murmuring and grudging nature whensoeuer our flesh by any occasion is prouoked thereunto FINIS OF ZEALE THE THIRD SERMON Reuel 3. 19. Be zealous therefore and amend AS Zeale can neuer be sufficiently commended so much lesse may it effectually be perswaded to many howbeit that wee may shadow out some Anatomie thereof let vs first see how God commendeth it then how hee rewardeth it that so wee may the more freely with greater authoritie speake of the thing it selfe What is the vse of the first foure Commaundements but that wee should with zeale worship the Lord The first precept chargeth all men charwith the matter of God his worship shewing what it is The second geth vs with the manner prescribing how wee must vse it The third imposeth on vs the right end of his worship and teacheth why we must doe it The fourth commaundement pointeth the time and instructeth vs when wee must solemnely professe and exercise this worship of God Concerning the large promise offered to pure zeale what is greater than that the Lord should binde himselfe to aduance them into the chaire of honour before all the world who will honour him Againe that he will defame them most surely with some notable marke of infamie that dishonour him yea and he will vomit them vp as a loathsome burthen to testifie his vtter misliking of them First now let vs consider how true zeale beginneth in our selues and taketh his proceedings to others For neuer can that man be zealous to others which neuer knew to be zealous to himselfe And as zealous men in their ascendent begin at themselues and goe to others so in their retrograde they come from others end in themselues If we consider the zeale of Abraham Moses Iosua Samuel Daniel Iehosaphat Ezekiah we shall neuer see expressely in the word that at any time they were more zealous to others than to themselues We see on the contrarie how it hath beene a fearefull note of hypocrites and such as haue fallen from the liuing God that they haue waded very deepely into other mens possessions gored very bloodily into the consciences of others who neuer once purged their owne vncleane sinkes at home noâ— drew one drop of blood out of their owne hearts How zealous as wosull and late experience still crieth in our eares were some great reformers of the Church who were readie to burst their bowels with crying against disorders abroad and yet neuer reformed their owne consciences at home noâ— found themselues any whit grieued for their owne sinnes These men being so zealous to others but onely through some secret loue of the world when they had that they sought for made knowne their hollow and rotten zeale in that without any griefe of conscience they could rush into a profound worldlinesse and without all godly sorrow could aâ—ter they had satisfied their greedie and fieshly zeale nâ—t onely more hardly â—eare vp their owne consciences but also be so chaunged that they sowe vp theiâ— lippes and â—pare their words from speaking in the like manner againe to others and so are neither zealous to themselues nor others True zeale casteth the first stone at our selues and plucketh the beame out of our owne eyes that we may the better draw the more out of anothers eye And this is the condemnation of the world that euery man can prâ—e and make a priuâ—e search into the wants of others but they account the same wants no wants in themselues The father saith thus the child dâ—th so the child saith in this dutie doth his father faile the husband knoweth what the wife should doe the wife seeth the duties of her husband we thinke in this particular another should behaue himselfe but yet the father repenteth not of the sinnes which he did being a child the child repenteth not of his sinnes being a father we call not in our consciences for those things which we dare challenge and one out for in others Here offereth it selfe the second propertie of zeale that it is sincere and in the truth it vrgeth our selues more than others it maketh vs the most seuere censurers of our owne soules it is strictest to our â—elues offereth libertie to others and this simplicitie appeareth either in inward corruption or in the liberrie of outward things the first whereof doth so humble vs in the wants present and in those corâ—uptions which hang behind vs that we are zealous of those secret â—uils which are not onely vnespied of others but euen vnknowne also to our selues Although the whole world cannot charge vs with want of dutie yet considering our priuie corruptions wee daily declaime against our selues and say with the Apostle though our consciences do not oppresse vs yet herein we are not iustified Yea such ought to be ouâ— familiaritie and acquaintance with secret infirmities in ourselues so grieuous ought they to be in our eyes in our eares to our faces that where we shall see heare and behold the sinnes of others they may be more tollerable and so learne by the sense of our owne sores to deale more mildly and mâ—ekely with the sores of others Neither doe I meane that we should make other mens sinnes no sinnes and that wee should haue no kinde of censure vnto others but that there should be that holy mixture in vs of the zeale of Gods glorie and sight of humaine corruption that for the one we may not spare to rebuke any sinne and for the other wee may moderate our rebukes with mildnes and meeknes Abraham was so strict to himselfe that he would not take of the King of Sodom so much as a threed or a latchet and yet he would not deny Aner Echol and Mamre their libertie Iob would not permit to himselfe nor denie to his children their libertie of feasting so that it is rather a Pharisaicall pride than a Christian zeale to be too tetricall in vrging of others so farre that whosoeuer in euery point is not pure and precise as we we cast them off as dogs and prophane persons and such as are vnworthie of any account or countenance This then must be our pedagogie in this point that as for the glory of God which is deere vnto vs we are not to leaue the least sinne vnespied or the least meanes vnattempted to aduance the glory of God So for the grieuousnes of sinne for the easines to fall into sin for the vilenes of corruption which we haue obserued in our selues for the knowledge of the wrath of God for sinne in vs we are loth for loue to see our brother either so vilely infected so perillously endangered to goe without our louing admonition both to draw him out of his sinne and to rescue him from the wrath of God due to his sinne Further this attribute of true zeale maketh vs as willing to be admonished as carefull to admonish and that not onely of our superiours which is
feele as little as a blocke yet I must heare still because it is God his ordinance I will heare that I may obey his ordinance and though I goe an hundred times without any profit yet I shall neuer goe without some peace because though I haue not that which I desired yet I haue done that which God hath commanded This I am sure of so long as I am vnder the dressing hand of the Lord I shall not perish but in his good time I shall bring foorth fruite But thou wilt replie I may happily sometime feele but it is so short and so little and so many haue fallen away before me that I feare I shall fall and of a naturall vine I shall prooue wilde and an vnnaturall branch Well the Lord by his word will purge thee and prune thee he will dresse thee if euer thou hadst any working thou shalt haue more thou shalt not only bring forth Christ being graffed into Christ but much fruite also being trimmed by the word Onely seeke thou God in his word he will not faile to be found of thee vse thou the word which is his pruning knife and he will worke on thee at one time or at another 76 Great is our corruption which turneth the grace of God into wantonnes and maketh his bounteous liberalitie in outward things an occasion to serue our sinne whilest abundance in the vnsanctified bringeth an inglutting of the minde the inglutting of the minde breedeth vnthankfulnes vnthankfulnes causeth coldnes coldnes beginneth carelesnes carelesnes is the way to hardnes of heart and vtter prophanenes and prophanenes ripeneth vs for the iudgements of God to fall on vs. 77 Our owne kindred that should draw vs most to God often hindereth vs most from God and it is Satans policie when he cannot preuaile against vs with the world to vndermine vs with nature So he suborned Lots daughters against their father Iobs wife against Iob and our Sauiours owne kinsfolke against him Kain against Abel Ishmael against Isaac Esau against Iacob the eleuen brethren against Ioseph Ioab against Abner Saul against â—onathan 78 If we count it a great benefit to receiue a Nobleman or any appertaining to the Nobilitie into our house because they may after gratifie vs or if we thinke it a great iniurie to hurt one of the blood royall and to withstand one of princely linage then what a dignitie is it to entertaine the Saints allianced to Iesus Christ what a traiterous villanie were it traiterously to offer violence to one fearing God who is of the blood royall and of the Lordâ— linage whom he accompteth as mother brother or sister 79 Vntill we are fully staied in minde with a contentation of outward things we can neuer be very godly For if either our minde be about liuing when we haue too little for our estate or if our hearts wander as being stollen away to the things of this world wheâ— we abound we can neuer aspire to the spirituall power of true godlinesse And then are we most fit to be wrought vpon by the word and most free to striue in trauaile against ouâ— owne corruptions when we are at peace and at a point for outward things when being content with that we haue we can say O Lord thou art my portion thy word haue I chosen as mine inheritance for euer thy kingdome is my principall labour thy face is thâ— chiefest thing I seeke for thy fauour is the ioy of mine heart 80 To haue that measure which God hath appointed vs wee must vse such meanes as are warrantable and with good meanes wee must vse a right heart neither trusting too much in them least wee be worldly minded neither mistrusting too much least wee be murmurers In this vprightnes of heart wee must not onely be iust that is by euery iust title claiming our owne interest but mercifull that is remitting of our owne for pities sake euen as God remitteth vs. 81 As wee truely shew our selues to hate sinne we loue the contrarie grace and as we truly loue vertue when we abhorre the contrarie sinne so we indeed hate sinne when we hate euery little occasion to the sinne and wee truly loue vertue when wee seeke and receiue euery little meane helping to that vertue as namely euill companie which we must carefully auoide vnlesse wee haue either some speciall calling or some particular gift of God his grace which doe onely priuiledge vs in this behalfe 82 It is daungerous to proceede in iudgement against a man vpon a bare suspition when no proofe can be had both because we would be loath that the Lord should so enter iudgement with vs as also because it were the way as well to iudge good men vndeseruedly as a wicked man deseruedly for that the one may be suspected as well as the other The Lorde hath therefore appointed that rather an offender not conuicted of offence should goe vnpunished then that a man vpon surmise should suffer least so a good man should oft come into vndeserued danger The wicked shall be sunke in destruction and though they be not moued with God his iudgements yet whatsoeuer they doe they shall spinne a threed of their owne destruction and hatch an egge of poyson to themselues 83 Men must not be in wrath when they pray for then it is not pleasing vnto the Lord. For as when an Instrument is played on and it being out of tune it doth jarre the noise is not so pleasing vnto them that should heare it No more are our prayers pleasing vnto the Lorde when we are in contention one with another the Lord cannot abide it 84 When one hath broken an arme or legge and the same is healed againe will that man by and by lift withall as hee doth with that other arme which is strong and perfect in health No hee will spare it still a great while for feare hee bring it out of ioynt againe and so it should be worse to heale than it was before So when enemies are made friends they must beare one with another and not giue themselues leaue to speake anie nipping words one to the other for then they will fall out againe and so their contention will be worse then it first was 85 Wee desire for the most part to doe dutie when wee may receiue like proportion againe which thing in praying one for another ought much to moue vs. For as we pray for others by vertue of Gods commandement So by the force of the same Law are wee to bee prayed for of others all being bound vpon paine of Gods highnes displeasure to pray for vs. 86 There is a selfe-will that breeds selfe-loue and a selfe-loue that brings a selfe-will and selfe-will bewrayes pride which is a monster of diuers heads Some are proud in arrogating that to themselues which they haue not some haue the things they boast of but they thinke they proceed of
