In which fortie yeares he overthrew them and made an end of them with their sinnes Fortie daies and fortie nightes was the raine vpon the earth when all the inhabitants Gen. 7. 12. of the old world except Noah and his family were drowned In those fortie daies and fortie nights the Lord wiped away all wickednesse and crueltie wherewith the earth was corrupted Forty daies are limited to the people of Niâ—eveh for repentaunce And in that space they repented for they beleeved God as it is in Ionah and proclaimed a fast and put on sacke-cloath Ion. 3. 4. 5. from the greatest of them even to the least of them And to speake according to naturall observation it is noted in mankinde generally that an * Plin. nat hist lib. 7. in proâ—m infant doth seldome or never laugh before he be fortie daies old Here we may see that man â—ath iust cause to bee alwaies sorie and to mourne for his sinnes which are the cause of all the miseries of this life When God establisheth perfect righteousnes vpon earth forty of daies and nightes are spoken of as when Moses was called from the sight of the people he was with the Lord in mount Sinai forty daies and forty nights Exod. 24 18 34. 28. in which he fasted miraculously that so the law of God which hee was to deliuer vnto the Israâ—lites might receiue the more honor and authority And againe fortie daies and 1. King â—9 〈◊〉 fortie 〈◊〉 E 〈…〉 h at the calling of the Lord continued â—â—sâ—ing because hee was the minister that should restore the law to the former perfection thereof And our saviour Christ is said to haue fasted Maâ— 4. 2. â—uke 4 2. 〈…〉 and fourtie mightes before hee beganne his publique life and preaching The end of which fast o◠〈…〉 le as * Vpon the harmony of the â—â—aÌ„gell Mat. 4. 〈◊〉 M. Câ—lvâ— doeth well obsetue was that it should bee a seale to the doctrine of the Gospell which as it is more glorious then the lawe of Moses so was it to bee adorned with miracles and rate signes And after he had suffered his passion and was â—â—sen againe hee was seene of his Apostles by the spice of forty daies Act. 1. 3. In which fortie daies he confirmed vnto them the verity of his â—uâ—â—ection Thus we see where vnto this number forty is vsually applyed in holy scriptures For as teâ—â—e is a perfect and absolute number and all supe 〈…〉 numbers doe arise either by adding vnto teâ—â—e oâ— els by multiplying of ten so the multiplying of ten in this number forty declareth vnto vs the louing kindnesse and mercy of God who giueth vnto men such space of daies or of yeares either to see the confirmatioÌ„ of his truth and his workes or to amend and turne vnto him before they bee destroied for their sins and transgressions And here we may learne that our departing from iniquity our faith and obedience to the worde of GOD must bee effectuall earnest and vnsamed and wee must persevere in the same not for one day but fortie dayes or fortie yeares that is so long as the LORDE vvill haue vs to remayne in the vvildernesse of this world Nowe the cause why the LORDE was displeased with his people fortie yeares was sinne For the Apostle sayeth vvas hee not displeased vvith them that sinned vvhose carâ—â—â—ses fell in the vvildernesse The roote and beginning of all sinne is the naturall corruption or originall sinne vvherein all menne are vvrapped from their mothers wombe and vvherevvith mankinde hath beene infected euer since the fall of Adam This corruption bringeth foorth fruite vnto death by transgressing the law of God We sinne three maner of waieâ— three maner of waies that is in thought worde and deede according to the wordes of our saviour Christ affirming that those thinges which desile a man come from the heart For out of the hearte saith hee come Mat. 15. 19. eviâ—â— thoughts These are sinnes and defile thâ— whole man Murthers adulteries fornications theftes These are sinnes in deed False testimonies slaunders These are sinnes committed in word And now all these transgressions and every one of them as they are committed of men are called actuall sinnes And they are Three sorts of actuall sinnes of three sortes One is counted a sinne of infirmitie into the which the godly and regenerate men of God doe commonly fall through the weakenesse of the flesh Of this kinde of sinne speaketh Paule when he saith the evill which I vvould not that do I. And Rom 7. 19. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 8. of this Saint Iohn saith If we saie that wee haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. The second is a sinne of ignorance committed through lacke of knowledge when hee that sinneth knoweth not that he doeth evill Such was the sinne of Paule before his conversion when hee liued a Pharisâ—â— and persecuted the Christians notwithstanding he had zeale and in his life was vnrebukeable Phil. 3. 6. touching the righteousnesse of the law And of this sinne after he was conuerted hee saith I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe 1. Tim. 1. 13. The third kind of sinne is a sinne of malice or a sinne of disobedience to the trueth of God when they that haue experience of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards them and know his word to be the rule of righteousnesse will not for all that forsake their owne waies to followe it and to obey it Such was the sinne of Saul when he did not 1. Sam. 15 9 obey the wordes of Samuel being commanded to destroy the Amalekites and all that appertained vnto them This sinne of disobedience was the sinne of the children of Israell for the which the Lord was displeased with them fortie yeares who knowing the goodnesse of God to bee more extended towardes them then any other nation of the earth did notwithstanding disobey his voice and tempte him â—enne tymes as the scripture witnesseth Num. 14. â—2 And therefore they were reiected of the Lord that they should not enter into his rest and were punished in the wildernesse with horrible plagues where their carkeises fell for an example and a terrour to all that should haue thereof This sinne of maliciouse frowardnes disobedience to the word of God is of all other most fearefull is therefore called rebellion 1. Sam. 15. 23. wickednes idolatrie compared with the sinne of witchcraft And of this kind of sinne Iohn saith hee that commiteth sinâ—s of 1. 10. 3. 8. 9. the deuill And whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not This is therefore the sinne that we must beware of We see how fearefully it was punished in Gods chosen people And their punishments as Paule witnesseth being written to admonish vs might if they were 1. Cor. 10. 〈◊〉 well weyed terrifie the stubborne froward generation of this age and might moue those that preferre the
they lived wee shall finde nothing whereof wee may glorie For indeede it was the Egypte of superstition and spirituall darkenesse and therefore as * Deering vpon the epistle to the Hebr. lect 24. one hath lefte in writing vpon this Epistle to the Hebrewes if wee goe after Baalims vvhich our fathers haue taught vs wee shall bee fedde vvith the wormwoode vvhich our fathers haue leaten Yea let vs assure our selues vvee shall bee beaten vvith more stripes then our fathers if vvee will wittinglie treade in their steppeâ— For as Bulliuger saith if thy forefathers Bulliuget vpon thâ— Apoc. set 35. bad had the like opportunitie vvhich then neglectest vvhat a space vvould they haue runne afore thee And therefore as it shall bee easier for Tyrâ—â— Luke 10. 14. and Sâ—lon at the day of iudgemente then for them that heard Christ and saw his miracles and were not the better therefore so I may say it shall be easier for our forefathers at that day then for them which bring forth no good fruite nor make profession of the trueth beeing preached and made knowne vnto them vvhich hath not beene so revealed to our fathers as it is now to the people of our daies The seconde cause why the Apostle reciteth 2 this scripture of David is that with the example and punishmente of them that tempted and hardened their heartes in the deseâ—te hee mighte terrifie the Hebrevves and make them more carefull to receiue the vvordes of exhortation and to obey the voice of Christ the mediatour of the new testament whose voice as he is greater then Moses so shall they draw vpon them great erpunishment which neglect to heare it The children of Israell of vvhom mention is heere made after they vvere delivered out of Egypt by Moses for al that they had seene the works of God his miracles which he wrought for them in Egypt at the redde sea yet they tempted him in the wildernesse and doubted of his â—goodnesse and providence towardes them and said is the Lord among vs or no because they had not Exod. 17. 