God Nowe if the companie of wise men can so change one that in a shorte time he representeth their speeches qualities how will them nature and their maners alter which are still talking with God like the beloued Disciple which learned on Christes bosome Fiftlie it is such a sweete thing aboue other things that we do for God that in Reue. 7. the Praiers of the Saints are called incense because when they ascend to Heauen God seemes to smell a sweet sauour like incense Sixtly it is such a profitable things that it doth more good than 〈◊〉 for with mine almes I helpe but three or foure but with my praier I helpe thousandes Praier is the rich-mans almes as well as the poore mans For Pharaoh begged for praiers as well as Lazarus begged for cromes Lastlie it is victorious and powerfull that it ouercommeth God himselfe which ouercommeth all things For if we will ouercome our Lord as Iacob did we must ouercome him with praier This God sheweth when he saith to Ieromiah Pray not for this people Shewing that the praier of the righteous is of such force and power that God is faine to forbid them to pray when he would not graunt lest he should be ouer come This Christ sheweth againe when he resembleth his father to the deaffe Iudge and his suppliants to the importunate woman which cryed vpon him and made him hearken to her as if she had compelled him Therefore one compareth prayer vnto Samsons haire As all Sampsons strength lay in his hayre so all our strength lyeth in praier I haue read of many which write that they did learn more by praying than they could by reading And I haue heard some saie that they haue done that by prayer which they could not doe by counsell In the 17. of Exodus we reade that the Iewes preuailed more by prayer than they could by fight Therefore one saith that he which can pray can do all things because hee can ouercome God which helpeth him to do al things And he which can ouercome God can ouercome the diuell too which hindereth all things Whoeuer fell into heresie or into Apostasie or into despaire before hee fell from praier the preseruatiue of the soule If thou hadst beene heere saith Martha my brother had not died So if prayer had beene heere these euils had not happened This is the Holie water which driueth awaie vncleane spirites as Christ sheweth when he speaketh of the Diuell which is not cast out but by fasting and praier This is the Crosse which saueth vs from euill as Christ sheweth when hee teacheth vs to praie as it is wrtten in the 11. Chapter of Luke Deliuer vs from euill This is the oyle which healeth our sicknesse as Iames sheweth in his fifth Chapter verse 15. when hee saith The praier of faith shall saue the sicke It hath such a hand in all thinges that it is like the sanctifier of euery thing it blesseth our thoughts and blesseth our speeches and blesseth our actions As Abraham blessed his seruaunt before hee wente from so prayer blesseth our workes before they goe from vs. Whatsoeuer thou doest before thou haue blessed it with praier thou haste no promise that it shall prosper nor doe good because hee which should blesse it is not made a counsell to it Therefore we shoulde not presume to vse anie of Gods giftes or anie of Gods graces without prayer lest that which is good doe not good but hurt vnto vs. For this cause S. Paule in the 14. to the Romans and the sixth verse teacheth vs to pray before wee eate For this cause Paule prayed before hee iournied For this cause Eliah prayed before hee sacrificed as it appeareth in 1. King 18. 36. For this cause the Israelites praied before they fought and for this cause wee pray before we preach It is a good thing to preach and yet you see wee doe not presume to preach before wee pray because Paule planteth and Apollo watereth but GOD giueth the increase Euen so wee should not presume to giue Almes nor to giue counsell nor to giue helpe before wee haue prayed that it may doe good Nay wee shoulde not presume to exercise our faith nor our repentance nor our obedience without prayer because there is no faith so Perfect but it had neede of Prayer to strengthen it Also there is no loue so perfect but it had neede of praier to confirme it There is no repentance so perfect but it had neede of prayer to continue it There is no obedience so perfect but it had neede of praier to direct it Therefore hee dooth sinne which presumeth to doe anie good worke without praier because hee seemes to doe it by his owne power for that he craueth not assistance from GOD which giueth power to faith to bring forth works as well as he doth to trees to bring foorth fruites or to Phisicke to bring forth health Therefore no vertue hath done so much as praier hath done For all vertues haue had their power from prayer and therefore one saieth that prayer hath done as manie exploites as all vertues beside The Apostle Paule in the 11. to the Hebrews saith that by faith Noah did this and Abraham did this and Dauid did this and Enoch did this but did their faith anie thing without praier For their faith was strengthened by praier and therefore the Disciples praied Christ to strengthen their faith By praier Eliah made the clowdes to fall By prayer Iosua made the Sunne to stande still By