Sodome no sooner ye can touch them but they are presently turned into dust So are all the riches and treasures of this life But heere are treasures that shall continue for euer therefore let vs learne with the Prophet heere to keepe them and hold them fast Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end But because we cannot keepe it vnlesse we apprehend it let vs first desire to bee taught with Dauid which is the subiect of his request Teach This verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doceo is oftentimes construed with two accusatiue cases as Doceo teliteras so in this place Doce me viam Teach mee the way First Teach me then Teach me the way So in Isay populum quem docebis scientiam I send thee to a people whom thou shalt teach knowledge So that both these things are requisite to a Teacher first that he haue populum quem docere a people whom to teach and then that he haue scientiam quid docere learning and knowledge what to teach In our precedent times wee had quem docere people and maintenance enough for Teachers and wanted quid docere learning to teach but now many haue scientiam learning to teach and want quem a people maintenance for teaching Both these had Dauids Teacher Hee hath wisdome what to teach and then a people whom to teach his elect Wherein out of this word teach obserue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctoris sapientiam the wisdome of the Teacher And this we need not stand vpon for hee is solus sapiens only wise Now vnto the God immortall inuisible to God only wise Nay hee is infinite in his wisdome Great is the Lord and great is his power yea and his wisdome is infinite There 's the wisdome of this Teacher Secondly out of this word Teach wee learne Ignorantiam discipuli the ignorance of men in the knowledge and practise of Gods Law before they be taught and regenerate by the spirit of God So ignorant was I euen as it had beene a beast before thee So ignorant was I There 's his ignorance before regeneration He speaketh of what he had beene not what now he is being taught and regenerate The naturall man cannot perceiue the things that bee of God because he iudgeth carnally The great worthies of the world renowned for learning and wisdome were farre from the knowledge of Gods Law because they were led naturally by reason only Zeno the Athenian of Greece and chiefe of the Stoicks sect which held that vertue was the summum bonum and chiefest felicitie This was good Theorick and contemplatiue learning yet it is farre from that learning which Dauid heere desires the knowledge and practise of Gods Law Plato and Aristotle of the Perepatetick sect held that actio virtutis not onely the knowledge but the practise of vertue to bee their summum-bonum and chiefest good This learning is excellent for it is practick and a morall action yet they come short of the knowledge of Gods Law And therefore this is that Philosophie which Paul biddeth vs beware of Take heed and beware of Philosophie for this wisdome God hath cast away Isay 29. 14. I will destroy the wisdome of the wise and cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent And this also the holy Ghost derideth 1. Cor 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnesse For since the world by wisdome knew not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by simplenesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue But what speake I of the ignorance of the naturall man It is Dauid heere that is something more then a naturall man that desireth to be taught In the second place the person making request Teach me not an ignorant man not a simple man neither a man of any low ranke or ordinarie calling his regall title is The kingly Prophet a King and no lesse then a Prophet And wisdome is requisite for both these for in respect he was a King he had need of wisdome whereby hee might rightly sway the sword of Iustice but not only in this respect did Dauid desire to be taught when hee said Teach mee O Lord he did not meane how he should gouerne his Kingdome which is very requisite but teach mee thy statutes teach me this Neither doth Dauid that is trained vp in the schoole of regeneration onely once or twice make this request to be taught in the knowledge and practise of Gods Law but maketh many requests to the same purpose When he is come to some perfection in the knowledge of Gods Law he will not heere rest Wherein obserue The elect themselues when they are come to some perfection in the knowledge and practise of Gods Law must not heere sit downe and rest but must still proceed to learne and practise the way of Gods Statutes and Lawes Teach me O Lord. Direct me in the pathes of thy Commandements c. Dauid though learned in Gods Law yet desireth still to bee taught to bee instructed to bee directed For hee can neuer with his best endeuours come to the center and perfection of this learning And this serues to reprooue the carelesnesse of many both in learning and practising the Law and word of God Men thinke when they can but say the Lords praier or the Creed they are learned enough they need know no more nor doe any more but only repeat it no more belongeth vnto it When but once or twice in a yeere they heare a Sermon and that with a cold zeale that it freezeth or receiue the Lords Supper once a yeere to saue themselues from the danger of the Law it is well enough And thus doe the poore blinde wormes of the world deceiue themselues and are content with a very little learning in his law and word and a lesse practise in the same The wisdome heere then is that which Paul teacheth in 1. Cor. 1. 