with remorse of conscience acknowledge them and with feare and reuerence leaue them 11 Many thinke it to be easier to confesse their sinnes to God than to acknowledge them vnto men but it seemeth to be contrary for he that refuseth to confesse his sinne before man in whom is but a drop of the indignation against sinne which is feareful in the Lord will not willingly open them and strip them naked before the maiestie of God And he that can frankly stand as a penitent before God and his Angels he will not sticke to confesse his sinne before the face of men Behold our father Adam whilest there was no man to feare him the Lord commeth at the first to him by pricke of coÌ„science he hideth himselfe with figtree leaues to this pricke of conscience the Lord sendeth a voyce or a noise that is heard Now not content with a few leaues he goeth into the thicket of wood at the length the Lord to draw him out of his hypocrisie bringeth him into the plaine vrgeth him with substantial questions he not able to hide himselfe any longer hideth â—â— sinne and shifteth it off to Eua. Why doth the holy Ghost thus orderly particularly set downe this matter but to shew that though we haue a pricke of sinne by nature in part to confesse sinnes yet nakedly to vncase thy sinnes before God is a hard thing to flesh and blood the Diuell lying by prompting vs that in so doing we shall bring our selues to despaire we shall runne out of our wits we shall kill our selues and neuer liue merrie day againe In that notable Psalme of instruction 32. we are taught that then there is hope our sinnes are forgiuen when God emptying our harts of all guile we can be content freely to giue God the glorie and to shame our selues before men We see when his great affliction could not bring him to confesse his sinne yet no comfort came to him vntill by Gods grace he grew to this issue that he reckoned vp the whole catalogue of his great sinnes so hard a thing it is to confesse our sinnes before God 12 It is our great corruption being admonished or charged of sinne we either denie it to be a sin or we denie our selues to haue sinned in that sinne or we quarrell and wrangle about the nature of sin or else we couÌ„tenance our selues by Scriptures as the Familists do couer many iniquities by making plaine places allegories or if we confesse it is in great hypocrisie or if we confesse in some truth yet we goe not out of the sinne Howsoeuer Popish confession hath made a cloake for sinne so as now a theefe on the gallowes ready to fall into the graue into hell both at once will say it is sufficient to confesse my sinnes vnto God thogh I do not so vnto men yet I say there is no greater tokeÌ„ of grace than when for the glorie of God or good of the brethren wee can be content to discouer and lay open our selues If none of these excuses serue then we can say why this is a common thing I am not alone better then I haue done so or else such a one prouoked me to doe thus or else I had not done it or else we are very fraile and may not you sinne or was there euer any that sinned not Thus we are euen as daintie as Gentlewomen who hauing a sore which they are loth to haue espâ—ed will couer it till it be incurable so wee hauing some sinnes are loth to open them vntill they growe almost vnrecouerable 13 Euery man is afraide of this least his sinne should breake out yet euery one vseth the way of breaking out Nothing more stayeth sinne then to make it knowne in time Nothing draweth it sooner forth than too long to conceale it It may be some will confesse some sinnes yea many sinnes and yet hide the mother sinne whose life if we continue howsoeuer we may murther some of her broode yet she will hatch new sinnes againe 14 When thou art afraid thou shalt go out of thy wit because thou fearest sinne when thou canst dispute and preach more fearfully against thy selfe then all the preachers in the world remember how Christ Iesus hauing no holines by the flesh by being of his owne mother to the testification whereof it pleased him to be borne of such a one whose progenitors were notable sinners to keepe company with such as were the most miserable wretches to call to the greatest dignitie in the Church the prophanest tole gatherers persecutors worldlings hath giuen thee an holines vnperfect would not haue thee to looke for any great things in thy selfe seeing hee hauing put on thy flesh got no gaine thereby at all It may be the multitude of thy sinnes trouble thee therefore thou thinkest now it is hard to make thee an holy one Consider how Mary Magdalene had seuen spirits and yet of all women was made most deuout after Christ his resurrection receiued greatest dignitie to see him first It may be the great continuaÌ„ce of thy sin troubles thee remember how Christ called Matthew who long time had weltered in worldlines It may be the greatnes of thy sinnes feare thee consider how the greatest persecutor of the Church was made of all other the most glorious preacher of the Gospell It may be thy sinnes drawne from thy countrey grieue thee the Cretians were good Christians and the filthy Corinthians became most faithfull professors It may be thine hereditarie sinnes by nature moue thee to despaire of helpe consider he that can so farre ouerrule nature that the wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard lie with the kidde Esai 11. 5. 6. he can also change that course of nature in thee by a supernaturall grace And yet as I would haue thee to beware so to trust in Christ his righteousnes as thou forget not he is also thine holines and so to labour for thine holines in him that thou forget not he is thy righteousnes but so to labour for both as if thou beest righteous thou must also be holie and being neuer so holie yet to seeke for thy whole righteousnes before God in Christ onely 15 Many feebled and exercised minds are often cast downe without hope of helpe because of their owne vnworthines as thogh there were no comfort to be obtained of God vnlesse wee bring of our owne fruits to present him withall but this were to discredit the Lords mercies and to bring in credit our merites and rather to binde the Lord to vs than vs to him But what meaneth this There is with the Lorde plentifull redemption and therefore Israell need not to feare to finde mercie if our sinnes be great our redemption is greater though our merits be beggarly Gods mercie is a rich mercie If our peril be not come euen to a desperate
the maiestie of God shall be ouerwhelmed with glory but he that searcheth out the mercy how much more shall he be ouerwhelmed of â—â— His iudgements be as a great deepe but the deepe of his mercy swallowes vp that deepe Wherefore well said Chrysostome Great is the hell of my sinnes but greater is the deepenesse of thy mercy O God The Scriptures attribute to Gods mercy all dimensions First depth it fetched Dauids soule from the neather most hell ergo it reacheth thither Secondly breadth for that he setteth our sinnes vs farre from as the East is from the West Thirdly length for it extendeth it selfe not to the cloudes only but to the stars which as Iob saith are not cleane in his sight yea euen to the Angels in whom he hath found folly so that but for his mercy they could not abide his triall Nay God is able to forgiue vs more than we are able to sinne And indeed mercy is the gate of the Almightie By no other qualitie of his can we be suffered to haue entrance or to approch vnto him All other things hath the Lord done in measure number and weight sauing his mercy in our redemption wherein without measure beyond all number and weight he was mercifull two drops of bloud had beene sufficient or one cup of his bloud but the whip pierced his skin the thornes his flesh the nayles his bones the speare his heart and his very soule was made a sacrifice for sinne 2 When we loose an outward benefit we must not so thinke of it as of the losse of Gods fauour but what doe blinde people regard Gods grace So they haue plentie of corne and oyle they respect not the losse of their soules whereas if all the creatures of the world should weepe for the losse but of one soule it were too little Yet our people so they may eate of the Lords bread and enioy the fat of the earth care not whether the Lord shew a lightsome or a fearefull countenance vpon them Wherefore because we set so little by that which the Lord sets at so high a price the Lord will take from vs that which we esteeme so highly and bring vpon vs some sodaine desolation 4 We must euer desire the first fruits of the Spirit but hauing attained the first beginnings of Gods grace we must euer waite for the increase of it by degrees 5 When we haue receiued mortification and sanctification as hansels of Gods mercies then may we hope for heauen for they that haue receiued grace shall also receiue glorie 6 The graces of God are not in his children as morning mistes but as well builded towers to continue all assaults 7 Diuersitie of gifts should not make vs