praier Elisha raised the dead to life By praier Moses made the enemies to flie By praier Salomon obtained wisedome So that as Paule in the first to Timothie and fourth Chapter saieth of godlinesse Godlinesse is profitable to all things So I may saie of praier Prayer is profitable to all things The Doue coulde finde no rest for the soale of her foote vntill shee returned to the Arke So the sinner when hee can flye no longer nor suffer anie longer nor helpe himselfe anie longer at last he turneth to praier which is like the Citie of refuge where no enemie where no aduersitie and where no temptation hath power to hurte him Lastly as prayer is excellent in respect of GOD to whome onely it is offered so it is excellent in respect of the godlie who onely offer it For as Paule saieth of Faith in the second to the Thessalonians All men haue not faith So I may say of prayer all men haue not the gift of prayer and therefore Zachariah speaketh of a spirit of prayer And when wee pray Paule sayeth That the spirite helpeth our infirmities prayeth in vs as though there were a peculiar spirite for prayer and none could praye but they which had that spirit I haue knowne many wicked men heare and I haue knowne many wicked men studie and I haue knowen many wicked men fast and I haue knowne
We will not sinne therefore the heart of the godly is called a contrite heart but the heart the wicked is called a heart that cannot repent Beside as Christ cast out a legion of diuels at once so the godly would be purged of all their sinnes together but the wicked neuer consent to leaue all but as Naaman sayd Let the Lord spare me in this so euer hee excepteth one sinne which is his beloued sin like Herod which reformed many things yet would not leaue his brothers wife They are distinguished in Charitie for ye shall neuer see the wicked loue their enemies and therefore when the Pharisies could not loue their enemies they taught that men might hate their enemies and Christ speaking of Publicans and sinners exhorteth his Disciples not to loue like them because they loued none but their friends They are distinguished in Prayer for the wicked cannot praie therefore Dauid saith They call not vpon the Lord as if they had not the spirite of prayer and therefore Christ calleth their prayers babling for they thinke not of God when they speake vnto him They are distinguished in Patience no hypocrite can beare the Crosse but saith lyke Cain It is heauier than I can suffer but Paul and Silas sing in prison for a faithfull man would haue something to humble him reioyceth to beare his maisters markes because the wounds of a louer are sweete They are distinguished in the vse of aduersitie for this is a proper and peculiar mark of Gods children to profite by affliction and therefore we reade not in all the punishments of the wicked that one of them said like Dauid It is good for mee that I haue bene afflicted They are distinguished in Humilitie for the wicked are not hūbled before the crosse like Pharaoh that neuer sorrowed but when hee suffered but the Apostles learned humilitie of their Maister before their persecution came They are distinguished in their iudgement of the word for to the wicked it seemeth the hardest and simplest vnpleasantest booke that is and therefore Paul saith that it is foolishnes vnto them But to the godly it seemeth the wisest and eloquentest and sweetest and easiest booke of all other as though God did sodainely bring the vnderstanding of it to them as Iacob sayde of his venison according to that Hee that will doe his will shall know his doctrime They are distinguished in their Iudgement of God the wicked are persuaded now and then of Gods mercie for the present time while they feele it as the Iewes praised him alwaies when hee did as they woulde haue him but they cannot persuade themselues that God will be mercifull to them still like Iob which said Though the Lord kill mee yet will I trust in him therefore the hope of the righteous is called hope in death Beside if the wicked loue God it is but for his benefites as Saul loued him for his kingdome And this is alwaies to be noted that in the wicked the feare of hell is greater then is their hope of Heauen but in the faithfull the hope of heauen is greater then their feare of hell They are distinguished in their Delights for the sport of the vngodly is follie like Belshazzers and therefore when they are sicke or troubled they neuer runne to the Word for comfort as though Gods promises pertained not to them but to feasts or tables or tales or musicke as Saul did to the harpe But all the delights of the godlie are like Dauids daunce about the Arke they are neuer merrie but when they are dooing well nor at peace but when their praiers haue ouercome God like Iacob They are distinguished in their opinions of death for the faithfull long to bee dissolued although they might liue euer in continuall prosperitie yet they would not staie so long out of heauen but the wicked would neuer be dissolued because death comes alwaies vnto them like a iailor to hale vnto prison as Ahab sayd to Michaiah That he neuer prophesied good to him Hereby a man shall know whether hee haue faith for if hee doe beleeue the