counsell at the mouth of the Lord Examine all thine actions by the touchstone of the worde and bee sure to doo nothing for the which thou hast not the worde for thy warrant If harlots entise thee to lewdnes as Putiphars wise entised Ioseph Genesis the thirty nine Chapter fly from them as Ioseph did from hir and remember what the law saith thou shalt not commit adulterie If sinners such as haue no feare of God before their eyes entise thee saying Come with vs wee will lay waite for blood and watch to state the simple man consent thou not but consider what is written in the Law Thou shalt do no murther If they say cast in thy lot among vs wee will all haue one purse wee shall get great riches and fill our houses with spoile Prouerbs the first Chapter and fourteenth verse Walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path and looke what the Lawe requireth of thee thou shalt not steale If Papists would perswade thee to change thy religion because thy Fathers were of another religion looke into the Scriptures examine thy religion by the word of God and then as Elias saide vnto the people If the Lord be God then follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him the first booke of Kings the eighteenth Chapter and twenty one verse So answere thou them if this religion be agreeable to the worde as in truth it is then will I be of this religion though my forefathers haue beene of your religion And to conclude if thy father that begate thee thy mother that bare thee thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome thy friend that is as thine owne selfe or thy childe which is the fruite of thy body Deutronomium the thirteenth Chapter and sixth verse shall require thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath forbidden in his law or shall forbid thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath commanded in his word then thou maist answere them as Iob answered his wife thou speakest like a foolish woman Iob the second Chapter and tenth verse or as Christ answered his mother VVoman what haue I to doo with thee Iohn the second Chapter and fourth verse or as hee answered his friend Peter Go after me Sathan for thou sauerest not the thinges that bee of God c. Matthewe the sixteenth Chapter and twenty three verse Yea if it come to this that thy Prince which hath power ouer thy life commaund one thing and the Lord commaund the contrary thou must answere as Peter and Iohn answered the Rulers Acts the fourth Chapter and nineteenth verse whether it bee meere c. Yea thou must be content with Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel the third Chapter to vndergoe any punishment euen vnto the death rather than thou wouldst dishonor him or disobey his worde that hath power to call both bodie and soule into hell together Matthew the tenth Chapter and twenty eight verse It followeth verse twenty seauen And he answered and saide Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy thought and thy neighbour as thy selfe Before the Lawier mooued the Question Now t is the Lawiers turne to answere and in his answere he sheweth him selfe a learned Lawier for whereas the lawe of God consisteth of tenne precepts he reduceth the same vnto two The one taken as it seemeth out of Deutronomium the sixt Chapter conteining our duety towarde God the other taken out of Leuiticus the nineteenth Chapter conteining our duety to our neighbour Here is the abridgement of Moses lawe which as it was deliuered in two tables so it is reduced to two dueties and both these require but one thing and that is loue Deutronomium the tenth Chapter So doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe diuide the lawe Matthew the twenty two Chapter where beeing asked which is the great commandement hee answereth as here this Lawier dooth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the first commaundement and the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere is nothing but loue my brethren and yet here is the fulfilling of the law Romaines the thirteenth Chapter For all the benefits that God had bestowed vpon the Israelites his people hee requireth nothing but loue And for all the fauours which he hath done vnto vs he asketh no more but loue againe If wee were not too vnkinde God needed not to craue our loue hauing so well descrude our loue in louing vs before wee loued him first of Iohn the fourth Chapter But nowe hee is â—aine to become a Suter for our loue which he hath dearely bought for he shewed his loue to vs before hee craues our loue to him By his almightie power hee created vs of nothing and made vs the most excellent of all his creatures if that bee little worth because it cost him little for he spake the word and we were made Psal. 33.9 Yet this is such a loue as cannot be expressed that when wee were fallen from that excellent estate wherein wee were created and become heyres of hell and condemnation so did he loue this sinfull world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for the sinnes thereof That hee might bring vs to heauen hee came downe from heauen that hee might deliuer vs from hell hee went downe to hell for vs Not golde nor siluer but his dearest bloud was the price of our redemption 1 Peter 1. What can a man doo more than to giue his life for his friend Rom. 5.6.7 And what can God doo more than to die for sinfull men And for all this what dooth this louing Lorde require of thee but that thou loue the Lord thy God Blessed be such a Lorde that requireth nothing of his seruants but loue If any Prince were so gratious vnto his subiects that he would require no other subsidies nor tribute nor custome of them but loue how were the subiects bound to loue and honor such a Prince And such a one is our most gratious Lord and King who for all the blessings and benefits that we enioy vnder his most happy gouernment craueth no more but loue at our hands for recompence Once he required burnt offerings that was a deere kinde of seruice but now he asketh loue a kind of seruice which euery man may well affoorde He asketh not learning nor strength nor riches nor nobility but he asketh loue a thing that the simplest the weakest the poorest the basest may performe as well as he that is most learned most strong most riche or most nobly borne If God had required this of thee that thou shouldst be able to dissolue doubts like Daniell and to dispute subtile questions what should then become of thee that art vnlearned If the Lorde should accept of none but such as were strong and