disagree or to enuy one another but rather should binde vs in loue to embrace one another that so we might be profitable one to another 8 The Lord hath such respect to his glory that he will giue gifts when he might iustly punish therfore we ought not so much to reioyce in the possessioÌ„ of earthly blessings for the Lord giueth many blessings to stop the mouthes of vnbeleeuers and to call sinners to repentance which if they neglect then assuredly the Lords wrath will be more fierce against them The wicked haue no cause to reioyce that the Lord smites them not for he lets them prosper for a while that their coÌ„demnation may be more iust when it commeth Trie thy selfe thus if thou profitest by Gods correction it is a signe of grace againe if by his patience thou takest as a good sonne occasion to repent and doest studie to come out of thy sinne it is likewise a good argument of Gods fauour 9 God is slow to wrath yet let vs euer remember that albeit he suffered Israel long yet at the last he destroyed them all that none of the vnbeleeuers entred into the promised land Wherefore we may not conclude that because the Lord punisheth not as yet therefore he will not punish at all but confider that all such as respect not his mercies in time shall at the last feele his iustice 10 The thing loued is much desired and sought after whereby we may take a triall of our loue to God or of our loue to the world First looke what we loue indeed we spend much time in it and can be content to affoord houres daies weekes yeares yea and ageâ— too in it And yet with all the contentions we may we get not to the worship of God Dauids seuen times a day nor his morning noonetide and euening exercises hardly we affoord the Lord his Sabbath Secondly we bestow our thoughts and our affections much and liberally on the thing we loue the Apostles were so troubled with bread that they could not vnderstand Christ speaking of the leauen of hypocrisie Thirdly our loue to a thing is shewed when we are skilfull and painfull in commending the thing loued The Spouse in the song of Salomon was very perfect in setting forth the parts of her beloued she knew the time of his going she was acquainted with his attire she was rauished with his beautie she was priuy to his coÌ„ming to her Men shew forth their loue to earthly things in their great skill in buying and selling Amos. 8. in the signes of heauen colours of the skie Matth. 16. in our statutes penall lawes Micah 6. but in the law of God they be scarsly wained Fourthly a man shall see his loue by his great zeale whereby he is caried to bring the thing to that he loueth as Esay 9. 7. when the zeale of the Lord is said to bring our redemption to passe Certainly euery man is eaten vp with one zeale or other The godly seeke gaine by honest meanes if they can but rather than the wicked wil loose their gaine away with honestie away say they with Christ as Iudas Fiftly the great reioycing which we haue bewrayeth our loue as Dauid doth Psal. 4 7. after that he had the thing he desired the countenance of the Lord he saith he had more ioy of heart than they of the world had when their wheat and their wine did abound But immortalitie the blessing of the right hand is lesse esteemed among vs than riches which are the blessings but on the left hand Prouer. 3. Blessed indeed are the people which are in such a case but more blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God Sixtly what we feare to forgo that we loue to haue Pilat cared not to forgoe Christ but he was afraide to loose Caesars fauour Lastly we loue that well which we are grieued to part with so did the young man in the Gospell shew his loue to riches who hauing a discipleship offered himselfe freely but when he saw he should forgoe all he had he rather forsooke Christ than his riches We must looke where we loue The purest thing
the meanes to mortifie concupiscence which being wisely and in some conuenient time vsed with moderate exercise of the body if they do not preuaile it is like that God doth call a man to the holy vse of mariage howbeit it is to be obserued that in watching and fasting we are not to prefixe certaine set times this day or that day but then to vse it when God calleth vs vnto it by fit occasion without the which care the often vse of these exercises will breede a want of reuerence of them Cause good 1 THere is no greater enemie to a good cause than he that by euill meanes doth both handle and maintaine it 2 He said that men must profit by this if hauing had good causes in hand they haue had ill successe because herein it pleaseth God often to denie that vnto vs iustly which men denie vnto vs vniustly either for that he correcteth some sinne wherein they liue or else for that they vsed not prayer but trusted too much in the meanes and not in God Of naturall Corruption 1 HE obserued this experience in himselfe that when he would not doe a thing that was good then his owne reason and the diuell would easily teach him an excuse Lord forgiue vs this corruption 2 He thought by nature all men to be Papists heretickes adulterers c. vntill God renued them so that if all heresies Papistrie impietie were ceast among all men yet if a man be left of God he hath in himselfe sufficient matter and spawne to breede reuiue and to renew all kinds of sinne Despaire 1 HE obserued this policie in Sathan that to make men despaire hee would make them argue thus I haue no faith in this and that particular And contrarily to traine men to presumption hee would make men argue thus I haue a generall hope and faith and therefore I dâ—â—â—â—â— not but my faith is â—ound in euery particular both which are hurtfull 2 When we distrust Gods promises let vs set before vs the example of his mercie done to others that we may be the more assured to obtaine faith and when we begin to presume let vs set before vs the examples of Gods iudgements that we may pray for humilitie 3 Many dispaire of helpe because of their owne vnworthinesse as though there were â—o hope of Gods mercie vnlesse we bring in our gift and pawne in our hands to him but this were to disered it the Lords mercies and to bring in credit our merits and rather to binde the Lord vnto vs than vs vnto him but if our sinnes be great our redemption is greater though our merits be beggerly Gods mercie is a rich mercie if our case were not desperate and we past hope of recouerie our redemption should not be so plentifull but when all seemes to goe one way when heauen and earth the Sunne the Moone and the Starres goe against vs then to ransome vs and to make a perfect restitution is to draw something out of nothing euen as in sicknes to haue either little danger oâ— in great danger deliuerance by present meanes is nothing but in extreame perill when physicke can doe nothing and nothing maketh for vs but the graue then to be rescued from the graue and to recouer our life from the pit is redemption Death 1 AS we must thinke of life as being content to die so we must thinke of death as being content to liue And they are as well to be liked of that measurably feare death as they who ioy so much at it because they that moderately feare death haue this in them more than the other which is also allowable by grace and nature that they tremble at Gods iudgements 2. He said be neuer durst desire to die howsoeuer his continuall crosses did affoord him small desire to liue therefore he feared and forewarned men of these kindes of wishes because often the Lord heareth a man in iudgement though in some mercie and when he wisheth this or that affliction he laieth it on him so that after he cannot doe that good to others which to his owne comfort he might haue done 3 To one that said she feared death he said As I would haue you to thinke of life as being content to die so thinke of death as you would also be content to liue and as for the feare of death I like as well of them that measurably feare it as of them who so ioy at it for I hope and like well of them also Howbeit I see not this in those which is in them and which is a thing both allowed by grace and nature that is that they tremble at Gods iudgements You will say that notwithstanding you see not why you should not feare death seeing you finde no comfort in life to which I answere that your life hath not been without comforts howsoeuer things gone are soone forgotten though your coÌ„forts were not in the full measure hoped for and it may be that plentifull measure shall be giuen you in death But what if you should die in this discomfort for my part as I my selfe looke for no great things in my death I would not thinke more hardly of you neither would I wish any to iudge otherwise of Gods childe in that estate of death for we shall not be iudged according to that particular instance of death but according to our generall course of life not according to our deed in that present but according to the desire of our hearts euer before and therefore we are not to mistrust Gods mercie in death be we neuer so vncomfortable if so be it hath beene before sealed in our vocation and sanctification Desire 1 HE said God looketh to the desires not to the deeds of his children and if we purpose to doe good howsoeuer we finde ignorance what where and when to doe good God will direct vs in occasion place and time and in mercie will pardon our weakenes though we faile in the circumstances Dispraise 1 WHen any told a thing that sounded to the dispraise of a man he as not credulous in such matters would make shew to the carnall plaintiâ—e that he was as one not hearing and would fence off the matter a long time by causing him to repeate often his matter Diet. 1 BEcause no particular rule can be set downe how to amend excesse and defect in diet this were the best rule generally to be obserued so to feede as that we may be made thereby more fit either to speake or heare the praises of God with more cheerfulnes and reuerence Dreames 1 A Naturall dreame which commeth of naturall causes easily slippeth away but if our dreames dwell longer vpon vs and leaue some greater impression in vs they may be thought to proceed either from God or from the diuell And by these it is good to profit if they be fauourable by thinking such a thing we might haue if we