promises hee will be glad to receiue them They are distinguished in their sense of sinne Wicked men feele the lothsomnesse of their vices but none but the faithfull feele the defects of their righteousnesse The naturall man neuer complaineth of his good workes but vaunteth of them but a godly man findeth fault with his praiers and his almes and his watches like Isaiah that sayde his righteousnes was like a menstruous cloth As Christ met the tempter in the wildernesse a place of prayer and fasting and meditation so a godly man meeteth the tempter in his praiers and in his fasts and in his meditations that is he finds some lette or spotte or want in all his deuotions Therefore vnlesse thy righteousnesse mislike thee as well as thy prophanenes know that yet thou art no further than the wicked They are distinguished in their Endes for the children of God propose the glorie of God and leuell all their thoughts and speeches and actions as if they were messengers sent to carrie him presents of honor Thus did Dauid when hee sayd All that is within me praise the Lord. As though himselfe had rather bee without praise then his master but the children of the world set vp their owne glorie for their marke like Nabuchadnezzar which sayd For the honour of my Maiestie Dan. 4. 27. Therfore they speake and looke and walke as if they did say to their tongue and eyes and feet and apparell as Saul said to Samuel Honour me before this people Lastly they are distinguished in Perseuerance for the zeale of the wicked lasteth not and therefore God sayth They are soone turned out of the way but the zeale of the faithful was represented by the fire of the Temple which neuer went out By these differences thou maist see how much thou doost differ from the wicked or whether thou be of their band Then come to the third examination as the diuell tempteth thee to see what thou wilt do for him so thou must tempt thy self and get of thy soule what it would doe for God and what it would suffer for him which hath suffered death for it Therefore here we will set downe certain interrogatories wherof thou shalt examine it First whether thou hast the heart of Ioshua to worship God as boldlie as thou doest though all the world did renounce him and euerie one did mocke thee as they did Noah while he built the Arke Whether thou wouldst not denie Christ as Peter did if thou were in Peters straights and nothing to succour thee but thy policie Whether thou wouldst not steale if thou didst see a bootie as fit as Achan which thou mightest catch vp
serue God for himselfe and not for our selues as he which giues his heart doth all for loue this Christ requires when he casts off that Disciple that offred to follow him for aduantage The birds haue neastes and â—he foxes haue hoales saieth Christ but the Sonne of man hath not a place to hide his head shewing his Disciple if hee will follow him 〈◊〉 must not looke for a place to hide his head we must leaue all to follow Christ as Peter did not seeke all by following him as they that weÌ„t after him for bread Fiftly that wee should not serue God by fits as we vse to pray when the night comes to heare when the Sabboath comes to fast when Lent comes to repent when death comes but the seruice of the heart is a continuall seruice like that in 1. Thess 5. 16. Reioyce euermore praye continually in all things giue thankes Who is this which reioyceth and prayeth and thanketh continually The tong prayeth but sometime the eare attendeth but sometime the hand giueth but sometime but the heart prayeth and praiseth and worshippeth alwaies a man may serue God alwaies with his heart and neuer bee wearie because the heart cannot serue him vnles it reioyce in his seruice and therefore the Israelites praised God with musicke which did not delight God but shewed that they delighted in his seruice as they did in musicke But if the tongue or the hande or the eare thinke to serue God without the heart it is the irksomest occupation in the world the houre of tediousnesse like a long sicknesse he is tyred before he begin and thinketh himselfe in the stockes vntill the Sermon bee ended and vntill his Prayer bee done that hee may bee at libertie and returne to his olde byas againe Lastly this shewes how God mislikes our coldnesse in hearing or praying if we cannot say with the Virgin in Luke the first Chapter and sixe and fortieth verse My hart doth magnifie the Lord. All that comes short of this is hypocrisie pleaseth God like the offering of Cain As Ioseph charged his brethren that they should not come to him for corne vnlesse they brought Beniamin vnto him whom they left at home so God will not haue vs to speake to him nor come to him for any thing vnlesse we bring our heart vnto him which we leaue behinde The tongue without the heart is a flattering tongue the eye without the heart is a wicked eye the eare without the heart is a vaine eare the hand without the heart is a false hand Doest thou thinke that God wil accept a flattering tong a wicked eye a vaine eare a false hand which reiecteth a sacrifice if it be but leane or brused No saith Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the thirteenth Chapter and first verse If I giue all that