7. water at their pleasure This was the provocation which is here mentioned wherewith the Lorde God was tempted in the vvildernes of his own people after that he had delivered theÌ„ out of the hands of their enemies And againe when they should haue gone out of the wildernesse into the land of Canaan to possesse it and to dwell therein where they should haue had rest peace and prosperity yet they beleeved not the worde of God * The chil-dren of Israel are coÌ„manded to goe vp and possesse the land which God had said before them but they say they will sende men to search out the land Deur I. 21. 22. and therefore the Lord sâ—â—ll bearing with them biddeth them len Num. 1â— â—3 how be it the event and issue of their sending declareth that it came from the peopleâ— disobedience to the word of God for the years in which they did bâ—â—râ— their iniquity in the wildernesse are measured with the number or the daies in the which they had searched out the land of Câ—naan Num. 13. 14. 33. 34. but sent twelue men a man out of every tribe of the children of Israell to search the land to know what maner of land it was and whether they might obtaine it or no as if the living God and Lorde of the whole earth which had done so many thinges for them shoulde not nowe bee able to subdue their enemies and to giue them the land according to his promise And when the twelue men returned after fortie daies from searching of the lande and brought with them of the fruite thereof to shewe to all the congregation of the children of Israell tenne of the twelue brought vp an evil report slander vpon the land to these ten men the whole assembly gaue credite and their words to them seemed to bee true And therefore they murmured against Moses and Aaron and would haue made a Num. 14. new captaine to bring them againe vnto Egypt but Ioshua and Caleb two of the twelue that had searched the land al the multitude would haue stoned with stones for the truth sake which these two men reported of the land because they perswaded the people not to rebel against the Lord. Thus the Israelites that came out of Egypt tempted the Lord in the wildernesse and provoked him to anger by following the counsels of their owne harts therefore the Lord saith of theÌ„ as it is in this text they erre â—ver in their hearts and what was then their punishments as I liue saith the Lord I wil surely do vnto you even as ye haue spoken in mine ears Num. 14. 28. 2â— your carkases shall sal in this wildernesse c. And so it came to passe for of the sixe hundreth thousand which came out of Egyptâ— and vvere able to discerne betweene good and evil none but two men Caleb the sonne of Iephiumeth and Ioshua the sonne of Nun which constantly as the scripture saith followed Num. 32. 12 the Lord did enter into the land of Canaan to inhabite it all the rest were consumed in the terrible wildernesse according to the worde of the Lord for Moses saith and the Lord was Num. 32. 13 very angry with Israell and made them wander in the wildernesse fourty yeares vntill all the generation that had done evill in the sighte of the Lorde were consumed And here the text saith therefore I sware in my wrath if they shoulde enter into my rest Where it is said in my wrath we are to vnderstand that God who is a spirite immortal infinite and incomprehensible with whome is 1am 1. 17. no variablenesse neither shadow by turning is not subiect to any of these passions which the scriptures seeme to attribute vnto him as wrath ielousie greefe repentance and the like But these things are figuratiuely applyed to God after the manner of men for our vnderstandinge sake vvhich are not able to conceiue of heavenly things without metaphors allegories â—arables and similitâ—â—es borrowed from earthlie and naturall things which are therefore so much vsed in holy scriptures for ouâ—â— learning And heere by the name of wrath or anger is set foorth the determinate sentence of Gods eternall iustice against sin and disobedience And when it is said that he sware it teacheth vs feare and consirmeth to vs that Gods threatnings fall not to the grounde without Augustine in Psal 95. full effect For as Aurelius Augustine saith vpon this place iurantem hominem debes timere thou oughtest to feare when a man sweareth least for his oths sake he should do that which is * As Herod did Mar. 6. 26. when he caused Iohn Bapsist to be beheaded against his will howe much more saith he oughtest thou to feare when God sweareth who can sware nothing rashlie his oath is a sure confirmation Wheras in deed as another father saith
that God beareth with vs the more terrible will be his reuengment if we abuse his benignitie winke at the testimonies of his wrath shewed vpon others for our example Now hauing such euident testimonies of Gods seuere iudgmeÌ„ts in al ages reuealed against the vnrighteousenes and vnbeleefe of men as the Apostle saith here of the vnbeleeuing Israelits we see that they could not enter in because of vnbeliefe so we see declare vnto you by the same word of trueth which we ministerâ— that all obstinate and vnbeleeuing sinners which will not obey the trueth shall not enter in to the rest of life euerlasting or haue any part in the felicitiâ— of the faithfull Do we therfore iudge men no in no wise The word which we minister is the iudge and by it we denounce the iudgments of God against them which obey not this word instructing them with meeknes prouing iâ— God at any time will giue theÌ„ repeÌ„tâ—nce that they may come to the knowledge of his truth for this is the iudgment of the spirite of God hee that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth â—o 3 36. on him and he that is in this vnbeliefe though he fasi from meaâ—â— though he say many praâ—ers though he giue much to the poore though he build churches and do many gloriouse workes doeth yet nothing acceptable to God while he beleeueth not in the sonne while hiâ— heart cleaveth not to the word of the Lord. For as it is written without faith it is vnpossible to please God and againe Hebâ— 11. 6 Rom. 14 23 what soeuer is not of faith is sinne So far is the carnal maÌ„ which is possessed with vnbeliefe froÌ„ pleasing of God that all his workes euen the best deedes that he doeth are nothing els but sinne Many there be which doe many thinges that haue in deed as the Apostle saith a shew Col. 2. 23. of wisedome in voluntary religion but if you aske these people from what faith their works do proceede and vpon what promises of God coÌ„tained in his word their faith is setled they will commonly say that though they know not these things yet hope they to bee saued as wel as your selfe But be not deceiued for this hope is no hope It is not the auker of the soule both sure and stedfast And your faith is no Heb. 6. 19. faith so long as it be not built vpon the rocke of Gods worde which is the iewell that you should desire more then gold and finde to be sweeter then hony and the hony combe But while Psal 19 19. you builde vpon the devises of your owne heart your adversary when the day of triall coÌ„meth wil overthrow your whole building which is not grounded vpon the rocke but vpon the vnsure sand Wherfore if you wil enter into Gods rest dwel safely froÌ„ the feare of evill your heart must be purified by faith and as you heare dayly faith is by hearing hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17 If hitherto you haue beene dul of hearing or slow of heart to beleeue this word giue now the more diligence to heare and to exercise your selues therin least it be taken away from you for your former negligence vnthankfullnes For so the Lord threatneth by his Propher bebould the daies come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the laÌ„d Amoâ— 8. 