stay their talke and to lay their hands on their mouths And yet here we must beware of their hastie zeale who will not sticke to charge the children of God to be without zeale if presently and abruptly they rush not into an open reprehension of men that are mightie in authority as though no regard of place time and persons were to be had which opinion many by weaknes of iudgement defending finde neither fruit in others nor comfort in their owne consciences when they do admonish in that presumptuous manner for that hunting after feruentnes without the spirit of meeknes and casting off all consideration of a godly oportunitie they rather exasperate than humble the parties admonished and they themselues rather depart with confusion and shame for such posting on without warrant of wisedome and not according to knowledge than with comfort of heart for any dutie done Neither am I here ignorant how great daunger of trouble of minde commeth to many in that they being so curious obseruers and waiters of oportunitie doe for some ease of the flesh vnder the cloake of this wisedome altogether leaue off that godly dutie Wherefore as we affirme that wisedome and loue mixed together doe deepely enter into the most prefract and prodigious spirits so we mislike their fearefull delay of dutie who hauing a meane occasion offered them from the Lord doe not earnestly puâ—â—ue the quarrell of the Lord and earnestly rebuke sinne though in some higher personaâ—â—es Out of this may issue another fruit of right zeale namely when we are zealous in their behalfe who can neuer recompence vs againe for flesh and blood will easily admit to rebuke the iniuries and reuenge the oppressions vsed to men of credit and abilitie because it is a warie wisedome to patronage them in lesser things who can be our patrons againe in greater things Thus Iob deliuered the poore that cried the fatherlesse him that had none to helpe him he was the eyes to the blinde the foote to the lame at whose hands no hope of reward was to be looked for But to draw to the last and most glorious propertie this thing in zeale is most commendable when we are humbled in our owne soules for those sinnes which we espie and censure in others euen as though we our selues for want of instruction or prayer were in some sort guiltie of their sinnes If this rule were receiued in iudgement and â—uerenced in practise of Ministers Magistrates and masters when they are to admonish their inferiours of sinne it is sure it would breede in them great conscience and religion Alas wee see many who can mangle and martyr a man for some offence who neuer learned for consâ—nce sake to mourne for those infirmities which so bitterly he would iâ—ueigh against in others Let vs consider this in ministers how the Apostle saith to the Corinthians I feare leâ—â—t when I come mâ— God aâ—â—ase me among you and I shall beâ—aile many of them which haue â—â—â—ned alreadie c. Which no doubt he did as thinking that he did not duty enough but that there was euen some cause of griefe in himselfe Did the Apostle who had so little or no cause so to doe thus lament and suspect himselfe as though hee had not vsed all good meanes or with the meanes good affections and should the ministers of our time whose gifts and paines are fâ—rre inferiour nothing bee moued for the sinnes of them for whom they ought to care and mourne Well I hope that euen at this day there are some that feare they haue not in preaching publikely opened al the mysteries of God to them they thinke they haue failed in priuate admonition they suspect themselues of want of praying for them they are readie to accuse themselues that they haue not walked so wisely and warily in vsing their libertie before them or that their life hath not yeelded that example of godlinesse to them as they ought to haue done And so in the whole discourse almost of the sinnes of the seuerall Churches the holy Ghost runneth on in this tenour that whatsoeuer is spoken of the Church is spoken to the Angels that is to the ministers of the Church who are said to haue this or that sinne which indeede was in the people In the Primitiue Church when the credit of the Apostles was called into question they might seeme to haue been much troubled about the matter but they were much humbled by it they examined them selues they accused themselues and afterward they instituted a new ministerie But doth not this dutie as deepely charge Ministers and Masters to mourne for the sinnes of their people Yes doubtles and for good reason For if they will confesse that they must reioyce in the good things that befall their children and families they must also lament the euils which betide them so long as they are vnder their tuition and gouernment FINIS OF A GOOD NAME THE FOVRTH SERMON Prouerbs 22. verse 1. A good name is to be desired aboue great riches and louing fauour aboue siluer and gold ALl that is to be desired of a man is this that hee bee vertuous godly and truly religious This because it is in it selfe most excellent and most contrarie to our nature therefore the Scripture vseth many arguments and reasons to perswade vs thereunto as in this place where the Wise man would stirre vs vp to the loue of vertue by setting before our eyes two principall effects and fruits which we may receiue by it The first of these is a good name the second is louing fauour both which as they doe proceede from vertue and godlines so they doe maintaine and increase one another For as a man findeth much fauour with those that doe speake and report well of him so those that will shew a man louing fauour will or at least ought to shewe it in this that they may willingly affoord him a good report Now both these are preferred before great riches both these are accounted better than gold and much siluer and surely whosoeuer is truly wise will make this account of them whosoeuer doth rightly knowe to discerne what is good he will first and especially labour for them for a good name doth commend vs to God and to his holy Angels in whose eyes those vertues whereof a good name doth arise are most acceptable But riches are not able to doe this no the abundance of siluer and golde is often an occasion of sinne whereby we are most out of the fauour of God Againe whereas riches especially if they be euill gotten do cause men many times to hate vs this good name and louing fauour doth win the hearts of many yea it doth sometimes cause our enemies to be at peace with vs. And this euer hath been and euer will be most certaine and true whether we looke to prosperitie or aduersitie whether we looke to the common callings of this ciuill
more than the glorie of God because he did not more seuerely and more zealously rebuke his sons and in that there wanted in him that feruencie of spirit whreby he should haue cut off his sonnes from their office wherefore the hand of God did cut off his life and depriued all his posteritie of the Priesthood Although this good man was offended and grieued with the euils of his sonnes yet his coldnes in zeale brought â—pon him this plague Elias whose zeale as much pleased the Lord as the coldnes of Elie displeased him was of a feruent spirit for when the Lord asked him where he had been he answered I haue beene zealous for the Lord God of Hosts sake and when he complained that he could finde none which had not bowed vnto Baal the Lord vouchsafeth to comfort him and telleth him there be 7000. which neuer bowed their knees to him Well because he continued zealous in beating downe Idolatrie the Lord came downe visibly with a firie Chariot and fetched Eliah from earth to heauen We need not here speake of the great zeale of Moses Phinees and other of the seruants of God We see and know the cause of this loue in the man of God was the purenesse of the word We heard in the first verse that the iudgements of the Lord were righteous we haue heard in the second verse that the testimonies of the Lord contained a speciall righteousnesse wee shall heare in the sixt verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is an euerlasting righteousnesse wee may see in the seuenth verse that it made him delight in trouble and in the eight verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is euerlasting Wherefore doth hee this as we haue alreadie said to strengthen his Faith for after hee had said that the riuers of teares through zeale and griefe burst out of his eyes hee addeth and rehearseth these things What shall we say they are vaine repititions Nay we know the holy Ghost reproueth them Math. 6. We see then that in so oft commending the word of God the Prophet sheweth to vs our vnbeliefe which he felt so much in himselfe When do idle repetitions so much displease the Lord Surely when our tongues walke idlie and in our prayers wee speake we know not what But when a mans heart is full of sorrow and fraught with griefe of his sinnes or earnestly longeth after a thing then let vs crie Lord haue mercie vpon mee then let vs powre out our spirits say Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe Thus when the heart is loth to bee ouercome of vnbeliefe and when it desireth to shewe forth his sorrow or when Gods children would exercise their Faith or feele in themselues any rare ioy which they would gladly expresse then they vse manie repetitions as wee may see both in the booke of Chronicles and the Psalmes Praise yee the Lorde because hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer where wee shall see in 26. verses this still repeated for his mercie endureth for euer What shall wee say now that here is any needlesse repetition No well we see here then that wee must not speake simplie against repetitions but in great wisedome of the Spirit because the heart of the godly cannot satisfie it selfe with Faith and feeling of Gods promises vnlesse it breaketh foorth as a fire into many speeches Hereby we know now that the man of God here expresseth his faith we are to learne that without some liuely feeling of faith of ioy or of griefe we are not to vse oft repetitions vnlesse happily they be vsed to stirre vs vp the more to these or such like So cried the woman of Canaan O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me and being rebuked she still cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me We would thinke it somewhat strange and as a great matter to see a poore body shoote out so many prayers at once when they speake out of the abundance of their heart which is stuffed with so many griefes and troubles Thy word saith the Prophet is proued true it hath no changeable goodnesse but hath in it an euerlasting righteousnes seruing for all ages for all persons and for all times Mens opinions faile the wisedome strength and authoritie of man in time hath an end but this Word is exceeding large and neuer hath end Thy word is proued pure Many would thinke this to be but a small commendation for the word of God but come to a man when his minde is much troubled and tell him of the word and what purenesse what comfort will he finde in it Surely he will be as one that hath no taste in it and as one that feeleth no more sweetnesse than a sicke man doth taste in a chip And notwithstanding all that the word shall doe to him he will still follow his owne waies and goe on forward in the deuices of his owne head Doe men then feele such infinite comfort in the word so much is their comfort as is their faith and so little is their faith as little is their comfort Looke into Gods children how greatly they lament their vnbeleefe looke into Dauid looke on Iob looke on the late and blessed Martyr of God Bradford who almost in all his bookes and in euery meditation complaineth of his vnbeleefe notwithstanding that he was a man so rich in the graces of God so throughly mortified to the world so stayed in faith and yet the neerer he came daily to Christ the more he stil crieth against vnbeleefe Wherefore Paul seeing this to be a common disease among all men saith This is a faithfull thing and worthie of all men to be remembred That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners this is a faithfull saying with such like speeches which the Apostle vseth as preparatiues to stirre vp our faith The purenesse of the word is mentioned of the Prophet when after he had lamented the miserable ellate of the godly and the great decay of godlinesse he crieth out to the Lord speedily to assist his children saying Helpe Lord Psal. 12. 4 for there is not a godly man leâ—â— c. and by and by he addeth verse 6. The wordes of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold If we should imagine the purest siluer that is often tried and serueth in the court for Princes euen so pure must we beleeue the word of God to be which not seuen times alone but seuentie times seuen times hath beene tried in the fire of aduersitie and still hath remained most pure and neuer could any corruption bâ— found in it Wee haue seene good men as it were confounded and yet comforted and being tried are found to be pure The meaning of the man of God in that place is trie the word as you doe trie the purest mettals with persecution with torment with contempt or howsoeuer I
theÌ„ the other And such be wee and our times long rid from that superstitious generation but readie now as it is saide Deut. 29. 19. to adde drunkennesse to thirst which commeth to passe for want of circumspectnes in deliuering the doctrine of libertie And so wee fall to make Paul Galat. 5. and Peter a cloake of our licentious life Wee turne the grace of God into wantonnesse as Iude speaketh This then being as it were the common disease of these last and perillous dayes the ministers of the Gospell must stand vp as in a gap and euery one is to be watchfull ouer himselfe that he sinke not away in these pleasures which seeme to cheere bring good to the heart but such a good as maketh the graces of God in some to come to nothing and withdraweth many away from Paradise a place of pleasure to hell a place of torments You know who it was that seeing so many young Gentlemen follow Epicurus at his first setting vp saide the cause was it was young mens philosophie that was professed in that schoole For this cause Sathan laboureth especially to poyson this age because he knoweth if this be barren of good that which followeth is like to be thereafter Satan and his ministers haue for euery age estate and condition a sundrie baite laying for Youth the baite of pleasure for Age the bayte of couetonsnes c. Euery man is eateÌ„ vp with one zeale or other there is a zeale of old age middle age of youth Euery man may trie his zeale by the ninth of Esa. ver 7. The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this It was the zeale of God that he gaue his sonne for vs his most dearely beloued sonne it is then one argument of our zeale to any thing when wee will forgoe a pretious thing for the thing we professe to loue indeed Esau was zealous for his meate when hee would lose his blessing for it and such is our zeale of pleasure that wee will forgoe learning time the fauour of the godly health of bodie yea sometimes our owne soules for it 6. It hath bin alwaies the note of false prophets to preach pleasant things and for outward matters as the Priests of Iezabel And Micah chap. 2 speaketh of false Prophets that prophesied of meate and strong drinke Peter saith they praise liberty and Paul They can reason for the bellie All thingâ— say they are lawfull but on the other side Gods children haue bene alwaies in the way of restraining 1. King 19. Eliah ate and gaue ouer and fell asleepe so that the Angell was sent to bid him eate more It is not the fâ—ult of many For we haue neede of an Angell to keepe vs from eating Timothie abstained from wine and Paul biddeth him to vse it for the weakenesse of his stomacke Salomon reclaimeth yong men Eccle. 11. When Iobs children meane to banquet in course he feareth least they curse God The austeritie of the Fathers was very great concerning meates as of Basil Hierome that it gaue occasion to the superstitious abstinence which followed But now the latter times are gone and the last daies are come Superstition is past but men glut themselues with all Epicurisme and pleasures of this life 7 Christians are neither Stoicks nor Epicures Paul disputeth against both Act. 17. The Stoicke condemnes all pleasure the Epicure commends all pleasures Pleasure is not good according to our election but in respect of the obiect if the obiect or matter wherein our pleasure consisteth be simply good then the pleasure is simply good if the obiect be simply euill our pleasure is simply euill But pleasures by nature being good and bad by circumstance they are not left as things indifferent to our election CHAP. XVIII Godly meditations concerning Christs power against Sathan loue to the faithfull and how he is our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and of our communion with him CHrist careth for vs we must not feare a stroÌ„g enemie because we haue a stronger Captaine The Diuell indeed is a Lion but so is Christ a Lion and that of the tribe of Iudah There is a Lion for a Lion courage for courage The diuell is a Serpent so Christ calleth himselfe the brasen Serpent there is a Serpent for a Serpent wisedome for wisedome yea a Serpent of brasse to sting all the fierie Serpents of the wildernesse But thou saist that Christ is called a Lambe and a worme Bâ— not discouraged that is in respect of his Father who found him as meeke as a Lambe who might haue troden on him as on a worme but the diuell neuer found him a Lambe but a Lion The meeknes of Christ is stronger than all the power of hell Ioh. 18. When the diuell seemed to be in his ruffe he sends a great crew to take a sillie man when he told them it was he whom he sought this little word cast them downe What shall he doe then in glorie when he commeth with thousands of Angels This then is the conclusion the diuell is strong but Christ is stronger and chaineth him at his pleasure The diuell is wise but Christ is wiser and preuenteth him in all his practises 2 They that will haue a true faith in Christ must beleeue in the ends and in the mercies of our saluation The ends are that Christ is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption Art thou afraide that thou shalt goe out of thy wits because thou fearest sinne Are thy cogitations confounded Seest thou no knowledge no not so much as a litterall knowledge of thy saluation but all is doubtfulnes all is dulnesse all is deadnes within thee as though thou neuer knewest heardest or learnedst any thing Now know now is the time to beleeue that whatsoeuer knowledge experience power of vnderstanding was in Christ Iesu the same is made thine he is the annointing that will teach thee he is the Fathers counsellor he is wonderful he hath the knowledge of all mysteries he is the spirituall interpreter of the law vnto whom as the Fathers did approach more neerely so they did see the power of the law more cleerely He is our wisedome both the teacher and the thing taught Hast thou some good measure of knowledge and yet thy life in no part being agreeable nor proportionable to thy knowledge thou art sore troubled for not walking in the waies of righteousnesse thou feelest no goodnesse thou thinkest thy selfe as a Sere tree without all fruite Now remember that Christ Iesus who had no holinesse by the flesh by being borne of his mother who saued great sinners and made of persecutors preachers would not haue thee to seeke for great things in the flesh seeing himselfe got so little thereby but would haue thee seeke thy righteousnesse out of thy selfe in him who being no sinner indeed was an accounted sinner and punished as a sinner for
their whole possessions to giue to the preachers as it was done in the primitiue Church 5 The nature of true zeale is set downe Heb. 10. where the Apostle heauily threatneth them that willingly giue ouer thēselues to sinne there is named in the proper tongue the zeale of fire For as fire is not without heate so zeale is hot cannot long be holden in It is set downe by the contrary Reu. 3. when after the Church of Laodicea for her lukewarmnes is threatned to be spued out of the Lord his mouth it is added be zealous and amend where we see zeale to be opposed to lukewarmnes which is too temperate an heate for the profession of the Gospell Againe I. Cor. 14. 1. that which in our common translation we reade Follow after loue couet spirituall gifts c. the naturall text hath Be zealous after the more excellent gifts And Rom. 12. Be feruent in spirit i. let God his spirite kindle in you a fire which may flame out of you Now there are diuers kinds of zeale as the zeale of the world of the flesh of false religion according to the world And euery man is eaten spent consumed with some kind of zeale which must shame vs if we haue not the true zeale for that this zeale leaueth in vs some aduantage and recompēce which the world and carnall men haue not For when they haue spent set on tilt all the strength of their bodies powers of their minds they haue no gaine but torment of consciēce wheras the godly being spent in a good cause haue that repaired in the inner mā which is cōsumed in the outward Now to know what that true zeale is as neere as by properties we may describe it wee must first vnderstand that it is grounded on knowledge For if our zeale be not according to knowledge much like to the zeale of them spoken of Rom. 11. wee may come to persecute the Trueth and thinke we do very welll Our zeale must begin where the word begins end where the word ends that in all things it be proportionable to the word Our Sauior Christ rebuketh the Pharisies for straining out a gnat swallowing vp a Camel for tithing cummin seed and mint and for pretermitting the weightier matters of the Law wherein they bewrayed a rotten zeale in that they were carefull in the lesse and carelesse in the greater points So now a dayes many rather desiring to be counted zealous then to be zealous for a ceremonie wil be as hot as may be and yet in more principall poynts of religion they are as cold as can be in greater causes let this be our canon to vse greater zeale in lesse matters let this be our pedagogie to vse lesse zeale so that we remember to count nothing small in the word and that we can increase decrease in affection as the thing loued doth increase or decrease in goodnes If I say we can zealously pursue the most principall things and for the peace of the Church can tolerate lesse things for if any man in matters of lesse importance list to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Church of God wee shall obserue this 1. rule still remembring this caution that we count nothing small commanded or forbidden in the Word The second rule is that wee haue an eye as well to things inward as outward our Sauiour CHRIST reprehendeth the Pharisies for that they made cleane the out side of the platter and left the inner-side foule whose liues though outwardly they were without reproofe yet inwardly they were full of pride disdaine self-loue such like Wel our zeale must begin within and in time appeare without we must no lesse feare to doe euill being by our selues alone then if we were eyed of the whole world least that we become as painted sepulchres and as such dishes as are cleane without and foule within A branch of this Rule is to haue a narrow and iealous eye of our owne corruptions lurking in the bottomles pit of nature and gaged onely by the word and spirit When we loue to be hypocrites in dissembling this naturall corruption and yet are busie in pretending some outward sanctimonie the iustice of GOD in time will vncase vs then the sinne which we would hide shall appeare in the face outwardly and the good which in Truth wee neuer loued shall be seene neuer to haue bene in vs. Herein then we may go to schoole with the couetous man who had rather be rich than be counted rich that we may rather be godly indeed than be counted to be godly least that seeing wee be not such indeed as we would bee we become notoriously to be such as we would not be 3 The third rule is that we keepe a tenor of zeale in both estates as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie Manie in peace are professors who in time of troubles are persecutors who louing the peace of the Gospell not the Gospell it selfe doe more bewray that they were neuer truely zealous Others whilest they be vnder the Crosse are very demure and deuout who if once they come aloft forget the simplicity of the Gospell and fall to the securitie of the world Hereof comes that fearefull complaint that men hote in preaching and professing while they are vnder are choked in their zeale when they come to preferment Such men are glad not of the gospell but of the prosperity of the gospell such men will be sad not for the want of the Gospell but for the aduersitie which followeth the persecutors of the Gospell Our triall herein may bee thus if our priuate estate be prosperous wee lament with Dauid the estate of the Church being ruinous or if our priuate estate being perilous wee can reioyce with Paul in the estate of the Church being prosperous our zeale is according to truth Dauid neere the Crowne for his happines fasted for the estate of the Church lying in abhominable filthines Paul a prisoner in bonds thought himselfe at libertie so long as the Gospell was free 4 The fourth Rule is that in pure zeale wee be patient in our owne causes and deuoure manie priuate iniuries that the Lord his cause may the better be prouided for haue the better successe Many can be as hot as fire in taking vp their owne cause who are as cold as yee in defending the Lord his cause This Rule obserued would sow vp the lips of the aduersarie who though for a time he thinke vs to be cholerike mad-men madly reuēging our priuate affections yet one day should confesse that we sought not our own cōmoditie but God his most precious glorie And to stretch this examination of our harts one degree further let vs beware of that corruption which springing from self-loue will giue vs leaue to reioyce at good things so long as they be in our selues but repineth at the sight of
is not so iust and mercifull as they say if there be no God there is neither heauen nor hell or if there be any the ioyes are not so eternall nor the paines so continuall as some haue taught Why then doe I sell my certaine pleasures in this world for vncertaine pleasures in the world to come This diuellish illusion so farre preuailed that he stole an horse for which he was apprehended imprisoned arraigned condemned but by the prouidence of God he conferring with a godly Minister confessed himselfe an Atheist whereupon suite was made and granted for his reprieuing vntill the next Assise in hope of his conuersion in which time he would willingly graunt all generall truths taught him with liking of his teachers but could not by any thing be brought from his Atheisme The Assise following drew neere he is to be executed the place is assigned the person needs must be executed who when he should be turned from the ladder cried thus For Christs sake stay my life whereupon he spake these or the like words Well let the world say what they will doubtlesse there is a God and the same God is iust for euer to his enemies and euerlastingly keepeth his mercies with his children now turne me ouer and so he made an end of his speech and of his daies 2 He feared rather Atheisme than Papisme in the Realme for many hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition are now too farre plunged and swallowed vp of prophanenesse thinking either that there is no God or else that he is not so fearefull and mercifull as his threatnings and promises commend him to be Calling 1 A Certaine man afflicted in minde began through the temptation of Sathan to mislike his calling and chaunged it afterward he thought this calling that calling to be vnlawfull and so was almost brought to mislike all He felt on a time a great paine in his legge and being desirous to goe from his bed to his table for a booke he could not his legge remaining sore Then remembring that it was said in the Scripture If thy foote offend thee cut it off he straight way laying his leâ—ge on a blocke and taking a hatchet in his hand stroake off his legge not feeling paine the veynes being so torne he could not but bleed to death how be it he dyed very penitently so dangerous a policie so perilous a temptation is it to leaue our callings as things vnlawfull 2 A godly Gentlewoman said that euen in her ordinarie labour she tasted oft of as heauenly meditations as if all things ordinarie laid aside she had giuen her whole minde to attend vpon the spirit of God in quietnes of studie She also said that we are like children who need not once to be bid to aske things necessarie but twice to be thankfull for mercies receiued 3 As in mariage though the parties met in the flesh without any sanctified meanes to assure themselues to be ioyned of the Lord yet if God afterward giue them grace to liue holily in their meeting he sheweth that not onely their corrupt meeting is pardoned but that now their meeting is blessed so if entring into a calling for want of gifts and affections we haue no assurance at the first of a warrantable calling yet if God afterwards furnish vs with able gifts and sanctifie vs with pure minds he doth not onely shew vs that our former sinne is pardoned but also that he is well pleased with our calling whereunto he hath so blessed vs. 4 No trouble should hinder vs in our calling vnlesse it be in a case of meere vngodlines for if for euery trouble or for many troubles a man may forsake his calling he should be out of all for euery calling hath both lets and troubles 5 To one that asked his aduice whether he might auoid the doing of a thing wherevnto he was called because he felt corruption in himselfe he said In auoiding societie you should couer but not cure your infirmities and though you depart from men yet you cannot goe out of your selfe 6 Vnto one that was willing to change his feate for the corruption of the place where he dwelt he said Wheresoeuer he purposed to liue as a Christian the crosse would follow him because that Christ would follow him and because on the earth are some good men and some euill but when we come to heauen all would be good and therefore there shall be no trouble 7 He said he neuer looked for a better estate than that wherein he was but often prepared himselfe for a worse 8 Whensoeuer we are out of our place and calling Sathan hath a fit occasion of temptation Care 1 VVHere there is an immoderate care of outward things there commonly is little care of inward good things for if one haue inward good things they so content the persons that haue them that they labour not much for outward things if they want them and desire them the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godly neglect of outward things 1. Cor. 7. 30. 31. Censures 1 IT is a marueilous thing that many will make more of a small infirmitie in another although that they see that the whole course of their life is truely to please God than they make of grosse sinnes in themselues notwithstanding they take no course at all in their life to please God Conference 1 BEing desirous to speake to the profit of others he said that he obserued such a silence in men as none could well breake into it often such a libertie of speech as none can take hold of to turne it to good he obserued the cause of such silence to be some great griefe or some deepe meditation occupying the mind or some deadnes of spirit or some worldly shame or some desire to speake and the Lord staying the speech or the carelesnes in them that should heare it in that they doe not desire it The remedie against this is either in humilitie to aske some question or to speake somewhat and not to giue place to such deadnes 2 In the most abrupt and disordered speeches of men he thought God disposed them for his profit though presently reason could prompt no reason why they should speak so yet long after it would He was much affected with the fact of Iosias who would not be moued with the speech of wicked Pharaoh but entring battell was slaine whereupon he would say that no man was so good but the Lord would sometime let him fall into some euill for his further humbling and no man so euill but the Lord did conuey goodnes into him at sometimes to make his condemnation the greater Conscience afflicted 1 A Certaine man some yeares afflicted in conscience said his continuall agonies were as great as the paines of a man readie to die and that he felt so small comfort in Gods countenance that he would willingly haue suffered his
of the word which you knew yet if you turne to the Lord in feare serue him your sinne is remissible howsoeuer Sathan chargeth your conscience in that you haue done euill against your owne knowledge and in that you are afraide least that sinne be in you and would reioyce in God if it were not in you if you purpose to leaue your former sinnes and in truth to turne vnto the Lord I dare assure you that as yet you are free from that sinne 14 When a maide was so sore troubled that two or three held her in her fit he charged her in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that when the agonie came she should not willingly yeeld to it but in the Lord resist it For both experience teacheth that the ouer much fearing of temptation before it commeth and little purpose to resist it when it commeth mightily incourageth Sathan and also the holy Ghost biddeth vs to resist the diuell and he will flie from vs to draw neere to God and he will draw neere to vs. And the maide was neuer after afflicted Thankesgiuing 1 OF all sacrifices most acceptable is that of thanksgiuing and therefore in many words the Saints of God haue vowed and entred into bands with the Lord to pay this oblation boâ—h to preuent the vntowardnes of nature which is so vnwilling to this as also to shame themselues more if happily they grow herein negligent in which repetition of their vowes and promises which argueth the great desire of their hearts for looke what one delighteth in he often speaketh of it and in many words they declare that as euen in things agreeable to nature we will helpe our delight by often speaking and repeating of them so much more this helpe is requisite in things aboue nature among all the parts of godlines which are aboue nature and chiefly in thanksgiuing which is most contrarie to nature for we will pray often for a thing but hardly giue thankes once And yet experience proueth in ciuill things that of all arguments to perswade one to giue vs a gift none is more eloquent or forcible than to promise our selues to be thankfull and mindfull for that we shall receiue 2 It is our common corruption that the immoderate griefe of euils present stealeth from vs all the remembrance of former benefits and all thankfulnes for them Vnbeleefe 1 HE gaue this aduice to one that when he felt mistrust of Gods promises he should set before him the examples of Gods mercies done to others that we may be the more assured to obtaine faith and when he began to presume he should set before him the examples of Gods iudgements that he might pray for humilitie 2 He said to a godly Christian much inueighing against her vnbeleefe I doe not now suspect your estate when you seeme to me rather to haue faith than when you seeme to your selfe to haue it For faith being the gift of God is then most obtained and increased of God when you thirsting after the increase of present feeling thinke the smallest measure obtained to be no faith and therefore be yet humbled vnder the mightie and mercifull hand of God for it Rather I suspect you when you say you haue faith because then you can lesse feare suspect your selfe and by that meanes lie open to vnbeleefe againe And surely experience proueth that when we shew we haue beleefe when we mourne for our vnbeleefe and then our faith may be least when we thinke it to be most Besides herein you are to comfort your selfe with hope of increase of faith because faith groweth by these two meanes either by some great feelings by the word and the spirit and humble thanksgiuing joyned thereunto or else by humbling our selues before the mercie seate of God for want of our faith Vngodlines 1 WE may not goe to see vngodlines to breede a great detestation of it in vs. For first in respect of our selues in so doing presuming on a thing not warranted it is the iust iudgement of God that we should learne to fall into that sin whereof before we were ignorant because naturally we are inclined to such an action Secondly in respect of our brethren it is vnlawfull for if they be strong we offend them if they be weake we misleade them Thirdly in regard of Gods glorie it is vnlawfull for such should be our zeale thereunto if not hauing heroicall spirits by the motions of Gods spirit to speake against it that we should not ouersee such a thing Dan. 3. 15. Vse of the creatures 1 AS naturall men vse Gods creatures to stirre vp a naturall comfort so spirituall men should vse them to procure some spirituall comfort and to stirre vp godly ioyes and fruitfull meditations in themselues for as Satan seeing men of a sanguine complexion and sanctified laboureth to mixe with their spirituall ioy a carnall iâ—y so seeing some of a melancholie complexion sanctified to haue spirituall sorrowes he bestirreth himselfe to bring vpon them carnall sorrowes Vnthankfulnes 1 HE would say I feare not the time of the visitation of them that thereby doe grow in the gifts graces of God but rather I feare the time of their deliuerance least it should be ouertaken with vnthankfulnes and so wofully they should lose the fruite of that good which so dearely they had purchased of the Lord. Visions 1 BEing asked if there might now be visions agreeable to the word he said They might be extraordinarie but not to be credited but for the words sake and who so is moued with them and not with the word wherewith a man is charged to be moued and is not drawne the more by the vision to the true meanes that mans faith is suspitious And as visions haue beene ordinarie and preaching extraordinarie so now preaching is ordinarie and visions extraordinarie But if you obiect that the visions be true he said Sathan will speake truth and keepe touch twice or thrice in lesse matters to get vs in the luâ—ch in greater matters and at length in some contrarie to the word of God Of Vsurie 1 VSurie is the diuels Alchymistrie to turne siluer into golde it is lucre by lending and they that vse it be a gracious kinde of theeues it is a sinne that hath many aduocates patrons But to whom may this be vsed Men are either poore meane or rich to the poore giue freely to the meane lend freely of the rich take vsurie The Lord was neuer the author of this diuision Aristotle by the very light of reason saw that it was a monstrous thing for money to beget money but Gods law goeth further Leuit. 25 36. Deu. 5. 19. Againe the Iewe of a Iewe might not take interest but the linke of a Christian is neerer than of a Countrie their brother-hood was but by Countrie onely ours by redemption Indeed recompence is to be made where the thing is the