heart that hauing it thou hast all things and if thou want it yet in greatest abundance thou hast nothing Againe if thou haue it no manner of misery can make thee miserable and if thou haue it not in greatest felicitie thou art most miserable But the Israelites deat hereafter a cleane contrarie manner for the want of bread here in the wildernesse being put for their bodies did make them to despise their great and wonderfull deliuerance out of Egypt which was vnto them a signe of their spirituall deliuâ—rance And this is the nature of all naturall and worldly men so basely to estimate Gods graces that they had rather forgoe many richer spirituall benefits and blessings then one worldly and corporall commoditie for the want of riches doth vexe trouble them more then the want of spirituall and heauenly graces and the hauing of riches doth more reioyce their hearts than the burthen of sinne which procureth Gods wrath doth worke their griefe Such men know not that riches are no sure signes of Gods fauour though hee in the abundance of his mercy doth let his Sunne shine vpon the wicked and vpon the good so that the hauing of riches is no argument that he loueth vs nor the want oâ— them is any argument of his displeasure towards vs. Who so therefore seeketh God in these outward things onely and bindeth his fauour vnto them doth neither with them noâ— without them duely esteeme of the fauour of God but setteth light thereby which although in plaine words he speaketh not for the children of Israel here did not flatly speake against the Lord but against his Ministers Moses and Aaron yet whilest he is carelesse of the word prayer and Sacraments and despiseth and grudgeth against Gods Ministers and seruants he manifestly declareth what price it beareth in his heart It standeth euery man in hand then in his ownâ— hearâ— to feele his sinne and to be sorrowfull for it to know it is in him and then to leaue it least the god of this world whom he serueth doe for a while giue him his desire that in the world to come hee may haue him for his portion and to such as acknowledge this murmuring to be a sinne and be grieued for it there followeth remedies to helpe out of it For as much as impatience and murmuring proceedeth from infidelitie the remedie therefore must be fetched first from faith in Gods mercies in the benefits which Christ hath by his death purchased vnto vs and in the hope of the Resurrection to euerlasting life and in Gods fatherly prouidence which things if we do belieue we must also belieue that God in this life will sufficiently minister vnto all our wants and vnlesse wee doe belieue them wee doe not neither can we belieue with assurance that the Lord will preserue vs. But if we doubt whether the Lord will helpe vs in earthly things we must needs much more doubt of his fauour in spirituall benefits First therefore the great and rich mercie of the Lord and his fauourable dealing with vs being duely considered shall be very profitable to worke in vs patience for if we see how the Lord forbeareth vs and rewardeth vs not according to our sinnes â—ay if we see that when for the ripenes of our sinnes he might confound vs yet â—e doth not so much as punish vs and when hee might iustly punish vs yet he dealeth mercifully with vs and bestoweth his mercies vpon vs. If I say we can acknowledge this to be his â—rdinarie dealing that by his long suffering he doth leade vs to repentance and by his manifold mercies he doth as it were weane vs from our sinnes this would much bridle our murmuring and instruct vs to patience And yet we see a further thing then this in this people of Israel for the Lord doth not only beare with their sinnes and bestow many mercies vpon them but to helpe them and to doe them good he doth vse extraordinary meanes as to bring downe bread from heauen to make water gush out of the Rocke where hee sheweth that for the safetie of his people euen when all meanes doe faile and when to mans iudgement there is no way to finde out helpe or deliuerance yet there will the Lord magnifie his mercie towards his seruants and will worke wonders for their preseruation Hee doth not thus deale with the Israelites onely but hee maketh this his ordinarie dealing with his seruants from time to time As Moses applyeth this place when he saith The Lord hath fed thee with this Mâ—nna fortie yeeres that thou maist knowe that man liueth not by bread â—â—ely and CHRIST in our person being tempted to vse vnlawfull meanes ouer came the diuell with this answere Man liueth not by bread onely Teaching vs and leauing vs an example to haue the sâ—me answere in readinesse in the like temptations knowing and assuâ—ing our hearts that the Lorde will by one meanes or other doe good vnto his children and dispose of all things that shall befall them for the best onely let them take heede of this that they rest in his word and goe no further but by faith waite on him therein and he will giue that shall be sufficient for them if not in earthly benefits yet in spirituall graces The second helpe which we must vse to refraine our murmuring is the liuely faith of our redemption wrought by Christ which coÌ„sisteth in the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs in the sanctification which is by his holy spirit First then if we can stedfastly beleeue that God for Christs sake hath freely forgiuen vs all our sinnes yea that he hath giuen vs his onely beloued sonne that wee might be beloued in him wee shall without any great adoe beleeue that the Lord will not suffer vs to want any thing but with him will giue vs all things for seeing sinne which is the cause of all miserie is taken away from vs that so we might be with Christ inheritors of the heauens we may be sure that in the meane time no miserie shall hurt vs. Thus Abraham hauing receiued a promise for seed of his sonne Isaac doubting nothing but that the Lord would prouide meanes to bring the same to passe in the assuraÌ„ce hereof sent his seruants to his owne people to prouide a wife for his sonne And these children of Israel no doubt if they had beleeued that the Lord had deliuered them out of Egypt that he might bring them to the promised land they would neuer haue doubted of his mercifull preseruation neither here in the wildernesse nor elsewhere till they had come to the land of promise And againe if we could firmely beleeue that God the Father for Christs sake doth not only not impute our sinnes vnto vs but that he doth also accept vs in the righteousnesse of his Sonne imputing the same vnto vs how should we doubt of meate
