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
in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon for the death of the good King Iosias Euen so must men mourne because they haue pierced Christ through with their sinnes wounded him with their abominations And men must know that a few drie teares when they haue offended are not sufficient repentance or sacrifice to God but they must rent their hearts and be heartily sorie and turne vnto the Lord Now many are so stricken with the sense and feeling of their sinnes that thereby they are moued to confesse and lay open their wickednesse in such sort as a man would thinke them to be such as for euer afterwards would stand in feare to offend the Lord any more but these after that they haue receiued some comfort by the word of their sinnes and haue seene that their sinnes are pardonable not distinguishing between these two that it is one thing to haue their sinnes remissible and another thing to assure themselues that they are remitted After I say this comfort receiued by the preaching of the word they labouring no further to be renewed and throughly reformed although they had some sorrow for a season yet because they did not search themselues more narrowly and endeuour to purge themselues as well from inward sinne as from outward and to be wholy transfigured and transformed into a new holie and righteous life therefore it commeth to passe that the loue of righteousnesse departeth from them and they returne againe to their old by as and are become praies for Iesuites and massing Priests such is their prophanenesse And this is because they rested onely in the vniuersall promises of God which although they bee all most true and comfortable yet they can minister no true comfort and consolation vnto mans soule except hee make a particular application thereof vnto himselfe Lastly some there be who would faine seeme to the appearance of the Church to haue forsaken and sold their sinnes and to haue made a full and perfect reformation of their former liues euilly spent which notwithstanding harbour and nourish sinnes in their hearts which afterward will breake foorth and discouer their hypocrisie and this they doe because they were but a little enlightened with the flash of the holy Ghost and were not throughly reformed inwardly which is euident in this that they couet to approoue themselues more before men than before God nourishing in their hearts secret self-selfe-loue as in shewing themselues zealous vntill they come to preferment or to this end that many perceiuing their zeale may flocke after them to heare them so they may procure themselues fame whom so soone as Sathan beginneth a little to buffet them they fall away and shew that they had sold sinne but for a season This is contrarie vnto that course which the true ministers of God and those which feare him aright ought to take for it is their dutie to seeke the praise of God and not of themselues to couet the profit of the people of God and not their owne priuate lucre knowing this that they serue not men but God and that they must professe religion religiously setting before their eyes the praise of God the crowne of immortall glorie the saluation of soules and the acceptation of their labour before God And all men must desire rather to be religious than to seeme so giuing themselues to the exercises of priuate praier reading fasting to priuate admonition conference and other priuate duties at such time and in such place when and where they neede not to boast of any thing done seeing it is done in secret which who so doth let him assure himselfe that there is nothing so secret but it shall be reuealed whether it be good or euill If we doe this then shall we not be in the number of those which beginning in the spirit end in the flesh or of those which serue God for a season and in the end fall away from him and his seruice Doublesse it is a strange thing to see some who haue bin themselues a light vnto others so now to shrinke from Gods truth as that they should become Papists or of the Familie of loue or of some other heresie The cause of this is because their inward stuffe was corrupt and not fullie cured by effectuall repentance And thus much of grosse sinnes Now of the infirmities of nature which remaine euer in the best this inward corruption must be sold also for it is not enough to leaue outward and grosse sinnes except also we beate downe the inward corruption of our owne nature and although we cānot altogether blot out this our naturall corruption yet the righteousnesse of Christ may be so resident and dwell in vs that it shall not onely keepe vs from grosse outward outrages and offences but also will holde downe keepe short our naturall corruptions neither must we thinke it enough to sell the fruites of our corrupt nature but we must also sell the corruption it selfe for as we see so long as the tree remaineth there will alwaies spring foorth some buds euen so of the children of God so long as the corruption of the nature raigneth in them so long do they burst out into some offences or other but most men make either little or no conscience at all of these little faults but it must be otherwise with vs or else we cannot but displease God greatly For as a riuer drieth vp vnto the fountaine yet if we doe rest from all emptying of it it will encrease againe So except the children of God doe keepe downe their naturall corruption although they offend not as the reprobate and wicked in monstrous sinnes against God yet they cannot but haue great downfals Wherefore we must not with the woman whereof the Poet speaketh see and behold good and lawfull things and follow that which is euill neither must we be as the Philosophers whose reason fighteth with their appetite but we must fight both with reason and appetite we must be as new creatures borne againe and we must be more willing to endure all shame and reproches than to fall and offend to the dishonour of God Being grieued that we see our selues ready to displease the Lord. The Apostle Paul Rom. 7. saith of himselfe I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members Heere the Apostle sheweth his captiuitie vnto sinne by reason of his inward corruption now when men are in imprisonment or captiuitie then they are fed with the bread of aduersitie and affliction and therefore the Apostle viewing the miserie wherein he was by nature in the type of a true regenerate man saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Here he crieth out against himselfe from the truth of his heart as he findeth himselfe
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
some when one is vehement say he is an Heremite too precise for vs to follow he had neede of a new world some if the Preacher be comfortable thinke he is a clawbacke and seeketh for liuing some say if they heare one for the peace of the Church tolerating some ceremonies that he is a time-seruer and man-pleaser if they heare one zealous and vnwilling to giue any little credit to superstitions then they say he is factious if he be young and vehement then they say he will grow wiser and colder in time if he be old and still faithfull then he wants wisedome and is but a doting foole But wisedome is iustified of all her children if doctrine be vsed we learne if perswasion we are moued if threatnings we are humbled if promises we are comforted if lenitie we thinke God calleth vs in mercie if seueritie God calleth vs out of securitie and so we profit by all in something though by some in more things and oftner 51 We are said to be alwaies in God his presence and yet we are said to be in God his presence in the time of God his worship The fathers are said to walke with God they were as children alwaies looking on their father to see what hee would haue them doe God being present with them though inuisible to nature yet visible to faith Yet we are said to be in God his presence in his worship because more neerely we bring our selues before him And sure it is that the more we are in his presence whiles we are in any holy exercise the more shall we be in his worship euen in our ordinarie callings Againe the more carelesse we are in his worship to bring our selues into his sight the more carelesse of his presence shall we be in our ordinarie callings 52 This is not the priuiledge of God his children not to be tempted neither is it a difference betweene the godly or vngodly to be tempted or not tempted but God his children pursue it not in the greedines of their affections but they either sin not or he drawne by delay vnto sinne God his children before feare to sinne the wicked before lay platformes of sinne the godly in sinning finde some paine the wicked a pleasure the godly thinke of their sinne with shame and griefe the world put their sinnes in a new die by speaking and doing of them with glorie and gladnes the wicked blaspheme God in sinning the godly rebuke themselues for sinnes the godly are fiercely and violently pursued of temptation the wicked are soâ—â—ishly and voluntarily infatuated by temptation the godly powre out their spirits to be cured in temptation the vngodly powre out their spirits to be strengthened in sinnes Abraham laughed Sarah laughed Abraham reioyced by faith in their promise Sarah derided by vnbeliefe the thing that was promised Zacharie questioneth with the Angell Mary questioneth with the Angell Zacharie doth it in vnbeliefe Mary doth it to be confirmed in the meanes for her faith 53 It is wonderfull how some delighting and lying in a sinne will correct the selfe same sinne in others and cannot abide it in their owne children and yet it hath been obserued that politike dames ciuill housekeepers cunning whores secretly bathing their bodies in filthines could not abide a waÌ„ton looke or vnchast behauiour in their children Howbeit these secret sinnes as all others in time haue blurted out And let such sinners know that God will still giue them some to be as a glasse to see their owne sinnes in them as it were face to face Thou complainest against thy sonne thy seruant or against thy inferiour but doest thou gouerne him hast thou taught corrected and reformed him hast thou gone in and out in godly life before him hast thou taught him publikely as well as priuately and at home as wel as abroade If thou hast though thy sonne be a reprobate or thy seruant a castaway thou hast at the least though not coÌ„uerted his hart yet striken him with confusion of conscience 54 It is both the fault and the folly of many that being rebuked of a sinne like beasts following the drouer or puppits following the play maister say they doe but as others doe wherein they rather accuse themselues of a new folly than excuse themselues of their old fault For thinking they doe well because they doe as others doe they strengthen rather than weaken the sin by ioyning to sinners and increasing the multitude of sinners in that kinde whereas on the contrarie if they for themselues would leaue the sinne the number of offenders would grow the lesse and then the number of well doers being greater than the number of euill doers would make them ashamed of themselues and though not for conscience sake yet for shame the sinne would be the sooner left In regard whereof a godly father hearing of an heresie like to spread in the Church got as many to subscribe to the true part as could be gotten which he did for this cause that the aduersaries seeing a few holding with them and many standing against them might suspect their cause and be the more ashamed of their defence And experience proueth that sinne is like to die shortly which is nourished of none but starued of all and that sinne is like to preuaile which is entertained of the most and withstood of the fewest we must beware of following a multitude to sinne 55 Looke wheresoeuer in Realme Citie towne or household there is any remnant of the Lords seede although it sustaineth for a while some iniurie as Noah in the old worlde Lot in Sodome Ieremiah among his people and Abraham with his yet as they are preferued from many iudgements by these men so their eyes shall see them fall in the end The world is not couered with water vntill Noah be prouided for in the Arke Sodome is spared vntill Lot be deliuered and the Lord euen rebuked Kings for his seruant Abrahams sake If this were so in the infancie of the Church whilest it was in one or few families how much more will the Lorde gouerne and preserue it now vnder the kingdome of Iesus Christ if peaceably wee waite vntill the arme of the Lord be reuealed vnto vs 56 It is an euill signe when gentlenesse makes vs worse and wanton more bold in disobedience more remisse in obedience and it prognosticateth good to bee made by gentlenesse more free in obedience more afraide to disobey This being as true in the spirituall estate hath caused the Lorde to cause some to beare the yoke from their youth and who are more pliable to the word Others againe not tasting of any crosses which haue beene more vntractable to all good duties Among many pawnes of God his loue this is one chiefe when God his blessings breede in vs humilitie and carefulnes among manie tokens of euill this is one when God his benefits breede pride and fluggishnes And this is a triall of