indifferently casteth no man in the teeth Iame. 1. chap. 5. verse so hee would haue vs to giue that which we giue vnto him willingly without grutching If we giue him loue we must giue it louingly if we giue him our heart we must doe it heartily if we giue him our almes we must doe it cheerefully for as he loueth a cheerefull giuer 1. Cor. 9.7 so he loues a cheerfull louer but he that loues not with the heart loues not cheerefully for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12.34 the head deuiseth the eye seeth the eare heareth the hand worketh the foot walketh If the heart be enditing of a good matter the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45.2 but if the heart be vnwilling euery thing will be yrkesome like the gift of Ananias that was loth to part from the price of his land because Sathan had filled his heart with couetousnesse Acts. 5. chap. 2. ver Such are the gifts of many now a dayes which either giue not so much as their abilitie might affoorde or if they do then presently they begin to repent that they gaue so much and as Iudas murmured that the oyle was not soulde and giuen to the poore Iohn 12. chapter so they greeue that their almes was not spared and put to some other vse Thus though they giue sometime as Ananias did for fashion sake because they see other giue yet is their gift nothing worth because it comes not with a willing minde God more regarded the sheapheards sacrifice of the first fruites of his sheepe Genesis 4. chapter and 4.5 ver than the husbandmans oblation of the first fruites of his ground because Abel offered sincerely with all his heart and Caine offered like an hypocrite for an outward shew The widdowes mite Luc. 21. was more esteemed than the riche mens much because she offered of her penury with a willing minde they of their superfluitie for ostentation A cup of colde water or a morsell of bread that is giuen with cheerefulnesse is better then a fat Oxe with hatred ill will When we giue to the poore we lend vnto the Lord and the Lord to whom we lend measureth the gift by the minde of the giuer and not by the worth of the gift A small thing saith Dauid Psal. 37.16 that the righteous haue is better then great riches of the vngodly so a small thing that the righteous giue is better then great gifts of the vngodly because they giue for the loue of God with all their heart but the vngodly giue for other respects either for the loue of the man to whom they giue or like the Pharises Matth. 6.1 for the praise of men before whom they giue Some will not giue at all wherin they declare that they haue no loue at all When a poore man comes to their doore or to their pue then as Naball answered Dauid when he desired reliefe for himself and his company 1. Sam. 23.10 VVho is Dauid or who is the sonne of Isai There be many seruants now a daies that breake euerie man away from his maister shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they are so they aunswer the poore man who art thou whence commest thou there are too many such as you are in euery place we haue poore enough of our owne to helpe I must bestow mine almes on them and I haue not for you Thus do they excuse their niggardise and vnmercifulnesse by the poore that dwell among them vppon whome God knows they bestowe no more than that which law compels them to bestowe and that for the most part against their will Where is the loue of God my bretheen If you say you loue God shew not your loue to your brethren you lye for if you loue not your brother whom you see you cannot loue God whome you haue not seene 1. Iohn 4.20 As we must loue God with the heart that is sincerely so we must loue him with all the heart that is with a perfect loue God is like a iealous husband lothe to haue a partner in his loue Exod. 20. He will not haue halfe the heart nor a peece of the heart but all the heart When the heart is deuided it dieth therfore God will not haue the heart deuided least it die because he desireth a liuing and not a dying heart He is not like the vnkinde mother that would haue the childe deuided 1. Kin. 26. but like the naturall mother who rather than it should be deuided would forgoe the childe So God will haue all or none if he may not haue all the heart and all the soule and all the strength all the thought he will haue none at all The diuell or the worlde or the flesh will play small game as we vse to say before they will sit out if they cannot get full possession of our hearts thē they are content to haue some part of our loue as it were a litle roome in our hearts a wicked thought or a consent to sinne like Pharao the king of Egipt who when he could not keep the Israelits still in bondage would keep their wiues and children back and when this would not be granted then he was content to let them go doe sacrifice but their sheepe and their cattell must stay behinde and when this might not be obtained then he desired them onely to blesse him before they went Exod. 10. But God is of another minde he that made all the hearts of men trieth them and knoweth them and renueth them and mollifieth them and lighteneth them and ruleth them and turneth them which way it pleaseth him wil haue all the heart because he hath best right to all Therefore as Moses answered Pharao There shall not a hoofe be left behinde vs so whensoeuer the deuill the world or the flesh are suters vnto vs for any part of our heart as commonly they are when we haue any sacrifice or seruice to performe vnto the Lorde our God then we must aunswer them as Moses answered Pharao Thou shalt haue neither hand nor hoofe in this action Exod. 10.26 or as Peter answered Simon Magus when he offered mony for the holy ghost Thou hast neither part nor felowship in this businesse Acts 8.20.21 I must not yeeld one iot to your suggestions for I must loue the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soule c. That God may be our God he will haue the greatest loue because whatsoeuer we loue best we make our God we may loue our parents or our wiues or our children or our friends or our neighbors aswell as we loue our selues with a true vnfained loue but we must loue God better thā our parents or our wiues or our childrē or our friends or our neighbors or our selues with all our