11 12. not a famine of bread nor a thrist for water but of the hearing of the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea from the North euen vnto the East shall they runne is fro to seeke the word of the Lord shall not finde it This is a famine more to be feared then any famine of materiall bread For this falmine of hearing the word of God is a tokeÌ„ of reprobation a signe that God doth vtterly forsake cast away that people or nation where it is sent For when God taketh away the light of his word what shall we find but hellâ—â—h darkenesse the shadowe of death this is the â—ust iudgment of God for the vnbeliefe of them that shall nos enter into his rest Beholde now therfore the accepted time behold 2. Cor. 6. 1. now the day of saluation For yet it is called to day yet wisedome vttereth her voice in the Heb. 3. 13. Pro. 1. 20. streets open assemblies of our people promiseth that whosoeuer obeyeth her shall ver 33. dwel safely be quiet froÌ„ the fear of euil Be hold now the Lord stadeth at the dâ—â—re knockeeâ—â— saying if any man heare my voice opeÌ„ the Rev. 3 20. doore I will come in vnto him and will suppâ— with him he with me To this Lord that hath made his voice to be heard among vs now aboue fourty yeeres long and yet continueth vnto vs the glorious day of his grace be praise in the church throughout all generations for euer Let vs humble our selues before the throÌ„e of grace and pray FINIS A GODLY AND NECESSARY SERMON against fleshly lustes and against certaine mischievous May-games which are the fruite thereof Preached vpon the first Sabbath day in Maie in the yeere 1598. By H. R. Master of Artes and now Minister of the word Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirite and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie one to the other Printed at Oxford by Joseph Barnes and are to be sold in Paules church yard at the signe of the Bible 1600. To the Reader THis sermon ChristiaÌ„ Reader should haue bene published together with another of the sufferings agonâ—es of our sauiour Christ of his victorie over death but that some which would be counted the soundest clarkes and yet brâ—ach not the soundest doctrine to the world want not their fauourers and meanes to stoppe the way of all such things as do not concord say amen to whatsoeuer they haue sayd fastened vpon the world for truth Omitting therfore things that must be deferred I haue here adioined to these six lectures â—ntitled the day of hearing a sermon vpoÌ„ a text of the Apostle Peter exhorting to abstaine from fleshly lusts For as the sonne of Sâ—rach forbiddeth vs to keepe backe our counsell when Eccl. 4. 23. it may do good so the afore named Apostle of Christ commanudeth vs euerie man as he hath receiued the gift to minister the same one to 1. Pet. 4. 10. another Wherfore as time place required as God â—nabled me to be an instrument of his mercy I haue brâ—fly intreated of the perillous bondage and thraldoâ—e into the which we are brought through the lusts of our owne flesh that seeing our selues to be in a dangerous case we may be the more sâ—irred vp to watch by Gods garâ—â— to haue victoriâ— against such inuincible aduersaries And wheÌ„ I taught these
things nâ—w more theÌ„ a yeere and a halfe agone occasion was giueÌ„ that I could do no lesse then in their owne colour as neere as I wâ—â— able set forth the manifold evills incoÌ„venienceâ—â— of certaine offensiue vnlawful games specialâ—y of 〈◊〉 may poles Which though it be a doctrine not acceptable nor welcome to the world specially to such aâ— be louers of vaine pleasures more thâ—â— louers of God yet must we not for fear of meÌ„ keepe backe those things which may do good These poles sâ—t vp maintained to stand in â—co many places of this lâ—â—d are evident markes of coÌ„tempt of the word of God true godlinesse and therfore â—s we haue alreadie by the late dearth scarcitie of foode that hath bâ—ne by sundrâ—e plagnes straÌ„ge sicknesses tasted of Gods anger against such contempt of his Gospelâ—â— so except as the Propheâ— exhorteth â—sâ— 55. 6. 〈◊〉 seeke the Lord while he may be sound and call vpon him while he is neere it is to be sâ—arâ—a that his wrath wil in greater measure be â—owred out vpoÌ„ the inhabitaÌ„ts of this land to the perpetuallâ—â—â— of them that haue neglected despiseâ— the gratâ—ous time of Gods â—alâ—ng For what can the end of the world which is so set on wickednesse loâ—ke for but blâ—odie warres sudden sorrowes deadly calamâ—â—ies 〈◊〉 that we would iudge our selues that we â—ight not be iudged of the Lord. The magistrate the minister if they do the worke of the Lord either negligently or deceitfully must thinke that other mens blood shall be required at their handes Pray therfore that all which are in authoritie al that haue the charge of mens soules committed vnto them may alwayes be found faithfull and vigilant to resist sinne and offences not fearing nor fauouring the person of any mortall man whose breath is in his nostrelles And pray that we all what calling or condition soeuer we be of may be alwayes mindfull of our vow made in our baptisme to sight against sinne the world the flesh till we become conquerors through Christ Iesus to whoâ— be all prayse dominion for euermore Against fleshly lustes 1. Pet. 2. 11. Deerely beloved I beseech you as strangers and Pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule IN this parcel of scripture which you haue heard this morning as it is vsually read in the church this day the Apostle Peter as an excelleÌ„t instrumeÌ„t of the holy Ghost warneth the Christians of the Iewes of the imminent perill not of theeues nor of violent robbers nor of wilde beasts nor of forraine enemies but of the lustes of their owne flesh which are the more dangerous and the more hard to be avoided because they are inseparable companions of the flesh and nature of man In the former chapter of this epistle exhorting them to holines purity of living he putteth them in Minde that they were not redeemed from their vaine conversation as hee 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. saith with corruptible things as silver and golde but with the precious bloode of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot in the consideration wherof they might more clearly see what they were before their calling what they are now being called sanctified in Christ Iesus They must walke therfore in their Christian race to withstand the continualâ—assaults of their spirituall enemies among which the lusles of the flesh are not the least nor the casiest to be subdued for that they fight against the soule so long as this life lasteth and bring forth fruite vnto eternall death Peter directeth this doctrine to theÌ„ which beleeued of his owne nation the Iewes notwithstanding it appertaineth to all Christians which haue obtained the like saith to become the true seede of Abraham For as the beleeuing â—ewes to whom hee writeth this Epistle were at that time strangers scattered among the gentiles had lost the lande of Iudea so as they were ChristiaÌ„s they were also strangers vpon earth and so are all the faithfull what nation of people soeuer they be of albeit that they liue and dwell in their natiue countrie where they were borne and brought vp It behoueth them therfore being strangers to be more circumspect and carefull to resist their enemies these enemies are the lustes of the flesh which fight against the more excellent part of man euen against the soule Here we may learne that man as he hath a body of flesh wherein his soule dwelletâ— is an enemie vnto himselfe This may seeme to bee a strange Paradox or a thing that most men because of the ignoraunce that is in them will not beleeue But the true Christian that walketh not after the flesh but after the spirite findeth and feeleth it to bee true according as it is vvritten I see another lavve in my members Rom. 7. 23. 