Gods prouidence in going in vnto his maide in lying himselfe and causing his wife to sinne so Lot in departing from Abraham to whom the couenant was made and without a iust cause in being loth to depart from Sodome in lying with his daughters so Dauid Iob Zacharie Noe Peter and the Publican sinned who were all iustified by saith as Abraham was who beleeued in God Some as a meane betweene these doe magnifie the righteousnes which is by faith with out works but in the meane while liue vngedly but these haue imagined a kind of righteousnes common to the dissolute Protestants which shall better be discouered when it is set downe what a righteous man is True righteousnes is by imputation for the obtaining whereof we must first feele and acknowledge our selues voide of all righteousnes full of all vnrighteousnes by reason of our sinnes And this caused Paul to count all his former righteousnes as dung Secondly that we feeling the weight of our sinnes desire to leaue them and be freed from the punishment due vnto them Thirdly that by faith we flie vnto Christ seeking to haue his righteousnes imputed vnto vs and our sinnes not imputed but cleane forgiuen vs. So was the Publican and Abraham so is Christ sent a Mediatour vnto vs when we are wounded by the sword of the word Now although being thus iustified in Christ there doe yet sinne remaine in vs for all that it must not raigne in our mortall bodies but we must doe the worke of our father Abraham walking in vprightnes of heart before the Lord as it was required of Abraham in which sense Dauid saith In whose spirit there is no guile as if he should say his sinnes did still remaine if he walked not vprightly This vprightnes of heart may be tried by foure speciall notes first that we loue all good things as well as one and hate all sinnes as well as one and that both in our selues and others so that although we cannot performe all yet we will haue respect vnto all the Commandements Psalm 119. 6. Whereof Saint Iames giueth a reason when he saith that he that commanded the one commanded the other whereby he discouereth the hypocrisie of those which had religion in respect of persons and such is the religion of Papists and of the Familie of loue Such was the religion of Herod and of the yong man that would follow Christ but when the one was reproued of his whoredome and the other bidden sell all that he had they would be Disciples no longer although before they would doe many things gladly and be great professors Such is the state of many Protestants who will condemne whoredome yet be couetous yea they will doe great things but will not be brought to glorifie God in their callings which sheweth their religion to be vaine their hearts full of hypocrisie And yet this rule may haue exceptions for we doe neither know all good nor all euill at the first much lesse loue the one and hate the other as we ought yea we see many sinnes which as yet we cannot come out of as we should Againe there may be sinnes of frailtie although not of presumption but yet if we be not grieued for these and displeased with our selues when by any one we are ouertaken and hate sinne and loue goodnesse when the Lord doth reueile it vnto vs we keepe an euill conscience and our corruption shall be discouered for in that measure we like of sinne in that measure is hypocrisie in vs and if the oftner we sinne the more we be grieued it is a signe of vprightnesse and then there is hope to recouer the fall for this worketh a care and strife to come our of sinne and at the last a recouerie but in the hypocrite contrarie The second note is that we haue a single care to please and glorifie God in all our doings and to approoue our selues vnto him without hope of reward though trouble doe come vpon vs for it and that onely because we would please God and glorifie his Name and for the same cause eschue euill The want of this caused Christ to reprooue the Scribes and Pharises for fasting and prayer because they did it to be seene of men The want hereof condemneth the Papists and Familie of loue in all their workes because they doe them that thereby they may be righteous When iustification was giuen to workes then men would build Churches Abbeyes c. and these things were greatly praised of men but now when good workes are commanded not to merit but for Gods glorie as to be signes and seales of righteousnes few are brought to doe them which is a signe that there are but a few righteous men vpon earth This rule also hath his exceptions for we shall see much rebellion in our flesh and hypocrisie withall but we must note what is our chiefest drift and what beareth the chiefest sway within vs and of that shall we be named as is the vse in other things as to be of this or that complexion because that or this is the principall and it is called leauened bread though water be mixt with it so that if our consciences do witnesse with vs that our chiefe care is to please God then is our hart vpright with God though hypocrisie be ioyned with it For it is one thing to do a thing for hypocrisie another thing mixt with hypocrisie one thing for vaine glorie and another thing mixt with vaine glorie If we could see nothing by our selues yet herein must we not iustifie our selues and when we see infirmities ioyned with our speciall care we must haue care to leaue them striue thereunto so that we yeeld not our selues to them but rather they leade vs away captiues and whensoeuer we see them to behold Satan in them and therfore hate them and though they buffet vs yet still pray and arme our selues against them as Paul did The third note is that we neuer content our selues in our selues nor in the things that we haue done but still goe forward to leaue sinne and draw neere to God And this may be seene in Abraham and is set downe in the Prouerbs And Paul saith As many as are perfect are thus minded Here then are disclosed those that either stay in the beginnings or else slide backe when they are gone somewhat forward For if we haue tasted once of the good grace of God and then turne backe from it it is impossible to be renued by repentance whereof there are two causes first because they are alwaies learning and neuer the better Esai 28. where the Prophet rebuketh saying Line vpon line and precept vpon precept Secondly because that if they attaine to knowledge yet doe they not build themselues thereupon to keepe a good conscience thus experience teacheth in those that become heretikes This is so fearefull to the godly that they had rather
much moued but in the Lords cause they are as cold as ice and there is no heate within them which is a testimonie vnto them that their anger is fleshly and that it doth greatly displease the Lord. Therefore if when wee see a man commit any sinne and we also know that it tendeth to the dishonour of God and the hurt of his owne soule and if then we can be grieued and if then we cannot chuse but be angry hereby we may know that our anger is good because the glory of God and the profit of our brother did therevnto moue vs and not our priuate iniuries Now if wee would be glad thus to make the glorie of God the chiefe cause of our anger let vs first learne to passe ouer iniuries done against vs and quietly to beare them and by that meanes we shal better learne more safely to be angry when the thing concerneth the glorie of God for if a man hath not learned to put vp his owne iniuries patiently and without reuenge he shall mingle it with the other and so shall passe measure and most commonly he shall make both vnprofitable Secondly some men can neuer be pleased and euery light trifle doth stirre them vp to anger which cannot but be euill and this proceedeth altogether from the flesh this anger cannot be allowed But spirituall anger is not easily stirred vp and when it is then it is measured by the quantitie of the fault a small fault a small and short anger a greater fault a greater anger of a longer coÌ„tinuance For herein must we be like our heauenly Father who is slow to wrath chideth vs not continually marketh not what is done amisse nor recompenceth vs according to our deseruings But continually vseth more meanes to cause vs to loue him than to cause vs to feare him And thus ought it to be with vs also if we wil be children of such a father so that we ought to striue and labour to be loued rather than feared and by loue to allure rather than by feare to compell Againe with the Lord wee ought to be greatly grieued for great offences for smaller offences to be lesser grieued Now if a man finde himselfe to bee of a hastie nature and quickly angrie know also that such a one exalteth folly and that anger resteth in the bosome of fooles But a man of a patient spirit passeth in wisedome Yea let him know that such anger is not good and therefore labour earnestly that it may be repressed in him which that he may dolet him think and know that before holy anger there must goe prayer that the Lord in mercie may rightly direct him in the same If therefore we cannot or do not before our anger or when the occasion is offered pray vnto the Lord that he may keepe vs vpright in the same we haue to suspect our anger for we are in danger to fall and offend therein Thirdly it is a marke of Christian anger when we are angrie with sinne in whomsoeuer wee finde or whosoeuer committeth it for many will in their own matters and causes be very angrie and in them will pretend a careful zeale of Gods glorie but if a sinne be committed which toucheth them not they can easily let it passe as if a mans owne wife bee a whore his children disobedient his seruants stubborne and wilful or if any sinne be committed which toucheth him neere theÌ„ wil he exclaim cry out for that God is dishonored and will say Who euer saw such seruants What wickednesse is in children now adaies that they be thus disobedient and what women bee these to doe thus wickedly In the meane time if another mans seruant be disobedient if his wife be an whore he cannot be angrie he cannot be grieued Such men as these must needs suspect their anger for herein they bewray want of faith want of loue want of care of the glorie of God which as it is aduanced by the obedience of others as well as by ours so it is likewise dishonoured by the sinnes of others as well as by ours But when the sinne doth not concerne vs if then we cannot bee contented but the very zeale of Gods glorie and the loue of our brethren doth moue vs thereunto then may we thinke that our hearts be vpright in that anger Againe there be diuers which when their enemies offend then wil they be readie to cry out against it and will bee highly displeased withall but if their friends offend they can beare with them and thinke the sinne in them smal or nothing But Christian and spiritual anger is cleane contrarie for it rather beares with the fault in his enemie than in his friends and will sooner more sharply rebuke it in his friend than in his enemie Therefore such friends as can smooth a man in his sinne are neither to be liked nor desired for Open rebuke is better than secret loue and the wounds of a louer are sweete Wee see that if a mans child or his wife or some speciall friend were sicke in bodie they vse all meanes that they might be restored to their health and if they did not their wife children or friends would quickly thinke they loued them not And why should it not be thus in the spirituall sicknes of sinne How doth a man loue mee when hee will not vse all meanes to deliuer me from the danger of sinne When therefore our friends doe fall into sinne if then wee can be angry and that when they doe most fauour vs because the cause is Gods and concerneth their saluation if then wee can remember old loue and temper wisely loue with anger to reproue them it is a signe that our anger is not fleshly but of the spirit Fourthly there is a note of Christian spirituall anger which though it be very like to the former yet it discerneth one from another as much as any other doth For many men will be angry with other mens sinnes but they can neuer be angry for their owne Against such as these the Lord speaketh saying Hypocrite cast out the beame out of thine owne eye first and then thou shalt see to cast out the moâ—e out of thy brothers eye And againe in another place He that is cleere among you cast the first stone at her When we therefore can be first angry with our own sinnes and more angry with them than with others yea when we can throw the first stone at our selues then is our anger of the Lord. For no man can euer bee angrie in vprightnesse of other mens sinnes which cannot first be grieued and angrie with his owne If our anger begin first with our selues and that for euerie sinne that is in vs so that there is no sin which we are willing to fauour in our selues or desirous to continue and lie in it still and no man is more grieued for our sinnes than we our selues are and
we doe more accuse and condemne our selues than any other doth or can doe and againe if a sinne be not in vs yet we be afraid least it may bee and therefore wee vse meanes against it then if wee bee angrie with the sinne of others we haue this good warrant that our anger is good yea if we be accused or thought to be corruptly angrie either with our own causes or with our enemies insomuch that meÌ„ condemne our anger yet we haue the testimonie of our hearts and consciences to tell that it is not so and therefore herein may we take sound comfort Fiftly some men there are who when they are angrie with one they will bee angrie with all and their anger doth so chafe and ouercome them as it were that they are vnfit for duties either to God or their brethren This anger is altogether fleshly to be condemned That anger then which maketh vs vnfit to heare Gods word to goe to prayer which disquieteth our minds and troubleth vs that anger I say is to be misliked though it were for a good cause and in Gods behalfe for the workes of Gods spirit do not one let or hinder another but rather do further one another insomuch that if we were cold in prayer before yet this earnestnesse in Gods cause doth quicken vs vp and maketh vs very readie vnto prayer if wee were dull in hearing the word before wee are now better affected and this true zeale and anger in the Lords cause and for his glorie will put an edge to euery good thing we goe about True anger doth not let vs from doing our duties vnto God nor diminish our loue towards our brethreÌ„ but rather stirreth vp in vs a compassion ouer them for the wrath of God which wee see hang ouer their heads And for that cause we are in puâ—â— moued to pray for them more earnestly than before so farre are we from taking reuenge yea there is a greater care in vs how we may helpe them out of their sinne than to punish them for their sinne So that heere anger for the sinne is ioyned with a louing compassion ouer the partie and the one doth not so much moue vs to take reuenge of them as the oher doth moue them to pitie their case Here then is a speciall difference betweeâ—â— them for Christian anger hath euer a griefe ioyned with it both for the dishonour of God the hurt of our brother but carnall and fleshly anger hath a ioy and pleasure in it and â—eedeth it selfe therewith and is puffed vp Such godly anger was in Christ against the Pharisies where it is said that hee was angrie and sorrowfull and in another place when hee saw the destruction of Ierusalem for their sinnes for which he had bin angrie with them it is said of him that he wept Likewise Paul threatning the Corinthians that for their sins he would come to them with a rod saith after I am afraid that when I come the Lord doe humble me and I shall bewaile many that haue sinned contrariwise hee describeth fleshly anger to be such as puffeth men vp when they see the sinnes of their brethren Now that we may come to haue an holy anger wrought in vs for sin it is needfull that we labour for that affection which was in the Prophet Dauid when he saith The rebukes of them that rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me Where the Prophet sheweth that euery