7. The manifestation of the spirit is giuen to euerie man to profit withall They that are called by the spirit should profit in the spirit lest they bee excluded out of the schoole of Christianitie for non proficients and thrust out of Gods fauour for the neglect and contempt of his law And thus much out of the word doce Teach me and so let vs come vnto the third place which is Dauias teacher O Lord Teach me O Lord Heere is Dauids teacher Heere is the teacher of teachers and pastor of pastors and doctor of doctors that apposeth doctors themselues and astonisheth them with his wisdom Luk. 1. 46. This is Dauids teacher he hath no worse he desireth no better for a better cannot be To whom then shall we goe to learne Shal we go to the world alasse totus mundus in
stil to continue in these sinnes of pride couetousnesse whoredome and drunkennesse These are peccata clamantia and vastantia conscientiam These are crying sinnes heynous sinnes and a man knoweth not where to appeare before him when God shall summon him by death to appeare before him so that to sinne is of weakenesse but to continue and perseuer in sinne this is not onelie a sinfull life but a life of sinne it selfe If therefore wee will not learne by his word nor by his blessings he will teach vs by his afflictions and plagues He will cause his Angell to strike yet more then seauenty thousand of the plague and pestilence as he hath done alreadie in this Citie Nay hee will stretch ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria the plummet of the house of Ahab he will wipe Ierusalem as a man wipeth a dish and turneth it vpside downe hee will forsake the remnant of his inheritance because wee haue done euill in his sight and prouoked him to anger because wee haue forsaken the Lord our God that hath so louingly taught vs by his word and blessing and yet wee will receiue no instruction but stil continue a sinful people a people ladē with iniquitie a seed of the wicked corrupt children which haue forsaken the Lord and prouoked the holy one of Israell to anger these are the meanes wherby God teacheth vs. Neither hath hee taught vs onlie by this late sicknesse of plague and mortalitie for this is the easiest punishment And Dauid chose this to fal in the hand of God but also by these late inundations of raine water wherby he seemeth so angrie with the world that were it not for his promise hee would vtterlie drowne it again such is the wickednesse of men and the thoughts of their hearts inclining to euil that it euen repenteth God that hee made man Gen. 6. And though hee hath made him yet he will destroy him again with waters Neither doth he send this plague of raine and waters at such time of the yeare when it should refresh and comfort the drie earth and do good vnto men but euen in the time of Haruest when we should reape and receiue the fruits of the earth Whereby as wee haue made frustrate his expectation of receiuing fruits at our hands of his word so hath hee made frustrate our expectation of receiuing the fruites of the earth whereby I say hee seemeth so more then much mooued with our sinnes that hee threatneth by these raines and waters that which is farre worse then a plague euen a famine the most greeuous punishment of all punishments When as ten acars of vines shall giue but a quart and thirtie bushels of seed shall giue but an Epha that he should breake the staffe of bread in Ierusalem and that wee should eate bread by weight and drinke water with astonishment That we should haue cleannesse of teeth in all our Cities and scarsnesse of bread in all our Coasts For so did the Lord when he would destroy Ierusalem stretch out his own hand against it by a famin to ouerthrow it when the father did catch meat from the Son the sonne from the Father the mother from her childe the childe from the mother the husband from the wife the wife from the husband and their Children died holding bread betweene their teeth Our sinnes I say haue deserued these plagues this horrible intollerable plague of famin The sicknesse of plague and pestilence is a great and greeuous punishment when we are suddenly strucken that our friends forsake vs and are oftentimes suddenlie called away before repentance The sword of our enemies is a greater punishment when we should flie before our enemies they pursuing vs with swords in their hands to sacrifice vs when in vaine we should cry out to our mercilesse murderers to saue our liues the liues of our wiues and children when there is no iot of mercie or compassion in them but drawe out their swords and sheath them in our bodies the bodies of our Sonnes and of our Daughters but the rod of famine doth farre exceed all these and passeth the degree of admiration Letvs therefore by our timely repentance preuent these plagues and leaue when God teacheth vs by these plagues and punishments to walke in his waies And thus wee haue heard by