so he powreth out earnest praiers to him for the pardon of thē through the mediation of Christ All which howsoeuer they seeme to him to be no great matters who is not as yet a competent and sufficient iudge in this case yet the Scripture commendeth them to be great euen the fruite of some little and weake faith and him who obtaineth them to be in especiall fauour with God as in the forenamed parable is most liuely to be seene where the father resembling God is said to haue met his lost sonne before he came at him and to haue imbraced and kissed him after that hee was resolued in himselfe to goe and seeke to him for fauour and pardon and to acknowledge his faults vnto him c. Now was there any thing thinke we in the naturall father which is not much more in the father of mercie who exceedeth all the fathers of the earth in kindnes and compassion Thus the Lord by his holy spirit worketh in the hearts of his children and with all these forementioned graces which he giueth them he draweth them to prise and value this benefit of redemption so highly as the wise Merchant doth the field wherein the pearle is hidden selling all to buy it so doe they I say set light by all things in comparison of this and are caried with this mind that they will forsake whatsoeuer may hinder for the obtaining of it The sixt worke they forsake all for it and highly prize it BVt what then some perhaps will say do you affirme that these things can do a man any good without faith for of this nothing hath yet bin said and doe you affirme a man to be iustified for such an one is he who is in fauour with God hauing no faith or that any thing is accepted of God which he doth as his desire to bee forgiuen his hungring after it his humiliation accesse to God in prayer and confession of sinnes all these being without faith or if not so do ye then say that we our selues must thus prepare our selues to receiue faith but that is to attribute free will vnto man being yet in the estate of miserie and bondage and vnrenewed as being yet without faith To the first I say that although none of these be faith yet I say that they are not without it as I will more fully shew afterward neither that God is pleased with any man neither he himselfe is iustified but only by it but wee cannot discerne or set downe the very moment when faith is wrought but when the other forenamed graces of God are effectuallie wrought in the heart then is this of faith wrought also by the same spirit neither can hee that hath receiued this faith into his heart so certainly and easily iudge of it as of those other gifts which accompanie it To the latter obiection I answere that I am farre from ascribing to man vnrenewed any inherent goodnes whereby he may prepare himselfe to receiue faith he is I say destitute of all goodnes in his will and of power to doe good such graces are giuen him of God as was said before For God findeth all men in their filthines and gore bloud as the Prophet Ezechiel speaketh and she whom he vouchsafeth to make his beloued spouse I meane his Church he raiseth out of the dust washeth and clenseth her from her filthines wherein hee found her and then taketh her to him to delight in as his deare and onely spouse It is the Lord therefore which is the author and finisher of his faith who shall be saued and he as he hath abased him and filled his heart with sorrowes for the same purpose so it is he that soketh it by little and little and seasoneth it in time with faith hope and comfort This is his only worke And although it be hard to determine whē faith is wrought as I haue said and how long dreadfull feare continueth yet by meanes of the knowledge of his miserie and redemption God worketh them both in his heart and that when and in what manner it seemeth best to his wisedome so that it may be seene that it is so And thus I hauing answered these two obiectiōs I wil now proceed morefully to shew how he guideth bringeth home this lost sheep as I had in som sort proceeded to do before I was occasioned to digresse a while by reason of the two former questions now answered To proceede therefore with this person whom the Lord wil saue when he hath wrought thus farre in him earnestly to desire the remedie against his miserie he leaueth him not there as many through ignorance wāt of wise building vp are held longer at this stay and although not lying in vtter vnbeleefe yet not bold to applie Gods promise to their soules euen as there are many who haue had compunction of heart that neuer goe further but waueringly are off and on and whē the desire is not accomplished the heart fainteth and they for all their desire seeing it vanisheth away is not constant fall away altogether But God goeth further with this person as I haue said For he hauing now with the skilfull merchant weighed the price of this pearle namely to haue Christ to become his hath it in such estimation that he counteth meanely of all things in comparison of this and in good aduisednes selleth all that he hath to buy it But what hath he you will aske of his owne to purchase or come into the possession of it As for his goods and riches whatsoeuer he inioyeth they are not his owne but an others and borrowed yet many thousand poore soules which shal be saued haue little or no wealth at all but this precious pearle is not bought with money What hath he then ye say to procure it verily he hath nothing but an interest and hold in