sin which was committed against God he thought that it was committed against himselfe and was as grieued and angrie therewith because the glorie of God which was committed to his care was stained and God himselfe dishonoured and this did make him angrie and zealous in the cause of the Lord and this zeale must be also in vs. Which that it may be tempered and not too rigorous we ought also to consider how the Apostle Paul appheth the same place when he would exhort them to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to deale ouer sharply with them he bringeth the example of Christ who suffered for the sins of the people as for his owne and so accounted of them So then we ought to thinke that the sinnes which by our brethren are committed are coÌ„mitted of vs and are ours which if wee can doe it will much abate rigour and sharpe dealing in admonition as also in the punishment of sinne The Apostle in another place saith Beare yâ— one anothers burthen and so fulfill the measure of Christ. Now if wee shall ioyne these two affections together in vs first to thinke that euery sinne committed against Gods maiestie is coÌ„mitted against vs and againe that euery sinne which our brother doth we in our own persons do the same the first will breede in vs an anger and zeale for the glorie of God the other will worke in vs patience and compassion because of our owne flesh and of the Image of God which our brother beareth and thereof will come a zealous anger ioyned with loue and compassion of the partie By these notes may true Christian and spirituall anger be tried and discerned from that which is fleshly and carnall that wee may follow the one as commanded in the law and wrought in our hearts by the spirit of God and that we may auoid the other as forbidden in the law and proceeding from the corruption of our flesh that we may neither be fooles which are alwaies angry for euery thing neither of the damnable and blasphemous family of fleshly loue which will not in their perfection be angry at all other differences there bee but if a man doe well consider of these and practise them hee shall easily discerne the rest FINIS A TREATISE OF BLESSEDNES HE may bee saide to haue tasted true blessednesse whom the Lorde before all beginnings hath chosen to saluation whose saluation purposed by God the father is performed by God the sonne to whom the election by God the father and redemption by God the sonne is ratified by God the holy Ghost in whome this assurance of faith is wrought by the word preached faith breeding peace of minde this peace causeth ioy ioy being accompanied with securitie securitie working in loue loue labouring with a care to please God with a feare to displease God from whence issueth a desire of weldoing to others indeuouring to bring them to the peace with God and man which he tasteth of himselfe Lastly he is truely blessed who besides all the former things knoweth how to vse prosperitie moderately and aduersitie patiently wayting and looking for the accomplishment of God his promise in the kingdome of heauen More particularly we will intreate of true happinesse by the causes and by the effects of it The originall cause is the loue of God in ordaining vs to bee heires of life eternall Ephes. 1. 4. Matth. 25 34. Wherein is laide open the bountifull riches of the mercie of God to vs ward in
persons loth for to pray know that prayer is not a thing of the mouth but of the minde not a sounding of the voyce but a yerning of the spirit not a labour of the lips but a trauailing of the heart and therefore will confesse giuing God the glorie to their owne shame that they had rather heare the word two houres than thus seriously striue in prayer one quarter of an houre And why It is a small thing to lend the eares in hearing it is easie to feede our delight with hearing a man renewing our knowledge but to set on worke the eye the eare the hands to trauell with the heart to set the whole bodie in a frame of subiection as becommeth them that pray to the Lord which sheweth that prayer is a thing both painfull and laborious we shall proue it to be a very hard thing Prayer bringeth the experience of the things which wee know and without it we haue as little proofe of our knowledge as they haue vse of an hidden treasure which neuer are the better for it The word maketh knowne to vs the treasures of God his wisedome but faith bringeth the experience of them by applying and appropriating these mercies of God to our selues prayer is the instrument whereby this faith is continued in vs. The word telleth vs that God will plague sinners prayer brings an experience of this The word telleth vs that God careth for vs prayer proueth this the word sheweth that the Lord hath both power and mercie to shew to his people prayer obtaineth the triall of this the word reuealeth to vs the wisedome prouidence maiestie and goodnes of God prayer conueieth the certaintie of these things into vs. God will bee glorified wholy and onely and cannot abide that wee should be fellow-partners with him therein If a man come by knowledge faith and repentance by hearing it is rather an infusion into a man than an action from a man and it is the great mercie of God but when the Lord brings a man on his knees and humbles him in prayer and constraineth him to aske all of God that wee might heare rightly and so vse the things heard this breaketh the heart of a man and makes him to say Great is the Lord. This I say humbles a man to acknowledge his wants this calleth downe many blessings both spirituall and corporall from the Lord. We know that though a father is readie and fully hath purposed to leaue an inheritance vnto his children yet to acquaint them with obedience he will haue them aske things of farre lesse value at his hands so God notwithstanding he hath purposed to giue vnto vs an heauenly inheritāce which in Christ is purchased yet to continue vs in faith and obedience he will haue vs to aske it of him If mans wisedome can come thus farre shall we not hereby gather the wisedome of God If man hath this pitie shall we doubt of mercie in God and as prayer bringeth experience of God his loue so also it proueth our knowledge faith and repentance For if we will be suiters at God his hand wee must not willingly displease him For we see that when we would obtaine a suite of a man we will be carefull not to offend him least we should suffer repulse and likewise when we pray we must addresse our hearts to obedience and therefore the Scripture speaketh of clensing our hearts of hypocrisie and vnfaithfulnes If this care be had in suites for things corruptible that willingly we will not offend him to whom we sue then must wee know that God is Lord of the spirits and therefore to pray vnto him without auoyding things displeasing him and doing things pleasing him is but grosse by pocrisie Hee must needes be a godly man then that prayes often and if wee be so bold to pray nourishing some sinne in vs besides that we are dull in prayer wee are inwardly both accused and accursed Hereof comes such plentifull acknowledging of our sinnes in prayer with a purpose to auoide them hereof come such vowes and protestations of obedience so that prayer doth not onely continue repentance but also breedeth thankfulnes For it is our corruption when we know that we obtaiened a thing any other waies than by prayer that then we ascribe it to the meanes but when we see God hath heard our prayers it sealeth our faith it confirmeth our thankfulnes True it is that God giueth many mercies without praying yet this must the more make vs thankfull and nothing slacke vs in vsing the meanes which God hath appointed That prayer further confirmeth loue to God it is manifest alreadie now we must shew how it worketh loue euen to our brethren When a man comes to pray and hath this choake-peare that he must forgiue or else not be forgiuen he must needs be either an hypocrite in his prayer or cease from prayer or forgiue his enemies It is palpable hypocrisie to desire God to forgiue vs many and great sinnes and we will not pardon our brother a few and light offences If we will take a view of the weight height length depth and breadth of our sins we will confesse it hypocrisie to craue pardon for so many sinnes being hardly brought to forgiue others a fewe trespasses And for this cause the Scripture saith If yee forgiue not others yee cannot be forgiuen If then Prayer be such a thing as nature doth least entertaine if it brings such experience of God his loue towards vs if it so confirmeth Faith continueth repentance and causeth loue both to God and man it is good cause that this is set to inferre the other and to make all other parts of God his worship the more effectuall Hee shall be saued That is in the midst of diseases he shall not be taken away in the time of iniquitie he shall not be ouertaken but in all these he shall suffer with Faith and a good conscience Besides by the word of sauing is meant the obtaining of all graces as pledges of our saluation and gages of our inheritance so that it doth not barely betoken an exempting of vs from the former iudgements threatned Will a man then escape the wrath menaced and enioy the grace promised let him vse true and heartie prayer which hath it fruite commended vnto vs both in the chapter going before in the election of an Apostle and also in the beginning of this chapter in that being gathered together in prayer the holy Ghost was sent downe Now let vs speake a little of the circumstances First of the persons it is said Whosoeuer Secondly for the extremitie of the time it is said shall be saued that is from those iudgements and endued with those graces that euen then when there shall be so many opinions that we shall not bee able well to discerne the truth when wickednes shall abound euery where examples of godlinesse be no where when wee shall be able to finde no comfort either in our selues
deuisest euill against thy neighbour though it be neuer so secretly yet besides all the former the Lord hath another meanes whereby he will bring thee to discredit for it And this is a very vehemeÌ„t suspition raised vp in the heart of him of whom thou deuisest this euill for as it oftentimes comes to passe that good motions which arise secretly in thy minde for the good of another doe cause the other man to thinke well of thee though he did neuer heare of them so doubtlesse doth it oâ—ten come to passe in euill motions Thou deuisest euill against another hee in some strange manner hath a heart-burning in ielousie ouer thee thou thinkest hardly of another man and he also is hardly perswaded of thee Thus the Lord doth cause thee to bee discredited in the hearts of others as thou imaginest some euil against others in thine heart True it is that the partie may sinne and doe very ill if he suspect without iust cause in as much as he doth thus suspect through an immoderate loue of himselfe yet the worke of the Lord is here to be considered who seeing the cause to be so iust doth stirre vp such suspitions in his minde Then to returne to our purpose if we will auoide an euill name we must auoide all euil surmises and deuises against others And this the Scripture doth also forbid vs for the Wiseman from the mouth of God doth forbid vs to thinke euill of the King in our bed-chambers because birds and other dumbe creatures shall disclose the thing rather than it shall be kept close This then must make vs afraid to do euil or to imagine ill in our beds or to declare our deepe counsailes euen to them that lie in our bosomes And this as it is a good meanes to prouide for a good name so it is a speciall rule of all godlines not when we be afraide of open sinnes alone but of secret euils not of acts alone but euen of the secret cogitations and thoughts of our hearts Thus we haue heard the first step that leadeth to a good name The second remaineth to be declared and that is a godly ielousie ouer a mans owne doings that they may not breede suspition of euill For it doth often come to passe that albeit a man doe not that which is simply euill he may iustly be suspected and suffer some blemish in his good name And for this cause doth the Apostle charge vs to procure honest things in the sight of God and man For this cause he commandeth vs that if there be any thing honest or of good report that we must follow and that we must embrace It is not enough therefore that men did say I did thinke no euill I did meane no harme for if through want of care or discretion thou hast ventured vpon the occasion thou hast giuen great matter of euill speeches to thy great discredit If then we will auoide this euill name as our prouerbe is wee must auoide all things that bring it For when men will care little to giue occasion then the Lord causeth an euill name to be raised vpon them that those which indeede are desperate may suffer iust discredit and they that are otherwise may bee reclaimed from the same And surely such is the crookednes of mans nature that if the Lord should not take this course euen his children would fall into many sinnes Therefore it is most requisite that men bee mindfull to auoide occasions and so much the rather because it is commonly saide either God or the diuell standeth at their elbow to worke vpon them Let vs see this in some example of our common life Thou art accustomed to walke abroade at inconuenient times at that time some thing is stollen and thou art burdened and charged with it Againe thou vsest to deale too familiarly and lightly with a maide she is gotten with child the fault is laid on thee Hereof thou hast giuen suspition because thou hast been a night goer and such an one as hath dealt want only with the maide albeit thou be free from the very act Now if thou be the childe of God and if thou be guided by his holy spirit then will hee teach thee to take profit by this false report and to say with thy selfe Lord thou knowest that I am free from this vâ—ry act yet it was my sinne to giue any such occasion whereby men might suspect me this sinne O Lord I am guiltie of and I know thou for this sinne hast iustly afflicted me Yet deare father I see thy mercie in this that whereas indeede I haue committed many sinnes thou hast passed ouer them and taken this whereof I am not so much guiltie so that now most mercifull father I doe rather suffer for righteousnesse then for my transgression and sinne yea deare Father I doe beholde thy tender mercie in this towards mee that by this euill report thou goest about to stay me from that sinne and to preuent meâ— that I may neuer fall into the same Wherefore seeing it hath been thy good pleasure to deale thus with me behold Lord I doe repent me of my former sinnes and promise before thee euen in thy feare neuer to doe this or the like sinne euer hereafter See here I beseech you the good profit which a good child of God through Gods spirit will take of this slanderous reproch after he had receiued some godly sorrow for giuing the occasion of that report But behold the contrary worke of Satan in the heart of vnbelieuers for hee will soone teach them this lesson and cause them to say thus What doth the churle accuse me without a cause doth he father such a villanous act vpon mee who neuer deserued it at his hands surely he shall not say so for nought I will make his sayings true and will doe the thing indeede Consider then this yee that feare the Lord and see in how fickle a state they doe stand which haue giuen occasion and in what great danger they be to be brought to commit the same or the like sinne afterward Therefore if any will be sure to keepe his good name then must he be sure to auoide all such occasions as might in any wise impaire and hinder it And thus much for the second step whereby we arise to a good name Thus we haue heard of two degrees toward a good name in the auoiding of euill and the occasions thereof And these indeed haue a great force to stay an euill name but sure they be not able to build vp a good name and credit among men To these therefore there must be added a third thing which hath most speciall force for this purpose and that is that wee be plentifull in good workes This doth our Sauiour Christ charge vs to be carefull of when hee saith Let your light so shine before mâ—n that they may see your good workes Manie repine at the good