24. rebelling against the lavve of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the lavve of sinne vvhich is in my members O vvretched man that I am vvho shall deliuer me from the body of this death And the heathen man by the lighte of Socrates nature coulde finde out the true cause of mans wretchednesse vvhereof hee thus speaketh the chiefe cause of all evilles that happen to man is man himselfe for hee through his greedy lustes and desires troubleth both himselfe and all other creatures Chrysostome in a certaine treatise of his Nâ—â—â— lâ—dâ—tur nisi aseipso doeth notablye prooue that no manne is hurt but of himselfe for as he saith hee that hurteth not himselfe can of none be hurt as Kaine sudas Iscartot king Pharaoh such others could not haue perished if the cause of their confusion that is the lusts of their own flesh which prevailed against them had not beene within them And contrary wise Iob Ioseph Daniell the Apostle Paule and al good men could not be hurt though for a time they did suffer and tooke in good worth the spoyling of their goods slaunder imprisonment persecution and al â—â—â—ury at the hands of them which did hurt and yet did to them no hurt because with patience they resisted not giving place to the motions of fleshlie lustes These lusts are those mighty enemies which overthrow the stoutest and the wisest among the sonnes of men King David and Salomon his son with other godly men haue beene grievously wounded herewith But the prowd man is overcome of them as Nebuchadn 〈…〉 r was of his prowd lusts The voluptuous man the drunkard and the vaine glorious in Apparell is overthrowne of his owne lusts as Dives was The covetous man as â—udaâ— was and the wanton fornicatour As if that story be true the vniust Iudges were that condemned chast Susanna Seeing therfore that our flesh is as a strong castl that defendeth so many lustes which fight against the soule as there be diversities of sinnes we are well admonished of the Apostle as strangers pilgrims to looke to our selues and to
taught in diuerse places of holy scriptures to haue a care of our brethren and to instruct them so Paule saith to the Thessalonians exhorte one another and edifie one 1 Thesse 5. 11. another even as ye doe And because he deserueth not the name of a Christian whosoever is ignorant of the ground of faith and religion contained in the sacred scriptures and is not able to edifie another nor to speake as the word of God Therefore the same Apostle writeth to the Romanes I am perswaded of you my brethren that yee also are full of goodnesse and filled with Rom. 15. 14 all knovveledge and are able to admonish one another The doctrine of the holy GHOST delivered by the Apostles as it appeareth in their writings is full of such exhortations as ediâ—ie one another exhorte one another be fulfilled with the spirite But Satan the enemy of all trueth hath alwaies too many of his side which are against this doctrine yea and in these daiâ—â— some that haue the name to bee preachers I pray God they bee not for Baal whose voâ—ce soundeth let not artificers husbandmen and menne vvithout learning busie themselues with holy scriptures and with matters of faith and religion let them not goe aboute to tell other men what they shoulde doe and to admonish other men of their errors tracteâ—â— fabriâ—â—a fabri let them meddle with those things they haue to doe and take no care of other men though they bee in an errour This is the wisedome of the flesh and here we see how contrary it is to the wisedome which is from aboue and teacheth vs to exhort to edifie and to admonish one another what calling vvhat trade of life or vvhat condition soever we be of For God hath alwaies required this duetie of mutuall exhortation of them that professe his name as it is written thou shalt not hate thy brother in Levit 19. 17 thine heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne For this cause Augustine saith that every Christian hath the August do verb. domini serm 16. keies in his hande to binde and to loose his brother vpon earth for when he giveth him warning and admonition if he heare him he hath won him but if he despise him he hath boundâ— him because the wordes of exhortation taken out of the doctrine of Christ and his holy scriptures are a favour either to life or to death by whomsoever they bee spoken or delivered For we haue learned that not only the minister of the word but also all Christians without exception are commanded to instruct and exhorte their brethren the greater that every one is in respect of his place or calling the greateriâ— his charge herein and the more cause hee hath to covet vvith that faithfull servaunt of the LORDE Moses that all the Num. 11. 29. Lordes people vvere Prophetes and that the Lorde woulde put his spirite vppon them that so they might be able to teach one another that none might perish for lacke of knowledge For the Lord complaineth that his people is goâ—e into captiuitie because they had Isa 5. 13. no knowledge If there be no knowledge there caÌ„ be no exhortation then no setting free from the captiuitie of sâ—nne The time to exhort and likwise to learne is while it is called to day It must not be deferred or put over till to morrow for the scripture saith yee cannot tell what shall be to morrow Iam. 4. 14. By the date in this place is not meant the whole course of our life as some haue taught vpon this text But the daie is taken for the acceptable time of grace in which the wisedome of God vttereth her voice amoÌ„g vs inviteth vs to the marriage of the kings son For not withstanding that no time while we liue vpon the earth is to late to amendment of life yet the Gospell of Christ which is the light of the world that teachceth vs faith and repentaunce may bee taken from vs and then it is night and no daie even as it is this day with the Turkes â—he Papistes and all other nations of the earth to whom the Lord hath not giuen the light of his holy worde thought they haue the naturall daie yet haue they not the daie of grace but they walke in the night of ignoraÌ„ce superstitioÌ„ in which they goe out of the waie and perish VVe haue had this day almost this fortye yeares and yet so farre are we from beeing able to exhort one another that the most part of our elder men and women haue not yet learned the meaning of their baptisme oh how lamentably haue these people beene hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne And will you stil walke in this feareful darknesse not come into the light of â—he day now let the sunne of right cousnesse shine in your hearts For even this day it is called to day and we know not how long this day wil last but when it is past it will not be redeemed though wee would seeke it with teares Heb. 12 17. as Esau sought the blessing and yet was reiected because the day was past Now that which hardeneth vs is the deceitfulnesse of sinne If sinne were not deceitfull it could not overcome nor prevaile against so many men and all sortes of people and all ages as it doeth It prevaileth against old men which in respect of time ought to be teachers and deceiveth them that notwithstanding they be come to that age that their strength is but labour and sorrow yet wil they not giue over the loue of this world for it is with them as Cicero saith there is none Cicero lib. de sâ—nectuâ—e so olde which doeth not thinke himselfe able to liue one yeare And so deferring from yeare to yeare and from day to day the hoare head is childishly deceiued and al his experience cannot draw him out of the snares of sinne It deceyueth youth and middle age and telleth them it is time inough to serue God and to be religiouse when old age shall approch and being deceyued they will not heare veritie which saith remember now thy creator in the dayes of thy youth For when age Eccle. 1. 12. cometh then are the evill dayes and the yeares wherin thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them Sinne is so craâ—tie and deceitfull that it deceyueth euen the wyse and the prudent of this world it is obserued in the little beast Chameleon that it can change it selfe into all coloures that it siâ—teth vpon except white But there is no colour or â—hew of vertue which sinne cannot chaunge itselfe into For therby it deceyueth and hardeneth all sinners It cometh to the coneteouse man hauing the colour and name of good husbandrie and not of coueteousnes and so hardeneth him It cometh to the drunkard not vnder the â—ame of drunkenes but of good felowshippe and hardeneth him so that