what meanes God teacheth vs by his word by his blessings and by his afflictions and also who is our teacher euen the Lord God himselfe God the Father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost which spake by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began Teach mee O Lord. I have told you of some teachers yet I haue not shewed you all I haue shewed you Dauids teacher who it is the Lord God is the elects teacher This is the best teacher and it shall be very necessarie for vs to know the worst teacher also that wee may auoide his schoole and take heede of his Doctrine As therefore God teacheth the Elect his schollers so the deuill that olde serpent and sathan teacheth the wicked his schollers most subtilly and cunningly to beguile and deceiue them And his teaching he did begin betimes euen with our parents in Paradice in the beginning anon after God had begun to teach our parents the law the deuil he snatched away that doctrin out of their hearts and insteed thereof taught them another pernitious lesson and doctrine to their owne woe and miserie and ruine of themselues and their whole issue And like a most cunning teacher that hee might vnderstand the minde and disposition of his scholler how shee stood affected to apprehend his Doctrine hee subtillie mooued a question yea hath God said yee shall not eate of euerie tree in the Garden by moouing of which question he had a wonderfull aduantage aud had laied a snare to entrap her howsoeuer for if he found her affection but lame and halting in the Commandement of God not absolutely and resolutely affected thereunto then hee was readie by his suggestion and instinct to make her giue as much credit to a coūtercōmand Ye shall not die at all and thereunto added pleasing obiects the beauty of the Apple and that they should be Gods and know good and euill Thus the Deuill teacheth cunningly subtilly and powerfully he is an ancient teacher of long standing therfore he teacheth cūningly He is a Serpēt there 's his subtiltie he is a Dragon there 's his crueltie Hee is a Lyon there 's his power he is a Prince Ephes. 2. There 's his potencie The Prince that ruleth in the Aire and that worketh in the Children of disobedience He is a cunning Rhetorician he hath artemad vnguem oratory at his fingers end to perswade He is a cunning Arithmetician he can number our vertues thirteene for twelue and thereby puffe vs vp in pride and ambition So he did the Pharisie I am not as other men are extortioners vniust or as this Publican I
DAVIDS TEACHER OR THE TRVE TEACHER OF THE RIGHT-VVAY TO HEAVEN DISCOVERING ERROneous Teachers and Seditious Sectuaries Preached at Paules-Crosse the 3. of September 1609. By Ro Iohnson M. of Arts Chaplaine to the Right Reuerend Father in God the L. Bishop of Lincolne LONDON Printed by T. Haueland for Mathew Law and are to be solde at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard neere S. Austins-gate at the Signe of the Fox 1609. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD THE LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLNE ⸫ TO make triuiall Apologies for publishing bookes in these times were idle since the reasons some alleage for their defence therein are common and ouer-worne And therefore if I should with others vrge the earnest entreatieo friends for a coppie of this Sermon as a reason for publishing thereof rather then the expresse commandement of some which haue authoritie therein and vnto whom I am most obliged in all dutie I could not bee free from such suspition also In which respect since as it was preached so being now published as both my dutie and loue bindeth mee I present it vnto your Lordship with all due respect Humbly desiring that as vnto my vnworthy selfe so also vnto this you would bee pleased to vouchsafe your Patronage If not your pardon But howsoeuer I hope your acceptance since I offer it with a truely deuoted loue I beare towards your Lordship in all dutie And so addressing still my praiers vnto God for your Lordships long health aud prosperitie Irest Your Lordships in all obseruance and dutie ROBERT IOHNSON A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE THE third of SEPTEMBER 1609. Psalm 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end AS the Psalmes of Dauid are rightly entitled The holy Psalmes of Dauid so this Psalme Pellican stileth Sacratissimus Psalmus a most sacred or holy Psalme First holy in respect of the subiect which is the holy law of God and then holy in respect of the Author therof which is the holy Spirit of God that directed the pen and heart of this Psalmograph for the composing thereof And this Psalme is compiled after an alphabeticall order to helpe the memorie And although there be in this Psalme 176. verses yet in euery one of these verses is found one of these ten words according to the number of the ten Commandements of Almighty God viz. the Law the Way the Word the Righteousnesse the Truth Iudgements Precepts Statutes Commandements and Testimonies And this is Dauids ten-stringed Lute wherewith he did solace himselfe and in euery one of these verses he touched one of these strings Neither is this to be thought any absurd tautalogie or idle repetition that these words are so often repeated