for whatsoeuer is ours by gift it is the interest of others by necessitie whatsoeuer is proper to vs by possession is common to the Church by vse and participation and whatsoeuer wee haue wee haue it for dispensation as the stewards of God his gifts and disposers of his graces And therefore as at the audites and dayes of accounts such stewards are culpable and vnworthie of their places who hauing large summes of money for the liberal maintenance of the family haue appropriated all to themselues so likewise in that great day of reckoning and audite of Angels those stewards will bee found damnable and iudged vnworthie to haue had accesse to the Lord his treasurie who hauing receiued of God singular graces and plentifull gifts for the building vp of his Church and distributing things necessarie to the Saints in due season haue notwithstanding enriched themselues alone and impouerished their fellow seruants vnto whose vse and for whose good such rich reuenewes of God his graces and gifts were committed to their fidelitie It followeth in the Psalme The sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied their offering of blood I will not offer neither make mention of their names with my lips Heere the man of God declareth himselfe to bee no lukewarme professor and therefore as in the third verse hee sheweth the profession of his faith concerning the communion of Saints so in the fourth verse be protesteth his hatred to the false worshippers and he teacheth that none can truly loue the Saints but he must also hate the wicked God cannot abide to be worshipped in part or by mixture of religion as though the Arke and Dagon God and Mammon Christ and Belial should bee ioyned in worship together Many are not so fully contented with the Saints as that they are throughly discontented with the wicked who so long as they see matters of ciuill authoritie and good order haue successe can loue the word to serue time and season whose liking of it is so small that when other religion commeth they find not themselues much discontented But we must learne so to belieue in the true religion as our faith may drawe out of vs an vnchangeable loue and this true loue must be free from all appearance of idolatrie and contrary religion whatsoeuer If euer this doctrine was necessarie it is now most needefull sith true religion so decayeth false religion so aboundeth heathenish prophanenes so groweth all which no doubt arise oâ— so little esteeming and small liking of the truth For whereof first did spring heathenishnesse Euen from hence men were contented that euery nation should worship as they listed and liked whereupon they did grow to haue both their country gods and houshold gods for we reade that the Senate of the Romans would receiue Christ as their God yet so as they would also maintaine their owne gods Not much vnlike is our familie of loue and common sort of Protestants both which can easily tolerate any kind of religion come what profession come will Wherefore we may see how this Psalme fitly may be vsed when we will accuse our selues of want of loue to the Saints or when wee will accuse our selues of waâ—t of hatred to idolaters seeing the spirit of the man of God so earnest and our selues so cold herein In that he saith hee will not make mention of their names with his lips he declareth his through hatred vnto them which the more euidently appeareth in that hee would not only not coÌ„municate with them in his goods but also that hee would not meddle with their ceremonies Neither must wee thinke that this was any peculiar thing vnto Dauid but that it was common also to all the Israelites as we may see Exod. 23. 13 ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth and not to them alone but to all Christians in like manner as appeareth Zechar. 13. 2. And in that day faith the Lord of hostes I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land yea and they shall bee no mâ—re remembred Besides the law commaundeth all auoyding of occasions of idolatry Deut. 7 25. where are set downe two reasons the one that wee should not bee snared with such occasions the other because it is an abomination to the Lord wherein although somewhat be political yet because whatsoeuer is impure is abhominable to the Lord and our nature is prone vnto and hardly kept from corrupt religion wee hating the impuritie of the doctrine must also hate the impuritie of the ceremonies To the Law agreeth also the Prophet as Esay 30. 22. where the Lord not only commaundeth them to auoid all idolatrie but euen the appertinances thereof Yee shall pollute the couering of the Images of siluer and the rich ornaments of the Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous cloth and thou shalt say vnto it get thee hence This seemeth precisenes and puritanisme to the world which can be content to vse things for forme and fashion but if we vrge vpon puritie wee are counted precisians Well if it be so then Dauid was a precisian The holy ghost also exhorteth vs also to abstaine from all apparance of euill 1. Thess. 5 22. 1. Iohn 5. 21. Babes keepe your selues from idols And the Apostle Iude verse 23. willeth vs euen to hate the garment spotted by the flesh True it is that one may haue a priuate vse of the meate prepared for Images but as it is an appertinance of idolatrie it is to be auoided Wherefore we are to pray that we may so haue our hearts rectified by the spirit of God as not only the substance of false religion may be auoided but also the appertinances thereof whereby we may the better prouide both for God his glory and our owne peace Whereas he saith the sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied hee sheweth how besides the comforts which he had in the Saints he so much the more hated the idolaters because hee sawe the more they inwrapped themselues the more their spirits were troubled in them and then they could find least rest wheÌ„ they had most trouble So that as the man of God commendeth true religion by this effect that it yeeldeth peace of mind and comfort of conscience in trouble so hee discommendeth false religion by the contrarie because howsoeuer in prosperitie it bringeth aswelling ioy yet in aduersitie it maketh men cry to the rocks to couer them to the mountaines to fall vpon them This must cause vs more narrowly to search our hearts whether we haue this loue of true religion or no against the which neither the gates of hell nor terrours of Satan nor troubles of conscience can preuaile for this religion is no lesse comfortable than true when wee feele our selues assured thereby of our iustification by Christ of the ministerie of God his Angels watching ouer vs and that
our selues in meditation and that this depriueth vs of much profit herein in that we doe not appoint some certaine time for meditation moderating other things of our ordinary callings making a conscience sometimes to refraine from our common speeches So our vnderstanding our iudgement our will to practise will be bettered If then at our tables in our beds at our worke we would redeeme some time to reade to pray or to conferre wee should finde wonderfull profit and walking in earthly things we should haue heauenly mindes Vers. 104. By thy precepts I haue gotten vnderstanding therefore I hate all the wayes of falsehood AS in the beginning of this part the Prophet of God protesteth his loue to the word so now in the end he sheweth his hatred to the contrarie This then as we haue partly set down before more largely by Gods grace shall shew hereafter is a true token of loue to the word wheÌ„ we either hate falsehood in religion or corruptioÌ„ in manners We are then to looke into our hearts to see if we hate Poperie and heresie if there bee in vs an hatred against blaspheming of the name of God against adulterie false dealing and such like For we cannot loue the true worship but we must hate heresie we caÌ„not loue Gods name and yet not hate the abusers of it wee cannot loue chastitie and true dealing but we must hate adulterie and vnrighteousnesse But if wee feele our selues to be indifferent persons and come what come may we care not greatly vndoubtedly wee are of no religion For if thou doest not hate an Atheist thou louest not God if thou hatest not heresie thou doest not loue Gods law if thou hatest not adulterie thou art not truly chast if thou hatest not false dealing thou art vnrighteous We see heretiks neuer hate one another because none of them loue the trueth for the Papists can be content with the Familie of loue and the Family of loue with them Wherfore we see that many doe falsely pretend religion chastity and true dealing Note here in that he saith I haue gotten vnderstanding by thy word as though his vnderstanding was the cause of his zealous hatred of the false worship What is the cause then that men doe not hate euill in greater measure because they bee ignorant and knowe nothing Indeede noueltie displeaseth them a little but when they be somewhat acquainted with that which is taught them they will like it well enough Why doe we hand ouer head take any religion euen because we haue not gotten vnderstanding Why doth heresie get such easie entertainment with many of vs because we are vnconstant and borne away with euery blast as witnesse Peter and Iude and because wee are not fast rooted in knowledge as is mentioned Ephes. 4. Many in our countrie are stiffe in heresie because they were neuer sound in iudgement they were euer inconstant they were neuer rooted in Iesus Christ and therefore were carried away with euery puffe of vaine doctrine Some indeede as we haue said before fall for lacke of good conscience but some neuer come so farre because they heard not or else heard very negligently and therefore whosoeuer shall now come and blow an illusion in their eare he shall be heard How shall we know an enemie he commeth vnder the cloake of loue and is couered with the vizard of honestie but his vnderstanding faileth his iudgement is corrupt In that it is here saide all the wayes of falsehood we must note that we are to growe from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from glorie to glorie that growing in godly vnderstanding we may grow also in hatred of falsehood This verse may seeme to haue some contrarietie with the verse a little going before where he saith I haue abstained from euerie euill that I might keepe thy law but indeede there is none because no true mortification both here and in that place is required an hatred auoyding of euill Wee must knowe that the way to make good things frâ—â—â—te is the way to feele euill thing sowre As when thou art grieued to feele thine eye an occasion of euill or euill thoughts to bee in thine heart with bitternes and vexation of spirit thou must striue against them and God will giue thee strength to striue not onely without constraint but also of a loue of good and a hatred of euill The first way then vnto righteousnes is wear somâ—â—es of sinne and to striue against it though with great trouble because the more we vexe torment and disquiet our selues the more we shall come to the loue of good and then the hatred of sinne will growe of it selfe If then a man cannot finde this hatred of sinne in him hee must labour to auoide all occasions that hinder his vnderstanding of the truth as distractions troubles of minde and vse all meanes to grow in knowledge as reading hearing conferring and such like For our not profiting in knowledge is our not profiting in hating of heresies and our â—ot hating of heresie is a token of our not profiting in knowledge When we heare then if our hearing doe not worke in vs a loue of the truth and hatred of the contrarie wee haue not profited in knowledge but if we grow in knowledge we shall knowe it by profiting in the loue of the truth and in the hatred of falsehood Wee haue shewed how in the former portion the man of God testifying his affection to Gods law and concluding with his hatred to the contrarie intermiâ—gieth his reasons that because he found by experience that the word of God made him wiser then his enemies than his teachers and the aged and did preserue him from euery euill way therefore he found such comfort in it that no naturall thing was so liking to his outward man as this was to his inward man PORTION 14. NVN. Vers. 105 Thy word is a lantorne vnto my feete and a light vnto my path THis portion following is a prayer to the Lord to bee further instructed in the word of God and to haue his affections thereby more reformed The reasons which hee vseth bee three the first is his faith in the word in that he made account of it to be the onely meanes whereby he should be directed in all his wayes and this is contained in the first verse of the portion Thy word is a lantorne vnto my feete and a light vnto my steps or path The second is his constant purpose to perseuere in the obedience of Gods word in the verse following I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements The third is his miserable calamitie wherein he was which constrained him to pray which appeareth in the next verse I am very sore afflicted O Lord quicken me according to tâ—â—y word These things are afterwards shewed in the verses following as his faith in Gods lawe in the two last and his calamity
