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
the secret counsel of the Lord herein we must know that neither the promise of the Lord is so vniuersall that euery particular childe of a faithfull man should be within the couenant for if of many there be but one blessed the promise is performed Yea which more is though that a faithfull man haue neuer a good childe yet if vnto the thousand generation there be but one good the couenant is not broken Neither must wee tie the Lords worke so much to man that a good man may not haue an euil sonne seeing though the Lord visit not his sinnes yet hee may visit the sinnes of some of the forefathers to the third and fourth generation going before To the second I say that an euill father hauing a good child though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before And though that an euill man haue no cursed child yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation which we leaue onely to the Lord to make good or bad according to the good pleasure of his owne will I exhort parents to vse the ordinarie meanes to bring vp their childreÌ„ so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of the couenant or at the least be comforted in their owne consciences if the Lord refuse their children for some cause vnknowne in that to their abilitie they haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and offered them to God And if parents haue cause to be grieued when thus trauailing in good education they cannot see good in their children how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed no labour at all to bring them vp in the feare of the Lord and yet many will be grieued for the one that will not be grieued for the other Wherefore let vs learne if we will conueigh Gods blessings to our posterities to vse all holy duties thereunto and on the contrarie if we will be loath to conueigh Gods iudgements to our children let vs carefully auoide all meanes that leade vnto them And surely as it is a blessed thing in the houre of death with Simâ—on to depart in peace leauing our wife children and seruants spouses to Christ children to God and seruants to the Lord so in death no one thing will be more grieuous to a man than the Lords hauing giuen him the charge and dignitie of so many soules to be furthered to saluation that his owne tormented conscience shall presse him how in as much as he could he hath helped them forward to their damnation and so which is more fearefull he shall haue them spuing and foming out in his face continual curses in hell accusing him for euer to be the murtherer of their soules Howbeit I doe not exempt children from all blame so charging the parents as though the children were free from all guiltinesse herein for I am not ignorant that as in the time of Ezekiel so in our dayes youth is readie enough to take vp this Prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge But I affirme that though the occasion be offered of such wicked parents yet the cause of destruction is still in the children themselues And besides that it is sure that the soule which hath sinned shall die the death Seeing also there be some yong men who notwithstanding the great prophanenes of the most the manifold corruptions offered abroade the vngodly examples abounding at home are so mightily preserued by the seede of grace that they escape safely in an holy course of life lamenting when they see the least occasion of euill reioycing in the least occasion of good things the rest who please themselues and hope to shelter their sinnes vnder their parents defaults are plainely left without excuse and are iustly guiltie of the blood of their owne soules Labour therefore ye yong men to wipe away the teares of griefe from your fathers eyes and stay the sorrowfull spirits of your tender mothers and consider with your selues if you haue any good nature in you and haue not buried the vse of common reason what a shame it is to be a shame vnto your fathers to whom ye ought to be a glorie and thinke ye wanton wits that haue not cast off all naturall affections what a contempt it is to be a contempt vnto your mother to whom ye haue offered as it were a despightfull violence in that ye are as it were a corrosiue vnto her heart when as ye should haue bin a Crowne vnto her head The end of al this briefly is thus much that parents hauing children not walking either in knowledge or in a good conscience must make some vse of so iust a cause of griefe examining themselues and accusing their owne soules before the Lord either for that their meeting was prophane to so holy an estate or brutish because they desired rather a seede like vnto themselues in flesh and blood than such as might be like to Christ by grace and new birth or that they begat their of spring as meere naturall or very carnall men or because they either prophanely neglected al educatioÌ„ or monstrously misliked that in their children which they liked in themselues and punished in them their owne corrupt precepts or for that they suffered iniuriously their children to doe euill vnto others which they could not suffer them to doe vnto themselues or vntaught that at home which was taught abroad or in that they doe lie in some sinne vnrepented of or else because they neuer made conscience to bring their posteritie within the couenant of saluation but still loued their flesh in their children not their soules And children must here also learne that it is one speciall propertie of a liberall and ingenuous nature to be carefull so to liue that in time they may bee a glorie to their fathers and a ioy to their mothers which the Lord grant to vs all for his glorie and our euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour FINIS OF REPENTANCE AND TRVE SORROVV FOR SIN THE SEVENTH SERMON Acts 2. vers 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and saide vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes c. IN this portion of the holy booke of God is set downe to vs an effect or rather a fruite of Peter his sermon which hee made for the answering of the slanderous reports of the Iewes at what time they sawe the wonderfull gifts of God sent downe vpon the Apostles In which Sermon the Apostle had pricked their consciences with shewing
our owne consciences then should wee offer to others a larger cause of magnifying the name of God who hearing vs vse such spirituall gladnes might bee prouoked to an holy emulation and say surely this is the power of the holy Ghost this is vndeceiueable ioy happie are they that can thus reioyce in the Lord. Oh that the Lord would giue vs of the spirit and fill our hearts with such gladnes thus others vndoubtedly would plentifully bee rauished by our godly examples Though some would laugh at vs as they did at the Apostles when they had receiued the holy Ghost yet others would reuerently maruaile at it and willingly followe it Wherefore when with the man of God we shall be perswaded of our immortalitie both of body and soule when wee hauing God his cause in hand shall vse it in a good conscience as he did wee shall surely and sincerely with him reioyce And what I pray you in the night season in thundering and lightning in earthquakes blazing starres and fierie starres in extraordinarie working of the heauens maketh vs so dismaid and at our wits end want of faith What maketh vs at the death of our friends to mourne and that wee will not be comforted Paul 1. Thessal 4. 13. telleth vs want of hope FINIS OBSERVATIONS ON THESE VERSES FOLLOVVING Being part of the 42. Chapter of Genesis THE THIRTEENTH SERMON 9 Ye are spies and are come to see the weakenes of the land 12 Nay but ye are come to see the weakenes of the land 14 This is it that I spake vnto you saying Ye are spies 15 Hereby shall ye be proued by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence c. 21 We haue verily sinned against our brother c. IOseph a good man and yet lieth so was Lot a good man and yet loth to part from Sodom These were great offences Whence come they from custome no doubt Ioseph being amongst prophane men had some smell of their wordes And Lot though their wickednes and Sodomitry vexed his righteous soule yet through custome hee could haue found in his heart to haue liued still amongst theÌ„ So first wee must here bee taught to eschewe ill custome and companie The second note hence to be obserued may answere a peece of a doubt in the former two examples of Ioseph and Lot For some man may say Ioseph and Lot both good men dwelt and kept companie with the wicked therefore wee may doe so But it may be answered that examples proue nothing without the warrant of the word And as for Ioseph God had sent him extraordinarily to prouide for his fathers familie but Lot chose to dwel in SodoÌ„ for his lucre as ye may read in the thirteenth chapter of this booke the tenth verse and therefore this greedie desire was altogether vnlawfull and though the Lord in mercie deferd the punishment thereof he punished that yet at length in his wife who was turned into a pillar of salt in himselfe and his owne daughters with whom hee committed abominable incest Therefore we see that it followeth not because they dwelt among the wicked therefore we may It was not sufficient for Ioseph to haue had a misliking of lying but hee should haue abstained from it and detested it in heart No doubt he being a godly man otherwise had a misliking of it but because he did not euen abhorre it we see how in time he was brought vnto it and as it were to make no conscience of it So it is not sufficient for vs to haue a misliking of vnlawfull apparell playes sport naughtie and vngodly talke but we must in heart detest it much more in practise otherwise by euill companie wee may easily bee drawne to follow them The Physitions meanes is to bee vsed in time of sicknes and the plague to be auoided in flying from it so we must vse meanes to auoide sinne by the word and praier and as much as we may the place where it aboundeth least we be infected And if it so be that wee cannot auoide for it may bee the Lord will sometimes trie vs with the companie of foolish vaine and prophane worldlings to see how wee will cleaue to him if then wee cannot auoide but our eyes shall behold vanitie our eares shall bee filled with vngratious and gracelesse graces in lying swearing and blaspheming the name of our God then shew your selues to the world that you are not of the world assure your owne soules that you are called and chosen of the Lord not only by a cold kinde of misliking of these things but by an vtter abhorting and detesting them from the heart otherwise we may be by Iosephs example drawne not onely to approue them but also to commit the like and to forget our selues and to heape vp the wrath of God against vs so that when their destruction commeth except the Lord shew mercie but if we tempt him hee will shew no mercie wee shall be pat takers of all their plagues and the vengeance which the iust and most righteous God hath threatned to throw downe vpon them Vers. 14. Againe Ioseph said vnto them This is it that I spake vnto you saying Yee are spies Ioseph maketh another lie So wee see that vse is a sore matter which had brought him to this that he stucke not at a lie and yet we know that the lier euen killeth his owne soule Nay but see he left not here he went further yet In the fifteenth verse Hereby yee shall bee prooued By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not goe hence Ioseph smelleth by this vse of Idolatrie hee forsaketh the Lord and sweareth by him which is no God Besides another fault he commeth neere for swearing and periurie because his oth commeth very neere a lie and wee know that vntruth and an oth iumping together maketh periurie and it cannot bee but those that sweare readily must sometimes be for sworne Ioseph was a Magistrate Magistrates may goe farre in examining and searching and sifting suspected persons when they appeare before them that they might come to the truth of the matter but to affirme flatly and falsely is against Gods commandement and therfore a grieuous offence Vers. 17. So he put them inward three dayes Now hee did not imprison them of any corrupt affection or desire of reuenge but there may bee great reasons to shew that hee vsed great wisdome in his doing First if Ioseph should not haue done thus but should at the first haue made himselfe known vnto theÌ„ they for shame would neuer haue gone back againe to their father Secondly this dealing thus with them was a meanes to humble them Thirdly he might doe thus that he might be more fully certified of the state of his father And lastly the short time of his imprisoning them was a token of his loue towards them Vers 18. Then Ioseph said This doe and liâ—e for I feare God As though hee should say Doe not you feare for I feare God I am