feele as little as a blocke yet I must heare still because it is God his ordinance I will heare that I may obey his ordinance and though I goe an hundred times without any profit yet I shall neuer goe without some peace because though I haue not that which I desired yet I haue done that which God hath commanded This I am sure of so long as I am vnder the dressing hand of the Lord I shall not perish but in his good time I shall bring foorth fruite But thou wilt replie I may happily sometime feele but it is so short and so little and so many haue fallen away before me that I feare I shall fall and of a naturall vine I shall prooue wilde and an vnnaturall branch Well the Lord by his word will purge thee and prune thee he will dresse thee if euer thou hadst any working thou shalt haue more thou shalt not only bring forth Christ being graffed into Christ but much fruite also being trimmed by the word Onely seeke thou God in his word he will not faile to be found of thee vse thou the word which is his pruning knife and he will worke on thee at one time or at another 76 Great is our corruption which turneth the grace of God into wantonnes and maketh his bounteous liberalitie in outward things an occasion to serue our sinne whilest abundance in the vnsanctified bringeth an inglutting of the minde the inglutting of the minde breedeth vnthankfulnes vnthankfulnes causeth coldnes coldnes beginneth carelesnes carelesnes is the way to hardnes of heart and vtter prophanenes and prophanenes ripeneth vs for the iudgements of God to fall on vs. 77 Our owne kindred that should draw vs most to God often hindereth vs most from God and it is Satans policie when he cannot preuaile against vs with the world to vndermine vs with nature So he suborned Lots daughters against their father Iobs wife against Iob and our Sauiours owne kinsfolke against him Kain against Abel Ishmael against Isaac Esau against Iacob the eleuen brethren against Ioseph Ioab against Abner Saul against â—onathan 78 If we count it a great benefit to receiue a Nobleman or any appertaining to the Nobilitie into our house because they may after gratifie vs or if we thinke it a great iniurie to hurt one of the blood royall and to withstand one of princely linage then what a dignitie is it to entertaine the Saints allianced to Iesus Christ what a traiterous villanie were it traiterously to offer violence to one fearing God who is of the blood royall and of the Lordâ— linage whom he accompteth as mother brother or sister 79 Vntill we are fully staied in minde with a contentation of outward things we can neuer be very godly For if either our minde be about liuing when we haue too little for our estate or if our hearts wander as being stollen away to the things of this world wheâ— we abound we can neuer aspire to the spirituall power of true godlinesse And then are we most fit to be wrought vpon by the word and most free to striue in trauaile against ouâ— owne corruptions when we are at peace and at a point for outward things when being content with that we haue we can say O Lord thou art my portion thy word haue I chosen as mine inheritance for euer thy kingdome is my principall labour thy face is thâ— chiefest thing I seeke for thy fauour is the ioy of mine heart 80 To haue that measure which God hath appointed vs wee must vse such meanes as are warrantable and with good meanes wee must vse a right heart neither trusting too much in them least wee be worldly minded neither mistrusting too much least wee be murmurers In this vprightnes of heart wee must not onely be iust that is by euery iust title claiming our owne interest but mercifull that is remitting of our owne for pities sake euen as God remitteth vs. 81 As wee truely shew our selues to hate sinne we loue the contrarie grace and as we truly loue vertue when we abhorre the contrarie sinne so we indeed hate sinne when we hate euery little occasion to the sinne and wee truly loue vertue when wee seeke and receiue euery little meane helping to that vertue as namely euill companie which we must carefully auoide vnlesse wee haue either some speciall calling or some particular gift of God his grace which doe onely priuiledge vs in this behalfe 82 It is daungerous to proceede in iudgement against a man vpon a bare suspition when no proofe can be had both because we would be loath that the Lord should so enter iudgement with vs as also because it were the way as well to iudge good men vndeseruedly as a wicked man deseruedly for that the one may be suspected as well as the other The Lorde hath therefore appointed that rather an offender not conuicted of offence should goe vnpunished then that a man vpon surmise should suffer least so a good man should oft come into vndeserued danger The wicked shall be sunke in destruction and though they be not moued with God his iudgements yet whatsoeuer they doe they shall spinne a threed of their owne destruction and hatch an egge of poyson to themselues 83 Men must not be in wrath when they pray for then it is not pleasing vnto the Lord. For as when an Instrument is played on and it being out of tune it doth jarre the noise is not so pleasing vnto them that should heare it No more are our prayers pleasing vnto the Lorde when we are in contention one with another the Lord cannot abide it 84 When one hath broken an arme or legge and the same is healed againe will that man by and by lift withall as hee doth with that other arme which is strong and perfect in health No hee will spare it still a great while for feare hee bring it out of ioynt againe and so it should be worse to heale than it was before So when enemies are made friends they must beare one with another and not giue themselues leaue to speake anie nipping words one to the other for then they will fall out againe and so their contention will be worse then it first was 85 Wee desire for the most part to doe dutie when wee may receiue like proportion againe which thing in praying one for another ought much to moue vs. For as we pray for others by vertue of Gods commandement So by the force of the same Law are wee to bee prayed for of others all being bound vpon paine of Gods highnes displeasure to pray for vs. 86 There is a selfe-will that breeds selfe-loue and a selfe-loue that brings a selfe-will and selfe-will bewrayes pride which is a monster of diuers heads Some are proud in arrogating that to themselues which they haue not some haue the things they boast of but they thinke they proceed of
vnder the which we haue bin long coÌ„forted For Gods children acknowledge themselues without ceasing that God hath rods in a readinesse though they see no present euill to beate them from their sinnes bend all their care how they may rather suffer aduersitie to Gods glorie than to sleepe securely in prosperitie vnto their own pleasure Now when the Lord doth as it were hold vs on the racke for these causes before named we must pray vnto him that howsoeuer he keepeth vs in the presse we may haue a breathing while to consider our daies spent in pleasure and to examine our vnthankfulnes which shutteth vp the doore of Gods mercie from vs. And because our afflictions are the sorer when they come the neerer to the soule we may with our selues coÌ„clude to hold on the way of our thorough-faire though we see nothing but thornes of temptations and briers of euill affections so as we must be faine to leape ouer hedges rocks ditches yet must we not cease to continue in Gods seruice For if that were not what triall examination of our faith should there be were we as in a faire medow that we might run on along by the water side in a shade and that there might be nothing but pleasure and ioy all our life time who could vaunt that he had serued God with good affection But when God doth send vs things cleane contrarie to our desires that we must be faine one while to enter into a quagmire and another while to march vpon ragged rockes and stones then we shall haue the vse of a well exercised minde in prayer in repentance and in contempt of this life And why doth the Lord sometime suffer vs to pine away and to languish in continuance of griefe seeing that he could cleane rid vs at the first doubtlesse to this end that we might confesse his mercie more freely and bite of his iustice more sharply Let vs now learne to hold all the passions of impatiencie in bondage both by comparing our euils with the wonderfull mercies of God and our small sufferings with the intollerable conflicts of our forefathers For there is no greater cause of our disparing vnder the crosse thaÌ„ when Satan perswadeth vs that neuer any were handled so roughly or else would beare vs in haÌ„d that although God afflicted the faithfull that haue been before vs yet they were not so weake as we But let vs remember that God hath so pinched his seruants euen them whom he loued and whose welfare was deare and precious in his sight and hath often brought them to such extremities as they were not able to looke vp any more nor wist how to speake nor how to hold their peace Wherefore least our infirmities should ouermaster vs and when temptations are fierce vpon vs we know not where to become let vs call to minde the Saints of God who were constrained with sighes and groanes to stoope vnder the hand of God whose martyrs and tormented children ought to be our looking glasses to the end that by them we may learne that according as God dealeth foorth the gifts of the spirit thereafter doth he send greater afflictions both to make them the more esteemed and also to cause a more plentifull fruite of their faith How did God deale with Abraham not a common man but rather an Angell the tenth part of whose sufferings would make a stout heart to quaile How was Dauid the seruant of God exercised in Gods schoole who felt all Gods darts and had all his arrowes shot at him Thus it is requisite that Gods graces should not be idle in his children but set on worke by afflictions whereby they may be knowne in due time and place How did God play the Lion with Ezechias who as with pawes and teeth bruised and crushed his bones not that we may accuse God of crueltie but that we may see with what anguish the Lord doth sometimes exercise his holy seruants and with what patience he doth arme them who notwithstanding his vehement trials doe stay themselues vpon God accusing themselues saying I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him and excusing the Lord with all humblenes with Dauid Psal. 114. I know O Lord that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me iustly c It is much auailable to mortification and Christian patience also to occupie our hearts in the house of mourning euen in our greatest banquetting and to betake our selues vnto some serious meditation of aduersitie when present pleasures would most diuorce vs from the remembrance thereof So though we haue much in possession we shall haue little in affection and when God doth most aduance vs we shall feare our wants of humilitie and then especially be ransacking our infirmities when the Lord for our triall enricheth vs most with his benefits For if the Lord God by multiplying his mercies increaseth our account we are often to suspect to call to iudgement and to arraigne our selues for the vsing of Gods creatures who often giueth that in iudgement which he might denie vs in mercie and often waineth vs from some things in his loue which he might giue vnto vs in his anger FINIS THE MARKES OF A RIGHTEOVS MAN THe righteous man hath three priuiledges First that he shall neuer perish though he be oftentimes afflicted yea if there be a number of them the Lord will spare the habitation of their place for their sake Secondly if the Lord be minded to bring destruction vpon a land oâ— countrie he will first deliuer the righteous eitner by death or by conueying them to some other place as here he doth Lâ—t and is the children of Israel when Pharaoh was ouerthrowne Thirdly the Lord will not so much punish for the wicked as fauour for the goâ—ly sake and if they fall into the same temporall punishments euen thereby shall the righteous be brought neerer to heauen but the godlesse shall be throwne downe to hell euen as with the same flaile is beaten châ—ffâ—to be burnt and pure corne to be preserued Some thinke that there be none righteous which commeth to passe either through ignorance or because they see the sinnes and loose righteousnesse of others but then the Scriptures should be false which calleth some righteous Then Christ should haue died in vaine and there should be no saluation because none are sâ—ued but the righteous Some think that righteousnes is an inherent qualitie that through works we may be perfectly righteous as of old the Pelagians Puritanes and now Papists and Family of loue But the testimonies of Scriptures which affirm that al our righteousnes is as a stained cloath and that we are not able to answere one of a thousand c. and also the sinnes of those who in the word are counted righteous do proue the contrarie for Abraham sinned after he had beene pronounced righteous in distrusting
conuey themselues vnto warmer climates vntill the spring time and man alone either vnsensibly doth not foresee or vnaduisedly will not auoide the perillous times to come To conclude Matth. 16. 2. 3. our Sauiour Christ reprehendeth the follie of Pharisies saying When it is euening ye say Faire weather for the skie is red 3. And in the morning ye say To day shall be a tempest for the skie is red and lowring O hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie and can ye not discerne the signes of the times True it is that this spirituall vse and holy meditation of the creatures of God should be our whole life howbeit because our distractions in our lawfull and ordinarie callings will not permit this so fully in respect of our finite nature we must remember on the Sabbath day to vse a recouery and by Christian diligence to make recompence for our former negligence herein And in so heauenly a varietie which both by precept and practise we haue receiued of our forefathers for this purpose we shall much profit and set forward this exercise if in wisedome of the spirit we endeuour to frame our meditations especially about those things whereof by reason of our callings in respect of our countries in consideration of the season of the yeere we haue most speciall occasion offered Now if by reason of some dulnes or deadnes by the corruption of nature and secret punishment often incident to the dearest children of God we cannot so reuerently cheerefully and comfortably doe these duties required by our selues alone we may humbly vse the remedie which by the communion of Saints the Lord in this case hath prouided that so frequenting the holy companie of the godly learned and zealous vnto whom the Lord hath giuen greater libertie both of graces and of spirit we may be humbled in regard of our owne wants and take the supplie by them in them that if we cannot either for ignorance or blockishnes reade the things heard compare the places by publike ministerie receiued pray for the fruite of them if we be not able to refresh our selues with considering the workes of God then we must attend vpon the reading conferring and praying thanksgiuing singing and meditations of others that so at the least we may either haue our iudgements cleered or our affections better stirred vp Neither must we blush or be abashed to acknowledge our wants vnto our brethren but with all humilitie earnestly deale with them and enquire of them how they can compare and reconcile the places deliuered how they can amplifie it by meditation how they feele their affections renued how they can frame a prayer of it how they can gather of the creatures and workes of God some fruitfull matter of thanksgiuing that by their godly participation we may haue either our ignorance helped or our infirmities relieued For vndoubtedly this is the cause why so many doe rather in ignorance and deadnes beare the Sabbath as a burthen euen in that they are ashamed by asking the helpe of others to bewray their ignorance or display that corruption of nature which indeed they see and seele in themselues Against which worldly and carnall shame we must fight if euer we will triumph ouer that endlesse shame of the wicked and prouoke our selues by that wholesome and mutuall societie which becommeth the children of God either for the increase of spirituall gifts or for a charitable supporting of the infirmities one of another And these briefly be the exercises of faith and repentance whereby we may either stirre vp our selues or be stirred of others Now it remaineth to intreate of the duties of loue because the Lord his Sabbath is not a day of knowledge alone but of loue not onely of hearing the word by preaching but also of doing the word by practising and these duties either respect the persons of our brethren or they concerne such things as are about our brethren The things concerning their persōs are either in regard of their soules or of their bodies the exercises respecting the things that are about them are either appertaining to their goods or to their credite The duties vnto the soules of our brethren are to teach the ignorant to bring sinners to repentance to bind vp the wounds of them that are afflicted in spirit to comfort the weak to strengthen the hands that fall downe and the knees that are readie to faint to stirre vp them which be dul to admonish the vnruly to confirme the faith of them that beleeue to encourage them in weldoing which haue begun well and to rebuke the wilfull offenders And though these should be the exercises of euery day yet especially they belong to the Sabbath wherein we make a supplie of the wants which we haue on the weeke daies The duties of loue required to the bodies of our brethren are the visiting of the sicke the relieuing of the imprisoned the helping of the poore and miserable the feeding of the hungrie the cloathing of the naked the comforting of the distressed the bestowing of our goods on them that are needie In the primitiue Church as they did euery Sabbath receiue the Sacrament so they laide something downe to the vse of the poore which they did both to giue some thankefull testimonie how the Lord the weeke before had blessed them as also to shew some godly token of their pittie to their afflicted brethen Concerning the exercises of loue towards the credit of our brethren if we shall heare of any secret reports tending to the discredite of others wee must not onely carefully suppresse it but wisely endeuour to recouer their former credite This requireth heauenly wisedome both to admonish the author of euill reports as also to signifie vnto the man euill spoken of what hazard and shipwrake of his good name is pretended yet still concealing the person and vrging the report that if the partie be guiltie he may the sooner step out of his sinne the Lord hauing discharged such a warning peece against him or being guiltlesse that he rather seeke to proue by the rumor than to pursue the author But alas the sinne of our age hath not onely brought in the ignorance and banished the practise of this Christian dutie but also which more is in stead of healing we would the credite of others and it is hard to discerne whether there are more willing to report euill or not vnwilling to heare euill reports of others Who seeth not the common profession of our Sabbath to be a table talking and vaine babling of the infirmities of others tossing to and fro the credit of our brethren as a tennis ball and this not onely vsed among brainsicke and vnstable women whose tongues labour of some greater infirmitie but also of men who vndiscreetly either set abroch or draw out to the full measure and past measure the discredit of their neighbours so that they are so farre from saluing such sores
may safely vse it to proue the Resurrection It is said moreouer Iob. 19 25. I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and hee shall stand the last on the earth 26. And though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see GOD in my flesh 27. Whome my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall beholde and none otâ—er for mee though my reines are consumed within mee This place the very Heretikes will grant after a fashion that is with a most wicked minde vnderstanding it onely of that rising againe vnto sanctification which is in this life Others there bee which are of a reuerent iudgement in other things who expound this of the renewing and restoring of his flesh to freshnes and soundnes after that it was corrupted with sores and eaten with cankers But admitte it were so which in truth cannot beare that exposition how could hee haue belieued that but that hee being perswaded that God who when his bodie should wholly bee resolued into corruption would raise it to a more glorious perfection could much more restore soundnes to his bodie now whilst this corruption was but in part on him How could hee doe it but by hope in the power of GOD which with greater case could renewe his flesh and bones beeing but corrupted than reuiue the same being altogether dead and throughly consumed as we reade Ezech. 37 5. 6. wherein is set downe a notable type of this rising againe 5. Thus saith the Lord vnto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall liue 6. And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath in you that ye may liue and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord. True it is that the chiefe purpose of the Holy Ghost is to foreshewe the bringing againe of the people out of captiuitie howbeit vnder a most excellent figure of the rising and restoring of the flesh in the last day So that the place importeth thus much if the Lord could restore sinewes flesh skinne breath and life to rotten bones much more hee could restore the Israelites to their countrie The same sense may be applied to that Esay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall liue euen with my bodie shall they rise Awake and sing yee that dwell in dust for thy dewe is as the dew of hearbs and the earth shall cast out the dead In which place is signified thus much As hearbes in time of winter seeme dead and yet in the spring time sprout againe by reason of that sappe that lay hidden in the roote and as the bodies of the faithfull seeme vtterly to perish when they are in the earth and yet in the last day shall rise againe through that seede which is giuen in Christ euen so the Israelites who in time of their banishment seemed to die as winter hearbes and to perish as dead bodies should bee brought home againe and restored to their former libertie Which place could not but shew the returne of the people vnder the type of the resurrectioÌ„ in that the Prophet saith Euen with this bodie shall they rise Notable is that place Daniel 12. 2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt Whereunto agreeth that saying of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 5. 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce 29. And they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of condemnation Now wheÌ„ we shall see that there is nothing more cleere of the doctrine of faith contained in the new Testament than that of the resurrection and that there is no new doctrine in the same but it is also in the old Testament although indeede that is more manifestly and in more perfect beautie set down by the Prince of Prophets than by the Prophets his forerunners what shall wee say there is in the new Testament not proued in some measure alreadie in the old The Iewes beleeued no one article more than that of the resurrection as may appeare by that readie answere of Martha Ioh 12 24. at what time our Sauiour Christ came to raise vp Lazarus her brother for hee saying vnto her in the verse going before Thy brother shall rise againe by and by she answered I know that he shall rise againe in the resurrection of the last day Again we reade Act. 23. 8. that the Pharisies confessed the resurrection Now it is knowne that the faith of the Iewes was grounded on the word which as yet was onely in the administration of the old Testament and not in the new for as yet it was not extant or in no credit at the least with them wherefore seeing not onely the primitiue Church hath beleeued herein by the euident light of the new Testament and the Iewes before beleeued it by the light of the old it is manifest that the doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ is proued in the old and among many places this of our Psalme is not the least where it is said Thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption By soule we must vnderstaÌ„d he meaneth his natural life as it is taken in the Scripture 1. Cor. 15. 45. where the Apostle borrowing his speech from the second chapter of Genesis and seuenth verse saith The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit The reason why hee prooued the rising againe of his flesh is here drawne from the power of our Sauiour Christ of whom these wordes are meant Thou wilt not suffer thine holie one to see corruption as both Peter in his notable Sermon Act 2. and Paul Act. 23. doe plainly affirme for the Apostle saith that Dauid was buried and sawe corruption and therefore he spake not this of himselfe but of Christ his head in whom was found no qualitie of corruption at all so that Dauid as a member of Christ gathered this by the eye of faith that there should come an holie one out of his loines who by his owne mightie power should raise vp his owne bodie from seeing any corruption and by the same power should also raise his bodie which should see corruption that it might rest with his and be made like his as we may reade Philip. 3. 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. 21. Who shall chaunge our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like to his glorious boâ—ie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe So that the Prophet looketh for a resurrection of the flesh after it shall bee corrupted contrarie to the heretiquâ—s who dreame of a spirituall resurrection from sinne which by no meanes
you and hearken vnto my words 15 For these are not drunken as ye suppose since it is but the third houre of the day 16 But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel. 17 And it shall be in the last dayes saith God I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames IN the former part of this chapter is set down the worke of God in sending downe the holy Ghost on the Apostles as also the effects hereof both in the Apostles and in the hearers wonderful in the one diuerse in the other the Apostles speaking with such strage tongues the hearers hitherto not greatly moued but secretly murmuring saying they had drunke deepely and so became eloquent Whereat Peter taking this good occasion confuteth them by two reasons first telling them it was but yet nine of the clock or the third houre of the day at what time men vse not to be drunken Nay saith hee it is so far off that we are drunken as ye suppose that it is with vs cleane coÌ„trarie For the thing is not come to passe that one of your owne Prophets foretold you it is not superfluitie of drink but an aboundance of God his spirit not promised by speciall priuiledge to vs alone but to all sexes conditions and estates of men whatsoeuer if ye be prepared to receiue it For as the Lord hath bestowed the gifts of his spirit on vs so will he also doe it to you if ye wilfully refuse not and therefore the Lord is readie now to worke wonders in the world whoso either wittingly refuseth or carelesly abuseth these graces shall be snared in these iudgements yet so as the Lord being more readie to magnifie his mercie than to shew his iustice will accomplish this that whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall both escape the iudgements threatned and also obtaine these And thus much both generally briefely for the scope of this place More particularly we may obserue three speciall poynts first the liberall testimonie of Ioel and his rich commendation of the grace of God in bestowing such graces on his Church vnder the kingdome of Iesus Christ and this is set downe vers 17. 18. the second thing is that at what time the Lord will thus deale with his people the Lord will send many iudgements as heresies offences dearths plagues and warres which here are declared in figuratiue and borrowed speeches of blood fire vapour of smoke and such like whereby he will punish and auenge himselfe for the contempt of so gracious mercies as vers 19. 20. and the third thing is the meanes how wee shall escape such heauie iudgements and attaine to such heauenly graces and so perseuere in them which is declared vers 21. But before we enter further into the deep discourse of these particular poynts we will obserue the occasion and the circumstances of this speech of Peter the occasion was that the people not profiting by the former and marueilous work of the Lord the Apostle taketh occasion further to instruct them that were teachable and to reproue the scorners and yet he was not so offended at them in that God his wonderfull works did nothing profit them as that therefore he left off all but he stirreth vp himselâ—e the more earnestly and endeuoureth familiarly to teach them Whereby we are to learne not rashly suddainly or vnaduisedly too much to be offended at the not profiting slender profiting or back sliding of some but rather we must labour to attempt the matter with a new onset remembring alwaies that not onely a woe is threatned to them that giue iust occasion of offence but also vnto them that in Christ doe take offence and therefore taking a view of our selues either in naturall or spirituall gifts we must trie our selues how patiently we can susteine without offence either the want or resistance of the like gifts in others and yet we see that if after some meanes vsed men goe slowlie forward and not make such speedie proceedings as is desired men for the most part are readie to leaue off all and are glad to draw out of the yoke of their duetie as thinking themselues well exempted and as it were discharged when as spirituall men in such cases thinke themselues to be stirred vp to the more earnest and painefull vsing of the meanes to which well meaning minds and to men of so vpright an heart the Lord often giueth good increase of gifts that they may imploy the vse of them vnto others And surely if flesh and blood might iudge in such a case we would thinke that this present occasion might haue made Peter giue ouer and goe from the people but he more meekely and modestly as the foreman of the quest followeth the matter and answereth vnto them as we haue heard We may reade Acts 6. how there did arise a murmuring betweene the Iewes and the Grecians in so much as the Apostles credit began to be called into question that they had not care of the widowes which was a dutie belonging vnto them as though they had the faith of God in respect of persons This might seeme to be able to discourage them but contrariwise through the blessing of God his spirit they espied their own wants in themselues and began to seeke a new Ministerie Now if they had taken the matter too much to heart they might haue become vnprofitable but they meekely passing ouer the offence and wisely looking to the counsell of God thought themselues to be but men and that they could not infinitely bee ocupied or busied in many things ordained Deacons in the Church This then we must make a speciall vse of when for some good meanes vsed or otherwise much vnkindnes is offered vs euen of our friends or we find little thankes for our trauell nay sometime reape reproches at their hands for our reward that then we growe not slacker in our duties or waxe colde in loue and droope in our affection towards them which if we doe we shall bewray that our affection was meerely and onely naturall and not spirituall True it is and cannot be denied that a kinde heart and liberall minde is most broken with reproches but yet this offence must be ouercome and striuen against in vs after the example both of Peter in our present text and of the rest of the Apostles in that former place Acts 6. who rather tooke occasioÌ„ to accuse themselues than to cease to be profitable to the Church of Christ. Neither is it neither ought it to seeme to vs a strange thing that the graces and gifts of God haue found such cold entertainement yea which is a thing more contrarie great repulses and reproches Much learning saith Festus Acts 26. 24. maketh Paul mad the workes of God his spirit here are counted drunkennes Ezechiel is thought to sing a
make conscience of sinne being knowne the Lord visiteth vs with priuate and publike meanes that as the wicked shall be without all hope ease or end tormented in hell so these in mercie and measure should haue their hearts broken which because they would not doe by the louing inuocating and inuiting of them by the Lord therfore it is done by some crosses Secondly it respecteth the regenerate either to continue them in their good estate or to keepe them from some grosse sins For God his children doe sometime fall and alwaies may fall if God keep them not Because Dauid and Manasses had sinned God sent them the crosse that they might not forget him Now because the same may be in vs if the Lord will powre out his wrath vpon the wicked surely he will not suffer his owne children to be vncontrolled We must not then as some are wont to doe say Did not Dauid sinne make ye so much at me was not Dauid a great sinner and yet saued It were well indeed if we would binde Dauids sinne with Dauid his repentance or if we consider how the Sunne was turned into darkenes the Moone into blood in his kingdome if we shall see the pillars of Gods iudgements and vapours of God his wrath against him among his owne how his sonnes rebelled they that would be Counsellers became traitors and how the wicked caitifes insulted ouer him we would surely know that it did little helpe vs to reckon vp Dauid his sinning This doth God to sow the lips of the wicked that they should not say that God doth spare and punisheth not sinne in his and that they should not dreame of escape when his owne seruants are so punished And although God his children presently fall not but are readie to fall he wrappeth them often in the crosses of the wicked not so much to punish any sinne present but to preuent in them some sinne to come that thereby taking away the occasion of sinning he might humble them before they fall Againe albeit they be not subiect to grosse sins yet because they are oft puft vp with priuie pride dead vnmercifull dull forsaking their first loue sometime neither hot nor cold luke warme without zeale briefly in that they are not as God his children should be or as they themselues sometimes and before haue been the Lord in wisedome correcteth these wants and infirmities that from infirmities they should not burst out into enormities from sinning of ignorance they should not sin against conscience and from secret sinnes that they commit not presumptuous sinnes For this cause Reuel 3. the Lord sent plagues on the Church of Laodicea not so much for grosse and notorious sinnes but because they were not humbled and zealous enough but such as might more easily haue fallen into deeper enormities hereafter If men vse to trie gold seuē times in the furnace not for any masse of drosse in it but to proue it how much more had the Lord neede to trie our faith although we be not giuen to any great and notable crime For as there may be two vses in the trying of gold the one to purge it from drosse the other to fine it the more so there are two vses of corrections the one to punish sinne the other to trie their faith And although the Lord more principally doth not punish sinne but rather secondarily chiefly trying the patience of his children yet when men cannot accuse vs neither we can accuse our selues yet the Lord will purge vs from some secret corruption which may breede a sinne in time to come And hereupon it commeth that priuie pride secret selfe-loue close couetousnes hidden hypocrisie and such like are counted sinnes of God his children though of worldlings they be thought good vertues But some will say Is this the truth ye sticke to Is this the Gospell which ye professe See what hurliburlies see how many opinions there are what a companie of religions are start vp see what denying of the faith what grosse sinnes are sprung vp see what deaths plagues and warres are accompanied with it Surely it seemeth that this is not the Gospel Before all things were in better case no such disturbance in religion no such noise of notorious sinnes no such turmoilings on euery side all things were at good quiet but now we haue more troubles than euer in former times were heard of The wicked do not onely breake their neckes at this blocke but God his owne children haue daungerously stumbled at it For when Iob Dauid Ieremiah without God his spirit beheld the prosperitie of the wicked and the aduersitie of the godly they confessed their feete had almost slipped sauing that they durst not condemne the generation of God his children To remedy this the holy Ghost saith that when the graces of God doe most appeare then will the Lord send greatest iudgements for the contempt of his Gospell in the wicked and for the neglect of it in the godly Now this is foretold that we might not be offended when it commeth this vse doth Christ teach vs to make of it These things haue I told you before that when they come to passe c. For to God his children being but babes in Christ this is a great temptation And to come to our daies Doth it not trouble men much that there be so many vnlearned Ministers of learned Ministers that there be so many vngodly men that they see such oppressing Magistrates such rebellious people such carelesse gouernours that there is such an height of subtiltie in couering and cloaking sin where is most knowledge such running to sinne where is most preaching and where the Gospell is receiued that there should be such sects and heresies when they shall see the Papists readie to outface the Gospell what may a man do now or how may he stay himselfe if the Lord should leaue him Surely God hath foretold it Euen as the Sunne then shining bright the Moone giuing light the cleere aire are tokens of God his loue so much more the word and as these being darkened obscured shew God his wrath so the word obscured doth testifie his wrath much more Yea if dearths plagues famine or such like come we must be forewarned of them And our Sauiour Christ when men asked him signes he told them of many and Mat. 24. that there should be such wonders in the heauens in the earth and in the seas that euen the very elect should be confounded almost Now if Christ had not forewarned these things in the equitie of his iudgement we might indeed haue had some occasion of offence And for this cause our Sauiour Christ saith Matth. 11. Blessed are they that are not offended in me because such confusions shall be that men will be readie to lay the cause of these things on the Gospell and on the word and therefore blessed are they that are forewarned of these things and know why they come If the Iewes would not