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
if we haue no loue of the Sacraments no care of discipline if our hearts be hardened all is not well either some iudgement of God is at hand or else we are to feare to be cast into some heresie or such like euill I finde that after Esay had prophecied a long time The Lord God who would not haue his name plasphemed seeing no amendment in his people comes with a greater maiestie and bids the prophet Esay 6. to tell them that they should heare but not vnderstand they should plainly see but not perceiue hee commandeth him moreouer to make their hearts sâ—t to make their eares heauie and to shut their eyes least they should see with their eyes heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts And because they would not make the word of God the sauour of life vnto life it should bee vnto them the sauour of death vnto death As this is especially meant of the vngodly yet surely the godly escaped not but by repentance It is the wisedome of God to vse all meanes and then to vse destruction when his word wil not serue We may be comforted euen at this day that the Lord yet giueth a scattering of his people and giueth vs some good ministers and magistrates but if we coÌ„sider of the Lords long suffering of vs of the peace abundance and many other graces bestowed on vs and yet so small amendment we trust for the remnants sake that the generall iudgement of God shall not as yet come vpon vs yet this sore saying should make vs afraide it is time for thee Lord to put to thine hand c. This may be much for the comfort of Gods children and for the discomfort of the wicked Vers. 127. Therefore loue I thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold MArke here the spirit of the man of God Doe wee not see that this is a common rate the lesse religion is esteemed the lesse it is of the most regarded the greater the corruption of manners is the greater is the follie then this is a rare blessing of God when religion is in euery place hated euen then to loue religion when manners are euerie where corrupted euen then to be of good conuersation When in our time then we see so many kinds of religion as papistrie the sect of the Iesuites the family of loue Anabaptists and such like it is a singular grace of God to bee established in the loue of true religion When wee looke into their manners whether we turne vs to Magistrates or subiects wee shall neither finde zealous gouernment nor faithfull obedience If wee liued in a heauen among Angels or in a paradise with Saints and would defile our selues with sinne wee were worthie to be cast out of Paradise with Adam and out of the Church with Cain But to liue with Noah vprightly and to walke before God with him when all flesh hath corrupted his wayes or to liue iustly with Lot in the middest of filthie Sodomits or to keepe a pure religion or worship of God with Elias when not one can bee found that hath not bowed to Baal or to liue in keeping iudgement and iustice with Dauid where are so many oppressors of the truth to haue in this case an heart vpright both in religion and manners oâ— consider this to be an especiall worke of grace This we may also see both by naturall and ciuill reason we see the more generall and contagious a disease is the greater care we vse to watch ouer our health and the greater mercie of God we count it if we be not infected with the rest and shall wee not iudge the same in spirituall and more heauenly matters that the more hot sinne groweth to bee and like to ouerrun all shall wee not grow the more zealous of the saluation of our soules and thinke it the rarer grace of God if wee being subiect to the common sinnes are preserued from them In ciuill matters doe wee not see that now deceite in buying and selling vnfaithfulnes in bargaining is so great euery maÌ„ is circumspect to discerne ill dealings euery man almost is become a lawyer no man is ignorant of the common shifts of the world yet this maketh not men therefore to giue ouer their deedes but they make their deedes more sure neither doth deceitfull dealing keepe them the more from markets and faires but men are more carefull in their bargayning Do we loue the Church theÌ„ though there be so many corruptions of religion and so many corruptions of manners Let vs be more afraide of our selues and more carefull of the word and heedie in our liues than wee haue beene let vs listen to the word before the Lord hath sealed vp the prophecie least the wicked preuaile and the iust man make himselfe a pray Now is the time to repent it may bee that the Lord will mitigate his iudgements when they fal wil make his punishment particular and easier For then we truly feare the publike iudgements of God when wee feare the cause of them in our selues when we carrie not for the height of sinne but submit our selues with reuerence to all meanes of true religion and godly life and speedily iudge our selues for not looking to the least occasion of sinne watching ouer our soules that we become not remisse or with looser conscience of prayer the word sacraments or discipline And as it is a secret iudgement of God to passe from one sinne to another without any remorse of conscience vntill wee come to the contempt of the word so it is a speciall grace of God to be grieued with sinne in the beginning And surely that so many are giuen to ill workes and so few to good it is a manifest token seeing the word wil not moue vs to be zealous that the Lord will shortly send a iudgement vpon vs if not generall yet at the least particular This then is worthie noting in the man of God that the more religion decayed the more religious was hee the more godlinesse departed the more godly was hee which is a thing farre contrarie to our practises who allowe that which most doe and loue that least which most doe like making other mens examples placards for our sins For many will say how I pray liueth such a man how doth he doth not he liue an honest life can I follow a better man wee must not doe as other men doe but as the Lord commandeth by his word Let this then be a sure rule whereby euery man may examine himselfe if the more religion and manners decay thou art the more religious and godly thou shalt not be carried away with the common destruction but if thy zeale and care of godlines be the lesse then feare vnlesse thou repent as thou art wrapped in the common sinne thou shalt also be taken in the common reward of sinne Now that corruptions may not preuaile against vs wee must thinke there is as great
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
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
blood yet by the holy practises of good workes we easily discerne the same Now for want of this we may see the great iudgement of God in suffering the Papists heretikes familie of loue to spoile vs of this peace of conscience by teaching their false opinions of iustification by workes Which thing seeing they hold the rather with seeing the cold profession of worldly Protestants it must needs humble vs. For thus reason they that are vnstable in the truth Surely their profession is not according to the truth it is so barren of good works and they maintaine not the true doctrine whose liues are so contrary to their professions Woe be to them by whom these offences do iustly come and woe be to them that take such offences and that shut wilfully their eyes and will not see the truth Howbeit we are to profit hereby and to trauell in a greater care of good workes whereby we may stop these blasphemous mouthes of the aduersaries Vers. 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly HEre he confirmeth the same doctrine which he vsed before for in saying my soule hath kept thy testimonies is all one as if he should haue said I haue looked or waited on thy saluation For as we often obserued the man of God meaneth the couenant which engendreth faith as the records and testimonials of Gods fauour towards vs. So that the effect of these words is thus much I haue an entire care in sinceritie of faith to encrease the blessed witnesses of thy loue toward me It is an vsuall phrase among the Hebrues when they would expresse their vehement affection to any thing to say My soule as Psal. 103. 1. and 104. 1. My soule praise thou the Lord and Luk. 1. My soule doth magnifie the Lord. So that here the Prophet doth not only outwardly coÌ„mend the law but saith that he hath sworne and will performe the keeping of God his testimonies With the heart saith the Apostle we beleeue shewing that the heart is the proper place of faith and not the braine and that we must as wel be touched in affection as in outward bettering of our iudgement They must be vehement passions of the minde wherewith we must let the testimonies of God sinke down into the depth of our hearts Wherefore we are here to learne that our ouer profession of the Gospell will not acquite vs before God his iudgement seate For I loue them exceedingly that is They are not of small value with me I loue them entirely because they are things most precious vnto me This is the high dignitie estimation which we owe and should performe to the sweet testimonies of our saluation Wherefore our Sauiour Christ saith the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasure which is hidden which when a man findeth for ioy he selleth all that he hath to purchase that Thus we see the man of God hauing made mention of faith maketh mention also of loue teaching vs that true faith worketh by loue Also he sheweth vs that the cause why the comfortable promises of the Gospell so soone slip from vs and our comforts are so momentany and griefes so sore charge vs and ouerwhelme vs is euen because we haue laid vp these promises rather in the braine than in the heart This is too short cold and small a loue for the profession of the Gospell and bewrayeth the want of faith the want of faith declareth a want of loue For if we know aright what an inestimable treasure the promises of God were in that in them we haue the assurance of all our sinnes pardoned of God his prouidence watching ouer vs his Angels ministring to vs his creatures wayting on vs that we shall be companions not onely with his Saints and Angels but heires and fellow heires with Christ and that after this life a happie crowne of glorie is laid vp for vs we should more highly esteeme of them then we doe and more heartily loue them For what maketh worldlings so to loue golde but that they thinke it the most precious mettal what causeth ambitious men so to set by prefermeÌ„t but that they thinke it the best thing for them what causeth the man so to loue or like his wife or the woman her husband but that they are perswaded that none in the world were fitter each for other When our Sauiour Christ would haue Peter to be carefull in ouerseeing his flocke he vseth this triall louest thou me Peter And the Apostle said how through loue he was inforced to preach Christ to the Church This theÌ„ must not be faint and feeble loue but a streightned and â—aborsome affection which is stil occupied in adorning the thing loued and cannot satisfie it selfe in thinking of it and in speaking of it and in doing it so that the greatnes of the perswasioÌ„ draweth out the greatnes of the affection It is then a drowsie dreame which some hold for a setled opinion who thinke that loue goeth before faith when the very heathen saw by the light of nature that a man could not loue that which he knew not And we know that faith is a knowledge with a ful perswasion so that if we loue the word exceedingly we are perswaded by an exceeding faith of the word which we loue and this faith shewing it selfe in loue is fruitful in good workes Look in what measure we are perswaded of the goodnes of the thing in that measure we loue it Vers. 168. I haue kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my wayes are before thee WE haue heard the man of God speaking of his faith and loue whereunto now he ioyneth his feare which moued him to keepe both the testimonies of the Lord and his precepts So that if we will grow to this measure of obedience we must first labour for faith to beleeue faith must worke by loue loue breede in vs a reuerent feare of God his maiesty which feare must engender in vs a care to please God and a griefe to displease him so that we may thus shew the prophet his meaning Lord I set all my doings open in thy sight wherefore I am carefull to doe any thing which thou commaundest and afraide to do any thing thou forbiddest So that we learne for our instruction that as the very motions of his heart were laide open before the Lord whereby he was armed with this care and feare so if we will be beautified with the like affections we must vse the like meanes True it is that God seeth all mens wayes and gageth the hearts of al as well of the wicked as of his children howbeit all beleeue not all see not this in themselues The wicked may confesse it so to be in outward things but doubtles they are not in truth perswaded that God doth see their hearts For if they were how durst they do that in the sight of God and his Angels which they dare not doe in the sight of