I haue and haue not loue that is giue not my heart it auailes me nothing he saith not that they which giue not their heart giue nothing but that they shall haue nothing for such offerings he which brings but a myte and brings his heart brings more than he which offers a talent and hee shall goe away more iustified than he which sayd All these haue I kept from my youth vpward for God is not mocked but knowes howe much is behinde though Ananias seeme to bring all He markes how I speake and how you heare and howe wee pray in this place and if it come not from the heart hee repelles it as fast as it goes vp like the smoke which clymes towardes Heauen but neuer comes there Man thinkes when he hath the gift he hath the heart too but God when he hath the gift calls for the heart still the Pharisies prayer the harlots vowe the traytors kisse the Sacrifice of Cain the fast of Iezabel the oblation of Ananias the teares of Esau are nothing to him but still he cries Bring thy heart or bring nothing like a iealous husband wheÌ„ he hath a wife yet he is iealous whether he hath her heart so whatsoeuer thou do yet God is iealous still and respectes not what thou doest but whether thou do it from thy heart that is of meere loue toward him If Pilate had washed his heart when he washed his hands he had bene cleaner than Naaman when hee came out of Iordan if the Sichemites had circumcised their hearts when they circumcised their flesh they had saued their soules when they lost their liues if Cain had offered his heart when hee offered of the fruites his offering had bene as acceptable as Abels But as Swines flesh was like Sheepes flesh yet was not accepted because it came from an vncleane beast so Cains offering Pilates washing the Sichemites circumcision the Pharisies prayer and fastes and almes were as faire as the Apostles yet they had no reward but Wo to you hypocrites because they wanted the heart which is like the fire that kindleth the Sacrifice But will he require our prayers and fastes and almes as he did theirs Yea saith Christ Except your righteousnesse exceede the Pharisies that is Except we giue our hearts beside our lippes and our eares our almes which they gaue wee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen because our righteousnesse doth not exceede the righteousnesse of the Pharisies but their righteousnesse verie farre exceedeth ours Christ doth not bid them wo because they were Pharisies as we are not but because they were hypocrites as we are God delights him selfe in giuing and therefore he loueth a cheerefull giuer but he cannot giue cheerfully which giues not his heart Therefore as Iudas thought the Oyle spent which was powred vpon Christ and wished the price of it in his purse so they grutch grieue when they should doe good and thinke Shall I giue it Can I spare it What will it bring So the good worke dieth in the birth like a bird which droupeth in the hand while the head considers whether he shall let her goe or hold her still as easie to wring Hercules club out of his fistes as to wring a penitent teare from their eyes a faithfull prayer from their lips or a good thought from their heart which cannot affoord the heart it selfe all is too much which they do and they thinke God more beholding to them for blurting out a Pater noster or staying a Sermon or fasting a Friday than they to him for all his benefites and when they haue done what is their reward Woe bee vnto you like the Scribes and Pharisies because you giue not your hearts but your mouthes therefore we do but vexe our selues and loose our labour thinking to make God beleeue that we pray when indeed our lips do but pray whereby it comes to passe as we serue him so he serueth vs our peace is not in deed but in word our ioy is
in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse c. As if he should saie know you that I bidde you put away from you the workes of darknesse he nameth not all the workes of darkenesse but chiefly those that doe raigne and are cause of more wickednesse that is gluttonie drunkennesse strife and enuying c. three monsters come out of hell and trouble the whole worlde therefore cast off these and you haue cast off all Now to speake of them I wil begin where the vices begin and as I point them out vnto you so I pray you to slay them as if you had marshall lawe in your handes to put them to death By this narration the Apostle sheweth the chaine of sinne how one sinne will draw on another after it for no sinne is so base that it will goe alone wherefore resist all sinnes or none for if you entertaine one sinne it will presently drawe another after it and so the whole house will be full of theeues as Gehezi his pride made him to lye and Adams fall made him to excuse himselfe Peters deniall made him sweare and after his swearing made him curse himselfe c. for the sinner cannot staie after he hath committed one sin to commit another nor till hee hath come to the bottome euen to the bottome of hell If I should stand to anatomize and paint out all vices in their kinde I should craue a longer time than is allotted to mee therefore I will briefly touch them As huge as the sea is yet one maye taste the saltnesse of it in a droppe