or in others we shall be so gouerned that wee shall not onely auoide euill but coldnesse in well doing and looke what is detracted through the iniuries of times it shall be added in inward graces and recompenced in the kingdome of heauen When we shall then in extremitie of offences say Good Lord what shall we doe whither shall wee goe to heare a good Preacher what may wee doe to goe to some good man and zealous professor Remember then if thou wilt stay on the Lord and fall to Prayer thogh thou art troubled with Papists or Heretikes or monstrous liuers then leane to God trust in his word and vse prayer When thou shalt see no good neither in Church nor in Common wealth then haue recourse to prayers and thou shalt not onely bee preserued from daungers but also thou shalt enioy God his spirit with his graces Thus wee shall see in the volume of God his booke not onely what deliuerances the godly haue had by prayer but also by what meanes they were deliuered Noah calling on the name of GOD was saued in the Arke from perishing in the waters Lot was deliuered out of Sodome the Israelites obtained meate from heauen water out of the rocke passage through the Seas and many other righteous persons were not onely deliuered but greatlie ioyed But if we should passe them and looke to the daies of persecution vnder Queene Mary when the Sun seemed to be changed into darknes the Moone to lose her light then Christians were not onely many deliuered but also in the prisons in cabbins in bushes in flame and in fire they euer had sweete dreames heauenly visions and wonderfull consolation so as they were not onely comforted but at the stake they would prophecie of the restoring of the Gospell and they presently would reioyce as foreseeing the truth should come vnto their posteritie And it shall come to passe This importeth the time of the Gospell and here is shewed a difference betweene the time of the Law and of the Gospell If our fathers were heard vnder the Law if they receiued not the repulse in the dawning of the day what may we hope for vnder the Gospell what boldnes may wee receiue now when the sunne shineth out at the fulnes Looke what proofe they had we may haue more see what experience they had we may haue it in greater measure because what they had confirmed we haue confirmed The Lord requireth of vs now to trust in him the more we must remeÌ„ber that saying of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 16. 24. Hitherto haue yee asked nothing in my Name aske and yee shall receiue that your ioy may be full If our fathers prayed feruently why doe not wee haue not wee mo deedes of God his fauour haue not we mo promises haue not wee mo examples all which accuse vs of want of zeale in prayer In the old Testament they named not Christ we are bold to looke vpon God in Christ his Sonne Woe then be to vs if these things do not moue vs seeing Christ standeth on the right hand of God the Father who is not now in the loynes of Abraham or in the wombe of the Virgin or in the bowels of the earth buâ—â—o as â—â—â—â—â—â—euen we may see him sitting in heauen on the right hand of GOD. The circumstance remaining is in this word whosoeuer which sheweth that whether it bee man or woman master or seruant young or old Iew or Gentil no age no sexe no estate no coÌ„dition is excluded True it is that there be priuiledges of the man aboue the woman of the master aboue his seruant of the elders aboue the yongeâ— but this is in some things not in all For in the worship of God in the matter of God his glory and our saluation there is no respect of persons with God but whosâ—euer calleth vpon the name of the Lord he shall be saued In respect whereof we are to be exhorted that if we will reioyce in this priuiledge we must vse the means due to them that are within the precincts of it we must not excuse our selues and say I am a woman and the weaker vessell I am a young man and rechlesse I am an old man forgetfull I am a seruant and am not at mine owne libertie For if wee looke for the grace offered wee must vse the meanes proposed But yet here is a further thing than this that not only the righteous shal be saued but also the poore sinner if now he will repent and hauing a pure purpose to please God call on the name of the Lord. Behold ô repenting sinner the Theese on the Crosse the Sunne was darkened the vale of the Temple rent earthquakes and troubles confusion was an ong men terrors were in himselfe and yet hee calling on the name of the Lord and saying Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome receiued this comfortable answere This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Peter seeing Christ was pardoned If we behold Dauids miserie in the troublesome estate both of Church and Common-wealth when he had not one of his owne children to comfort him but to the increase of his griefe one brother murthered another one of his sonnes being a traytor was through God his iudgement hanged by the haire of the head his chiefe friends rebelled against him hee was not onely in all this mightily preserued of God but also receiued plentifull graces of the Spirit When Manasses had caused Ierusalem to swimme with blood when the Citie was neere destruction and hee himselfe in chaines what hope was there either of the Kingdome or Prophecie to continue and yet calling on God his name hee was heard and helped If such great things were for poore sinners before Christ what comfort is there for them since Christ is come If the wretched man was so helped of CHRIST euen when he was on the crosse what comfort may afflicted consciences hope for in him being aduanced to the Throne Kingdome Nay I will adde more euen very hypocrites by Prayer haue escaped outward perils as Aâ—ab and such like Yea and marke them that are in warres or in some great distresse how praying to the LORD they are helped The same we shall obserue sometimes either in worldlings or in God his children vnregenerate All which will graunt that after they haue prayed but in their manner the Lord hath strangely deliuered them If wicked men haue had this benefite how much more shall the godly haue it If God his children haue found such grace before they knewe God what grace shall they haue when they know him beleeue in him and call vpon him Here then is all doubting to be taken away and we must cease to say Oh I am a sinner I cannot be helped mine vnworthines makes me ashamed Consider the tenour of this runneth in an vniuersall point to all thou caâ—st not be excluded if thou exclude not thy selfe And why It is said that all shall be
from them be glad of such excuse Surely this estate bewraieth a proud heart blessing it selfe with a fulnes and cloyedenes of the meanes and either sheweth vs to lie in some sinne presently or that we are like to fall into some sinne hereafter and that shortly Howbeit being absent iâ— hauing these or like affections wee can mourne beate our owne hearts and iudge our selues enquiring of the things spoken at their hands that haue been at the congregation if being absent in bodie with an humble sight of our want wee are as present in spirit if euen in time of exercises we bestow the time in prayer in reading or in meditation the Lord will shield vs from sinne and the shame of sinne Againe if wee shall finde our selues subiect to peeuishnes concupiscence or couetousnesse with lesse power to preuaile against them that wee haue had let vs feare least some pride hath gone before If wee cannot recouer our selues out of these euils by prayer or mourning let vs suspect our owne hearts that some securitie in the meanes hath ouertaken vs the Lord for a time hath left vs the diuell hath foyled vs. It is a blessed thing to get the victory of our faults before they be ioyned with the offences of the world with the griefe of the godly with the reproch of our aduersaries with the trouble of our owne consciences with the hazard of Gods glorie And therefore if it be so the good will of God let vs earnestly desire him that our trials and temptations may bee inward that they may bee stayed and stenched when they beginne that they breake not out abroade to the greater dishonour of the Lord and our further discomfort which surely they will doe if by cherishing them and not checking them wee striue not for some safetie against them Let vs humblie therefore long before feare this reproch to come and pray with the Prophet Lorde keepe mee from the reproch which I feare least otherwise the Lord seeing vs make no conscience in these cases bee auenged of vs who surely will dishonour them that sticke not to dishonour him Cease then to gaze at the worke of God and labour to gage the pride of your owne hearts in affection which the Lorde is contrained to shame vs with for the abuse of his graces for the discredit of his word the contempt of his glorie and for the neglect of our owne saluation which being before purposed rather then it should bee vnaccomplished wee shall haue shamefull Sergeants sent vnto vs as fire on our houses warres to spoyle our goods sicknes to weaken our bodies and torment of minde to scourge our consciences which will draw vs out by the eares from the heauie slumber of sinne wherein wee snorted And thus fitlie though suddenly we are slipt into the second point and obseruation of this doctrine which is that wee should not be too hie to enter into the gates of aduersitie nor being entred to behaue our selues vnpatiently as though it would vndoe vs to sit in the house of mourning a while rather wee must reioyce in it and be thankfull for it saying with the Prophet It is good for mee ô Lord that thou hast afflicted me c. because the holy Ghost here telleth vs that lowlinesse goeth before honour and in the schoole of humilitie wee shall learne the way to true glorie and Nobilitie Neither doe I here meane that affliction in it selfe hath of it selfe such vertue as to humble vs truly vnder the hand of God but when the spirit of God worketh with it that then it will breede in vs the fruites of righteousnesse repentance faith and holinesse it will driue vs to seeke comfort in the world to aske comfort by praier to yeeld comfort by compassion on other mens euils And therefore it is necessarie against the policie of Sathan who would discourage the Saints of God in their profession by dressing them with afflictions to stay our selues in this testimonie of the holy Ghost that before glorie goeth affliction and after lowlinesse commeth honor either in this life or in the life to come or in both This must further teach vs to profit by the threatnings of God publikely preached not to threaten them or to murmure against them that lay the iudgemeÌ„ts of God against vs in the law this must cause vs to make much of them that by sharpe censuring of vs will soonest draw vs out of sinne This must worke in vs a desire to reape some fruite by priuate admonitions yea and to call on others to admonish vs that we may still be kept in some good course of humilitie Further and besides this it is profitable for vs to frequent them that are sicke ready to diâ— perplexed in spirit imprisoned in chaines and oppressed with miserie that in them we may see our selues as in a mirrour and so with Moses to chuse rather to suffer afflictions then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time This acquainting our selues with the iudgements of God will both rubbe off securitie and stirre vs vp to greater thankfulnes for our selues and pitie towardes others Wherefore they are not in the way of humilitie to obtaine glorie who are so tender sighted that they cannot abide to see the iudgements of God they are too daintie eared that cannot or that will not heare the threatnings of the Lawe saying oh I cannot abide to heare one in desperation I cannot away to heare such fearfull speeches to heare the diuell speake in one I loue not to see one lie gasping and panting in death These things would depriue me of all mirth breede melancholy and stirre me vp to mâ—â—â—es Nay this delicatenes to flye from the Lord thus drawing neere vs will hasten these things vpon vs which we will not profit by in others Such eyes to see such eares to heare such hearts to be humbled it becommeth Gods people to haue that as they loue nothing more than glorie so they labour for nothing more than humilitie as they shun nothing more than coÌ„fusion so they auoid nothing more than pride of heart Which that we may doe let vs cast down our selues before the throne of mercie in the name and mediation of Iesus Christour Sauiour O eternall God and our most louing father behold vs in thine owne couenant c. FINIS OF THE GOOD EDVCATION OF CHILDREN THE SIXTH SERMON Prouerbs 17. 21. Hee that begetteth a foole getteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy THE holie Ghost speaking in the Scripture of foolish sonnes as that he that beâ—etteth such a one getteth himselfe sorrowe and that the father of a foole hath no ioy meaneth it not so much of naturall idiots and such as are destitute of common reason although it is true that this is a lamentable iudgement of God and a heauines to the parents of such a childe as of wicked children such as
are either ignorant in the word not knowing how to order one right step to the kingdome of God or else hauing some knowledge of God vngodlily abuse it to maintaine their carnall lust and appetite For this cause as it would grieue parents to haue naturall fooles to their children or such as either through some imperfection of nature are dismembred or deformed and misfigured in the parts of the bodie so much more should it grieue them to haue such children as either for want of knowledge and heauenly wisedome cannot walke in the feare of God or abusing the knowledge giuen them prostitute themselues to all sinne and wickednesse It is marueilous to see how greatly parents can bewaile the want of one naturall gift proceeding of some imperfection and how easily they can passe ouer without any griefe the want of all spirituall graoes springing from corrupt education In like manner it is strange that men can take the matter so heauily when their children breake into such offences as either haue open shame or ciuill punishment following them and yet can make no bones but post ouer such sinnes as are against the maiestie of God accompanied with euerlasting confusion and vnspeakable torments wherein what doe most part of men bewray but their greathy pocrisie in that neither their ioy nor their griefe is souÌ„d to their children and that they loue themselues more in their childreÌ„ than either their saluation or the glorie of God The tender loue care whereof no doubt did encrease the sorrowe of Dauid for the death of his sonne Absolon who was not so much grieued for the losse of a sonne as for that vntimely end of his sonne Let vs learne therefore to correct our affections to our children and be grieued for our ignorance impietie and sinnes whereof either our carnall compassion the not lamenting of our owne naturall corruption the want of prayer for an holy seede or prophane education armed with the wrath of God may bee a most iust occasion Can a man hope for a holy posteritie or doe wee maruaile if the Lord crosse vs in the children of our bodies when wee make as bold and brutish an entrance into that holy ordinance of the Lord as in the meeting of the neighing horse with his mate when being ioyned in that honorable estate of matrimonie either as meere naturall men without all knowledge of God wee beget our children or as too carnall men without the feare and reuerence of the Lord neither bewailing our corruption which we receiued of our forefathers nor praying against our infirmities which may descend to our posteritie we abuse the marriage bed Lastly wheÌ„ hauing receiued the fruit of the wombe we haue no care by vertuous education to offer it to the Lord that our childe by carnall generation may be the childe of God by spirituall regeneration Surely no. And yet men without all looking vp to Gods prouidence and secret counsell without all bethinking themselues of their corrupt nature from which their children are descended without all looking backe into their wicked and godlesse bringing them vp will fret against their sinnes and fume against their children yea often they will correct them and that to serue their owne corruptions not so much grieued for that they haue sinned against God as that they haue offended them Christians therefore must knowe that when men and women raging with boyling lusts meete together as bruit beasts hauing none other respects than to satisfie their carnall concupiscene and to strengthen themselues in worldly desires when they make no conscience to sanctifie the mariage bed with prayer when they haue no care to increase the Church of Christ and the number of the elect it is the â—ust iudgement of God to send them monsters vntimely births or disfigured children or naturall fooles or else such as hauing good gifts of the minde and well proportioned bodies are most wicked gracelesse and prophane persons Againe on the contrarie side wee shall finde in the word of God noble and notable men commended vnto vs for rare examples of vertue and godlinesse who were children asked and obtained of God by prayer Our first parents Adam and Eue being humbled after the birth of their wicked sonne Kaine obtained a righteous Abell of whom when by his bloodie brother they were â—ereft they receiued that holy man Seth. Abraham begetting a childe in the fleshe had a cursed Ismael but waiting by faith for the accomplishment of Gods couenant hee obtained a blessed Isaac Iacob not content with one wife according to the ordinance of God was punished in his children yet after being humbled he receiued a faithfull Ioseph Elkanah and Anna praying and being cast downe had a Prophet that did minister before the Lord. Dauid and Bethsheba lamenting their sinnes obtained Salomon a man of excellent wisedome Zacharie and Elizabeth fearing the Lord receiued Iohn the Baptist and forerunner of Christ. Looke what sinnes wee haue naturally without Gods great blessing without prayer and humbling of our selues we shall conueigh them to posteritie and although the Lord doe grant sometimes naturall gifts vnto the children of carnall and naturall men yet for the most part they receiue their naturall sinnes withall But if the children of God by regeneration do see into themselues and lament their sinnes of generation praying that their naturall corruptions may be preuented in their posterities they shall see the great mercie of God in some measure freeing their posteritie from their sinnes Now when thou shalt see such sinnes to be in thy children enter into thine owne heart examine thy selfe whether they are not come from thee consider how iustly the hand of God may bee vpon thee and when thou wouldest bee angrie with thy childe haue an holy anger with thy selfe and vse this or such like meditatioÌ„ with thine owne soule Lord shall I thus punish mine owne sinne and that in my child Shall I thus prosecute the corruptions of my auncesters Nay I see O Lord and proue that thou art displeased with me for the too carnall desire of posteritie I lay then in some sinne I asked not this childe of thee by prayer be mercifull vnto me O God and in thy good time shew some pitie vpon my child Thus thinking when thou goest about to correct the corruptioÌ„ of nature in thy childe which he could not helpe arming thy selfe with prayer repenting with Iacob thou shalt be so affected that as thou art desirous to draw thy childe out of sinne so yet to doe it with the mildest meanes and with least rigour And one thing is most wonderfull that some will teach their children to speake corruptly and doe wickedly whilest they are young and yet beate them for it when they are come to riper age Againe some will imbolden their children to practise iniquitie towards others which when by the iust iudgement of God they afterwards practise against their parents themselues
Philippians as in diuers other places requireth after that hee hath declared the great humility of Iesus Christ in that he became obedient vnto the death of the crosse thereupon taketh occasion of his exhortation Wherefore my beloued as yee haue alwaies obeyed me not as in my presence only but now much more in mine absence so make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling It appeareth by his wordes that the Philippians to whom he wrote had bin very obedient vnto his ministerie from that time wherein it pleased God to touch their heart with a care of their saluatioÌ„ by his preaching yea so obedient were they that not only in his presence among them they vsed great submission vnto his doctrine but much more in his absence they declared their dutifulnes in that with great eate they laboured to make it profitable by practising the same in their life and conuersation whereby it may seeme that the Apostle needed not to haue exhorted them vnto this dutie of obedience being alreadie so forward and prone thereunto but wee may hereby learne how needfull a thing it is that the people be obedient and that in no small measure but so farre forth as they shall be able to frame their liues according to the word of God in all points which he preacheth vnto them sincerely and purely to the feeding of their soules vnto eternall life which they can neuer obtaine vnlesse they become obedieÌ„t to bee taught and instructed at the Ministers hand by the most pure word of God which with the operation of the holy Ghost worketh faith in the children of God whereby they apprehend the merits of Iesus Christ and haue his righteousnes obedience and holinesse imputed vnto them of the free grace and mercie of God as surely as if in their owne persons they had wrought it and so made heires of the kingdome which Christ by his blood hath purschased for them It is necessarie that so many as desire to be saued bee obedient vnto the Minister whom God hath placed ouer them as his instrument to bring them to his heauenly kingdome as before I haue declared vnto you And the rather to stirre them vp vnto a continuall obedience hee addeth this Make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling As if he should say Beloued brethren as you haue hitherto submitted your selues to be reformed by the most glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ and haue obeyed vs in the Lord to the increasing of your faith and the assurance of your saluation so I beseech you to continue and euen with feare and trembling make an end of your saluation for if you should waxe obstinate in the end and become disobedient to those that labour in the Lord for your behoofe I tell you truly all your former obedience shal no whit profit you nay your end shall bee worse be lowly therefore and reuerence your Teachers in the Lord that you may with great humilitie as it becommeth the children of God receiue the promises And least the aduersaries should perswade that this your obedience and willing following of the Gospell hath come vnto you of your owne nature that by that meanes he may draw you to disobey the Ministers of God whom you cannot disobey but you must also despise the word and him that sent them and so fall from all grace I tell you therefore plainly that it neuer came of your selues for it is God that worketh in you both the will the deed and that not of your desert but of his own good pleasure We see then that the people must obey their Minister giue diligent heed to be taught by them the whole counsell of the Lord concerning the saluation of their soules which thing also our Sauiour Christ doth manifest in the tenth of Iohn My sheepe saith he heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me c. Our Sauiour Christ giueth vs a notable token here to know the children of God by and that is If they heare his voyce and followe him for they that wil not be obedieÌ„t vnto him are none of his neither yet partakers of those benefits which he hath purchased for his But peraduenture some wil say It is true that if a man will not obey the voice of Iesus Christ he is not for him but where is Iesus Christ that we may heare him and obey him O brother take heed how thou seekest such cauillations to maintaine thine obstinacie for thou canst not so shake of thy dutie to thy Minister but if thou confesse it thy dutie to be obedient vnto Iesus Christ I tel thee plainly thou oughtest no lesse to obey the Minister in that he bringeth the message of Christ tâ—aÌ„ if himselfe were present For he being the very Truth it selfe hath said plainly on the Ministers behalfe He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee What an hainous thing were it to refuse the Minister and to bee disobedient vnto them when the case standeth so that the disobeying of them is not onely a contempt of Christ but also of God the Father who is a seuere iudge to be reuenged of all his enemies But they that be of the sheepfold of Iesus Christ will be obedient to their shepheard euen as willingly as the sheepe are The reason hereof is drawne from the nature of sheepe which is the simplest of all creatures to shift for it selfe and yet more profitable than any other cattell when one of them is straied out of the way it is caught in the brambles and briers readie to be lost in euery pit or hole yea subiect to a thousand daungers and cannot helpe itselfe in the least of them and when the shepheard hath fetched her home how obedient is shee and glad to bee guided by him for feare of falling into the like danger so is it required of the children of God that they be obedient as sheepe yea if he were the wisest or mightiest in the world he must not take scorne to become as simple as a sheepe if hee will enter into the kingdome of heauen for before such time as the Lord by his instrument the Minister doth bring them home into the sheepfolde of Iesus Christ they wander in innumerable dangers are no more able to deliuer themselues out of them then the silly sheepe is to saue her selfe from the wolfe but when they are brought home then they see their infirmitie and what great neede they haue of a shepheard to preserue helpe them out of so many perils which tend to the destruction both of body and soule then they gladly obey him which is carefull to guide them in the way of saluation with the most holy word of God and to refresh their hungrie soules with that heauenly foode and milke The holy Ghost saith that they must bee borne againe and that not of mortall
Ministers be placed ouer the people as the wicked liuers false teachers or domb dogs it is most certaine that the Lord hath set them euen to plague the people for their sinnes Last of all the people must pray cōtinually both for themselues and for their Minister that the Lord may bestow vpon him the perfect gifts of prophecying and vpon vs obedient hearts to the word that the Lord may bee glorified in our life and conuersation which thing S. Paul desireth in his Epistles as in the 4. Chapter to the Colossians Continue saith he i◠prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Pray also for vs that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the mysterie of Christ that I may vtter it as becommeth me to speake The like thing doth he require in the 6. to the Ephesians In both which places the Apostle noteth how needefull a thing it is for the people to pray not onely for themselues but for their Minister also for that the Lord God giueth his gifts to none but them which faithfully call vpon him and continually craue the same at his hand It behoueth the people therefore to pray for their Minister that the Lord will powre vpon him the aboundance of his spirit which may open vnto him the mysteries of his most holy word that he may be able to teach them all the counsell of the Lord. In the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and 3. Chapter he vseth these words Furthermore brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and bee glorified euen as it is with you and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men for all men haue not faith Here doth the Apostle giue charge also that the congregation do pray for the florishing of the Gospell and the faithful Ministers thereof that the word might so much be preached and the Church of Christ thereby increased he willeth them to pray for the quiet estate of the Ministers that the Lord would deliuer them out of the hands of their aduersaries which seek not so much the destruction of the Ministers but the ouerthrow of the Gospell because they haue not faith to become partakers of the promises thereof which is only the gift of God vnto his children which shall be saued for if that all men should be saued all should haue faith but because all cannot be saued all cannot haue faith Then wee see a notable meane to attaine those things which are profitable for vs euen by prayer If therefore you desire such a Pastor as shall loue you and you him againe pray vnto the Lord for such a one If you would haue him able to teach you and your selues made obedient to his doctrine pray hartily If you would haue him long pray vnto the Lord to continue him among you and to giue him fauour in the eyes of the Magistrates to defend him from all wicked aduersaries that yee may liue peaceably together and bee builded vp into a strong faith by the word of God without any perturbation Now as it is the dutie of the whole congregation generally to pray together with one consent both for themselues their Minister Prince Magistrates and all other people so it is euerie mans dutie particularly at home at his own house to pray for them and that not once or twise now and then very seldome but daily yea continually Thus shall both the Minister and the people doe their dutie to their wonderfull comfort and glorie The third part concerning the fruites that come of the well doing of these duties both to the Minister and the people THese duties thus performed bring wonderfull commoditie And first of all if the Minister doe his dutie in preaching exhorting liuing praying and watching ouer his flocke with that care of the glorie of God and that desire of the saluation of his people that he ought this profit shall he haue The Lord will blesse his labour and he shall make an acceptable and ioyfull account and this which farre passeth all the rest he shall saue his owne soule and because he hath been a faithfull seruant ouer a little the Lord will make him his gouernour ouer a great deale euen in his kingdome of blessednes If the people do their duty vnto the Minister in obeying reuerencing him fearing him louing and prouiding all things for him and last of all in praying faithfully for him they shall make him a glad man and sturre him vp with great ioy to do for them all that be can and euen in great afflictions the remembrance of their dutifulnes and constant faith shall minister abundāce of consolatiō that he shal be forced to say with the Apostle Paul What thankes can we recompence to God againe for you for all the ioy wherewith wee reioyce before the Lord for your sake Thus shall they fill him with ioy and so winne his heart that hee had a thousand liues he would gladly giue them for their sakes to doe them good and moreouer the Lord wil blesse him in great measure for their sake with knowledge that he may be the more profitable vnto them and in the ende their soules shall be saued which is an vnspeakable treasure farre passing all other things Moreouer though the people do not their duty but become obstinate and storme and rage against the faithfull Minister which hath a care ouer them so that they doe grieue his heart through their disobedience yet if he doe his dutie in reading preaching and other points which I haue alreadie declared he shall notwitstanding saue his owne soule and also if the will of God be so he shall by his diligence winne them if not hee must be contented to submit himselfe and his doing to the will of the Lord and knowe the word of God shall haue his effect euen to make them inexcusable at the dreadfull day whereby the Lord shall be as greatly glorified as if they were saued Againe if the people do their dutie faithfully in the Lord towards their Minister being either a wicked liuer or not so zealous and true a teacher as hee ought to bee either the Lord will remoue him and place ouer them a faithfull shepheard or conuert him and bring him to do his dutie more carefully or else stirre vp other helpes for them So their soules shall be saued and he shall perish The fourth part of the danger for not doing these duties faithfully NOw wee haue seene the great fruites that come of well doing these duties both to the Minister and the people we may thereby see what danger insueth of the contrarie that is not of doing them For whereas if the Ministers doe their dutie faithfully the Lord will blesse their labours so that their account may be acceptable and their soules saued so on the cōtrarie if they do not their dutie truly as they ought and seeke the glory of God
and no condemnation to them that beleeue in Christ and teacheth that we must be crucified to the world and become new creatures though he doth not all other things perfitly and absolutely yet keeping this foundation hee shall finde mercie But if a man destroy the Temple of God that is labour more about the establishing of ceremonies and maintaining of errours than hee doth to maintaine and establish the power of the Gospell the Lord will surely destroy him As then we dare not say that a man purely preaching Christ crucified though he faile in some smaller points of discipline shall be damned so we affirme that a man maintaining corruptions and nothing labouring to preach the crosse of Christ and neglecting the doctrine of being crucified to the world and of becomming a new creature is to feare least that if hee repent not the Lord destroy him For if they destroy the Temple of God that is the people of God by not teaching the truth and by keeping out from entring into the truth not only themselues but others the Lord will vndoubtedly destroy such This place maketh much also for our comfort against heresie and poperie because as God promiseth peace and mercie to them that preach and embrace the doctrine of our saluation by Christ so hee threatneth on the contrarie his curse and vengeance both to the preachers and followers of the contrarie doctrine howsoeuer they hope for a day or cōtemne the flocke of Christ. For the same God that made the Israelites a valiant people in pursuing their enemies so long as they continued in the rule he had appointed them brought them low and made them flie before their enemies when they forsooke this rule so as one chased tenne of them and tenne put to flight an hundred of them Let vs boldly then both preach and receiue this doctrine of Christ and not feare any corrupt Teachers whatsoeuer seeing their supposed felicitie shall be accursed and our supposed miserie shall be blessed Which curse manifestly appeareth in many Papists this day that become rebels traitors and murtherers as also in heretikes who are become mad and frantick the Lord watching ouer them for euill and not for good And vpon the Israel of God Heere with the Preachers the Apostle ioyneth the people of God shewing that they that willingly heare and carefully imbrace the doctrine That by the law we are condemned for sinne and by the Gospell wee are saued through faith in Christ and therfore from henceforth endeuour to haue this world crucified vnto vs and vs to be crucified to the world and to become new creatures shall also be saued and finde mercie and peace Israel properly signifieth one that preuaileth with God Now because there was Israell in the flesh which many did boast of hee heere speaketh of the Israell in the spirit as he speaketh of the Iewes Rom. 2. and therefore calleth it the Israel of God making a distinction betweene that counterfeit Israell resting in the ceremonie and outward title of the name and that true Israell whose praise is of God and not of men Before the Iewes tooke the whole priuiledge of the couenant of God but now the Gentiles also are contained in the couenant because all ceremonies abolished there is one shepheard and one sheepesold This promise then belongeth no more to all professors than to all preachers but to them alone which are truly called to be the true Israel of God Whereby we are to learne that all Christians shall not obtaine mercie and peace but the Christians of God that is true Christians in life doctrine Wherefore all counterfeit Christians are to feare their estate can they neuer so well say their catechisme were they neuer so well baptized or confirmed were they neuer so often comming to the Church to heare the word receiue the sacrament Now if Israel the beloued of God not reioicing in the crosse of Christ not being crucified to the world not being a newe creature shall not finde mercie and peace what comfort are wee to looke for being Gentiles wanting the same things And yet we must remember the consolation aboue named that though Christians be in some points infants in doctrine iudgement life and conuersation yet if they carefully hold the foundation and build thereupon a godlie life in trueth and sinceritie though in some weakenes infirmitie and imperfection they shall obtaine mercie and peace in the ende The truth of this promise and sure wrath of God on the wicked may appeare to vs both in the life and in the death of the true and counterfeit Christians in seeing what mercy and peace appeareth in the one what anguish and impatience breaketh foorth in the other The deare Martyrs of God neither were afraid of death on the one side but reioyced in that they were made worthie to suffer for the truth neither senselesse and blockish as feeling no paine on the other side The learned heretikes which would seeme to suffer either yeelded being ouercome with the paine or else died like stocks stones being halfe dead before they came to be executed As for others that haue died in their beds the Lord hath giuen a manifest distinction betweene the true prophets false teachers betweene christian professors and obstinate Papists The children of God euer haue laboured to make confession of their faith to make knowne their hope to witnesse their abundant ioy at their departure neither ouercome with immoderate feare neither sincking downe in too much blockishnes the other haue died some desperately without hope some presumptuously without true faith some murmuringly without all ioy FINIS THE FOVRTH PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREACHER OF the Word of GOD containing an Exposition of the 119. Psalme found vnperfect amongst other writings of Maister GREENHAMS and perfected by Robert Hill Doctor in Diuinitie whose obseruations may be knowne by this marke ¶ VVHEREVNTO ARE ADIOYNED OTHER Meditations vpon certaine parts of the Scripture the Titles whereof appeare in the next page following VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE MEDITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE FOVRTH part are these hereafter following 1 AN exposition of the 119. PSALME 2 Meditations on PROV 4. from verse 13. to 24. 3 Meditations on PROV 14. vers 5. 6. 7. 4 The summe of the Epistle to the HEBRVES 5 A briefe summe of ECCLESIASTES TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN LORDE STANHOP BARON OF HARINGTON VICECHAMberlaine to the Kings most excellent Maiestie and one of his Honorable priuie Councell Grace and Peace RIght Honourable Though Diuinitie as an Hand-maide attende all other callings and by reason of her pouertie serues manie Masters yet if shee were esteemed according to her worth shee were worthie to become a Mistresse to the most Her Conception is Celestiall her
