it selfe corrupteth the rest of the bodie as we may easily see in the stomacke for if it alone keepe the food to it selfe it both killeth the rest of the bodie with famine and destroieth it selfe with it owne neuer satisfied corruption whereas on the other side if it receiue that which is sufficient for the satisfying thereof and sendeth the rest to the other members it preserueth both it selfe and the rest of the bodie in good state and health euen so thou also if thou keepe to thy selfe the things which thou hearest from vs The reddition with the reason of it and doest not communicate the same vnto others thou both hurtest them and also corruptest thy selfe because thou dost foster within thee these two sore diseases of slothfulnesse and enuie for it will suffice for thy destruction either through wickednesse or enuie or if ye will through sloth not to communicate them to others Thus farre Chrysostome Fiftly men after the Sermons which they haue heard vpon the Lords daie 5 Vpon the Lords daies after the Sermons are done men must not meddle with any profane businesses must not vndertake or treat of worldly and profane affaires belonging to this life as vpon markets mariage feasts dancings pressing or swearing of souldiours vnlesse the enemies power and presence and as we may say assault vrge and presse the same bargaines of buying and selling diuiding of inheritances casting of accounts about money matters or other things and such as be like to these by which the Lords Sabbath is profaned and the Lords day is not dedicated to God as it should be but to our selues and to the world No these things must be left and the Sermons which we haue heard must at home be repeated and rehearsed againe and againe Priuate exercises on the Sabbath and we must read the holy Bible and other profitable bookes touching Christian religion we must exercise holy singing of Psalmes and parents must vndertake to repeat with their children the points of the Catechisme and these things must be performed in euerie house and familie The preuention of an obiection But if in some houses there be not any that be learned or can read some of the neighbour families which can doe that dutie shall meet there and lend them their labour and aide as in this behalfe For as we take vnto our selues and imploy about our owne businesses A iust and a verie weightie reason all the rest of the sixe daies of the weeke and that many times from daie peepe as we say till it be verie late in the night so surely it behoueth vs no lesse to dedicate and consecrate the Lords daie wholly to God himselfe to holy actions and such exercises as are good for the health of our soules For what if God had claimed to himselfe and to his holy seruice sixe daies and had left vs only one for our vse and the affaires of this life what would we haue done then A worthie inference vpon the premisses As therfore this is a great argument of his singular goodnesse and mercie that here yeelding much of his owne right and authoritie he hath appointed but one day only for himselfe so of what great ingratitude vngodlinesse and of neuer satisfied couetousnes is this a testimonie that we will not or can not leaue no not the seuenth part of our whole life to God and our owne soules vntouched and vndefiled For good Lord with what deceits crafts vsuries lyings A vement exclamation thefts bankettings drunkennesses wanton songs blaspemies cursings by the holy name of God braulings blowes fightings whordomes adulteries wantonnesses vanities murthers and ten thousands besides of most grieuous wickednesses doe faires mariages markets dancings and the other things aboue rehearsed pollute and defile the Lords daies in so much as we may say that they are rather consecrated to Venus and Bacchus yea to the diuell himselfe than to God God verily will haue his people on the Sabbath day to cease and rest from earing from haruest worke Exod. 34.21 August in Psal 91. August lib. 10. de chordis And yet Augustine vpon the Psalmes and in an other peece of his workes affirmeth that it is better to goe to plow on the Sabbath day than to daunce that it is more meete for women to spinne then than that whole day to daunce vnchastly Yea God would haue the Sabbath vnder the old Testament to be sanctified with so great religion that he would not haue the Jewes so much as to kindle fire thoroughout all their habitations Exod. 35.3 And vpon paine of their soules or as they loue them he commaundeth them to take heed of this Iere. 17.21.27 that vpon the Sabbath day they neither bring in nor bring out any burthen by the gates of Ierusalem But notwithstanding this if they will do otherwise he threatneth that he wil kindle a fire in their gates that shall deuoure the houses of Ierusalem it shall not be quenched Nehem. 13.15.16.17 Wherefore Nehemiah seeing certaine men of Tyrus that in Ierusalem did buy and sell vpon the Sabbath day he reproued the rulers of Iudah and calling to their memorie this threatning of God denounced by Ieremiah he prouided that the gates of Ierusalem should be shut vpon the Sabbath day and set some of his seruants at the gates to watch that there should no burthen be brought in on the Sabbath day Nahum 13.21 Yea he was so zealous in this behalfe that he would not suffer chapmen and merchants no not without the walles of the Citie but protested amongest them that if they did so once againe he would lay handes vpon them There is a notable law of Leo and Antonius the Emperours touching the Lords day In Cod. lib. 3 tit de Feriis and it is this We will not haue holy daies dedicated to the most high maiestie of almightie God to be spent in any pleasures or to be profaned with any troubles of exactions wherefore we decree that the Lords day shal be alwaies so honoured and regarded that it shall be exempted from all executions A worthie and verie religious law no summons shal vrge any man then no demaund shall be made of suretiship all appearance shall be silent all pleading shall be hushed that day shall be farre from taking knowledge of causes the rough voice of the crier shall be silent the parties contending shall cease from their controuersies and haue a space of agreement the aduersaries may come together not fearing one another c An excellent caution And yet giuing libertie to the ease and rest of this religious daie we doe not or will not for all that suffer any man to be detained with filthie pleasures Stage plaies and Theater sighes shall chalenge nothing that day feates of wrastling running c. as also the pitifull spectacle of wilde beastes yea though the solemnitie thereof should fall to be kept for