dangerous passages of naturall corruption and originall sinne the troublesome froth whereof doth almost ouerwhelme many poore pilgrims it shall be good to giue this caution that both in these and in the former troubles men would be still againe admonished patiently to beare with a wounded spirit albeit it fall out so that they be somewhat pettish seeing the holy Ghost speaketh so fauourably of them saying A wounded spirit who can beare And surely our practise in other things by the law of equitie may vrge this at our hands For if men by the light of reason can see it to be a dutie conuenient not furiously to controll but meekly to suffer and wisely to put vp the vnaduised speeches of a man distempered in braine by reason of some burning ague or such like violent and vehement sicknes we may easily gather euen by the same rule of reason not so seuerely to ceÌ„sure the impatieÌ„t speeches of him who by reason of some parching feuer of the spirit is disquieted in all parts of his mind hath all the veines of his heart as it were in a spirituall agonie vexed Wherefore both vnsauourie for want of godly wisedome vncharitable for want of Christian loue are their murmuring obtrectations which say what Is this the godly man Is this he that is so troubled for his sinnes Why see how pettish he is nothing can please him no bodie can satisfie him Consider O man if thou canst beare with a â—raile bodie that thou must much more beare with a fraile mind Consider O man that this his pettishnes doth more wound him to the hart than any iniurie thou couldest presse him with And therfore seeing he afflicteth his owne soule for it thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction and to exasperate his grieuous smart Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vs of the estate of the needie and that to rub a fresh wound and to straine a bleeding sore is nothing else but with Iobs friends to bring a new torment where there is no need of it As the wise father doth rather pitie thaÌ„ rebuke his child wheÌ„by reason of sicknes the appetite is not easily pleased so if we purpose to doe any good with an afflicted minde we must not be austere in repreheÌ„ding euery infirmitie but pâ—tiful in considering of the tender frailtie of it Neither doe I speake this to nourish peâ—â—â—shnes in any but would haue them to labour for patience and to seeke for peace which though they finde not at the first yet by prayer they must waite on the Lord and say Lord because there is mercy that thou maist be feared I will waite vpon thee as the eye of the seruant waiâ—â—â—â— vpon the hand of his maister I will condemne my selfe of folly and say Oh my soule why art thoâ—o so hâ—aâ—â—e Why art thou so cast downe within me Still trust in the Lord for he is thy health and thy saluation FINIS THE SECOND TREATISE BELONGING TO THE COMFORT OF AN AFFLICTED CONSCIENCE IN all afflictions Gods children must looke vnto the end they are to desire to profit by them and in them to seeke â—he way of sound comfort and consolation which that they may finde they must know that the afflictions of the godly last but a while they serue them but for salues and medicines the end of them is alwaies happie In them they are not onely preserued and purified from many sinnes but also much beautified with the image of Iesus Christ who is the eldest sonne in the house of God Againe the crosse of true Christians is the sweete and amiable call of God vnto repentance in that he putteth vs in minde therby to bethinke vs of our debts because we are giuen to thinke the day of payment is yet farre off yea we fall asleepe vntill our turne be ended and whilest God lengtheneth our daies waiting for our repentance we neuer thinke of our sinnes vntill the houre come wherein we perish with shame The best meeting then with the Lords visitation is without delay and in sinceritie to pray for our sinnes to be pardoned For therefore doth the Lord oftentimes shackle vs the more with the chaines of his chastisements because we are more carefull to be vnburthened of our sicknesse than to be freed from our sin which we the rather are loath to confesse because we would not be espied to be in the wrath of God Others there be that hearing of their sinnes in the time of their afflictions will acknowledge indeed their infirmities to be the mother of such a broode yet they haue no true remorse to restraine themselues from sinne because they haue but a confused conceite thereof and though their ship be neuer so much tossed and turmoyled yet thinke they not that God holdeth the sterne These men if God beare with them doe as it were settle in their lees and are as it were soked in their sinnes For prosperitie is a drunkennesse to cast our selues into a dead sleepe and when the Lord letteth vs alone we cease not to soothe vp ourselues bearing our selues in hand that we are in Gods fauour and that he loueth vs because he scourgeth vs not And thus retchles we are whilest we measure Gods loue according to our sense and humour Wherein we bewray our ignorance of the exercise of the crosse in that affliction is the mother of humilitie humilitie breedeth repentance and repentance obtaineth mercie Some also there are who vsually whilest the fearefull iudgement of God is before their eyes either in themselues or in others haue a few glancing motions and starting cogitations of their sinnes and of Christ his passion yet at all other times their minds are so clasped vp from thinking of temptations and their hearts so locked vp from foreseeing or forethinking of iudgements that they feele no godly sorrow They mocke the mourning dayes of the elect as of them that be of melancholy nature they make a sport of sinne as little remembring the sting which will either pricke them to the heart blood most fearefully in the houre of death or meete them with griping agonies in the day of their visitation more speedily But happily they think they haue giuen good testimony word of their repentance and remembrance of God when they giue one deepe sigh and away and passe ouer Gods heauie indignatioÌ„ as ouer burning coals So that whilest the Lord in prosperitie affoordeth large peniworths of his loue vnto them they dally with his Maiestie make a sport of his mercy Al which imperfections may be better corrected if in our deepest rest with a reuerent humble feare of Gods iudgements we did waite for the day of our trial and prepare our selues to the Lords visitations for the feeling of Gods mercie must come from the sight of our miserie by sinne which being pardoned we shall soone haue our infirmities healed Wherefore let vs first learne to cleanse our soules from
and for want of this order many excellent Sermons haue little effect for where iudgement by the truth is not conuinced there many exhortations fall to the ground for which cause also the holy vse of the Sabbath so little preuaileth with many in that they are not grounded with iudgement in the true knowledge of the same But before we come to the particular discourse of the reasons generally let vs consider why this commandement is in words larger in reasons fuller than any other commandement If we take a view of the whole law we may obserue how the Lord hath set downe sixe precepts in many words and foure nakedly in bare words as the 6. the 7. the 8. and the 9. why then are the first fiue commandements so apparelled with reasons and the last so dilated by a speciall amplification the other foure being so briefe and so naked Certainly the Lord and law-giuer foresaw that vnto these foure men would easily be brought to yeeld and we see how the very Heathen haue freely granted them the Philosophers haue fruitfully written of them all ciuill righteous men do earnestly maintaine them and to be briefe common honestie counteth him no man that will murther he is thought beastlike that defileth his body outward ciuilitie condemneth a theese and the common sort of men mislike a backbiter and slanderer Againe he knew in his eternall wisedome how the first fiue would neither in reason so soone be admitted nor in affection so easily embraced and therefore to meete with the subtiltie of mans nature and corruption of mans heart they are set downe more piercingly This we shall see in the first and last commandements of the second table In the first when the Lord had commanded honour to be giuen to parents he enforceth his commandement with annexing a promise of long life and why euen iudgement herein is much corrupted For many there are who granting the inconueniencie and vilenes of murther adulterie and false witnesse bearing yet denie the necessitie the excellencie of Magistracie Yea and albeit in iudgement many men yeeld to the reason thereof yet is not the equitie thereof so soone in affection embraced for experience of all ages proueth that the corrupt nature of man is most hardly brought to be subiect and these last miserable daies can witnesse the same more especially wherein men are growne to be without naturall affection Not without cause therefore is this precept fenced with reason In the last where God laieth a more precise rule straighter charge to the conscience of man than flesh and blood would willingly beare because men thinke it some rigorous dealing to haue their least affections arraigned and their secret thoughts condemned as willing to haue their thoughts not to be called into any court to hold vp their haÌ„d at the barre of iudgement he is constrained as it were by particular branches and seuerall articles to set downe the law that we might not finde some starting holes to creepe out at and to wring our selues out of the precincts of the same Yet more euidently doth this appeare in all the commandements of the first table because they are more contrarie to the iudgement of man meerely naturall although he be otherwise neuer so wise and the word of truth must only trie them for in the first commandement the reason is prefixed in the second third and fourth commaundements the reasons are annexed But here may arise this question â—o wit why the second and fourth Precepts are so amplified in words and strengthened with more reasons than anie of the other Surely herein the Lord declareth how he plainely foresaw how amongst the rest these two commandements would finde leaâ—â— entertainment and most be refused But what shall we say of the Papists Familists and Heretikes among vs in these dayes and other men also otherwise of sound iudgement which affirme that as well the second as the fourth Commandement is ceremoniall whereof the one would bring into the Church Images the other prophanenes Wherefore the Lord in his wisedome foreseeing these cauilling wits preuented their purposes so that if either they yeeld not or make resistance to the truth so manifest they oppose themselues to the knowne and open truth and so make themselues the more inexcusable Wee see to acknowledge that there is a God to honour Father and Mother to abstaine from blood not to defile our flesh not wrongfully to oppresse not to bee a notorious slanderer euery Papist and naturall man guided but by the light of reason will easilie graunt For the wonderfull order of the heauens the continuall course of the Sunne Moone and starres the outgoings of the mornings and euenings declare there is a God Reason perswadeth how the things in the world must needes be gouerned and that wee owe loue vnto him by whom they be guided Nature teacheth that mens liues must bee maintained common ciuilitie abhorreth adulterie oppression and backbiting But if yee aske how this God is to be worshipped and what times wee must sanctifie to that vse we shall see how many Countreys so many religions how many men so many deuises Thus wee see how necessarie it was that the Lorde should prouide for his owne glorie and captiuate all mans inuentions seâ—ing all these Commaundements doe most fight against the reason of man and by reason haue most beene oppugned So in the pure obseruing of these consisteth the sincere keeping of the rest of them For how shall wee knowe how to walke in pure worship with an vpright heart before the Lord how shall wee giue him the honour due vnto his glorious name how shall wee be instructed rightly and reuerently to deale with the dignitie of our brethren faithfully with their liues purely with their bodies righteously with their goods or tenderly with their credit but by those waies and rules which the Lord hath prescribed in his word and when should wee learne those rules but at such times as hee himselfe hath appointed and sanctified for that purpose Againe where these two commaundements are not rightly vnderstood there true Religion goeth to wracke For admit that wee should not carefully follow the word of God how many religions would then start vp Let this bee graunted that euery man should haue what day he would for the worship of God and then see how many dayes men would bestow on the Lord. But let vs come to the reasons whereof the first is drawne from the end of the law and is partly signified by this word remember and partly by this word sanctifie Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it For this word remember which is heere prefixed is set downe this word obserue in Deuteronomie wherein wee are forewarned to watch the more diligently and attend more carefully vpon this Commandement In which point wee may obserue that whereas all other commaundements are simply set downe and directly propounded this alone hath a preface prefixed which is thus
tune sometime in Herods tune sometime in the Pharisies tune and sometime in the Disciples tune in all which the diuell bereaued them of the pure vse and due consideration of Christ crucified And yet some of these would hate a Iew some would spit at a Iew some would weepe to heare the name of Christ and would pitie his death I am the longer in these things to make the iudgements of God in them profitable instructions to vs by prouoking men to thankfulnes for their deliuerance if in truth they be deliuered that is if they be not now as prophane as euer they were superstitious not forsaking but changing the sinne As for the erroneous heretiques not to speake of all let vs adde somewhat of the most pestilent family of loue who shoote as much too short at this pricke as the other shoote too farre For in speaking of the birth death and resurrection of Christ these men as fooles flying one extremitie runne post-hast into the contrary extremitie and therefore these wretches imagining to themselues a spirituall Christ are as much to be maliced as the Papists are to be pittied For after Poperie yet some cause was giuen of reioycing in that the truth of the historie was left vnto vs but these fellowes vnder a colour of not being ceremoniall but altogether desiring to be spirituall take away all from vs and yet most deceitfully will seeme to graunt all If ye demaund any thing of Christ his birth they will graunt it if ye aske whether he was borne of the seed of Dauid and of the Virgin Mary they will confesse it but as vnderstanding it after this allegorie for that Mary as they say signifieth doctrine Dauid the beloued seruice so that this is their iudgement of Christ his birth that he was borne of the doctrine of the seruice of loue In like manner they will graunt the resurrection of Christ his death and his buriall but in this sense that Christ suffereth in our suffocated nature and is crucified when sinne dieth in vs and when they suffer for the doctrine of loue and that after they haue suffered and begin to be illuminated then Christ riseth againe in them and lastly when the light of nature getteth some clearer light of iudgement then Christ is readie to come to iudgement Thus a number hauing refused the Antichristian Pope are fallen into the hands of Antichristian Atheists and hauing eschued the dregs of poperie they haue wallowed most filthily in the mire of here sie And thus much of the professed enemies Now of the not hearted friends whereof the one sort is not well aduised the other are not very faithfull friends The vnaduised friends vnder a pretence of knowing nothing but Christ condemne all humane learning arts and sciences all manuall professions and these men though as yet they are not plunged in heresie yet without the speciall grace of God preuenting them are in the high way as readie to be trained vp to heresie and thus being ouer wise and ouer iust they cannot in truth reioyce in the crosse of Christ. The vnfaithfull friends being both protestants and professors though they be no plaine atheists but giue some countenance to the Gospell do neither chiefely reioyce in Christ nor truly sorrow for their sinnes which notwithstanding are so great as neither the vertue of Christ his death nor the power of his resurrection appeareth in their liues or in their deaths and these men be either by degrees tending to prophane atheisme or they are brought vp to be superstitious Papists and grosse heretiques Contrary to all these professed enemies and not heartie friends are they who so truly meditate on Christ his birth death and resurrection as they chiefely mourning for their sinnes thinke this the greatest knowledge to know Christ crucified and count this their highest ioy to reioyce in the crosse of Christ by which knowledge not of any spirituall and imagined Christ by which ioy not in ceremonie or superstition they labour to crucifie the world not to forsake or vtterly to neglect the necessarie things of this life they endeuour to restraine not to destroy their flesh finally to become new creatures and yet not here to liue lik◠Angels Thus we see how requisite this treatise will be both that we may be deliuered from the Papists superstitiōs from the monstrous conceits of Heretikes from the sinister meditation of vnaduised persons and the carnall consideration of worldly professors as also by it to come to some sound fruite of Christ his death and from the fruite feeling to engender faith that from true faith may spring true loue and from our loue may grow true practise Now to come to the words of our Apostle Be it farre from me He here sheweth how his choise came of a setled purpose and that in respect of this whereof he had made a sound and speciall choise aboue the rest he abhorred and vily esteemed all other things And this vehement phrase of speech is vsed of the Apostle in things which rather are to be detested than to be disputed against as Rom. 3. 