hearts with all our soule that is with a sound perfect loue As we loue a ring or a iewell for his sake that gaue it so we must loue althings of this life for his sake that gaue them for his own sake aboue all the rest This perfect loue we can bestow but once and but one can haue it and who so hath it must be our God if we set our hart vpō riches we make riches our God therfore Dauid saith Psal. 62 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them if our whole delight be in eating drinking then we make a god of our belly and the Apostle tels vs Phil. 3. that our end is damnation if we be giuen to wantonnesse and fleshly pleasure then Venus is our goddesse and Salomon tels vs Prou. 6. cha 26. ver that our end will be beggerie But if we haue set our loue on God the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 Nowe if you woulde know how you must loue God with all your hart thus you must doo it When the diuell or the world or the flesh shal set any thing before thee to loue wherewith thou shalt offend thy God thou must bee content to loose and forgoe the same be it neuer so precious be it neuer so louely He loueth God aboue all which not for the loue of any thing that is created can be brought to sinne against his Creator So Ioseph loued God aboue all who though hee might haue had the loue of his Ladie and Mistresse without suspition of man yet he would not consent and so to loose the loue of God Gen. 39. Such was Dauids loue to God 1. Kings 24. who when hee had gotten Saul his greatest enemy that sought his life into a Caue where hee might at once haue beene reuenged on him for all his iniuries was content onely to cut off the lap of his garment and so to let him goe vnhurt rather than hee woulde sinne against the Lord in laying his handes vppon the Lords annointed Such also was the loue of chast Susanna Dan. 13. who when shee might haue gained the loue and fauour of the Elders without any note of infamie chose rather to vndergoe the danger of hir life than to sinne in the sight of the Lorde Therefore thou mayest loue the things of this life thy parents thy wife thy children and the rest the Lorde giues thee good leaue to loue them so long as thou maiest loue them without offence to God But if once they be vnto thee an occasion to sinne thou must leaue to loue them and rather choose to susteine any losse though it bee to the cutting off thy hande or thy foote or to the plucking out of thine eye Math. 5.29 or to the hazard of thy life than thou wouldst offend so diuine a Maiestie Now thou seest if thou be not wilfully blind how farre thou art from this perfect loue which God requireth of thee Thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy worldly profit thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy fleshly pleasure when thou hast gotten oportunity to be reuenged of thine enemie thou hast not spared him when thou hast gotten oportunitie to commit wickednes thy loue to God hath not restrained thee where God required all thy heart thou hast giuen him no part of thy heart Somtime all thy heart runneth after thy couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31 Sometime thy soule is wholly set vpon-delight and ease sometime thy minde is all vppon thy corne Luke 12. or thy cattle or thy pasture and sometime thy thoughts are all vpon thy merchandise seldome thou thinkest vppon God but when thou commest into the Church of God and then thy minde is so distracted with diuers thoughts and eares and affaires of this life that thou canst not thinke vpon God one houre together Therefore what remaineth in this case for thee to doo but confesse thine owne imperfection and flie to Christ to supplie thy wants and earnestly to desire the Lorde to change thy heart to take from thee thy old heart thy vaine thy wandring heart which hath loued other things more than God and in stead therof to giue thee a new heart and to create a right spirite within thee Psal. 51. wherwith thou maist loue God aboue all things in this life that in the life to come thou maiest finde the rewarde of thy loue such ioyes and comforts as cannot be expressed Thus we haue heard what duety wee owe vnto God himselfe Now wee shall heare what duety we owe vnto our neighbour That which we owe vnto them both is loue but yet the loue which we owe vnto them is not alike For albeit the second commaundement bee like vnto the first Matthew 22. for the necessitie thereof and in respect of the subiect or qualitie which is required namely loue yet in respect of the obiect which is God and the measure of our loue which must bee perfect there is great odds betweene them In that they both require but loue they are both alike but in that the first requireth loue to God the second loue to men the first requireth a greater loue than the second there is the difference But here a doubt ariseth seeing God requireth the loue of all the heart soule c. what loue remaineth for our neighbour If God must haue all our loue what loue is left for any other Whereunto I answere that the loue of our neighbour doth not derogate nor detract from the loue of God As the light of a candle doth not dazel but rather commend the light of the sunne so our loue to our neighbour doth not diminish but rather accomplish our loue to God He that loueth the frute will loue the tree whereon it groweth and hee that loueth the streame will loue the fountaine from whence it floweth euen so he that loueth man which is a creature will much more loue God that hath created him But let vs examine the words Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere are foure thinges to bee obserued First what is required namely loue Secondly who must loue thou that is euery man Thirdly whome wee must loue namely our neighbour And lastly howe and in what manner wee must loue him as we loue our selues Concerning the first as in the former precept so in this also the Lord requireth loue wherein hee dealeth as a kinde father with his children who desirous to haue them so to resemble him as by their conditions euery man may knowe whose they are Therefore our louing father desirous to haue vs like himselfe requireth vs to be kinde and louing one to another as he is kind to the vnkind to the euill to the iust and to the vniust Matt. 5. He will haue vs perfect as he is perfect he will haue vs holy as he is holy he will haue vs