so no man can stande or walke in the way of life without faith vvhich is the thing that quickeneth evene true Christian and is vnto him a rising againe from death vnto life through Christ the saviour For even as the body is dead without the soule so the soule is dead without faith and therefore Augustine writeth Super 10. tract 49. auima â—uâ— anima siâ—es est faith is the life of thy soule And againe where the A postle faith that Christ may dwell in your heartes by Eph. 3. 17 faith How should Christ dwell in my heart hee answereth thy faith in Christ is Christ dwelling in thine heart And nowe speaking of this faith that iustifieth the elect of God we must note that it differeth from other giftes of the spirite which in the scriptures haue the name of â—aith that so we may the better vnderstand what that faith is whereby we are said to be iustified and made the sonns of God There is therefore an illumination or inlightning 4 Kindes of faith of some mens mindes to consent to the doctrine of the Gospell and to receiue it for the infallible truth of God for in the gospel they that ar on the stones which Mat. 13. 20. 21. Mat. 4. 16. 17. Luk. 8. 13. receiue the word with ioy but haue no root are said to beleeue for a tune but in the time of temptation they fall away This beleefe or faith for a time is commonly called temporary faith because it is not permanent nor effectuall to iustification but it is a faith that reprobates haue that are yet in the state of condemnation There is also a gift of doinge Miracles which an vngodlie or reprobate man may haue and this is called the faith of miracles of the which 1. Cor. 13. 2. the A postle speaketh if I bade all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothinge This faith or gifte maketh no man partaker of Christ Thirdlie there is a generall kind of acknowledging the word of God and the historie of the Gospell to be true and that Christ is such a sauiour of men as the scriptures do report of him and yet he that so beleeueth cannot apply the grace of Christ nor the comfort of GODS promises confirmed in CHRIST to himselfe He cannot beleeue the remission of sinnes to belong to himselfe for CHRISTES sake This is called faith historicall and is common both to the devilles and to reprobate men And of this kinde of faith the Apostle Iames faith thou beleevest that there is one God thou doest well the devilles also beleeue it and treâ—ble Iam. 2. 19. Lastly the faith which the Apostle speaketh of in this text and which is proper to Gods childreÌ„ only is called a pastifying faith because it apprehendeth and layeth hold on the iustification which is in CHRISTIE-SVS Some learned devines make of these 4. sorts of faith but two wherof the one as they cal it is a faith of Christ and this is such as the de vils false Christians haue the other a faith in Christ such as true Christians haue Yet for difference betweene the faith of repiobate men and the saith that devils are said to haue the former kind of faith to wit a faith of Christ is devided of others as we haue hard into a temporary faith a 〈…〉 h of miracles and a faith historicall Nowe the faith in CHRIST which none but the godly areindued with is defined in the 11. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Heb. 11. 1. to bee the substaunce of thinges vvhich are hoped for and the demonstration of thinges vvhich are not seene It is called the substance or grounde or the state of the soule for that we liue by it I liue faith the Apostle yes not I Gal. 2. 20. now but Christ liveth in me and in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the sonne of God VVhen the scripture faith that wee are iustified by faith it signifieth as much as that we are set free from the penaltie of the law and acquitted from the sentence of condemnation For this word iustification is the contrary to condemnation and without Christ it is manifest that all men are in the state of condemnation as it is written like vvise then as by the offence of one the fault came Rom. 5. 18. on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying if â—ne the benefite abounded towarde all men to the iustification of life This is the free gifte of GOD to bee iustified by faith and counted righteous in the sighte of GOD through the imputation of CHRISTES righteousnesse VVee conclude faith the Apostle Rom. 3. 28. that a man is iustified by faith vvithout the workes of the law And againe being iustified by faith wee haue peace toward God through Rom. 5. 1. our Lord Iesus Christ And to the same effect againe being now iustified by his blood we shall be saued from wrath through him Thus we see Rom. 5. 9. how the faith that iustifieth differeth from other faithes which reprobate men and devils are said to haue VVe see also the vertue and propertie of this faith and what it is to be iustified by it But in that we are said to be made partakers of Christ by a right faith we are further to note two thinges in the vertue and quality of this faith that iustifieth I he one is the assurance of our saluation because our sinns are for giueÌ„ vs. The other is the assurance of our glorification with Christ in life eternall for where remission of sinnes is there is also life everlasting Touching the assurance of our saluation we are sure to be saued because we beleeue and are surely Perswaded that the price of our redemption is * Christ hath in his owne person sustere whatsoever was due to our sins hath therby fully â—reed vs froÌ„ the ire of God the curse of the law Of his sufferings I haue else where spoken more at large which iflets were not should haue beene published fully and sufficiently paid For the holy Ghost witnesseth God so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotteÌ„ son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 10. 3. 16. again he beareth witnesse saying the sonne of man came Wherfore to giue his life for the raÌ„some of many or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is interpreted of the best translatours for the price of the redemption Mar. 10. 45. of many This assureth vs of full satisfaction made for our sinnes For to ransome or to redeeme is properly vsed to signifie the desiverance of captiues when man for man or life for life is redeemed So Christ being the good shepheard did giue his own life for the life of his sheepe And 10. 10. 11. Gal. 3. 13. thereby hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law when he
then most desperately when Caleb and Ioshua rebuked them that they shoulde not rebell against the Lord neither feare the people Num. 14. 6. 7. 8. 9. of the land of Canaan who should bee but bread for them knowing that the Lorde whose word is a sure rocke would giue them the land according to his promise These thinge when they hearde they so proucked that they woulde haue stoned Caleb and ver 10. Iâ—s 〈…〉 By these examples we may learne how coÌ„trarie and repugnant the wisedome of flesh and blood is to the wisedome of the holie Ghost for it is not subiect as saieth the Apostle Rom. 8. 