that the fruites thereof may appeare in his life then let him vse all priuate and publike religious exercises whereby these things may bee wrought and increased in him and delight in such company as both by precept and example may further him therein Doth any one wish that hee could get victory ouer some speciall sinnes and corruptions that hee is troubled withall then let him enter into combate against them as the Apostle did Rom 7. Let him humble himselfe by fasting praier and complaine and crie vnto the Lorde for the repressing of them and get such forcible reasons against them out of the Scriptures as may quell the strength and violence of them and thus a sincere heart will doe But if wee make shewe that we desire to bee godly and religious and yet vse not the meanes at all or but some of theÌ„ or if we vse them all it is but by fittes and starts or if we vse them constantly yet wee doe it but remisly and coldly wee cannot haue any assurance that our hearts are faithfull vnto the Lord. A fourth argument of sinceritie is to performe all duties as in Gods presence looking vnto him as the directer and discerner of our thoughts words and workes and thinking it sufficient if he approue of vs though men do dislike vs as the Apostle Paul telleth the Corinthians As touching mee I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans iudgement c. Hee that iudgeth mee is the Lord. And againe in the Epistle to the Thessalonians As wee were allowed of God that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so wee speake not as they that please men but God which approueth our hearts And therefore he prayeth in another place that the Corinthians might doe none all not that hee might seeme aâ—proued and haue the credit of their goodnes as beeing wrought chiefly by his Ministerie but that they might doe that which is honest though he were disallowed to wit by men for with God the righteous Iudge he knew that he should be both approued and rewarded Thus hee that is a seruant faithfull and trustie in his place seruing the Lord Christ in conscience and not men with eye-seruice albeit he should be accounted the most idle and vntrusty seruant in all the familie being indeede the most diligent and painefull of all hee will still goe on with his faithfulnes and not diminish any jote of his industrie and laboriousnes This Iob alledgeth as a testimonie of his integritie that whereas hee might haue giuen free scope to his eye for wanton lookes and to his heart for sinfull affections yet hee saith of himselfe I made a couenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke on a Maidâ— And why was he thus jealous of himselfe thus carefull to guide his eye and to gouerne his hart in a right maÌ„â—er the reason is rendred vers 4. Doth not he beholde my wayes â—â—ll all my steps That also is Iosâ—phs commendation that whereas he might haue liued in impurity and filthinesse not onely without blame and reproch but euen with the fauour of his sinfull and vnchaste mistresse yet the feare of the Lord restrained him from that monstrous and abhominable sinne How can I doe this great wicâ—edneâ— saith he and so sinne against God Yea though shee spake to him from day to day yet he refused and would not so much as be in her companie lest any temptation should be offered vnto him by that occasion hee would rather haue her displeasure theâ— Gods and rather be imprisoned amongst malefactors for forbearing of euill then to be vexed and 〈◊〉 on the â—acke of an euill conscience for committing of euill And this good disposition Godâ— seruants doe many timâ—s find in themselues that wheÌ„ they haue falâ—e into any 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ne haue entertained â—â—â—â—e and foolish thoughts or corrupt and carnall affections when they haue ouer-shot themselues in their speeches or in their carriage and 〈…〉 discerneth it yet they take themselues with the manner and knowing that Gods holy eyes are vpon them they iudge and condemne themselues and are throughly angry with themselues for that which they haue done Yea somtimes when men praise and extoll them yet they blush within themselues and haue an holy indignation against their owne soules that they haue dealt hypocritically or vaingloriously or lightly or indiscâ—â—â—tly or passionately This is a very singular marke and vndoubted argument of great pietie and sincerity As on the contrary it is a certaine note of grosse hypocrisie euer to bee caring what men thinke and speake of vs and of our doings and neuer to regard what God seeth amisse in the same 1. The last note though many other might be named shal be this patiently to endure an admonition and reproofe and to be desirous of the same to the intent we may profite thereby in publike to like best and desire most those sermons wherein our owne corruptions are most throughly met withall and strucke at with greatest sharpnes and vehemencie and in priuate to be most glad of the societie of those friends that will in wisedome and mercie tell vs most often and most plainly of our faults Hypocrites cannot abide that anie should â—ubbe vpon their galled backes as it were or come neare them to touch their gouty and festered and corrupted consciences but they will wince and kicke and lay about them and crie out on those that are such judgers and such busie-bodies as they terme them and so reiect all wholesome reproofes and carrie a bitter heart against the reprouers Only those that are sound-harâ—ed can submit theÌ„selues in the lowlines of their mindes and meeknesse of their spirits to beare admonitions when they need it be hee a superiour or an inferiour that administreth the same and labour to make a right vse hereof and to loue the partie the better that will deale so mercifully and faithfully with their soules Indeede Gods best children may somtimes faile herein and beginne to bustle and take on when they are somewhat sharpely dealt withall and cannot so readily and cheerefully swallow and digest those bitter pils as they should but if they be grieued in their soules that they finde so much pride in themselues and though they be a little distempered in company yet when they are alone they are ashamed of their folly and desire more wisedome and grace to reape benefit by the admonitions that shall afterwards be giuen them and begin to thinke more reuerently of the parties that shewed them that mercy and kindnesse they should not be dismaied knowing that they are true Israelites in whom there is no guile notwithstanding that vnwillingnesse and vntowardnesse to vndergoe a rebuke that they finde in themselues and their corrupt nature Thirdly this is for the great comfort of all such as finde these notes of vprightnes in themselues though they haue many corruptions and imperfections mixed with
concupiscence shall solemnely vow to refraine the familiaritie of wanton women and will not come in place where light women frequent but with Iob shall make a couenant with his eyes we see this by the word also to be warrantable And thus much for meanes to auoide euill now for meanes to doe good If a man feele himselfe dull and slow in reading the word or slacke in prayer shall to the prouoking himself the more make a couenāt daily to reade some portion of the word and to bestow some time of the day in prayer if this be taken vp in the wisedome of the Spirit to cast off sluggishnesse and prouoke alacritie herein we see because at morning noone-tide and euening some of Gods children haue vsed it he may set himselfe a taske and thereby may make a stay for his wauering minde Howbeit these things must not be perpetuall as it is in other couenants For a man may abstaine from women and wine for a time and yet not for euer because it must bee done for some certaine ends and causes as also with some holy conditions As for example if a man hath taken a time of the day to pray in and at that time he shall haue some speciall cause of setting foorth Gods glorie or if his particular calling requiring an whole man shall call him away then if hee omit it there is no breach because the thing which hee is about to doe is according to Gods law This is needfull to be considered with a godly care that wee double that some other day when we shall be more at libertie which we haue for the same causes pretermitted the day before If then there be iust occasion offered of this remission for otherwise wee must not be remisse we know that the couenant is not broken in that we made it with a condition that we would vse it so farre foorth as it might not hinder Gods glory our dutie to our brethren nor our seuerall calling because in such a case to obey is better than sacrifice But if there be no iust cause of pretermitting this purpose then is there iust cause of sorrowing for breaking the couenant But here wee see an helpe wee haue not done this taske to day because of idlenes what then We must returne to the assurance of forgiuenes of sinnes and must redeeme that with double diligence which wee haue lost through wilfull negligence In these vowes then taken vp of our selues as meanes to auoid sinne or to doe good we must first take heede that they bee made within the compasse of the word Secondly that they be but for a time and not continuall Thirdly that they bee euer made with wife and discreete considerations least being broken our cōsciences be troubled Fourthly if there be any fault that it be recompenced by double dutie and diligence afterward Thus wee see how either for to pricke vs to good or stay vs from some euill wee may make a couenant vpon condition in a desire of Gods glorie and in crauing Gods grace And thus much of his care and conscience to Gods iudgements now let vs come to the third argument which is his affliction Vers. 107. I am very sore afflicted O Lord quicken me according to thy word IN that the man of God vseth this as a reason before his prayer it seemeth hee was not meanely troubled but sorely vexed as wee may see in ioyning that which he saith in the verse following My soule is continually in mine hand yet doe I not forget thy law Wherein carying his soule in his hand he meaneth that he hath no assurāce of his life but is in continuall danger of it as wee count those things which be in our hand to be hardly sure and in perill to slip from vs as we may see by other places of the word As in the booke of Iudges Iephtha saith I caryed my life in mine owne hand that is I did hazard my life 1. Sam. 28 21. where the Pythonisse saith I haue put my soule in my hand which is all one as if shee should say I haue ventured my life or I was at deaths doore Iob. 13. 14. Wherefore doe I teare my flesh with my teeth and put my soule in my hand As if hee should say Why doe I put my life in danger For euen as water lying in our hand is soone slipt out so our soule beeing in our hand is said to be at deaths doore Besides he confesseth that he had many snares and pestilent deuices of his enemies laid against him so that at his least going astray hee was layed for and readie to bee taken In that hee needed thus to pray wee may see how reason might haue moued him to the contrarie Flesh and blood might haue taught Daniel that in such narrow search hee might haue shut his window when he praied or haue conueied himselfe into some secret chamber and so to haue vsed some policie and prouided means to haue saued himselfe had not the spirit of God mightily preuailed in him against all such temptations So when by reason of some imminent danger we are at our wits end sathan would haue vs go in by-paths and not to make the word of God a lantorne to our feete Saul when hee could heare nothing from the Lord was driuen thus by his extreame daunger to goe to the witches We see then how necessary it is for Gods children in the time of triall to pray for their direction in the right wayes Againe because when we are hardly dealt with wee are ready to reuenge with policie we see how he prayeth to keepe himselfe aright It was vndoubtedly the great mercie of God to Dauid then to pray that no affection of reuenge might enter into him Oh how needfull then is it for vs whē the wicked shall deale with vs vnreasonably to pray to the Lord to be kept in iudgement from policie and in affection from reuenging and that we may stay our iudgement on Gods promises and our affections on his dealings Thirdly if all meanes be wanting to vs then will the diuell moue vs to despaire and therefore great neede haue we to pray that we may be deliuered from the darkenesse of despaire by the lanterne of Gods word We see how necessarily the man of God praied not to be tempted aboue his strength and that the rod of the wicked should not fall on his lot least he should put his hand vnto wickednesse and therefore craued wisedome in Gods word faith in his promises and patience in his goodnesse We see then the plaine meaning of the man of God in this verse if we call to minde in this word very sore afflicted that which we haue heard before that his eyes failed his heart fainted his spirit panted his naturall powers melted and to be briefe that he was an image of death As a man cannot abide great prosperitie no more can he abide great aduersitie For as we are puft vp
of Gods children are not so sirme as that it is neuer shaken they are not alwaies in the tenour and as the Lord giueth them of his grace in measure so hee giueth them at sometimes more at sometimes lesse he often humbleth them with incredulitie to exercise them in prayer and to confirme them the more by his Spirit whereof they haue had a pledge in his word Wee haue learned that the Prophet thought himselfe to haue no life but as he had the feeling of the life of the Sonne of God to be conueyed to him by the spirit of God through the working of the word of God and that as we breathe eate playe and labour wee haue nothing differing from bruite beasts as we haue fiue wits to discourse of things we haue nothing more than the heathen than the Turkes than the vngodly infidels The Scriptures shew that all that liue in ignorance and sinne are dead for they that liue in ignorance sit in darkenes and in the shadow of death as it is in the song of Zacharie and if we liue in sinne the Apostle witnesseth we are but dead Ephes 2.1 The death of sinne is the life of a man and the life of sinne is the death of a man sinne then I meane to liue in vs when wee giue ouer our selues to sin with pleasure and lye in our sinne with delight And yet here is a further thing for the man of God speaketh of the experience of Gods children who when they feele delight in prayer and their inward man delighted with the word of God they thinke they are aliue and that so long they walke in the land of the liuing but when they fal into some sinne and become vnthankfull or pensiue there comes a dulnes and deadnes of heart they are not able to see any difference betweene themselues and the reprobates and finding in themselues such an heape of ill inclinations they think themselues to be dead It followeth in the verse And disappoint me not of mine hope As if he should say O Lord euen as I trust in thy word so my hope is that thy word shall be accomplished As faith is the mother of hope so hope is the daughter and nurse of faith for faith breedeth hope and hope nourisheth faith faith assureth vs of the trueth of Gods word hope waiteth for the accomplishment of it His meaning then is Lord as I trust in thy word so strengthen my faith and disappoint mee not of my hope for howsoeuer the wicked continue for a while I beleeue that I shall haue a glorious end I beleeue it is not lost labour to serue the Lord O Lord I hope to see them troden downe that breake thy statutes Thus we see how Gods children feare their vnbeliefe and nourish their faith with prayer so the true Minister of God cannot but be zealous to stirre vp his people to feruent and frequent prayer We see the one halfe of this Psalme to bee prayer and that in euery portion two or three or foure verses be prayers And the man of God being willing to bring his knowledge to feeling hath still this prayer Stay mâ—e in thy word teach mee thy statutes disappoint me not of my hope establish thy promises to thy seruant For as reading hearing and conferring doe more increase knowledge than feeling so meditating praying and singing doe more nourish feeling than knowledge Had he that had such a faith in Gods word such ioy such delight such life in the spirit neede so often and feruently to pray then I beseech you let vs pray pray pray Vers. 117. Stay thou me and I shall be safe and I will delight continually in thy statutes THis agreeth with that in the verse going before stablish mee according to thy promise Hadst thou need Dauid to be staied didst thou wauer oh how need we to be stayed and to pray against our wauering he meaneth here thus much although I am well minded and delight in thy law yet I am so brittle and so slipperie that if thou stay mee not I shall sall I am gone Oh man of God feeling his owne wants and infirmities I shall be safe that is If I be not stayed by thine hand I shall be at the last cast Psal. 30. 6 he said hee should neuer be remoued here is another spirit where he saith he should be safe But here wofull experience taught him that he durst not be stayed on himselfe whereby he declareth that as without Gods word he could not be safe so come what come would befall what danger could befall in the Lords word he was staied sufficiently Then we are to learne that the promises of God must engender in vs a care and feare of our selues for if we begin once to be quiet with our selues when wee begin to be secure and presumptuous let vs assure our selues that we are not farre from sinne But if we feare that wee are staggering and reeling persons and that we are very slipperie is there not cause of humbling that this humblenes should breed carefulnesse carefulnesse should cause watchfulnesse watchfulnesse should vse the meanes and the meanes should be sanctified by prayer Then come hell come the diuell come the world come the flesh if the Lord stay vs we shall liue and not die we shall surely not miscarie And I will delight continually in thy statutes Wee see here that there is no free will for he prayeth likewise Port. 5. 1. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Neither did he promise of himselfe before but did hope in the Lord. Such brittlenes is in the world such sleights in the flesh such slinesse in SathaÌ„ such corrupt examples in the world that vnlesse the Lord stay vs we are so farre off from delight in good that we are ready to fall into great sinnes Euery man therefore is to search his owne heart and by the cause we may come to the effects and by the tree may coniecture of the fruite so by the effects we may iudge of the cause and by the fruite we may iudge of the tree Where is now this delight when we heare the word we heare it with such coldnesse therefore it is a manifest proofe we are not staâ—ed in the Lord. For whosoeuer doth not delight in the word he may deceiue his owne soule but surely as yet he is not staied on God If we are not delighted then are we stâ—ied on our own selues but if the Lord work in vs then shal we feele delight This is a griefe of my soule that I see no delight in the Lords day all things are done for fashion but the power of godlinesse is not among vs. The cause is the want of priuate exercises the want of priuate reading and praying and this bringeth a secret curse of publike exercises and therefore I cannot but so often vâ—ge priuate prayer and meditation Vers. 118. Thou hast troden downe all them that depart from
is it to giue vs his truth to enrich vs with his Gospell and to blesse vs with such abundance of temporall things Oh that this were knowne of vs oh that euery man would say Oh Lord what am I that thou shouldest shewe mee such mercie to giue mee the enioying of thy word and Gospell more than any other and giuing it to mee makest me to vnderstand it aboue many oh what am I that thou shouldest offer to mee this goodnesse I was borne and conceaued in sinne I haue multiplied and enlarged my corruptions both before since my calling my vnthankfulnes is great my vnworthines therefore greater and yet thou hast not ceased to preferre me in mercies before many If we consider the fearefull iudgements of God in consuming all hypocrites who will not say that many haue beene called and few chosen When we shall see I say in the day of the Lord his seuere iudgements to tread downe these hypocrites and cause them to goe from his presence to hell oh how wil we esteeme that we are in Christ and say Oh how loue I thy law For I see thy iudgements are equall and thou dealest not with me in iustice but in mercie not in anger but in loue not in wrath but in pittie therfore they couenant is sweete because I haue deserued thy iudgements and thou hast spared me Vers. 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HEre may seeme at the first to be some contrarietie betweene feare and loue sith loue causeth not but casteth out feare For he had saide in the verse going before that hee loued the testimonies of the Lord and here he saith that his flesh trembled for feare Wherefore at the first sight here is some shew of contrariety but indeed there is none For he saith My flesh trembleth c. whereby he sheweth that as he loued the law of God in his inward man and with his part regenerate so it is the outward and olde man and the part vnrenued which is full of corruption that did feare So that as hee had Gods spirit to renue his minde hee had this witnesse in him that he did loue the promises of God but because his flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and hee found many corruptions of nature remaining in him and threatning him that after hee was like to fall againe if the Lord yea but a little should leaue him he saith I am afraid least for my vnthankfulnes and vnworthie refusing of thy mercie thou shouldest leaue me to my selfe and so shouldest make a way to thy iudgements Thus there is an harmonie in the Prophet for because as the flesh hath a trembling feare so the spirit reioyceth Thus as wee haue often heard Gods children finde to their comfort in themselues faith in Gods promises and a delight in his word sometime they are grieued for the absence of this sweetnes of faith in the same For as the presence of Gods spirit bringeth ioy so the absence thereof feare as faith breedeth a loue of Gods promises so infidelitie maketh vs afraid of his iudgements Although Noah had great cause to loue the promises of God for his wonderfull deliuerance so he had great cause to feare himselfe that he might haue fallen afterward Lot also hauing good cause to beleeue and embrace the couenant of God for his safegard had iust occasion also to haue suspected himselfe that he was subiect to falling It is said Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill For where feare is not there is securitie securitie breedeth hardnesse of heart and hardnes of heart bringeth Gods wrath Wherfore the Apostle writing to the Philippians shewing that God worketh in vs both the will and the deede of doing good least hereby they should draw to themselues security addeth that they must fill the course of their saluation in feare and trembling For if wee doe only well by Gods grace working in vs wee are much to feare the absence of it Wherefore wee see how the man of God did iustly feare his part vnregenerate This feare of Gods children differeth much from the feare of the wicked for it bringeth vs to the Lord and driueth vs not from the Lord it helpeth and hindreth not our prayers it hurteth not but furthereth our duties For it maketh vs to feare least wee should lose Gods grace it causeth vs to waite more and more to haue it and hauing it moueth vs by prayer to continue it When Noah had Gods fauour he feared and being warned of God as Heb 11. 7. of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the Arke c So Habacuk hearing of the iudgement of God which should fall vpon the faithfull by the Chaldeans saith Hâ—b 3. 16. My bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe Paul said he preached with feare and trembling Thus wee see how the good Saints of God did feare because they knewe that if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be saued and that there was nothing in them but of mercie and therefore they acknowledge their weaknes vnworthinesse and wretchednesse Wee see also that Gods children haue diuers affects according to their diuers estates and though sometimes they are quickened through faith other times they are most ready to sinne if they doe not sinne No maruell then though the children of God feare when they see that God restraineth their will the greater their feelings are yet are they mixed with a reuerent feare of Gods maiestie and sight of their own corruptioÌ„s least they should not abide his glorie and least they should not continue in their good things We see moreouer that this feare humbled Noah that the Prophets Apostles spake in feare which the Lord gaue vnto them either to prepare them to some grace which they should receiue or else more zealously to keepe some grace which already they haue receiued And where it might be obiected that loue casteth out feare wee must vnderstand of that seruile and excessiue feare which driueth vs away from God And seeing though wee feele Gods loue by faith wee will feare then much more had we neede so to doe when by infidelitie wee feele not this loue So wee must haue both feare to prepare vs to grace and wee must haue loue to continue vs in this grace And surely onely they with whom this thing hath been familiar doe knowe how loue and feare doe dwell together For as blessed experiencâ— hath taught some that by this feare they haue attained to speciall graces and continued in them by the same so also by wofull experience some haue found that for want â—f this they either haue not tâ—sted of the grace of God or else not continued in the same PORTION 15. AYN. Vers. 1â—1 I haue executed iudgement and iustice
leaue me not to mine oppressors THe Prophet goeth on praying for the increase and continuance of Gods fauour vsing two arguments the first by shewing his afflictions which hee suffered the seconde by declaring his affection to the word whereunto is added a reason drawne from the nature of GOD that it is his time to helpe in affliction His generall desire then is to haue a further loue of Gods word to this end hee sheweth his miseries and afflictions and with what affection hee longed for helpe trusting that God would now come to doe right His prayer is that the Lord would not suffer him to bee ouercome with ouer-much afflictions but that as it is Psal. 125. 3. that the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous least the righteous put their hands vnto wickednesse and that the hands of the oppressors should not preuaile God then giueth vs this libertie that wee may pray against our and his enemies but wee must withall consider these two reasons I haue executed As if the Prophet said Thou hast promised to helpe all them that hold causes and maintaine them well through thy grace I haue vsed a good cause well performe therefore oh Lord thy promise in me So the Prophet prayeth Psal. 41. Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnesse c. where hee sheweth that as God doth promise to helpe in afflictions so he requireth of our parts that wee should suffer as weldoers and as doing well in a good cause as if hee had expressed his minde in these words O God the cause which I maintaine is iust and I haue maintained it well let them fall then that haue an ill cause against me who hauing so righteous a cause As we haue to learne that we shall not be without oppressors if we doe well so must we learne how to behaue our selues therein It seemeth monstrous to some that we should by weldoing purchase such enemies as if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God 1. Pet. 3. 13. Who is it that will harme you if you follow that which is good Yet it is a thing in the secret iudgement of God either to the triall of the faith of his children or the fulfilling of the sins of the wicked Who would thinke a man should haue enemies but by desert True it is if the world were aright but because wee liue in such a world wherein Christ himselfe executing iudgemēt and righteousnes did suffer because it hated him much more must we looke for it as Christ himselfe hath also fore warned because the seruant must not be aboue his maister and because we labour and cease not to hinder the kingdome of Sathan hee enarmeth the world with hatred against vs also We must not think that we can be here quiet For although we be sometimes troubled because we haue not done somewhat which we ought yet often we must be oppressed as righteous doers although not so as our enemies finally shall preuaile against vs. We see the Prophet desireth God to be the patrone of a righteous cause and of a righteous cause rightly handled we must then if we will assure our selues of Gods protection first consider if our cause be iust and hauing such a cause whether we haue rightly dealt in it Let vs therefore when we are oppressed search our cause if we feele that our conscience be guiltie then no maruell though wee suffer because the Lord correcteth either our euill cause or our ill handling of a good cause Wee must see that in the equitie of our request our cause be iust and true and being good that our dealing therein bee also iust and right Let vs see this now in particulars Our Sauiour Christ saith he came to put dissension betweene the father and the sonne the mother and the daughter and that the father in law should bee against his son in law and the sonne in law against his father in law True it is if it be for the Gospels sake and we withall haue done our duties and obedience which nature our callings require that we be hated yet must we not be dismaied although we haue the enemies of our own familie of them which by nature are ioyned to vs we are not to be discouraged if it be righteousnes which we must maintaine and vnrighteousnes which they maintaine if thē our cause being good we vse all obedience loue and dutie and yet be grieued we must recouer our selues with that which Christ hath said but if our cause bee ill or being right wee shewed not our selues humble and dutifull in the defence of it then we haue deserued iustly to be euill entreated of them If wee shall obserue this to happen either among Magistrates to their subiects or Landlords to their tenants or any other gouernours to their inferiours when they shall deale ill with vs in debts fines and exactions we must consider that if we haue done righteously we haue the libertie to comfort our soules in prayer Lord I haue done the part of a faithfull subiect or the dutie of a good tenant Lord helpe me against this man which oppresseth me wrongfully But if we haue discouraged their hearts either simply by ill doing or in a good thing by ill dealing we must know that the Lord by them doth take some good thing from vs who from them did take some good duties We must see then whether we haue done our duties in loue or not this will keepe vs from fuming and will make vs rest in prayer The ignorance of this doctrine maketh vs fret and fume who neuer consider whether our cause be good or whether in a good cause wee haue vsed good dealing or no. If Gods children looke thus into their consciences it will humble them as surely I did not well to him God suffereth him to doe the like to me againe and meateth out vnto mee the like measure with mine owne meat-yeard Where wee must learne that Gods children neuer deale so earnestly with their enemies as with their God And as this holdeth in superiours so must wee marke this doctrine in all troubles with our inferiours or equals Now if our seruants or our children doe not deale dutifully with vs we must enter into our selues on this sort Lord I haue brought vp these sonnes or seruants in thy nurture and feare I haue instructed them and prayed for them I haue vsed all meanes wherby I might bring them to good yet for all this they deale ill with me and in this case wee must knowe that God wil heare our prayers But if we haue not done our parts in cloathing feeding or teaching them or in praying for them it is the iudgement of God in that we haue not done the dutie of godly parents Christian householders in making them the children of God and seruants of the Lord neither can we say Lord release me in this case
is too much no paine seemeth too great for the thing which wee loue we set a great price on things which are loued So then if we make our loue of the word and make our price on it we shall thinke no paines sufficient no trauell enough to attaine vnto it and on the contrary if our loue be little and small to the word we shall finde it to be the cause why we set so little a price on it For if our loue be in any measure it will draw on our affections but when we haue lost our loue no maruel though we haue so barren feelings If then we will haue any true triall of our loue let vs see if with the man of God we can open our mouth and pant Now if we thinke that in others it is reproueable that they haue lost their former heate and broken their first loue and we see the holy Ghost reprehendeth the Nicolaitans and that they be fault worthie who neither be hotte nor colde whom the Lord protesteth to spue out of his mouth as hee threatneth the Laodiceans and shall we thinke the selfe same things not too reproueable or blame worthie in our selues Wherfore when we feele such coldnes in affection such luke-warmenes in loue we must earnestly striue labour in praier against them For where there is no feruencie there is no loue in truth and if we doe any thing drowsily it is an argument our loue is cooled and we are to suspect the deadnes dulnes of our affections So that this may be the briefe sense of the man of God Because I desired to haue my loue satisfied I panted If we looke into that heauenly and spirituall Song of Salomon wherin is set downe both the pure loue of Christ to his Church and the ardent affection of the Church to Christ her spouse we shall be ashamed of the want of our affections the want whereof doth breed the want of loue Vers. 132. Looke vpon me and be mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to do vnto those that loue thy name HEre the man of God continueth to shew his loue in that nothing can satisfie him in making his petitions saying O Lord regard me looke vpon me thy seruant not according to thy iustice but in dealing mercifully with thy seruant We are peraduenture accustomed to this prayer and we sometime happily haue this affection yet we do it not with the Prophet to the panting of our hearts or opening of our mouthes We desire the Lord to be good and mercifull to vs because we are in some miserie and distresse not that we haue any desire to see the glorie of God aduanced in the accomplishment of his promises Let vs see then whether we haue this affection of the Prophet in vs or no. Why doe we pray for fauour and mercy at the hand of God because of his promise This is something but we ought to doe it because we loue the word If our prayers as we haue said before could pierce the skies with their shrilnesse if they were so eloquent as all men were delighted with them yet they finde no grace nor fauour before the throne of God vnlesse they being grounded on the promises of God grow from a loue of his word Thus we see how first he proued his loue to the word in that he opened his mouth and panted and after he desireth that his loue might be satisfied We must first see this in iudgement and after be ashamed of our selues Wee maruell why we go on in loue and affection so little why we pray so much and obtaine so little we thinke we perswade our selues to haue asked much of the Lord yea but not aright For we must so craue of the Lord to looke vpon vs that if he should looke from vs we should hold our selues to be most miserable The yoong Rauens craue of the Lord wheÌ„ they are hungrie the Lyons yell and roare for foode and both the croking of the Rauens and yelling of the Lyons is satisfied with meate If the Lord so dealeth with these which are more inferiour creatures than man much more wilâ— he do it to vs if we with like affection shall craue it If the Lord then looke not on vs and be mercifull vnto vs we are gone and then we are to shew our longing to his mercie and to ease our hearts with prayer according to the example prescribed vnto vs of the Prophet When then we haue griefes we languish away with them and martyr our selues we bite vpon the hard bridle but here we must haue our remedie euen by laying our selues open in God his bosome we are not to pine and consume away with them but to laie them downe in the lap of the Lord. Why doe so fewe good motions come vnto vs or when they come why fleet they so soone away euen because we cherish them not nor giue them good entertainment because we chaunge not our motions into prayer but put them to silence and smother them by other rouing cogitations And be mercifull vnto me We see the man of God still desireth mercy This is all that he esteemeth of this is the thing which we must alwaies couet and coueting this we may leaue all other things according to Gods pleasure As to them that loue thy name c. It might seeme that hee had merited and by desert might haue challenged the graunt of his prayer but he still cried for mercie and craues nothing of merites We see then the papists are carnall hauing proud spirits for although the Prophet had executed iudgement iustice he sueth for mercy He desireth the Lord to renew his graces in him that he might also renew his mercy towards him This doctrine is manifest in the second commandement where the Lord saith I wil haue mercie vpon thousands of them that loue mâ— and keepe my commandements Marke he saith not that he wil reward them that are truly zealous in the worshipping of him but he saith that he will shâ—w mercy vâ—to them For it is both the mercie of God that we haue grace to doe the will of God in our first beginnings it is the mercie of God that we haue grace to continue in doing his will in our after proceedings This is a comfortable doctrine when we remember that the rarest and dearest seruants of God did renue the mercies of the Lord towards theÌ„ by crauing that his graces might be renued in them Mercie it is that moueth God to begin any grace in vs it is mercie to continue vs in grace it is mercie that he crowneth his gifts in vs. When the Lord then will bestow any mercifull thing vpon vs hee preuenteth vs by bestowing also some grace vpon vs. For if we respect our selues we are so far from any right challenging of any new grace or mercie to be giuen vs that we are most worthie to be depriued of the old graces alreadie receiued As thou