before his carnall kindred so we must preferre our spirituall neighbours before our carnall neighbours Therfore although by this law we are bound to loue all men indifferently yet because there are degrees of neighbours therefore there must be degrees of loue we must loue our parents and our kinsfolke more than strangers because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of nature according to that of the Apostle 1. Tim. 5. Hee that hath not a care of his owne specially they of his houshold c. So we must loue the faithfull more than the vnfaithfull because they are bound vnto vs by a straighter bonde of faith and religion as the same Apostle willeth vs Gal. 6. VVhile yee haue time do good vnto all specially to them of the houshold of faith signifying that as we are bounde to loue all men with a generall loue because they are all the ofspring of Adam yet must we loue some with a more speciall loue because they are the children of God Nowe followeth the measure of that loue which we owe vnto our neighbor expressed in the last words As thy selfe Heere is the rule whereby our loue must be squared and a most exquisite example of singular loue found in our selues for vs to imitate He saith not as he loueth thee or as hee is beloued of other but as thy selfe Who knowes not howe well hee loues himselfe and therefore who can excuse himselfe I say I know not how well I should loue my neighbor but how doo we loue our selues fainedly or coldly or for an houre I trow not but truely and zealously and euery houre so wee must loue our neighbour with a true zealous and a constant loue Wee must not passe by as the Priest the Leuit but powre our oile into their wounds with the Samaritan to helpe relieue them and comfort them Wee must loue our neighbour though he be enuious as Dauid loued Saul requiting good for euill and as Ioseph loued Putiphar not enticed to sinne against him Loue is the fulfilling of the Lawe It beginneth young with Moses to resist the oppressor and endeth not in old age but desireth to perish for the beloueds preseruation calleth infants in the streete with wisedome to learne comforteth the imprisoned with Abacucke burieth the dead with Tobie visiteth the sicke and possessed with our Sauiour couereth the multitude of offences and shall finde this last comsort Come ye blessed to which ioy hee bring vs that with his loue from euerlasting death hath bought vs. Here endeth the second Sermon THE CENSVRE of Christ vpon the Answere By HENRY SMITH LONDON Printed for Thomas Gosson and are to be sold at his shop by London Bridge Gate THE CENSVRE OF Christ vpon the Ansvvere NOwe wee are come to the answere of Christ vnto the Lawiers Question The Question was What must be done to inherite eternall life The Answere is Doo that which thou hast saide that is Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and thou shalt liue thou shalt inherit eternall life Where first it is to bee obserued that though this Lawier came with the minde to tempt Christ yet because hee had truely alleaged what was written in the Lawe Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. our Sauiour Christ approoueth his answere and commendeth him for it whereby wee are taught to like and allowe of those good thinges that wee see in any though they be our enemies Many there are that if their enemie be endued with many excellent vertues yet they will not acknowledge it nor giue him his due commendation but rather seeke by all meanes to disable him and disgrace him and dispraise him behinde his backe If hee be temperate and sober then they say as it was saide of Iohn-Baptist he hath a diuel If hee be sociable and familiar then they say as it was said of Christ He is a glutton and a winebibber Luke 7. If hee be learned they say as Festus saide of Paul Acts 26. hee is mad If hee bee a good housekeeper they call him a Papist If hee be religious they call him Precisian Yea if hee be a Prophet yet if hee tell the truth they account him their enemie Gal. 4. as Ahab termed Elias 1. King 21. And as the same Ahab cared not to heare Micheas because hee hated him 1. Kings 22. so they despise the Doctrine and mislike the Sermon because they hate the man that preacheth it These kind of people are like their father the diuel who both by his name and nature is an acouser of the brethren Reuel 12. Hee could not giue Iob a good worde though hee were a iust man that feared God Iob 1. and no meruaile for he could not speake well of God himselfe Gen. 3 But Christ is of another minde for though this Lawier were his tempter yet doth he allow his Answere so though a man be thine enemie yet let him haue his due If hee be learned report no lesse of him If he be an honest man defame him not If he be humble say not he is prowd If he be liberall say not hee is miserable If hee deale iustly say not he is vnconscionable and if he haue any thing in him that is praise-worthy as there is no man but hath some good thing in him acknowledge it report it and commend him for it though he be thine enemie But heere againe we see that though Christ commend this Lawier for his aunswer yet doth he not commend him for any thing else to teach vs that as we must giue euery man his due so we must giue no man more than his due The Lawyer had aunswered directly to Christs demaunde therefore Christ commends his saying but the Lawyer had not done so well as he had spoken therefore Christ doth not commend his doing so the words of many are very commendable but their workes are most detestable If you come to their sermons you shall heare them speake maruellous well but if you looke into their liues you shall finde them farre differing from their profession They are like our Bells which can call the people together to the seruice of God but cannot performe any seruice vnto God so these men can giue good counsell vnto others but they cannot follow it they can teach the people to knowe the will and pleasure of God but they go not about to doo the will of God that the people might be mooued by their example to doo the same And if you seeme to mislike their dooings then as Christ said of the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 23. They sit in Moses chaire c. so they aunswere for themselues Doo as we say and not as wee doo A bad excuse fit for so bad a cause As if they should say Wee would haue you to bee godly but wee will not be godlie we would haue you to be saued but we our selues will not be saued How can their doctrine do any good that liue not according to their doctrine or how can the