sinfull pleasures and worldly lusts But alas some man will say what doe ye naming of them as things any thing worth But I say againe I must mention that which he hath of his owne and that is his sinne which though euery reasonable man will say that it is not worth the mentioning yet it was sometime more precious to him then siluer and in account aboue the purest gold and therefore to renounce it is no easie nor small matter And yet so well it falleth out for him there is no other thing required of him to the attaining of the forementioned pearle then the casting away and the forsaking of that his sinne For so the Lord plainely testifieth he that denyeth himselfe he shall be my disciple and whosoeuer forsaketh any thing that is which God condemneth he shall haue an hundreth fold more then he forgoeth so bountifull a rewarder is the Lord of all that seeke him and afterward eternall life Therefore when this silly sinner vnderstandeth and giueth credit vnto it as deare and pleasant as his sinnes were vnto
hearts should conceiue and our mouthes should set forth and declare his praise accordingly For if we be commaunded as the Psalmist teacheth to continue this duty long after his benefits be receiued as he saith Let Israel now say that the Lord is gratious after his bountifulnesse had bene declared vnto them how much more ought we to praise the Lord daily for his mercies renewed vpon vs Therefore did Dauid the faithfull seruant of God force himselfe to performe this duty as too slouthful in his owne iudgement though we reade of none more continually occupied in it Psalme 103.3 saying Praise thou the Lord ô my soule and all that is within thee praise his holy name and further he saith that he will be euer setting forth his goodnesse and praise his name alwayes And yet that none may hinder this duty in vs by saying we are not bound to follow no not good examples in all things let vs well weigh the commandement of God by the Apostle saying In all things be thankfull as if he should say that our whole life ought to be a thanksgiuing and therefore it is no life when we cannot be thankfull And what the thankfulnesse is which should daily be in vs looke in the former treatise The next duty to be daily performed of vs is watchfulnesse and prayer of which two as the first ought to be continuall euen to ouer-see our whole worke in and through the day and to looke before vs that all may be done to the glory of God for as the eye-lids preserue the tender eyes from annoyance so doth this our life from offence and our feete from falling so this latter namely prayer is to be as an helpe and hand-maid vnto that And although I prescribe no certaine rule nor set houre to the solemne performing of this duty because we are taught to pray alwayes at any time as we shall haue fit oportunity yet ought our hearts to be lifted vp to God often hauing euer occasion and sometime solemnely and by set prayer powring out our complaints and making our requests vnto him Both of them are so farre to be in vse with vs as we are desirous to retaine sound peace and quiet minds toward God and to be free from or at least not to be ouercome of temptations which seeing we are subiect vnto euery day it cannot be doubted of but as the one should not cease I meane watchfulnesse but be working in vs continually and keepe vs waking out of spirituall slumber throughout the day so the other which is prayer should quicken and sharpen it and both of them strengthen vs being oft and vsuall with vs against all occasions which might else ouer-match vs. And can any be ignorant when our Sauiour taught vs to pray euery day for our daily bread but that we should pray euery day for grace to be guided aright and comforted there being as great need of it and more then of the other The same thing he meant when he vttered a parable to them to this end that they ought to pray alwayes and not to waxe faint but euer willing though not euer able So that the life of a Christian is no day well passed when prayer as it hath bin before described is not one member part of it The last point of our direction is that we by meanes of all these as our faith and feare of displeasing God c. may keepe and hold fast our holy and most sweete peace with God and our reioycing which is the fruite of this Christian walking and an vnseparable companion vnto the same I haue taught this in generall before onely now I shew that it is daily to be kept and maintained of vs in such wise that as we regard our bodily maintenance while we liue here so should we prouide that this our peace which passeth vnderstanding be not broken off betwixt God and vs. If it be asked how this shall be the Apostle saith If we be iustified by faith in our Lord Iesus Christ we haue and do inioy it And we haue heard that the Lord hath both giuen liberty yea and commandement to his children that they should daily beleeue and lay hold on eternall life and rest themselues in the assurance of his loue and how can this exclude that peace which we speake of Nay our reioycing in the Lord which is rather a degree beyond this peace we are commaunded to entertaine and retaine alwayes that is at all times that none may imagine that I meane we should onely some one time in the day or other possesse and inioy it Neither indeed is any part of our life any day pleasant vnto vs without it Therefore the Apostle doth very fitly meet with an obiection of ours in