publikely must be done priuately And if euer publike exercise be done with fruite the priuate must prepare thee for it as reading fasting prayer conference admonishing and rebuking thy selfe And without confession priuately wee will neuer confesse publikely Confession to God is neuer to be omitted nor to men when the occasion is necessarie Though carnall men of all sorts thinke it is an easie thing to confesse to God yet if we consider how hardly we are drawne to confesse to men we may thereby knowe how loth we are truly to confesse vnto God which appeareth both in the vnregenerate and the regenerate As Adam for example who was ashamed of the nakednes of his bodie but when hee looked at his soule hee pleaded not guiltie but went about to deriue his sinne to the woman and the woman to the Serpent Euery one will say he is a sinner but who will speake wherein he hath sinned or acknowledge it when hee is charged withall yea a miserable sort of excuses will be pleaded for all are grauen out of Adam The regenerate also are willing to confesse for all are borne againe but in measure as infants for a great while more carnall than spirituall so much as we are failing from Gods image so much readie are we to be deceiued and to couer sinnes So Abraham and Dauid being patternes of Gods mercie are also patternes of our weakenesse Abraham in denying Sarah to be his wife both to Pharaoh and to Abimelâ—ch Dauids confession not found at the first the sinne was left of him yet hee had not repented sinne was past but grace not come his heart was hard vntill the Prophet had been with him as Psal. 32. which is a Psalme of forgiuenes of sinnes notwithstanding hee there sheweth the hypocrisie of their heart for being in great affliction as a bladder dried vp he could not come then to confesse his sinne This is generall Iob. 33. 9. I am cleane I am innocent And marueile not that men are vnwilling to confesse for confession presupposeth accusation and who will accuse himselfe by name except he be moued by grace or be franticke Yea being accused whose natures will yeeld seeing what griefe what sorrow what shame what humilitie must needes follow For sinne is grieuous God is glorious the law is holy It is hard to be couered punishment is fearefull a pretious price is reiected and who will see the iudgements of God by condemning themselues and will not bee readie to dispaire Naturally therefore confesse we cannot Thou hauing done sin wouldest not now doe it but where is grace to loue God how hard a thing then to confesse where God giueth not grace We must begin with our selues I haue marueiled at many who could weepe bitterly for other mens sinnes but could not shed a teare for their owne but when thou hast felt the smart of sinne in thy selfe then canst thou rightly acknowledge the sinnes of others then art thou come to some good measure of this grace And being escaped with the Prophet Ezech. 9. thou maiest fall downe vpon thy face and crie and say Ah Lord wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in powring out thy wrath vpon Ierusalem Hauing confessed mine owne sinne then must I looke vnto others and to Gods iudgements against others and so vpon mercies shewed to others that I may learne to preuent and remoue iudgements and to obtaine and continue mercie by confession And though we haue no Nehemiahs to confesse publikely Nehem. 9. yet let some stand in the gap priuately to pray for the people that the people also may pray for vs and euerie one must so much more lament as his calling requires Whose sinnes thou hast not acknowledged thou art partaker of them and if thou admonish not and do what thou canst with thy kinsfolkes and friends to recouer them thou canst not cleere thy selfe of being guiltie of their iniquitie but if thou bee grieued and confessest and prayest priuately for the sinnes of thy brother then maiest thou auoid vaineglory in the publique True it is we may vse priuate meanes and yet neglect the publique but wee must reade humbly with the Eunuch and pray with feeling that the prayers of others in publique may be profitable and feeling wants in the priuate meanes wee must desire the helpe of the publique Publique confession vnto God with men and before men is when generally generall sinnes are confessed or some particular sinnes as before the Sacraments Thankefulnes can neuer bee receiued except confession of vnworthines goe before and therefore prayers vsually begin with confession of sinnes and iudgements yet many abstaine and care not to come to the confession of their sinnes but they must know that the Ministers mouth is to confesse their sinnes When the Church hath offended against God then all must confesse Leuit. 18. Dan. 9. Esra 9. No one thing is more pleasant to God than confession nothing more displeasing than hiding nothing more publique the more acceptable But herein is required iudgement and affection for they do not only offend who confesse not but also such as will confesse generall sinnes and not particular in seeing wherein and after what manner they haue sinned therefore a beadroll of the number and greatnes of their sinnes would bee made and so fashion and hypocrisie would bee auoyded Labour then to see thy sinne in time of confession and say Lord moue the heart of the Minister and people to confesse my sinne when I looke into it Fault is not onely in iudgement but in affection also for if a man come to confesse vnto the Minister he will hang downe his head though but two or three be present but care not how publiquely thou doe it We must be touched otherwise then when we sing Psalmes there must bee reuerence in bowing of the knees for thou must giue thy body and thy heart also The Publican needeth not to be taught to cast downe his eyes for the humble heart will bring downe thy looke Againe wee must giue good example in our outward gesture to prouoke others to come reuerently before the Lord. If confession be thus acceptable then when we are to receiue more grace wee must bee more humbled in acknowledging our sinnes and that we may doe it as we ought we must labour for a deeper sight of our vnworthines by our sinnes The way to obtaine mercie is as soone as we see our sinnes to acknowledge them I acknowledged my sinne and then thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne not my sinne onely The debter loueth much that hath much forgiuen him because he sorrowed much The prodigall sonne returning after much sorrowe and humble confession found much kindnes Though we haue been vnkind children is there more loue in a naturall man than in the Lord In naturall fathers and maisters when their seruants and children confesse anger ceaseth is not this from the Lord and will not he shew fauour vnto vs Doth God giue thee this charge that
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
doe not then we cannot escape 3 As there was not one of the Israelites perished so was there not one of the Egyptians escaped which is a type of the last iudgement of God wherein as not one of the wicked shall escape so shall there not one of the godly perish 4 We may not doubt albeit we see not Gods promises forthwith accomplished neither must we be secure because we see his iudgements and threatnings delaied as they did in Ieremies time for though he tarrie a while yet will he certainely come at last and that more speedily to vs than to them because our sinnes are greater for that we haue greater meanes of knowledge than they had 5 They that mocke long at Gods iudgements will mocke in the end and be mocked wherefore it is good to pray for inward reuerence before God sendeth outward vengeance When the Lord accuseth and iudgeth vs to shew himselfe iust and innocent he will haue none other to witnesse against vs than the mountaines or the heauens and the earth he will come to no court on earth but to his creatures and his seruants haue vsed the same proceeding as Moses calleth heauen and earth to witnesse nay we are to call to witnesse the stones in the wal the timber of the house that they may giue their voyces on our sides that we haue told them their sinnes and that we haue spoken to their consciences and then the very beames of the Church and stones of the wall shall be witnesse of this controuersie So that though men would beare one with another yet the mountaines the heauen and the earth shall giue vp their voyce that God hath not come suddenly vpon vs but that he forewarned vs. It were a great matter if a man should be iudge in his owne cause yet the Lord so rules the matter as that he will condemne none but such as first shal see their iust condemnation We shall haue all things laid plaine and orderly before vs as it is Psalme 50 so that we shall be driuen to confesse Gods plea to be iust against vs for howsoeuer men can daube and deceiue their owne conscience howsoeuer they can smother and choke their owne sins and delude men yet in the day of wrath the sealed booke the sealed booke shall be opened and the recorder in our owne conscience shall giue sentence vnto it and then the Lord shall win and recouer his action at our hands and we shall yeeld that he is iust 6 There are places in the Scripture where the Lord is a comforter and there are places wherein he is an accuser the places where he is a comforter shew such persons or such times wherein the Lord by his accusations hath so farre preuailed that the people were humbled thereby The places wherein he is an accuser import such times and persons to whom the Lord hath shewed many comforts and benefits but they haue been vnthankfull as are we in our times in our Realme and in this place For it hath been the wisedome of the Lord alwaies after his threatnings taking place to remember mercy and after his mercies contemned to send out his threatnings as Hose 4. 1. 