4. when Paul abhorreth the blasphemie against the grace of God in that the vnbeliefe of a few should disanull the beliefe of many he crieth out God forbid And when he would shew his heartie hatred to the accusers of the righteousnes of God Rom. 3. he saith God forbid As also in the end of the same chapter the Apostle more vehemently meeting with the obiection of thē who say in that iustification came of faith would liue as they listed and would make the law of God of no purpose saith Be it farre from me Likewise Rom. 2. abhorring them that would willingly diuorce holinesse of life from iustification and remaine in sinne that Christ his grace may abound he breaketh out God forbid Thus then the holy Ghost vseth this phrase when either he sheweth some thing thoroughly to be hated or speaketh of some thing principally to be chosen and preferred And the Apostles meaning in chusing aboue all to reioyce in Christ crucified and in mourning for nothing more than for that which hindreth the crosse of Christ is nothing else but to declare that whosoeuer doth reioyce in any thing more than in Christ crucified he freeth himselfe from all the things that are in Christ and as yet he cannot assure himselfe to belong to Christ as also he sheweth what a necessarie reioycing this is in that there is no comfort in saluation no marke of Gods childe in him who either reioyceth not in this or at the least longeth for it That I should reioyce Marke he saith not Be it farre from me that I should vse thinke speake or doe any thing but the crosse of Christ but he wisheth that his affection should not principally be tied to any thing but to Christ. Neither must we from hence vnfitly gather that we should not eate drinke apparell ourselues marrie or walke in some honest trade of life but this
them Humilitie is a true marke of Gods children and pride is a note of the wicked Vers. 52. I remembred thy iudgements of old O Lord and haue been comforted HE sheweth how hee was staied namely by looking into the iudgements of God against the wicked his deliuerance of the iust It is not then the good nature of men the wisedome c. that can comfort against reproches but rather make worse but it is the word that comforteth Thereby hee knewe that howsoeuer the wicked florished yet they should perish and howsoeuer the godly be afflicted yet they shall be rewarded Peter speaketh against these mockers in the last chapter of the second epistle The world shall perish in fire where he teacheth to answere them that it is as easie for God to destroy the world with fire as it was with water seeing hee hath spoken it So Dauid when hee was brought to say My God why hast thou forsaken mee then hee staied himselfe by this Our fathers trusted in thee So Psal. 67. I will remember thy workes of old So Psal. 119. part 15. by all which he sheweth that as God had done so he would doe still He remembred all the iudgements of God so Heb. 11. by all the works of God shewed in his children it is prooued that we must suffer affliction patiently So Psalme 106. Then Gods people must haue a multitude of examples that if we profit not by one yet by another if noâ— by a â—ewe yet by many for so haue the children of God done from time to time This then is the cause why men faile in reproch or any other crosse because meÌ„ haue noâ— store of examples out of Gods word especially out of the stories to strengthen them for if they would looke into the word and gather them they might be staied If this man were strengthened by former workes how much more ought we which haue many moe especially this Act. 17. that the Sonne of God hath suffered that hee may iudge all the world so the great workes of God in the Apostles time the great workes of God in the dayes of Queene Mary and in thâ—se daies the iudgements of God are on many that haue dailiâ—d with his word in giuing them ouer to heresies Then how ought we to be comforâ—ed with the assurance that God will come to iudgement Obiect This soâ—meth hard that hee was comforted in Gods iudgements whereas in another place â—e sâ—ith â— feare because of thy iudgements Answ. Although they feare the iudgements in their flesh yet they dare approue them to be Gods iudgements as Dauid saith O God of my righteousnes not comparing them to God but to the wicked and looking to that promise which in grace hee hath made to vs yet not in all our life but in some righteous cause that we haue in hand as Steuen did Then if men euer feare at the iudgements and nothing else the heart is not yet vpright for they are sinners therefore wee must labour to feele comfort by them in knowing that wee are sheepe not goates that we shall haue a reward and that the wicked shall be throughly punished For otherwise the diuell will buffet vs in seeing those that men call wicked how yet they florish and the godly are in miserie Then haue wee truly profited by the word when with comfort wee can behold Gods iudgements as is often said Come Lord Iesus come quickly For the childe of God is not afraide of â—uill tidings Psal. 112. Vers. 53. Feare is come vpon me for the wicked that forsake thy law THis agreeth well with the former which was a spirituall ioy for when hee seeth that the Lord will iudge and that hee is guiltlesse he is comforted but when he seeth the wicked sinne and by sinne prouoke Gods iudgements because they are his flesh and because they are Gods image therefore hee feared The zeale of Gods glorie causeth Gods children to feare as Elias â—onely c. and Dauid My zeale hath c. and their owne sinnes as Psal. 119. part 15. Gods children then are afraide when they see the glory of God defaced and men runne to their own condemnation And here is a difference betweene true ioy and worldly in Gods iudgements Prou. 24. 1. Cor. 5. the one because their hearts desire is fulfilled the other that sin is punished that Gods glorie is reuenged and that they are deliuered for in respect of the parties punished they feare as Christ ouer Ierusalem mourned and this is vsuall in all the Prophets when they see the iudgements of God approach Here is a difference betweene the zeale of the worldly and of the godly the one when he â—eeth a sin done he laugheth and reioyceth but the other feare as The rebukes of them that rebuke thee are fallen vpon me The former is the cause that many fall by Gods iudgement into those things which they find fault with in others The other is a true note of faith to feare for the destruction of the wicked which they themselues feare not But this is especially when they see a professor fall for that grieueth them greatly The third difference is that Gods children when they are comforted they also feare for the regenerate part onely is comforted the vnregenerate part doth still feare and there is good cause that it should feare as Noah feared and Dauid Psal. 119. part 15. but the wicked haue no feare but are ouercome with fleshly ioy and therefore the Apostle saith Phil. 3. Finish your saluation with feare because of corruption that either doth or may breake forth as Dauid was afraide when he had sinned Wee must then be comforted by Gods iudgements but so that we feare Secondly we must thinke that sinne is not a small thing not to be laughed at but to be feared Thirdly that wee must bee touched for the sinnes of others as if they were our owne Fourthly to forgiue iniuries against our selues but to be greatly displeased and vexed for the dishonouring of Gods name For all these are proper to Gods children When men take a carnall pleasure in Gods iudgements they abuse the grace of God to wantonnes but the children of God as they ioy in their inward man so doe they labour to be humbled by the law in their flesh which otherwise would be proude for the flesh would hold no meane but either would be too sorrowfull or else too ioyfull Thus Dauid mourned for the sinnes of others so Paul saith the Corinthians ought to doe 1. Cor. 5. and 2. Cor. 7. where he sheweth that this was the estate of the whole Church to mourne when any one member had offended And this is not a new thing for those are saued which mourned for the iniquities of Sion Ezech. 9. Then we must be grieued for the sinnes of others to shew that we are free from their sinnes that we are louers of righteousnes and desirous to glorifie God And when this sorrow can worke in vs
in that he is the punisher of sinne and rewarder of goodnes we shall haue strength against the temptations which shall be offered to make vs thinke that sinne is not punished and that it is lost labour to serue God and of this argument are many of the Psalmes And this he did at midnight when all things are most fearefull and therefore a fit time to examine our selues in feare and this shewed that his faith was sound seeing he could now praise God His subscription to the righteousnes of Gods iudgements was an argument of his faith for the nature of flesh is to thinke they are rigorous Vers. 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts TO receiue helpe from them and to be helpfull vnto them so Psalme 16. Then if we will make God our portion we will make much of good men for if Dauid did this how much more ought we It is an argument of pride to despise the company of others If thou want knowledge it is to make thee seeke it of them that haue it if thou haue more than others then oughtest thou to bestow it vpon others so that thou oughtest not either for the greatnes of thy knowledge or for the want of knowledge to withdraw thy selfe from the companie of them that feare the Lord. If he loued good companie he hated euill men Pro. 29. for they are abomination one to another as he saith I hate them that hate thee And this is the propertie of a good man Psalme 15 yet this must not stay vs from doing them good in our callings as the Magistrate to the subiect c. As the euill may be in good mens companie yet not companions to them so may the good be with the euill and yet not their companions for we beleeue onely the communion of Saints That feare Here is the description of Gods children first that they feare God which is the foundation of all Prou. 1. and then they that feare God rest not in the iudgement of men but approue themselues to God to doe or to leaue vndone any thing as it pleaseth or displeaseth God This feare bringeth foorth obedience and without this fruite it is but to boast of feare And these men are they that we must be companions vnto Vers 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercie teach me thy statutes THe same thing was in the second verse yet after another manner Though the whole earth be full of mercie yet he desireth onely the statutes of God and this is the eight argumēt So he saith shew me thy fauour teach me thy statutes part 9. 