the forenamed Scripture thus that if any of vs dare not presume so farre as to take our part in cōtinual reioycing in the Lord or if we shold thinke that the Apostle was not well aduised in offering so great libertie vnto vs he repeateth his words thus againe I say reioyce as if he should say you who are carefull ouer your selues and ouer others for to such he speaketh be ye merry and ioyfull in the Lord from time to time yea and so as no worldly sorrowes do breake it off Now I haue shewed what are the necessary graces which should accōpany the life of the beleeuer daily I wish him to view thē all at one sight together to see if he may well be without any of them as without certainety of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes without feare of offending God a thankfull heart and chearfull watching and praying against euill c. And he cannot walke voide of any of them so yet he must not thinke but that there are other particular actions beside these but they be all to be well ordered and gouerned by these And now somewhat I will set downe about them not vnprofitable and needlesse I haue briefly proued that some certaine manner of directing a Christian daily is required in the word of God and that it is no fancie of mans braine thus nearly and narowly to looke to himselfe and haue set downe a draught thereof out of the Scripture and therefore men must know that it is their sinne when they are not guided by these rules in the daily course of their liuing I say when these accompany them not whatsoeuer their calling is or the actions which they are occupied about it is their sinne whether it be of ignorance that they know them not which is the lesse if they be willing to learne or carelesnesse or wilfulnesse that they do not or will not regard them and being sinne it is to be resisted seeing no sinne is to be borne withall or rested in And that it may be thought more necessary to be daily guided in this maner we must know that these graces which I haue spoken of are not at some one
as appeareth by the parable of the talents deliuered to be occupied till it should be demanded how they were imployed and by that of the steward who was called to giue an account of his stewardship The account which shall then be demaunded shall be according to the doctrine which hath bene set downe in the foure remedies namely whether we haue not vsed them to the hurt and iniurying of others and how long and wherein And secondly whether we haue done good with thē as we in conscience haue seene our selues bound to do and as occasion hath bene offered Thirdly whether we haue not our selues yeelded to commit some noisome and fearefull sinnes for and by occasion of them which we should not otherwise haue bene bold to do And lastly whether we haue bene furthered by them to euerlasting life By this we see we may not deale and behaue our selues about these earthly commodities as we shall thinke good for we are but stewards and disposers of them as the owner our Lord and maister hath appointed Wherein as we haue failed we shall haue litle cause to reioyce considering that whatsoeuer we haue gotten and gained yet the worst is behind euen our account giuing which we shall not be able to yeeld no not one of a thousand And though I deny not but there is mercy with the Lord and plentifull redemption yet it is that he may be feared of vs for the time to come in occupying our goods and talents as he hath commaunded and it is also for them that tremble when in remembring and thinking how ill they haue vsed them they say penitently within themselues What haue we done But to the rest shall be tribulation and anguish when they not wisely casting their reckoning before shall be vrged to it by the Lord they being vtterly vnready for it In this regard therefore as in all the former we see good cause to withstand carefully this sinne of worldlinesse These are the remedies and reasons which perswade to giue a foile to this couetousnesse now heare the direction in few words how to vse them both For although we know them yet if they do but swimme in our braine and be talked of now and then they shall be so farre off from doing vs the good they may do that we shall the rather deceiue our selues with a false conceit of practising them when yet we remaine drowned in some grosse point of worldlinesse still Therfore it is necessarie that we nourish and retaine a mind willing to see and find out what is amisse in vs this way and then as the sins of this kind are most daungerous and many that therefore we force our selues from day to day to stoupe and submit our selues in an honest and good heart to vse these remedies and be perswaded by these reasons till we find ease by them through practise of them that is a ready mind to vse the world soberly and aright and desirous lest we should deceiue our selues through selfe-loue both to learne by the publicke ministerie and by our priuate reading as also by the helpe of any faithfull brother which can shew vs what blemish remaineth to annoy and hurt vs. Thus vsing both remedies and reasons from time to time for this must be no worke of a dayes or a yeares continuance with feruent prayer to God both to see and cast out such excrements we shall not need to doubt but that we shall be blessed in our worke And yet this I will adde because I know that the matter which I haue set downe for the redresse of couetousnesse will sauour but