haue no good desire or inclination to heare vnlesse GOD by his spirit doe worke it in vs and bore through our eares Secondly there is noted this that wee should heare though it be plaine for vs to doe wee must striue and struggle with our selues that wee may heare when the Lord doth neuer so little stâ—â—â— vs vp therevnto Vers. 21. Let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart IN these words is a third charge giuen vnto vs and that is this that wee should make a profitable vse for our selues in the reading of the word and in beholding of the creatures for both these wayes we may winne great and good strength to ouercome our corruption and both these exercises are in the word commended vnto vs. The fourth and last precept is contained in the latter end of the verse in these words Keepe them in the middest of thine heart In this precept is prescribed the manner of the vsing and doing of the former duties for all of them must be done with the heart wee must giue attendance to the word not onely with the stilnes and quietnes of the outward members but wee must also be attentiue with our hearts we must heare the word read preached and conferred of not with our outward eares alone but also with our very hearts Wee are not to rest in the simple reading of the word or the bare beholding of the creatures but wee must labour for a fourth thing wee must looke that our hearts be present when wee either reade the word or behold the creatures And yet there is a further thing to bee here obserued for by this commandement we are charged to lay vp in our hearts all the profit which we learne by these meanes It is not sufficient to vse them it is not enough to feele some present vse and profit by them but wee must lay vp in our hearts whatsoeuer gaine wee get that wee may be stored and prepared for the time to come This must be done by prayer and meditations for if wee pray feruently before after and in the vsing of these meanes and if after we haue vsed them we do diligently meditate vpon them both that we may be confirmed in each dutie and also that wee way applie them to our own particular priuate vse then vndoubtedly God will giue a blessing to his meanes rightly vsed and will write the fruite of them in our hearts yea the Lord will giue a further blessing vnto them life vnto vs and health vnto our flesh as it followeth in the 22. verse which before hath beene expounded These verses are very notable and worthie of all remembrance for they commend vnto vs all the meanes whereby Gods word is made effectuall vnto vs as hearing reading preaching praying conferring meditating and such like godly and heauenly exercises In other places of the scripture sometime one sometime another is mentioned But here all are expressely named and this no doubt was done by the great wisedome of God the holy Ghost which by this hath met with the corruption of our owne nature For this corruption much preuaileth and beareth great sway in vs that wee vsing some one meanes diligently doe neglect all the rest Some men doe so rest in their priuate reading that they neglect hearing praying other holesome meanes some do so highly esteeme hearing that they will neuer reade to confirme the thing that they haue heard nor vse any other meanes And so of the rest for there are men of all sorts But the holy Ghost commendeth all vnto vs and chargeth vs with all and that so straightly that we cannot with hope looke for any blessing from God vnlesse wee bee carefull and diligent in all It is the dutie then of euery man to be seriously exercised and occupied in all thos exercises that God may blesse al or if not that sometime one sometime another according to his good pleasure may profit vs. These 9. verses because they giue vs in charge to vse with diligence the hearing and other exercises of the word must bee referred vnto the second commaundement Vers. 23. Keepe thy heart with all diligence for thereout proceede the actions of life IN this verse hee doth call vs from all kinde of inward euill which secretly lieth lurking in our heart for as much as that in very deede is the wel-spring of all wickednesse and because Salomon doth here note the heart as that which is the cause of al sinful actions so that although we should neuer see any man doe euill and although wee should not at any time be tempted to doe euill by any yet our owne hearts would corrupt vs and cause vs to sin We do hereby see that the doctrine both of the Papists and of the Familie of loue is most vntrue for they do teach that a maÌ„ is not naturally inclined vnto euil that his nature is not wholy corrupted with sinne but that hee is corrupted and infected either by the allurement or example and temptation of others True it is that the occasion of euill may be offered by some other man but Salomon doth here teach vs that the cause of our euill is in our selues and for this cause he commaundeth vs aboue all things to bee watchfull ouer our hearts for from them doe proceede the actions of life or of death Now the causes why wee are charged to keepe such straite watch ouer our hearts are in number two The first is because the heart doth carrie with it euery way all our senses so that as the Heathen said It is not the eye that seeth but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but the heart and so the other senses So from hence it commeth that there be oftentimes great sounds and much noyse yet because our eares doe attend vpon our hearts which are earnestly occupied about some other matter wee heare not the sounds we doe not listen vnto the noyse From hence it commeth that we see not goodly sights and shewes when they bee sometimes offered vnto our eyes because our eyes are set vpon that thing about thwich the heart is occupied Yea from hence it commeth that we sometimes stumble in the plaine ground and our feete doe faile vs euen in â—â—â—â— places because our feete are carried with our heart which is earnestly occupied on some other matter Therefore although we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our handâ— our eares and other parts of our body yet doth it most stand vs in hand to keepe all watch and ward ouer our hearts seeing they rule all the rest The second cause why we should watch ouer our hearts is because it maketh or marreth all our actions for if our heart bee pure then all our actions bee pure and accepted of through Christ though some want bee in them and contrariwise if our hearts bee not sound but corrupted and vnpure the things that in their
members of the body So that the cause why we shew no mercy is because we cannot perswade our selues to be members Of the primitiue Church and the faithfull congregations gathered by the Apostles it is saide there was but one heart one will among them and therefore no doubt but one body for there can be but one heart in one body and it were monstrous in one body to haue two hearts The lawe of members is that looke what one member receiueth is receiues not for it selfe alone but for all the rest too The eye it sees not to defend and helpe itselfe alone but it sees for the hand for the foote and for the other parts of the body And so by the law of members if wee haue any thing wee must bestow it on the whole body and as well on the foote as on the head Euen so doth one member receiue the benefite of another that as the eye seeth so all seeth as the hand writeth so all write and wee knowe the least benefite or hurt which is in any member is ascribed to the whole body as if but the finger ake we say we haue an ach if the naile be hurt we say we are hurt if the foote be whole wee say we are healed Then if this affection be not in vs mercifully to impart one to another as one member is seruiceable to another mercie is not in vs. If we be grieued for any it is but a complaint of the mouth we can giue him a Lord helpe him but Christ did not onely see one so but he wept ouer him he wept not onely but touched the verie leprous yea and he healed them Well if there be no mercie in vs with what face can we come to the Lord and say giue vs a kingdome let thy kingdome come if wee denie to our brethren the gift of so much as of a peece of bread and how can wee looke vp to heauen with any hope to come thither if we haue laid vp no store there before hand God scummeth away the drosse of his Saints by Crosses yet breaketh not his holy couenant with them but performeth it through many tribulations which they deserue and pul vpon themselues When the Lord threatneth we are often driuē into a secret murmuring and impatiencie of spirit but we must know that his minae be as medicinae the meanes of the Lord are medicines And wee are too nice Christians if wee cannot abide to bee threatned seeing God his iudgements are often greater mercies than euen the continual ordinary mercies themselues Nay because the Lord would not destroy vs hee threatneth vs hee hath not delight in the death of a sinner therefore he threatneth death vnto vs because he would not haue death come vpon vs. For as the mercies of God are iudgments to some that abuse his mercies so the iudgments of God are mercies to others because they cause them to obserue his wil and to enter into a new league with him And this is that the Apostle saith all things turne to the best to them that loue God all things the very melancholie of the diuels euen hell fire for the bitternes of threatnings are fore-warnings to the godly that they should not be destroyed with the world in the ende CHAP. XXXIIII Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our hearts SO corrupt is the heart as being the fountaine of all sinfull actions that although wee shoulde neuer haue patternes of impietie yet our owne heart would schoole vs sufficiently to the waye of destruction Reprooued then bee their Doctrine who thinke that a man is not naturally inclined to euill or that nature is not wholie inclined to sinne but that by example and allurement man is corrupted and infected by others The occasion of euill may bee outward but the cause of it is inwarde not of others but in our selues And good reasons there bee therefore that wee should still haue an eye to our hearts First our hearts doth carrie with it most commonly all our senses so that nature taught men of the world that the eye seeth not but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but a certaine force proceeding from the heart and exercised by the hand and seeing nor sense left in the body From hence it commeth that great sounds and strange noyses are nothing heard of our eares attending vpon our hearts and our hearts being throughly occupied about some other obiect From hence it is that goodly shewes able to rauish the sight with delight are not so much as seen of vs our eies being wholly restrained about other things whereabout the heart is occupied yea from hence it is that wee stumble sometime on the plaine ground and our feet do faile vs in most faire places our feete attending on our hearts and our hearts being carried vehemently vnto some other matter Although then we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our eares our hands with all other parts of the body yet it standeth vs in hand to keepe diligent watch ward ouer our hearts by which all the other partes are moderated and ruled Another reason why wee should haue speciall regard to our heartes is because they make or marre all our actions If the heart be pure all our affections are pure though Christ through some defectes be mixed therewith if our hearts be not sound but corrupt then the things in their owne nature good by vs are made impure corrupt It is without all controuersie that it is our corrupt nature which corrupteth vs either to be slacke in weldoing or to leaue a good thing altogether vndone to be so prone to euil-doing or to rest too securely in it being done And albeit many occasiōs may be pretēded to stay vs from good which may seeme to carrie some shew of good yet they are deceiuing corruptions and full of rottennesse at the core as experiēce prooueth Some are kept backe from catechising of their familie because they would not be made the by-talke of the people they would not men should talke of them and tear me them a precise company Some goe aloofe and walke along from pure zeale in good works that they might retaine their libertie in buying and selling and so better take order for domesticall expences which they thinke would fall to the ground if God should be purely worshipped And indeed euery thing creepeth vnder colour of a good thing and they will turne out nothing naked but with one ragged reason or other although their pretences be of an ill die or their reasons not able to keepe them from any iniurie of the weather whatsoeuer They are carried away with the deceiueablenesse of sinne their corruption deceiueth them they are beguiled with the diuels sophistrie in putting that for a cause which is no cause at al. But this hypocrisie of hart may appeare not onely in not doing of good which we should doe but
will haue men be of their mindes or they will turne iustice into wormwood that it shall be as bitter as wormwood to the good man to doe iustice for my part I would Achab troubled Israel no more though Eliah beare the blame 9 Hee saide that when hee considered how Noah Moses and others fell in their latter daies and how the most excellent haue fallen hee most earnestly prayed that the Lord would take him out of the world before that his life should bring any offence to the Church of God 10 Iacob and Esau cannot agree in one wombe Sarah and Agar cannot agree in one house Isaac and Ishmael must not dwell together there is no agreement between the children of God and the children of Belial 11 Moses was angrie and is commended for it so that euery anger is not condemnable but to be angrie without a cause and without measure Some men will bee angrie for their owne cause and very hot but in Gods cause they will not bee angrie at all this is a fleshly anger but when men sinne either to the dishonour of God or their owne destruction then to be angry is a good anger if the saluatioÌ„ of our brother doth moue vs therto not our owne iniuries for we can beare with patience iniuries so farre as priuately it concerneth vs but when it toucheth GODS glorie we cannot but be angrie Some are angrie for euery thing and in light matters and yet not in waightie matters then let those men take heede for these are very faultie But if we be like the Lord not marking what is done amisse nor being angry continually that we had rather be loued than feared and according as the matter is so is our anger then is it good otherwise it is not to be allowed for as the Lord doth vse more meanes to cause vs to loue him than to feare him so ought weâ—o doe and to bee more carefull with loue to winne than with anger to compell The Lord is slow to wrath and anger resteth in the bosome of fooles whereas a wise man will represse anger Then let our anger be according to the fault a light fault a light anger of small continuance but we must beleeue the Lord to bee greatly grieued with great sinnes In Gods cause some men are moued when themselues are also touched but if themselues be not touched they can be quiet but when their brother is hurt though God bee dishonoured they care not If we see our selues moued but then when our selues are touched let vs suspect the want of faith of loue and zeale of Gods glorie and thinke wee stand too much to our oâ—ne praise but if we cannot be content when the things doe not touch vs but euen the glorie of God doth moue vs to anger then is it good and of God Though some be our very friends yet we can be most angrie with them when they fauour vs and when they displease vs we can remember the old loue and so still mingle anger with loue and if I can bee angrie with whomsoeuer I see the same sinne in then is it also of God and to be allowed and indeede true Christian anger will sooner bee