7. to the law of God neither indeed can be And for this cause the Lord saith as the heaueÌ„s are Isa 55 9. higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts This is it therefore why the nations of the worlde and the most part of men in all ages haue affected sought after false counterfeit religions as most agreeable with the corruption of mans nature at the hearinge whereof no man might be displeased nor made to prouoke Such were the inuentions of the HeatheÌ„ they were content to receiue subscribe to any religion or rather idolatrie except the religion of the true euerliuing God The Egiptians as it is recorded of them worshipped so many fayned Godes that their seuerall sacrifices and ceremonies are said to haue beene more then sixe hundreth sixtie in number The Grecians imitated them The old Romans in processe of time exceeded them in the number of superstitious religions But for all that the Romans woulde neuer consente to worshippe the GOD of Israel nor to receiue the religion of that people because they knew that hee must bee vvorshipped accordinge to his commaundemente and not as they would The religion of Mahomet which now the Turkes doe mainetaine was patched togither of the inventions of Mahomet and of the devises of certaine prophane and vvicked men in such vvise that the ignoraunt multitude might haue no cause to dislike of the same that so they might drawe the more people to â—ome with them in their sect But the doctrine of CHRIST and his Apostles they sought by all meanes to slaunder and treade vnder foote and they doe still provoke as oft as they heare it because it is the doctrine of truth We caÌ„not deny that our forefathers withal the adherentes of the false church of Rome haue most fearefully provoked the Lord for the space of fiue hundreth yeares at the least by consentinge to suppresse the holye scriptures that they shoulde not bee published to the vnderstanding of the common people and by persecuting and killing the little flocke of Christ which professed to be saued by faith alone in Christ Iesus and not by the law nor by workes It is too well knowne that such hath beene the fruit of Antichrist making ignorance the mother of deuotiò devising so many new Gods or dead meÌ„ to be called vpon praied vnto for help that in number the Gods of the heathen haue not exceeded theÌ„ With these the like impreties that sonne of perdition the bishop of Rome hath of long time provoked the God of truth and mightely bewitched the vnthankefull world For as it is written in the Popes owne * Gratian as distinct 44. si papa law he hath not onely beeâ—e remisse and negligent of his owne and his brethrens salvatioÌ„ but perversitas Papa 〈…〉 mâ— rabiles populos catervatim secum duxit ad geheâ—nam the Popes maliciousnes hath drawne with him to hell innumerable people by heapes And what shall we say of the provoking of these daies in which the people of this land being brought out of the Popes Egypt of darke ignorance and superstition and having heard the doctrin of Moses of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles now fortie yeares long even so many yeares as the children of Israel heard the same doctrine of faith in the wildernesse yet Atheisme superstition and contempt of the truth are so rife every where that Caleb and Ioshua the messengers of the truth cannot perswade men to forget Egypt and to set their minde vpon the land of promise Surely this must be the greater condemnation of the world that Io. 3. 19. light is come into the world and men loued darkenesse more then light Here we see that all men are naturally inclined to superstitioÌ„ and idolatrie And therfore no man that continueth in sinne and neglecteth the calling of God shall be excused because so many ages and so many people our fathers and our forefathers haue so liued yea haue so prouoked the Lord and walked in the broad way that leadeth to destruction all such examples of disobedience if we wil sinne after them shal as hath beene already said aggravate our punishment because the Lorde hath caused them to come to our knowledge for our admonition For whosoever shall follow the wicked fact of Caine to shed innocent bloode shal be punished seaven folde more then Caine was because Gen. 4. 15. he is warned by Caines example to abstaine from murther And all those plagues which happened vnto the Israelits in the wildernesse for their infidelitie murâ—uâ—ing came for examples sake arâ— written saith Paul to aâ—monish vs vpon whom the ends of the 1. Cor. 10. â—1 worlde are come And fâ—r this â—â—use the Lord would hâ—â—e his dreadfull iudgments which haue bene executed against the sinnes of former times to be in al ages tould and preached vnto the worlde that men might be warned thereby to amend their liues as we may see by those messengers which came to Iob one aâ—ter another to tell him of Gods iudgmentes shewed vpon his caâ—â—ell his servantes his children Everie one of these messengers saith I onely aâ— escaped alone To Iob 1. 15 16 17. 19. what end or wherefore are they escaped it followeth to tell thee And to the same effect the Lord saith by Ezeâ—â—el I will leaue a litle Eze. 12. 16. number of them from the sworde from the famine from the pestilence To what end that they may declare saith he all these abominations among the heathen where they come We are then sufficiently admonished by the examples of former ages what will be the punishment of euill are taught what examples we must follow to wit the examples of good men wherof we haue some in all ages of the world The Apostle saith here that not all which came out of â—gypt by Moses provoked VVee must looke on them that provoked not but obeyed the word of the Lord though they be but few among many thousandes of disobedient and vnfaithfull people It seemeth that the younger forte which were vnder twentie yeares olde among Num. 14. â—9 the childreÌ„ of Israel provoked not the Lord or if they did yet by the testimony of the Apostle here there was a remnant left
among those murmuring people which obeyed the word of the LORDE as Moses and Aaron Caleb and Ioshua vnto those few we must haue an eâ—e and not vnto the multitude of sinners For the LORDE saith thou shalt not follovve a multitude to doe evill Exod. 23. 2. neither agree in a controversie to decline after manie and overthâ—ovve the trueth And therefore vvicked is that common saying vvhich hath beene alleadged of the Papistes communis error facit 〈…〉 s a common errour or consent in evill standeth for a law Notwithstanding that at all times and in all places the more parte of men which are evill giue euill examples to drawe others vnto sinne vvhich is the cause that Christ saith woe bee vnto the worlde because of offences for it must needes be that offences shall Mat. 18. 7. come c. Yet as the Apostle speaketh we are Heb. 12. 1. coÌ„passed about with a great cloud of witnesses or goode examples which we must imitate so loÌ„g as we liue in the wildernesse of this world We haue the Patriarchs the Prophetes and the Saintes of the old testament Wee haue Christ himselfe the authour and finisher of nor saith we haue the Apostles Confessours and martyrs in the time of the new testament for an example to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake and in all thinges to obey the will of God And vvithin the period of these last fiue hundreth yeeres euen in the florishing time of Antichrist we haue those faithfull coâ—sesâ—ours though they were but few in number that we haue heard of which haue resisted Antichristian iniquitie euen vnto blood we haue them I say for an example of loue and long patience witnessing vnto vs that in those dayes of desolation and popish tyrannie all did not prouoke the Lord nor fall away from the right saith For as in the dayes of Elâ—ah when that 1. King 19. 10. wicked woman Iezebel hade persecuted the Lordes Prophetes and when the true worship of God seemed to bee vtterlie abolished oâ—t of the land seuen thousand were reserued though none of them was knowne ver 18. to Elâ—ah which had not consented to idolatrie so in the dayes of our forefathers many thousandes did obey the Gospell of saluation did not defile their garmeÌ„ts with Popish idolatrie and of them the Lord hath made some to bee knowne to the worlde and their memoriall to remaâ—ne as monumentes of his grace for our comfort and example And to come to examples neerer to our time to our selues I haue heard it credibli reported that when here in EnglaÌ„d within these * When this was preached iâ— was the yeare 1598. fiue fourtie yeeres many of the Saintes and true beleeuers did constantly suffer martyrdome for the testimonie of the word of God ther were here in Sussex whole parishes of men and women which for all the heat of that greeuous persecution in the The constancy of suâ—â—ex people in the prosession of the Gospell dayes of Queen Mary came not at the false church not bowed the knee to the idole of the Masse beside those that were martyiâ— which with their blood haue sealed the confession of their faith And as it is best knowne to them that professe religion haue long knowne this countrie there were also diuers which testified their loue obedience to the Gospell by assembling together at coÌ„uement times in woodes and â—â—liâ—aâ—ie places where they had the word of saith puâ—elie taught the sacramentes