1◠because he made this the chiefest signe of Gods fauour to knowe his word it is an argument that the Lord was his portion Let vs see how oft wee haue made this petition and how vaine our petitions are desiring riches c. he desired not his kingdome so much as this He was a Prophet yet he desireth it and this is it the more wee know the more we must desire to know and neuer make any stay He prayeth chiefly for the teaching of the Spirit without which hee should erre Hee differeth farre in desire from the men of this world for they craue many things before knowledge and if they haue knowledge they rest therein and neuer look nor aske for the teaching of the Spirit Secondly he confirmeth himselfe that the Lord will teach him because his goodnes is ouer all the world hee letteth his Sunne rise on the euill how much more will he graunt the good requests of his children When we would then pray to receiue we must remember all Gods goodnes and wee must desire the teaching of the Spirit so farre as agreeth with the word and not desire the reuelation of the Spirit without the word PORTION 9. TETH Vers. 65. O Lord thou hast dealt gratiously with thy seruant according vnto thy word HE putteth the Lord in minde of his former mercies and so comforteth himselfe For when hee had saide that the Lords goodnes was ouer the earth and that hee also had found the same hereby hee comforteth himselfe in that hee shall receiue more For God is not as man is but take we neuer so much from his treasure there is neuer the lesse and the more hee giueth the readier hee is to giue Hee knewe that Gods gifts are without repentance and that hee is not wearie of weldoing but will finish the thing hee hath begunne and nothing is more forcible to obtaine mercie than to lay his former mercies before him Here are two grounds first if he dealt with him well when he was not regenerate how much more will he now and secondly all the gifts of God shall bee perfectly finished And here is a difference betweene faith and an accusing conscience the accusing conscience is afraid to aske more because it hath abused the former mercies but faith assuring vs that all his benefits are tokens of his fauour bestowed on vs according to his word is bold to aske more accusing our selues of our vnworthines and labouring to come out of our sinnes When he asked according to Gods word he made the word a rule of his prayer which assured him that his prayer should bee heard we must not then abuse Gods mercies least they accuse vs but if wee accuse our selues then let vs see if they haue been giuen according to Gods word and then may we aske new Vers. 66. Teach me good iudgement and knowledge for I haue beleeued thy commaundements HE maketh this prayer oft but we doe not so and therefore the vanitie of our prayers is rebuked which so often aske other things and so seldome aske this Hee was the man of God regenerate therefore he maketh this spiritual request which though carnall men mislike because they cānot conceiue of the word yet it is a signe of faith He maketh this prayer though he beleeued because his knowledge was in generals but his practise in particulars therefore if God in the particulars did not direct him he should faile in doing Hereof commeth it that the learnedst men are deceiued in particulars because they rest in their generall knowledge Example of admonition we haue generall rules to teach vs to admonish but when we come to practise in particulars then must we either haue the new grace of God or else we shall faile in the practise If this man that beleeued prayed thus how much more ought they that beleeue not And they that beleeue generally must confesse their blindnesse in particulars and therefore they should pray for it Although ignorance be helped yet it is not altogether cured therfore haue we need to pray Secondly because our knowledge is in generals but practise is in particulars and therein must we haue a new assistance Therefore when wee haue not good successe in our busines wee must not as men are wont lay the fault on this or that but wee must see the cause in our selues
long and lowd prayers preuaile not For such prayers crie lowd in the Lords eares which make a noise with the feeling of our wants and when though they continue to the failing of our eyes yet we mistrust not God For many either pray coldly or praying zealously they become so dull that they cease to put their trust in the Lord. So that the corruption of our nature is either not to feele our wants or if we feele them to dispaire For thy iust promise Heere we see how the Prophet prayeth not according to his owne fantasie but according to the will of God reuealed in his word When we desire any thing of God we must doe it according to his promise For when we pray not according to the promise of the Lord we waite vpon our owne fantasies and seeke after our owne imaginations Many breake in their prayers into headie and rash conceits who haue not in the meane time the word in their hearts but they obtaine nothing neither shall we obtaine if we be like affected vnto them Ye know saith S. Iohn ye shall obtaine if ye aske according to the will of God And whereas he saith I waited for thy iust promise he sheweth that the Lord is no more liberall in promising than faithful in performing for if we waite for his promise surely he will performe it Euery man will peraduenture confesse this to be a truth at the first but the selfe same thing being in this Psalme so often repeated bewrateth our incredulitie and hardnesse of beleefe of it We can alledge indeed generally that Gods promises be true but we will falle in the particular applying of them to our selues in saying They are true vnto me I haue felt the truth of them by experience in my selfe The Prophet vseth oft to giue this Epithite to Gods word as vers 106. I will keepe thy righteous iudgements 137. Righteous art thou ô Lord and iust are thy iudgements 144. The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting Why would the spirit of God repeate this one word so often but because it is a singular worke of faith to beleeue the word and a thing much incident to our nature not to beleeue Wherefore Paul vseth often this Preface as a prerogatiue This is a true saying and of all men worthie to be receiued or this is a faithfull saying So that the holie Ghost prepareth such words to purchase credit to the word of God because flesh and blood is so readie to mistrust and Sathan so subtil to discredit the truth This may happily soone seeme true but put case a man being troubled had prayed til his eyes failed his heart fainted and his flesh were parched and still trusteth to Gods promises this man indeed hath a true faith This then commendeth the Prophet that when he was at the last cast he continued in his strength His sense and meaning is this although I be not as yet helped yet I shall be in Gods good time which thing if we also could truly say we should neuer be ouercome of temptation Vers. 124. Deale with thy seruant according to thy mercie and teach me thy statutes HEre the Prophet is desirous to be further taught in the word Here we see the man of God complaineth not of the word though as yet the promise was not performed but of his owne faith Here is then a difference betweene the faith of the godly the presumptiō of the vngodly that when the Lord suspendeth his truth for a while the godly suspect not the truth of the word but the vnbeleefe of themselues and pray against the same If then when Gods promises are suspended we be through Sathans policie and our frailtie tempted to mistrust we can say Thy word ô Lord doth not faile but wee are dull in faith we are wauering we are full of vnbeleefe good Lord increase our faith take from vs these mists and cloudes of mistrust by shining vpon vs with the bright beames of thy spirit and though Sathan would weaken our hope to discredit thy truth yet strengthen vs and though we haue failed in many particular points of thy commandements yet we beseech thee to forgiue the secret errors of our life wee haue beleeued thy word but if wee failed in faith then reueale thy couenants vnto vs that we may recouer Two things as we haue often heard sustaine Gods children in trouble the one is the testimonie of a good conscience the other is faith in Gods promises both which are heere set downe in the verses going before for in that he executed iudgement and iustice he had the testimonie of a good conscience in that his eyes failed by waiting on the promises of God his faith most plainely appeareth This faith breedeth a good conscience and this good conscience doth nourish faith For whosoeuer will execute iudgement and iustice must belieue the promises of God that the couenant of Christ is a sure couenant ratified in their hearts which when they feele they are vrged by loue to keep a good conscience For the place to lay vp the treasure of faith in is a good conscience Here then the man of God prayeth for both these things and if we will seeke still after knowledge without feeling we will iudge this prayer to be barren but if we will looke into our owne incredulitie and enter with a single eye into our owne hearts for such Christians are we as we then shall be found to be and shall enter into the particular troubles of bodie and soule wee shall finde our masse of vnbeleefe and we shall see that we may labour often in the meditation of this Psalme and finde sufficient matter all our life long For the man of God said before I haue executed iudgement and iustice and yet heere he saith teach me iudgement and iustice hee meant not that he had iudgement and iustice fully perfitly and absolutely but that it was according to the grace which hee had receiued yet he thought not himselfe therefore iustified though he was not conscious in himselfe His meaning then is Lord thou searchest the heart corrupt is my hart and blind is my minde if I haue fallen Lord grant me to recouer my selfe if I faile in vnbeliefe Lord increase my faith that I may daily grow in executing iudgement and iustice So farre off was he from being weary in vpright dealing that he praied still for the continuance of it Then if we be not wearie in our calling and could come to say with this man of God and with the Apostle Paul that we are not conscious in our selues yet we must further proceede and say that we are not hereby iustified because the largenes of the lawe cannot be concluded in the narrow compasse of our braine we must pray for the increase both of our knowledge and faith According to thy mercie Hee saith not giue iudgement because I haue done well but deale with thy seruant according to thy
cause is not heard our enemies crueltie is nothing diminished but much increased as though the Lord either heard vs not or hath forgotten vs. But let vs learne to reason with the Prophet on the contrarie Our enemies O Lord are neere to hurt vs but thou art as neere to deliuer vs what doe we but obey thee what doe they but disobey thee wilt thou then forsake the godly and canst thou suffer the wicked to prosper No thou art the Iudge of the whole world it cannot be for thy deliuerance and saluation is ready and neere for them who labour to keepe faith and to ioyne thereunto a good conscience We see then when flesh and blood would perswade vs that all time of deliuerance is past euen then faith beholdeth it to bee neere at hand for when wee thinke that we are at the last cast then we see saluation and helpe is neerest As this doctrine serueth for our comfort so we must learne for our instruction that if happily we suffer the longer yet we shall receiue for our temporall euill a spirituall recompence remembring alwaies the Apostles consolation 1. Pet. 4. who would not haue vs discouraged when we suffer for they which haue done vs euill shall be iudged of him who will come to iudge the quicke and the dead Although we see not this by the iudgement of the eye and by the light of nature yet although we should die suffering as weldoers cursed are they that shall ouerlie vs Blessed shall we be for we shall rest from our labours God is the iudge of the whole world of the quicke and of the dead he will not forsake his nor leaue his enemies vnreuenged Well although wee perswade our selues of this trueth yet it is to bee feared when the abomination of desolation shall be set vp we wil notwithstanding all this stand in a mammering and doubting what is truth what is vntruth what is good what is euill But alas if the Lord should be any thing the longer from vs in helping no maruel seeing we were the longer from him in obeying Experience will proue that though we haue neuer so many outward gifts neuer so glorious wisedome yet vnlesse wee still depend on the word and promise we shall stagger and falter in the time of temptation For this was the onely staffe that vpheld the man of God at what time he was ready to stagger They are farre from thy Law that is as if hee should haue saide Thou canst not O Lord but punish them for thou hast long suffered them to see if they will turne but there is no hope that they will conuert therefore there is no cause of despaire that thou wilt not punish them Oh true faith O sound perswasion of Gods mercie most needefull in trouble yea when the face of all things shal be changed and things shall be turned vpside downe we shall know the vse of this doctrine to be aboue gold and siluer The like were the man of God his Meditations as wee may see Portion 11. when his eyes failed him his heart fainted his spirit panted and was as the bottle in the smoke The proud saith he digged piâ—s for me which is not after thy Law all thy commaundements are true they persecute me falsely Thus wee see hee vseth two effectuall reasons the one drawne from his owne person who maintained a good cause the other from his aduersaries who defended an ill cause Vers. 152. I haue knowne long since by thy testimonies that thou hast established them for euer I Know O Lord not of late but long since that thou euer hast beene and art the selfe same God thou art no changeling thou doest not sometime maintaine the cause of thy children and some other time forsake them I know now by the couenant and records of thy loue that thou doest defend thine euen vnto the end I know that from the beginning thou hast hated punished sinne thou hast loued and maintained righteous dealing I am perswaded that thy iudgements proue not true once or twice alone but alwayes We see how needefull it is to vs for vs to haue knowledge throughly of the testimonies of the Lord. For this was an assured knowledge of the man of God I haue laboured saith the Prophet in effect to establish my knowledge whereby I may knowe that hereafter which I know now and that I must knowe that now which I must knowe hereafter yea I haue taken great paines to confirme this knowledge in me not of late but of long time Thus we see how the man of God laboureth to fetch out many arguments to strengthen himselfe in time of temptation wherein we also must imitate him For if wee shall store vp great plentie of reasons our enemies may push at vs and shake vs but they shall neuer ouerthrow vs. PORTION 21. RESH Vers. 153. Behold mine afflictions and deliuer me for I haue not forgotten thy Law THe selfe same argument and matter is here repeated which was before but after another manner Hee saith portion 16. 1. I haue executed iudgement and iustice leaue me not to mine oppressours The which in sense being all one with the other and seeing we haue deliuered the doctrine at large before here is not much to be spoken Onely we may obserue this he here laieth his misery open and vnfoldeth his estate before the Lord Behold saith he O Lord thine eyes are vpon the righteous thine eares are open to their prayers Thou seest my case let me sâ—e thy grace that I may knowe for a trueth that thou lookest on me The cause then why we oftentimes are not helped is because we hide our troubles from the Lord. True it is that the Lord seeth all although we should hide all neither needeth he the displaying of our owne miseries but yet in all troubles hee would haue vs to open and acknowledge our griefe vnto him that he might the better make knowne to vs that hee hath helpe laid vp for vs. Wherefore we must beware least at any time we smoother our estate or seeke vnlawful meanes but in all things with prayer and supplication make our necessitie knowne to the Lord. His reason ioyned herewith is this For I haue not forgotten thy Law that is although O Lord there is great want of obedience in me and I cannot and haue not exactly kept thy commandements yet I am none of them that contemne thy Law wherefore O Lord help me Thus we see stil that the man of God suffered as a weldoer teaching vs that if we suffer as ill-doers the rod of correction shall not depart from vs vntill in some measure it hath wrought in vs repentance but if we suffer with him as wel-doers we may boldly vse this argument and with this reason desire the Lord that hee would take his owne cause which we maintaine into his own hand And although he was a sinner which here he doth not denie and did forget many particular