vsâ—st to doe to them that loue thy name c. The words in their proper tongue signifie thus much According to thy in lgements which thou doâ—st execute to them that loue thy name according to that in the fourth verse of the seuenth portion I remember thy iudgements of old o Lord and haue bene comforted His meaning therefore in these former words is not fully expressed Here we may learne the necessarie vse of this word and how needfuâ—l a thing it is and how speciall a gift it is of God his wisedome rightly to discerne and distinguish the words Iudgements as we haue often fore shewed is taken either for executing the threatnings of the Lord denounced in wrath and in desert or else for the performance of his promises made in compassion and of mercie His meaning briefly is be mercifull in iudging me as thou art wont to iudge thy seruants let me haue iudgement in mercie and enter not into the iudgement of my sinnes for no flesh then shall be saued and deale with me as with thy deare seruant If we be guiltie of our owne crosses we must acknowledge our sinnes as the iust causes thereof for neuer any of the children of God obtained mercie without this We are then in trouble to looke to the promises of God if we by faith can finde the like testimonie of a good conscience but when we see our sinnes to be the cause of our troubles or that it is the Lord his hand of iustice vpon vs we cannot in truth vse this prayer of the Prophet There is a iudgement in righteousnesse and there is a iudgement in mercy Of the first the man of God speaketh when he saith Enter not into iudgement c. the iudgement in righteousnesse of the second the Prophet Ieremie speaketh Correct me O Lord yet in iudgement that is in the iudgement of mercy and fatherly correction And because we faile for the most part either in our outward actions or inward affections we had neede to pray that the Lord would deale with vs according to his mercifull iudgement True it is that the Saints of God doe say O God of my righteousnesse O God of my saluation but that is to be vnderstood in respect of men and not in respect of God but they that come with their case to be iudged and pleaded before God must needes say Lord be mercifull to thy seruants We must neuer draw neere then in prayer before the Lord without this clause that the Lord would accept vs in Christ hiâ— obedience and that we doubt not of mercy when the Lord iudgeth vs in his Christ. Here we are to obserue how the Prophet maketh an experience of the Lord his dealing and thus reasoneth with him I see thou Lord dealest mercifully with them that loue thee but I loue thee therefore Lord deale mercifully with me This deceiueth many we reade not the word of God for imitation or as thinking that those affections which we reade to haue been in the children of God are to be required in and of vs also but let vs know that whatsoeuer haue been the strangest and rarest affections of God his children they are for vs to follow For though we cannot attaine to them in the like measure that this man of God because we will not deny that he had a greater measure of Gods spirit than we haue yet we must by vsing the like meanes attaine to some measure if not an hundred fold yet threescore and thirtie fold Now we see that he hauing obtained the like graces with God his people craueth here the like mercies with theÌ„ For his sense is euident as thou diddest not make a couenant with thy seruants after their sinnes but according to thy mercy euen so Lord deale with me Here is no speciall thing mentioned but he setteth downe that which hath been and may be in the children of God He prayeth noâ— for any speciall mercie then but for that mercy which by experience he hath seene ratified in others likewise he speaketh not here of any extraordinary graces of God his holy spirit but of theÌ„ which are ordinarie and incident to any one of God his children as to another although not in like measure And surely we haue not the like mercies with them because we haue not the like graces that they had To loue the word of God as gold to gape after it to breath and â—â—nt for it are singular gifts of God but giuen to none in that time with such speciall prerogatiue as they may not in some measure be giuen to the Saints of God in our time if we soloued the Lord. For that which the Apostle Peter said of them that feared the Lord to wit the Lord hath no respect of persons but they that feared the Lord are accepted the same the Prophet speaketh here in effect of them that loue the Lord. For when the promises are generall in pronouncing we must make them particular by a seuerall applying of theÌ„ to our sâ—lues Let vs then be ashamed of our selues for our wants of loue The Lord hath not graunted vnto others nor denied vnto vs any speciall priuiledges as they thought among the Papists who in their readings had wont to admire much at the Saints of God and to follow them but little The Lords hand is not shortened that he can lesse helpe vs than he hath in times past our forefathers neither is his mercy lesse that he will not helpe vs for his is the kingdome his is the power his is the glorie for euer but our sinnes as saith the Prophet haue made a partition and a diuorcement betweene the Lord and vs our loue is lesse our sinnes are greater than they were in our forefathers Let this comfort vs the man of God here prayeth not for any extraordinarie mercy For as the loue of God to vs ward is common with other of his children in like manner our loue to Gods word must be common with them and if we haue the like graces with them we shall obtaine the like mercies with them For in the substance of saluation if we haue faith the Lord will deale with vs according as he dealt with Abraham Isaac and Iacob with the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore the Lord as we said a little before hath set downe his promises iâ— generall words which we must deriue by faith as particular and proper to our selues Now if we had this sealed in our hearts that they were neuer confounded nor deceiued which put their trust in the Lord we should be assured that his arme is not shortned he is as able to reach it out vnto vs as euer he was before if onely we will beleeue and say with the Prophet of God Amen We must take â—eede that we suffer not as ill doers and that the Lord finde vs not lying in some sins for then we cannot in truth vse the Prophets prayer for the like mercies in that we
is in Psalm 125. The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous So that the man of God prayeth here that his affliction might not hinder his glorie And no maruell for his enemies first laboured to daunt his faith then they went about to loade him with iniuries either subtilly to circumuent him or openly to oppresse him when these things would not serue they striued to bring his person to contempt and his cause to discredit as also they went about to bring themselues into estimation and their cause into credite No maruell then though he thus prayed least that they resisting him too long hee should be ouermatched Wherein we are to learne that wee must not ouercome ill with ill subtiltie with subtiltie violence by violence but by praier And seeing the Lords eares are open to the prayers of the iust and his eyes vpon them that feare him seeing his eares are shut to the wicked and hee will not looke vpon them in mercy but his face is set against them the Lord vndoubtedly will heare vs and looke vpon vs and will confonud our enemies And I will keepe thy testimonies Behold the man of God promiseth thankefulnes and if it pleaseth the Lord to free him from these euils hee would keepe his law not that we must thinke that he before did breake them but though the proude had him exceedingly in derision Psal. 51. though the bands of the wicked had robbed him 61. though the proude had imagined a lye against him 69. though they had dealt wickedly and falsely with him 78. though they had almost consumed him vpon the earth 87. and he was like the bottle in the smoke so that hee was wonderfully distracted in his calling yet if the Lord would vouchsafe to free him from these euils as before in part so now in whole he would bestow his life on the Lord. We are then to learne that in trouble wee are to desire to none other end to be deliuered than the better and more freely to serue the Lord and that when wee haue made so solemne a promise to the Lord we throughly purpose in trueth to performe it For though affliction of it selfe helpeth vs nothing vnto godlinesse but is rather some hindrance why in our calling wee are lesse profitable yet as it is sanctified in Christ and receiueth a blessing from God to worke in vs it keepeth vs from euill and prouoketh vs the more to doe good But wee if we be in aduersitie if wee haue trouble or losse of goods or losse of friends oppression of enemies or such like make large vowes and plentifull promises and crie Oh if I might be deliuered from this sicknes if I might be freed from this trouble if I might be vnburthened of this euill I would surely serue the Lord I would become a new man I would change my life and enter the waies of repentance but we looke not to performance This thankfulnes of heart made the Prophet Psal. 116. 12. to cry out What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the sight of all his people Where wee see that it was the custome of Gods people to stirre vp themselues after their deliuerance vnto thankfulnes We shall see now by examining our selues how it is so in vs. Oh say we that I were recouered of my health oh that the Lord would restore those things to me againe which I haue lost then doubtles would I wholy giue my selfe to the Lord. But let vs see if in all these things wee bee not vow-breakers and are rather growne worse than wee were so greatly are we to feare our selues God hath deliuered vs from our enemies freed vs from warâ—es saued vs from scarcitie penurie pouertie plagues and sicknesse and hath blessed vs with peace abundance plentie health and all other blessings let vs see how we vse these things We know the times haue been such when we could not haue this liberty to reade and heare the word of God but wee are now freed from such miserie and set in great libertie whether doe wee vse this time to Gods glorie and increase of our knowledge and building vp of our faith or not We know that there is a vicissitude in all things and one thing succeeedeth another and as the Lord hath long time vexed other nations with trouble and graunted to vs a long time of libertie and quietnes so our course must come by the order and change of things to be vexed with troubles and others shall be set at some libertie Are we the better then for this benefit If wee bee all is well if not will it not thinke wee be laide to our charge that what time the Lord had giuen vs wherein we might reforme our selues wee haue abused in being so little reformed what our time hath been to set forth Gods glorie how little glorie the Lord hath gained by vs. We haue often heard that our two principall props in trouble are faith in the promises of God and a testimonie of a good conscience which wee see often to be in this Prophet Wherefore what doth fasten and comfort faith euen a good conscience what doth make it wither and wauer euen because we haue been fruitles and haue not done good workes This then must be our comfort in trouble that we suffer not as ill doers that we may look for Gods promises But if our sinnes accuse vs and we suffer as ill doers wee shall not bee able to feele any comfort in God his promises Then let vs see the fruit of this prayer The Saints of God and deare Martyrs of Christ made this prayer before vs the fruit and effect whereof is growne vnto vs. For their sufferings were our prosperitie their losse our gaine their imprisonmeÌ„t our libertie their death our life as true as old is that saying proued The blood of the Martyrs is the seede of the Church For their blood hâ—th cried vp to heauen with the blood of Abel for our comfort and brought downe vengeance on our enemies and obtained mercy for vs. They did sowe in teares and wee haue entred into their haruest with ioy let vs beware least wee sow euill to our selues and for others they sowed comfort for their posteritie let vs take heede that wee sow not discomfort for them that shall come after vs. And as their death hath stayed the wrath of God from heauen that it is not fallen vpon the vine seeing many yeeres he hath planted among vs a vineyard seeing he hath hedged it and gathered out the stones of it and hath planted it with the best plants and hath built a tower in the middest thereof and made a wine-presse therein and hath looked it should bring forth grapes but it hath brought forth wilde grapes so our sinnes so
haue declared an ex 〈…〉 much vsed of the learned to expresse some matter of importance and â—he 〈…〉 in a false or light matter may bee an vntollerable lie As then is meant by 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 guâ—â—ing out of his eyes a â—â—edding of many teares and his coâ—sâ—ming â—â—â—â— with 〈…〉 his earnest affâ—ction so wee must labour to finde these exercâ—ses in â—â— according to that measure and proportion which the Lord for his glorie shall vouch 〈…〉 vs. We reade also Psal. 69. â— The zeale of thine house hath euen me aâ—◠〈…〉 rebuked thâ—e are fallen vpon â—â— The Prophet here sheweth how he was â—â— much tormented for these things whereby Gods glorie was eâ—pâ—yreâ— as if he had been â—aâ—en with infamâ—â— himselfe This we see maketh as welâ— for our imitation as for our instruction The selfe same thing is repeated Rom. 15. The rebuke of them that rebuked thâ—e c. where the Apostle inferreth this exhortation Let the same mind be in you which â—as iâ— Câ—râ—â— c. as if he should â—â—â— you must knowe that the selfesame affection though not in the selfe-same measure â—râ—uâ—â—â—e in you which was in Christ or in Daâ—iâ— for as Christ had â—â—â—â—â—â—fiâ—â—te measure and Dauid in great abundance that must you also haue in â—oâ—e measure This â—as â—â—dâ—eâ—â—eredâ—â—arie to Iesus Christ and to Dauidâ—eneâ—iciarie â—eneâ—iciarie and that which Dauid speaketh of actiuely as well done of himselfe or of Christ that the Apostle speaketh of passiuely as â—e requireth â—t to be done of others For as Dauid did suffer tâ—â—â—â—iâ—â—ies reproches and â—gâ—oâ—inâ—es which came to Gods name as his owne so Paul speaketh passiuely wisheth that wee should suffer these things with Christ euen as though wee our selues had done the iniuries â—eâ—ciueâ— the reproches or were guiltie of the ignoâ—iâ—es But wee must alwaies shew our selues guâ—â—tâ—eâ—â— in vsing all meanes to set foorth Gods glorie and in be 〈…〉 of the people with tâ—ares and with prayer Notable is that place Ezech. 9. 4 where the Lord speaketh to the man clothed with linnen â—â—â—en had the writers inâ—khorne saying Goe through the â—â—â—â— of the 〈…〉 en through the most of Ierusalem and â—â—â—â— marke vpon the fâ—â—eâ— eâ—aâ—s oâ— thâ—â— that 〈◊〉 and are sorrowfull for all the abominations that are done in the mâ—ast thereof But the other was commanded to follow after and to destroy euery mothers sonne of them which mourned not This then is no stâ—â—â—ge thing when Gods glorie and image is defaced to be grieued as much as if it were for ourselues 1. Cor. 5 the Apostle rebuketh the Coâ—â—ntâ—ians because they rested and reioyced at the sinne committed amongst them contrarie to the rule of loue which willeth vs not â—oâ—â—iâ— yâ—e iâ— inuâ—â—â—â—â— and telleth them that they had not mourned and sheweth how they had â—aâ—â—hed at him when they should rather haue mourned Where hee declareth in his owne example who was so grieued that where he had preached the Gospel one should fall into so great a sinne how all faithfull Ministers godly Magistrates and Christian householders may and ought to mourne when some of the chaâ—ge coÌ„â—iteâ— to them fall into some â—â—torious sinne And though for a while he was sorrowful that he had made them so heauie yet afterward 2. Cor 7. he telleth them that he was not sorie For faith he though I mad you sorrowfull I repent not for behold this thing thâ—t yâ—â—aue beene godly sorrowfull what great tâ—are it hath wrought in you yea what â—lâ—aâ—ing of our selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea what great desire yea what a zeale yea wâ—aâ— pâ—â—ishmâ—nt In all thing you haue shewed yourselues that yee are pure in this matter As if heâ— shâ—uld say Before ye reioiced and then were ye guilty of his blood but now that ye haue â—ourneâ— and prayed for him it shall not be laid to your charge Thus we see the Church was not cleere vntill they had mourned for this one mans sinne no more was the whole arâ—ie of the Israelites vntill they had humbled themselues in prayer and fasting for the sinne of A â—â—â— Wherefore euery man must labour in some measure to finde the same affection in himselfe which was in Christ that we may differ from the hypocrites who esteeme their owne credit more than the credit of the word So that wee alwaies remember this to bee a propertie of true zeale that as we are zealous against the sinne so we must haue a commâ—tation of the person as knowing that wee our selues may fall into the like offence Well to goe forward we see how this verse is inferred after them that goe before For hauing shewed that the Lord was righteous and that his iudgements were righteous and that euery part of his testimonies contained speciall Truths this was the thing that made him so to loue the word and louing it to haue so feruent a zeale vnto it His meaning then is thus much Seeing the word of God hath in it such exquisite goodnes such wonderfull truth such rare perfection such Eternitie such efficacie that in the time of trouble when all other comforts forsake a man this will bee a speciall comfort to him and giueth euen life to a man halfe dead and without it I see a man is but as a beast I cannot but loue and beare an heartie zeale vnto it and when I enter into the consideration hereof I am euen pined away and griefe euen eateth me vp when I see it is not esteemed and that the worde of God can haue no more honour And seeing the word of God was so exquisite so vnchangeable so glorious and so comfortable what a griefe was it to the man of God that men should be so carried away some to the pleasures of the flesh some to the profit of the world some to vaine superstitions and in the meane time the Word little regarded This was it that pricked him at the heart this touched him at the quicke He teacheth vs then thus much If the glorie of God be deare to vs the contempt of it will surely grieue vs if the saluation of our brethren bee precious to vs wee will be grieued for the contrarie Now let vs see what true zeale is I finde here the Tractate of Zeale 2. part was last to bee inlarged and therefore good Reader I would not depriue thee of this benefit Hebr. 10. 27 The nature of it is set downe where the Apostle heauily threatneth them that willingly giue ouer themselues to sinne and there is named in the proper tongue the zeale of fire For as fire is not without it heate but oft bursteth forth into a flame so zeale is hote and cannot long be held in It is described also by contraries Reuel 3. where the holie Ghost reproueth the church of Laodicea because they were neither hot nor cold but lukewarme such as the Lord would spue out of his mouth and afterward is added bee zealous amend Where we see how
are to beware of this and so much the rather because the Lord hath plagued them that in outward shewe haue borne a great countenance of religion whose liues priuily were filthie whose cases and vizards when the Lord hath taken from them and hath reuealed their corruptions they haue appeared hypocrites The second obseruation is that we looke to the priuie corruptions of nature lurking in our hearts which containe such a bottomlesse pit of corruption that it is the special grace of Gods spirit to gage them to the depth Wee must therefore learne to search our hearts for it is the fearefull iudgement of God when we make no conscience of sinne secretly to haue our sin breake forth publikely As when we haue no care to pilfer secretly we shall be brought to steale openly by the secret wrath of God whereby also secret lusts malice hatred nourished in the heart and affections are permitted to breake out in time euen into our outward actions This is a plague to them who rather would seeme to be than in truth desire to be godly Couetous men haue this propertie that they rather would be rich than be accounted rich such ought our affections to be that we should indeede rather be godly than desire to bee so accounted of Let vs labour to doe well secretly howsoeuer for a while it be hidden from the world that God which seeth our doing in secret will reward it openly and in his good time will giue vs grace to doe well publikely But peraduenture the wicked will say what ground what intent what cause haue you to labour so much about the disclosing of the secret corruptions of our heart But yet alas they are ignorant of this that because they know not the secret corruptions they fall the more violently to grosse sinnes and euery man shall trie this to be true in himselfe that he that maketh conscience of his thoughts will vndoubtedly make conscience of his words and deedes and he that maketh no conscience of his thoughts he may come to make no conscience of his words and deedes Besides he that beginneth to reforme his heart hath this promise in the word that he shall not be confounded as Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not bee confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And Port. 10. 8. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Wherefore if wee will bee truly zealous wee may adde another rule that we haue none other end of our zeale than how wee may glorifie our God whether it be in prosperitie or aduersitie This then is the third rule that we keep a right course tenour of zeale in both estates We must especially look to that wherunto we are most ready that is whether we be more zealous in prosperitie and fall away in aduersitie or whether we are more feruent in affliction and ouerwhelmed in abundance whether by the one wee are not puft vp with securitie and secret pride or whether with the other we be not too farre humbled and abased For many in time of peace are religious who seeing persecution to followe the Gospell slide backe and flie from it Iobs wife whiles her husband was in prosperitie could worship God and shew her selfe in outward things as zealous as Iob himselfe but when affliction came she was readie to curse God We know in prosperous times many were very forward in religion who in time of trouble shrinked from the truth some so long as they may haue credit by giuing countenance to the Gospell goe farre but when discredit comes they will leaue all But the Prophet saith I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy word O ther'on the contrarie part so long as God exerciseth them with any crosse are zealous professors who being set aloft and comming once aboue begin to be secure We see many in time â—f their misery to be much humbled and whilest they want liuings and preferments we see both preachers and people very godly who when they haue gotten them some liuing obtained that which they sought for haue their zeale choked Do not many pray for the continuance of the peace of the Gospell that they themselues might continue in peace and prosperitie Doe not many mourne in the aduersitie of the Gospell because they mourne for their owne aduersitie Oh great corruption of our hearts Oh bottomles pit of hypocrisie If wee were ashamed that wee are no more grounded on the word and that we can be no more holy and vpright in our hearts surely the Lord would so gouerne vs that hee would not suffer either prosperitie to quench and carrie away our zeale to bee buried in the graue of securitie or aduersitie too much to dismay and discourage vs. This is then our triall herein if when we are in greatest prosperitie we can mourne with them that mourne in the Lord and when wee are in greatest aduersitie if wee can reioyce with them that reioyce in Christ. This is a sure token wee loue not the Gospell nor fauour the word because wee haue a loue to prosperitie neither are zealous to see the word conremned because we haue an hatred of aduersitie Daniel concerning outward things was an happie man as being neere to the Crowne and yet when he saw the God of Israel his glorie to bee defaced and an abominable Idoll to be erected hee could content himselfe with nothing so much as with weeping fasting and prayer And Paul being in bonds for the testimonie of Iesus Christ and concerning his outward man in a miserable case reioyced greatly and as it were reuiued when hee heard that the Gospell prospered and howsoeuer hee was in bands hee neuer felt them grieuous vnto him for the ioy which he had that the Gospell was at libertie If this zeale were in vs that the word of God were so exact pure and holy in our eyes that when wee are most aloft wee could be sorrowfull if the word of God hath a fall and when wee were in our greatest downefull yet we could bee glad that the word of God were set aloft then surely we would labour to sanctifie the creatures of God which we vse with the word and by prayer and at the least giue the tenth part of the day to the worship of the Lord. But if wee cannot bestow on him the tithe it is a token that wee labour more for the bodie than for the soule And if our soules bee farre more pretious than our bodies and it is an harder thing to prouide well for the soule than for the body we must deuide our times the better that daily wee may bestow some part of our time in the word and prayer if wee would truly espie our thriuings and proceedings in our seuerall callings and take a diligent view of our selues in our vocations we should vndoubtedly see the plentifull blessing of God when in truth wee vse the word and prayer and his
them with that affection wherewith we of them in the like case would be admonished and yet as we also remember to be admonished of them as though we were admonished of God Doest thou loue Gods glorie then wilt thou surely admonish thy brother of sinne Doest thou loue thy brother then wilt thou admonish him with compassion See here is that which teacheth all wisedome I must be grieued for sinne because it is that that casts all mankinde from the Lord because it is such a thing as thrust Adam out of Paradise it is so grieuous a thing that it ouerwhelmed the old world with waters it consumed Sodome and Gomorrah with fiâ—e it crucified Iesus Christ the Sonne of God it is such a thing as is an enemie to God the Father an enemie to God the Sonne and an enemie to God the holy Ghost and therefore I must needes be an enemie vnto it yet I must be grieued as putting my selfe in the like case that the offender is Wherefore many faithfull Ministers of God when they are most hot they haue most heauines in their soules least the curse which they must needs threaten doe turne to the confusion of the persons whom they threaten Thus we see this zeale will teach vs neither to rebuke sinne too coldly nor yet too hotly For we shall not so loue God as we shall abuse man the image of God neither shall we so loue man as we shall hinder or impaire the glorie of God for if we be sorrowfull that God is offended and that man hath offended we shall be sure to make an holy medlie Vers. 140. Thy word is proued must pure and thy seruant loueth it HEre the Prophet shewing his loue to be the cause of his zeale repeateth in effect that which he said before It may seeme strange why the man of God should make mention of this so oft that the word of God is true But we must know that he did it to strengthen his faith in the time of trouble and that then he might not faint We thinke not that there is such need of faith because we feele not the like temptations For they that haue no sight of their corruptions know not their vnbeliefe and they that feele not their vnbeliefe feele not the necessitie of this strengthning of their faith And as they that know not their vnbeliefe know nothing so they that beleeue and see their vnbeliefe know this to be necessarie They then that haue a true triall of their vnbeliefe know this faith to be a rare gift of God So that the Prophet commendeth the word of God here of experience for he saith Thy word is proued most pure His meaning is this This is the cause why I am so zealous euen because I loue thy word and therefore O'Lord I loue thy word because I finde it by proofe to be so pure That we then may make this our rule for examination why are we so cold in zeale euen because we are cold in the loue of the word For as our loue encreaseth so encrease also our delight and griefe our delight to see the thing loued to haue happie proceedings our griefe to see the thing which we loue to be despised This we see to be in euery kinde of loue For a man that truly loueth his wifâ— cannot abide to see his wife contemned and discredited nor the woman that truly loueth her husband can abide to see him reiected and despised When we loue our friend we are grieued to see any contempt offered vnto him This then we see in the nature of true loue to reioyce to see the person loued aduanced or the thing which we loue esteemed and grieued to see either the person or thing so loued to be cast downe and contemned It was a griefe euen to the Heathenish Philosophers to see their doctrine not regarded were they so moued for the small regard of that earthly doctrine which had no exact truth in it but was mingled with infinite errors and vntruths and shall not we much more be moued to see the word of God which hath so exact a truth and no vntruth contemned and little set by wherefore when we haue not this godly griefe in vs it is a manifest argument that our loue is very cold For as our loue is the greater so vndoubtedly our griefe will be the greater and so as our loue is the lesse so will our griefe to see the thing defaced be also the lesse When we haue much delight in any thing we are much grieued and who are more grieued to see the word of God troden downe than the godly because of all other their delight is most in it Not without cause then is this loue commended vnto vs to be a token of our zeale and therefore we see Psalme 67. the Church praiseth and prouoketh all the world to praise God when the word had free successe such is the loue of it to the word of God O let thy people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Oh lâ—t the nations reioyce and be glad c. As then the children of God thinke themselues in ioy and prosperity when the word of God is in prosperitie so it being in any trouble death is not troublesome to them so that by their death and suffering they may any thing confirme the truth and giue countenance to it The Prophet of God sheweth his loue to the word saying All my springs O Lord are in it meaning that all his ioy his delight and affections were wholy set on the word of God Wherefore if there be such ioy in hauing it there must needes be great griefe in wanting it We are herein greatly to condemne our selues that we are no more thankfull for our vnthankfulnes bringeth this secret curse that we are no more zealous because many can hardly iudge betweene fleshly anger and spirituall zeale such is the rare feeling of this true zeale they are readie to imagine that if one be godly zealous they are straightway carnally angrie How necessary a thing therfore it is to know godly zeale all men may see for as we haue said that the Lord threatneth Reuel 3. that vnlesse the Laodiceans would be more zealous and amend he would spue them out that is he would haue no delight in them 〈◊〉 the Lord would as leeue haue vs of another religion as to be so luke-warme in his true religion For as a stomacke is easily brought to prouoke a vomite by receiuing somewhat that is lukewarme so the Lord spueth as it were out of his stomack luke warme professors as them whom by no meanes he can brooke which is a most feareful thing We know that the good father Elie 1. Sam. 3. although otherwise no doubt he was the deare seruant of God was grieued for the sinnes of his sonnes and mourned when the Arke of God was taken was reproued by the holy Ghost that he should loue the glorie of his sons
many will be readie in hearing to snatch at this and that if any thing may make to cloake their licentiousnes who as they haue itching eares and greedie mindes to hunt after euill so by the iust iudgement of God they fall into the misunderstanding of the word And to speake the truth doe we thinke that the diuell like a roring Lion coâ—passeth vs about the flesh daily rebelleth against the spirit the world continuilly sighteth against vs are wee truly conscious of that ignorance which ouerwhelmeth vs and guâ—â—tie of those manifold temptations which daily ouercome vs and shall we not thinke that there is great neede to vse the meanes to withstand these which is the word and prayer Nay Gods children notwithstanding they vse prayer feruently and accustome themselues to the word diligently feele the diuell so strong the flesh so subtile the world so deceiueable that they thinke not the Sabbath sufficient but redeeme all time possible to bestowe in the meanes to withstand their assaults Besides if we must needes eate euery day to preserue natural life needs must we giue our selues to the word and prayer euery day to preserue that life which wee haue in Christ Iesus Two sermons on the Sabbath are not sufficient for a man to feede on all the weeke after if he be well acquainted with his owne wants if hee truely consider of his dangers Our Sauiour Christ willeth vs if we wil obtaine to aske earnestly if we wil find to seeke diligently if we will enter to knocke continually Furthermore this wisedome of the spirit must teach vs to bestowe that time in Gods worship which is most fit in respect of Gods glory and our owne estate wherefore the children of God will not omit the morning as being the fittest time for all good things Humane wisedome teacheth that in all things wherein is any commendation excellencie the morning time especially is to be spent The student for his studie the worldâ—ing for his deuising counteth this time againe Yea the drunkard saith the Prophet riseth early to be filled with wine Wherefore if the word and prayer be our chiefest pleasures â—f the belly and the meate shall perish in time but the word will make our soules coâ—tiâ—â—â—â— for euer seeing without it our soules cannot liue and in respect of it all other things are â—â—â—â—â—ngbyes and accessories then true wisedome to attaine to it will make the best choyse of the morning And if in things which are agreeable to nature wee serue morning as an helpe to bring things to passe in much more had we need to vse such helps in those things which are lesse agreeable to nature aboue nature yea contrarie to nature as is prayer and the spirituall vnderstanding of the word Nature and experieÌ„ce teach vs that our memorie is quickest our senses are readiest our naturall powers ablest in the morning for meditation because our mind is then free from ill vaine and worldly thoughts our memorie is renewed and hath recouered farre greater strength our senses are not inâ—eigled with any outward things our naturall powers being reâ—â—â—ed haue then their greatest libertie Wherfore seeing by nature we are not capable of the â—â—â—â— but it goeth with nature as against the dreame or against the â—aire now necessarie is it in the morning that the first thing to come to our eyes should be the temple of the Lord the first thing to our eares his word and to season our mindes with meditation of the same so that wee may walke with Eliah all the day after in the strength of those things which out of the word of God we haue heard or read And although no time is vnfit for the word and prayer yet now we speake not simply what time is fit but what time rather is most fit herein to be vsed On the contrary when we haue been trauailing in our worldly businesse many things haue occupied our senses and after much trauaile wee prouoke our appetite to receiue â—eâ—â—e and after much lâ—bouring and much eating â—oâ—ned â—â—â—â— eaâ—â—â—es much dulnes â—â—â—â—peth vpon vs which hardly will admit vs with any good profit to heare the word of God For euen Gods children though they â—iâ—iue by all meanes that they become not oppressed with meate and drinke and yet they feele after their â—epaâ—â— a naturall â—eaâ—ines and dulnes which maketh them lesse able and fit to receieue the word with readme and reuerence For to the receiuing of the word and prayer two things especially are necessarie that is a prepared mind before we begin and an examination that meditation with our selues after we haue ended els if we come hand ouer head as good neuer a whit as neuer the better True it is indeede that as a man going continually in the sun shall in time haue a blacke hew so in oft hearing a man may attaine to some knowledge but he shall neuer without this true preparation and examination of his heart attaine to the soundnesse of iudgement Most needfull it is with prepared minds to come to the word and prayer because when we heare the word the Lord commeth downe into the Church as it were among vs and when we pray we mount vp as it were to heauen among the Angels wherefore wâ—â—re not to come to so high a banket with vnwashed â—â—nds not to draw neere to the mariage without our wedding garment but we must take heede with what foote we enter into the house of the Lord â—east happily we offer the sacrifice of foâ—â—es For fooâ—es thinke they haue done well when they haue giuen their bodily presence when they haue heard and prayed as others doe neuer preparing their hearts or examining their owne wants But wee must learne truly to search our selues and according to our necâ—ssities wee must pray that the â—iâ—isâ—ers mouth may be opened who iâ— preaching is the mouth of God speaking to vs and in praying is our mouth speaking to God for vs. And surely as for the hearty desire of the godly euen euill men haue somtimes their mouthes opened to speake some good things Euen so for want of this affection in the hearers the good minister doth not speake so plentifully and fruitfully as were to bee wished Wherefore standest thou in neede to be comforted standest thou in neede to be humbled standest thou in neede to be exhorted pray that thine heart may be prepared to conceiue those things which especially concerne thine estate and that thy pastor may open his mouth to thy profit For for the prayers of the godly the mouth of the vngodly shall vtter profitable things Balaam shall blesse for Israels sake and the Lord will be vnto them as an Vnicornes horne against Balaams cursing and Caiphas shall prophecie good things of Christ. On the contrary because the people are ill Dauid shall number them and the Lord shall make drie barren the graces of God in the minister when the hearts of the