our wicked deedes our vnfauorie words but also the fountaine of al these euen our corrupt nature our vnbridled and vntamed affections our heart which is wonderfull faultie may be made knowne vnto vs that we may come to make conscience of our very thoughts because the thoughts are grieuous breaches of the law of God who being a Spirit hath made a law for our heart for our thoughts for our soule and conscience and thus being very loth in the sight of God to offend by thoughts vaine and vngodly to striue with our flesh and to haue our affections subdued to the spirit that so our heart being reformed all our members may bee conformable in euery respect to the will and commandement of Almightie God And thus farre must we be humbled if we will be truly humbled before the Lord. And truly if wee be not rightly humbled before the Lord we can hardly haue any assurance that wee are the children of God For without this humbling of vs hauing had some taste of the promises of God wee for the most part resemble the corne that our Sauiour speaketh of sowen in the stonie groūd which for a time flourished that is made a faire face as many hypocrites can doe now But hauing no roote nor nothing at all in truth they shew themselues how vnable they are to stand because they haue no deepnes of ground the seede of the word neuer begun nor rooted in their hearts So that we must be truly hūbled before the Lord and the word must be permitted to rip and lay open vnto vs the very secrets and thoughts of the heart Now those which see and feele their sinnes and are alreadie humbled more especially are humbled either by preaching of the law vnto them or else by affliction Affliction is either of the body or of the minde of these the Lord sometime to humble vs doth send the one sometime the other sometime both and all to humble vs before his Maiesty when as he seeth by reason of the corruption of our nature that the preaching of the law is not sufficient to humble vs to strike that terror into our hearts which might make vs duely prepared to receiue into our hearts the sweete and comfortable promises made to vs in Christ that it might be so rooted that it might still grow vp euen to the full ripe and perfitage of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ because I say our louing father seeth that the law will not suffice vs therefore it pleaseth him in mercie who will leaue no way vnassayed for the saluation of his children to prepare vs by afflicting vs which can not by the hearing of his law be truly prepared Now if affliction bee such a notable thing and the Lord worketh euen eternall life thereby oftentimes to those whom hee hath elected and called to bee his how louingly ought they to embrace it to whom the Lord so fatherly doth offer it and how patiently and chearefully ought they to beare it in asmuch as they thereby may assure themselues that God hath seuered them from the world and from those on whom he meaneth to shew no mercie in the day of his wrath And as for those whom the Lord as yet hath laid no scourge vpon them let them not long for it but let them lay the law of God and the threatnings thereof vnto their hearts to humble them thereby It is better to be humbled thereby than by affliction and yet better by affliction than not at all To commend affliction and to mislike of preaching of the law is as though one should commend a sore and dangerous purgation and mislike a good diet A good diet is able and it is the ordinarie meanes appointed of God to procure and conserue health which as many of vs as are not vnwise will obserue Now if for want of discretion or for greedie desire we neglect this and so by gathering together of ill and noysome humors within vs we endanger our life yet to saue our life wee will suffer the working of the most strong purgation that the Physition shall prescribe vs so the law that is the ordinarie meanes to make vs apt to heare the word of peace and saluation and ought of vs to be obserued and applied vnto vs that we may thereby be preserued rather than by affliction yet if our mercifull Lord and only Physition of our soule shall with tender compassion looke vpon our sores and shall see the maladie of our soule to bee incurable without the strong purgation of affliction then ought we euen with good courage to take it except we will suffer and see our endlesse vexation So purgation is good but it is more wisedome to obserue diet and affliction is profitable but if the law might take place effectually that were needelesse Let vs take heed therefore we deceiue not ourselues in thinking that affliction is the only meanes to bring vs to God and so neglect the due preparing by the law till time of affliction We see that is the meanes rather than this and affliction indeede is the curse of God Now the curse of God is the verifying of his lawe and though it please God to blesse it as he doth alwayes to his children for all things turne to the best to them that loue him yet ought it not to be the meanes to humble vs rather than the other The end of affliction and of threatning both is to humble vs and therefore it were better to be humbled by threatning than by experience of punishment for the threats of the law may doe this as well as affliction if we be not vnwise In our selues we may haue some testimonie of our true humbling in time of affliction yet is it hard to say for others whether one which now feeleth the hand of God vpon him and neuer felt any token of Gods displeasure before be either truly humbled for his sinnes for which he is afflicted or seemeth to be humbled because of the paine that he abideth Therefore euen he that is afflicted ought to examine his own soule whether he be truly humbled and feele within himselfe euen a griefe that hee hath so diuersly prouoked God to plague him acknowledging Gods vnspeakeable mercie and long suffering that he long ere this did not cleane consumne him least otherwise the diuel deceiue him as he hath done diuers who for a time seemed to bee humbled because of the heate of their griefe but afterwards when the Lord hath staied his hand they shew what their humbling was they turne againe to sinne as a dogge to his vomit and as a sow that is washing to her wallowing in the mire But as for him that feeleth the weight and burthen of his sinnes and Gods displeasure for sinne and euen groneth as it were vnder the burthen of sinne he may finde a heauenly comfort and assurance of the fauour of God for if thou seest a man truly humbled him will I consider saith the Lord.
yeares Against an vtter desertion in this kinde Dauid prayeth in this place and according to S. Augustine is in effect thus much O Lord if lest I should be proud and should say in my prosperitie I shall neuer be remoued it pleased thee to tempt me yet forsake me not ouerlong that is if thou haue thus forsaken me that I may know how weake I am without thine assist mee yet forsake me not vtterly lest I perish I know that of thy good will thou hast giuen me strength and if thou turnest away thy face from me I shall forthwith be troubled O forsake me not that I perish not If Christ be a sleepe the shippe is in danger and if the Lord absent himselfe but for a while we are not able to stand in temptation And yet it pleaseth the Lord to exercise his deerest seruants oftentimes with these desertions For as that iudiciall diuine Maister Perkins obserueth whom I follow in that which followeth the blessings that God bestoweth on them are of two sorts either positiue or priuatiue positiue are reall graces wrought in the heart by the spirit of God priuatiue are such meanes whereby God preserues men from falling into sinne as crosses desertions And these in number exceed the first as long as men doe liue in this world Before it can be declared what these desertions are this conclusion is to be laid downe He which is once in the estate of grace shall be in the same for euer This appeareth in the eight of the Romans 30. Where Paul sets downe the golden chaine of the causes of saluation that can neuer be broken so that he which is predestinate shall be called iustified glorified And a little after he saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and Who shall seuer vs from the loue of Christ and I am perswaded that no creatures shall be able to seuer vs from the loue of Christ which he would not haue said if men being in the estate of grace might fall quite from grace And how should they which are iustified haue peace with God if they were not sure to perseuere righteous before God to the ende And how shall it be said that hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God wherewith God loues his Elect is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen them if any may vtterly fall from that loue How should the testimonie of the spirit which testifieth to the Elect that they are the children of God be true and certaine if it may be quite extinguished Lastly how shall that of Iohn be true they went out of vs because they were not of vs if they had beene of vs they should haue remained with vs if a man may wholy fall from Christ which hath once beene made a true member of him Our Sauiour Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue life eternall to them and no man shall take them out of my hand or out of my fathers hand and whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come vnto me and whosoeuer commeth to me I will not cast out And if any of the Elect being effectually called might wholy fall from grace then there must be a second insition or engrafting into the mysticall body of Christ and therefore a second Baptisme nay for euery fall a new insition and a new Baptisme which must in no wise be graunted wherefore they which are predestinate to be in the estate of grace are also predestinate to perseuere in the same to the end Hereupon it followeth that the desertions of Gods Elect are first of all partiall that is such as wherein God doth not wholy forsake them but in some part Secondly temporarie that is for some space of time and neuer beyond the compasse of this present life For a moment saith the Lord in Esay in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer And to this purpose Dauid well acquainted with this matter prayeth Forsake me not ouerlong This sort of Desertions though it be but for a time yet no part of a Christian mans life is free from them and very often taking deepe place in the heart of man they are of long coÌ„tinuance Dauid coÌ„tinued in his dangerous fall about the space of an whole yeare before he was recouered Luther coÌ„fesseth of himselfe that after his coÌ„uersion he lay three yeares in desperation And common experience in such like cases can make record of loÌ„ger time The maner God vseth in forsaking his owne seruants is of two sorts the first is by taking away one grace and putting another in the roome the second by hiding his grace as it were in a corner of the heart God takes away his grace and puts another in the roome diuers waies 1. First he bereaueth his owne children of outward prosperitie yea he will loade them with crosses and yet he wil make a good supply by giuing patience Dauid is driuen out of his kingdome by his owne sonne a heauie crosse yet the Lord ministreth an humble and patient spirit so as he was content to speake If the Lord thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes So likewise Christian Martyrs are bereaued of all outward safetie and laid open to the violence persecution of tyrants yet inwardly they are established by the power of the might of God when they are most weak they are most strong and when they are most foiled then they obtaine victorie 2. Secondly the Lord cuts off the daies of this life and for recompence to his own elect giues life eternall The righteous is taken away froÌ„ the euill to come This is manifest in Iosias of whom it is said Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers and though shall be put into thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place 3. Thirdly God takes away the feeling of his loue and the ioy of the holy Ghost for a season then in the roome thereof he kindles an earnest desire thirsting with groanes and cryings vnto heauen to be in the former fauour of God againe This was Dauids case when he complained and said My voyce came to God when I cryed my voyce came to God and he heard mâ— in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore râ—nne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vp â—n God and was troubled I prayed and my spirit was full of anguish Selah The like was the estate of the Church making her mone vnto God in Esay O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare returne for thy seruants sakâ—