And I know whom I haue chosen Iohn 13.18 But in respect of our selues it is vncertaine and therefore wee must striue to make the same sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1.10 These are the wayes to come to heauen though they bee not the cause why wee shall come to heauen therefore we must keepe the way if euer wee meane to come to heauen For as wee are ordained to the ende so are wee ordained to the meanes which bring vs to that end If God haue predestinate any to eternall life hee hath also predestinate them to the meanes whereby they must attain eternal life that is faith a good cōscience 1. Tim. 5.19 therefore it is certaine that whoso euer is to be saued shall at one time or other before they departe out of this life bee called truely to beleeue and shall endeuour by all meanes as Paul did to keepe a good conscience both toward God toward men Act. 14.16 For that which is spoken of Christ in speciall Psal. 45. Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie must bee verified and in some measure accomplished in all the members of Christ they must loue righteousnes and hate iniquity And this is the difference that the Apostle putteth betweene the Children of God and the Children of the Diuel that the Children of God both loue and doe righteousnes and the Chil-of the Diuel loue sinne and doe it 1. Iohn 3.7 Let no man therefore thinke that he is predestinate to saluation vnlesse hee finde and seele in himselfe the effects fruits of predestination For those whom God hath predestinate them also in his good time hee calleth Rom. 8.29.30 not to vncleannes but vnto holines 1. Thes. 4.7 and whome he calleth them also he iustifieth and endueth with the grace of sanctification Rom. 6.2 c. and whome hee iustifieth them also he glorifieth Rom. 8. If any bee ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith hee cannot but bring forth the fruit of good life Iohn 15. and whosoeuer doth not bring forth such fruit it is certaine that he is not yet ingrafted into Iesus Christ. Let vs not therefore I say flatter nor deceiue our selues as though we had true faith when we haue not the true fruits of faith For as the Sunne cannot be without light nor the fire without heat no more can a sauing faith be without good workes which are the fruits and effects thereof The penitent thiefe had but a short time of repentance yet in that short time he wanted not good works to declare his faith Luke 23.40 41.42 For no sooner was it giuen him to beleeue in Christ but that presently he maketh answere on the behalfe of Christ and cleareth him of all amisse hee rebuketh his fellow for his incredulitie he confesseth the greatnes of their sinne and their iust punishment for the same hee acknowledgeth Christ to bee the Lord and calleth vpon him Therefore it is not enough for vs to saie wee haue faith for the Diuells haue a kinde of faith Iames. 2.19 nor it is not enough for you to come to Church to call vpon the Lorde for Lorde Lorde will not serue the turne Math. 7.21 nor it is not enough for vs to preach vnto you for vnto some that haue preached in the name of Christ it shal bee saide at the last day depart I know you not Math. 7.22 nor it is not enough for you to be only hearers of the worde for then you deceiue your selues Iames. 1.22 But you that say you haue faith must shew it by your deedes Iames. 2.18 And you that come to call vpon the Lord must depart from iniquitie 2. Tim. 2.19 And we that preach vnto you must practise that our selues which we preach vnto you and bee an example of holie life for you to follow 1. Pet. 5.3 And you that are hearers of the word must be doers of the word and then you shall be iustified Rom. 2.13 VVhat shall I doo The Papistes will haue other men doo good works for them For some of the holier sort forsooth haue workes of supererrogation that is more good works than they neede themselues which they can spare and bestow vppon those that pay best for them And wee that are Protestants because wee will not disable Christ nor derogate from his merits will haue Christ doo all for vs and we will doo nothing for our selues But this Lawier was of another minde Hee asketh what hee shall doo to gaine eternall life because hee knewe that another man could not deserue it for him The soule that sinneth that same shall die and the soule that dooth righteousnes shall surelie liue saith the Lord Ezec. 18.4.5 And though Moses and Samuell stoode before the Lorde to make intercession for the wicked it shall not helpe them Ier. 15.1 Yea though Noah Daniel and Iob were in the Land when the Lord bringeth his plagues vppon it for sinne they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters but onelie deliuer their owne soules by their righteousnes Ezech. 14.20 Therefore it behooueth euery man to know what he must doo to inherit eternall life and not onely to know for hee that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with manie stripes Luke 12.48 but hee must doo it and so shall hee haue cause of reioysing in himselfe and not in another For as another mans sinne shall not bee laid to my charge so another mans righteousnes shall not bee reckoned to be mine but euerie man shall beare his owne burthen Gal. 6.4.5 VVhat shall I do to inherit eternall life There is a life which is short and temporall which Iob compareth to a winde that soone bloweth ouer Iob 7.7 Iames to a vapour that soone vanisheth away Iames 4.14 This Lawier asketh not after this temporall life for this is common to beasts with men But here he inquireth concerning that life which is eternall and shall neuer haue an end T is strange to see how euery man almost desireth to be eternall and yet how fewe do vse the meanes to be eternall As the fowles by a naturall inclination delight to flie the fish to swimme and the beastes to goe so men are naturally carried with an earnest desire to liue for euer And albeit men know themselues to be mortall yet euery man according to his seuerall disposition deuiseth some meanes to be immortall Some like Lycurgus doo publish wholsome lawes Some Plato like pen learned bookes And some like Salomon build goodly houses and call the landes after their owne names thinking by this meanes that their names at least shall continue for euer Psal. 49. Thus euery man almost either for some valiant enterprise like Dauids worthies that killed the Giants 2. Sam 21. or for some desperate attempt like Saul that killed himselfe the first of Samuel and thirty one Chapter or for their famous and stately buildinges as the builders of both the Babels in the eleuenth Chapter of Genesis and fourth Chapter of Daniel will bee