Wherefore we must needes see and confesse that either hee was very vile and wee very holie or he most holie and we very vile Shall we hope to attaine this without vsing the like meanes Did not hee attaine to Knowledge without so many meanes and shall wee attaine to it with vsing of no meanes Shall wee thinke the Lord will be more partiall with vs than he was with his beloued Prophet Did not the man of God obtaine without asking often and shall we obtaine without asking at all Shall he crie and call pray and complaine watch and wake to get vnderstanding and shall wee slugge and doe nothing Or did it more appertaine to him to doe these things or doe they lesse concerne vs seeing he did them for our instruction The holy Ghost hath for no other end blessed the commendation of so good men to vs then for a type of godlines which we must follow and wherby he vouchsafeth as it were to open heauen gates for vs and to giue vs accesse to the treasures of heauen Surely it was not for any profit of the Prophet himselfe who did it but for all posteritie to come to put vs in minde of our corruption to shew how we should striue against it Wherefore it standeth vs in hand more carefully more frequently more feruently to vse prayer if euer wee will hope for the like graces For the Lord hath promised that if wee knock on this sort the doore of knowledge shall be opened if we seeke wisedome on this sort wee shall surely finde her if wee craue vnderstanding with this affection and alaâ—â—â—â—e we shall receiue plentifully We must then in our behalfe know that wee must knocke and that instantly we must seeke and that carefully we must aske and that diligently with an holy importunitie Away then with our old drowsines God will not bestow his hidden secrets his treasures his mysteries his iewels vpon them who vouchsafe not to aske them For seeing the things which he promiseth in his word be no small things but such as the eye hath not seene the eare heard tongue expressed nor heart conceiued shall we thinke to come to them by shutting our eyes by making dull our eares by closing vp our mouthes and hardning our hearts Surely no. Behold then this vehement praying of the man of God for a president for vs to follow But why should the man of God here pray for vnderstanding had he not often prayed for it before was he a nouice in knowledge being a Prophet doth not our Sauiour Christ reprehend repetitions and babling in prayer True it is our Sauiour Christ doth reprehend that babling which is without faith and knowledge and a feeling of our wants but he speaketh not against these serious and often repetitions which proceede from a plentifull knowledge abundant faith and liuely feeling of our necessities Againe although it cannot be denyed but he was a man of God and had receiued great graces yet God giueth knowledge to his dearest Saints in this life but in part and the most which we see and know is the least thing which we see not nor knowe Besides when wee haue knowledge and knowledge must be brought into practise wee shall finde such difficulties such wawardnes such forgetfulnes such wants that although we haue had with the Prophet a very good direction in the generall things of the word which are vniuersall and few yet we shall finde many distractions in our practises which must bee particular and many and wee shal either faile in memorie by forgetfulnesse or in iudgement by blindnes or in affection by dulnes So easily may we slippe when wee thinke we may hold our iourney on Wherfore the man of God through that examination which he tooke of his heart and affections seeing those manifold streights and difficulties prayeth in the verse following not for the renuing of men in generall troubles but for the hindring of his particular estate and condition Vers. 170. Let my supplication come before thee and deliuer me according to thy promise WEl now if we only coÌ„sider those former causes we shal see that here is no vaine repetition and that in nothing this prayer was made too often For besides that as we said we know here but in part we forget also that which we know and wee cannot practise that which we remember so that it is a rare thing to haue a good iudgement but rarer when wee haue a good iudgement to haue a good affection and most rare when wee haue a good iudgement and a sound affection to haue them still For wee haue not in vs any indwelling righteousnes Againe as it had not been sufficient for vs to haue had light heretofore and not to haue it now or hauing it now vnlesse we haue it hereafter so it is requisit for our life which we hold in Christ that we haue not onely had iudgement heretofore vnlesse we haue it now and it is not sufficient to haue it now vnlesse we haue it hereafter For they that thinke their iudgement is perfit enough and their affections holy had no need to haue Christ to be their schoolemaster who teacheth the simple and ignorant they that are whole need him not to be their physition who came not to cal the righteous but sinners to repentance But God his children seeing their ignorance and corrupt affections euen by experieÌ„ce the schoolemistresse of schooles know how needful it is daily to craue knowledge and continually to labour for a good conscience On the contrary part who so bolde as blinde bayard who so loftie as hee that vnderstandeth least who so proud as hee that hath but slender knowledge But surely the children of God who are conscious still of their deadnes dulnes in heauenly things would euen haue despaired had they not seene the same in the Saints of God before them and had they not receiued from God this holy Psalme both for a patterne of godlines to their instruction and also for an example how they might be rid from their ignorance deadnes dulnes and how they might be comforted when after much striuing and shaking them off they returne to them againe to their consolation For when we see that the Saints of God before vs haue had such fightes not onely with corruptions of ill iudgement and corrupt affections which they had of nature but after they haue beene renued by knowledge and therewithall consider that by prayer alone they haue bene reuiued we are assured and comforted that if wee continue and renue our prayers GOD will continue and renue his graces in vs. Thus we see as well to our consolation as instruction that the Saints of GOD were not onely not safe from presumptuous sinnes but also they laboured to see the errors of this life and also desired to bee rid from the daungerous and sluggish sinnes of prophane professors who will see nothing at all According to thy Word These wordes will beare
vnthankfulnes by remaining still in our corruption to let him loose his labour in all his sufferings wherein as we haue no care of our saluation so we manifest an open contempt of his most pretious Passion well worthie are we to die and vnworthie are we to liue in that the choise being set before vs we chuse rather to be murdered with our sinnes than to be rescued to life by Iesus Christ. For iustly is the reward promised to such as ouercome Reuel 3. 15. 12. 22. that is to such as will not onely strangle presse out the breath of sin and close vp the eyes of it at the fall and death of it but also follow it to the graue and couer it with moules so as it neuer rise againe Not that we thinke that sinne in this life is so wholy martyred but that the life of sinne may well be weakened counting it a rebell to regeneration not a Prince ouer the spirit of sanctification And as a Serpent cut in diuers peeces hath but certaine relicks of poyson and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members and mangled parts thereof and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man as when it was whole and perfectly membred so howsoeuer some relicks of sins remaine in our old but in our martyred Adam yet it hath no such force or fiercenes to preuaile against vs as when it was in it perfect age like rather a mightie Monarch than a poore prisoner 22 It is vsuall either in deliuering or hearing doctrine to seuer disioyne those things which in their owne nature are conioyned by the holy Ghost Thus some deale in the doctrine of faith For when it is said The iust shall liue by faith they forget the former proposition that is the iust shall liue For here are two doctrines first he that is iust must liue by faith then that he must not liue by faith except he be iust Here must be no seuering of things because they may well be coupled together CHAP. XXVIII Of Feare MAny causes we haue to feare first for want of perseuerance we should leaue our estate in so great a danger that being swept and garnished yet the diuell at his comming should be accepted and make his reenter into vs againe There is another feare the feare of offence least by our halting we should draw others after vs and so weaken their hands and their knees The third feare is of comforting our enemies and of grieuing others that haue beene our defence I meane the Angels who as they are comforted in the perseuerance of the iust so they mourne at the falles of the righteous 2 True feare hath many properties as first it breeds in vs a maruellous humilitie as wee see in Iacob who was much afraid of his brother Esau therefore comming towards him he falles down seuen times There is a feare humbling and it is the worke of God to bring vs to himselfe And surely the Lord takes great delight in it and what is the reason of it because the Sonne of God in his humilitie hath done greater things for vs than euer hee did in his glorie for being God and vouchsafing to bee humbled euen to a worme hee hath done vs more good and more glorious things than euer hee did whiles hee was among the Angels Now the world is full of such proud spirits that nothing can qualifie them A second qualitie of feare is that it is very credulous This againe wee see in Iacob for when one told him his brother came against him so well furnished he feared greatly yet disputed not long in the matter It is the glorie of our age to dispute and gaine say a man and to say surely though you be of such an opinion I am not thinke as you will I thinke thus So that our dealings are so full of doubts and so ambiguous as though there neuer had been world before vs or as though now it were high midnight in Poperie The third qualitie in feare is diligence This also we see in Iacobs example who was marueilously studious to salute his brother disposing wisely of his children and cattell in the best order he could to preuent his brothers furie 3 It is a kindly thing to feare at Gods threatnings therefore when the iudgements of God were denounced it was noted as a signe of great deadnesse of heart if the most wretched sinner were not smitten with terrour hee that was in the highest degree of reprobation as Pharaoh feared for it is the nature of an iron rod easily to breake an earthen pot But for promises to bring vs to feare it is as strange a thing as it is in nature that thin water should breake a bodie and yet some bodies there be of so weake substance that any thing wil dissolue them Such is the nature of them who seeing and finding in themselues a great vnworthinesse to inherite such gracious promises of God are euer readie to melt away and to breake in sunder as beaten with an iron rod. Wherefore if wee can thus feare in loue and loue in feare we may haue a good testimony to our owne consciences that we haue a good feare because tasting how gracious and marueilous the Lord is in all his Saints we feare least we should lose so good and so gracious a Lord. 4 It is good to be stricken with feare so that we lie not in it willingly but being humbled therewith search our owne corruption and so to bee moued to enquire further after God and his word 5 The wicked feare not before affliction commeth and then they feare too much the godly feare before it comes and then their feare ceaseth For impietie triumpheth in prosperitie and trembleth in aduersitie but pietie trembleth in prosperitie and triumpheth in aduersitie 6 If Moses and the deare seruants of God were afraid when hee did appeare in mercie to them what shall the confusion of the wicked be when hee commeth to iudgement Wee cannot be prepared to receiue God his mercie vnlesse wee be striken with a reuerent feare both because we are his creatures and also sinfull God is alwayes God and is to bee feared 7 Many men maruell how men bee so smitten with such feares and so despaire that they cannot beleeue but these neuer consider the iudgement of God in hardning them and thus by a carnall admiration are depriued of all profiting by such examples In all things we should turne our eyes from man and onely behold God and know that it is hee which maketh our enemies to loue vs our inferiours to obey vs our friends to hate vs our superiours to loth vs. If we had this in our hearts we would surely cast off the feare of man and flatterie and striue to feare God in all sinceritie and to knowe that if the feare of God preuaile with vs we shal preuaile with men and haue