in this Psalme and one of them found in euery verse For it sheweth vs The wonderfull affection loue and zeale that the children of God haue vnto his lawes and word Therefore Dauid heere out of his loue and zeale that way saith Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end Nay such is his affection to the Law of God that he will not rest so but proceedeth further Direct mee in the path of thy Commandements Nay such is his loue that hee will not stay heere Incline my heart vnto thy testimonies Nay more so great is his zeale to the Commandements of God that he maketh it demonstrable with an Ecce demonstrable in it selfe verse 40. Ecce behold I desire thy Commandements hee stampeth the carecter Ecce vpon it in testimonie of his great loue vnto the Law of God And therefore as all the other verses deserue a carefull and respectiue meditation so this verse which I haue proposed to be handled is most worthy our considerations both propter dignitatem subiecti the excellencie of the subiect which is the Law of God and also propter necessitatem vtilitatem so necessary as nothing is more requisit then hoc vnum this one thing and so profitable if wee respectiuely apprehend it that it cannot but sway our best and worthiest thoughts vnto the loue thereof Teach me O Lord because he was ignorant he desireth a Teacher and because hee would bee sure to haue a good teacher he praieth the Lord to teach him and because he would be sure to learne a good lesson hee desireth the knowledge and practise of Gods Law and because he would not discourage his Teacher by teaching a non proficient hee promiseth to keepe it and that vnto the end The wisdome heerein contained First Doce Teach There 's his ignorance Secondly Teach mee There is the ignorance of the elect themselues without continuall instruction Thirdly the way the narrownesse and difficultie thereof Fourthly of thy statutes the firmnesse and stabilitie thereof I will keepe it There 's his promise respectiuè First I will There 's his free will by grace Secondly keepe it There 's his treasure Thirdly vnto the end There 's his time limited his perseuerance So then 1 Heere is a request 2 And heere is a promise A request to be taught a promise to keepe his lesson Teach me O Lord There 's his request And I will keepe it There 's his promise In the request obserue 1 The subiect of the request in Doce Teach 2 The pattie making request in mee 3 The person vnto whom he maketh this request O Lord. 4 The summe or totall desired The way of thy Statutes In the promise obserue 1 The person promising I will 2 The matter promised keepe it 3 The continuance and time limited how long Vnto the end Let vs now therefore not stay any longer at the doores of my text but let vs enter in to behold the riches and furniture contained therein And if it please you to lend me the hand and goe along with mee I will bee your conduct into the still-yard and storehouse of Gods children and there ye shall take a view of all their treasures which are wonderfull and cause admiration in the true beholders thereof for so he saith vers 129. Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soule loue them 1. Wonderfull in respect of the Authour whose name is wonderfull the mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of peace Isay 9. 6. Secondly wonderfull in respect of the wisdome contained in them Rom. 11. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Thirdly wonderfull in respect of the continuance of their time verse 144. The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is euerlasting These treasures will continue when all other decay and perish For all other treasures vanish away like smoke and are like Zeuxes painted grapes deceiuing poore birds with the onely semblance of grapes when a man thinketh hee hath fast hold of them then they are presently gone from him doe what he can Or like vnto the apples of
maligno est positus all the world lieth in wickednesse Shal we goe to the flesh alasse caro concupiscit aduersus spiritum the flesh lusteth against the spirit the spirit against the flesh that yee cannot doe whatsoeuer ye would Shall wee goe to the Diuel absit he is a tempter and seducer of the brethren Leo rugens a roring Lion and a red Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whome shall wee goe Shall we goe to men alas the children of men are set on fire their teeth are speares arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword Vaine is the helpe of man trust not in Princes nor in any childe of man for there is no helpe in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom shal wee goe To our selues alas least comfort of all our consciences accuse vs as Iosephs brethren accused one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whome then shall we goe To the law the law is a Schoole-master to Christ To prophets they points vs to Christ. To Angels they adore Christ. Reu. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whome shall wee goe to God without Christ Horribile est de Deo siue Christo cogitare It is a fearefull thing to thinke of God without Christ. In the 6. of Iohn 68. when the Disciples that heard Christ began to fal away and grow to an Apostacy he being also iealous of these eleuen said vnto them what will ye also goe away Simon Peter answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whome shall wee goe Lord thou hast the words of eternall life which answer of Simon Peter sheweth vs to whome wee must go to learne to him which hath the words of eternal life Iohn 6. to him which teacheth Dauid and all the elect Psal. 1. 33. To him which is the true Messias promised from the beginning To him which is the true Paschal Lamb that was slaine from the beginning To him which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world To him which is a king which hath the soueraintie of heauen and earth To him which is a priest and that for euer after the order of Melchisedech to him which is a prophet and which spake in and by all the prophets To him which is a king to rule vs a Priest to pray for vs and a prophet to instruct vs. To him which is a King and ruleth his church with his Septrum regni the Scepter of thy kingdome is a right Scepter To him which is a Priest which euer liueth and maketh intercession for vs. To him which is a prophet far excelleth all the Prophets of Iuda To Dauids teacher and Dauids Lord which is the teacher instructer of his elect Teach me O Lord. And this Doctrine brancheth it selfe into two parts 1 By whome God teacheth 2 By what meanes he teacheth God teacheth by himself immediatly in his own essence and nature 1 God himselfe taught our parents both law Gospell Gen. 2. thou shalt not eate of the tree that is in the middest of the garden for in whatsoeuer houre thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death God taught our Parents the Gospell also Genesi 3 the seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head Againe God teacheth vs by his written lawes Exodus 20. God spake all these words and said I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue no other Gods but mee And this law he expounded by the mouth of his Prophets in the succedent ages of world in the daies of the Kings of Iuda and Israel 2 Secondly God teacheth vs by his Sonne or God the Sonne teacheth vs. Heb. 1. God which in times past did diuerslie and many waies speake vnto the fathers by Prophets hath in these last daies spoken vnto vs by his owne Sonne and Math. 9. 35. Iesus went about teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gspell of the kingdome and healing euerie sicknesse and euery disease among the people And Mathew 11. 1. And it came to passe that when Iesus had made an end of commanding his twelue Disciples he departed thence to teach and to preach in their Cities Thus God the Son teacheth vs. Teach me O Lord. 3. Thirdly God the holy Ghost teacheth vs so Iohn 14. 26. When the Comforter is come which is the holy Ghost he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoeuer I haue told you Thus the holy Ghost also teacheth vs which sheweth vnto vs. The dignitie and excellency of the office of preaching the Gospell It is called euangelium regni and ceptrum regni the Gospell ot the kingdome the Scepter of the kingdome the Scepter of the kingdome is a right Scepter there 's the power and dignitie of the Gospell What neede I stand to shew how the worthies of the world haue graced this calling of preaching the Gospel Dauid King of Israel chose to be stiled a prophet Salomon the wise commonly called a preacher Nay our Sauiour Christ himself heauens only Phoenix and earthes great Satrapasse he which hath the soueraignty both of heauen and earth did vndertake this magnum opus this great office and worke of preaching the Gospell Secondly the necessity of teaching and preaching is heere commended vnto vs Teach me O Lord for if this had not beene verie needfull why would Christ himselfe take vpon him this weightie and painefull office So necessarie as nothing is more necessarie then hoc vnum this one thing Martha Martha saith our Sauiour Christ thou art carefull about many things verily one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not bee taken from her If such then be the dignitie and necessitie of this office of teaching preaching the Gospel why are yet the ministers therof so contemned despised why are they so traduced and slandered why is the dignitie of the church so indignified disgraced the orders and constitutions depraued violated her liuings and maintenance so cut and mangled That Prophecie of Esay concerning the Church is now come to passe And the Daughter of Sion shall bee left like a cottage in a Vineyard like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers like a besieged Citie This poore daughter the church is left indeed bare enough now without dowrie without gifts without golde she is robbed of all these As Iacob said Me haue yee robbed of my Children Ioseph is away and Simeon is away wil ye take Beniamin also al those things are against me so may the Church say Me haue ye robbed my maintenance is away my props and pillars decay our greene pastures and rich medowes are drowned by sacriledge all these things are against me ye haue robbed me As the Israelites sometimes robbed the Aegyptians they borrowed Iewels of siluer and Iewels of gold but they neuer meant to pay them againe they robbed the Aegyptians so is the church robbed cousened of her maintenance they haue borrowed