valiant what should then become of women olde men and children which are weake and feeble If God should regarde none but the riche and wealthie what should then become of the poore and needy To conclude if God should make choice of none but such as were of noble parentage what should wee do that are the common people But now hee requireth such a thing of vs as the poorest simplest may performed as well as the wealthiest or wisest man in all the world for if we cannot loue we can do nothing specially if wee cannot loue God that hath so loued vs we go not so farre as the wicked doe for sinners also loue their louers Luc. 6.32 And therefore blessed be God that for the performance of so small a worke hath proposed such a great rewarde and for the obtayning of such a happy state hath imposed such an easie taske The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can the heart conceiue what God hath prepared for them that loue him Esay 64. chap. 4. verse 1. Corinthians 2. chap. 9. verse And for all these vnspeakeable ioyes which God hath prepared hee requireth no more of vs but loue How is God enamoured of our loue and how vnkinde shall wee bee to withholde it from him He hath an innumerable company of Angels which are inflamed with his loue and not content therewith he sues to haue the loue of men God hath no neede of our loue no more then Elisa had neede of Naamans cleansing but as Elisa bad Naaman wash that he might become cleane in the second booke of Kings the fift chapter so God bids vs loue that wee might be saued It is for our good altogether that God requires our loue in earth because he meanes to set his loue on vs in heauen If the man of God had willed Naaman doe some great thing ought he not to haue done it So if God had willed vs doe some great thing ought wee not to haue done it How much more when he saieth vnto vs Loue and you shall liue for euer Nowe if you would knowe whether you haue this loue of God in you examine your actions whether they bee done with delight and comfort In amore nihil amari In loue there is no mislike T is like the waters of Iordane wherein Naaman washed for as his flesh which before was leprous became faire and tender after his washing so all our actions and labours and afflictions which before were tedious and irkesome become ioyous and pleasaunt and comfortable after wee are once bathed in the loue of God It is like the Salte that Elisa cast into the noysome waters to make them wholesome in the 2. Kings and second chapter or like the meale that Elisa put into the bitter pottage to make them sweete as in the 2. Kings the 4. chap. So the loue of God being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost dooth make all anguish and sicknesse and pouerty and labours and watchings and losses and iniuries and famishment and banishment and persecutions imprisonment yea death it selfe to be welcome vnto vs. Such was the loue of that chosen vessell who for the loue that he bare vnto God waded through all these afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and could not for all these and many more be separated from the loue of God as he protesteth Rom. 8. Wherefore beloued seeing God that hath done so much for vs requireth no more but loue of vs which euery one may easily affoord let him be our loue our ioy and whole delight and then all our life will seeme delightfull As Iaacob serued seauen yeares for Rachaell Gen. 29.20 and they seemed to him but a few daies for the loue that he bare vnto hir so when we haue once set our loue vpon God our paine will be pleasure our sorrow will be ioy our mourning will be mirth our seruice will be freedome and all our crosses shall be counted so many comforts for his sake whom we loue a great deale more then Iaacob loued Rachell because his loue to vs is like Ionathans loue to Dauid passing the loue of women 2. Samuel 1.26 Thus we haue heard what it is that the Lord requireth of vs namely loue Nowe let vs see what manner of loue he requireth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy thought Here the Lord setteth downe the measure of that loue which he requireth of vs that first it must be true and vnfained as proceding from the hart minde secondly that it must be sound and perfect with all the heart with all the minde The Lorde which is a spirit and trueth Iohn 4. will be serued in spirit and in the truth He cannot away with hypocrites which drawe neere vnto him with their lips but their hearts are farre from him Matth. 15. He cannot abide dissemblers which flatter with their lips and dissemble in their double heart Psal. 12. and therefore though he requireth all the heart yet he requireth not a double heart to signifie that a single heart is pleasing vnto him and that he detesteth a double hart As there is a glosing tongue a wanton eye an idle eare a wicked hand and a wandring foote so there is a false and dissembling heart which marreth all the rest As is the eye such is the light if the eye be single the body is full of light if the eye be wicked the body is full of darkenesse Matth. 6.22 So as is the heart such are the actions of the body which proceede from the heart A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of the heart bringeth foorth euill things Matth. 12.35 therefore as Christ saith Make cleane within and all will be cleane Luc. 11. So I say vnto you looke that your heart be sincere and single and then your tongue your eye your eare your hand your foote that is all your actions will be holy to the Lord. The heart of man is the storehouse wherein his treasure lyeth and therefore God seeking to haue the treasure requires the heart For where the treasure is there will the heart be also Matth. 6.21 But he will haue it freely not by constraint and therefore he requires the heart because whatsoeuer is done with the hart is done willingly and that which is done against the heart is done as it were against the haire Therefore in requiring the heart God sheweth that hee delighteth in voluntary seruice Among all the offerings that the Lorde in his lawe required of his people he liketh none so well as the free-will offerings of their hande Princes require helpe of their subiects because they stand in neede of helpe not regarding whether they doe it willingly or against their willes but God requireth the heart because he needeth not our helpe As God giues to all men