but will be led headlongly caried away with popish seminaries and such wicked guides as sowe false doctrine and leade them into all errors and heresies The Sorcerers could not take away the plagues of the Frogges c. but indeed they caused moe to come wherby the King and his people were the more troubled so is it in all false religion they will bring men â—â—to many troubles but they cannot helpe them out of one they will helpe to perfect sinne in men but they cannot rid men out of one sinne It is proper to the word of God onely and to the true doctrine deliuered out of the same that ministreth comfort to Gods people in their troubles and stayeth them in their distresses as Dauid saith Except thy law had been my delight I had perished in my troubles Psalme 119. 92. Wherefore if in death and in troubles wee will bee quickned and comforted let vs delight in the statutes of the Lord and wholy depend vpon the doctrine of his word 12 Moses was not so well when he was in Madian as if hee had beene in Canaan yet better than when hee was in Aegypt for though Iethro had not the worship of God pure in euery respect yet was not he an Idolater For then Moses would not haue dwelt with him nor yet haue sacrificed with him if he had offered to a strange God Whence we learne two things the first that if we haue the chiefe and principall points of religion with vs although there may be some wants and defects yet that we make much of Gods great blessing therein and labour carefully diligently to vse them shewing our selues thankful to God for them so wil the Lord in his due time bestowe moe blessings vpon vs minister that which is wanting vnto vs Secondly that the Lord will alwayes haue some to keepe his truth to the glorie of his own name and the condemnation of the wicked Iethroes religion may be tried by these notes 1. That he reioyced more for the deliuerance of Gods people than for the promotion of his sonne 2. Because he was carefull to confirme his faith by the experience of them which had receiued greater graces 3. Because his ioy did breake out into an open profession of sacrifice 4. His diuine speech and good counsaile which he gaue to Moses doth testifie that he was a pure worshipper of God at the least he held the chiefest and was not a nouice in religion By Iethro his example we may learne to trie our religion if it bee pure then it worketh in vs a care to vse all the meanes 2. We take ioy in them 3. We expresse the fruites of it in our life 4. We reioyce more at the prosperitie of Gods people than at our owne preferments or commoditie CHAP. LXVII Of Regeneration and Sanctification IT is a greater miracle that a man should become a new creature than a man should be cured of neuer so strange a disease Hereunto agree the Prophets as Esay 11. where it is shewed that men as sauage as wilde beasts shall change their nature and become tame so that the Prophet counteth this a miracle yea if wee our selues saw the wilde beasts tamed we would count it a miracle The Fathers thinke that the regenerating of a man is more miraculous than to turne water into wine for the wine is of the grape the grape is of the tree the tree is nourished by the water so that wine after a sort doth come of water so that the one is more common the other is to bring out one contrary out of another a thing of that which haue no cause going before and he that marueileth not at the conuersion of men he hath not tasted of the gift of regeneration and new birth 2 Men must first bee made by feeling of their sinnes to seeke after Christ then by an holy faith to finde Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 3 Wee haue nothing to doe with God the Father the Sonne or the holy Ghost vnlesse we be regenerated 4 As wee haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so wee must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltinesse of our sins then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of our sinnes 5 The reason why the graces of God are sweetest in our new birth is because wee doe after the same fall somwhat to the flesh againe otherwise it would not bee so And regeneration Ioh 3. is the worke of the spirit only although in respect of vs it seemeth contrarie betweene vs and the world for the world thinkes the pleasures present alwaies sweetest so doe not the children of God euen of their spiritual delights nay they are contrary in another thing to themselues for they thinke their present corruptions and temptations euer greatest as in sicke men the last sicknesse is the sorest but they thinke the present feelings of the spirit euer least though it may be they be as great as euer they were before but who knoweth the cause of these things seeing it proceedeth wholy from the spirit of God who as the winde bloweth here and there and in what measure it pleaseth him 6 Seeing we are the temples wherein the Lord will vouchsafe to dwell it is good reason we should cleanse our selues In respect wherof first the Prophet Esay 52. 11. and then the Apostle 1. Cor. 6. 17. building the exhortation of cleansing presuppose this that where God will dwell there is a place cleansed and indeed a temple 7 There is no man of iudgement that though in other places he thinkes many things lawfull or at the least indifferent in their owne nature to be done yet he will not doe them in the temple So consequently if wee be Gods temple as euery Christian ought to bee wheresoeuer he goes we must be cleansed Againe for that the Lord hath made vs priests and we must carry the vessels of the Lord therefore we must be cleane Reuel 1. for priests were to cleanse others and therefore good reason it was they should be cleane and wee if we will be cleansers of others necessarily we must be cleane our selues Yet there is a third argument Iere. 31. 1. which is most effectuall and that is because our heauenly father is holy And if this moue vs not we are rather as seruants holy for feare of the whip or we are mercenaries we will cleanse our selues for hope of reward God our father is cleane therefore we his children must be also cleane God is of pure eyes and no defiled thing must enter into the new Ierusalem wherefore we must cleanse our selues because wee be the Lords Temple because we be priests because our father is cleane and holy A thing is filthy in the Law either by touching another thing that is
and complaining against them O Lord the reuenger of bloud behold these men whom thou hast set ouer vs to giue vs the bread of life but they haue not giuen it vs our tongues and the tongues of our children haue sticken to the roofe of our mouthes for calling and crying and they would not take pitie on vs we haue giuen them the tenths which thou hast appointed vs but they haue not giuen vs thy truth which thou hast commanded them reward them ô Lord as they haue rewarded vs let the bread betweene their teeth turne vnto rottennes in their bowels let them be clothed with shame and confusion of face as with a garment let their wealth as the dung from the Earth bee swept away by their executors and vpon their golde and siluer which they haue falsely treasured vp let continually be written The price of bloud The price of bloud For it is the value of our bloud O LORD if thou didst heare the bloud of Abell being but one man forget not the bloud of manie when thou goest into iudgement CHAP. XIIII Of shame and shamefastnes Rom. 6. 12. 21. 22. THere is is a shame that is two-fold First naturall as in Paradice that is an affection of Nature and this was good Secondly after the fall was shame but that was euill but that shame is of the beginning of that godly shame as temporall losse worldly sorrowe oft brings a partie to that godly sorrowe of which is spoken 2. Cor. 7. So this shame brings men often to that godly shame 2 Wee say in a Prouerbe hee is not past grace he blusheth that is true partly for some good and conscience remaineth in such A heathen Philosopher seeing a yong man come by him blushing saide vnto him Young man be not dismayed be of good comfort there is hope in thee this is the very colour of vertue meaning that blushing is a good signe It is an euill signe when men are past shame As in this Age of ours young men are bold and not afraid of anie Iob chapter 28. saith that young men ran from him for shame ours are impudent of fore-heads of steele out-facing matters with swearing c. I care not say they for them all let them speake what they will it is the saying of the heathen Orator to neglect what euery man saith of him This a point not onely of one that is negligent but of such a one as is altogether dissolute 3 There be manie other fruites of sinne beside shame Gen. 1. at the Creation all was good GOD saw it so therefore all the euill which we see is of sinne as confusion in the World distemperature in the Bodie maladics in the Soule all disorders of the House Towne Common-wealth come hence why then doth not the Apostle say sinne bringeth these The reason is for that these doe not follow the sinner euer presently the Lord doth not euer cast the sinner into prison exile sicknes c. yet this shame euer followeth him if hee run beyond the Seas saile ride goe into darknes yet the Lord is there and thy shame pursues thee Here note the goodnes of GOD and his wisdome after sinne he only giues this shame to vs that we should enter into our selues This first is a most mercifull way for vs if he should either prison vs plague vs with sicknes c. when we sinne it would consume vs we were neuer able to abide it so that this monitor is best Secondly it is a most wise way all haue this in them shame a conscience at all times and places but not so of other punishments we haue them not Againe many a man in prison exile and other plagues haue a stout heart and stomacke but shame makes him hang downe his head and repent none of the other doe so 4 There is a shame of the world such as are ashamed of men not of God in godly shame men are not ashamed of men but of God they cast down their heads goe from chamber to chamber and mourne c. They are ashamed to come before God yet they come vnto him and pray vnto him as Luc. 25. the prodigall sonne Luc. 7. Magdalen that came behinde Christ. Ierem. 13. Ephraims repentance is set downe hee saith I smote on my thigh as one in griefe I was ashamed Dauid Psalm 51. shames himselfe 5 There is a secret hiding of sinne that argues shame in men as in Adam Gen. 3. Dauid 2. Sam. 11. colours his sinne So we finde many excuses and clokes but the fruite of an euill life is shame and this must be voluntarie in Gods children ere they die What fruite hast thou had of a wicked life when as of foure and twenty houres in a day thou hast not bestowed two of them in the Lords seruice Of two and fiftie Sabbaths in the yeare thou hast spent these worse then anie day in the yeare what will become of it ere thou dye shame Sixe dayes the Lord giues to worke in yet serue him on those dayes begin with prayer and end with it Worldly busines distracts men therefore the Lords day is giuen to recouer vs from distraction and wholy on that day to serue the Lord. CHAP. XV. Of Iustification WHen wee speake of growing vp in the feare of God the word so translated seemeth to bee a word of quarrell and controuersie betweene the maintainers of mans iustification by workes and vs who either doe or would seeme to emptie men of all opinion of inherent righteousnesse that there might be nothing left in vs but the glory wholy be giuen to God For they would haue it that we should perfect our holines and so they ground that wee by holines might come to perfection Now concerning this their perfection which like proctours they so patronage if wee aske any of them if he be that perfect man or no there hath not been any found that would take it vpon him they cannot finde vs among their manifold orders one that is so perfect nay they denie them this perfection which thing if they doe in ciuill modestie thinking they can doe it and will not acknowledge it they lye both to God and the world All the quarrell is this I doe not dispute saith the defendant whether I bee perfit or not perfit but I affirme that some haue attained this perfection who be they Here they bring especially their two old fathers Zacharie and Simeon who were men fearing God holy and iust and therefore perfit and thus they thinke men are not so much to be abased as we thinke they are Now to beare out this point if we might stand in it I meane of growing vp to perfection the very opinion of the Catharoi such as were indeede the Puritanes in the Primitiue Church would not challenge this so arrogantly as they doe Many reasons may be made against them but we will vse that one of the
The Lord left vs a lesson that wee must learne thereby namely that it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon the meanes that nourisheth vs and therefore if we haue them wee must not put our trust in them and if we want them wee must not distrust in God Did Moses and Eliah liue fortie dayes without meate and did the Israelites walkein the wildernesse fortie yeeres in the same apparell which waxed not olde whereas othersome hauing meate in abundance yet are hunger-starued and being laden with clothes yet quake for cold shall we not yet learne that the blessings of God are all in all and that the other are but meanes prouided for our weaknes Dauid proued by experience that the righteous seede of the righteous parents were neuer forsaken nor begged their bread If we no doubt could come to such measure of obedience as they did then and if we could be righteous as in his time men were the Lord would prouide for vs as well as he did for them and we should haue as good experience hereof as euer had Dauid To this prouidence of God wee must bring a patient minde which first must bee contented with whatsoeuer the Lord sendeth alwaies acknowledge godlines to be great riches For we ought not to seeke great matters nor suffer our desires to be carried after high things for this did the Lord by his Prophet Ieremie rebuke in Baruck And CHRIST giueth vs another rule when he teacheth vs to pray for daily bread which when we haue then must we be contented This minde was in our father Iacob when hee prayed for nothing else but meate and clothing And this doth Paul generally command to be in all saying When we haue meate clothing let vs be contented We must first therefore seeke the kingdom of God and the righteousnes therof we must first labour for the forgiuenes of our sinnes in Christ that so we may be in the fauour of GOD and enioy the light of his louing countenance which when we haue and feele let vs esteeme it aboue all earthly treasure as Dauid doth let vs receiue it though it come alone yea though it bring troubles with it then for outward things we shall possesse our soules in patience If the Lord giue plentie of them wee shall take it as an ouerplus of his fauour but if he giue the lesse yet shall we be contented because we binde not his fauour to these outward things but if wee cannot rest in the fauour of God though wee want these outward things it is certaine wee neuer truly esteemed the fauour of God neither did we euer feele the forgiuenes of our sinnes if wee could not when we felt it be therewith contented and ready to forgoe all other things The second propertie of a patient minde is simplie to giue vp it selfe vnto God and commit itselfe into his hand waiting at all times for helpe from him who onely is the aâ—thor of all goodnes yet neither prescribing the meanes nor appoynting the time nor in any case indenting with him for the Lord will haue the disposition of his mercies free vnto