so in one sinne you may see how ill fauoured all the rest bee for there is no sinne but weakeneth the bodie shorteneth the life corrupteth and consumeth the goods preuenteth grace and maketh vs odious to GOD and to Angels You are giuen to hate your enemies these are they therefore hate them they keepe you from repentance least you should bee saued wherefore I wil shew you what is in this box lest the same goe to your eyes and so blinde you Walke not in gluttonie drunkennesse strife c. These come lyke fayre Ladies with presents in their handes to wooe the vnstable soule of man Gluttonie commeth with the pleasure of the flesh Drunkennesse with the satisfying of the thirst Strife with the reuenge of the enemie And first what gluttonie and drunkennes offereth and how many haue bene deceiued with their sweete meates and strong drinkes till all haue bene turned into a bellie and so turned the body into sinne dayly experience teacheth vs. Now by the way the Apostle we must note doth approue sobrietie vertue that as a man may drinke and not be drunken so he may eate that he loueth and not glut himselfe for he forbiddeth not to eate meate but not to eate too much lest thou surfet for the golden meane is good for all things Salomon doth not forbid to eate honie but eate not too much lest thou surfet As the bodie may not offend the soule so the soule may not iniurie the bodie lest it bee vnfit to serue the soule Manie there bee that thinke they haue not sinned in gluttony til they surfet but this is gluttonie in excesse and punisheth it selfe with many diseases as dulnes of wit want of memorie and shortnes of life Now that you may sinne in gluttonie and not to surfet appeareth by the rich man in the sixteenth of Luke who fared deliciouslie euerie day and neuer surfeted yet for all that hee is called a glutton to teach vs that there be gluttons which do not surfet This kinde of sin much displeaseth God when men eate and drinke and rise vp to play and remember not the afflictions of Ioseph and Lazarus lying at the doore many be such banquets where none do come with a Wedding garment where Christ is neuer inuited Manie thinges may perswade vs to temperance we may learne it of the beastes who desire no chaunge nor hoord not and are content God prouided meate for all creatures as hearbes rootes and grasse before hee prouided anie for man to teach vs what little care wee should haue of our belly for we liue not by bread onely but by euerie worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Christ hath taught vs to fast when he prepared himselfe thereunto in the wildernesse but hee neuer by anie example taught vs to feast some there be which thinke hee did neuer eate flesh but in the paschall Lambe which although it doth not teach or debar vs from eating flesh which Peter was willed to eate in the vision yet it teacheth vs to tame the flesh lest Hagar should get the vpper hand of her mistresse When the belly is full the flesh lusteth the tongue prateth the wit sleepeth and Satan carrieth away the minde when the vnderstanding is away As the moyst and waterish groundes bring forth nothing but frogs and toades so the belly and watrie stomacke that is stuffed like a tunne bringeth forth nothing but a drousie minde foggie thoughts filthie speeches and corrupt affections therefore the Phisition saith nothing better for the bodie then abstinence the Diuine saith nothing better for the soule then abstinence the Lawyer saith nothing better for the wits then abstinence but because there is no lawe for this vice therfore it breaketh out so mightilie Whoredome hath a lawe Theft hath a lawe Murther hath a lawe but this sinne is without law Now to the second sinne which is Drunkennes these are two sisters betwixt whom there is little difference in this sinne some are mad some are merrie some doe vomite some doe sleepe and some doe reele and then there is no difference betweene a man and a beast sauing that the one can stand and the other cannot As euerie Scripture that maketh against Theft maketh against Nonresidencie so euerie reason which maketh against gluttonie maketh against drunkennesse Now after these commeth chambering and wantonnesse and no meruaile sayth one though the impes doe followe when the diuell goeth before for fulnesse of bread went before the sinne of the Sodomites So when Dauid had dined and was full walking vpon his pallace his eyes glaunced his flesh lusted his heart consented the fire burned and there was no water to quench it And therefore in that so great a champion as Dauid did fall let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall And seeing that thou in thy selfe art no stronger or mightier imitate and followe the example of those that are cunning wrastlers who to cast downe another wil first fall downe themselues so we to ouerthrowe our enemies must subiect our selues and humble our selues first by fasting and praier Sodome was burned but the sinnes haue escaped Sweete wordes soft attyre wanton behauiour and such like haue conspired and agreed all together to sette honestie to sale And wee vse dailie to pray that wee bee not ledde into temptation and yet wee doe leade our selues into temptation For our fayre