7 The manner of the ancient Church hath bin that wheresoeuer mention was made in the word of the children of Israel the Christians took that specially to appertaine to themselues But now adaies in our age the case is farre otherwise we are so loth to be accused that our manner is to account our selues to be accused in nothing but there where the Lord hath as it were by name spoken vnto vs and if the Lord hath written no prophecy specially to this land then we thinke nothing cōcerneth vs. Howbeit as Paul saith Rom. 2. That they are not onely Iewes that are Iewes outward but they also which are Iewes inward so I say that they are not onely the children of Israel which came out of the loynes of Israel but who so truly lay hold on the promises made vnto Israel are the true children of Israel also But not to stand long on this point I say looke as Moses is more inferiour than Messiah and as Iesus is better than Iosuah the kingdome of heauen better than Canaan and the blood of Christ more precious than the blood of bullocks or of goates so are we better Israelites by faith taking hold of the promises made vnto Israel than they that descended only out of the body loynes of Israel So that if any will lay claime to the promises of Israel he must acknowledge himselfe to be the child of Israel but if any will let go his hold on this promise he must also exempt himselfe from being the childe of Israel He may well be of the line of Cain Cham or Esan but the other he shall not be And then if we will be the children of Israel in their promises we must be the children of Israel also in their accusations And surely there is good reason why we should so be where as Iacob had two names the one Iacob the other Israel we reade very seldome in the Scripture that the Iewes are named by the children of Iacob but called for the most part the children of Israel For the name of Iacob being giuen him at the time of his natiuitie and the name of Israel being assigned him by the Angel for a name of benefit because he wrestled with God the Lord herein insinuateth that the children of Israel that is the children of his benefits must with a speciall care heare his word 7 The not obseruing of the Iudgements of God maketh vs so loth to loue his mercie and so slenderly to feare his Iudgements 8 It is a naturall thing to reforme our selues whilest Gods Iudgements are vpon vs. CHAP. XLI Of Ioy and Sorrow HE is not far from ioy that sorroweth either for want of good things or for sense of euill for the true way to godly mirth is to feele godly sorrow 2 When wee haue greatest cause of ioy for well doing then it is a good thing to feare most our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnesse 3 Gods children not cherishing a continuall sorrow haue often an excessiue sorrow 4 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 5 We shall sometimes feele by experience a terror suddenly come vpon vs when wee are alone or vehemently to strike vs in the night being sent of God to humble vs the Physition will say it is a melancholike passion but I say it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such like seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before the Lord in prayer we may finde an vnspeakeable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it may bring vs to further inconueniences 6 The way to godly mirth is to feele godly sorrow 7 The people murmured at the red Sea yet the Lord
holy Ghost himselfe euen in that place where they stand vpon their guarde 2. Cor. 7. 1. where we be taught that such men as they would haue perfit must haue also promises wee knowe to whom a promise doth appertaine being of free grace not to men of perfection for grace is not needfull to such I would know therefore what perfit man needeth promises for a promise is of free grace This seemeth to bee enough to ouerthrow this perfection of holines for euen such men saith Paul neede promises We will come to their owne example take Zacharie and marke his song Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel not because hee hath inabled vs to perfection but because hee hath redeemed vs being vnperfit for his mercy promised and his oath sworne and that hee would send vs deliuerance So that their very perfit man is glad to be redeemed and to be deliuered Now come to Simeon his song Lord let thy seruant depart in peace Why because thou hast made vs perfit Nay because mine eyes haue seene thy saluation so that this man also needeth saluation If then these holy paterns of perfection needed the promises of God and saluation by Christ wee dare conclude against them that they were not perfit as Papists teach they were CHAP. XVI Of Parables and Similitudes IT pleaseth God in speaking to men of their saluation to vse the tearmes of their vocation to whom he speaketh And there is no sort of men but God speaketh vnto them on manner Therefore to Kings he speaketh likening the kingdome of heauen to a King making a mariage to Merchants likening the kingdome of heauen to a Pearle and euen to the baser sort and them that are in the kitchin when he likeneth it to Leauen and Mustard seede and when hee speaketh to Husbandmen he frameth his parable of the Sower as Ierem. 4. when the Lord might haue said plainly Prepare your hearts yee men of Iudah and Ierusalem but hee rather speaketh vnto them in the tearmes of their calling that as they are diligent and painfull in matters of this life so they might be painfull in matters of their saluation and that men might trie themselues whether their care of eternall life bee answerable to their care of things concerning this life And wee must thinke that of what vocation he vseth the termes to men vnto that vocation he specially speaketh For example in many places of the Scripture he speaketh of husbandrie that men by it might bee drawne to thinke of better things For when wee goe into our fielde and behold our grounds and finde them that they are fruitfull and plentifull and that euen the vallyes doe so exceed with corne that men sing for mirth then euery man must think thus with himselfe Surely my Haruest is very plentifull and my corne which I haue sowne yeeldeth her increase with very great measure Now am I as plentifull fruitfull an haruest vnto God Am not I rather a barren and drie ground yeelding no fruite Surely if our Haruest be fruitfull vnto vs and we which are Gods Haruest are not fruitful vnto him then our haruest shall condemne vs. For the meanes of Husbandrie as Plough Cart c. we are carefull to haue them wee bestow cost to repaire them and then must we thus thinke See I haue all the instruments of my Haruest in very good order haue I the meanes of my saluation as well If I haue not the very Harrowe and horses harnesse will accuse mee Thirdly if we haue a Tree whereas we bestow cost to cut it and to prune it and because it bringeth forth no fruite we say if thou wilt not serue me for my taste thou shalt serue me for building or if thou wilt not answere me for building thou shalt serue me for the fire Let vs remember that seeing GOD hath beene at great cost and charge to dresse vs and wee bring forth no fruit God shall not neede to condemne vs wee our selues and our owne iudgement of our tree will condeme vs and cetainely if wee be not good for fruite wee shall bee put to the fire Now as there is fruitfulnes of the ground so there is fruitfulnes of the soule and as there is fallownes of the land so there is a fallownes of the heart But how shall we knowe whether we be fallow or no For this is a point worthie to be stood vpon considering the direct exhortation of the Prophet Ieremie chapt 4. Among many signes I will content my selfe with foure First we know that all fallow grounds be common and euery thing hath free passage thorow them without any stop or let so if our eares be common that we can heare any talke be it neuer so prophane without any chill colde as it were comming vpon vs then doubtlesse our eares are fallow and we had neede to be broken vp and so of other parts Secondly in Fallow-grounds there is great quietnes in grounds broken vp to be sowne there are many fowles busie ready to picke vp the good graine being sowne but in the Fallow men neede take no care nor thought to driue them away Now if wee finde all husht and quiet in our hearts if wee doe not busie our selues with driuing away corrupt affections it is a token wee lie fallow and had neede of breaking vp Thirdly the showers falling vpon Tilled ground make it fertill and fruitfull but all the raine comming on Fallow ground is lost in respect of any fruite vnles it be for increase of weeds and of thistles Then if the blessing of GOD dropping as fast as raine on vs raise vp no fruite in vs vnles it be that we are made more proude and vaine we are yet fallow and the Lord must breake vs vp Fourthly common passengers going by good corne bestow a prayer to blesse it which none doe to the drie fallow being fitter for children to play vpon than for men to reape fruite on so whosoeuer taketh such a course of life that no man will vouchsafe to say of him The Lord continue him and yet some worldly men will peraduenture say of him He is a quiet man and doth no man harme yet if the skilfull plowman passing by I meane the Prophet or Preacher of God which can discerne better of the soile say not so much as we wish you prosperitie in the name of the Lord no doubt that man is fallow But besides this the diuell the enuious man sower of Tares vseth many policies that we may not be broken vp Against whose wisedome because I would haue you wise I will bewray his wisedome One point of his policie is this he would keepe vs from the plow and the plow from vs and therefore when we should goe to heare the word he casteth before vs other businesses perswading vs that we may leaue the word meete the plow some other time whē it may be that