iudgements For as wee cannot learne the one without obseruing of Gods mercie so wee cannot attaine to the other without marking his vengeance We must see alwayes by the peculiar teaching of Gods spirit how the Lord punisheth in iustice and yet in mercie in wrath and yet in loue in rigour and hatred of our sinne humbling vs with one hand in pittie and compassion to our saluation comforting vs with the other hand Wee see then how the Prophet prayeth both to see them and to marke them wee neede teach this often because wee dreame so much of fatall necessitie and of the connexions of naturall causes or else because we cannot discerne betweene the crosses of the godly and the vngodly so that as the wise man saith Eccl 9. 2. All things come alike to all men and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner hee that sweareth as hee that feareth or reuerenceth an oath This is then a singular gift of God to discerne how by the selfe-same meanes the Lord both humbleth the good and ouerthroweth the wicked The meaning then of the man of God briefly is O Lord giue me a right iudgement in thy iudgements that I may see how thou sauest thy children and punishest thine enemies otherwise I shall neuer discerue this Accept the free offerings c. We must marke how these things are ioyned together this is the thing for which I sacrifice the thing I wish I desire and pray for and therefore O Lord accept it The man of God alludeth here to sacrifices and sheweth that the Lord is delighted with no sacrifice more than with prayer and thankes-giuing For all other sacrifices in the time of the law as the slaying of goates killing of bullocks tended to these two as appeareth Psal. 50. 14. Offer unto God praise and pay thy vow to the most high and in the 22. vers Hee that offereth vnto mee praise shall glorifie me c. In which places the Lord sheweth that he had ordained the other sacrifices as temporal means to the eternall vse of thanksgiuing for so the Lord dealt with them as with children leading them as it were by the hand by temporal things to eternal Psal. 14 1. 2. the Prophet saith Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting vp of mine hand as an euening sacrifice Where hee sheweth alluding to the sacrifices that as a sweet smell is pleasant vnto man so is the sacrifice of prayer fragrant vnto the Lord. This is the sacrifice euery day to be offered mentioned in Malachie 1. 11 where the Prophet or rather the Lord rebuking the Priests for their corrupt offerings saith From the rising vp of the Sunne to the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles in euery place incense shal be offered vnto my Name and a pure offering c. Here by the Altar and sacrifice the Prophet meaneth the spirituall seruice of God which should be vnder the gospel when an end should be made to all the legall ceremonies by Christs only sacrifice Therefore Heb. 13. 15. Let vs by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruite of our lips which confesse his Name c. It is good to note this praise and thanksgiuing which as it is the end of sacrifices which being ioyned with doing good is the onely offering left to Christians and only is pleasing vnto God For as our fathers might know that their sacrifices were not accepted but as the Lord shewed fauour so our prayer is not accepted but as the Lord in free mercie doth graciously receiue it Wherefore it is said Gen. 4. The Lord hath regard to Abel his oblation that is he accepted fauourably the sacrifice of Abel Thus wee also vse to deale in our suites to noble persons if it please you to accept my seruice or if you will vouchsafe to receiue my suite and to consider of my supplication so here the man of God saith in effect Looke vpon this my prayer with a pittifull eye a merciful countenance We are then to knowe how wee by our prayers get no credit with the Lord but the Lord giueth credit to our prayers If then God be not delighted with our prayers which are our best things how much lesse then wil he be pleased with other things The Papists then are carnall and as our Sauiour Christ said of Peter whom they follow in faults and not in graces they sauour not of the things of the spirit Well we are to learne that if God so dealeth in our prayers he will so deale in all other things which are the better by them The free will offering c. We are here also taught to giue vnto the Lord a free offering for hee loueth a cheerefull giuer and cannot abide vs to come vnto him by constraint The Lord in the old time would haue the fattest of the flocks the purest and why because he would thereby trie his people whether his people would offer cheerfully and willingly or no by so much it was vnto him more acceptable by how much it was offred more freely So Abel Gen 4 offred of the fat of the flock that is of the best A mans sacrifice may be refused because of his corruption in him and there is no grace in man without Faith in Christ which may stād him in steed to make his sacrifice acceptable before God We must thē pray vnto God that we may offer our praiers freely that they may not be customable but that there may be in vs a lust a spirit a desire to pray remēbring this saying of the Prophet accept the free will offering of my lippes His meaning then of his words briefly is this much I do not this O Lord constrainedly or against my will but with a free good will and cheerefull heart I make my prayer vnto thee We see then our dulnes and wearines in our prayer which we must bewaile in our selues as that which hindreth vs from the fauour of God Would we deale so with a Prince as to offer vnto him the euill things as saith Malachie chapt 1. 8. And if yee offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill and if yee offer the lame and sicke is it not euill offer it now vnto thy Prince will hee be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts If we had a supplication to our Prince would we come so sluggishly so vnreuerently so carelesly as we come to pray not remembring his Maiestie neither feeling our wants nor desiring our requests nor fearing the repulse would wee not shake off all this sluggishnesse and deadnes then let vs translate this to the seeing of GOD by Faith and comming before his presence by
helpe them nor their opinions comfort them This then may commend vnto vs the word of God that it onely maketh vs safe and staieth vs in all troubles wherefore it is said port 12. 4. Except thy law had beene my delight I should haue perished in mine affliction So the Prophet Ionah hath a notable sentence worthie to be written in letters of gold and of all men to be remembred Ionah 2. 18. They that waite vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercie Whereby he sheweth that they which depend on any thing saue on God alone refuse their owne felicitie and that goodnesse which otherwise they should receiue of God So that the Prophet himselfe in not going to Niniuie waited on vanitie and could finde no comfort in himselfe We may for a time trust to Idolatrie or vngodlinesse but when the touch-stone and triall of Gods law comes they cannot stay vs nor saue vs for they will deceiue all vsers of them as false and vaine 1. Sam. 12. 21. Samuel exhorting the people to repētance willeth them to follow the Lord and not to turne backe saying also If ye turne backe that should be after vaine things which cannot profit you nor deliuer you for they are but vanitie Where he teacheth vs that when miseries come our delights are but vaine and therefore cannot helpe vs. The Scriptures also applie this to ill manners as Ephes. 5. the Apostle setting downe a bedrow of many sinnes addeth this Let no man deceiue you c. where because some thinke that for such sinnes God would be entreated he saith nay not so be not deceiued vnlesse ye repent God will not be entreated Likewise Gal. 5. the Apostle hauing taught them to prouide temporall things for them that minister spirituall saith be not deceiued where he hath this sense ye may haue many reasons with your selues against this doctrine but when God commeth to tread downe the wicked then your reasons will not stand before his maiestie for the truth onely there preuaileth doe not deceiue your selues your hope will abuse you And here all flattering of our selues in sinne will prooue deceiueable wee walke in a nette and deceiue our owne consciences but this must make vs feare we must not reckon without our hoast nor make our account without our auditour for if we doe we will beguile our selues or flatter our selues Let euery man therefore looke to the fleights of sinne in himselfe and to the deceit of his owne conscience and he shall see that all the wayes of man are euill but the Lord is for euer true Wee must thus examine our selues Good Lord will this thing stay mee in the day of trouble will this thing comfort mee in the houre of death then it is a sure thing then it is comfortable otherwise it is vaine and cannot stay me it is deceitfull and will not comfort me Now if we trust in the word wee shall in death knowe that it is no imagination howsoeuer the world would now perswade vs that we liue too precisely and Sathan lyeth to get vs at a bay we shall then know our labour was not lost and when the Lord commeth to iudgement if we haue laide a good foundation when the tempests arise the windes arise and the raine fall we shall be sure and not beguile our selues that we shall be on the rocke of Gods word and built in faith wee shall bee sure as mount Sion and safe as Ierusalem when the floods of vengeance come Vers. 119 Thou hast taken away all the wicked of the earth like drosse therefore I loue thy testimonies MArke the proprietie of the word he saith not thy statutes doe I loue but thy testimonies he saith here thus much seeing O God thou hast summoned the wicked I will embrace more ioyfully the record and couenant of my saluation made vnto mee in thy word For when we see Gods iudgements on the vngodly this ought wonderfully to commend Gods mercie in free sauing vs from the like that whereas wee were in the like condition of sinne he might haue measured the like to vs and yet vouchsafed to make his couenant in force vnto vs. Was it not a great mercie to saue Noah and his when all the world besides was washed away with water Did it not wonderfully commend the goodnesse of God that in the great destruction of Sodome he should deliuer Lot What a thing is this that the Lord will make a couenant with vs as with Noah that if wee shall trust in Christ we shall neuer be confounded Againe when the man of God seeth the wicked deceiued because they trusted not in the word this maketh him to loue the word and assureth him that there is an end of all perfection but the law of God is exceeding large that it neuer failes in trouble nor deceiueth any in death Wherfore this must make vs to loue it also And if wee compared this word with other vanities of the world and felt in it such ioyes and most specially in death and in troubles and that when all failes this doth minister sufficient comfort surely the perswasion hereof would mooue vs pathetically to expresse our mindes and say with the Prophet Oh how loue I thy lawe it is my meditation continually Then when our strength shal faile our breath draw short our friends depart our goods countrie and life shall forsake vs the word will be so sweete so deare and so pretious that when all these are gone this will yeeld vs great comfort We haue also learned here a further thing in the minde of the Prophet who reasoneth thus Seeing thou hast troden downe the wicked as earth and scoured them as drosse therefore will I embrace thy couenants and records of thy iudgements therfore the euidence of thy couenant which thou hast made to me is most holy and pretious For when the iudgements of God were so seuere against others was it not the great mercie of God to make a couenant with him Was it not a wonderfull grace of God that being conceiued and borne in sinne like vnto the other hee should escape Gods iudgement Was not it a great mercie that when all flesh should perish Noah and his familie should escape Was it not the great goodnesse of God when Sodome was consumed to saue Lot When the Lord had left all to ignorance was it not his great mercie to preserue Abraham When the Lord ouerthrewe the Egyptians was it not free mercie to saue the Israelites Was it not the great grace of God to leade forward Caleb and Iosua into the promised land when to so many he had denied it Our Sauiour Christ gaue thankes to his Father as for a speciall mercy of God that he had reuealed those things to babes and little ones which he had concealed from many mightie of the world If we consider how many are left in ignorance giuen ouer to superstition and remaine vnder the heauie hand of God what a mercie of God
a promise it is rather paid to the promiser than to him to whom it is promised as one of the fathers saith God paieth his promises to himselfe and the accomplishment of it most respects himselfe 3 The nature of a promise is not presently to yeeld the thing promised for if wee had that wee haue not a promise of a thing to bee performed but a performance of a thing that hath beene promised we stand in faith and receiue in hope and whatsoeuer wee are we are but one hope which is our tenant and takes vp our possession of things to come for our behoofe Our life saith Paul is hidde with Christ. And it appeares not â—aith Iohn What we shall be But the best that may be made of the wicked is here to be seene to the vttermost And seeing our life is in Christ all that are on the stage of the world it is knowne who they be namely the wicked but whatsoeuer is the price of the godly it is yet hidde in Christ we haue nothing but the hope of it Now least some should say if wee haue nothing but in hope it were better to haue some thing certaine To them I say wee doe not speake of a promise from a man The Apostle saith the Lord is faithful If the life of a Christian be compared to a warfare then hope is our helmet Ephes. chap. 6. If it bee compared to a sea-faring then our hope is as an anchour which we must cast into the sea with them Act. chap. 28. to stoppe our shippe in dangers vntill the day appeare Lastly this is our stay God is faithful he hath promised therfore he will surely performe it First he speaketh the word then he promiseth that is saith it double In blessing thee I will blesse Then he addeth an oath As I liue saith the Lord I will visit thee yet more he hath left vs pledges further to assure vs of the trueth of his word if neither his word his promise nor his oath wil serue vs we haue nothing but promises for concerning riches glorie countrey and such like God his children often want them Come to God his grace and to peace of conscience which one would thinke they should haue they often haue them not but faith they haue the promise they haue euery thing else they haue not still they haue the promises them they haue Our faith takes hold on our sins pardoned on the assurance of the life to come these we haue without peraduenture wee haue the other things but by peraduenture The best things we haue we possesse haue them by hope and they that haue outward things are beholden highly to God but they be not his best blessings 4 Howsoeuer some thinke but meanely of God his promise yet nothing is more worthie our consideration and thankefulnesse That that is 1. Sam. 18 18. in the speech of Dauid wheâ— one tolde him that Saul was disposed to giue him one of his daughters in marriage may here be noted for what saith hee seemeth it small to you to bee a Kings sonne what am I or what is my life or the family of my father in Israel that I should be the sonne in lawe