himselfe to giue and to bestow when and where and how it pleaseth him and as it may most make for his glorie We must then euermore and with our whole hearts desire and craue of the Lord that his blessed Name may be glorified that his Kingdome may be enlarged and his holy will performed but the meanes to bring these things to passe we must whollie leaue vnto him who knoweth what is best and in other things which concerne our outward estate we ought alwayes to rest in his good pleasure This iâ— we can once doe so mercifully doth hee vse to deale with vs that when wee least desire them wee shall haue them and when we freely giue them vp to him he will soonest giue them vs againe Salomon desired wisedome of the Lord but for outward things his prayer was that hee might haue a meane estate then the Lord gaue him wisedome which his heart so much desired and riches also which he did not once desire Oh happie man if in his heart he had desired to walke before the Lord in feare Abraham gaue vnto the Lord Isaack his sonne which when the Lord did behold he quickly gaue him his sonne againe euen thus also must we thinke it standeth now with vs. The readiest way to obtaine life is to be heartily well contented either to liue or to die and to commit our selues vnto the Lorde knowing that nothing euer perished that was committed to his keeping so is it also in all other outward things the readie way to obtaine them is to giue them vp wholly into his hands But yet wee must not commit these things to the Lord with this condition that hee should giue them vs againe for that were to mocke the Lorde but without all care to haue them wee must giue them to him beeing in respect of his glorie and because his good pleasure is so heartily well content to forgoe them and then if they be good for vs we shall receiue them againe if not wee shall receiue some spirituall grace which better shall supplie the want of them Yea the infinite wisedome and mercie of God doth wonderfully appeare herein for sometimes he keepeth vs long without these things because that if wee had them hee seeth we would abuse them and would preferre them before spirituall blessings And sometime the Lorde seeing our small regard and accompt of spirituall things will by the want of these outward things bring vs to make greater accompt of them that when wee can well want the one and highly esteeme the other we may haue both together Let vs therefore reuerence this great goodnes and wisedome of the LORD and be content with the vse of life which he in mercie graunteth vs knowing that it is better to be a liuing dogge then a dead Lyon For whilest we liue we haue time to repent and time to glorifie God but after death there is no time left for repentance Whosoeuer then doth not account the vse of life a singular benefit though he doe euen want things necessarie for the same he is vnworthie of life or of any other the blessings of God therein The end of all then is this that patience is wrought in vs strengthened by the assurance of Gods mercies by faith in Christ by hope of euerlasting life and by trust in Gods prouidence and therefore the carking care of these things is left to the Gentiles which are ignorant of the forgiuenes of sinnes of Gods prouidence and of euerlasting life so that if we be like them in these greedie desires it argueth that either we know not these things or if in iudgement we doe conceiue them yet in heart we doe not beleeue them By meditation therefore of these things we must learne patience whereby we may ouercome our
is it to giue vs his truth to enrich vs with his Gospell and to blesse vs with such abundance of temporall things Oh that this were knowne of vs oh that euery man would say Oh Lord what am I that thou shouldest shewe mee such mercie to giue mee the enioying of thy word and Gospell more than any other and giuing it to mee makest me to vnderstand it aboue many oh what am I that thou shouldest offer to mee this goodnesse I was borne and conceaued in sinne I haue multiplied and enlarged my corruptions both before since my calling my vnthankfulnes is great my vnworthines therefore greater and yet thou hast not ceased to preferre me in mercies before many If we consider the fearefull iudgements of God in consuming all hypocrites who will not say that many haue beene called and few chosen When we shall see I say in the day of the Lord his seuere iudgements to tread downe these hypocrites and cause them to goe from his presence to hell oh how wil we esteeme that we are in Christ and say Oh how loue I thy law For I see thy iudgements are equall and thou dealest not with me in iustice but in mercie not in anger but in loue not in wrath but in pittie therfore they couenant is sweete because I haue deserued thy iudgements and thou hast spared me Vers. 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements HEre may seeme at the first to be some contrarietie betweene feare and loue sith loue causeth not but casteth out feare For he had saide in the verse going before that hee loued the testimonies of the Lord and here he saith that his flesh trembled for feare Wherefore at the first sight here is some shew of contrariety but indeed there is none For he saith My flesh trembleth c. whereby he sheweth that as he loued the law of God in his inward man and with his part regenerate so it is the outward and olde man and the part vnrenued which is full of corruption that did feare So that as hee had Gods spirit to renue his minde hee had this witnesse in him that he did loue the promises of God but because his flesh rebelleth against the Spirit and hee found many corruptions of nature remaining in him and threatning him that after hee was like to fall againe if the Lord yea but a little should leaue him he saith I am afraid least for my vnthankfulnes and vnworthie refusing of thy mercie thou shouldest leaue me to my selfe and so shouldest make a way to thy iudgements Thus there is an harmonie in the Prophet for because as the flesh hath a trembling feare so the spirit reioyceth Thus as wee haue often heard Gods children finde to their comfort in themselues faith in Gods promises and a delight in his word sometime they are grieued for the absence of this sweetnes of faith in the same For as the presence of Gods spirit bringeth ioy so the absence thereof feare as faith breedeth a loue of Gods promises so infidelitie maketh vs afraid of his iudgements Although Noah had great cause to loue the promises of God for his wonderfull deliuerance so he had great cause to feare himselfe that he might haue fallen afterward Lot also hauing good cause to beleeue and embrace the couenant of God for his safegard had iust occasion also to haue suspected himselfe that he was subiect to falling It is said Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill For where feare is not there is securitie securitie breedeth hardnesse of heart and hardnes of heart bringeth Gods wrath Wherfore the Apostle writing to the Philippians shewing that God worketh in vs both the will and the deede of doing good least hereby they should draw to themselues security addeth that they must fill the course of their saluation in feare and trembling For if wee doe only well by Gods grace working in vs wee are much to feare the absence of it Wherefore wee see how the man of God did iustly feare his part vnregenerate This feare of Gods children differeth much from the feare of the wicked for it bringeth vs to the Lord and driueth vs not from the Lord it helpeth and hindreth not our prayers it hurteth not but furthereth our duties For it maketh vs to feare least wee should lose Gods grace it causeth vs to waite more and more to haue it and hauing it moueth vs by prayer to continue it When Noah had Gods fauour he feared and being warned of God as Heb 11. 7. of the things which were as yet not seene moued with reuerence prepared the Arke c So Habacuk hearing of the iudgement of God which should fall vpon the faithfull by the Chaldeans saith Hâ—b 3. 16. My bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voyce rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe Paul said he preached with feare and trembling Thus wee see how the good Saints of God did feare because they knewe that if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be saued and that there was nothing in them but of mercie and therefore they acknowledge their weaknes vnworthinesse and wretchednesse Wee see also that Gods children haue diuers affects according to their diuers estates and though sometimes they are quickened through faith other times they are most ready to sinne if they doe not sinne No maruell then though the children of God feare when they see that God restraineth their will the greater their feelings are yet are they mixed with a reuerent feare of Gods maiestie and sight of their own corruptioÌ„s least they should not abide his glorie and least they should not continue in their good things We see moreouer that this feare humbled Noah that the Prophets Apostles spake in feare which the Lord gaue vnto them either to prepare them to some grace which they should receiue or else more zealously to keepe some grace which already they haue receiued And where it might be obiected that loue casteth out feare wee must vnderstand of that seruile and excessiue feare which driueth vs away from God And seeing though wee feele Gods loue by faith wee will feare then much more had we neede so to doe when by infidelitie wee feele not this loue So wee must haue both feare to prepare vs to grace and wee must haue loue to continue vs in this grace And surely onely they with whom this thing hath been familiar doe knowe how loue and feare doe dwell together For as blessed experiencâ— hath taught some that by this feare they haue attained to speciall graces and continued in them by the same so also by wofull experience some haue found that for want â—f this they either haue not tâ—sted of the grace of God or else not continued in the same PORTION 15. AYN. Vers. 1â—1 I haue executed iudgement and iustice
leaue me not to mine oppressors THe Prophet goeth on praying for the increase and continuance of Gods fauour vsing two arguments the first by shewing his afflictions which hee suffered the seconde by declaring his affection to the word whereunto is added a reason drawne from the nature of GOD that it is his time to helpe in affliction His generall desire then is to haue a further loue of Gods word to this end hee sheweth his miseries and afflictions and with what affection hee longed for helpe trusting that God would now come to doe right His prayer is that the Lord would not suffer him to bee ouercome with ouer-much afflictions but that as it is Psal. 125. 3. that the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous least the righteous put their hands vnto wickednesse and that the hands of the oppressors should not preuaile God then giueth vs this libertie that wee may pray against our and his enemies but wee must withall consider these two reasons I haue executed As if the Prophet said Thou hast promised to helpe all them that hold causes and maintaine them well through thy grace I haue vsed a good cause well performe therefore oh Lord thy promise in me So the Prophet prayeth Psal. 41. Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnesse c. where hee sheweth that as God doth promise to helpe in afflictions so he requireth of our parts that wee should suffer as weldoers and as doing well in a good cause as if hee had expressed his minde in these words O God the cause which I maintaine is iust and I haue maintained it well let them fall then that haue an ill cause against me who hauing so righteous a cause As we haue to learne that we shall not be without oppressors if we doe well so must we learne how to behaue our selues therein It seemeth monstrous to some that we should by weldoing purchase such enemies as if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God 1. Pet. 3. 13. Who is it that will harme you if you follow that which is good Yet it is a thing in the secret iudgement of God either to the triall of the faith of his children or the fulfilling of the sins of the wicked Who would thinke a man should haue enemies but by desert True it is if the world were aright but because wee liue in such a world wherein Christ himselfe executing iudgemēt and righteousnes did suffer because it hated him much more must we looke for it as Christ himselfe hath also fore warned because the seruant must not be aboue his maister and because we labour and cease not to hinder the kingdome of Sathan hee enarmeth the world with hatred against vs also We must not think that we can be here quiet For although we be sometimes troubled because we haue not done somewhat which we ought yet often we must be oppressed as righteous doers although not so as our enemies finally shall preuaile against vs. We see the Prophet desireth God to be the patrone of a righteous cause and of a righteous cause rightly handled we must then if we will assure our selues of Gods protection first consider if our cause be iust and hauing such a cause whether we haue rightly dealt in it Let vs therefore when we are oppressed search our cause if we feele that our conscience be guiltie then no maruell though wee suffer because the Lord correcteth either our euill cause or our ill handling of a good cause Wee must see that in the equitie of our request our cause be iust and true and being good that our dealing therein bee also iust and right Let vs see this now in particulars Our Sauiour Christ saith he came to put dissension betweene the father and the sonne the mother and the daughter and that the father in law should bee against his son in law and the sonne in law against his father in law True it is if it be for the Gospels sake and we withall haue done our duties and obedience which nature our callings require that we be hated yet must we not be dismaied although we haue the enemies of our own familie of them which by nature are ioyned to vs we are not to be discouraged if it be righteousnes which we must maintaine and vnrighteousnes which they maintaine if thē our cause being good we vse all obedience loue and dutie and yet be grieued we must recouer our selues with that which Christ hath said but if our cause bee ill or being right wee shewed not our selues humble and dutifull in the defence of it then we haue deserued iustly to be euill entreated of them If wee shall obserue this to happen either among Magistrates to their subiects or Landlords to their tenants or any other gouernours to their inferiours when they shall deale ill with vs in debts fines and exactions we must consider that if we haue done righteously we haue the libertie to comfort our soules in prayer Lord I haue done the part of a faithfull subiect or the dutie of a good tenant Lord helpe me against this man which oppresseth me wrongfully But if we haue discouraged their hearts either simply by ill doing or in a good thing by ill dealing we must know that the Lord by them doth take some good thing from vs who from them did take some good duties We must see then whether we haue done our duties in loue or not this will keepe vs from fuming and will make vs rest in prayer The ignorance of this doctrine maketh vs fret and fume who neuer consider whether our cause be good or whether in a good cause wee haue vsed good dealing or no. If Gods children looke thus into their consciences it will humble them as surely I did not well to him God suffereth him to doe the like to me againe and meateth out vnto mee the like measure with mine owne meat-yeard Where wee must learne that Gods children neuer deale so earnestly with their enemies as with their God And as this holdeth in superiours so must wee marke this doctrine in all troubles with our inferiours or equals Now if our seruants or our children doe not deale dutifully with vs we must enter into our selues on this sort Lord I haue brought vp these sonnes or seruants in thy nurture and feare I haue instructed them and prayed for them I haue vsed all meanes wherby I might bring them to good yet for all this they deale ill with me and in this case wee must knowe that God wil heare our prayers But if we haue not done our parts in cloathing feeding or teaching them or in praying for them it is the iudgement of God in that we haue not done the dutie of godly parents Christian householders in making them the children of God and seruants of the Lord neither can we say Lord release me in this case