harshly in the tast of worldly minded Christians that I do not in all that I haue sayd speake or except against any libertie that God alloweth his people about the vse of the world for some will be ready so to gather For concerning skill and wisedome in mens trades dealings and occupyings I am so farre from counting them points or properties of couetousnesse that I hold them for comely ornaments if they be not choaked and ouer-growne with the weedes of their corruptions Yea I say more that ignorance and vnskilfulnesse if ye except the contrarie extremities subtilty and craftinesse is one of the greatest occasions of euill dealing among men Also I deny not but that forecasting and thrifty prouidence in a familie is both lawfull and meete and that no more be spent then for necessarie and comfortable vse to make prouision also of things needfull in the fittest time so as it be without fraudulent dealing in fore-hand bargaines also good husbandrie warinesse in their doings sure bindings of men in their contracts and couenants and sufficient securitie for mortalitie sake euen betwixt the best by writings or witnesse and a taking heed of suretiship as Salomon willeth that one be not vndone by another diligence also in mens callings with such other like religion and Gods word alloweth them all And all to this end that the more outward dangers a man can auoide the more free he may be to liue godly But seeing it falleth out commonly that the wisest are the worldliest and these fore-mentioned liberties are much abused of earthly minds and such do too easily passe their bounds and much nigardly nipping go vnder the cloake of frugalitie and honest sparing therefore these fore-mentioned liberties which being well vsed are also commendable vertues grow into ill report among the ignorant and vnstayed which otherwise are not reproachfull neither deserue any blame And this I haue spoken to meet with an obiection which might rise in the minds of some by occasion of that which went before And if this content them not they shew themselues iustly to be suspected of worse meaning then in their obiection they pretend As for them who say If they had riches they might ioynt their enemies and stand against them and do many other things which now they cannot for want of them it is not worth the answering For God doth not giue these his blessings to men to bestow them on their lusts but to profitable and necessarie vses And where men do not make that reckoning of them and learne not to be maisters ouer them rather then to be seruants and slaues to them what one among a thousand is the better but the worse for them And therefore to a reasonable man I would say What if we could in diet and apparell countenance and controling of others flourish and please our selues also in other iolity libertie and exercise what were we the better All men see that we may want these better then the pairing of our nailes and that we may please God better without them and that we shall not haue so many things to let and hinder vs if we be free from them We haue promise of sufficiencie if we desire to liue vnder his gouernemnt and without that cursed is all plentie But here an end of this matter
times were the Lord caused to be taught vnder the law in types and shadowes prefiguring Christ to come and to be exhibited euen as he saith in Ioh. 5.46 Moses wrote of me though indeede now vnder the Gospell farre more cleerely and plainly that it may now be verified if euer that Christ by preaching him hath been crucified in our eyes So that by this is this mysterie of saluation purchased by his death manifested vnto vs. Now the fourth point remaines how this tidings of Christs deliuering man from the feare of the wrath to come is receiued in the world and that is by faith For there is no way to receiue Christ and all his merits the full medicine of mans miserie but by faith This true faith therefore is to be knowne what it is and how it is wrought that so by it hee may receiue Christ and be saued Now this true faith which for the worthie effect of it we call iustifying faith is nothing else but a sound beleefe in that promise of life that poore sinners comming vnto Christ he will ease them that is free them from all woe and restore them to all happines here and for euer and to be short so to giue credit to Gods word as hee rest thereon that hee will saue him Which true faith is wrought in him by the ministerie of the word reuealing this mercie and truth of God and by these the holie Ghost inlightening him to conceiue and drawing him to beleeue and so vniting him to Christ which whosoeuer hath thus receiued is hereby made the child of God so as he himselfe shall see it and an inheritour by sure hope of eternall life This therefore is to be knowne of him who shall be saued and his iudgement is to be setled in this truth before he enioy it as his owne or can haue his part in it He must be able to see cleerely and soundly that God hath made this Christ Iesus his sonne Lord ouer all creatures conqueror of the diuels deliuerer of the captiues comforter of the heauie hearts so that by him there is as full pardon of sinne purchased as euer was by Adam procured guiltines and condemnation And thus much of these two first points that he whom God will effectually call to the assurance of saluation must haue knowledge in generall of mans miserie and Gods mercie by Christs redemption CHAP. 4. How