vnto a King So may wee say what are wee or what is our life or the familie of our father that the Lord should vouchsafe to make such promises vnto vs Dauid made no light account of his promise To set Dauid in our case and Saul in the Lords Dauids case was farre better than ours For by reason of his victories he had deserued wel of the countrey and therefore worthie to be considered of Saul againe though he should haue had Michol to wife he was not for this to be heyre of the crowne and yet he saith seemeth it to you a small thing Then I say if we could come to make the comparison betweene Saul and God who is the Saul of Saules and prince of Princes in whose respect al the Princes of the world are but wash pots and Cyrus is nothing to him he vnto whom the Angels are subiects and seruants and to whom heauen and earth stoope downe what analogie would there bee betwixt him and Saul On the other side that wee may stand in stead of Dauid if the Spirit of God would shew vs our vnworthinesse in a thing far aboue the promise of Dauid wee would say or wee should say what are wee what is our fathers house that the Lord should haue respect to vs were not our fathers Amorites drowned in superslitious idolatrie carried away with the loue of the world solde vnto sinne and men full of ignorance what was in our fathers house for ourselues what are we haue we not beene deriders of the word of God or hearers of the Lord speake to vs with far lesse reuerence than we heare a mortall men what is there in vs I thinke not of the worst but he that can best expresse his mind and meaning cannot expresse our vnworthinesse My stammering speech cannot vtter iâ— we must conceiue more of it knowe that there is nothing in vs or in our fathers house that the Lord should vouchsafe vs such mercy It must not seeme little that wee haue the word and are compassed about with so many promises wee must reade them with humility then no doubt wee shall reade them with thankfulnes The Apostle saith When the Angels looke at the mysterie of our redemption they are wonderfully astonished they can neuer looke enough to see the vnspeakeable highnes of the Lord and the great gulfe of our vnworthines to behold the ods betweene his greaâ—nes and our vilenes It needeth their conceauing which if we could also doe it would swallow vs vp to see the Lord bestow his promises on such vnworthie wretches When the Lord shall not only make promises in generall but in particular not onely reall but personal not onely conditionall but free not onely temporall but eternall who can goe through them all But setting aside these great promises benefits of his word of his Spirit he hath promised that euen our very corrections * shall doe vs good Setting these apart with all the care of his Angels ministery of all creatures he saith he wil so narrowly looke to vs take charge of vs that he will looke to the haires of our head nay Leuit. 26. he will looke to our kneading troughes and which more is Psal. 41. he will turne our beds couches in the time of sicknes A strange thing that the Lord should thus do with vs. In the heathen histories we reade that because a certaine Captaine came to wash his souldiers wounds they could not praise him enough Then if God the Captaine of his whole Church the God of glory shall so narrowly looke to vs as to number our haires to take care for our kneading troughs to turne our beds to swaddle our wounds these are able to amaze vs and to
Familie and Fathers 684 Chap. 30. How to profit and examine our selues when friends forsake vs. 685 Chap. 31. Of Godlinesse and by what meanes we must draw neere to God 689 Chap. 32. Of Gods free Grace Iustice and Mercie and how wee may try our loue to God 692 Chap. 33. Of Gods wrath Iustice and Mercie 695 Chap. 34. Teaching vs why we are specially to keepe watch and ward ouer our harts 700 Chap. 35. Where is taught how wee must narrowly watch ouer our hearts and ouer our affections for many causes 703 Chap. 36. Of hearing Gods word 707 Chap. 37. Of Humilitie and pride 711 Chap. 38. Of hypocrisie and hardnesse of hart 715 Chap. 39. Of Heresie and many corrupt kindes of knowledge and how the Diuell pestereth the Churches with euill teachers 720 Chap. 40. Of the Iudgements of God and how iust he is in iudgement and how his promises and threatnings to Israel appertaine to vs. 722 Chap. 41. Of Ioy and Sorrow 724 Chap. 42. Of iniuries offences and controuersies 727 Chap. 43. Of Iudgement and Folly 731 Chap. 44. Of Knowledge and Ignorance and how to seeke God and of Sathans Sophistris c. 733 Chap 45. Of Miracles and how God worketh without and with meanes and how we ought to attend on the meanes 736 Chap. 46. Of Magistracie or gouernment 739 Chap. 47. Of Matrimonie and of the Duties which belong to that state 742 Chap. 48. Of the Ministerie 743 Chap. 49. Of the Ministerie 747 Chap. 50. Of Gods promises excellencie and truth of Gods word and how the wicked abuse Scriptures 753 Chap. 51. Of Murmuring 758 Chap. 52. Of patience vnder the Crosse. 761 Chap. 53. Of predestination perseuerance and presumption 764 Chap. 54. Of Prosperity and Aduersity and of griefe and of the Temptations incident to it 766 Chap. 55. Of Prosperity and Aduersity 769 Chap. 56. Of Prophecie and Preaching 770 Chap. 57. Of Gods Prouidence 773 Chap. 58. Of Prayer and Meditation 775 Chap. 59. Of Repentance 779 Chap. 60. Of Riches and their abuse 783 Chap. 61. Of Sacraments 786 Chap. 62. Of sinne and how to abstaine from the least and of iniquitie and the punishments thereof 788 Chap. 63. Of Phisicke and Diet. 794 Chap. 64. Of Sathans practises of Schisme and security 796 Chap. 65. Of Parents Education of Children Gouernours of youth and care of Posterity 798 Chap. 66. Of Gods worship and of Religion true and false 801 Chap. 67. Of Regeneration and Sanctification 803 Chap. 68. Of the Sabbath 809 Chap. 69. Of Thanks giuing and the right vse of the Creatures 812 Chap. 70. Of Temptation 813 Chap. 71. Of Truth and errors sincerity and contempt of the word 817 Chap. 72. Of Witchcraft and vnbeliefe 821 Chap. 73. Of the word of God and of the confirmation thereof by signes and wonders 822 Chap. 74. Of good workes and our obedience to Gods word 826 Chap. 75. Of Zeale 829 Next vnto these follow other diuine arguments and common places in Religion contained in 22. Chapters Chap. 1. OF Conscience 832 Chap. 2. Of Order how necessary in all things 833 Chap. 3. Of hearing Gods word 834 Chap. 4. Who be Swine and who be Dogges 837 Chap. 5. Of vnmercifulnesse ead Chap. 6. Of Workes 838 Chap. 7. Of Policie ead Chap. 8. Of speciall notes of a man truly righteous and religious 839 Chap. 9. Of the Sabbath 839 Chap. 10. Of Discipline and Excommunication 842 Chap. 11. Of Meanes 844 Chap. 12. Of diuers names applyed to the Diuell in Scripture 845 Chap. 13. Of the contempt of the Ministerie 846 Chap. 14. Of shame and shamefastnesse 847 Chap. 15. Of Iustification 848 Chap. 16. Of Parables and Similitudâ—s ead Chap. 17. Of Gods Prouidence 850 Chap. 18. Of Seeking God 851 Chap. 19. Of Sinne. ead Chap. 20. Of profit and pleasure 852 Chap. 21. Of Christs power 852 Chap. 22. Of Temptation 853 A Short Direction for the comfort of afflicted consciences 854 Rules for an afflicted minde concerning seuerall Temptations 855 Rules concerning the power and priuiledges of Gods word 857 A short direction for one troubled in minde 871 Lastly diuers Letters and a very zealous Prayer of M. Greenhams 881 EPIGRAMMA IN OPERA Pijssimi doctiss Theologi M. Ric. Greenham labore ac studio M. Hollandi diuini verbi apud Londinates Ministri fideliss edita post obitum Authoris per F. Hering D. Med. MEntibus afflictis grauis haec afflictio cessit Greenamum è medio tolli qui saepè solebat Eregius mentis Medicus solatia mira Dexteritate sacris virtus depromere chartis Sicque pias animas vitiorum mole grauatas Implicitas Satanae laqueis misereque agitatas Infernis furijs exemit faucibus Orci Antidotos quippè hic varias ac pharmaca norat Coelica antiqui technasque dolosque colubri Hinc tristes moerent mentes geminant que querelas Quod mala permaneant Medico pereunte sed ecce Hollandus pius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respicit illas Greenamumque loqui rursus post funera fecit Alloquio duros solito muleâ—re labores Gaudete attonitae mentes lamentaque crebris Suspirijs alijsque remissa relinquite vester Grenamus praestò est vobis pretiosaque secum Balsama in Elysijs portat nascentia campis Floruit in terris olim Greenamus in alto Nunc floret coelo terraque virescere rursus Incipit Hollandi studio curaque sagaci Scilicet haec verae merces pietatis vt ipsam Conculcet mortem satanam ruptisque Gehenna Aeteroum vireat vinclis post fata superstet IN OBITVM ET OPVS Richardi Greenhami NOn erat hic celebri Greenhamus stemmate natus Ast pictate sua nobilitatus erat Huius ego laudes si forsan fingere credar Vita fiet testis testis istud opus Vita fiet testis cuius radiante nitore Vtilitas populo gloria nacta Deo Testis istud opus mira pietate refertum Quod digito monstrat Religionis iter A. R. ON THE DEATH AND WORKS OF MASTER GREENHAM SOme skilfull Caruer helpe me to endorse The blessed stone that hideth Greenhams corse Make me a tree whose branches withered beene And yet the leaues and fruit are euer greene The more the stocke dyes let them flourish more And grow more kindly greene than â—arst before Set Time and â—nuie gazing at the roâ—e Cursing their â—ootlesse hand and sliding foote Let all the Graces sit them in the shade And pull those leaues whose beautie cannot fade Greenham if this cannot thy worth descriue That thou once dead thy works are still aliue Would I might say thy selfe could neuer die But emulate thy workes eternitie VPON HIS SABBATH WHile Greenham writeth of the Sabbaths rest His soule inioyes not which his pen exprest His worke inioyes not what it selfe doth say For it shall neuer finde one resting day A thousand hands shall tosse each page and line Which shall be scanned by a thousand eyne That Sabbaths rest or this Sabbaths vnrest Hard
the second time And as we must not flatter our selues in euery motion as though we were sealed most surely so one sparke of pure zeale doth fire out the diuell and his whole traine Surely we must doe as much for our God as the wicked for the diuell that is we must be swept of all corruptions and garnished with all graces of God his spirit that the Lord may delight in his hold in vs euen as the wicked gratifie their Prince of darknes with sweeping cleane away the graces of God and furnishing euery roome with some loathsome sinne or other 28 The neerer Christ his comming was the cleerer was the Law Moses saw it cleerer than the Patriarches the Prophets saw it more cleerely than Moses Iohn Baptist more euidently than the Prophets Christ Iesus more spiritually than they all did see into it and taught it not as a teacher of any new doctrine which the grosse Pharises dwelling on the literall sense did thinke but as a confirmer and more diuine reader of the Law than euer had beene in any age before which thing we must needes beleeue For if Christ be the Fathers Counseller then is he wonderfull and why is he so wonderfull but because his doctrine is a mysterie if his doctrine be a mysterie no maruell though so many see not into it In this spritual interpreter the Fathers Counseller whose name is Wonderfull must we beleeue 29 There is no striuing in sinne but in God his iudgement and wrath and therefore it is vsuall with the Lord to checke sinne sooner in his owne children than in the wicked and to rebuke it sorer in his children regenerate than in them that are not renewed and to withstand more seuerely sin in his children renewed and hauing more plentifull meanes than in the regenerate not hauing so great a measure of the meanes 30 We must labour to haue the feare of God before our eyes alwaies Beleeue we cannot alwaies reioyce in God we cannot alwaies faith is often faint loue is little ioy is dead feeling is fallen asleepe yet if we continue in the feare of God fearing our selues for the absence of these things it will be a meane to recouer them all againe For this iealousie of our selues least we should displease God will driue vs to such an examination of our owne hearts as we seeing these wants we are constrained to mourne vntill the graces of God shine to vs againe but if this feare be once gone yea though we had those other gifts yet will they decay and we shall fall into so deepe a peace with our sinnes that though we slip very grossely we will neuer suspect our selues for any thing 31 That man is truly blessed whom God hath from all beginnings chosen to whom God hath giuen his Christ as a perfit Redeemer in whom he hath sealed vp the assurance of these things by his holy spirit to whom he hath giuen his word in whom the word and spirit haue begot faith by whose power Faith hath begotten ioyes in heauenly things in whom ioy hath wrought a sincere heart to please God in whom sinceritâ—e is accompanied with loue vnfained to the Lord and his Saints loue ioyned with a care to obey his commaundemens this care breeding a reuerend feare to displease God in whome this godly feare rebuketh sinne the rebuking of sinne worketh a mourning spirit in whom a mourning spirit begetteth true meekenes this meekenesse of minde causing vs to hunger after Christ so as feeling his owne miserie he is taught to shew mercie vnto others and so sheweth mercie as it is with the bowels of compassion whose heart God so gouerning all outward benefites turne to his blessing as seales of the fauour of God vnto whome all crosses being sanctified in Christ turne to his good who finally in this faith and fruites of faith meekely and patiently possessing his soule waites and looketh