mercifull as he is mercifull he will haue vs louing as he is loue it selfe Againe it is the nature of a louing father by all meanes to procure the welfare of his children so our heauenly father desirous of our continuall happinesse commandeth vs loue that so we may leade our liues with delight and pleasure If he had hated vs he would haue commanded vs to liue in hatred and enuy and malice with our neighbours For among all the miseries that are vnder the sunne there is not a more miserable and yrksome life than the life of the enuious Salomon Prou. 14.30 calles it a rotting of the bones and as it were a consumption of the body because the enuious man alwaies repineth and pineth away at other mens prosperitie As all things worke to the best to them that loue God Rom. 8. so all things worke to the worst to them that are enuious Therefore one wisheth that the enuious man had eies in euery citie that he might be vexed with all mens prosperitie As Christ said Iohn 13. By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if you haue loue one towards another so the diuell saith By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if yee haue enuie and hatred and malice one towards another Therefore leauing that hatefull and lothsome kinde of life to the reprobate and damned who are alwaies mal-content like Caine Gen. 4. and their countenance cast downe they cannot looke on their brother with a cheerefull countenance nor affoord him a merry worde God hath prescribed loue to those that are his to shew how desirous he is of their welfare happines But here some churle may say vnto me If this be all I shall doe well enough if God require no more but loue I shall be well content to loue so that I be not bound to giue Alas this is a silly shift for it is the nature of godly loue to relieue and helpe him that is beloued therefore whom thou louest if thou louest him truely thou canst not see him lack if it be in thy power to supply his want If thou loue thy horse thou wilt giue him prouinder if thou loue thy dog thou wilt giue him thy crummes and if thou loue thy brother thou wilt giue him foode Therefore though nothing be expressed which thou shouldest giue vnto thy brother yet in that thou must loue him thou art bound to giue him not onely thy goods but euen thy life if neede require to doe him good This is my commaundement saieth our Sauiour Christ Iohn 15. chap. 12. vers that yee loue one another as I haue loued you but he so loued vs that he gaue his life for vs Rom. 5. â— therefore wee also ought to giue out liues for our brethren 1. Iohn 3.16 For as much then as thy life which as Christ speaketh is more worth than foode or raiment Matth. 6.25 should not be spared for thy anothers good from henceforth grutch not to giue thy goods to thy needy neighbour defraude not him of foode and raiment to whom thou owest euen thy life it selfe But let vs come to the second thing which sheweth who is bound to loue Thou shalt loue Vnder this worde thou God comprehendeth euery particular man and woman as if hee should say Thou thy selfe and not any other for thou shalt loue thy neighbour The poore man is not exempted from this precept because he may loue aswell as the riche If he say I haue no wealth and therefore I cannot shewe my loue to my neighbour Though he haue no wealth yet he hath a heart he hath a minde he hath an affection let him haue a louing heart a louing minde and a louing affection if he cannot doo well let him wish well vnto his neighbour if he can or gratifie him with any thing that he hathâ— let him not enuie at any thing that the riche man hath sorts the riche man shewes that hee loues his neighbour if he relieue his necessitie so the poore man sheweth that he loues his neighbour if he greeue not at his prosperitie This therefore as a generall precept bindeth the poore aswell as the riche it is a common yoake laide vpon the neck and a common burthen laide vpon the backe of euery christian but yet it is an easie yoake and a light burthen Matt. 11. because it is loue which maketh all things to seeme delightsome As there are some that would bee content to loue if they might not giue so there are some would be content to giue if they were sure they should not want therefore when it comes to giuing they post it ouer to their heires or to their executors or to their successors when they are dead they are neuer liberall vntill they die and then they are liberall of that which is none of theirs They thinke to be excused by the liberalitie of their heires but they are bound to bee liberall for themselues therefore they must not lay the burthen vppon them because euery man must beare his owne burthen Gal. 6. If they say I know not what need I may haue before I die let them remember that what they giue vnto the poore they lend vnto the Lord and he is a sure pay-maister he giues great vsurie and as Dauid laid I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede beg their bread so they must needes confesse if they will confesse the trueth that they neuer sawe the godlye man that was liberall to the poore by that meanes to come to miserie By other meanes many men fall into extreame pouertie Alea Vina Venus Dice Wine and Women haue brought many to beggery but by beneficence and liberalitie to the poore I neuer heard that any came to penurie Such a foyson hath your almes that by the blessing of God which makes men rich it increaseth like the Widdows meale and oile which she bestowed vppon the Prophet 1. Kings 17. Therefore let no man distrust Now we are come to the third thing which sheweth whom wee are bound to loue Thou shalt loue thy neighbour He saith not thou shalt loue the rich man or thy kinsman or thy friend or thy companion but thy neighbour Vnder which word is comprehended euery man that is any way capable of thy loue yea euen thy enemie is included in this precept Matthew 5. Rom. 12. As the Iewes thought none to be their neighbours but their owne Nation so some thinke none to bee their neighbours but their equalls The rich man despiseth the poore man and he againe enuieth the rich man and euery man as the prouerbe is delighteth in those that are like himselfe But heere this lawe requireth that whosoeuer is our neighbor by any meanes is to be loued As our Sauiour Christ had two kindes of kinsfolke Matthew 12. one by the flesh and another by the spirit so we haue two kindes of neighbours one by nature and another by grace and as Christ preserd his spirituall kindred