vndefiled before God is to visit the fatherlesse that â—s the effect and fruite of true religion which God requireth with the hearing of his word is to visit the fatherlesse And Esai 58. 6. Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednes c. That is is not this the fruite of fasting which I haue chosen And so likewise is it meant of the Sabbath in the same place the fruite and effect whereof is to rest from sinne But why then doth the holy Ghost rather name the effect thaÌ„ the meanes the fruit thaÌ„ the cause Euen because though we haue the meanes and doe not vse them to effect it were altogether vnprofitable as we see many carnall professors who rest too long in the meanes but make no conscience to shew the effect of them What then Shall we so rest in the effects as with the Heretikes of our time we should contemne the meanes Shall we not eate and drinke because we liue not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the word of God Shall we not build because vnlesse the Lord helpeth the builder buildeth but in vaine Nay as we confesse that the meanes without the effect are vnprofitable so we affirme that to come to the effect we must carefully vse the meanes Wherfore because the cause not producing it effect is nothing worth the effect is rather set down than the cause Let not a man separate those things which God hath ioyned together If we rest in our Sacraments as the Iewes in their Circumcision we shall neuer see the fruite of them If we keepe the Sabbath if we vse fasting vntill our bodies be made most lithe and labour not to become a new creature all is in vaine we separate those things which God hath ioyned together that is the fruite from the meanes Againe if on the other side we thinke now we must obey and not heare the word if it be all that God requireth to doe good and not to pray or that we can beleeue enough without the help of the sacraments we deceiue our selues with a false imagination of righteousnes and we make as great diuorcement on the other side of the meanes from the effect as before we make a separation of the effect from the meanes Aske now the Papists what is their rule and they will shew many meanes as the rule of Heremites of Dominican Friers of their Franciscan Monks of their Augustine Friers and such like Demaund of them what rules they haue of their effects they will say they are come out of the world to liue in monkerie they haue their shauings pilgrimages whipping of their owne bodies voluntarie and monasticall vowes traditions and such like But come to the other rabble who are worse than the beasts of Egypt forsaking the sweete land of Canaan and they will denie all meanes and brag they neuer so much of effects yet in pure effects they be most barren hypocrites If they were as wise as Salomon or as holy as Dauid or as zealous as Paul yet they might frequent the Temple and thinke it a blessing to be in Sion and reioyce in the companie of Christians But to leaue these let vs learne as much as we cast off the traditions of the Pharisies so much to put on the sweete yoke of Christ and let vs carefully vse the word and with the word ioyne prayer and to prayer adde practise vsing the sacraments and by them grow in faith that by faith we may increase in repentance and with the cause marrying the effect and from the fruite neuer diuorce the meanes because God is neither pleased with our fruitlesse ceremonies if we rest in the meanes neither with our holy hypocrisie if we refuse his ordinance This rule the Apostle saith is both for the preachers and for the people for preachers because he opposed this rule against the rule of certaine false teachers for the people in that he nameth them here the Israel of God By this word peace he meaneth the fauour of God or the good successe in our enterprises by mercie he vnderstandeth the goodnes of God in pardoning our sinnes and relieuing of our infirmities First it is probable that he speaketh of these things to Teachers as well to discourage the false teachers as to embolden the pure Preachers of the Gospell against all the glorious assaults of their aduersaries Againe because the preachers of the word haue taken vpon them the guiding and gouernment of the people as well in life as in doctrine and in good example to goe in and out before them he preuenteth the subtiltie of Sathan who might by the euill slanders of the false Apostles mooue these men to some remission in their calling And to put away this temptation the Apostle Paul putteth them in minde of this rule and propounding here a promise he encourageth them notwithstanding their persecutions against all attempts of men and assureth them of God his mercifull protection This promise of the fauour of God to his faithfull Ministers is not only in this place but vsed elsewhere of the holy Ghost as Deuter. 33. 11. Moses the man of God blessing the tribes of Israell saith thus of Leui the Priest of the Lord Blesse ô Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands smite thorough the loines of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe Thus he comforteth Leui shewing that his ministerie should not be contemned without reuengement And Zachary 3. 1. 2. it is said And he shewed me Iehoshua the hie Priest standing before the Angell of the Lord and Sathan standing at his right hand to resist him and the Lord said vnto Sathan the Lord reproue thee ô Sathan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reproue thee Where we see that where God his true Ministers are there is a strife with Satan who is readie for them but yet they are before the Angell that is Christ who will smite the proud force of Sathan that he shall not be able to withstand vs. And Christ sheweth that he hath a common ministerie in and with his preaching by them beseeching some by them also threatning others and therefore as he hath giuen them gifts for his glory so he is armed with power to confound all that lift vp an high hand against them Hereupon he so much authoriseth his Apostles telling them whatsoeuer they bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Neither doth this or such like promises only concerne them which in euery point of doctrine and discipline are sound and without error but euen them also who holding carefully the foundation which is Christ Iesus through some infirmitie of iudgement build timber hay or stuble as wee may see 1. Cor. 3. Wherefore if a man preach that we are all condemned through sinne and that there is no saluation without Christ
and no condemnation to them that beleeue in Christ and teacheth that we must be crucified to the world and become new creatures though he doth not all other things perfitly and absolutely yet keeping this foundation hee shall finde mercie But if a man destroy the Temple of God that is labour more about the establishing of ceremonies and maintaining of errours than hee doth to maintaine and establish the power of the Gospell the Lord will surely destroy him As then we dare not say that a man purely preaching Christ crucified though he faile in some smaller points of discipline shall be damned so we affirme that a man maintaining corruptions and nothing labouring to preach the crosse of Christ and neglecting the doctrine of being crucified to the world and of becomming a new creature is to feare least that if hee repent not the Lord destroy him For if they destroy the Temple of God that is the people of God by not teaching the truth and by keeping out from entring into the truth not only themselues but others the Lord will vndoubtedly destroy such This place maketh much also for our comfort against heresie and poperie because as God promiseth peace and mercie to them that preach and embrace the doctrine of our saluation by Christ so hee threatneth on the contrarie his curse and vengeance both to the preachers and followers of the contrarie doctrine howsoeuer they hope for a day or cōtemne the flocke of Christ. For the same God that made the Israelites a valiant people in pursuing their enemies so long as they continued in the rule he had appointed them brought them low and made them flie before their enemies when they forsooke this rule so as one chased tenne of them and tenne put to flight an hundred of them Let vs boldly then both preach and receiue this doctrine of Christ and not feare any corrupt Teachers whatsoeuer seeing their supposed felicitie shall be accursed and our