assuredly for the glorious kingdome of God after this life This is the golden chaine of the vndoubted blessednes whose linkes doe so coherently ioyne together that wheresoeuer aâ—â—â— of the least is wanting there is a breach and weaknes made in the whole 32 Great is the power and mightie is the force of the feare of God that is when wee haue a sure perswasion we are still in the presence of the God of all glorious Maiestie not sparing the least sinne vnrepented and yet in the sight of a most gracious Father not punishing the greatest sinne repented of First we consider this Maiestie and glory and are driuen to seeke comfort in Christ Secondly when we remember through Christ the seate of Maiestie to be turned into a seate of mercie and the throne of glorie to be made a throne of grace our feare is corrected tempered and mittigated least it should be excessiue that is rather hindering the certaintie of faith than repressing the securitie of the flesh For so exquisite is God his iustice so great is his glorie so bright is his Maiestie that without the view of his fauour we could not abide it Neither doth this faith in God his mercie abolish but correct the feare of his Maiestie Againe sure it is so long as we haue this feare before our eyes howsoeuer we may of ignorance or infirmitie sinne yet we shall neuer sinne presumptuously or if forgetting our selues we slip suddenly we shal not lie long in our sin but this feare of God will soone draw vs out and recouer vs. 33 The cause why oft our hearts want libertie and comfort in prayer is because our consciences tell vs that we haue beene vnthankful for the former benefits And therefore we must be thankfull as we are readie to craue For therefore is the Church often afflicted that it may often pray that often praying it may pull downe many benefits froÌ„ the Lord that pulling downe many benefits from God it may returne many praises vnto him In this dutie the godly differ from others for though others haue the outward benefits yet hauing no feeling of the fauour of God in them they cannot hartily praise him for them Another cause why our prayers are feeble is because our faith is faint but God can as well denie himselfe and cast downe his throne from heauen as denie to heare vs crying in faith which if we were perswaded of we should haue more heart in prayer yea euery little want would set vs a worke in it It is not a particular practise of God at one speciall time to receiue our prayers as it was of certaine Princes once in the yeere sitting in the gate to accept freely the bils of request preferred vnto them but it is an vnchangeable nature in God so as no sooner than he can cease to be a God can he cease to heare our requests Wherefore if our faith be weake in the assurance of our sinnes pardoned we must know that the Lord hauing chosen vs though our iniquities be as black as the
Priests he sheweth that he rather speaketh against the persons than against the cause and strangleth them in their owne argument For the answer in effect is this If my Disciples prophane the Sabbath then did your own Priests the same Vnder this we may couch the answer of our Sauiour Christ to the Iewes who accused him for healing of the sicke man on the Sabbath day Ioh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hetherto and I worke that is as my Father ceased from the workes of Creation yet he ceased not from doing good on the Sabbath so though I and my Disciples haue ceased from our ordinarie callings yet cease wee not after the Father his owne example to doe the workes of mercie on the Sabbath For the works of God his prouidence are to be done euery day Seeing he then vouchsafeth to put vs in his stead to doe good things wee may lawfully doe them though with some bodily labour as wee may on that day resort to the imprisoned visite the sicke relieue the needie reconcile the vncharitable and admonish the vnrulie And why wee seeke not heerein our owne profite but the profite of our brethren wee desire not our owne glorie but the glorie of God In which cases wee are not forbidden but commaunded to doe good on the Sabbath If wee looke narrowly into the historie of our Sauiour CHRIST we shall see it was most vsual vnto him to heale the sicke to restore sight to the blinde to open the mouthes of the dumbe and to frequent like exercises on the Sabbath day And for what cause Because on other dayes men following their ordinarie callings could not so well followe him but on the Sabbath day their other busines set apart they attended on him willingly and resorted together so that if he had done these things on the other daies he should haue hindred the ordinary callings of men by the concourse of people or else he should haue done them to the lesse glorie to God if no companie nor concourse had bene made Wherefore as both the people on that day were fittest to come to Christ so Christ was then most ready when his works also might most make for Gods glorie Besides hee did then these things rather that hee might weane the Iewes from their superstitious opinion of the Sabbath and bring in the pure vse thereof in exercising the works of loue Now if the outward rest of the day had been the chiefest thing therin as the Pharisees then dreamed and many now a daies haue thought then how would Christ haue done these things who was to doe and fulfill all things commanded in the morall Law left nothing vndone in any one jote of the ceremoniall Law vntill the vaile of the Temple of his bodie was rent Thus wee see how the chiefe ende was morall and not ceremoniall and as it is morall giuen to all men to further them in the means of their saluation it is as needfull for vs as for the Iewes Againe Christ was asked of no one question more than of the Sabbath and in all his answeres he rather inueigheth against the peruerting theÌ„ intendeth the abrogating of the Sabbath In like manner he meaneth nothing lesse then the abrogating of the day in his Apologie against the Pharisees but rather laieth open their folly in prouing to their faces that they cauill too much for the peruerting of the Sabbath seeing they are driuen to reprehend that in others which they themselues doe The reason of his defence insinuaâ—eth thus much If yee thinke it an holie dutie to cut the flesh of children on the Sabbath because it is done in your Temple which otherwise might seeme a spice of murther and crueltie Againe if yee thinke the Temple commands the worke of slaying your beasts for sacrifice which being done in the market-place were too butcherlike then I giue you to vnderstand that my disciples doe nothing vnbeseeming the Sabbath so long as I am present with them who am greater then the Temple The third reason is contained in the seuenth verse If ye know what this is I will haue mercie not sacrifice yee would not haue condemned the innocents Here our Sauiour Christ as before he had defended his Disciples by testimonies out of the Law so now excuseth them by the witnes of the Prophets and â—iteth a place out of Hosea chap. 6. 6. as if he should say What workes doth the Sabbath forbid are they not the workes of our ordinarie calling What workes doth the Sabbath commaund To sacrifice onely No but to doe the workes of mercie also which is the ende of all our sacrifices Why then seeing the law doth not forbid the duties of loue to be done will yee denie this worke of mercie to my Disciples that when they fainte they might not be refreshed That this place of the Prophet is thus to be construed that the Lord will not haue sacrifice alone but mercie withall wee may proue it by other places of the scriptures as 1. Cor. 1 17. Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospell where the Apostle meaneth that he was not chiefly and onely sent to baptize but to preach also So that the place is to be vnderstood in the way of comparison that when one of the things cannot be conueniently done without the other be vndone then mercie which is better than sacrifice must be preferred as being the issue whither Sacrifice is referred And in this respect though simply in themselues considered and in respect of the persons to whom they are performed the first table of the Law and the duties thereof are to be preferred before the second table and the duties thereof yet in comparison when one of these must of necessitie be left vndone because both cannot bee done together seeing the Lord most alloweth of our obedience when testimonie thereof is witnessed by practise to his Saints and in the exercises of loue we performe that in trueth which otherwise wee labour for but by meanes the Lorde desireth mercie and not Sacrifice and the knowledge of his will more then burnt offerings So that heerein the Disciples doe not onely not breake but keepe the Sabbath This argument Christ vseth Mark 3. 4. where hee being reproued because on the Sabbath day hee healed the man that had a withered hand said to his accusers Is it lawfull to doe a good deede on the Sabbath day or to doe euill to saue the life or to kill As also Luke where hee on this manner answered the Pharisees who watched him whilest he healed the man which had the dropsie 5. Which of you shall haue an Asse or an Oxe fallen into a pit and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day As if he should say why doe yee watch to take me in this thing Will ye permit the works of mercie to be done to beasts and will ye denie them to be done to men Why will yee helpe your beasts being in
hell torments lifting vp his eyes and seeing Lazarus a farre off in Abrahams bosome cried Father Abraham haue mercie vpon me c. But Abraham answering him according to the proportion of God his Iustice said ver 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasures and likewise Lazarus paines now therefore he is comforted and thou art tormented To this effect worthie to be obserued is that place 2 Thess. 1. 6. it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen c. Where we see how it standeth with God his righteous iudgement and iustice that his persecuted Church and afflicted Saints who in this world goe for nought should in time bee refreshed with a recompence of glorie and that their cruell persecutours being wanton in their sinnes and triumphing in their crueltie should haue their crowne of shame and endles contempt in tormeÌ„ts The equitie of which iustice is in this that seeing the wicked haue not onely dishonoured God in their soules through all the fruites of reprobation but also haue vsed the members of their bodies as instruments of sinne weapons of iniquitie vnto the full number of sinnes so they should not onely suffer the vengeance of God in their soules but also in their bodies and as Gods graces haue shined not onely in the soules of his Saints before him and his Angels but also haue much beautified their bodies and haue taken vp the members also as instruments of Gods glorie so the Lord will not onely aduance the soules of his but also their bodies If this were not where were the fulfilling of God his promises where should be the executing of his threatnings for Abram Isaac Iacob Lot Ioseph Iob Dauid Esay Ieremy Daniel all the rest of the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors holy men and women in the world were but as Pilgrimes and desiring a better and heauenly Countrie suffered in this world troubles persecutions trials and all manner of euill Againe the wicked prosper in their goods bodies wiues children they haue no bandes in their death they are lustie and strong they feele not the sores of Iob nor the miseries of Ioseph pride is a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment their eyes stand out for fatnesse they haue more than heart can wish So in this world the faithfull feele not the promises the vnfaithfull feele not their punishments It must needs be therefore by God his iustice as it is certaine by his word that seeing in this life the holy ones are not fully rewarded nor the wicked ones fully reuenged in the life to come the one should rise to heauenly ioâ—es the other should rise to hellish torments And as we see that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh because the word hath said it which is true and iustice will put it in practise because it doth require it so the power of God is able to performe whatsoeuer the word doth shew or iustice doth desire to be done It is not without great cause that in the entrance of our Confession wee acknowledge the Lord to bee almightie For what were his mercie or what were his iustice if hee could not performe that with might which he doth promise nor bring to passe with power that which he threatneth Howbeit when we say God is almightie we giue to vnderstand that hee can doe whatsoeuer he will doe For true it is he cannot faile in his trueth he cannot alter the couenaÌ„t gone out of his mouth what then is there any thing vnpossible to the Lord no the Lord will doe what is good can doe what he wil. Neither doth it any more derogate from God his almighty power to say he cannot lye than it doth extenuate the commendation of a mightie Captaine to say he cannot be conquered This power of God is either seene in his Creation or in his Prouidence or Preseruation In his Creation thus if God our of nothing could draw out heauen and earth if out of the earth which being a formeleâ—se masse and sumpe was by the spirite of God hatching ouer the waters brought a comely order if out of the darkenesse the Lord drew light if of the dust of the earth God made man and out of his ribbe drew a woman is it not as easie for him drawing these and all other things out of nothing to draw our flesh being made out of the earth in which it was corrupted is it not as easie to draw a man out of the earth againe as to make a man of the earth at first Is it not as easie though rottennesse doth seeme to hinder the resurrectioÌ„ to renew a body out of many bones as out of one bone to frame a whole body Is not the Lord as able to restore the body which he dissolueth into the elements being made into it former fashion as before it had any being to tie the flesh together with sinewes to conuey strength into the bones and to beautifie all with a skin Let vs as well consider God his power in reducing mens bodies into their former estate as his mightie hande in vnloosing them For as hee bringeth flesh to rottennesse the rottennesse to wormes the wormes to dust so can he if he would reduce and bring backward the dust to the wormes the wormes to a putrified matter the putrifaction to flesh the flesh to immortalitie The prouidence of God doth teach vs herein if we either consider of it in the course of nature or in gouerning his Church In the course of nature as Esay 26. 