this knowledge worketh and namely the first worke that God maketh them beleeue their miserie and to be troubled in minde for it THere is yet wanting the true imbracing and applying of Christ with all the merits of his death and passion to this man that hath the foresaid knowledge or else he can in no wise be happie Let vs see therefore how this knowledge worketh in him on whom God will shew mercie how God by the light and helpe of it draweth him forward vntill he beleeue for his owne part and in his owne person which the other who haue onely the generall knowledge before mentioned neuer attained to And this is the last of the three points which I purposed to handle about this matter namely in shewing who is the child of God Which being done the question in hand shall appeare and be manifest This onely by the way it shall be fit to admonish the reader of as I said before that he is in no way to the kingdome of heauen who is yet voide of this knowledge altogether of his miserie I meane and of the remedie which kind of people although they are least troubled in their consciences of all other men but are merrie as though no daunger were comming toward them and therefore keepe a course in their liues which is after the fashion of the world are to be pitied and prayed for and to be perswaded to heare the word preached rather then to be allowed in their madnes and follie Who verifie most rightly the saying of the Wiseman That there is a way that seemeth pleasant to them but the issues thereof are the way of death God suffering them as he did the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies But to leaue them as sufficiently conuinced of a wofull estate euen by the testimonie of men who haue any iudgement and to goe forward with that which is in hand that is to shew how this doctrine worketh in him who by it shall come to true faith and assured hope of saluation we are to know that he remaineth not an idle and vnprofitable hearer as sometime and as many other still doe but is secretly drawne he cannot tell how by the vnspeakable worke of the spirit of God to be perswaded that the doctrine taught doth conerne him the Lord giuing him with his knowledge wisedome which is a gift of the spirit whereby he applleth generall things particularly to himselfe and that he thereby speaketh vnto him as well as he doth to any other in the denouncing the threats of the law and euerlasting damnation and his eyes being now opened to beleeue this he thinketh himselfe the miserablest of all other who before nothing at all regarded the welfare of his soule but thought himselfe in as good case to Godward as any other Hee now perceiueth I say himselfe not onely a loathsome creature in Gods sight through the Ieprosie of sinne but withall a most cursed and damned creature subiect to all Gods plagues in this world and to condemnation in the world to come For although the world lie in darknes and beleeueth not the law of God least it should be conuicted by it and therefore cannot beleeue the promises of the Gospell yet God otherwise prouideth for his that they by seeing and feeling the desert of their sinnes may haue an appetite thereby to seeke mercie and forgiuenes which without it is vnsauourie to them as our Sauiour Christ saith The whole haue no neede of the Phisition but the sicke Matth. 9.12 Neither let this deepe impression of the doctrine of the law preached being no lesse sensible to the partie that feeles it then the print of the seale is to our eye in the soft waxe let it not I say be counted a meane and common mercie In deede it is meanly accounted of the doctrine of it being so common and oft taught For as it is said of faith Luk. 18.8 that when the Sonne of man commeth he shall finde it rare in the world so in some sort wee may say of this that it is rare that men who know that all are vnder the wrath of God till the Sonne of God make them free doe beleeue indeede that it is so with them and euen their owne case Oh men shunne this as death and yet without beleeuing it there is no life for did they beleeue it personally for their owne parts they could not but lay it to heart so as the whole powers thereof should be taken vp with the cogitation of it as it is
and carnall and that we doe but fauour our selues in worldlines or profanenes idlenes and ease when we reason against it as being too precise The publike duties are the reuerent assemblies of Christians in the preaching of the word in prayer and administring of the sacraments on that day especially to be vsed howsoeuer on other dayes by occasions oft intermitted All of them are most blessed helps for the establishing of vs in an holy life Of the priuate some doe particularly concerne our selues alone some are as well for the benefit of others as for our owne comfort for our selues we are to meditate on the works of God vpon his wonderfull workes which he hath done for the sonnes of men that so we may feele his goodnes many waies and from the sweetnes which we perceiue in the creatures we may be lifted vp to behold the beautie and fauour of the creatour We are also to thinke of the doctrine which we haue heard that it may the easilier be imprinted in vs. And on this day we are more freely to consider of our estate how we proceede in the religious keeping of our couenant with God and how we grow in the assurance of Gods mercie and our redemption or whether we goe not backe or stand not