hearers are not prepared And as this preparing of our selues is necessary so also meditation and applying that to our selues which wee haue heard and prayed for that we may see how the word belongeth to vs and what euent our prayers haue For alas what precious seede is cast in the high wayes side because by meditation it is not laide vp but the diuell is suffered to come and steale it from vs To what end is the word if we hue not according to that which we haue learned If euery man shall enter thus into himselfe O Lord how many sermons haue I heard but how little haue I profited by them how long haue thy ministers preached but how slenderly haue I practised then should he see what comfort he had in the life of IESVS CHRIST when so many pearles haue bene cast to swine and such holy things haue bene giuen to dogs Likewise as needfull is this examination of our selues in prayer if that after I haue prayed I haue obtained mine heart may be enlarged to thanksgiuing if I haue not receiued I may search the cause in mine owne conscience thinke that the Lord would haue me still to continue my prayers vnto him Wherefore seeing we must thus prepare our mindes before and examine our hearts after and we are vnapt to heare or pray after we are refreshed because our mindes are laden and our bodies are heauie it shal be good in the morning so soone as we awake to meditate of GOD our Creatour to call to minde the glorie of the Appearing of CHRIST to consider of the day of the Resurrection and to muse of our rising to Iudgement Thus doing we shall see as in a present viewe all the graces of God set as it were before our eyes and and many comfortable things of Gods spirit comming to our mindes This wee see was the practise of the man of God in this place I preuented saith he the morning light Againe if in the night wee will but giue a good sigh when wee awake although I meane not to take away all naturall refection wee shall finde great comfort in it Thus if wee spend the morning in the word and prayer we shall so walk in the strength of those things which we heare and pray for all the day long as wee shall vse this Worlde as though wee vsed it not wee shall no further vse our callings then they be helpes to a better countrie we shall haue our direction out of the word what to doe and what to leaue vndone wee shall doe all things the better to Gods glorie and to the possessing of our soules continually in peace and patience If yet this doctrine be not sufficient to perswade vs the verie Idolaters will teach vs it who will rise early and breake their sleepes to goe to the masse when Aaron had yeelded to the people for making of a calfe it is said The people did rise early in the morning If then Idolaters for their superstitions can cut off their sleepe that in the morning they might leaue in them the deeper impressions why should wee bee slacke to bestow this time in the musing of the word that wee may feele the more effectuall operation of it all the day following What shall I speake of that Act. 2. That the holie Ghost came downe on the Apostles in the morning as may be gathered by the sermon of Peter when as he telleth them that it was but the third houre of the day Where it may appeare that they before being occupied in prayer and ministring of the Worde the holie Ghost came downe vpon them Thus wee see the fittest time to receiue the holy Ghost is in the morning In euery place almost of the Prophecyes it is sayde the Lorde stretched out his Arme earlie by the Prophets to teach vs that this should be the aptest time both to deliuer and to receiue the word If then students worldlings Epicures and idolaters haue made their gainâ— of the morning if the holy Ghost was then sent downe and the Prophets at that time would each let vs with the Prophet of God preuent the Morning light and take vp the first pâ—rt of the day in wisedome of the spirit to the Lords behalfe The third thing which we noted was cheerfulnes whereby we should cherish feâ—de and support our diligence without which we can doe nothing diligently long but we must also doe it painefully Wherefore the man of God saith Psalm 42. 4. I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God with the voyce of singing praise as 〈…〉 keepeth a feast This spirit of cheerefulnes oh that it were in vs that we might say one to another when the bell tolleth as though the Lord calleth vs come let vs goâ— to other â—o the house of God let vs goe cheerfully for we goe to a feast we goe to heare God speake vnto vs and to be partakers of the banket of his word Well there is not any one sinne that will more sit vpon the conscience of Gods children then their negligence in prayer and want of cheerefulnes in hearing the word which is the onely meanes to make vs fruitfull in good things and to withdraw vs from euill Thus to support diligence wee must vse cheerfulnesse without the which diligence languisheth fainteth and faileth Therefore the Prophet saith Psalm 95. Come let vs reioyce let vs sing aloud let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing aloud vnto â—am with Psalms Neither must women heere shake off their duties as though they were to excuse themselues from comming for in many places of the scriptures wee reade of the zeale of women which ouerpassed the zeale of manie men Luk 8. We reade how certaine women came and followed our Sauiour Christ and were healed of their infirmities Mary is commended for her wisedome in chusing and discerning the times aright Mâ—â—iâ— and Mary Magdalen are set downe in the Gospell for comming early to the sepulcher of our Sauiour Christ who first appeared vnto them because they first sought him Math. 28. we read also Act. 16. that certaine women came to Philippj to heare Paul and Timothie and that a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple attended to the things which Paul spake who therefore had her heart opened before other men Well in loue there is no lacke in cheerfulnes there is no negligence in good will there is no want And surely if wee were more cheerfull in these things we should see such good successe that we should be grieued with our selues in that we vsed it not before The next thing we obserue in prayer was Faith for that we might thus be diligent it is needfull wee should belieue and be confident for as we must be throwne downe with the feeling of our wants so must we be raised vp againe with faith in the promises because as neede pulls vs vpon
for want of this feare we see how impudent sinners are in those things which ciuill Lawes doe not restraine fearing euen punishment more then Gods iudgement He that feareth God is no theefe why because mans lawe saith that he that stealeth shall be hanged no but because Gods Law saith Thou shalt not steale Though the place be neuer so secret where he may sinne although iâ— bee no manifest vnrighteousnesse and grosse iniurie yet if it were but to denie the last thing which were right and due the childe of God both feareth punishment of God if hee had done it or if he haue not done it he trembleth to doe it And Saint Iames hee reasoneth thus that hee that hath commanded one thing hath also commaunded another and hee that forbiddeth one thing hath forbidden another And surely howsoeuer mans law punisheth one and dispenseth with another sinne yet the word of God rewardeth all obedience and punisheth all disobedience So that he that hath saide as well Thou shalt not commit adulterie as Thou shalt not doe murder hath as well pronounced the shutting of the kingdome of heauen against adulterers as against murderers 1. Cor. 6. which thing Gods childreÌ„ knowing make as great a conscience of swearing banning cursing breaking of the Sabbath drunkennesse adulterie and lying which in mans law escape scotfree as of theft which by Ciuill law is adiudged worthie of death because that God that saith Thou shalt not steale hee also saith Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine thou shalt keepe holy the Sabbath c. Suppose they that those things are not forbidden by the law of God which are not prohibited by the law of man Then no maruaile though there bee so fewe theeues and so many Sabbath breakers why there bee so fewe murtherers and so many swearers because men abstaine from theft and murther for feare of temporal punishment and men haue no care to eschue swearing prophaning of God his Sabbath because they feare no externall punishment See here is mens conscience here is their religion this is their deuotion Well haddest thou neuer suâ—n gifts outwardly without this reuerent feare of God thou shalt neuer enter into God his kingdome But peraduenture when thou shalt come to answere before the tribunall of God thou wilt say O Lord I knewe not by mans lawe that breach of thy Sabbath or swearing were such great sinnes heare what the Lord will answere I gaue thee my law whereby thou shouldest bee gouerned neither did I giue any commandement in more ample and flat words than the lawe of my Sabbath wherefore seeing thou hast manifestly cast my law behinde thee and made lesse account of my commandements and iudgements than of mans law and threatnings I adiudge thee to eternall damnation Great indeede is the benefit of mans lawes to restraine sin and to bring to repentance yea often the punishment of man and shame thereof preuenteth the iudgement of God and shame of hell fire because wee see many haue been more ashamed of sinne at the gallowes than others that haue died vpon their beds Howbeit where this law is not executed and sinne seuerely punished or where there be any sinnes which come not within the precincts of mans iurisdiction it is most certaine they shall not escape the punishment of God Wherefore we must otherwise stand in awe of Gods law than mans law doth punish if we will with the man of God from our heart stand in feare of his word This feare maketh seruants as faithfull in their maisters absence as in their presence because it keepeth vnder the most secret sinnes For hypocrites flie sinne before men but sinne greedily behind their backs and they sinne not because mans law will punish them not because Gods law doth forbid them But God his children abhorre sinne as wel priuie as manifest and that because sinne is sinne and not in that it is punishable by mans law For they considering that Adam Hâ—siah Ezechiah and others were punished for small things dare account no sin to be small in the eyes of God It is the whip the rod and the scourge that causeth the hypocrite as an asse a foole and a slaue to leaue sinne but it is loue conscience and obedience that moueth Gods children willingly to abhorre it Vers. 162. I reioyce at thy word as one that findeth great spoyles AS he hath spoken of his feare so now he speaketh of his ioy Great is the ioy of them that finde spoyles for spoyles bring victorie and victorie makes the triumph so that spoyle brings profit and the victorie pleasure both then must needes cause great ioy His meaning then is that what battaile soeuer he did fight what towne soeuer he spoiled his ioy was nothing so great as it was in taking pleasure in God his word Heere then is a true note to discerne vs from hypocrites when we take comfort in nothing so much as in the word of God But some will say that this extraordinarie ioy appertaineth to the Prophet rather than to vs wherfore let vs heare what the holy Ghost speaketh hereof in the Gospel as Rom. 5. We haue peace towards God and reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And Philip 4 he calleth it The peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. shewing how in the mercie of God wee are begotten againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled reserued in heauen for vs biddeth vs to reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And Paul 1. Cor. 2. 9. sheweth what cause we haue to reioyce because the things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him These things we see are such as are common to all why then doe Gods children so much reioyce in the word First in consideration of their owne vile and miserable estates then in consideration of God his loue and Christ his merits for them For they considering with themselues that by nature they are nothing but vassal of sinne the bondslaues of the diuel the enemies of God and fire-brands of hell and that by Christ they are freed from their sins set at libertie from Sathan ransomed from hell and reconciled vnto God and that he will bring vnto them the fruite of his death and benefit of his resurrection by killing sin in them and quickning them vnto righteousnes remembring Colos. 2. 14. that Christ hath taken away the hand-writing and fastened it vnto his crosse and that euery member through him hath spoiled the principalities and powers and led captiue the world the flesh and the diuel and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse feele such a ioy as neuer any earthly conquerors felt the like For looke how farre greater the victory of sinne and Sathan is aboue
vncleannes securitie and such like sinnes haue so beaten and trampled vpon thy heart that it is euen hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne but repent thee of thy former sinne and put away the euill of thy workes and then come to the word with a holy heart and then thou shalt see and feele thy vnderstanding inlightened thy iudgement reformed and all the words of wisedome plaine and easie vnto thee All this is confirmed vnto vs by plaine and daily experience for when a man hath been buffeted with some sinne when he hath yeelded too much to pride worldlinesse anger and such like when he hath fallen into some misliking of the word or of the preacher then in hearing he heareth not and the word is a sealed booke vnto him Contrariwise when men doe most mislike themselues for their sinnes when they be most grieued for their dulnes when they thinke themselues most vnapt and most vnworthie of knowledge and yet desire to finde comfort in the word wish to be inlightened and led into the true knowledge of it then doth the Lord very often giue them the deepest insight into his heauenly mysteries then doth he worke in them a most comfortable feeling then doth he also put and stirre vp most heauenly and holy motions in their minds By all this must we learne many things first when we heare the word without fruite then we must returne into our selues and know that our sinnes are the cause of blockish dulnesse which is come vpon vs. Anger hath troubled our affections and pleasure hath stollen away our hearts profit hath corrupted our iudgements therefore our iudgements doe not yeeld vnto the word it cannot enter into our hearts neither can it worke vpon our affections We are then in this case to bewaile our sinnes to labour for repentance to pray for the spirit of sanctification whereby these sinnes may be consumed and then returne vnto the word with prayer and the Lord wil blesse our vnderstanding Againe when we see our iudgements reformed and our hearts touched so that the word worketh vpon our affections then we must know that the good worke of God hath gone before his mercy hath disburdened vs of the heauie burthen of sin his goodnesse hath emptied our hearts of vnprofitable thoughts and his good spirit hath wrought all in all in vs. Then to shut vp this verse let vs know that as sinne doth hinder and holde the word out of our hearts so doth the loue of the word as it were open the doore of our hearts and make a broad and large passage for the word to enter into vs and to worke that good worke for which it was sent It followeth in the next verse Vers. 7. Depart from a foole when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge GOD hath ordained that men should liue together that one might bee helpfull to another But there is a neerer bond of friendship when one entreth into league with another or when one maketh choice of another for some neerer bond of friendship affinitie or such like And because this bond cannot stand but where there is a great likenes of conditions and qualities and it is commonly seene that the partie better affected is sooner chaunged therefore in this place we be admonished to beware least at any time we ioyne our selues to those that are foolish and vngodly Not that it is altogether vnlawfull to haue any dealing with them but that wee may not come too neere vnto them For to eate and drinke with them to dwell in the same towne by them and such other common duties be not vnlawfull But to ioyne in marriage with them to make them priuie to to our counsels or to vse them as more neere and speciall friends this is vnlawful and this is here forbidden For little or no good at all can bee gotten by them they will hardly or not at all be brought to goodnesse and such is their subtiltie that one of them is able to peruert the faith or at least to corrupt the manners of very many Good cause therefore there is why we should depart and get our selues from them on the contrary side wee bee taught to seeke out good company and to ioyne our selues to them as neerly as may bee yet with this full purpose of heart that wee may receiue fruite and profit by them Nature doth call vpon vs to doe this the communion of Saints requires it at our hands our own profit should compel vs the examples of euery mā in each calling may moue vs therunto For men doe desire to be in companie of their betters the scholler would be in companie of him that is better learned the worshipful man desireth the companie of the noble man and the honorable delighteth much in the fauour of the Prince Yea in the basest occupations and handicrafts men doe still desire to bee in the company of them that are most skilfull And all this is to obtaine the knowledge of earthly things and the fauour of them that can helpe them how much more then should we desire the companie one of another that we might be helpfull one to another in heauenly things Nay how intirely should wee be ioyned one to another and receiue good one by another in all kinde of goodnesse And yet must this bee done in great discretion for the best men haue their faults Therefore wee must be most carefull as to receiue what good we can by any so to receiue hurt or hinderance by none at all It followeth Vers. 8. The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit THat is true wisedome indeede which beginning at knowledge doth goe forward vnto practise and beginning at faith doth further proceede vnto the fruites of faith For vnlesse there be profitable vse of knowledge both in our generall and particular callings it hath neither the sense nor the sauour of heauenly wisedome Then we be here admonished to labour that our knowledge may growe vnto faith and that we builde a godly life vpon faith And that we may thus do we must especially trauell that our hearts may stand in awe of Gods word and that we may haue a charitable and louing heart vnto men This if we can obtaine then shall wee in feare and loue doe the good duties which may glorifie God profit men and haue sure arguments that we haue true wisedome But the foolishnes of fooles is deceit That is they doe either take a wrong course of life or else if they take a right course yet their hearts are not aright and therefore they deceiue both themselues and others All this commeth to passe because with conscience they do not apply euery general point of doctrine to their particular estate and labour not to make practise of it We giue titles vnto men count them wise and politike men that can foresee and preuent worldly displeasure But the
yea the Lord holdeth vs without these that wee might esteeme his spirtuall graces the more that so in his good time we may haue both together 4 Wee must vse and not loue that is wee may not set our hearts on the creatures of God 1. Cor. 7. 31. 5 Seeing saluation is our ende all that hinders saluation must bee cast off whether it be marriage farming trying of oxen or any other thing lawfull in it selfe if euer it presse vs downe Heb. 12. 1. 2. The soule is made for God and therefore considering the very nature of the obiect we had need haue a speciall vigilancie of our loue to any other thing It is like a purgation which must be taken in quantitie in a certaine measure that it purge not out as wel good humours as bad and as there was first a couering of gold in the Arke and then of Badgers skins so our more precious loue must be bestowed on God his loue must chiefly possesse our heart It is said in the first Epistle to the Corinths Doth God care for oxen Nay this is written for our instruction and yet it is certaine that God doth care for oxen but in respect of that care which he hath for man it is no care So are wee to take no care of oxen in respect of him CHAP. IX Of our generall and speciall calling CHrist doth passe by vs see vs and call vs when wee little respect him In law cases and pointes of Physicke we goe with our best feete wee will doe all our selues or els sue by some speciall friend to them who can farre lesse profite vs than Christ can but in Christianitie vnlesse Christ himselfe come and ring a loud peale in our eares wee neuer vouchsafe to be Christians It is therefore well with vs that Christ so comes to call sinners to repentance for hee may come from heauen and returne againe ofteÌ„ before we seeke him or cal vpon him It is well therfore that Christ would come to cal sinners to repentance for he may come from heauen and goe to heauen againe ere we will call hâ—â— Indeede we read of certaine poore diseased men in their bodies constrained by outward paine and some hypocrites who rather to boast than beg holines came to Christ But who els would Surely one that said he would follow Christ wheresoeuer hee went but when he said so he had thought he would not haue gone farre he looked for better lodging than Christ was able to afford him And when hee sawe that he could giue him leaue to walke alone and when he saw Christ to haue none of the great buildings in Hierusalem he would goe no further with him than the townes end 2 It is certaine Paradise is our natiue Countrie and wee in this world be as exiles and as strangers wee dwell here as in Meshech and as in the tents of Kedar and therefore wee be glad to be at home The path and high way to our countrie is the path of Gods commaundement We stray when wee bend to superstition or prophanenesse The Lord hath appointed his word our load-star and cloudy pillar to conduct vs to the land of promise and hath instituted faith to attend vpon the word but the diuell hath substituted carnall reason but if wee deliberate long with carnall reason wee shall hardly or neuer come to Paradise 3 If we must haue reason to hearken and to obey the calling of Christ let vs remember and consider Christ hath followed vs and therefore we ought to follow him Christ hath gone far out of the way to make pursuite after vs for what neede had he to stir out of heaven and therefore we must goe after him The Sonne of man came to seeke that which was lost and therefore by good proportion wee that are lost should seeke him The analogie is good for seeking requires seeking Elizabeth said to Mary the mother of Christ comming to â—â—â— eâ—er Whereof commeth it that the mother of my Lord should come to me If Elizabeth esteemed so reuerently the comming of Mary vnto her much more may we say whereof commeth it that my Lord the redeemer of the world should come vnto me 4. The Lord doth often cast out men by decay of gifts as they pray Psal. 137. If I forget thee O Ierusalem then let my right hand forget her cunning Wee see this daily So long as men serue God in their callings and apply their gifts to his glorie so long their gifts are good and receiue an increase but they are soone washt away when wee vse them not or if we vse them not aright 5 When Moses was in his calling the Lord called him againe So Dauid and the shepheards to whom Christs birth was reuealed Our calling makes vs fit for the Lord helps against the Diuell and his temptations and idlenesse yeelds occasion and matter for sinne and Sathan to surprise vs. So long as we walke in our wayes the Angels haue charge ouer vs Psal. 91. but if wee goe astray they forsake vs. 6 Many are hastie to vndertake a matter but afterwards faint in following it Wee may not be rash to enter into any calling if wee will discharge it with conscience Examples for this are Moses Ieremy c. They can teach vs that we take no calling vpoÌ„ vs without commandement that we thinke nor too wel of ourselues that we attend the Lords calling and when he calleth vs and hath giuen vs gifts to testifie his calling let vs trust in his power and feare no danger for he is all in all in vs. 7 Moses had infirmities of speech and yet the Lord vsed his ministery wherefore wee may not for euery infirmitie be drawne from our callings neither if wee minde to take a calling vpon vs must we refuse it though all things do not answere our desires How be it if we want that which is most essentiall and pertinent as in a minister learning and the wisedome of the Spirit we must be wary how we enter in Our infirmities are left in vs for our further humiliation and that Gods holy worke may the better appeare 8 Wee must be well perswaded of the truth of our calling as well to Christianitie as to any other particular calling so troubles shall not moue vs nor feares disquiet vs. If wee doubt we soone faint but then let vs behold him that is inuisible as Moses Heb. 11. 26 and then no sight nor euill shall dismay vs. 9 It were to bee wished that euery man would search his owne heart whereunto in affection and action he is most seruiceable to God and profitable to his brethren and to pursue specially this gift most carefully and continually yet without pride in all humilitie 10 The Lord loueth our obedience but so that it be in our callings 11 When Christ calleth vs to heauen wee must follow him through the wildernesse of this world Hee must be
to stay the Lordes mercie for the other wee must depart because of that abomination 6 The world is as the Lords great chamber whereunto all are admitted the Church is as the chamber of presence The natiuitie of the Church is a greater worke then the creation of the world The world was finished with a Word but many dayes and many yeares did the Lord trauell before the Church could be brought forth to his good liking Hee shooke the earth darkened the heauens turned the whole course of nature before he had framed and set vp the little Church of the Iewes But in gathering the Church of the Gentiles the Sunne became blacke as a pot the Heauens were couered as with a haire-cloth the vayle of the temple rent the earth trēbled the graues opened aboue all the GOD of nature suffered But of all the third gathering shall be fearfull when heauen and earth shall not abide to see but shall melte and consume away at the glorifying of that Church which the world so contemneth yet on this Church hangeth the continuance of the world For certaine it is the world standeth and all the foure windes are stopped till all be sealed and in that moment that this number is filled this world shall out of hand vanish away 7 In the world wee doe as it were but see the Lords backe parts we see him as a thing in a troubled well dwelling but in the neather and outward courtes of the Temple but in the Church we see him almost face to face 8 That mightie Sampson suffered himselfe to be shauen and his strength to bee as another mans for the great loue of his Church hee shed his precious blood from all parts of his bodie for it and that no bloud might be too deare for vs with his heart bloud he hath testified how much he doth loue vs his loue and spouse the Church of the faithfull 9 It is true that the Psalmist saith Psal. 16. the Lord hath no neede of our seruice and therefore he hath set ouer his loue to the Chuch there to be answered vnto her in obedidience furtherance of his members there he would haue it seene how we value his benefits All blessings are continued on this earth for the Church sake The Sun doth shine vpon the earth vpon the iust and vniust but vpon the vniust for the iust mans sake 10 The Church is the household of faith the citie of the liuing GOD the spouse of the Lamb CHRIST the kings daughter the childrē of light of the liuing God the children of promise of the freewoman a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation people gotten by purchase the mysticall body of Christ the sold of the Prince of Pastors the virgin Israel the children of Abraham the elect seede of God heires of grace ioynt heires with Christ the Sanctuary of the Lord the daughter of Sion the Lords heritage the people of his pasture the sheepe of his hands the temple of the holy Ghost the price of his blood the Lords Eden Thrice blessed and happy are al the liuing stones of the most beautifull building Confer Psal. 147. 2. 3. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 10. Phil. 3. 8. Ephes. 2. 19. 20. 1. Thes. 2. 19. 20. 2. Cor. 3. 2. 2. Cor. 6. 11. 12. 1. Thes. 2. 8. Rom. 9. 3. Reuel 21. 10. CHAP. XIIII Of the Confession of sinne THis is a good affection of Christianitie to conceale a fault and this also is a good affection of men regenerate to testifie their faults to all men whereby they make knowne their thankefulnesse in that whereas by nature they were thus by grace they are so and so Againe men vse it to comfort others that though they bee in their old estate yet they may receiue grace if they hinder not themselues and shut out the grace of God from them Thus the children of God are wont to aggrauate their sinnes that others might haue comfort in the like case Matthew in the ninth chapter and the ninth verse shameth himselfe by the name of a Publican and yet if we looke to his sinne it was not like the sinne of Peter against the ninth commaundement nor like the sinne of Dauid against the sixe and seuenth commaundements the sinne of Paul against the first as of them that crucified Christ himselfe But that which he concealeth the other Euangelists blase abroad that which they conceale he blaseth abroad And this is one argument of the truth of the word for wheras other Chronicles do euer cōmend themselues and their owne natiue countries best as if you read the Chronicles of England you will thinke it the hest nation it is contrary in the word the deniall of Peter is more expresly set downe of Marke than of any other yet did he write the Gospell out of his mouth Paul setteth out his own faults in more sharpe measure and manner than any other can doe Act. 26. Moses Gen. 49. seemeth to discredit his owne birth Wee see all these were of God who is then most glorified when we are most cast downe 2 As the hiding of our sinne with Adam hindreth mercie so to testifie our sinne to be greater than it is with Cain displeaseth God highly 3 Confession without yeelding and feeling is nothing but a testimonie against our selues let vs then so confesse that it may moue vs to loue the truth 4 Pharaohs confession is rather in iudgement than in affection in respect of the punishment not of his sin ergo it is not enough yet he hath profited further than many of vs which will not confesse our sinnes at all 5 Whensoeuer we haue sinned it is good to haue this or the like meditation good Lord wilt thou call me to iudgement and enter thine action with mee How shall I doe then I will take this order I will disagree and fall out with my selfe But is there any hope that God will then shewe mercy Yea no doubt for if the Lord were minded presently to imprison vs he would neuer by his prophets forewarne vs by a writ hee might vse the whole host of the creatures to execute his vengeance euery houre but hee deales more mercifully with vs if we confesse our sinnes 6 Naturally we be all slowe to confesse our sinnes we cast short reckoning on our owne faults Adam said I haue not sinned Lord hee lesseneth his sinne in conceit saying The woman gaue it me and I did eate Iob seemeth to make an apologie as being vnworthy of such a punishment But wee must learne that a sinner the more hee doth extenuate and hide sinne the more he doth aggrauate sinne and hasten iudgement the more freely he doth confesse and iudge himselfe the more he is freed from Gods seate of iustice Pro. 28. 13. 2. Cor. 11. 31. 32. CHAP. XV. Of Conscience LOoke how is our Conscience so is our confidence it is a tender peece we must
if euer they meane to teach aright who will not grant vpon whom if God vouchsafeth sound learning it is as water powred to the rootes of an Oliue tree from whence is shed out the moysture to all the branches or as a dew falling vpon the mountaines where the raine resteth not but trickleth downe into the neather skirts and make the vallies florish as the fieldes which God hath blessed Greene wits are as greene wood though they are beautiful to the shewe yet in triall they are discouered yet if the younger sort be ignorant the ancient in dayes may instruct them but if the gray heads be ignorant who shall reade them the rules of instruction If youth offend the aged will rebuke them but if the aged offend who shall tell them If they count it contempt to be taught admonished by their inferiours their contempt shall confound them with shame of conscience to see how in steed of being honoured for their age and yeeres they grow to bee despised for their ignorance and manners most vnseemly 14 It is a good thing and a rare in writing to our friends to admonish them of their sinnes CHAP. XXX How to profit and to examine our selues when Friends forsake vs. IT is an vsuall Euill that a man sometimes shall be forsaken euen of his owne kind red so that though hee came vnto them laying open his pittifull estate if he put them in minde of the brother-hood had betweene them if hee vrgeth them with their promise if he sueth in the title of his need and in the Name of IESVS CHRIST if he chargeth them with the force of naturall affection yet they are deaffe and will not heare his moane Strange yet an vsuall euill it hath bene heretofore is now and will bee heereafter Wherefore it shall be profitable to learne how wee shall stand affected in this triall before the Lord. The best way is not as some haue done to repine at this euill as at a thing but lately sprung vp saying Who was euer so forsaken of his friends as I am who was euer so vnkindly dealt with the world was neuer so wicked mens hearts were neuer so hard but the surest course is to enter into our owne soules and to looke what fruite wee are to reape vnder the hand of the Lord who by this kind of affliction either punisheth some sinne or proueth our faith or worketh in vs some further mortification or stirreth vs vp to a more carefull vsing of the means of our saluation or else to a more earnest contempt of this life and more hungrie longing for the life to come 2 First therefore let vs examine our selues in this vnkindnes of our friends to vs whether heretofore wee haue not offered some vnkindnes vnto our friendes whereby God in his iust iudgement should meete with vs and by raising vs vp others to deale vnnaturallie with vs to punish our vnnaturall dealing with others If herein our conscience condemne vs not let vs reach out this examination a degree further and let vs see whether wee haue not sought the fauour of man more then the fauour of God whether wee loued not our friends rather carnally than spiritually and whether wee haue not beene instruments to them of sinning or we ourselues lie not in some secret sin vnrepented of If in any of these wee be guiltie wee are to thinke that the Lord by the vnkindnes of our friends correcteth somewhat in vs either our preposterous and fleshly loue or our hypocrisie or our corruption louing for backe and bellie Well if in all this our hearts doe acquite vs it may be the Lord will trie our faith whether we loue him for his owne sake or for hire whether we follow him so long as our well doing is rewarded or whether wee are carefull for the zeale of his owne glorie euen in our afflictions to walke with him although he vtterly vncase and strip vs out of all his ornaments Such indeede is our Faith as it is in temptation such are our fruites as they bee in the triall and then we giue a cleere testimonie of our faith to the world when being destitute of all helpe we can behold God taking vs vp and say Though my father and my mother will forsake me yet God will take me vp Psal. 27. when the help of man forsaking vs we doubt not of the helpe of Angels when the world frowning on vs wee see the Lord fauouring vs. To which end the Lord oft sequestreth our friends farre from vs to knit and glue vs neerer to himselfe For it is a common corruption in vs to stay our selues too confidently in our friends as the childe too trustingly and wholie to depend on his fathers prouiding for him as the wife only to see search helpe in her husband as a seruant to count his master as his God in relieuing him which vnbeliefe in God and too much trust in man the Lord to cleere the case before our eyes putteth man from this preheminence in helping any longer and taketh the prerogatiue of the stewardship wholy to himselfe that they that will fetch must of necessitie fetch at his hands To this triall the Lord doth ioyne the confirmation of our Faith as when he maketh vs exiles and forlorne Pilgrimes among men that we might be entertained of him as of a fostering Father for that after he ministreth to vs in distres greater comforts immediatly by his spirit then euer we tasted of whilest in our prosperitie he let vs to be serued mediatly by men How euident this is the Martyrs of God can tell vs by their writings who when all men forsooke them when no man durst speake to them when their friendes stood aloofe off from them had greater feelings more glorious ioyes and sweeter meditations from the Lorde himselfe then euer they had in their life and libertie before What losse then is it to bee an exile in earth among men and to be a Citizen in heauen among Angels What hazard is it when in steed of father mother and brother wee are in league with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who thinketh it not a sufficient supplie in the eye of Faith to haue the momentanie imprisonment of the bodie recompenced with the most glorious libertie of the Saints and Angels Let the Lord therefore send vs by these meanes out of our strong hold in the meanes seeing without some such working vpon vs wee would hardlie giue ouer our holde for that wee are as proude beggars who so long as they can haue reliefe and maintenance at home will neuer seeke abroade But how doth the Lorde by this visitation further our mortification in vs Surely in withdrawing the Fewell and matter wherewith before our naturall corruption was more enflamed and made more foggie How many in prosperitie shal we see complaining of lust burning them of concupiscence intoxicating them of anger fretting them of gluttonâ—e deuouring them