19. Awake and sing yee that awâ—ll in the dust for the deaw is as the deaw of herbs and the earth shall cast out her dead Here the Prophet sheweth that that God that made Aarons rod to bad and that draweth out liuely colours of dead flowers and florishing branches out of withered hearbs will also raise vs in our bodies to the brightnes of his glorie which haue been laid in the filthines of the dust Againe 1. Cor. 15. 35. But some man will say How are the dead raised vp wâ—â—â— what bodie come they forth 36. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickened except it diâ— 37. And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that bodie that shall be but bare corne as it faâ—eth of wheate or of some other 38. But God giueth a bodie at his pleasure euen to euery seede his owne bodie c. See the Lord calleth them fooles that will not beleeue this Can the Lord raise graine out of the earth will he not raise man out of the earth for whose sake the graine is renewed Againe shall we doubt that he who holdeth the waters in his fist and swadleth the maine seas which in their own nature are aboue the earth that they should not passe
before the hiâ— God shall I comâ— before him with burnt offerings iâ— he hath shewed thee ò man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God that is that thou shouldest set him iâ— thy sight belieuing that he doth guide and gouerne thee Besides the Apostle teacheth vs â— Cor. 3. 18. that we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same image For when we behold the Lord in his promises of reconciliation that he is at peace with vs of sanctification that he will renew vs of safegard and prouidence that for our good he will watch ouer vs and that he is at our right hand with his Angels and on the other hand with his creatures then we behold him as our redeemer as our teacher as our prouident father and as iudge of heauen and earth so we shall with Steuen see Christ and thus beholding God in his word and workes we may be said to walke before the Lord. Whereupon we may easily coniecture how requisite a thing it is often to heare reade and meditate of the word of God to be frequent in prayer whereby we may attaine to a cleerer sight of God his promises which are all yea and Amen in Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer then setteth God before him first as a God of glorious maiestie who will not iustifie the obstinate sinner then as a father of gratious mercie who comforteth the repenting sinner and in euery particular thing is perswaded that God seeth him as a iudge and a Lord of the spirits and God of glory and power it can not be but this will shake from him all drowsie securitie and chase away all vaine imaginations as the bright Sunne beames breake the darke and mistie clowdes And because there is no dealing betwixt God and man but by a Mediatour we must set God before vs in Christ and Christ in God that we may behold his iustice vnder his mercie and his mercie under his iustice And being thus perswaded that we are beloued of God in his beloued we shall doe all in his name which is the end of all happinesse This one lesson of Diuinitie will teach vs the vse of many and wil stand in steed of a thousand both to comfort and instruct vs to comfort vs with pacifying our consciences with a godly securitie in things most open and apparant to instruct vs by charging our consciences to auoide carnall securitie in things most inward and secret Vntill we are brought to walke before the Lord in this obedience all the wisedome of the learned is vanitie Hauing learned this one ruâ—e and made in truth this pedagogie of our actions the simplest soule shall come foorth himselfe in the conscience of vnfained holinesse For he is at my right hand This phrase of speech is borrowed from them who when they take vpon them the patronage defence or tuition of any will set them on their right hand as in place of most safegard Experience coÌ„firmeth this in children who in any imminent danger shrowde and shelter themselues vnder their fathers armes or hands as vnder a sufficient buckler Such was the estate of the man of God as here appeareth who was hemmed and hedged in with the power of God both against present euils and daungers to come Neither doth the Lord hatch Dauid alone vnder the haÌ„d but al other that put their trust in him as Psal. 91. 1. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie c. Wherein we see this assurance of God his protection to be common generally to all which flie for succour wholy to him in time of temptation Againe Psalme 121. 4. it is said Behold he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe Vers. 5. â—he Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand c. Where we see he speaketh of the whole bodie and noâ— of any particular number of the Church We are then to learne thus much out of this straine that when we haue a care to set the Lord continually in our sight he hath a care continually to watch ouer our estate This glorious reioycing of faith is also in other places of the booke of God Psal. 23. throughout the whole Psalme the man of God sheweth that he had so richly and so sweetly tasted of the promises of God that in trouble he neuer wanted helpe The Apostle likewise to the Rom. 8 sheweth the happie estate of all the regenerate although in a more excellent patterne of his owne faith saying vers 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen It is God that iustifieth 34. who shall condemne c. And afterward vers 38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 35. nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Howbeit we must not thinke that the man of God was not remoued at all For he counteth himselfe a stranger vpon earth and he had many pushes and diuers assaults yet so as he was not finally moued and vtterly ouerthrowne He had many battels but got the victorie many men rose against him but the Lord was on his side still he was vnremoueable as Mount Sion and though he was shaken for a time yet in the end he was safe Now to the verse following Wherefore mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Here are two pestilent opinions of the Papists ouerthrowne The one that we should not boldly reioyce in the vndoubted assurance of our saluation The other that we should douâ—t and be in a mammering of our finall perseuerance In our confession of the faith immediatly after the article of the remission of our sinnes followeth the acknowledging of an happie resurrection and glorious immortalitie wherein we are assured that euen as in this life our sinnes are pardoned so we shall not miscarrie to the very resurrection and our very flesh shall rise againe to most blessed immortalitie Shall I doubt that God watcheth ouer me as a father in loue as almightie in power as a prouident preseruer in gouerning heauen and earth Shall I doubt that Christ true God and true Man died for my sinnes rose for my iustification ascended to take possession of that glorie which he will giue vnto me at his comming Shall I doubt that the spirit of God hath sealed me and sanctified me preseruing me vnblameable in Christ vntill the day of redemption Shall I doubt that I am of the number of the Saints which are ordained to that glorie which is freely giuen of God the Father dearely purchased of
our knees so Faith brings vs to true prayer hauing a sure perswasion thereby that we shall obtaine This faith appeareth here in the man of God saying I waited on thy word which he did because he belieued that the Lord would giue vnto him whatsoeuer he did aske Wherfore our Sauiour Christ oft vseth these speeches Thy Faith hath made thee whole according to thy faith be it vnto thee Iames saith 5. 15. The prayer of the faithfull shall saue the siâ—ke Rom. 10. How shall they pray to him in whom they haue not beliâ—ued I am 1. 6. Let him that wanteth wisedome aske in Faith and wauer not for hee that wandreth is like a waue of the â—ea tâ—st of the winde and caryed away Neither let that man thinke he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. So that it is the sure perswasion of Gods mercie towards vs that lifteth vs vp hands and eyes euen as the feeling of our wants draweth out â—igâ—es and groanes So that if we belieue that God feedeth the yong rauens that call vpon him and gioeth foode to the Lyons wee must much more belieue that his eares are open to the prayers of his children his eyes are ouer the righteous which call vpon him faithfully Hitherto saith CHRIST haue yee asked nothing of my Father aske now in my Name and yee shall obtaine And the Author to the Hebr. 4 16. exhorteth vs saying Let vs goe boldly to the Throne of grace that wee may obtaine mercie For nothing more grieueth the Lorde than incredulitie and they that will come to God must belieue Gods promises and that they shall finde him fauourable to them Howbeit we must alwayes remember this that all the pomises of GOD are in CHRIST yea amen 2. Cor. 2. For neuer are the promises effectuall without faith and no Faith without belieuing in God through Iesus Christ. Now that Faith may be the more strengthened we must ioyne there unto patience For that we may be faithfull it is needfull to waite on Gods leisure in tarying by patience to haue our prayers graunted according to those promises wherein by Faith wee belieued We see the man of God his Faith was not here cut off at the first brunt as being discouraged or ready to breake his faith for he saith I waiâ—e on thy word Likewise he saith Psal. 135. I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his word 6. My soule waiteth on the Lord more then the morning watch watcheth for the morning 7. Let Israel waite on the Lord c. Behold after he made mention of the mercie of the Lord he speaketh three times of his patience in wayting on him so that we see this to bee the propertie of Gods children first vndoubtedly to take hold of his promises and then to support their faith by patience in wayting for the accomplishment of his promises Wherefore it is saide Psalm 147. 10. The Lord hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse neither delighteth hee in the legges of man 11. But the Lord delighteth in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercie that is on them that tarrie on Gods lessure for their succour And when our Sauiour CHRIST would haue vs perseuere hee saith Apocal. vlt. I come quicklie Whereby as hee would incite vs to attend the more patiently vpon his comming So wee must knowe that the cause why hee yet commeth not is because wee are not yet ready to receiue him To conclude Habâ—c 2. I will stand vpon my watch and set mee vpon the Towre c. saith the Prophet and the Lord answered him and saide 2. Write the vision and make it plaine vpon tables that hee may runne that readeth it 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lie though it tarrie waite or it shall surely come and shall not stay Hee will tarrie long to the iudgement of flesh and blood when hee seemeth not to heare vs but hee will come quicklie that is so soone as wee are prepared They may see the fruite of this doctrine which are most giuen vnto prayer Now wee are not to prescribe the Lord his time in hearing our prayers or graunting our requests that wee must tarriâ— Gods appointed time wherein wee shalt see the mightie wonders of the Lord. That wee may thus be patient and not fainte but be constant wee must feede our mindes with the meditation of Gods promises whereby we haue shewed the Prophet of God here supporteth himselfe neither is any thing more necessarie then this For when to prooue our patience and trie our Faith there is often a great distance of time betweene the making and obtaining of our requests wee must haue the Word still recoursing in our minde vntill the promised time come For want of which meditation together with the not obseruing the euent of our prayers and the want of musing and diligent examining our vnbeliefe wee often faile in obtaining our requests and fainte in tarying of the Lords leisure We see what the man of God his meaning is when he saith Mine eye preuented the night watches in that hee declareth that they which watched were not so diligent in their watching as he was in tarying to see Gods promises accomplished We see then dow needfull a thing it is to meditate on Gods promises at such time as our suit hangeth still at the Throne of grace without graunt and effect Vers 149. Heare my voyce according to thy louing kindenesse O Lord quicken mee according to thy custome THe last propertie which wee are to obserue is to bee acquainted with the dealings of GOD either in recompencing his Saints or reuenging his enemies either in our selues obserued or in others Whereof the Prophet maketh mention when he saith quicken mee according to thy iudgement that is according to thy custome or as thou art wont to deale with thy people in affliction and as thou hast done before both to mee and also to other of thy seruants That this obseruation of the iudgement of God hath bene at other times practised we may see Ps. 22. where after the man of God had complaine of his manifolde extremities and had rehearsed his grieuous sorrowes wherwith he was vexed he recouereth himselfe and groweth in hope saying 4 Our fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou â—â—ddâ—st aeluer them 5. They called vpon thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confoundded As if he should haue said Lord thou art wâ—nt to deale otherwise in time of olde with our forefathers that feared thy name wherefore seeing thou art now the same God I will not be out of hope because I trust thou wilt deale mercifully also with me We haue often shewed how iudgement in this Psalme is taken either for the accomplishment of Gods promises vnto his children or the executing of his wrath on his enemies so that there is a iudgement of