supposed miserie shall be blessed Which curse manifestly appeareth in many Papists this day that become rebels traitors and murtherers as also in heretikes who are become mad and frantick the Lord watching ouer them for euill and not for good And vpon the Israel of God Heere with the Preachers the Apostle ioyneth the people of God shewing that they that willingly heare and carefully imbrace the doctrine That by the law we are condemned for sinne and by the Gospell wee are saued through faith in Christ and therfore from henceforth endeuour to haue this world crucified vnto vs and vs to be crucified to the world and to become new creatures shall also be saued and finde mercie and peace Israel properly signifieth one that preuaileth with God Now because there was Israell in the flesh which many did boast of hee heere speaketh of the Israell in the spirit as he speaketh of the Iewes Rom. 2. and therefore calleth it the Israel of God making a distinction betweene that counterfeit Israell resting in the ceremonie and outward title of the name and that true Israell whose praise is of God and not of men Before the Iewes tooke the whole priuiledge of the couenant of God but now the Gentiles also are contained in the couenant because all ceremonies abolished there is one shepheard and one sheepesold This promise then belongeth no more to all professors than to all preachers but to them alone which are truly called to be the true Israel of God Whereby we are to learne that all Christians shall not obtaine mercie and peace but the Christians of God that is true Christians in life doctrine Wherefore all counterfeit Christians are to feare their estate can they neuer so well say their catechisme were they neuer so well baptized or confirmed were they neuer so often comming to the Church to heare the word receiue the sacrament Now if Israel the beloued of God not reioicing in the crosse of Christ not being crucified to the world not being a newe creature shall not finde mercie and peace what comfort are wee to looke for being Gentiles wanting the same things And yet we must remember the consolation aboue named that though Christians be in some points infants in doctrine iudgement life and conuersation yet if they carefully hold the foundation and build thereupon a godlie life in trueth and sinceritie though in some weakenes infirmitie and imperfection they shall obtaine mercie and peace in the ende The truth of this promise and sure wrath of God on the wicked may appeare to vs both in the life and in the death of the true and counterfeit Christians in seeing what mercy and peace appeareth in the one what anguish and impatience breaketh foorth in the other The deare Martyrs of God neither were afraid of death on the one side but reioyced in that they were made worthie to suffer for the truth neither senselesse and blockish as feeling no paine on the other side The learned heretikes which would seeme to suffer either yeelded being ouercome with the paine or else died like stocks stones being halfe dead before they came to be executed As for others that haue died in their beds the Lord hath giuen a manifest distinction betweene the true prophets false teachers betweene christian professors and obstinate Papists The children of God euer haue laboured to make confession of their faith to make knowne their hope to witnesse their abundant ioy at their departure neither ouercome with immoderate feare neither sincking downe in too much blockishnes the other haue died some desperately without hope some presumptuously without true faith some murmuringly without all ioy FINIS THE FOVRTH PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREACHER OF the Word of GOD containing an Exposition of the 119. Psalme found vnperfect amongst other writings of Maister GREENHAMS and perfected by Robert Hill Doctor in Diuinitie whose obseruations may be knowne by this marke ¶ VVHEREVNTO ARE ADIOYNED OTHER Meditations vpon certaine parts of the Scripture the Titles whereof appeare in the next page following VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE MEDITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE FOVRTH part are these hereafter following 1 AN exposition of the 119. PSALME 2 Meditations on PROV 4. from verse 13. to 24. 3 Meditations on PROV 14. vers 5. 6. 7. 4 The summe of the Epistle to the HEBRVES 5 A briefe summe of ECCLESIASTES TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE IOHN LORDE STANHOP BARON OF HARINGTON VICECHAMberlaine to the Kings most excellent Maiestie and one of his Honorable priuie Councell Grace and Peace RIght Honourable Though Diuinitie as an Hand-maide attende all other callings and by reason of her pouertie serues manie Masters yet if shee were esteemed according to her worth shee were worthie to become a Mistresse to the most Her Conception is Celestiall her
theÌ„ the other And such be wee and our times long rid from that superstitious generation but readie now as it is saide Deut. 29. 19. to adde drunkennesse to thirst which commeth to passe for want of circumspectnes in deliuering the doctrine of libertie And so wee fall to make Paul Galat. 5. and Peter a cloake of our licentious life Wee turne the grace of God into wantonnesse as Iude speaketh This then being as it were the common disease of these last and perillous dayes the ministers of the Gospell must stand vp as in a gap and euery one is to be watchfull ouer himselfe that he sinke not away in these pleasures which seeme to cheere bring good to the heart but such a good as maketh the graces of God in some to come to nothing and withdraweth many away from Paradise a place of pleasure to hell a place of torments You know who it was that seeing so many young Gentlemen follow Epicurus at his first setting vp saide the cause was it was young mens philosophie that was professed in that schoole For this cause Sathan laboureth especially to poyson this age because he knoweth if this be barren of good that which followeth is like to be thereafter Satan and his ministers haue for euery age estate and condition a sundrie baite laying for Youth the baite of pleasure for Age the bayte of couetonsnes c. Euery man is eateÌ„ vp with one zeale or other there is a zeale of old age middle age of youth Euery man may trie his zeale by the ninth of Esa. ver 7. The zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this It was the zeale of God that he gaue his sonne for vs his most dearely beloued sonne it is then one argument of our zeale to any thing when wee will forgoe a pretious thing for the thing we professe to loue indeed Esau was zealous for his meate when hee would lose his blessing for it and such is our zeale of pleasure that wee will forgoe learning time the fauour of the godly health of bodie yea sometimes our owne soules for it 6. It hath bin alwaies the note of false prophets to preach pleasant things and for outward matters as the Priests of Iezabel And Micah chap. 2 speaketh of false Prophets that prophesied of meate and strong drinke Peter saith they praise liberty and Paul They can reason for the bellie All thingâ— say they are lawfull but on the other side Gods children haue bene alwaies in the way of restraining 1. King 19. Eliah ate and gaue ouer and fell asleepe so that the Angell was sent to bid him eate more It is not the fâ—ult of many For we haue neede of an Angell to keepe vs from eating Timothie abstained from wine and Paul biddeth him to vse it for the weakenesse of his stomacke Salomon reclaimeth yong men Eccle. 11. When Iobs children meane to banquet in course he feareth least they curse God The austeritie of the Fathers was very great concerning meates as of Basil Hierome that it gaue occasion to the superstitious abstinence which followed But now the latter times are gone and the last daies are come Superstition is past but men glut themselues with all Epicurisme and pleasures of this life 7 Christians are neither Stoicks nor Epicures Paul disputeth against both Act. 17. The Stoicke condemnes all pleasure the Epicure commends all pleasures Pleasure is not good according to our election but in respect of the obiect if the obiect or matter wherein our pleasure consisteth be simply good then the pleasure is simply good if the obiect be simply euill our pleasure is simply euill But pleasures by nature being good and bad by circumstance they are not left as things indifferent to our election CHAP. XVIII Godly meditations concerning Christs power against Sathan loue to the faithfull and how he is our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and of our communion with him CHrist careth for vs we must not feare a stroÌ„g enemie because we haue a stronger Captaine The Diuell indeed is a Lion but so is Christ a Lion and that of the tribe of Iudah There is a Lion for a Lion courage for courage The diuell is a Serpent so Christ calleth himselfe the brasen Serpent there is a Serpent for a Serpent wisedome for wisedome yea a Serpent of brasse