of couetous cares consuming them and that so strongly as if there were no hope to be recouered How be it when the Lord hath soked and softned them a little in the brine of affliction they are lesse starke and beginne to yeeld there is a great change and wonderfull alteration in them their lust is cooled their wrath is pacified their concupiscence is abated their gluttonie well tempered their couetousnesse fullie satisfied their affections are so tamed and their corruption so subdued that they thinke themselues highly indebted and much beholden to the cunning skill of affliction which so wonderfully bringeth them downe 3 Now let vs consider how vnder the crosse we are made more zealous in the meanes of our saluation How customably heare we how coldly pray we how carelesly receiue we the Sacraments what feare what indignation what heat what wrath what repeÌ„tance doth the discipline of the Church worke in vs what maiestie appeareth in our publike exercises what authoritie and fruite in our priuate meditations But if the Lord rouse vs vp from this apolexie and dead numbnesse of spirit by some fatherly correction how profit wee by the word how beautifull are the feete of them that bring the glad tidings of saluation how sweete are the promises how soone doe the threatnings worke on vs how zealously will wee pray how glorious are our feelings what ioyes vnspeakable in the Sacraments what feare of sinne what trembling at God his iudgements what indignation with our selues doth the Church censure worke in vs and whereof commeth this Surely because being driuen out of euery crannie and creuis where wee were went to bee harboured wee can finde no rest vntil we come vnder the roofe of the Lord his house who in all our dangers and after all our rebellions will not push vs out of his doore he wil take vp such Lazarus and not into a spittle house but into his Arke of comfort and Tabernacle of consolation Oh deepe sea of Gods mercie which neuer can be sounded that when men growe to such a Lordlinesse as they will not heare vs nor see vs nor vouchsafe to speake to vs he should not refuse to giue vs free audience and by his readie hearing moue vs to bee eloquent and long in our prayers to him who as soone as he doth but looke on vs doth promise a release from our miserie 4 When our friends will not speake to vs the Lord calleth to vs hee will enter some long speech with vs and denieth vs not all the comforts which the promises of the Gospell may affoord When our familiar acquaintance will scarcely lend vs a potsherd to scrape off our scabs the Lord by his SacrameÌ„ts reacheth out the surest pledges of his eternall good will towards vs. But yet behold another worke of affliction it bringeth vs to the contempt of this world and breedeth in vs the loue of the world to come whereunto in prosperitie we are very hardly brought For besides that wee see few noble rich healthie strong and honourable men desire death or to be wearie of this life be it neuer so long if wee consider how loath such men are to depart how gladly they would indent that their life and tearme of their lease might after an hundred yeeres expired bee renewed for an hundred yeeres longer wee shall see prosperitie will perswade all and ouercomes many to die in the nest Nay which more is affliction can hardly call vs away or knock vs off wee grow so deafe and take hold so fast of the world For who is so sick but euen in paine hee would rather wish to liue the longer than to die the sooner who so clogd with pouertie that to be freed from his clog would desire to die If the Israelites panting and breathing vnder the yoke of most seruile impositions and trauels were hardly drawne towards the promised land of libertie and easily would haue retired to the former labours of their seruitude what thinke you should haue allured them out of Egypt if they had liued there in some preferment and ease as did Ioseph in the court what could Moses and Aaron haue done to haue driuen them out of the place And I pray you if we being neuer so sick neuer so poore can still be content to haue our abiding in this life what will we doe if the Lord still graunt vs friends leaue our conscience vntouched our bodies vnharmed our goods vnconsumed Surely we would not haue leasure to think of death much lesse to die as our common speeches of our wise strong and wealthie men doe shew who when death dealeth with them crieout what must I needes away alas I neuer thought of anie other heauen I am not fit to depart I am very loth to die Thus it is the wisedome and goodnes of God to waine vs from the world by affliction which as it causeth vs to finde great comfort in beholding God but euen in a glasse so it hasteneth vs to taste of the fulnes of comfort in him by beholding him face to face 5 Ioseph saying thy seruants are men occupied about cattell might seeme to dissemble but it is not necessarie alwayes to speake all Truth and they confessed the principall truth that is that they were shepheards which kinde of men were abhorred of the Aegyptians and this turned to their profit for being seuered from the Aegyptians they might better maintaine peace among themselues be kept free from the corruption of the Aegyptians whereinto by familiâ—ritie they might haue fallen This teacheth vs that we should not be ashamed of our kindred though they be contemptible in the world For Ioseph being a chiefe ruler in the land of Aegypt yet confessed all his fathers to be shepheards he would not haue his brethren change their trade thogh he might haue gotten for them great preferments Our of all this may be gathered that the Lord worketh a contempt of this world in the harts of his children and that they had rather be doore-keepers in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodlie wee ought likewise not to bee ashamed to be called the people of God the Disciples of Christ no nor yet Precisians and such like names as are coÌ„monly giuen to Christians This may teach vs that the meane estate is alwayes best so that wee ought to giue God thanks for it and not to be ambitious for they that would be great in the world can hardly be religious But because many will be called brethren which be noâ— so indeed it shal be good to set downe some notes of brotherhood and the first is to helpe one another in neede yea though it be with danger of our liues therefore it is said that a brother is made for the time of aduersitie the godly brethren hazarded their liues for Paul for those that sought Paules death would likewise haue slaine these if they had knowne them There are diuers examples of
the maiestie of God shall be ouerwhelmed with glory but he that searcheth out the mercy how much more shall he be ouerwhelmed of â—â— His iudgements be as a great deepe but the deepe of his mercy swallowes vp that deepe Wherefore well said Chrysostome Great is the hell of my sinnes but greater is the deepenesse of thy mercy O God The Scriptures attribute to Gods mercy all dimensions First depth it fetched Dauids soule from the neather most hell ergo it reacheth thither Secondly breadth for that he setteth our sinnes vs farre from as the East is from the West Thirdly length for it extendeth it selfe not to the cloudes only but to the stars which as Iob saith are not cleane in his sight yea euen to the Angels in whom he hath found folly so that but for his mercy they could not abide his triall Nay God is able to forgiue vs more than we are able to sinne And indeed mercy is the gate of the Almightie By no other qualitie of his can we be suffered to haue entrance or to approch vnto him All other things hath the Lord done in measure number and weight sauing his mercy in our redemption wherein without measure beyond all number and weight he was mercifull two drops of bloud had beene sufficient or one cup of his bloud but the whip pierced his skin the thornes his flesh the nayles his bones the speare his heart and his very soule was made a sacrifice for sinne 2 When we loose an outward benefit we must not so thinke of it as of the losse of Gods fauour but what doe blinde people regard Gods grace So they haue plentie of corne and oyle they respect not the losse of their soules whereas if all the creatures of the world should weepe for the losse but of one soule it were too little Yet our people so they may eate of the Lords bread and enioy the fat of the earth care not whether the Lord shew a lightsome or a fearefull countenance vpon them Wherefore because we set so little by that which the Lord sets at so high a price the Lord will take from vs that which we esteeme so highly and bring vpon vs some sodaine desolation 4 We must euer desire the first fruits of the Spirit but hauing attained the first beginnings of Gods grace we must euer waite for the increase of it by degrees 5 When we haue receiued mortification and sanctification as hansels of Gods mercies then may we hope for heauen for they that haue receiued grace shall also receiue glorie 6 The graces of God are not in his children as morning mistes but as well builded towers to continue all assaults 7 Diuersitie of gifts should not make vs disagree or to enuy one another but rather should binde vs in loue to embrace one another that so we might be profitable one to another 8 The Lord hath such respect to his glory that he will giue gifts when he might iustly punish therfore we ought not so much to reioyce in the possessioÌ„ of earthly blessings for the Lord giueth many blessings to stop the mouthes of vnbeleeuers and to call sinners to repentance which if they neglect then assuredly the Lords wrath will be more fierce against them The wicked haue no cause to reioyce that the Lord smites them not for he lets them prosper for a while that their coÌ„demnation may be more iust when it commeth Trie thy selfe thus if thou profitest by Gods correction it is a signe of grace againe if by his patience thou takest as a good sonne occasion to repent and doest studie to come out of thy sinne it is likewise a good argument of Gods fauour 9 God is slow to wrath yet let vs euer remember that albeit he suffered Israel long yet at the last he destroyed them all that none of the vnbeleeuers entred into the promised land Wherefore we may not conclude that because the Lord punisheth not as yet therefore he will not punish at all but confider that all such as respect not his mercies in time shall at the last feele his iustice 10 The thing loued is much desired and sought after whereby we may take a triall of our loue to God or of our loue to the world First looke what we loue indeed we spend much time in it and can be content to affoord houres daies weekes yeares yea and ageâ— too in it And yet with all the contentions we may we get not to the worship of God Dauids seuen times a day nor his morning noonetide and euening exercises hardly we affoord the Lord his Sabbath Secondly we bestow our thoughts and our affections much and liberally on the thing we loue the Apostles were so troubled with bread that they could not vnderstand Christ speaking of the leauen of hypocrisie Thirdly our loue to a thing is shewed when we are skilfull and painfull in commending the thing loued The Spouse in the song of Salomon was very perfect in setting forth the parts of her beloued she knew the time of his going she was acquainted with his attire she was rauished with his beautie she was priuy to his coÌ„ming to her Men shew forth their loue to earthly things in their great skill in buying and selling Amos. 8. in the signes of heauen colours of the skie Matth. 16. in our statutes penall lawes Micah 6. but in the law of God they be scarsly wained Fourthly a man shall see his loue by his great zeale whereby he is caried to bring the thing to that he loueth as Esay 9. 7. when the zeale of the Lord is said to bring our redemption to passe Certainly euery man is eaten vp with one zeale or other The godly seeke gaine by honest meanes if they can but rather than the wicked wil loose their gaine away with honestie away say they with Christ as Iudas Fiftly the great reioycing which we haue bewrayeth our loue as Dauid doth Psal. 4 7. after that he had the thing he desired the countenance of the Lord he saith he had more ioy of heart than they of the world had when their wheat and their wine did abound But immortalitie the blessing of the right hand is lesse esteemed among vs than riches which are the blessings but on the left hand Prouer. 3. Blessed indeed are the people which are in such a case but more blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God Sixtly what we feare to forgo that we loue to haue Pilat cared not to forgoe Christ but he was afraide to loose Caesars fauour Lastly we loue that well which we are grieued to part with so did the young man in the Gospell shew his loue to riches who hauing a discipleship offered himselfe freely but when he saw he should forgoe all he had he rather forsooke Christ than his riches We must looke where we loue The purest thing
entring his action against vs we had neede now diligently to looke about vs for as Paul saith God will not be mocked we must not dallie with him Now the time when the Lord will doe this is when no man else will plead for him that is partly for the negligence of his aduocates the ministers and partly for the vntowardnes of the people who regard not the writs of his Prophets but the Lord must be faine to come himself Woful experiēce proues now a daies that if the ministers of the Lord rebuke vs or if any man shall take vpon him to admonish vs we are readie to rebuke them againe to set them to schoole too When we see this wilfulnes in the people that speake the Prophets what they wil they can securely shift them off and though writs come neuer so thicke they care not for them they think their feet shall neuer slip and being taught they will teach againe being rebuked they rebuke againe when it commeth to this I say the Lord ceaseth to deale any longer by his atturnies but he will descend and pleade his owne controuersies On the other side because there bee some Prophets who cannot be admitted to plead and others they will not pleade though they be admitted but say with Balaam they will neither blesse nor curse and some if they doe speake they haue Heltes spirit and say nothing but O my brother you doe not well to doe so you must doe otherwise they haue not Hoseahs spirit to tell them of their sinne to their faces I say when it falles thus out that hee that rebukes the world shall bee stung and haue a swarme of Bees or of Waspes about him who will not onely shew the tongues of Shemei but will set the Prophets to schoole or they so deale with the Ministers as they did with the seruants of him that let out his vineyard to husbandmen some they kil some they beate and as they deale with the messengers of Dauid in cutting off their coates and their beards to disgrace them then the Lord himselfe hath a controuersie with the people to pleade against them CHAP. XXXVII Of Humilitie and pride WE cannot obtaine God mercies in speciall measure vnlesse wee vse to humble ourselues in speciall meanes 2 Other mens faults must humble vs and drawe vs to prayer other mens graces must incourage vs and cause vs also both to pray and to be thankfull for them 3 The greater gifts wee haue the flesh is the prouder and Sathan the readier to assault vs were it not that the Lord did humble vs sometime to preuent Sathans worke 4 Aaron was the elder yet he giueth place to Moses the yonger reuerencing Gods graces where he found them and contenting himselfe with that measure of grace which God had giuen him 5 Moses comming out of the Kings court could not haue suffered such tumults and rebellions of the people as happened therefore fortie yeeres was hee humbled and so trained vp that he might haue compassion on Gods people and be more fit for gouernment So Ioseph and Dauid were first humbled then were they made rulers of the people When we be truly humbled God makes vs more fit for some waightie calling for as a greene peece of wood put in a building will shrinke but being well seasoned it holdeth vp the building So it is in man before he be humbled c. 6 Ordinarily when God most comforteth he most humbleth before 7 Pride is in foure things first when we thinke we haue a thing and God wot it is not so This commeth of selfe-loue as when we are delighted with our owne conceits doings and saying as a foolish father thinketh his owne bird to bee fairest Secondly when wee make our accoūt our gifts are more worth than they are looking on them through a false spectacle as when one hauing some little obedience or small grace thinketh himselfe able to resist any thing presuming on the grace bestowed on him Thirdly when we know we haue such a thing but we acknowledge not from whence Yes I wis say such I know that God gaue them me euen the father of lights Oh but the idle spending of them our wresting of them to our pleasure for which if we be rebuked then we say what is it not mine owne may not I doe with it what I will shewe plainely how wee stand herein affected Fourthly when we glorie in the gifte but not in the giuer Luk. 18. The Pharisie thankes God yet Christ cals him proude Nothing more vsuall than in wordes to reioyce in God Wherefore let vs striue to beate downe this pride which so dwelleth in vs O this is the worke of God to humble vs and let vs remember that till we be truly humbled we haue no part in Iesus Christ. 8 The neerer Pharaoh was to destruction the more fiercely he dealt with Gods people where we may learne that when the wickednesse of the wicked is at the ripest and they in their most flourishing estate then is their destruction neerest at hand Examples are Belshashar Herod and others who in their greatest pompe perished Let vs learne then when we waxe proude to feare destruction for the Lord resisteth such And that we may auoide euill let vs prepare our selues in humilitie to serue the Lord for hee giueth grace to the humble and meeke and filleth the hungry with good things whereas he sendeth the swelling proude and rich in their owne blind conceites emptie away 9 When the Lord gaue Manna to his people hee gaue them rules to vse it teaching vs that all the creatures and gifts of God are giuen man with rules to vse them that all may serue to his glorie that gaue them contrarie to those which say it is our owne wee may vse it as wee will One rule was this that all should labour in common that one should helpe another where wee see that all the giftes of God are common as Paul speaketh 2. Corinth 8 what gifts then soeuer wee haue receiued wee may not seeke our owne glorie by them but the profit of our brethren and Gods glorie wee may not bee proude of Gods graces for God is not indebted vnto vs but wee must remember wee haue receiued them for our brethrens sake to whom wee be debters for God hath so prouided that they which haue lesse by them which haue more may not want the things they haue This holdeth in riches in learning in godlinesse and this will pull downe all pride in our selues and contempt of our brethrē for the more a man hath the more he is a debter and therefore if a man learne not to wash his brethrens feete he hath learned nothing Wherefore though all men would haue duties done to them but themselues would doe fewe to others yet let vs consider this and then shall we vse that strength we haue to make our brethren strong with vs not that I
that they interrupted his speeches and made them vnperfit When thou CHRIST shalt laugh at our perishing and take delight at our destruction Yet this will hee doe and more also if wee shall be colde or carelesse in this businesse And therefore sift your selues narrowly yee that purpose this worke gage the bottome of your thoughts and be sure that it is the Shepheards voyce that calleth you in be sure that your giftes are answerable For hee that bringeth to this building either vntempered morter or vnskilfull hands building hee shall build and a tower hee shall build but not Sion but like the tower of Shilo Luc. 8. to fall downe vpon him and to crush him to peeces and all to fitters This may finde vs matter to thinke of when we are alone and may strike vs into cogitations knowing that our nature is blinde and beleeueth easily her owne fancie and thinketh her selfe called when shee is not least happily wee should not be carefull or fearefull enough and so become guiltie of contempt of this great commandement which is the highest treason against the eternall GOD and a matter of most fearfull condemnation Our Sauiour CHRIST in his sermons and speeches besides his sharpe exordiums claspeth vp manie things with his Selah and with his vehementepiphonema which he vseth neuer to set to marke it when yee will but in matters of great charge and in such savings of his as he would haue to pearce and diuide betweene the ioynts and the marrow Hee that hath Eares to heare let him heare In effect it is thus much hee that planted the eare hee planted it for himselfe and for his owne sayings planted hee it he it is that speaketh shall not he haue audience Euen the Lord it is that speaketh shall hee speake to the winde God forbid Our eares are not ours none of our members are ours his they are euen CHRISTS hee hath bought them at an high price and from him wee haue them and we haue them for none other ende noâ— by no other condition but that we should heare when and what hee would haue vs to heare And let him be Anathema that suffereth any of his sayings to fall to the ground Put Anathema Maâ—anathâ— to him and his eares that shall not regarde his saying This sealed saying and two edged exhortation which Luc. 14. he vseth to teach the foundation of the Ministerte which is the foundation of the Church of God which is the foundation of the whole world And those marke well if there be anie among you that hath eares and is willing to employ them well here hee may doe it This is a faithfull saying and of all most worthie to be remembred and therefore he that hath eares to heare any thing let him heare this And hee that heareth it not or heareth it with no regard the dayes shall come when his eares shall make his heart ake and when for not hearing this hee shall heare another sentence a glowming fearefull sentence such a one as who so heareth it both his eares shall tingle Zachar 7. Because I cryed and you would not heare you shall crie another while and I will not heare you for euer And therefore hearken vnto me that God may hearken vnto you Iud. 9. Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare When such fresh and well fenced exhortations come we must make this vse of them that the holy Ghost is not wont to make a beame of a moâ—e hee talketh of mint and annis as of mint and annis hee vseth not so much as a figure but where the matter deserueth tenne And therefore when the holie Ghost falleth to amplifie wee are to thinke there is some great matter no doubt and there is more in it then we take and if no speech of his bee idle or emptie we are surely to thinke that his epiphonemacs least of all are so and that they especially are Yea and Amen And therefore seeing such a thing is no exâ—tericall matter but an acromaticall poynt of doctrine of the holy Ghost seeing hee altereth his vsuall kinde of speaking we can doe no lesse than alter our vsuall manner of hearing and prepare both eares and hearts and all the powers of the minde to entertaine it Besides when our Sauiour Christ waketh vs with this watch word it must teach vs that wee are wonderous dull of hearing else why should Christ call on thee to heare which came forth to no other ende but to heare him or why should God in another place bid Esâ—y lift vp his voyce like a trumpet Would not a softer sound serue But as I saide wee are dull and that so dull that when the Prophet crieth to the Altar 1. King 5 Oh Altar Altar heare the word of the Lord the Altar heard and cleaueth in sunder but when hee cried to deroboam he heard not The very stone heard that had no eares to heares and one that had eares heard not Thirdly this vse wee must make of it that this hearing must goe further then the eare and that wee must not heare the word as we doe a matter of course or talke of a strange countrey without any affection or longing to it it must goe further than they can For well I woâ—e that you can heare me and I doubt not but that they then heard him and Ieroboam heard the Prophet but as Iob saith with the hearing of the crie But it is not that hearing which is better then the fat of rammes it is not that hearing that the Lord â—â—keth pleasure in Els how commeth that strange phrase Ezech. 2. Let him that heareth heare But as there is a speaking to the heart so there must be a hearing of the heart also and then wee heare with our heart when wee fetch vp our heart to our eares and our sounde pearceth them both then wee heare with the heart when we heare not onely with these hollow gristies but we heare with the Spirit and wee heare with the vnderstanding also and then wee heare with the heart sayth Augustine when it is with vs and with the Worde as it is with the Fish and the bayte if shee take shee is taken So if we take the Word wee shall be taken and if it be taken of vs it taketh vs. God his Word when it is taken taketh againe and if wee feele not our selues taken by it let vs not dreame to our selues wee haue not it we haue not heard it as we should doe And take this for a signe after the Sermon ended wee that are present shall returne to our businesse and chambers know it assuredly and thinke of it alone when you are by your selues that the Word spoken now hath entred into you if it so hath wrought in you and so make you to bethinke your selues that yee make as it were a new sermon to your selues when yâ—â— be alone the Lord hath blessed you and you haue done well If it
vnto the Lord not binding his fauour vnto them 9 The cause of all rebellion and murmuring is that wee know not the great power of the Lord or else we at that time doe forget it when by faith we should make to our selues most comfortable vse of it as wee may see in the Israelites who had beheld the great power of God with his goodnesse towards them but not in faith and therefore when the tentation was sore vpon them they cleane forgat it The Lord therefore being zealous of his owne glorie sheweth himselfe to bee most louing and beneficiall towards vs which ought to leade vs to acknowledge his great goodnesse but if wee doe not then his iustice will surely teach vs. 10 The Lord oftentimes with holdeth or taketh away that thing the hauing whereof might be hurtfull vnto vs which if we would rightly consider of it would be an especiall helpe against murmuring in the want of Gods blessings For if wee would consider this that the Lord doth therefore keepe it from vs because hee seeth it would bee hurtfull for vs and that when wee shall be fit for it hee will then giue it vnto vs wee should better bee contented with that we haue and more patiently beare the want of that wee would haue as for example if a man wanting health riches estimation and such like and bee grieued for it so that he is almost readie to murmure for the want of them if he then can consider that the Lord knoweth they be not good for him but if he had them they would turne to his hurt this would bring marueilous great quietnes to his heart and would stop his murmuring nature and would rather stirre him vp to acknowledge the goodnesse of God towards him 11 When the Lord proueth his people he thereby laboureth to bring them to prayer yet on the contrarie they flâ—e from him and murmure against him the reason is for that they thinke it a small comfort to pray vnto him in their trouble but rather thinke it very harsh to acknowledge their sinnes and so to obtaine the forgiuenes of them which being obtained nothing can bee more comfortable they must haue that they want or else nothing will please them As the Israelites did murmure against the Lord when they wanted water nothing else would please them so is it with many when they cannot obtaine some corporall or externall blessing which they doe much long for But who art thou oh thou vile man that thus dealest with the Lord and neuer hast had thy heart washed by the blood of Iesus Christ for if thou haddest thou wouldest neuer murmure so much for wanting that thou wouldest haue but rather make him at all times the chiefest comfort and in all thy necessities patiently and meekely call vpon him in feruent and faithful prayer 12 Men doe not onely faile in prayer vnto the Lord but also they murmure many times against such as he hath set ouer them to bee their guides for the latter sinne ariseth of the former The Israelites quarrelled with Moses yet what had Moses done against them they thought no doubt that he of malice and contrarie to the will of the Lord had brought them into the wildernesse for they thought God had a neerer way and a better to bring them into the promised land and because they could not consider the worke of the Lord therefore they must needes quarrell against some bodie and wreake their griefe vpon him laying the fault vpon Moses Thus did Rachel whom when the Lord punished for that she was Proud because her husband loued her best and made her barren when he gaue children to Leah she not considering that the Lord punished her pride with barrennes began to quarrell with her husband asking him why he gaue no children to her To whom he answered Am I in stead of God vnto thee to giue thee children And this is the manner of the people in all ages that when they cannot see the Lord punishing them for their sinnes they straightway lay the fault vpon some or other by whom they thinke it commeth As now if the Lord doe send tumults and stormes into the common-wealth so that the people be brought to some trouble doe we not straight wayes lay the fault vpon the Magistrates and say is not this the doing of the Magistrates They consider not that the Lord doth by this meanes punish them for their sinne for it is certaine that the Lord loueth a multitude better than one or few and therefore hee will not punish a whole realme or nation if the sinnes of a multitude did not prouoke him thereunto But it oftentimes commeth to passe that for the sinnes of the people he doth harden the hearts of the Magistrates that they cannot loue their subiects so well nor that they can bee so profitable and doe them so much good as otherwise they might as is reported by Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. This if the people could or would consider they would not be so ready to lay the faults on their Magistrates when trouble or triall commeth vpon them in like case doe they also deale with their Ministers If trouble come doe they not straightwaies say see what our Preachers haue done and is not this the fruite of their preaching so they will alwaies haue one or other to lay the fault vpon But what was Moses comfort in this case and that which staied him from murmuring against them Euen that no doubt which other of Gods Ministers haue had in the like case Ieremiah in the seueÌ„teenth chapter against the raging of the people made this his sure defence that he had not thrust in himselfe into that office to be their Pastor but the Lord appointed and called him therevnto Secondly that of affection he had spoken nothing but onely that which the Lord commanded did he declare vnto them and from hence may all the true Ministers of God haue comfort for if the Lord send them he will no doubt defend them so long as they doe this message faithfully therefore the people must take heede how they either receiue or reiect any that speake to them in the name of the Lord. For as they may not receiue any that bringeth not the word of truth nor be feared by them for as much as the causelesse curse shall passe without hurt so likewise and as surely shall the word of God spoken truly by his Minister certainely haue his effect and shall not returne in vaine And this is common to all kinds of calling that men may be confirmed therein Contrariwise when we being in affliction can pray vnto the Lord for his helpe and acknowledge his prouidence in that which is vpon vs it manifesteth our faith it preserueth vs from murmuring and keepeth vs from quarrelling with men for if we consider that it is the Lords worke we shall neuer set our selues against him for it but if we passe ouer his prouidence then
shall we auenge our selues vpon men But many men will be content to iudge and condemne this sinne in the Israelites and neuer looke into themselues to see the same but this sinne is as rife now as euer it was and this no doubt is a cause why many cannot profit by the examples of the old Testament because they imagine grossely of the sinnes of that people and thinke that there is no such grosse sinnes now whereas indeed if the case were duely considered the same sinne is grosser now than it was then for as much as the mercies of God are more plentifully vpon vs and with greater continuance than vpon them 13 The children of Israel did so much as in them lay to prouoke Moses diuers times to murmure against the Lord yet we may reade how he yeelded not neither was at any time ouercome except once Numb 20. Psal. 106 for which the Lord said he should not enter into the land of promise and Moses found the truth thereof for when he much desired the same the Lord would not be entreated but he must die in the Mount where all men must learne that they praise not the children of God too much though they be strong haue receiued great gifts for by Moses example they may here see that by such violence of temptation they may fall And againe all Gods children must take heede that they yeeld not to temptations when they are offered for though the occasion be of another yet the cause is in our selues and we shall be chastised for the same if we doe yeeld And againe we must take heede that we doe giue no occasion to the Magistrate or the Minister to murmure least the Lord punishing them we also be depriued of the benefit which we should receiue by them CHAP. LII Of Patience vnder the Crosse. THere is a difference betweene Gods children and others for Gods children haue the patience that others doe want though not at the first yet in continuance though with some infirmitie first because they are perswaded of forgiuenes of sinnes and secondly are sure of their vocation by good workes which are the fruites of sanctification thirdly the knowledge of Gods prouidence which disposeth all things for our good fourthly because they looke for another life and when they faile of any of these then they begin to quaile and the wicked because they vtterly want these therefore they are altogether confounded 2 Patience is not so much in â—â—e outward stilnes of the bodie and shewe of the faee as in the inward quietnes of the heart and meeknes of the spirit Therefore Dauid Psal. 4 biddeth vs examine our selues vpon our beds and be still and Esai 30 the Lorde saith your helpe shall be in silence and peace and therefore Dauid and Iob being in trouble saide they would lay their hands on their mouthes for when a man doth thus possesse his soule in patience he is most fit for the mercies of God and then shall hee receiue the greatest profit by them For as in bodilie diseases to be quiet is a great ease and helpe so it in other troubles whatsoeuer and therefore must we especially labour for it 3 Manie will say that GOD is mightie but they belâ—eue it not as appeareth in that they are ouer fearefull when they bee in daunger whereas Gods children haue some presert feeling thereof and afterward are more strengthened So that if wee cannot trust in God in the want of all helps we doe not belieue this power if wee depend not on him pray not vnto him striue not to obey him we belieue not this For this cause did the holy men write of the power of God which they haue felt that after they may be strengthened and so must we consider of Gods power that we in patience may looke for helpe from God in trouble and in prosperitie see his hand that blesseth the same vnto vs and so vse the same vnto his glorie and giue him all the praise 4 To a good action it is requisite that our intent be according to the word that then our action being good we vse right meanes if our meanes be good then must we haue faith if we haue faith then must we haue sound hearts if our hearts be sound we must deuoure through peace all hindrance and waiting for the good time of the Lord we must possesse our soules in patience 5 There are diuers plaine Israelites that will suffer a vaile to be put before their faces and they will vse them as the Pharisies did Iohn Baptist to obiect him against Christ Iohn and his Disciples fast and why doe others so but to haue a cloake for their wickednesse These are abused for want of wisedome and would mislike their practises in their heart if they could sound the depth of them Praestat esse caudam Leonis quam caput vulpis Better to be the taile of a Lion than the head of a Fox Well it is good to be iust and wise but yet not for our selues but yet such as will not keepe their wisedome to themselues but tell it out or write it come to wrack Because he will not follow the counsell of Amazias See not he hath the reward of the Prophets all the Prophets except foure perished The cause was they were more wise than was for the Princes aduantage In respect euen of God his permissioÌ„ it is iust that the iust should perish we may say is this his reward but we must know that when for corruption of time God his children caÌ„not liue without hazard of their hazard he taketh theÌ„ away neither in so doing doth he breake his promise that giues them for a long life eternall life for a bag of siluer a bag of gold for in so doing he promiseth the lesse and performeth the more We would indeed be the Lords seruants if we saw his seruice would alwaies preuaile but because sometimes we see their seates without honour that serue God we will be none of his seruants or we learne by reason to iudge no action by the person yet we say if he preuailed not he tooke no good course or if we cannot but say he is wise we say he is too wise The Prophet Prou. 30. saith he will write his vision to Ithiel and if Veal be with him to him too or else not the meaning is Ithiel is God with vs he would write it to please God Veal is to preuaile if that be with the other he will haue both else keepe to the other and let Veal alone When a man goeth to the market cum obâ—lo if he like lettesse he may take them giue his ebolum if he like his halfepeny better he may keepe it but if one would haue both ebolum lactucas so if we haue vpright dealing and will esteeme the fauour of men in authoritie better we may change it for that but if we esteeme our vpright dealing better