administered The Lord protecting theÌ„ from the cruelty of those daies These are as cloudes of witnesses for our example that we should follow their faith obedience to the word of God And now in our dayes notwithstanding that the love zeale of many doeth waxe colde and that the dâ—rnell and wilde oates doâ— over-growe the good corne that for the most parte wee canne see nothing but the multitude of luke-vvarme and irreligions people yet are there many faithfull witnesses sincere professoures of the Gospel of God among vs. But alas as the world is alwayes like it selfe we are so far from following the saith example of the Saintes that while they liue among vs we cease not to speake euil of them to persecute them â—hus we see that the Lord leaueth no time no not when it seemeth that the professors of his name are rooted out of the earth without worthy vvitnesses of his trueth whose steppes wee must tread in vnlesse we will runne in the broad waye that leadeth to destruction It followeth but with whome was hee displeased fourtie yeeres was hee not displeased with them that sinned vvhose carkeâ—ses fell in the vvildernesse Heere commeth the long suffering and bountifulnesse of God to be considered who neuer destroyeth any people nor any childe of man for their wickednesse before they be sufficiently warned and haue time to repent and to turne from their evill waies if they will Before hee brought a stoode of waters to drowne the olde worlde hee gaue them that then had sinned the space not of fortie but of three times fortie yeares â—or â—epentance Hee Geâ— 6. 3. burned not the cities of Sâ—dom and Gomorah with fire and brimstone from heauen Geâ— 19. 24. 25. 〈◊〉 Pet. 2. 8. before hee had giuen them time to amend and warning from day to daie by righteous Lot And of that vngodlie woman Iezabell the Lord saith I haue giueÌ„ her space To what end to repent of her foâ—nication shee repented not so Rev. 2. 20. 21. here the holy Ghost saith that forty yeares he was displeased with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt So long endured hee their maners and intollerable rebelling against his word in the wildernesse Here we may learne as the Apostle warneth vs to walke circumspectly to â—edeeme Eph. 5. 15. 16. the time remembring also what hee saith of them that abuse the time of repentance despisesâ— thou the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and Rom. 2. 4. patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leâ—â—eth thee to repentance â—et a Christian therefore be careful to vse wel the time wherein he liuetâ— considering that while he is in this world he is in a wildernesse of innumerable dangers and temptations wheâ—e it be hooveth him to watch and to be circumspect or els he is in a desperate case heapeth vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath whosoeuer he be that despiseth Gods long patience Fortie yeares This number fortie is oftentimes vsed in the holy scriptures and is commonly applied to the time of repentanceâ— of abolishing of sinne and stablishing of righteousnes And it teacheth vs that the works of God are perfect and that when he beginneth he maketh an end As here fortie yeares he was displeased with the Israelites in the wildernesse according to the number of the Num. 14. 33. 34. daies in the which they had searched out the land of promise
same Moreouer let no man flatter himselfe thinke that he is safe from Gods iudgmentâ— if he hath noâ— so tempted God as the Israelits did in the wilderâ—es or if he hath not so murmured against his ministers as they did but let him rather coÌ„sider whether his faith and obedience hath bene so tried as theâ—â—s was whether without murmuring distrust he hath gone through the fire water of temptation which they were brought vnto for their triall according as the scripture witnesseth thou shalt remember all the way Deut. 8. 2. which the Lord thy God led thee this fourtie yeare in the wildernes for to humble thee and to proue thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements or no. Here we see that the Lord exercised the Israelits with great daungers and many difficulties of the terrible wildernes for to humble them and to know whether with sound and faithfull heartes they would cleaue to him abide his triall If thou hast not then bene exercised with diuers temptations as they were or if thou aâ—t not yet come into the day of triall perswad not thy selfe that all is well with thee because thou standest when none doth sight against thee Say not like the church of the Revel 3. 17 â—aodiceans that thou art rich because thou knowest not thy wretchednes pouertie and that thou hast neede of nothing because thou seest not thy nakednes It is an easie thing to ouercome where theiâ— is no battell to promise to thy selfe the victorie before thou aâ—t tried That lesson of the King of Israel is worthy to be remembred let not him 1. King 10. 11. that gâ—rdâ—th his harâ—es boast himselfe as hee that putteth it of And that of the Apostle is a notable warming let him that thinketh hâ—â— 1. Coâ— 10. 1â— standeth take heede least he fall Thirdly specially let vs here learne that if such sinnes iniquities as are equal to the sinns of the Israelits in the wildernes be not visited with the like plagues as theirs were they shall not therfore escape vnpunished For there is a iudgment to come the Lord hath sworne that the vnfaithfull vnrighteouse which disobey his word shall not enter into his rest This is a sure testimonâ—e that putteth away all doubt for if anoath for Heb 6. 16. confirmation among men be an end of all strifâ— as are the wordes of the Apostle how much more doth it take away al occasioÌ„ of doubting when the Lord almightie bindeth himselfe with an oath The interrogation which the Apostâ—e vseth in these wordes to whom sware hee that they should not enter into his rest doeth more significantly expresse the punishment of not obeying And here is also vsed a figuratiue kind of speech wherby lesse is said theÌ„ 〈◊〉 vnderstood wherby we gather that there are dreadfull punishments ordeined for all obstinate vnbeleeuing sinners For what ensueth from not eÌ„tering into the rest of immortality but to haue thy parte portion with them which are shut out of the citie of â—od what part haue they the holy Ghost declareth in these wordes the fearfull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable Revel â—1 8. murtherers wheremongers sorcerers and idolaters and all â—â—ers shall haue their portion 〈◊〉 the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the seconâ— death This is the wages of sin disobedience although the time of payment be deferred vntill the haruest of this world yet this cuppe of vengeance is prepared for all the workers of iniquitie which shall not enter into rest And therefore as one father saith he that doeth euill ought to feare the more if he be not punished in this world for then hee is to drinke the deeper of Gods wrath in the iudgment to come These things being most true let it not greeue thee that art a true Christian though sinners doe flourish for a time and though thou see the vncleane conuersation of wicked and profane people to abound in the earth and yet in the meane while thou thyselfe doest suffer affliction and art tried with diuerse adueâ—sities Remember for all this that God is good to Israel and the damnation of his enemies sleepeth not It cannot be denied but that many of those sinnes which God in former ages did so 〈…〉 ly punish for an example vnto the world do now reigne in the worlde and yet are 〈◊〉 visited vvith the like seueritie and puniâ—hment because as we reade God hath 〈…〉 a day in the which he will iudge the Acts 1â—â—1 world 〈◊〉 rightousnes And therefore as it is well obseâ—â—ed of Chrysostome many of those sinnes for the which the world was drowned in the dayes of Noah are day he committed in the world yet â—od bringeth not Geâ— 7. â—1 2â— 23. a â—loâ—d to drowne the world as he did then because there is a â—â—ood of wrath ordeined for them in the world to come Many of those sins for the which Sodom Gomorrah were consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen are still practised in the world Gen. 19. 