to sting all the fierie Serpents of the wildernesse But thou saist that Christ is called a Lambe and a worme Bâ— not discouraged that is in respect of his Father who found him as meeke as a Lambe who might haue troden on him as on a worme but the diuell neuer found him a Lambe but a Lion The meeknes of Christ is stronger than all the power of hell Ioh. 18. When the diuell seemed to be in his ruffe he sends a great crew to take a sillie man when he told them it was he whom he sought this little word cast them downe What shall he doe then in glorie when he commeth with thousands of Angels This then is the conclusion the diuell is strong but Christ is stronger and chaineth him at his pleasure The diuell is wise but Christ is wiser and preuenteth him in all his practises 2 They that will haue a true faith in Christ must beleeue in the ends and in the mercies of our saluation The ends are that Christ is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption Art thou afraide that thou shalt goe out of thy wits because thou fearest sinne Are thy cogitations confounded Seest thou no knowledge no not so much as a litterall knowledge of thy saluation but all is doubtfulnes all is dulnesse all is deadnes within thee as though thou neuer knewest heardest or learnedst any thing Now know now is the time to beleeue that whatsoeuer knowledge experience power of vnderstanding was in Christ Iesu the same is made thine he is the annointing that will teach thee he is the Fathers counsellor he is wonderful he hath the knowledge of all mysteries he is the spirituall interpreter of the law vnto whom as the Fathers did approach more neerely so they did see the power of the law more cleerely He is our wisedome both the teacher and the thing taught Hast thou some good measure of knowledge and yet thy life in no part being agreeable nor proportionable to thy knowledge thou art sore troubled for not walking in the waies of righteousnesse thou feelest no goodnesse thou thinkest thy selfe as a Sere tree without all fruite Now remember that Christ Iesus who had no holinesse by the flesh by being borne of his mother who saued great sinners and made of persecutors preachers would not haue thee to seeke for great things in the flesh seeing himselfe got so little thereby but would haue thee seeke thy righteousnesse out of thy selfe in him who being no sinner indeed was an accounted sinner and punished as a sinner for
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
case and that wee be as it were vtterly lost and past hope of recouerie there is no praise of redemption Heere then is the power and profit of our redemption that when all sinnes goe ouer our heads and heauen and earth the Sunne and Moone and the Starres come as it were in iudgement against vs yet a cleare and full raunsome shall be giuen into our hands wherewith to purchase our redemption and so to procure our perfect deliuerance beyond all expectation and so as it were to fetch something out of nothing We see for example in sicknes to haue either little daunger or in great daunger to haue deliuerance by present meanes is nothing but in extremitie and perill when Physicke can doe no good and make nothing for vs to keepe vs from the graue then aboue and beyond all this to be rescued therefro and to recouer our life from the pits brinke is a worke highly deseruing So though God driuevs to ordinarie meanes this is not to withdraw our redemption in vsing the meanes but to traine vp our faith that after hee may make knowne that he hath an helpe beyond all helpes and much redemption And this is needfull for vs to learne for if the meanes be manie we rest in them but if they be fewe and faint the meditation of this redemption will be most comfortable 15 It is an experiment of Gods Children that by prayer sinnes receiue their deadly wound and a temptation by resistance yea we shall finde it both sooner to depart and to recompence the present and little paine with an after and longer pleasure and contrarywise the not resisting thereof causeth it the further to feed in vs and the small present pleasing of our selues is payed with a long bitter griefe of conscience afterward 16 If we will truely learne how to auoide sinnes let vs remember oft what punishment we haue felt for sinne If wee will be kept from vnthankfulnes we must oft call to minde the things that the Lord hath done for his glorie and our soules health in vs. Sicke and sicknesse 1 THis I take to be a fitte prescription to all parties afflicted First to labour to haue peace of conscieÌ„ce ioy of the holy Ghost through the assurance of their sinnes pardoned in Iesus Christ then to be carefull to vse the meanes which may nourish their inward peace ioy thirdly they must reioyce and recreate themselues in wisedome and well-doing with the Saints of God and holie companie and lastly they must refresh themselues with kitchin physicke and a thankefull vsing of the creatures of God 2 It is not good to vse that for dyet which is prescribed for physicke for that will not worke in the extraordinarie neede of the bodie which is vsed as ordinarie in the state and time of health 3 He marked two things commonly neglected he saw that men being in daunger of death would bee prayed for in the Church but they would not haue the Church giue thankes for their recouerie Againe hee saw that women would giue thankes after their deliuerance which is a Christian dutie well beseeming them but they would not before aske the prayers of the Church And seeing it is so rare a blessing to haue the fruit of the wombe seeing sometime the mother sometime the children sometimes both died and that the gift of both is a worke passing the Sunne the Moone and the Starres it were nothing superfluous or burdensome in such cases to pray and to be thankfull 4 It is the wisedome of God ioyned with mercie for the preseruing of his Children in humility and thankfulnes if they forget to spie out and to be humbled for their inward corruptions either to let them fall into some sinne to punish their pride and sway of their owne wit or else which is his more mercifull chastisement to breake them with some crosse vntill their harts be bruised Hereof it commeth that the Lord is constrained to correct our haughtines and coole our courage by some kinde of affliction because we are ready to breake out in time of prosperitie Wherefore to cut off the occasions of sinne which Sathan would finde out in our proude flesh after long time of health the Lord sendeth some sicknes or some weaknes vpon vs to cut short our hornes wherewith by reason of long wealth wee would like Buls of Baâ—an push at the godly the Lord sendeth fire theeues and oppressions to let vs bloud in our riches least wee should â—e too rancke and grow into a surfet The best way in the middest of our prosperitie is to labour to thinke wisely and lowly of our selues and to walke fearfully as being now most jealous ouer this our corrupt nature which least feareth when Gods graces are greatest and namely as of all blessings this is one of the greatest â—uen in abundance health credit and authoritie to carrie as humble and meeke an heart and faithfull a spirit as wee would or ought to haue euen when we come out of some affliction So this of all the plagues is the greatest to be pricked and not to feele to be striken and not to be humbled for it And yet it is no great commendation to bee made better by affliction But this is the praise of godlinesse to grow on more in prosperitie then not to forsake our first loue then to enter into a lowly conceit of our selues for as it is a signe of a more liberall and ingenuous nature to learne more by lenitie than by seueritie or if he slip to recouer himselfe as carefully at the sight of another corrected before him as if he were beaten himselfe So it is a token of a minde more reformed to haue a bruifed minde rather with the â—aste of Gods mercies than with the terror of his iustice or if he see but an inckling of Gods displeasure breeding as much to strike his heart as if the heauie hands of a fearefull scourge were vpon him And here we must beware that we lose not the fruite of the least crosse for if we breake not our hearts with a little affliction we shall afterwards become blockish in greater Wherefore seeing it is a token of a melting heart to bleed at the least blow and it is a signe of a senselesse minde not to be touched vntill the sword hath tasted deeply of our blood let vs pray for the first grace of Gods children not to neede to be corrected or for the second to be the better by the least correction or at the least that the Lord let vs not goe so farre as neither prosperitie nor aduersitie can doe vs good Sathans practises 1 SAthan is readie euer to make vs most vnwilling to that wherein the Lord will most vse vs to the greatest good of his Church 2 We must pray that the Lord giue not that measure of leaue to the diuell that we giue out to sinne but that he would rather make Sathan