to his friend than to his enemie Againe when wee can first beginne with our sinnes and be more angrie for them than for others for no man can euer bee angrie for other mens sinnes which cannot be angrie for their owne and this is that which Christ saith Cast the beame out of your own eyes c. But when our anger first beginneth with our selues and that there is no sin which wee would willingly rest or fauour our selues in then if wee bee angrie with others for the same sinnes this is of God if we cast the first stone at our selues and if the sinne bee in vs we striue against it if it be not we feare it may bee and therefore studie to preuent it Againe when our anger doth let vs from doing any duties to them which wee are angrie with then is anger to be misliked but when wee are readie to shewe all duties to them as to pray for them and all other duties of loue then let vs haue here a testimonie of good anger but if it make vs to haue a troubled minde though it be for a good cause it is to be respected for the workes of Gods spirit in vs doe not hinder one another but rather doe further and if we were colde before and yet now shall be quickened to prayer and other good exercises this if we finde it is a note of good anger Againe our anger for the breach of Gods commandement is ioyned with a compassion ouer them which haue thus offended because of the wrath of God which hangeth ouer them thus was Christ angrie and sorie Mark chap. 3. and also when he wept ouer Ierusalem and Paul 2. Cor. cha 12. ver 21. faith he should be humbled when he commeth with a rodde to them and therefore he describeth fleshly anger that they were puffed vp 1. Cor. 5. Rom. 15. Wee should support the weake and be so grieued as though we had done that they haue done When wee see the sinnes of others wee must bee so grieued as if we had done them our selues Christianitie hath griefe flesh hath ioy in the sight of the sinnes and infirmities of other men 12 Worldlings being poore looke onely to the iniurie of men and being sicke looke onely to the meanes and in whatsoeuer trouble they are they are like the dogge that looketh to the stone and not to him that throweth it because they know not that the Lord is the healer but thinke it is by fortune and not Gods prouidence and therefore they looke not to God nor their sinne at all or els looke onely to the angrie countenance of God and so come to miserable ends Therefore it is a blessing of God to see that for his sinnes a man hath any trouble The contrarie commeth to passe by the ignorance of Gods prouidence which must by faith be beleeued as the creation is and therefore a man may see and yet beleeue not Gods prouidence for God hath time and all things that in time come to passe be in his hands Eccl. 3. So both must necessarily be beleeued for they are both the first article and one without the other cannot be beleeued Then let vs beleeue that hee is our healer and therefore when we are stricken let vs looke if wee haue walked well in our calling then is it for our triall and in the end we shall haue euerlasting ioy but if wee want a good conscience then let vs know it to be for our sinne therfore looke to the law where we shall see though not the particular sinne yet one of these which God hath ordained to keepe vs from sinne as wee shall see it is either for that wee haue not heard the word nor prayed nor been thankfull or not receiued the
his people and to furnish them plenteously therewith 9 When the Lord gaue the Israelites water in Rephidim he named the place after their sinne Mossa and not after the miracle that he wrought that they might both see his mercy and be also put in minde of their sinne And this ought Magistrates to doe in punishing sinne The Lord had often before forgiuen them and now when they had sinned most grieuously he punished them so as they might still perceiue his mercie So ought the Magistrate to rebuke the people for their sinne and let them know it yet so as they mingle mercy and loue with iustice And this ought to be also in the discipline of the Church all meanes must be vsed and al kindnesse shewed so that the fault be reproued before we come to the last meanes of excommunication 10 As euerie one is higher in degree so ought hee to shewe a greater measure of faith 11 Ioseph saith God made him a father vnto Pharaoh that is a Ruler for so it is after expounded and ruler of all his land So Eliakim the Ruler of the people is called a Father because he should not haue such a care for himself as Shobna had who neglected the people and hewed out sepulchers for himselfe but should specially seeke for the glorie of God and the safetie of the people and so did Ioseph winne the hearts of the Aegyptians by his curteous dealing hee went not about to prouide any thing for his children after him By this wee are taught what manner of men our Magistrates should bee for if they haue a speciall loue to their countrey selfe-loue will bee decreased but if they bee giuen to heape vp for themselues and their posteritie the loue of their countrey will be quickly shaken off And this is to moue vs to pray for our Magistrates and also in our selues to bee profitable to others so much as in vs lieth for we are not borne as the very Heathen confesse to our selues but for the benefit of others also The want therefore of the feeling of this may serue vs for a triall of our religion and godlinesse 12 The Lord often doth vs much good when wee see it not hee giueth vs many benefites and blessings by his Ministers and Magistrates which wee perceiue not yet this is a punishment when wee cannot see the meanes whereby the Lord doth vs good and therefore wee must take heede to this for when the case is thus it is dangerous 13 This is to bee noted generally in Christianitie it is a small matter to receiue religion when plentie of all things doe come with it And so in particular callings wee see who would not be a Magistrate or Minister so long as he may be in credit and haue all obedience yeelded to him without trouble But if contempt come with affliction how fewe be there that will stand and abide in their callings to giue God the glorie in looking for that issue which he thinketh good Who would not be a married man if all his life might be as the mariage day but when a man is married hee must prouide for his wife and children yet with heede that hee doe nothing with an euill conscience for them Againe for that a man must forbeare the manifold infirmities of his wife and ouercome them with wisedome how few are there that will continue in mariage giuing God the glorie So is it in the Magistracie and Ministerie 14 Exod. chap. 16. 27. 28. it is written that there went out some of the people to gather Manna but found none whereupon it is said that the Lord reprooued Moses in these words The Lord saide to Moses How long refuse ye to keepe my commandements Moses had not prophaned this Sabbath but the people and not all but some yet the Lord rebuketh Moses because this people were committed to his charge Thus wee see what waightie accounts the Lord will require at their hands who haue the ouersight of others they must giue an account for them Againe inferiours must be often admonished not to despise the gouernement and instructions of such as the Lord hath set oner them but willingly receiue them and carefully follow them If any be so carelesse that he respecteth not his owne health and welfare yet let this moue him to some further consideration of his doings that by his negligence hee puts other in danger and is hurtfull to those that are set ouer him This the Apostle Paul also willeth the Corinthians wisely to consider 2. Cor. chap. 12. verse 21. CHAP. XLVII Of Matrimonie and of the duties which belong to that state GReat dangers follow them which ioyne in affinitie with sinners as wee see in Ieboshaphat for ioyning himselfe with Achabs house 2. Chron. chap. 17. 2 It is an holy token of an holy vnitie betweene man and wife and that they be married in the Spirit and not in the flesh when their affections agree in good things 3 Iethro in marrying his daughter to Moses had no respect to worldly preferments which he saw Moses wanted but onely to the rare vertues which hee saw in him This ought wee to obserue in these times first to make such a choise for our daughter of such a one as may bee a speciall guide and helper for her to the kingdome of heauen and then to take other things if they come but not to seeke them God blessed this act of Iethro for he had the worthiest man then liuing And Moses had a great blessing to haue such a wife as was brought vp in labour that so shee might the better suffer with him in aduersitie and prouide for her selfe in state of necessitie This respect men ought to haue in marriage least taking such as haue been brought vp delicately they shall not be able to beare the crosse when it commeth 4 It is most like by the words of Zipporah Exodus 4. 26. Thou art indeede a bloody husband vnto mee that Moses to please his wife did omit the Sacrament of Circumcision This may teach vs that wee are to honour our wiues albeit the weaker vessels because they be heires of the same grace with vs and must keepe loue peace in outward things so we at no hand in matters of religion must yeeld vnto them least we honour them more than God and so wee shall cause a punishment to fall vpon them and our selues It was the cause of many troubles in Iacobs familie to loue Rachel more than Lea. But Dauid and Iob did wisely in withstanding their wiues when they sought to withdrawe their mindes from performing dutie vnto God 5 When the Lord makes any one man more excellent than another for gifts outward or inward he trieth him whether he wil seeke Gods glorie and the profit of his brethren which fruites if they insue not then thus doth the Lord let him see that this is his corruption which he must labour
be turned into sinne yet if we can continue in prayer and be diligent therein if we can euen then also heare the word when wee can receiue no comfort thereby yea though it euer rebuke vs and seeme to make our cōdemnation knowne vnto vs if wee can abide our selues to bee touched and continue our care to heare the word still if we can doe these things it is a notable token of true faith and the great worke of Gods good spirit doth shewe it selfe herein yea and that more liuely than when a man hath comfortable feeling 11 It is a speciall fauour of the Lord when he giueth such Ministers or Magistrates as will pray for the people for so they may see that he will not punish them as he ought but yet forbeareth them We see in Psalm 106. That by the prayer of Moses and Phineas the Lords wrath was stayed and Samuel prayed for the people Therefore Ministers and Magistrates ought to labour euen by praying and doing good for the people that euen for their sakes the Lord may spare them though they haue deserued to be punished Contrariwise it is a signe of Gods wrath when hee withdraweth the hearts of Ministers and Magistrates from the people and that they cannot doe them good 12 The lifting vp of the hands is taken sometimes for prayer it selfe the signe for the thing it selfe so the speech is vsed Psal. 141. 2. Let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an Euening sacrifice And in Tim. 2. 6. I will that men lifte vp pure hands in euery place Where we see that the truth of the things is ioyned neerly with the signe For if a man haue not an heart his lifting vp of hands is nothing but if the heart be thoroughly mooued then also will the eye be lifted vp yet we doe lift vp our eyes that our hearts thereby may be the better lifted vp and our eye doth not wander nor our care doth harken after other things but our hearts haue first wandered 13 When Moses preuailed with the Lord by prayer then did he also preuaile against his enemies S. Iames saith The prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent So that if he be not a righteous man that prayeth or if the righteous mans prayers are not feruēt it will not preuaile As S. Iames therefore gathereth a generall of a particular so may we gather that if we be feruent in prayer then we shall preuaile but if we be not feruent we can haue no hope And that is the cause that in our matters we bring not our purpose to passe because we are cold in praier or trust too much to our owne wisedome or such like Therefore in what matter soeuer we haue in hand if we do first seeke to God by prayer in feruencie as did the men of God herein then shall we preuaile as well as euer they did 14 Those things which wee heare and reade are other mens vntill by applying them to our selues by Meditation they be made ours 15 As reading hearing and conferring of the word do more encrease knowledge then feeling So praying singing and meditating doe more increase feeling then knowledge 16 It is not certaine how long after his sacrifice and prayer Iacob receiued comfort and therefore we see that the comfort of the Spirit doth not alwayes depend vpon the meanes neither is bound thereunto but sometime cōmeth long after the vsing of them As Christ saith of the Husbandmen that they sowe and looke long after for the fruites of the earth which may teach vs comfort for that our prayers are neuer in vaine but alwayes graunted though sometime long after and here are those corrected which looke for comfort immediately vpon their requests not knowing that sinne is the cause why wee receiue not when we aske and for that we vse not the meanes aright this also trieth our obedience if we will with patience continue vsing the same meanes though presently we feele not the fruite of them and learne with Marke and the Apostles to lay vp things in our hearts to trie what will come of them afterward Iacobs vision is not a bare and mute thing but is ioyned with the word and teacheth that all comfort must come out of the word and therefore what comfort by Sacraments visions apparitions and such like doth not leade vs to the word nor worke in vs greater obedience to the same nor giueth vs some victory ouer sinne that is vaine and proceedeth of error It is Faith in the Promises that worketh in vs obedience and therfore in euery commandement there is a promise either vnderstood or expressed for the law is spirituall and requireth a spirituall obedience which we cannot performe because we be carnall and by nature disobedient except the Lord do minister grace vnto vs. 17 Violence as it were must be vsed in the heart when we pray because it is the heauie iudgement of God that verball prayers bring vs to great blockishnes 18 It is good to reade before prayer to the better preparing of our hearts thereunto 19 Where prayer wanteth the action of sinne is as ready as the temptation 20 Generally we must desire Gods mercies greedily but particularly wee must aske them conditionally and with affection as well to leaue the thing asked as to haue it 21 Manie are barren in grace because they are barren in prayer We cannot be drie in the grace of God so long as wee resort to Christ by prayer who hath the seauen Vialls of gold full of seuen-fold mercies 22 In singing of Psalmes without some speciall occasion he would say in company specially of such as were of some generall instruction although priuately for himselfe according to his griefe ioy or affectiō he would sing proper Psalmes yet he thought they that did most reioyce might sing the Psalmes of greater griefe to put them in mind what was or may bee in them as also to season their ioyes with the remembrance of the sorrow of some of the Saints Againe those that are most throwne downe might reape fruit in vsing the Psalmes of greatest comfort that they may see what hath been and what is belonging to them after that they haue sowne in teares and mourned with that holy repentance which is not to be repented of 23 There be two extremities of singers Some hearing the action to bee good vse it of custome Some hearing that wee must vse it with prepared hearts stay so long for fitting themselues thereunto that they leaue it often vndone Others vse it so often and yet so vnfruitfully that their customable singing breedes wearisomnesse wearisomnesse causeth tediousnes and tediousnes causeth to leaue all Then wee are indeede prepared to sing when the word dwels so plentifully in vs and we be so filled with the Spirit that the assurance of our sinnes pardoned the perswasion of God his fauour the hatred of sinne the loue of