24. 25. and yet the Loâ—d raineth not fire out of heaven to destroy them that do such thinges because he hath appoynted for them the â—iâ—e that â—hall neuer be quenched Many are they which speake against Gods word and persecute his church as Pharaoh did yet Exod. 14. 27. 28. are not choked with the sea water as Pharaoh and his â—eruantes were because the bottomlesse sea of perdition is reserued for them Many do murmur against heauen dislike of Gods ordinaÌ„ce as the Israelits did in the wildernes and yet are not destroyed with firy serpents with other plagues as Num. 21. 5. 6. they were because the worme that neuer dieth shall hereafter torment them Many there be which take bribes giftes vnlawfully as Gehazâ— did yet they are not stâ—ikeÌ„ with the foule disease of leprosie as he was 2 King 5. 27. because they shall be plagued after this life where there shall bee weeping and gnashinge of teeth And againe many do lye dissemble in matters of religion as Ananias Sapphira Act. 5. 5. 10. did and yet are not punished with suden death as they were because death immortall euerlasting waiteth for theÌ„ These thinges are thus applied of * Chrissostom 1 Chrysost in Act. Apo. c. 5. hâ—m 12. for this cause when the Apostle Peter saith that God spared not the angels that had sinned but east them downe into hell that 2 Pet. 2. 4. 5 6. he spared not the old world that he turned the citâ—es of Sodom Gomorah into ashes hee doth not say that God did then with the like punishmeÌ„ts cut of the false teachers of whom he speaketh such as walkâ— like the Sodomits after the flesh in the lâ—st of vncleannesse but he gathereth therby that the Lord knoweth
2. Pâ—t 2. 9. how to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgment to be punished The heathen man as Iustine Martyr alledgeth Iust Mart. in hâ—de moâ—â—â—chia was not ignorant of this â—udgment of the reckoning to come for he speaketh plâ—â—ly therof Sâ—â—ustus et â—mpâ—us eadem conditione futu 〈…〉 rape â—urare frauda misce if after this life there be no difference betweene the iust maÌ„ the wicked then go to catch what thou canst steale deceiue make confusion of all thingâ— sâ—derrarenolâ— but be not deceyued for saith he there is aâ—iudgment in hel beneath which God that is Lord of al things will doe whose name is so dreadfull that I dâ—re not name him Thâ—â— and much more he alledgeth out of Philâ—moâ— other heatheÌ„ writers which by the light of nature did set forth not onely the ommpotency of God the immortalitie of mans soule but also the reward of vertue the punishment of sin after this life how that God which as one of them saith is the eye of equitie that seeth all thinges doeth beare with the euill deedes of men in this life for that they shall come into iudgment hereafter The doctrine of the holy Psalmist is of singular force to this purpose who for the instruction of others confesseth that his fâ—â—tâ— were almost gone that his steppes had wel-nigh slypt Psal 73. â—3 〈◊〉 5. when he saw the prosperitie of the wicked how they thriue in the world and are not in trowble ver 17. 18. 19. 20. as other men but when the Lord opened his vnderstanding he saw the ende of these men namelie that they are seâ—â— in slippery places and are suddenlie destroyed horriblelio consumed as a dreame when one awaketh Iob Iob. 21. 17. 18. testifieth the like both of their momentary prosperitie and of their sudden destruction The seruants of God haue here a singular comfort that they may not be discouraged with tribulatioÌ„ and aduersitie and that they may not at anie time stumble at Gods long patience and benignitie toward reprobate and vniust men seeing that he rewardeth everie maÌ„ according as his deedes shal be though Rom. 2. 6. Rev. 22. 12. he be not hasty in punishing and though he doeth not in this life punish all mens sinnes alike Heere also secure worldlings and such as are slow to beleeue the word of truth may be moued to feare Gods iudgments and by amendment of life to withdrawe themselues out of the sâ—are of the deuill vvhich as the Apostle saith are taken of him at his 2. Tim. 〈◊〉 26. will And now if neither the promises of entering into eternall rest nor the testimonies of Gods fearfull iudgments reuealed against sin and disobedience can moue vs to repeÌ„tance let vs yet make vse of Gods visitatioÌ„s wherwith we heare and see the iniquities of these our dayes to be visited as in all ages God sheweth diuers tokeÌ„s of his displeasure and indignation against the vnrighteousnes and vnbeleefe of men For euerie plague ev 〈…〉 calamitie sudden death burning with fire 〈…〉 ther strange sicknesses famine euerie stood of waters ruine of buildings vnseasonable weather euerie one of these and of the like aduersities as oft as they happen in the world are a sermon of repentance to all that see them or heare therof For whensoeuer God punisheth some kind of sinns or punisheth some men more seuerely then others that haue sinned euen that his punishment is a warning a memento to euery one of vs to looke to our selues and to call to reremeÌ„brance our owne sinns knowing that it is the same God that will take vengeance of eueâ—â—e sinne and transgression of men that he will strike with a more heauie hand if his warning and example of his iustice be not regarded Wherfore to come to our selues We see that beside the pestilence and many other â—ignes of Gods anger where with this land of late yeares hath bene visited the Lord hath now for the space of three yeares together sent scarsitie of bread famine and penurie among vs And shall we thinke that the poore and the helplesse who for the most-part suffer these thinges are sinners aboue the rest that haue not yet tasted of this cup if we thinke so we vtterly deceiue our selues For we are otherwise taught of the Lordes Prophet in these words when the land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I Ezeâ— 14 13 stretch out my hand vpon it and will breake the staffe of the bread therof and will send famine vpon it We see that the Lords hand is after this maner stretched out and that the staffe of bread is broken We see and must needes know that the sinnes of the land are great and that the inhabitants therof from the greatest to the least haue not ob 〈…〉 the voice of the Lord to walke in all his waies and yet we see but some punished with the scourge of hunger and aduesitie The rest that are not yet touched are so farre from repeÌ„tance newnesse of life that as the Prophet saith they drinke wine in bowles and anoynt themselues Amos. 6. 6. with the cheâ—â—â—e oyntments but no man is sory for the afflections of Ioseph Few do weepe or haue that Christian-like affection to weepe with them that suffer afflictioÌ„ And will you still coÌ„tinue in sinne and hardnes of heart shall not the afflictions of our brethren cause vs to feare to turne into the way of truth before that greater plagues be powred out vpon the land euen vpon euery soule that doeth euill and continueth in sinne and disobedience Euery maÌ„ may gather that the calamities of other men do testifie that the punishmeÌ„t of his owne sinns lyeth at the doore As to this effect the heathen Poet speaketh Et tua res agitur paries cum proximus ordet Horatius When thou seest thy neighbours house set on fire thou hast warning to looke to thine owne And for this cause the Lord sometimes cutteth downe the greene tree shewing therby what he will do to the vnfruitful fig tree that keepeth barâ—eÌ„ the grouÌ„d of the vinyard though he let it stand for awhile That no man therfore might sleepe in his sinns or thinke himselfe to be the better man because he seeth other men punished himselfe not touched Christ teacheth vs most plainely by the cruell slaughter of the Galileans made by Pilat by the fall of the Luk. 13. 2. 3. 4. 5. towre vpon the men â—n Siloaâ—â— that the worst men are not first punished but that if God shew such tokens of his iudgments vpoÌ„ some few all other meÌ„ except they amend shall nothing the rather escape his heauie hand for that they be borne with for a time When we see therfore that God haÌ„dleth some men seuerelie and in his iustice we ought to feare examine our selues what we haue deserued so to consider that the loÌ„ger