Dauid prayeth against presumptuous sinnes that they should not reigne ouer him signifying though hee sinned presumptuously yet if hee did not perseuer in presumption obstinately without desire to repent that such sinne or sinnes were pardonable Now the Lords couenant towards his in Iesus Christ is not to deale after their sinnes nor to reward them after their iniquities much lesse will he not regard in wrathfull displeasure their infirmities For if he should so marke what is saide or done amisse who were then able to abide it But with him is mercie in Iesus Christ that he may be feared Therfore lift vp your hands which hang downe and strengthen your weak knees and say vnto your soule Why art thou so cast down and vnquiet within mee I will yet trust in Iesus Christ and waite vpon the mercifull graces of God purchased by his merits Consider that true humilitie ariseth of faith in Iesus Christ and that is true Faith that ingendreth humilitie as we may not diminish our sins so may we not too much aggrauate them nor diminish Christs merits haue euermore in your minde the example of the prodigall sonne who saith not I am not thy sonne but I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne hee saith not Let me be thy bond-slaue Nay hee saith not Let me be thy hired seruant but Let me be as one of thy hyred seruants his Father came and met him and fell on his necke c. So shall it come to you good brother I need make no more application the holy annoynting which you haue receiued will bring the old mercies of God vpon others and vpon your own soule vnto remembrance and leade you into all trueth which shall be requisite for your saluation Put your trust in the Lord and be you assured beleeue his Ministrrs and you shall prosper The Lord Iesus came not to breake the bruisedreede nor to quench the smoking flaxe his grace shall bee euermore sufficient for you and his vertue shal vnto the end manifest it selfe in your weaknesse Now therfore I beseech him to preserue your bodie and soule and spirit vnto his most glorious appearing Faithfull is hee that hath called you and promised who will also performe it Amen From my house in London in Warwicke Lane Annâ— 1591. Feb. 24. Yours in Iesus Christ as he hath bene RICHARD GREENHAM A LETTER CONSOLATORIE WRITTEN TO A FRIEND AFFLICTED IN conscience for sinne Grace and peace in Iesus Christ. MY very good and louing friend in the Lord Iesus I vnderstand by M. H. who oft trauaileth into those parts that you require of me letters of comfort for reliefe of your afflicted and distressed conscience Wherein I could bee glad to performe any dutie that is within the compasse of my poore abilitie But your best and soundest comfort as I take it lieth in those that haue themselues beene exercised with that triall who from the comforts of Christ that haue abounded in them are best able to comfort those that are in like sort afflicted by the hand of God Againe I haue written vnto you many times of this argument if my Letters remaine with you they may alwaies speake for me that which I am able to say to that poynt If you require more than I haue written before this then were it reason you should send me my former letters that I might know where to begin that which remaineth My leisure is not great as you know and there is nothing whereinto I enter more vnwillingly than into this labour of writing Yet that you may vnderstand that I haue not altogether forgotten your old loue towards me nor haue suffered mine affection towards you vtterly to decay I will endeuour at once as briefly as I may to remember vnto you so farre as I can cal to mind the summe of all that I haue written vnto you heretofore The question as I take it that lieth in controuersie betweene your conscience and the enemie is of the assurance of your saluation Wherein I would haue you first to consider what is or at any time past hath beene the testimonie of the spirit of God vnto your spirit and then I doubt not but either from present sense of the same spirit of God crying in your hart Abba Father or from the remembrance of the daies of old wherein you had a comfortable assurance of Gods fauour you shall be able to repell the force of this temptation considering that the holy Ghost cannot lie that God whom he loueth vnto the end he loueth and because his gifts and calling as the Apostle saith are such as whereof he doth not nor cannot repent him Then consider the nature of faith which how weake and vnperfit soeuer it be it cannot be deuided euen by Sathan himselfe to be faith according to that which is said I beleeue Lord helpe thou mine vnbeleefe And if you haue faith euen as much as a graine of mustard seede c that faith apprehendeth Christ Iesus in whom there is all sufficiencie of saluation and in whom we are complete so that whatsoeuer scruple ariseth from our selues or is enforced of the enemie from any imperfection that is in vs it neede not at all to dismay vs because we saue not our selues but are saued by him Who is made vnto vs from God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that who so glorieth should glorie in him And indeed there is no surer refuge when the enemie distresseth vs than renouncing our selues to professe the onely name of Christ Iesus who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For if the enemie shall say we haue sinned our answere is Christ hath dyed for vs yea is risen againe yea is ascended into heauen c. If he say we want the righteousnes of the Law we must answer Christ hath fulfilled the Law that we by him might be made the righteousnes of Christ If he say we are in nature corrupt and therefore both vnworthie and vnfit for the kingdome of heauen we must answere him with the words of Christ himselfe For their sakes haue I sanctified my selfe Finally whatsoeuer shall be obiected against vs by the enemie our answere must be that in Christ all the promises of God are Yea and in him they are Amen That all fulnes dwelleth in him and that in him we are perfected so that we may boldly say with Saint Paul There is no damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus If Sathans importunitie and impudencie will not thus be answered we must end all disputation with him by our selues and send him vnto Christ who amongst other parts of his office towards vs performeth also this for vs both before his heauenly father and against all our aduersaries that he is our aduocate to plead and defend our cause which yet is not so much ours as his owne because the question is not of our merits or satisfactions
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ
most impatient either of reproches offered vnto vs by our enemies or any iniuries by our friends yet herein we â—eruently aske of thy wise and merciful goodnes that wee may reape a good fruite euen of such euill meanes And because wee grow to bee acquainted with the pride of our spirits and sloath fulnesse of our flesh and few meanes are left vs and many offences by our selues conceiued by others and Sathan offered doe alreadie and are daily like more to assaile vs O Lord thou which hast beene our God euen from our first birth especially since our new birth be thou the God of our middle age yea of our old dayes if we liue so long vntill thou finish the last worke of our new birth begun and continued thus farre in vs. To this ende wee aske of thee that we may vow and receiuing grace from thee wee doe vowe to vse all these forenamed good meanes of our saluation more mercifully than yet euer wee vsed them in vsing of them wee aske more feare of thy Maiestie faith of thy promises purenesse of our hearts loue vnto others and withall blessing and fruite more aboundant that our latter workes may be better then our former Wofull experience O blessed Sauiour teacheth and moueth vs to call vpon thee as for these former things so to be preserued and protected by thy almightie and mercifull grace from our owne corruption to come from all Sathans temptation and accusations from all manner of contagion of the vngodly in their iniuries reproches and their benefits praises their â—orceries inchantments yea from any hurt of thy children as they bee not regenerate and from any hurt by thy creatures so farre forth as any of these things may hurt our saluation Former experience O mightie God and mercifull Father ought not onely to teach but also to enforce vs to giue thee thankes praise and glory for thy former mercies vpon vs and thy Church bestowed but wherein thou hast prouided for vs many arguments of strength of faith or ignorance forgetfulnes negligence and want of reuerence of thy mercies receiued minister iust cause of humiliation and therefore in some faith in and thankfulnesse for thy former mercifull blessings and yet in much weaknesse in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord with our whole heart wee beseech thee giue vs a good portion of thy spirit to call carefully thy benefites to our remembrance wisely to vnderstand them and reuerently to regard and truly to be thankfull for them in mind in heart in word and deed through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Wee beseech thee most mightie God and mercifull Father to make partakers of our praiers and thankesgiuings all the whole Church and euery member thereof especially where dutie most chargeth promise bindeth necessitie craueth and thy glory chalengeth c. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHIEFE POINTS OF DOCTRINE HANDLED IN THIS VOLVME GATHERED INTO AN Alphabeticall order A ABstinence vsed 807. want of it hurt the godly 808. Admonition 28. 256 789 to whome it is to be giuen 205. and in what manner 547. 698. 58. of inferiours to superiours 257. how it should be taken 58. Rules of it in generall 629. 630. 631. Adoption what it is and trials thereof 450 Adulterie what it is and how many wayes committed 676. 767. 790. Remedies against it 635. 636. Affection naturall is corrupt 1. 103. 638. 681. 727. 57. 515. 325. alwayes to bee suspected 274. 651. the triall of it 1. 671. 680. how it is renewed 243. 175. 742. goood affections required in good workes 264. 161. Dead Affections 459. 827. Affliction 2. 262. 638. causes of it 35. 640. 197. 234. 235. necessitie thereof 80. how grieuous a thing 97 ioyes in it 686. 782. who are afflicted 95. 96. 639 766. the ende and vse of affliction 1. 2. 112. 686. 533. 334. how to comfort the afflicted 6. 106 1107 114. 116. Affliction soone tries godlie and godlesse 489. three rules for it 864. 865. Ambition 99. how to fight against Ambition 466. Amitie turned into enmitie 798. Anger godlie 243. euill anger 79â— cause of it 466. Triall of anger 3. 641. 204. 547. Angels watch ouer veâ— and how 3. 646 not seene but extraordinarily 641. euill Angels 310. 311. 312. Antichrist 666 Apparell 712. Apostasie how great a sinne 627. An Arrian Heretike 110. Armour of a Christian 308. 309. Assurance of saluation 322. 323. 328. See Saluation Astonishment 24â— Atheisme 3. Austeritie 769. B BAptisme 642. Our vowe in Baptisme euer to bee remembred 477. on what day to be remembred 157. Belieuers like children 18. the belieuer not hastie 408. Blessednes 314. the causes of it 207. the effects of it 209. true blessednes wherein it consisteth 394 Blessing denied because of sinne 784 786. the way to obtaine temporall blessings 644. these are no signes of Gods fauour 645. Blindnes of men 165. causes of it 197. Booke of GOD especiallie to be taken vp with the examples thereof 421. All that can delight the heart of man contained in the booke of God 446 Brethren most vehement in Loue and so in hatred 685. Brownists 258 C CAlamities publike fearefull Tokens thereof 464. causes of it 791. publike most affect vs most 2â— Calling generall speciall 645. misliking thereof dangerous 4. 30. 38. 613. 493. Of calling vpon GOD with diuerse circumstances thereof 449. Care immoderate of outward things hurtfull 464 644 Catechising of Children whiles they are yong required 2 8. 642. 664. families must bee catechized â—9â— how and by whom it must be done 649 6â—5 distinguished from preaching ibid. reasons for it 665 Cause good why it hath ill successe who are enemies to it 8. constancie in it 50 how to prosper in a good cause 461 they may looke to bee potected that haue a good cause and handle that cause well 504 256 651 Censuring of others how it must be done 4 Ceremonies 787 their first originall 152 good and profitable 652 euill and to be hated 353 321 364 Charitie 820 voyde of suspition 79 Chastitie 78 CHRIST 654 his excellencie in all knowledge 751 how and where we must labour to finde CHRIST to apply him 397 his Temptations 490 his Passion in â—oule â—4 186 his Buriall and the vse of it 84 his Resurrection 85 178 he holdeth his Kingdome by two Titles 655 two Crownes 6â—6 his incercession how he must be followed 692 654 his power 852 Christians their estate 308 who bee true Christians 231 A Christians life is the Meditation of the Lawe of GOD c. 459 Difficulties in Christianitic 384 Church why called holie and Catholike the Authoritie and dignitie of it 648 the prospetitie thereof should make vs reioyce 275 a care of the prosperitie a note of Gods children 620 wants in it and yet tollerable 74 648 819 ChildreÌ„ foolish 276 why God giueth such to parents 2â—2 how to be brought vp ibid 662 66â— how to bee corrected 278 marks of Gods children 853 316 their calling and priuiledges