earth therfore let vs not grieue him in heauen also Thirdly being the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6. 19. it were a despite against the Lord if we make the house of God the stye of Sathan and sincke of sinne Fourthly the Angels reioyce to see a sinner repent as also there is great sorrow when a Professor falleth away the heauens seeme to be clothed with blacke thereat and the Angels weare mourning attire But to come down from heauen to earth Fiftly whereas the rankest heretikes haue had often great feelings whereby this is no good way to saluation to thinke our selues sure in a carnall securitie Peter teacheth vs another way Make your election sure by good workes 2. Pet. 1. 10. as by a signe consequent not as by a cause antecedent Sixtly we must by good works auoyd the offending of our brethren least that as Lot was vexed among the Sodomites we grieue the hearts of the Saints Seuenthly as we are not to grieue strong Lot so wee must not offend the weake ones for whose sakes wee must abridge somewhat from our libertie in things lawfull and much more cut off our licentiousnesse in things that be vnlawfull Eightly we must do good euen for the wicked Wherefore the Apostle I. Pet. 3. 2. admonisheth wiues so to liue that euen they which obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues If women are thus charged then much more men Ninthly because the Diuell not barred out by good workes doth make vs his pallace or rather his paunch or his stable and at the fall of a righteous man the damned doe as it were make great bonefires in hell let vs bring forth the fruites of righteousnesse which may make the Diuell to some in fretting and worke more madnes and melancholie in the damned Tenthly for the confusion of the wicked in the last day it shal be good by wel-doing to redeeme some comfortable confidence of our being in CHRIST against that day when the sides of the wicked shall lie panting in paine Now to make vp the number of a douzen wee may be moued to doe good works by considering the ende of the godly and the end of the wicked Mat. 25. These reasons many and waighty shall redeeme vs from this reproch wherewith our enemies doe charge vs. 6 To doe good is worth the doing albeit in vaine and as Sencca saith He is a perfect man that can loose a benefite giue it not to giue loose it But whose is the hurt CHRIST preached in vaine to the Iewes and Noah to the old world and Lot to the Sodomites but were Noah Lot and Christ hurt for it And yet many writers think no good worke is in vaine to him that it is done too But certainely to him that doth it it is not in vaine there is a great reward for them in the life to come And in that respect GOD will haue his children doe manie good works in vaine As to Moses he said Goe preach to Pharaoh he shall not heare thee yet goe Againe that which is well done is better done then not done for then it perisheth with them otherwise it should perish with thy selfe 7 There is none hath a priuiledge whereby he is exempted from doing of good works The Law is giuen to all Iohn 10. Euery one had his Talent Luc. 19. Euery one shall beare his burthen Gal. 6 Euery one shall stand before the Tribunall of GOD euery mans blood shall be vpon his owne head Ezech. 5 Euery Tree that bringeth not forth fruite shall be cut downe Matth. 3. Tribulation and anguish shal be vpon euery soule Rom. 2. Thus wee still see it runnes of all and euery one The reason is God accepteth no persons neither in giftes of Nature nor in giftes of Grace nor in iudgements euen the little Hills the small Trees not one pinne made of an vnfruitfull tree But are the wicked tyed to doe good workes Yea euen they Matth. 11. it is saide it shall bee easier for some then for others which is interpreted Matth. 8. that there is vtter darknes whereas Basil saith the greatest sinnes goe thither and Luc. 7. Hee that knoweth his Mastere will c. Euen the wicked must doe good to make their iudgement easier their stripes feweâ— and their place better Must anie more then others doe good workes yes the Christian must especially bee zealous of good workes Tit. 2. warne them that belieue Tit. 3. 14. and in the ende of the same chapter Let our men learne to shewe forth good works what manner men ought we to bee 2. Pet. 3. If any that is counted a brother I. Cor. 5. Now then among Christians who are most bound Tribulation c. on the Iewe first c. The reason is for they had the Oracles of GOD Rom. 3. 1. 2. Hee that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not that fellow sinneth indeede so then this person on whome the powring of the oyntment hath bene first ought to bee most thankfull in good works We must doe good euen to all Be merciful as â— am Luc 6. and we knowe he suffereth his sunne to shine ouerall The reason is God his image is in all But especially to the faithfull Iob. 22. I cannot profite thee c. Psalm 16. My well doing extendeth not to thee but to thy Saints It is Christ his owne desire Luc. 22. Wheâ— thou art conuerted confirme thy brethren We can doe him no good but in his Saints And yet â—o go further to him most of all that is wounded as to the Samaritane Luke 13. If he neede our helpe though he be a Samaritane God could haue made there should haue bene no neede of them but for that he would trie the liberalitie of the rich and the patience of the poore Then much more to the soule which is the subiect of immortalitie must wee shew well-doing in pittie and compassion CHAP. LXXV Of Zeale THe zeale of Moses and Phineas and CHRIST wee should striue to haue that we may be grieued with the corruption and sinnes of the time but to redresse them belongeth not to vs except we be Magistrates 2 Zeale leaueth in men a great impression being tempted with Faith and loue 3 We must desire to be zealous and earnest in matters weightie concerning the Lord or his people but in small matters our owne affaires and worldly friendes wee must take heede it be not naturall earnestnes or carnall or not sauouring of the Spirit 4 One saying in his hearing that it might be obserued from time to time that men haue bene more bountifull in furthering a corrupt religion then in relieuing the professors of the Gospell he answered his iudgment was the contrary for thogh many in popery giue much yet it is of their abundance but wee read in no place that euer men solde
their whole possessions to giue to the preachers as it was done in the primitiue Church 5 The nature of true zeale is set downe Heb. 10. where the Apostle heauily threatneth them that willingly giue ouer thēselues to sinne there is named in the proper tongue the zeale of fire For as fire is not without heate so zeale is hot cannot long be holden in It is set downe by the contrary Reu. 3. when after the Church of Laodicea for her lukewarmnes is threatned to be spued out of the Lord his mouth it is added be zealous and amend where we see zeale to be opposed to lukewarmnes which is too temperate an heate for the profession of the Gospell Againe I. Cor. 14. 1. that which in our common translation we reade Follow after loue couet spirituall gifts c. the naturall text hath Be zealous after the more excellent gifts And Rom. 12. Be feruent in spirit i. let God his spirite kindle in you a fire which may flame out of you Now there are diuers kinds of zeale as the zeale of the world of the flesh of false religion according to the world And euery man is eaten spent consumed with some kind of zeale which must shame vs if we haue not the true zeale for that this zeale leaueth in vs some aduantage and recompēce which the world and carnall men haue not For when they haue spent set on tilt all the strength of their bodies powers of their minds they haue no gaine but torment of consciēce wheras the godly being spent in a good cause haue that repaired in the inner mā which is cōsumed in the outward Now to know what that true zeale is as neere as by properties we may describe it wee must first vnderstand that it is grounded on knowledge For if our zeale be not according to knowledge much like to the zeale of them spoken of Rom. 11. wee may come to persecute the Trueth and thinke we do very welll Our zeale must begin where the word begins end where the word ends that in all things it be proportionable to the word Our Sauior Christ rebuketh the Pharisies for straining out a gnat swallowing vp a Camel for tithing cummin seed and mint and for pretermitting the weightier matters of the Law wherein they bewrayed a rotten zeale in that they were carefull in the lesse and carelesse in the greater points So now a dayes many rather desiring to be counted zealous then to be zealous for a ceremonie wil be as hot as may be and yet in more principall poynts of religion they are as cold as can be in greater causes let this be our canon to vse greater zeale in lesse matters let this be our pedagogie to vse lesse zeale so that we remember to count nothing small in the word and that we can increase decrease in affection as the thing loued doth increase or decrease in goodnes If I say we can zealously pursue the most principall things and for the peace of the Church can tolerate lesse things for if any man in matters of lesse importance list to be contentious we haue no such custome neither the Church of God wee shall obserue this 1. rule still remembring this caution that we count nothing small commanded or forbidden in the Word The second rule is that wee haue an eye as well to things inward as outward our Sauiour CHRIST reprehendeth the Pharisies for that they made cleane the out side of the platter and left the inner-side foule whose liues though outwardly they were without reproofe yet inwardly they were full of pride disdaine self-loue such like Wel our zeale must begin within and in time appeare without we must no lesse feare to doe euill being by our selues alone then if we were eyed of the whole world least that we become as painted sepulchres and as such dishes as are cleane without and foule within A branch of this Rule is to haue a narrow and iealous eye of our owne corruptions lurking in the bottomles pit of nature and gaged onely by the word and spirit When we loue to be hypocrites in dissembling this naturall corruption and yet are busie in pretending some outward sanctimonie the iustice of GOD in time will vncase vs then the sinne which we would hide shall appeare in the face outwardly and the good which in Truth wee neuer loued shall be seene neuer to haue bene in vs. Herein then we may go to schoole with the couetous man who had rather be rich than be counted rich that we may rather be godly indeed than be counted to be godly least that seeing wee be not such indeed as we would bee we become notoriously to be such as we would not be 3 The third rule is that we keepe a tenor of zeale in both estates as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie Manie in peace are professors who in time of troubles are persecutors who louing the peace of the Gospell not the Gospell it selfe doe more bewray that they were neuer truely zealous Others whilest they be vnder the Crosse are very demure and deuout who if once they come aloft forget the simplicity of the Gospell and fall to the securitie of the world Hereof comes that fearefull complaint that men hote in preaching and professing while they are vnder are choked in their zeale when they come to preferment Such men are glad not of the gospell but of the prosperity of the gospell such men will be sad not for the want of the Gospell but for the aduersitie which followeth the persecutors of the Gospell Our triall herein may bee thus if our priuate estate be prosperous wee lament with Dauid the estate of the Church being ruinous or if our priuate estate being perilous wee can reioyce with Paul in the estate of the Church being prosperous our zeale is according to truth Dauid neere the Crowne for his happines fasted for the estate of the Church lying in abhominable filthines Paul a prisoner in bonds thought himselfe at libertie so long as the Gospell was free 4 The fourth Rule is that in pure zeale wee be patient in our owne causes and deuoure manie priuate iniuries that the Lord his cause may the better be prouided for haue the better successe Many can be as hot as fire in taking vp their owne cause who are as cold as yee in defending the Lord his cause This Rule obserued would sow vp the lips of the aduersarie who though for a time he thinke vs to be cholerike mad-men madly reuēging our priuate affections yet one day should confesse that we sought not our own cōmoditie but God his most precious glorie And to stretch this examination of our harts one degree further let vs beware of that corruption which springing from self-loue will giue vs leaue to reioyce at good things so long as they be in our selues but repineth at the sight of