at a stay And euery way as our neede shall most require we are to vse our examinings of our selues meditations and thanksgiuings on this day not only for our present comfort but for our more fruitfull walking all the weeke following Conference of good things tendeth as well to the edifying of others as our selues Beside the which there are other duties to be don to them as to do the workes of mercie to them as well in visiting them in their sickenes releeuing their necessities breaking off their disagreements and reconciling them who were at variance as in spirituall comfortings of them as God doth inable vs. And these al laid together are as a continuall direction for the holy vse of the Sabboth to vs euen as the daily direction which I shall adde afterwards is to serue a Christian daily as long as he shall liue for the profitable and heauenly spending of the Sabboth is the market of the soule in the which he who is wise will prouide and store himselfe for all the other dayes of the weeke wherein it is like he shall haue little helpe but much discouragment as in the world may be seene And this holy passing of the Sabboth must be religiously regarded of al the Christian family as the charge giuen to the gouernor thereof doth shew and of the stranger also who shall come vnder his roofe This is the sum of the holines which we are to shew towards God he that desireth to heare more fully of this matter which I may not handle at large let him reade such treatises as are written of that argument CHAP. 16. Of certaine duties to men in the fift sixt and seuenth commaundement the obeying whereof is a part of the godly life NOw followeth another branch of the second part of this godly or Christian life requiring of vs righteous dealing towards all men Where by the way this is to be carefully regarded that seeing there is an apparant distinction and difference betwixt those forenamed duties of holines to God and these of righteousnes to men which shal follow and yet both alike commaunded therefore that no man disioyne in his practise or separate the one from the other seeing the Lord hath set them downe ioyntly together I speake this because there are many who delighting in hearing the word preached and prayer and reading which are duties directly appertaining to God yet are very negligent in performing that which is due to men as in doing workes of charitie to the poore liuing peaceably and comfortably in mariage or in shunning hastie iudging of their brethren and in being dutifull to superiours as magistrates parents maisters when yet they commaund in the Lord and so contrarily some shall be found doing many things commendable to men and no religion in them towards God Which thing if it be of ignorance is a shamefull blemish in them who are guiltie of it seeing they haue had so long a time graunted them of God in which they might haue learned better but if after it bee knowne it remaine still it plainely testifieth that there is in them a wilfull disobedience against God and that the best of their workes are in vaine And before I enter into the particular duties of righteousnes to all sortes of men it is here as in the fittest place to be taught which cannot be afterward so conueniently added That we haue this minde in vs that we beare loue towards all men euen our greatest enemies from which ground and roote of loue we may be readie to performe all the duties which we shall know to belong to them from vs required particularly in the commaundements following And secondly that we ioyne with it an other generall vertue which is brotherly kindnes to Christians which are brethren with vs which is an holy and especiall loue of one faithfull brother towards another And these two are those which Saint Peter speaketh of when he saith ioyne with brotherly kindnes loue where this vertue is they haue learned to giue euery one of the faithfull their brethren according to the knowledge wherewith God hath inlightened them the seuerall duties required in the second table A rare and singular gift of God which if we could see the practise of it what light of good example it giueth and what profit it would inflame vs wonderfully to the practising of it Now follow the seuerall parts of righteousnes to men as they are distinctly set downe in the sixe commaundements following to be performed of Christians and which helpe to make vp the second part of a godly life In all which although there are many more particular duties to be mentioned then were in the former part because we haue so many dealings and that with infinit persons yet I will set them downe with the like breuitie as neere as I can that I haue done the duties of holines to God leauing the reader to learne the other as I haue said before by other ordinarie meanes And first the dutie which men owe as they are inferiors to others and the superiors to them againe come here to be considered both generally and one particularly towards another Where this is required of all inferiours that they so carry themselues in their whole course to them which by Gods appointment are aboue them or excell them that they may shew in their whole course that they honour them for so the will of God is not to require any one especiall action or dutie of them but that their whole conuersation be such towards them that the person which they take vpon them and the place wherein they are may haue more credit and estimation