How natural men measure others by theÌ„selues 2 3 Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. Prou. â—8 To feare meÌ„ Feare the remedie of it A hardened heart a greater plague than any of the plagues of Aegypt Psal. 119. Gen. 41. 56. 2. Pet. 3. 1â— Psal. 77. If we applie we must applie to the heart Mark 6. Heresie Note In what thiÌ„g and how far the diuel may be saiâ— to be strong Omnia facit diabolus non tam potentia sua quà m negligentia nostra Simile Examples see before Therâ— bee foure speciall companions of sinne 1. Ignorance 2. Errour 3. Worldlinesse 4. Hypocrisie Of many corrupt kiâ—dâ— of knowledg what is the right knowledge 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 Example 4 PreseueraÌ„ce Note Knowledge Conferre Zach. 12. 10. Ioel. 2. 28. with Esay 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. The diuel pestereth the Church with ill teachers and blinde guides The flocke of Christ is bought with Christs blood See death and iudgement Micah 6. 1. Esai 1. 1. The Lord is iust when he doth iudge How God is an accuser and an acquiter The promises or threatnings of Israel appertaine to vs. Sorrow Mirth Melancholy Chairein ano charas bios ou bios To adde drunkennes to thirst Vers. 19 Non noti sumus ad ludâ— 1 2 3 4 The second kinde of ioyes Pettiâ— ioyes Bitter sweet ioyes Seeming ioyes A mouldie soule and a drie heart Simile 1. Aischrótes â— Morologia Eutraâ—eleia Si pudeat audire pudeat diceâ—e 1 áâ—â—gos 2 EucharistiaÌ„ Tauerne-mirth It is his Catastrophe 3 Ducunt in bonis dies suos to puncto temporisibunt in infernum 4 quum debes assistere iudicio quomodo sic rides Take no pleasure in pleasure How far wee may reioyce Note well YouÌ„g age is a daÌ„gerous age We may vse pleasure but with restraiÌ„t Affections Verecunda initia suntomnis peccati Wantonnesse ends in wickednesse Iniurie Helpe Reuenge OffeÌ„ces small sinnes Matth. 5. Num. 20. How far controuersies are permitted in the Church oâ— God Fiaâ— pax as fiat lux Wherefore controuersies and heresies be in the Church 1 2 3 Truth and peace goe together * See chap. 71. Flabellum Sedition In dissention what we must obserue 1 2 3 4 5 Vtilius scandâ—lum nascitr quà m veritas deseritur We will either doe as we list or not doe any thing at all Of giuing voyces in ciuill or Ecclesiasticall assemblies Who they be that preuent and what it is to preuent others Anger What iniuries are to be borne To win with loue Worldlings know not the God of prouidence Simile Iudgement Iudging Learne wisely to consider of Gods works Of folly diuers kinds 1 2 3 Praestat nasci iumentum quam comparâ—r â—umeâ—tâ— Iudging and reprouing Against Libertines We are too censorious in the sinne of other and too remisse in our owne Enuie wheÌ„ it dispraiseth ana flattery when it praiseth must bee â—ad in ieaâ—ousie The best kind of praise is not in word but in deede to commend Lauda vt videam How wee ought to seeke God and how many seeke him peruersly 1. Sam. 19. 18. Schooles The Diuels sophistrie disioyneth things conioyned by the Lord. Pleasures The wisdome of God is apparent in all the â—â—rd and yet in some place more then in aenother Diáphthalma It is a foolâ— choise to chuse earthlâ— things before and rather then heauenâ—â— things to make God the last least part in our desires Caelarum Argeâ—â—um Priùs plus Couetousnes in the ministerie Riches haue two endes 1. Either to leaue thee 2. or thou shalt leaue them Obiection of the multitude against knowledge answered Howsoeuer oâ—r fathers were mercifull iust c. yet they were guiltie of ignorance and the people of our time contrary want mercie and iustice 1. King 13. 5. 6 His hand was dried vp and restored to him againe Signes which drawe men from the true God and his word 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. Manna miraculous Manna Meanes to keepe vs from sinne Confer Exod. 11. 21. with Deut. 1. 13. 1 Magistrates must bee men of wisedome How wisdom prouideÌ„ce differ 2 Magistrates must be prudent men 3 The Magistrate must be a man of a good heart courage 4 The Magistrate must be a man fearing God The Magistrate must be one that to â—â—â— to deâ—â—â— truely and to walke vprightly The Magistrate may not respect persons 6 The Magistrate must hate filthy gaine The differeÌ„ce between oppression and extortioÌ„ Gifts 7 The Magistrate must be a man well knowne and well reported of Vse of the former doctrine The Magistrate must temper loue mercie and iustice together Discipline The Magistrate is specially to care for Gods glorie and the safetie of Gods people Psalm 16. 3. Contempt of Magistrates Note The sinnes of the people imputed to the Magistrates and Ministers Affections agreeing in good things Chosen in mariage 1. Pet. 3. â— 7. How far the husband is to honour his wife 2. Sam. 6. Iob. 2. God giues the blessing of holy marriage to make men more seruiceable vnto him The subiection of the wife to the husbaÌ„d how God requireth it 1. Pet 3. 1. 2. 3 The loue of the wise to the husband Wiues must helpe their husbands in Gods affaires 1. Cor. 7. 3. 4. â— A good lesson for all Consent of parents Not to tie God to one meane for the breeding and increase of faith What to breake in our Ministerie Simile To pray for the Ministerie Not to offend a godly Minister Tit. 1. 11. 12. 13. Ioh. 16. The Minister must reproue sinnes sharpely The weightie caâ—ing of the Ministerie requireth a wary entring into so high a dignitie Advtrumque paâ— ati Semel constituendum diù deliberandum A good admonition to such as purpose to enter the great calling of the ministerie Attendite vobis In matters of great wisdom Christ vseth both grauitie wisdom to make vs more diligent in hearing which also teacheth vs the right kinde of hearing Acroasâ—e How dull maÌ„ is in hearing the Word The hearing of the heart 42. Hom. in IohanneÌ„ Capit capitur Sermones Dei si caniuntu 1 capiunt How wee are to deale with allegories Of the high dignity of the Ministerie and of the great indignitie which some put vpon it Preachers must bee prepared for trouble If wee will profes Christ wee must beare the cros of Christ thoughâ— bee an heauie yoke to flesh and blood What thoughts Sathan doth suggest into men to dislike their callings Outreaching raging coÌ„mendations must learne modestie and measure of the holy Ghost A description of God his worke Light Darknes A pithie praise of the calling of the Ministerie Labralactucas The sacriledge of our time in Church robberies oh that the learned wold more preach it and write against it Psalm 42. Ecclesiastes Heb. 1. ver last Diuers kinds of good Speake pleasing things and serue the time A modest preoccupatioÌ„ in speaking of the Ministerie What care to be had in admitting any to the calling of the Ministery *
not to him he needs it not we can do him no good but for his sake oh that we might do good to men For this cause I say the Lord hath giuen the poore a bil of his haÌ„d for the receiuing of his right which is due to himselfe in these words Whatsoeuer men do to one of these little ones they doe it to me Neither hath the Lord onely shewed his liking of this kind of mercie he hath giuen vs reasons why we should so doe as Luk 6 Giue and it shall be giuen to you againe these are brethren and therefore inseparable if we giue it shall be giuen vs againe If then we will driue away famine from the land we must giue so that with this sacrifice the benefit of the whole countrie is purchased But beside this Matth. 19 it is said Giue to the poore and ye shall haue treasure in heauen So that we shall not onely haue mercy if we shew mercy but the Lord himselfe will shew himselfe exceedingly thankefull to vs for the same And yet we see our diffidence herein And as the seede is not the grounds that receiues it but his that sowes it so that which is bestowed in mercy is not so much his vpon whom the gift is bestowed but his that bestoweth it So here is another reason we must giue because we haue receiued it the Lord requires nothing but his owne he requires nothing to be giuen but that we haue receiued of him therefore we see of them that receiued talents the Lord requires nothing to be repaid but his own There is hath bin these many daies a complaint against the pastors of the land because they feed as though they fed not and for this there is great hatred against them sprung vp from the people which though it be a iust conceiued wrath yet I thinke we measure theÌ„ not by the right measure that is by another measure than we measure our selues by for we haue a talent of riches as they haue a talent of knowledge wherein we are as slacke to performe mercy to the poore as they to the ignorant so that in condemning them we condemne our selues For as it is sure that the haruest is great in spirituall things there are but few labourers so in respect of temporall things there is as great an haruest the labourers are as few because as the ignoraÌ„t people are the haruest of the learned Ministers so the poorer sort is the haruest of the rich men Another reason is this because we cannot retaine it is therefore a good policie to giue and to make vs friends of the wicked Mammon We cannot carrie any thing with vs from hence haue we neuer so much here it is gotten and here it is gone and though we could carry our gold with vs yet when we come in another world that which is currant here will stand vs in no stead for it wil not go for currant there Wel admit these things could doe vs good yet we cannot carry them safely with vs for there are many robbers wil meet vs in the way therefore we must follow the manner of them that go by pirats they carry not all they haue with them but they commit all to others of their friends by writings and bils which we see to be vsed of our exchangers So then wee must carry with vs only our bils which will stand the spoilers in little steed though they light vpon them And surely the Lord hath made the rich his factors and exchangers here on earth and seeing the Lord hath giuen vs a bill of his hand for that we commit to the poore we may safely make our claime to all for this bill will goe with vs and shall be reade euen at the iudgement seate when Christ himselfe shall say Looke what ye haue done to one of these ye haue done it to me So that it is good to shew mercy because otherwise wee cannot long keepe that we haue surely if that which is spoken of mercy in the world should be cut off a great part of the Scriptures shuld be don away But amoÌ„g many reasons this may moue vs to mercy that in the time of iudgement the Lord will be content to leaue off all other actions of knowldge and truth c. and come to this one of mercy And albeit the Lord may challenge the other too yet because the special clause of iudgment shall be concerning mercy we must specially looke to this To apply this to our selues I neede not I cannot accuse men all mens mouthes wil condemne theÌ„selues the Preachers of the word neede not to bend their braines to finde out an accusation for this point because all men can doe it what is more vsuall than this mens deuotions growe cold And indeed there is greathardnes of heart there is much complaining but little redressing and therefore seeing the land doth accuse it selfe I accuse it not 5 This is the difference between the punishments here those in another life here no vehement punishment is permanent there the punishment is euerlasting yet most vehemeÌ„t Alas that there are no more fit termes to expresse it But small perswasion wil serue and a twine threed wil draw him that belongs to God but if he be a child of reprobation a cable rope wil not serue and though he should see the smoke and the mountaine of fire yet will he turne and sowse himselfe in the mire of sinne like a sow Take a man in a fit of a burning ague and ye shall heare him vtter such words and so protest of his paine as if it were vâ—sâ—fferable but this is another manner of age and shall vexe vs more than all the burning agues in the world and yet it shall continue Paul alleageth a very plaine reason why there is so little mercie among men Euery man seekes his owne and we seeke not the things one of another We forget we are members one of another and therefore the Lord needes nothing but our owne mouths to condemne vs. For seeing we call God Father I would gladly know by what title we call him Father There is no reason but that Christ is our brother and he hath made vs the sonnes of God for there is no fatherhood in God but by brotherhood in Christ. But how is Christ thy brother more than to another seeing he hath done as much for another as he hath done for thee Well if another hath as good a title to Christ as thou then he is thy brother too and if he be thy brother I say to thee as Malachie saide of the fatherhood If God be thy father where is his feare so if he be thy brother where is thy brotherly loue But Christ hath yet another reason we are not onely brethren because God is our father and Christ our brother but for that we are as neerely knit in coniunction as the lims and
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