall life And not to doe as is the manner of many who when they be exhorted to make religion their chiefest care and not to wed them selues thus to the world wil answere their owne consciences telling them that it should be so indéed I confes I am too blame to be so negligent but to say the truth I could not as yet do as I would for I haue had so many matters in hand as I could possibly turne my selfe vnto which are indifferent wel ouergone now so that if I had once done with one or two businesses moe or if I had such and such a commoditie that I am about then you shall sée me be at an other stay Thus doe these persons think that they do answere wislly yet euen in such spéeches they declare that when they haue serued the worlde then wil they serue God for they shal neuer want such excuses so long as they liue when they haue nothing else to doe they will be religious in effect when sinne for saketh themâ—… then will they forsake it But God looketh for the first fruites for the prime of all our labours he will be serued before and aboue al other thinges and therefore let vs not thinke to deale with him so let vs not deceiue or flatter our selues thus but let vs followe the example of Dauid dedicate al that is within vs to the praise of his holie name and that from our youth vpward so shall we be sure of the blessing of God in this life and in the world to come Let vs yet obserue further the doings of these shéepeherds who though they were verie zealous and forward yet you sée that in his due place they had also a dutifull care of their calling not béeing so farre carried awaie from their shéepe that they vtterly forgotte them but it is reported of them héere and allowed by the spirite of God that they returned to wit to their charge againe by whose example wée do learne this lesson that religion euen in the perfection thereof doeth not abolish the ordinarie calling of this world nor exempt any man from taking some lawfull waie or other for the maintenaunce of him selfe and his familie For God hauing placed man in this world and adourned it with the wonderful riches of his creatures and made them all for the vse of man permitteth vnto him receiuing them as from him with thankefulnesse and vsing them for his necessitie and comfort the frée vse and benefite of this world and al the things contained in the same yea rather religion is so far from hindering or exempting a man from his calling that it is the onelie direction for man both to choose vnto himselfe such a calling as is lawfull and also hauing admitted himselfe therevnto to employ him selfe in the same aright and to vse it lawfully the scripture is plentifull for the proofe of this point Let vs consider of certaine places for the warrant of this doctrine But we beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more and that ye studie to be quiet and to medle with your owne businesse and to worke with your owne hands as we commaunded you and in an other place This we warned you of that if there were anie that woulde not worke that he should not eate for wée heare that there are some which walke among you inordinately and worke not at al but are busie bodies therefore them that are such we commaund and exhort by our Lorde Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnesse and eate their owne breade Iohn the Baptist teaching the people the right fruites of repentance councelled no man to leaue his calling but rather taught him the right vse of the same Saint Paul likewise telleth vs that we may vse this world yet it must be as though we vsed it not that is not to fix our mind vpon it but estéem of it as a necessary thing in this present pilgrimage so that the doctrine being most euident it teacheth vs to condemne the doings of foure seuerall sortes of people first of them that vnder the pretence shew of religion will liue an idle life being carelesse both for them selues their families alleadging this God wil prouide in the meane while they despise the means whereby he prouideth liuing a careles idle life yea are burthenous often to their brethren and think that bicause they professe religion others ought to support theÌ„ but they are to know y â— if they be not within the nuÌ„ber of lame impotent persons who can not prouide for themselues The Apostle enioineth to them to eate their own bread with quietnes And if they do prouide for themselues are able through their smal charge to do it in smal time so loiter ouer the rest thei are yet further o learn that they must also labour that they may giue to him that néeds to haue such a care ouer their poore brethren that al the help that they can possibly affoorde is to be employed to the benefite of the saints that are on the earth this is not only to be looked to