people thinke that the doctrine is true when they that preach it liue not thereafter Will not the people reason thus If his doctrine were good surely hee would follow it If his life be good surely he would teach vs to liue as he dooth Therefore whatsoeuer he saith wee will not beleeue him but as hee dooth so will we do and we hope to scape aswell as he Thus with the one hand they builde vp the Church of God and with the other hand they pull it downe because they doo more hurt by their bad example than they can doo good with all their preaching These are the vngodly that the Lorde by his Prophet reprooueth Psalme 50. VVhy dooest thou preach my lawes and take my wordes c. So long as Esay was a man of polluted lippes the office of preaching was not committed vnto him but when his lippes were cleansed Esay 6. then was he fitte for that office and function Euen so as long as we delight in sinne as much as any wee are not meete to reprooue the sinnes of other but when wee behaue our selues as it becommeth the ministers of the Gospell then haue wee commission to preach the Gospell and to reprooue the sinnes of the people Therefore to a good Churchman as you vse to call vs two things are necessary the first is to teach well the second is to liue well for as wee are resembled to Salte because wee must season the people with sound and wholesome doctrine so are wee resembled to the Sunne because wee must shine as lightes in the worlde by our holy life As Iohn Baptist was the voice of a cryer so he was a burning Lampe as the Apostles were willed to teache and baptise so their lights were commaunded to shine that men seeing their good workes might glorifie God Thirdly we here may see that truth is truth and to bee commended from whomsoeuer it cōmeth for though this Lawier came to tempt Christ yet because he told the trueth Christ admitteth his answere and commends him for it Whereby we haue to learne to embrace and receiue the trueth by whomsoeuer it is brought for as a iewell is to bee esteemed though it be found in a stinking dunghill so the trueth is to be regarded though it bee found in a wicked man And last of all we heere may see that to be verified which was spoken of Christ Esa. 42. Mat. 12 A brused reed shall he not breake c. that is he shall not discourage any in the way of godlinesse Though this Lawyer were Christs enemie yet when he aunswered discreetly and directly out of the word of God Christ approoueth his aunswere and exhorteth him to the practise of the same wherby we haue to learne to commend and encourage euery man in his well dooing and by all meanes to further them in their good beginnings Praise and honor are spurres to vertue therefore if a man haue done well commend him and he will do better but alas with vs it is farre otherwise for if a man haue done amisse it shall bee often cast in his teeth but if he haue done well he shall neuer heare of it But let vs go forward in the aunswer of Christ It followeth do this Hauing approoued his saying now hee exhorteth him vnto dooing for it is not enough to say well or to knowe much or to beleeue aright but wee must doo this that is we must loue God and our neighbour if we desire to liue Heauen is not gotten with faire wordes nor amorous lookes nor golde nor siluer nor gorgeous aray but with the fruites of a liuely saith or that I may vse the words of the Apostle Gal. 5.6 By faith working through loue God will not come to iudge vs at the last day whether we were learned or wise or eloquent or wealthy or honourable but whether we haue done those deeds of mercy to his needy members What shall it profit a man in the last houre of his death to haue beene eloquent and excellent in all kinde of learning that he hath preached many notable and worthy sermons if he haue liued a lewde and wicked life and caried a corrupt conscience to his graue In that terrible day when the bookes of all mens consciences shall be opened Apocal. 20. and euerie mans life shall be strictly examined it shall goe better with vs if wee haue serued God with a good conscience then if we haue beene able to dispute subtile questions for at that day it shall be said to some that haue preached in the name of Christ Depart from me I know yee not Mat. 7. Now as we shall not be saued for our preaching no more shall you be saued for your hearing for God will haue you to do as you heare aswell as he will haue vs to do as we teach if you looke into all the scriptures you shall finde no promise made to hearers nor to speakers nor to readers but to beleeuers or to dooers If yee aske God who shall dwell in his holy mountaine he saith Psal. 15. The man that walketh vprightly If you aske Christ who shall enter into the kingdome of heauen he saith Matth. 7. Not they that cry Lord Lord but they which doo the will of my father If you aske him how you may come to heauen he saith Mat. 19. Keepe the commandements If you aske him who are blessed he saith Luc. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and doo it If you aske an Angell who is blessed he saith Reu. 22. Blessed are they which keepe the words of this booke If you aske Dauid he saith Psalm 106. The man is blessed which keepeth iudgement and dooth righteousnesse If you aske Salomon he saith Prou. 29. The man is blessed which keepeth the Lawe If you aske Esay he saith Esay 50. He which doth this is blessed If you aske Iames he saith Iam. 1. The dooer of the word shall be blessed in his deed And heere Doo this and thou shalt liue Heere is nothing but dooing to make vs blessed for as the workes that Christ did bare witnesse that hee was Christ Iohn 10. so the workes that we doo must beare witnesse that we are Christians But heere some man may obiect and say Is any man able to doo this that God requireth and if he be not why then dooth God commaund vs that which wee cannot performe Heerein almighty God dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children If a man haue a sonne of seauen yeares of age he will furnish him with bow and arrowes and leade him into the fields sets him to shoote at a marke that is twelue score off promising to giue him some goodly thing if hee hit the marke and though the father know that the childe cannot shoote so farre yet will hee haue him aime at a marke beyond his reache thereby to trie the strength and forwardnesse of his childe and though he shoote shorte yet the father will incourage him Euen