earth therfore let vs not grieue him in heauen also Thirdly being the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6. 19. it were a despite against the Lord if we make the house of God the stye of Sathan and sincke of sinne Fourthly the Angels reioyce to see a sinner repent as also there is great sorrow when a Professor falleth away the heauens seeme to be clothed with blacke thereat and the Angels weare mourning attire But to come down from heauen to earth Fiftly whereas the rankest heretikes haue had often great feelings whereby this is no good way to saluation to thinke our selues sure in a carnall securitie Peter teacheth vs another way Make your election sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1. 10. as by a signe consequent not as by a cause antecedent Sixtly we must by good works auoyd the offending of our brethren least that as Lot was vexed among the Sodomites we grieue the hearts of the Saints Seuenthly as we are not to grieue strong Lot so wee must not offend the weake ones for whose sakes wee must abridge somewhat from our libertie in things lawfull and much more cut off our licentiousnesse in things that be vnlawfull Eightly we must do good euen for the wicked Wherefore the Apostle I. Pet. 3. 2. admonisheth wiues so to liue that euen they which obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues If women are thus charged then much more men Ninthly because the Diuell not barred out by good workes doth make vs his pallace or rather his paunch or his stable and at the fall of a righteous man the damned doe as it were make great bonefires in hell let vs bring forth the fruites of righteousnesse which may make the Diuell to some in fretting and worke more madnes and melancholie in the damned Tenthly for the confusion of the wicked in the last day it shal be good by wel-doing to redeeme some comfortable confidence of our being in CHRIST against that day when the sides of the wicked shall lie panting in paine Now to make vp the number of a douzen wee may be moued to doe good works by considering the ende of the godly and the end of the wicked Mat. 25. These reasons many and waighty shall redeeme vs from this reproch wherewith our enemies doe charge vs. 6 To doe good is worth the doing albeit in vaine and as Sencca saith He is a perfect man that can loose a benefite giue it not to giue loose it But whose is the hurt CHRIST preached in vaine to the Iewes and Noah to the old world and Lot to the Sodomites but were Noah Lot and Christ hurt for it And yet many writers think no good worke is in vaine to him that it is done too But certainely to him that doth it it is not in vaine there is a great reward for them in the life to come And in that respect GOD will haue his children doe manie good works in vaine As to Moses he said Goe preach to Pharaoh he shall not heare thee yet goe Againe that which is well done is better done then not done for then it perisheth with them otherwise it should perish with thy selfe 7 There is none hath a priuiledge whereby he is exempted from doing of good works The Law is giuen to all Iohn 10. Euery one had his Talent Luc. 19. Euery one shall beare his burthen Gal. 6 Euery one shall stand before the Tribunall of GOD euery mans blood shall be vpon his owne head Ezech. 5 Euery Tree that bringeth not forth fruite shall be cut downe Matth. 3. Tribulation and anguish shal be vpon euery soule Rom. 2. Thus wee still see it runnes of all and euery one The reason is God accepteth no persons neither in giftes of Nature nor in giftes of Grace nor in iudgements euen the little Hills the small Trees not one pinne made of an vnfruitfull tree But are the wicked tyed to doe good workes Yea euen they Matth. 11. it is saide it shall bee easier for some then for others which is interpreted Matth. 8. that there is vtter darknes whereas Basil saith the greatest sinnes goe thither and Luc. 7. Hee that knoweth his Mastere will c. Euen the wicked must doe good to make their iudgement easier their stripes feweâ— and their place better Must anie more then others doe good workes yes the Christian must especially bee zealous of good workes Tit. 2. warne them that belieue Tit. 3. 14. and in the ende of the same chapter Let our men learne to shewe forth good works what manner men ought we to bee 2. Pet. 3. If any that is counted a brother I. Cor. 5. Now then among Christians who are most bound Tribulation c. on the Iewe first c. The reason is for they had the Oracles of GOD Rom. 3. 1. 2. Hee that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not that fellow sinneth indeede so then this person on whome the powring of the oyntment hath bene first ought to bee most thankfull in good works We must doe good euen to all Be merciful as â— am Luc 6. and we knowe he suffereth his sunne to shine ouerall The reason is God his image is in all But especially to the faithfull Iob. 22. I cannot profite thee c. Psalm 16. My well doing extendeth not to thee but to thy Saints It is Christ his owne desire Luc. 22. Wheâ— thou art conuerted confirme thy brethren We can doe him no good but in his Saints And yet â—o go further to him most of all that is wounded as to the Samaritane Luke 13. If he neede our helpe though he be a Samaritane God could haue made there should haue bene no neede of them but for that he would trie the liberalitie of the rich and the patience of the poore Then much more to the soule which is the subiect of immortalitie must wee shew well-doing in pittie and compassion CHAP. LXXV Of Zeale THe zeale of Moses and Phineas and CHRIST wee should striue to haue that we may be grieued with the corruption and sinnes of the time but to redresse them belongeth not to vs except we be Magistrates 2 Zeale leaueth in men a great impression being tempted with Faith and loue 3 We must desire to be zealous and earnest in matters weightie concerning the Lord or his people but in small matters our owne affaires and worldly friendes wee must take heede it be not naturall earnestnes or carnall or not sauouring of the Spirit 4 One saying in his hearing that it might be obserued from time to time that men haue bene more bountifull in furthering a corrupt religion then in relieuing the professors of the Gospell he answered his iudgment was the contrary for thogh many in popery giue much yet it is of their abundance but wee read in no place that euer men solde
meate which though he eate against his stomacke and presently feeleth no benefite of it yet we knowe by experience it doth him good and himselfe afterward shall receiue the same In our great feare we are lesse to be feared those are to feare which feare not Sometimes the Lord doth bring vnbeleeuers that wander from him by crooked waies vnto himselfe Reuerence those words and workes of God which you vnderstand not As the sense of an aguish man is corrupt so is the iudgement of one that is in temptation Muscul. so that things that are either seeme not to be or not such as they are The patient bearing of miserie is an acceptable sacrifice vnto God When the Goldsmith putteth a peece of gold into the fire to make better vse of it it seemeth to the vnskilfull that he vtterly marreth it so the children of God in affliction seeme to the iudgement of the naturall man vndone and brought to nothing but spirituall things are spiritually discerned As none can discerne of the Sunne but by his owne light so neither of the Spirit Hereof arise the diuers iudgements of the tempted of themselues because sometime the good spirit doth inlighten them and other times they are left in their naturall blindnes and Satan also easily deluded them Beleeue alwaies your estate to be the worke of God and varie not therein for your humiliation your consolation the glorie of God and the good of others Beware that you doe not often alter your iudgement of your estate as saying sometimes it is God his worke sometimes Melancholie sometimes your weaknes and simplicitie sometimes witcherie sometimes Satan for these diuers thoughts will much trouble you you may thinke Melancholie may bee an occasion but no cause and so of the rest Looke stedfastly to the hand of God surely resting on this that hee not onely knoweth thereof but that whatsoeuer is done directly or indirectly by meanes or immediatly al is done and gouerned by him Beware of reasoning of musing of solitarines of impatiencie of spirit of murmuring of anger enuie wishes suspitions ielousies too often eating c. or fastings much medling with wordly businesse or much idlenes lying musing in bed vaine mirth Say not you cannot be helped for that may hinder the worke of God Say not if I were in such and such a place I should be well Whereas in consideration of the falling away of many excelling you both in the ages and graces of the new birth you feare you shall not perseuere to the end your meditation and collection is good so long as it preserues you from the carelesnesse of your flesh but it is euill when it would dissolue the assurednes of your faith Indeede so long as you looke vpon your selfe you haue cause of feare because you are vnable to prolong as you are to begin new birth but if you looke to God you haue nothing but matter of faith for that whom he once loueth he loueth for euer Againe as a man swimming in deepe waters is neuer in danger of drowning so long as his head continueth aboue the waters so though you swimme in deepe feare of dangerous temptations yet you are sure and secure because Christ Iesus your head is still aboue all your troubles and therefore is able to draw you his member to the shore of saluation without all perill of perishing It is hard to take vp and beare the yoke of Christ but much harder it is to continue drawing and panting in it vnto the end This caused a godly father to pronounce that in godlines not so much the beginnings as the endings are to be looked to Iudas began gloriously but he ended shamefully Paul began ill but he ended well Then let vs say to our owne soules Good Lord what if our first loue be growne cold how fearfull is it to come a great way out of Sodome and in the end to become a pillar of salt Oh let vs neuer put our hand to the plough and looke backe keepe vs deare God from the beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh Oh suffer vs not to be the first in outward vocation and the last in inward sanctification let vs feare hauing beene once lightned to be darkened Remember how sometime thy heart hath wrought and trauelled in prayer how the springs of your ioy haue beene in the Lord and his Christ how all thy delights haue been in his Saints how it hath beene thy glorie in singing and praising to be familiar with thy God These former fruites make me looke for after fruites A streight course of religion is somewhat an vncomfortable companion but blessed be that mortificatioÌ„ which so farre estrangeth vs from the world that it chaÌ„geth vs to the similitude of Christ to whom we must be coÌ„formed in sufferings that we may be like him in glorie Suffer not your heat to bee straight narrow and vncomfortable in heauenly things this draweth away both the breath and bud and the life of true godlinesse The Lord keepe you from euill and the Lord satisfie you with gladnesse the Lord giue you the spirit of prayer and heare your prayers the Lord bee your teacher your guide and your comfort oh pray pray pray it is the best sacrifice to God and the most comfortable duty you can doâ— I am not loth to put you in minde of these things you haue many carefull for you in other things O pardoÌ„ me if I be bold in this one thing I trust I reioyce more in the good of your soule than euer I should reioyce in the fruite of mine owne bodie it would be a thousand deaths to me as tenne thousand hels to see your soule miscaâ—ie O let me be accepted more than a ciuill friend more than a friend of the world giue me this benefit to be thought further than a friend in the flesh No griefe shame or sorrow pleaseth the Lord which goeth altogether separated from a sweete perswasion of his fauour Againe no pleasing our selues in the assurance of pardon is acceptable to God which altogether reiecteth the care of espying bewailing and auoiding of sinne Wherefore let this be the barre and bound of your affections in these cases so long as Christ goeth with you so long as the mercies of God accompanie you so long as the grace of the Spirit shineth vpon you be dealing with your sinnes and condemne them to death likewise while you are tender of conscience afraide of sinne reuerently prepared to walke holily with your God laugh at Sathans accusations despise destruction and set at nought the terrors of hell You neuer erre one way or other but by failing of one or both of these that is either in your griefes you are grieued without comfort or in your ioyes you reioyce without reuerence whereby it falles out in the end that as in vnnecessarie griefes you can finde no spirituall pleasure