seruice and therefore his title to the bodie is good wherefore against the Anabaptists Familists we say that as God is the God of the spirit so he is the God of all flesh and though he will be worshipped in spirit yet not in spirit only but in truth also which truth being his word requireth the seruice of the bodie So many then as refusing the congregation making the corners of their chambers only witnesses of their religion detract from the Lord his worship But they excuse themselues with fearing the suspition of hypocrites an easie slander a thing that none can purge himselfe of a case therfore to be referred to the Lord himself But these men of all other do euill in speaking against hypocrisie for if they be no more inward than they are outward if their Chamber-holines be no more than their Chappellgodlines then are they of all men most miserable Reade Psal. 122. and 84. and 68. and we shall see the Prophet Dauid highly to magnifie that which they smally account of 7 Many carnall men thinke they can trust in God and in riches too they will carrie two bowstrings into the field that if one faile another may serue But we must serue God either euer or neuer either in all or in none either euery where or no where These meÌ„ will not say with Christ one thing is necessary but they will serue God and the world Thus some pray to God and perform their vowes to the diuel some are only retainers to Christ and beare his liuerie but are indeed the seruants of sinne and their owne corruption some beare the marke of God in their foreheads and in profession but they beare the marke of the beast in their hands and conuersation wee dare and must credite the Lord with our soules why should we not credite him with our bodies also God knoweth that wee are but fraile and he hauing made vs will surely preserue vs. 8 The place where God is worshipped is called in the Scriptures The presence and face of the Lord. It is oftentimes said in the Psalmes that we must come before the face of the Lord and they that eate of the sacrifices are said to eate with the Lord. Therefore when we come to heare the Word to or pray to receiue the Sacraments we come euen before the Lord where he sheweth his presence more cleerely although wheresoeuer we be we are in his presence for as the power of the Prince is ouer all the land yet his chiefe presence â—â—â—â— the Court so is the presence of the Lord chiefly in the house of prayer though he be euery where which if men would rightly consider of then would they also take heede with what feete they enter into the house of the Lord and would not â—e so bolde as to come thither without preparation nor to passe away without any meditation of that which they haue done or heard The want of this perswasion causeth all carelesnes both before and after and when wee are present If this kinde of dealing will not bee liked nor allowed of any worldly Prince that men should bee admitted to the Chamber-of-presence and yet care not what they speake nor how they bâ—lieue themselues surely the Lorde will not alwayes beare with such as abuse the house of praier and â—â—reuerently behaue themselues in his holy presence though for a time hee suffer them yet certainly in the ende he will be sure to punish it most grieuously Therefore we had neede to be watchfull ouer our selues both soules and bodies least by abusing our selues before the face of the Lord we prouoke him vnto anger and cause his displeasure to fall vpon vs. 9 In the beginning of our gracious Soueraigne her raigne it was vsually said that the dearths that then were was for the New learning Afterwardes the Lord sent peace and wealth as wee doe now see whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that it is he that brought them from poperie so that now hereafter none can complaine Wherefore they doe sinne very grieuously that shall say the Gospell hath brought dearth diseases and warre For we can all testifie that the Gospell hath brought peace plentie and health which if wee will not belieue then the Lorde will roote vs out though for his Name and glories sake and for his Sonne Christs sake he will raise vp a seede after vs that shall confesse this to his glorie as we see in the example of the Israelites which had a Iosuah and a Caleb But as hee punished the Aegyptians because they were ignorant and the Israelites because they abused knowledge as hee punished the Israelites because they would not worship him and punished the Aegyptians because they would not suffer them to worship him so he hath punished the Papists because they were false worshippers and the Protestants for that they abuse the true worship and as hee punished the Papists because they would not suffer the Lord to be worshipped so will hee punish the Protestants if they will not worship him in spirit and truth for there is like proportion 10 Some will say what can we gaine by hearing the Word can we liue by prayer Our household must be prouided for if we could come by our liuing so easilie as some doe or if wee were as well to liue as such a man is we would serue God then as well as any of them they may serue God freely and without any cares to hinder them we must take pâ—ines for our liuing necessity calleth vpon vs to follow our labour But dost thou not knowâ—ô man that the Lord leauing thee in this neede doth now proue thee whether thou serue him for thine owne ease or for his glorie sake If thou doe not now discerne of thy temptation and applie thy self to the seruing of God in hearing praying reading thinking of his Word but doest in a greedy care seeke after earthly things be sure that if thou be his sonne he wil at one time or other correct thee by one way or other waine thy minde from these outward things but if thou belong not to his couenant of Grace hee may perhaps giue thee thy desire and leaue thee also without correction which is a signe of a Bastard but at the last he will cut thee off from the things that thy chiefe delight is in and finally thou shalt perish euerlastingly in hell 11 When men will not harken vnto the Truth then will hee giue them vp to belieue lyes and when they will not regard his faithfull ministers that labour with them to bring them to holinesse then will he leaue them to such deceitfull workers as shall please them in prophanenesse And as it fared with Pharaoh and his people that would not belieue Moset but hearkened to the sorcerers of Aegypt so shall it fare with all those that will not belieue Gods faithfull seruants the true Preachers and ministers of the Gospell
but will be led headlongly caried away with popish seminaries and such wicked guides as sowe false doctrine and leade them into all errors and heresies The Sorcerers could not take away the plagues of the Frogges c. but indeed they caused moe to come wherby the King and his people were the more troubled so is it in all false religion they will bring men â—â—to many troubles but they cannot helpe them out of one they will helpe to perfect sinne in men but they cannot rid men out of one sinne It is proper to the word of God onely and to the true doctrine deliuered out of the same that ministreth comfort to Gods people in their troubles and stayeth them in their distresses as Dauid saith Except thy law had been my delight I had perished in my troubles Psalme 119. 92. Wherefore if in death and in troubles wee will bee quickned and comforted let vs delight in the statutes of the Lord and wholy depend vpon the doctrine of his word 12 Moses was not so well when he was in Madian as if hee had beene in Canaan yet better than when hee was in Aegypt for though Iethro had not the worship of God pure in euery respect yet was not he an Idolater For then Moses would not haue dwelt with him nor yet haue sacrificed with him if he had offered to a strange God Whence we learne two things the first that if we haue the chiefe and principall points of religion with vs although there may be some wants and defects yet that we make much of Gods great blessing therein and labour carefully diligently to vse them shewing our selues thankful to God for them so wil the Lord in his due time bestowe moe blessings vpon vs minister that which is wanting vnto vs Secondly that the Lord will alwayes haue some to keepe his truth to the glorie of his own name and the condemnation of the wicked Iethroes religion may be tried by these notes 1. That he reioyced more for the deliuerance of Gods people than for the promotion of his sonne 2. Because he was carefull to confirme his faith by the experience of them which had receiued greater graces 3. Because his ioy did breake out into an open profession of sacrifice 4. His diuine speech and good counsaile which he gaue to Moses doth testifie that he was a pure worshipper of God at the least he held the chiefest and was not a nouice in religion By Iethro his example we may learne to trie our religion if it bee pure then it worketh in vs a care to vse all the meanes 2. We take ioy in them 3. We expresse the fruites of it in our life 4. We reioyce more at the prosperitie of Gods people than at our owne preferments or commoditie CHAP. LXVII Of Regeneration and Sanctification IT is a greater miracle that a man should become a new creature than a man should be cured of neuer so strange a disease Hereunto agree the Prophets as Esay 11. where it is shewed that men as sauage as wilde beasts shall change their nature and become tame so that the Prophet counteth this a miracle yea if wee our selues saw the wilde beasts tamed we would count it a miracle The Fathers thinke that the regenerating of a man is more miraculous than to turne water into wine for the wine is of the grape the grape is of the tree the tree is nourished by the water so that wine after a sort doth come of water so that the one is more common the other is to bring out one contrary out of another a thing of that which haue no cause going before and he that marueileth not at the conuersion of men he hath not tasted of the gift of regeneration and new birth 2 Men must first bee made by feeling of their sinnes to seeke after Christ then by an holy faith to finde Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 3 Wee haue nothing to doe with God the Father the Sonne or the holy Ghost vnlesse we be regenerated 4 As wee haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so wee must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltinesse of our sins then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of our sinnes 5 The reason why the graces of God are sweetest in our new birth is because wee doe after the same fall somwhat to the flesh againe otherwise it would not bee so And regeneration Ioh 3. is the worke of the spirit only although in respect of vs it seemeth contrarie betweene vs and the world for the world thinkes the pleasures present alwaies sweetest so doe not the children of God euen of their spiritual delights nay they are contrary in another thing to themselues for they thinke their present corruptions and temptations euer greatest as in sicke men the last sicknesse is the sorest but they thinke the present feelings of the spirit euer least though it may be they be as great as euer they were before but who knoweth the cause of these things seeing it proceedeth wholy from the spirit of God who as the winde bloweth here and there and in what measure it pleaseth him 6 Seeing we are the temples wherein the Lord will vouchsafe to dwell it is good reason we should cleanse our selues In respect wherof first the Prophet Esay 52. 11. and then the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. 17. building the exhortation of cleansing presuppose this that where God will dwell there is a place cleansed and indeed a temple 7 There is no man of iudgement that though in other places he thinkes many things lawfull or at the least indifferent in their owne nature to be done yet he will not doe them in the temple So consequently if wee be Gods temple as euery Christian ought to bee wheresoeuer he goes we must be cleansed Againe for that the Lord hath made vs priests and we must carry the vessels of the Lord therefore we must be cleane Reuel 1. for priests were to cleanse others and therefore good reason it was they should be cleane and wee if we will be cleansers of others necessarily we must be cleane our selues Yet there is a third argument Iere. 31. 1. which is most effectuall and that is because our heauenly father is holy And if this moue vs not we are rather as seruants holy for feare of the whip or we are mercenaries we will cleanse our selues for hope of reward God our father is cleane therefore we his children must be also cleane God is of pure eyes and no defiled thing must enter into the new Ierusalem wherefore we must cleanse our selues because wee be the Lords Temple because we be priests because our father is cleane and holy A thing is filthy in the Law either by touching another thing that is
none there it is good to make many doubts and hence commeth conference all these meanes are to be vsed for God sometime blesseth one and not another we must vse all least we should tempt God some heare and not reade some reade and not meditate some keepe their studie and neuer conferre Faith is a knowledge it is called a demonstration it hath alwaies relation vnto the word as the schollers learning is the Maisters doctrine Wicked men know the Scriptures as it is a knowledge but they cannot applie it and haue the true vse men of God speake as if they were moued therfore the interpretation of the scripture must be of the same spirit no man knoweth the minde of God but Gods spirit CHAP. XII Daemonis appellationes or the diuers names giuen to the Diuell in scripture THE Diuell is called Daimôn of his great knowledge and great experience Diábolos of his slaundering and false accusing peir ázan of sifting boring and broching the faithfull to see what is in them skoloposarkòs of making vs subiect to the rebellion of the flesh the Diuell of doing euill or à diuellendo or else as in the old english monuments the diuels fetched from the Greeke Diábolos for his authoritie the Prince of this world that is of the corrupt estate of the world for his forme and vgly shape the Prince of darkenes for his vntruth a lying spirit for his filthines an vncleane spirit for his hurting a serpent for his experience in hurting an old serpent for his strength a Lion for his greedines a ramping or roaring Lion for his poyson a Dragon for his alluring a tempter for his constraining an armed man hauing store of darts sometimes he ramps and roares in one sharpe with hornes and clawes full of terrour in a Lions skinne which is especially in the euill day at the houre of death Sometimes he transformes himselfe into an Angels shape in bright apparell full of compassion in the mantle of Samuel in a religious habit full of scripture euery other word is scriptum est setting an ambush of Diuels to inuade vs holding the crosse and this is his craft If he be able to change himselfe into an Angell of light much more is he into a shadow of the night for he setteth his nets and diggeth his pits in euery thing to take vs in our flesh by ease or pleasure or pride of the eyes suis mimis by death and the feare of it In our soule he hath his forge and bellowes euill motions lusts suggestions to kindle the fire of concupiscence in our affections bending our feare and our loue and such like to that which they should not be imployed vnto in our reason by casting doubts and planting the roote of bitternes in vs which is infidelitie in the creatures by abusing of them or by vnthankfull receiuing of them in the world by hauing his nets in riches preferments euill examples customes and euill companie in melancholie humors perswading despaire to be true sorrow in cholericke bodies perswading wrath to be good zeale in ciuill wisedome by mingling policie with Christianitie in our best motions by mingling with repentance distrust in Gods mercies with faith securitie in making vs measure Gods loue or hatred by blessings or afflictions of this life in preuenting vs of good by breeding in our hearts a loathsomnes of the word and wearines in the meaner in stripping Christ of his high Priests garments and true office of mediatorship vrging sometime these sayings Except ye also repent ye shall all likewise perish which kinde of sentences are not so properly his as belonging to his office which is a Mediator and true Sauiour 2 Sathan is inuisible changeth himselfe into an Angell of light that he cannot be discerned by the eye no nor by reason he windeth himselfe into our reason Peter thought Christ should not dye what reason was it that the sonne of man should dye CHAP. XIII Of the contempt of the Ministerie 1 IEhu being threatned called the Prophet a madbraine for so they iudged of them that digressed any whit from the set composition of words and orderly precepts of their arte which no doubt therefore hath and will come to passe because men can no longer either lend eye or eare than either they can see by reason or discerne by arte or whiles the speaker keepeth himselfe within this ordinarie course of stile or carieth himselfe euen in an orderly and oratorious period so long as wittie inuention comely compassing of matter proportionable measure of words are afforded but if a man come to cut vp the conscience and in some vehemencie of spirit dealeth more roughly and lesse orderly with their speciall sinnes then he is brainesicke and runneth as they say besides the text Neither are these complainers sillie soules but learned Parthians and wise Arabians men elaborate in arte skilfull in precepts and proud Babylonians who cannot discerne betweene a godly vehemencie of spirit for the Lord of hosts sake and a rayling austeritie of speech for malice or vaine glorie sake If then Paul be misconstrued wrongfully he must recompence such sinnes with meekenes patiently whereby often the Lord hath brought to passe that the proudest heart of most obstinate gainesayers haue beene more broken seeing the mild sufferance of the Ministers of Christ than if they had beene pursued with most hote reuengement which then especially experience hath proued true when the Lord with some crosse and humilation sealing the truth of his faithfull and zealous seruants hath caused many to thinke themselues to haue resisted the graces of God and persecuted the gifts of God in them whom they thought before to be curious precise and seekers of singularitie 2 Grieuous enough it is when our corne our cattell our goods and treasure shall come to the tables of our enemies but what though we be yet freed from such Chaldaeans yet is there a great famine in the land which they little thinke of that are the Church-robbers whom we falsely call Patrons of the Church Little thinke they of it who in stead of feeding to saluation starue many thousands to destruction in whom if there were any loue of God from their hearts I dare say and say it boldly that for all the promotions vnder heauen they would not offer that iniurie to one soule that now they offer to many hundred soules But Lord how do they thinke to giue vp their reckning to thee who in most strict account wilt take the answere of euery soule committed vnto them one by one Or with what eares doe they often heare that vehement speech of our Sauiour Christ feede feede feede With what eyes doe they so often reade that pearcing speech of the Apostles feede the flocke whereof you are ouerseers looke vnto the flock committed vnto you But if none of this will mooue them then the Lord open their eares to heare the grieuous grones of many soules lying vnder the grislie altars of destruction
which we freely renounce but of the merit of his obedience and of the value of his death vnto the saluation of those that beleeue in him So shall we at once stop vp the mouth of the enemie when refusing to plead our owne cause we referre our selues vnto Christ whom we know to be the wisedome of God and able to answere all that can possibly be obiected against vs. For seeing Sathan is a wrangling and subtill Sophister it is our surest and safest dispatch to breake off all dispute with him and to send him thither where he may receiue his best answere and we need not to doubt but he that hath answered the iustice of God and cancelled the obligation that was against vs before his heauenly father will easily defeate whatsoeuer the old Serpent our accuser the diuell is able to alleage against vs. But if we cannot so auoid his assault but needs we must enter the combat with him let vs take vnto our selues that courage that becommeth the souldiers of Christ and in the name of the Lord Iesus manfully oppose our selues knowing that he which hath brought vs into the battell will both saue vs and deliuer vs out of all dangers Then if the enemie shall say that we haue no faith and therefore haue no interest in Christ we may answere that our beleeuing dependeth not vpon his testimonie it is enough that our selues doe know and feele by the grace of God that we doe beleeue As for him we doe the rather perswade our selues of faith because he saith that we beleeue not knowing that he is not onely a murderer but also a lyer from the beginning and the father of lying Now he that was neither ashamed nor afraid to charge God himselfe with vntruth will make lesse scruple to deale falsely with vs and that therefore we vtterly reiect his witnes as the witnes of a notorious and treacherous deceiuer vnworthie all credit and whom we cannot beleeue euen in the truth it selfe without danger For which cause he was so oftentimes silenced by our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles euen then when after his deceiueable manner he bare witnes vnto the truth Againe when the question is of our faith in Christ whether we beleeue in him or not we must beware that we stand not here vpon perfection of knowledge which in the best Diuines is vnperfect or vpon the perfection of our perswasion which in all flesh is mingled with imperfection It is enough for our present comfort and to the silencing of our aduersarie that we haue a competent knowledge of the mysterie of our saluation by Christ farre remoued from that ignorance and implicit vnderstanding which Sathan hath planted in the kingdome of Antichrist For perswasion also we acknowledge that partly by the corruption of nature and partly by his assaults by the grace of God it is such as the same is oftentimes assailed and shaken yet faileth not nor falleth vnto the ground but standeth inuincible against all his attempts and inuasions whatsoeuer And finally for that faith whereby we rest for our saluation vpon Christ Iesus wee glorie not in our owne strength but wee say euery one for himselfe with him in the Gospell We beleeue Lord helpe thou our vnbeleefe Foâ— if faith he as it is indeed a repose setling placing and putting of our trust and confidence for our saluation in Christ whom the Father hath sealed then we doubt not to proue against Sathan and all his instruments of infidelitie that we doe beleeue and that the weaknes of our faith which we willingly acknowledge and that remnant of vnbeleefe which yet hangeth vpon vs is so farre off from dismaying vs that it is both a warning and motiue vnto vs of great force to stirre vs vp and to set a worke by all good meanes to establish and to increase our faith when wee finde the good hand of the Lord not to bee wanting vnto vs and his eares not to bee shut vp against our prayers in which we alwaies say with the Apostles of Christ Lord increase our faith If it shall bee obiected that because wee haue not the same sense and feeling of faith which sometime wee had as Sathan himselfe could not then denâ—e therefore we haue now no faith but haue vtterly lost the same wee may answere the argument followeth not for euen in many diseases of the bodie it is so with them that haue them that they seeme little better than dead corpses and yet there is life in them which hidden for a time after is recouered and raised vp againe so it is many times with the children of God that being ouerborne and distressed with extremitie of affliction and temptation they seeme for the time both to themselues and others to haue lost the life and light which once they enioyed Yet so it is that when the tempest is ouerblowne and the gracious countenance of the Lord againe beginneth to shine vpon them the faith which was as it were hid for the time taketh life and steweth foorth it selfe and plainly proueth that as the trees when they budde in the spring time and bring foorth their fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed to bee so the faith of Gods children springing afresh after the stormie winter of temptation declaring manifestly that it was not dead when it seemed so to be but was onely respited for the time that afterward it might bring foorth more fruite and whereas the afflicted soule desireth nothing more than to beleeue though it feele not a present operation of comfort by faith euen that desire argueth a secret sense that cannot easily be discerned together with assurance of better estate in time to come according to that of our Sauiour Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied And that of the blessed Virgin He filleth the hungrie with good things but the rich he hath sent emptie away Also that bewailing and deploring of vnbeleefe which is found in the afflicted is not onely a stâ—p vnto their former comfrort but a certaine proofe and demonstration of the returne therof For the Lord working by his spirit in the hearts of his childrens gronings that cannot be expressed thereby assureth theÌ„ that in his good time he will heare them grant their requests And so much the more wee may bee perswaded hereof because the loue of God towards vs as it began not of vs as S. Iohn saith so it dependeth not vpon vs but vpon the truth constancie of him with whom there is no change nor shadow of change Againe the temptation it selfe from which our affliction doth arise though it haue of itselfe a most bitter and sharp taste euen vnto the wounding of our soules neere vnto death yet hath it also in it an argument of comfort the Lord himselfe out of darknes raising vp light vnto his childreÌ„ For euen by
soule I haue sinned against the Lord was it think you a small comfort that Nathan said immediately vnto him The Lord hath pardoned thy sinne I will say nothing of the prayers of so many of the seruants of Christ as haue commended your cause vnto the Lord which cannot be frustrate the Lord himselfe directing them to pray according to his word and vpon the assurance of his promise Reade Iob 33. 23. If there be present with him that is with the afflicted soule as verse 22. a messenger from God an interperter of the will of God such as is one of a thousand who may signifie vnto man the equitie of the Lord and intreating him for fauour shall say Redeeme thou him that hee goe not downe into the pit by that redemption which I haue found when he hath humblie be sought the Lord he doth graciously receiue him that hee may behold his face with ioy and hee restoreth vnto man his righteousnes In which words there are many excellēt things to be noted for the comfort of those that are afflicted The first is that the anguished soule finding no comfort at home and in her selfe by reason of the strength of temptation must seeke reliefe abroad at the hands of those whom God hath appointed to make glad the sorrowfull minde and to giue rest vnto the wearied and distressed conscience Wherein you must consider with all thankfulnesse how great mercie the Lord hath shewed vnto you for I doe perswade my selfe as before I haue said that since the time of your affliction there hath not been almost one that hath any special gift in that kinde who by conference writing or otherwise hath not bestowed some part of his trauaile vnto your comfort I could my selfe name a great number besides those aboue mentioned but yourselfe can remember many more Now the testimonie of many faithfull seruants of Christ witnessing the grace and goodnesse of God towards you must bee as the voyce of God himselfe who is not as man that hee should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should repent or alter that which he hath once testified And if Iob doe acknowledge that the comfort of one faithfull witnesse on the behalfe of God is enough to the erecting cherishing of the heauiest minde what can Satan say vnto the testimonie not of two or three witnesses which the law onely requireth but vnto the testimonie of two or three score the meanest and weakest whereof should be able to answere in your behalfe vnto all that the enemie is able to obiect against you The second thing I note is that these haue not come vnto you by error or by chance but by special addresse of Gods prouidence as sent from the throne of grace to bind vp your wound and to minister comfort vnto your conscience The third that these speake not their own words nor of themselues but are the faithfull interpreters of the will of God not indeede immediatly from himselfe but by viewing and esteeming of the worke of God and the fruites of his grace in those that are his The fourth that as they declare vnto the afflicted that fauour of God towards them which themselues are not able for the present to discerne so they commend them by prayer vnto the Lord who hath promised to heare to graunt their requests The fift that for cōfort in this case we must passe out of our selues in whom there is nothing that may ease our griefe and cast our eye and cogitation onely vpon Christ in whom al fulnesse of saluation doth dwel considering that this is one of the meanes whereby Sathan doth most distresse and anguish the afflicted soules that hee holdeth them in the cogitation of their sinnes and transgressions against God and suffereth them not to see that length breadth height and depth and to knowe that loue of Christ that passeth all knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God The sixt that the Lord both mercifully blesseth the labours of his seruants in comforting his children and also graciously heareth their praiers and supplications made in their behalfe vnto his Maiestie And the last that God in his good time erecteth the mindes of the afflicted and openeth their mouthes to praise his name to protect his goodnes that he hath brought againe their soule from the pit and hath shined vpon them with the light of life Which effect of the grace of God because you haue both seene in others and felt in your selfe many times you haue great cause to hope and expect the returne of his comforting hand in due season who also shall once determine these conflicting daies and set vs in that peace which shall neuer be interrupted and wherein all teares shall bee wiped away from our faces for euer The malice of the enemie during this life hath no end nor measure at all and therfore we may iustly feare all extremitie of attempt against vs but we must strengthen our selues in him who can and will enable vs vnto all things The last and most grieuous assault of Sathan against the afflicted is that he calleth into doubt their election For that saluation is onely of the elect hee laboureth by all meanes to snake this ground and pillar of comfort and if it bee possible to subuert and ouerthrow the same It behooueth vs here to take heede how we carrie our selues as in that temptation which of all others is most difficult and dangerous First therefore wee must beware of that gulfe wherein the enemie hopeth to deuoure vs that wee enter not into the secret and hidden counsell of God For the secrets of the Lord are for himselfe but the things that are reuealed are for vs and our posteritie after vs for euer as Moses saith What then hath the Lord reuealed concerning our election First the spirit of God witnesseth vnto our spirits that we are the children of God then it teacheth vs to cry Abba Father and stirreth vp in vs those gronings that cannot bee expressed From these let vs descend vnto faith it selfe the voyce whereof if it be not suppressed by the grieuousnesse of temptation soundeth cheerefully vnto vs that wee are beloued of God redeemed by Christ and fellow heires with him of his fathers kingdom If here also the enemie haue darkened our senses and obscured our light we must of necessitie with Iob relieue our selues from the fruits of our faith These what they are hath alreadie beene said If necessitie doe so compell vs we must flie vnto the times that are past and referre our selues vnto the testimonies of the faithfull ministers of God who as they are for their wisedome and manifold experience better able to iudge of our estate than our selues so haue they power and authoritie from God to decide the controuersie betweene vs and our enemie and to pleade our cause against him Also where the enemie from
zeale is opposed to luke-warmnes which is too temperate a warmenes for the profession of the Gospell Wee must not then onely renounce coldnes farre from vs and put away lukewarmnes but wee must be very hote and feruent in the profession of the truth Againe 1. Cor. 14. 1. that which our common translation hath Follow after loue couet gifts but especially prophecie the naturall Text hath bee zealous after the more excellent gifts And Rom. 12. Be feruent to the spirit that is let Gods spirit inkindle in you a fire which may cause you to flame with a zeale of Gods glorie and with a loue of mankinde Now there are diuers kinds of zeale there is a zeale of the world there is a zeale of the flesh there is a zeale of false religion there is a zeale of heresie and there is a zeale of the true word of God First wee see the zeale of the world maketh men to labour day and night to get a transitorie thing The zeale of the flesh tormenteth mens minds early and late for a momentarie pleasure The zeale of heresie maketh men trauaile and compasse Sea and Land for the maintaining and increasing of theis opinion Thus wee see euery man is eaten with some kinde of zeale The drunkard is consumed with drunkennes the whoremonger is spent with his whoredome the Heretike is eaten with heresies oh how ought this to make vs ashamed who are so little eaten spent consumed with the zeale of the word And so much the rather because godlie zeale leaueth in vs an aduantage and a recompence which the worldlie and carnallie zealous men haue not For when they haue spent all the strength of their bodies and powers of their minde they haue no gaine nor comfort left but torment of conscience and when they are outwardly spent they are inwardly neuer the better whereas the godly being consumed for a good thing and eaten vp with the zeale of Gods glorie haue this notable priuiledge and profite that howsoeuer their outward man perisheth and decayeth yet their inward man is still refreshed and nourished to euerlasting life Oh what a benefit it is to bee eaten with the loue and zeale of a good thing Leauing now the carnall and worldly zeale wee know how zealous Idolaters were that they would euen offer their children in the fire We know the zeale of the Iewes Math. 13. who would compasse Sea and Land to make a man a Proselyte Heretikes as we see spare no labour and let not for aâ—â—e cost to maintaine their Heresies but these are not good The true zeale is that whereof the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 11. I am iealous ouer you with an holie jealousie Rom 10. the Apostle â—aith the Iewes had the zeale of God but not according to knowledge Wherefore to shewe some properties of true zeale whereby we may trye our selues let vs first know that our zeale must be grounded on knowledge for otherwise it will carrie vs further to destruction as it did them who oppreâ—â—ed the truth and persecuted the deare seruants of God and yet thought that they did well Wherefore in true zeale it is requisite to haue knowledge going before Wee see the zeale of the Prophet did arise here of the contempt of the law of God For seeing it to be â—o exquisite perfit euerlasting powerfull comfortable it is a manifest argument that he was well grounded on the word This zeale then that we may the lesse be deceiued with the contrary hath these few rules first as we haue already said it must be agreeable wholy with the word of God to begin where it beginneth to end where it endeth Therefore we may thus trie our true zeale If first and especially wee make conscience of the principall matters of the word as of prayer of the Sacraments of discipline of charitie and then of the lesse things that are commaunded if wee will doe them if anie be forbidden wee also auoide them yet euer tollerating through loue little things as they that would not trouble the Church of God Wherefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 11. 1. 10. If anie man lust to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Churches of God as if he should say If any man will striue about matters of lesse importance wee according to the order of the Church will not striue with them but rather will beare many things in loue and yet so as still we vse this caueat That we account nothing small or little which is Gods word This doctrine may be manifested by familiar examples If a man shall steale things of great weight or some great summe of money which deserueth hanging and the cutting off of life we will abhorre him but when it coÌ„meth out that they may â—eale lesse things as wood and corne and that not of necessitie but euen of greedinesse of minde thinking it not to be subiect to so high a punishment they will make no conscience of it But if Adam was cast out of Paradise for the biting of an apple wee must not thinke any thing that the word commaundeth or forbiddeth to be little or that the doing or not doing is but a trifling sinne least that through the iust iudgements of God we falling by little and little by degrees fall into great monstrous sinnes And as this is in life so is it much more in the worship of God It is a great fault that wee will make a scruple in matters of small importance and will not sticke to be dissolute in things of greater weight Indeed it must needs be confessed that our grand zeale must be in great things and yet wee must not lightly esteeme of any thing in the glorious word of God The second rule of true zeale is that wee must looke to the things which are within as well as to the things which are without This also our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs by reprehending the Pharisies in telling them that they made cleane the outside of the platters but left the inside foule shewing that their liues outwardly was without reproofe but inwardly they were full of secret pride disdaine selfe-loue and hatred Our zeale must beginne within and in time appeare outwardly and as we will not sinne outwardly so we must be as loth to sinne inwardly Wherefore here also are two things to be obserued the first is that we feare no more to do ill before men then we do by our selues For wee be giuen to be loth to be accounted ill and yet make no such conscience to be ill we see theeues whores and ill-doâ—rs are loth to bee so accounted and yet in the meane season if they can doe this secretly they make no care of it We outwardly are carefull to maintaine our credit and to trauaile with our selues yet secretly wee can commit sinne greedily What is this but to be painted sepulchers and dishes cleane without but foule within Wherefore wee