doe beseech Christ to open vnto them the parable of the tares of the field Mat. 13.36 So when they were ignoraÌ„t what this meant that Christ said it should come to passe that after a while they should not see him c. Christ knew that both they inquired concerning this amongst themselues Iohn 16.19 c. and also were desirous to aske him thereof And how often do we read that Moses Aaron Saul Dauid and all the people of Israel did in hard and doubfull things aske councell at the mouth of the Lord Seuenthly godly hearers must verie diligently search and sound their owne hearts 7 We must vse a certaine censuring and sentencing of our selues according to the SermoÌ„s we haue heard whether yea and how farre forth they doe in their life and actions expresse the doctrine they haue heard And in this behalfe they must make a certaine sperituall anatomie of themselues to wit how their hearts affections thoughts eyes eares countenances hands feet the actions of all and euery one of these members doe agree with the Sermons heard and the doctrine of Gods word yea they must search and sift all the nookes and corners of their hearts And if in this case we find a certaine sweet harmonie consent betweene Gods word and the will that is in vs VVhat the sifting of our heartes must bring forth in vs. there will flow and follow from the ioy of our consciences thankesgiuing vnto God whose free fauour and gift this wholly is But if we find in our selues contrary affections or haue other desires or opinions in our selues we must at no hand smooth or flatter our selues 2. Cor. 7.10.11 but through a certaine sorrow which is according to God and godlinesse we must accuse our selues that so God may absolue vs and we call vpon God for the forgiuenes of our sins and by praier intreat his sauour that so the olde leauen 1. Cor. 5.7 and the superfluous filthinesse of sinne being more and more purged and cast out we may be sweet bread to the Lord and be renewed in our inward man For indeed so great is partly our blindnesse partly our security and carelesnesse and partly selfeloue also through the corruption of nature Three nenecessarie things that without such censuring and anatomizing of our selues we cannot easily be brought eyther to the right acknowledgement of our selues and of our sinnes or to the true and serious exercises of godlinesse or to faithfulnesse in our calling And what should not we Christians as in this case do and that againe againe throughout euerie weeke so oft as we haue heard holy Sermons seeing that the verie heathen themselues notwithstanding their blindnesse haue as it were by a certaine law laid vpon themselues such a daily censure of all their actions For Virgils verse touching a good man is verie well known which because it is famous worthy to be remembred I haue thought good here to put downe For thus he admonisheth and painteth out a man euen ciuilly good and hardly giuing place to any impietie He doth not giue his eies ouer to sweet sleepe Virgil. before he hath deepely thought vpon all the actes of the day past As also what is past what was done in time what not why comelines was wanting in such a deed or reason in another what escaped my selfe why that opinion stood which it had been better for him to chaunge pitying one why I felt some griefe in a broken heart why I willed somewhat which was not good to will why my selfe being euill I preferred profit before honestie Whether any man were hurt by word or by countenaunce why nature more draweth me than correction or education Thus walking as it were through all his wordes and workes and beginning at the euening and reuoluing all things is offended with the euill and ascribeth praise and promiseth and giueth rewards to things well done Eightly parents schoolemasters Inferiour persons offences must be corrected by the Sermons and elders yea all Christians indifferently if they see or certainely know that either their childreÌ„ or schollers or people or neighbours and fellow brethren haue offended this they must assaie to correct and redresse by alleadging and calling to remembrance the Sermons that were made touching these sins yea by more speciall and strict applying of them to the present transgression For so they indeed shall performe their dutie A double profit while they exercise discipline and vse brotherly admonitions and corrections to which all the faithfull are mutually bound one to another and amongest themselues and the other shall be well inured to beare the censure that is giuen of them by and from occasion of the Sermons heard and shall more deepely thinke vpon the Sermons themselues and treasure them vp better in their hearts These things haue I obserued partly out of the speeches and conferences of excellent diuines The conclusion of this whole treatie and such other skilfull men in the matters of the Church ministerie as I could indeed see and heare and partly from the proper course and experience of mine owne ministerie and from the Sermons of my fellow ministers and others that I could heare marking such things in theÌ„ as I tooke to be worthy either praise or obseruation or else were to be imitated or auoided and lastly from the writings of other men touching the making or hearing of Sermons putting down such things as I thought worthy meet both to appoint and take to mine owne priuate vse and also publikely to communicate and impart to and with other of my brethren that runne with me in the selfe same race By which things if they shall be as much furthered and holpen in their ministerie VVhat fruits his labours shal bring forth if others profit by it and in this their heauie and hard charge of preaching as I perceiue I haue receiued profit thereby then I shall haue cause therein to thanke God and in respect of my selfe to reioyce and to be glad also for their sakes And surely he must be more than blind that perceiueth not by these things how excellent difficile and hard a skill and charge it is both to make to heare Sermons as on the other side how much they are out of the way that perswade themselues that they haue in this behalfe excellently yea sufficiently done their duties if either for an howrs space obseruing as it were some custome they coldly deliuer some certaine speech to the congregation out of the pulpit or being hearers go vnto the holy assemblies either to spend the time as we say or vpon some hypocriticall custome How much rather through the grace of almightie God doth it behoue all the labouring ministers in the Lords vineyerd carefully to apply themselues What faithfull ministers should doe and to striue vnto this namely verie holily to handle this dutie of preaching verie diligently meditating vpon their Sermons at home deliuering them in the Church with greater zeale and demonstration of spirituall power and with exceeding great care euerie one of them watching for the profit of their doctrine and Sermons both in faith and in conuersation and that as wel in themselues as in their congregations What good people should doe And how much more doth it concerne the people or hearers with great religion to dispose and prepare them to the hearing of Gods word but yet with greater to heare the Sermons and with greatest of all in the whole course of their liues to expresse the same through the obedience of faith Prouocations to well doing To which worthie works these things following shall adde no small edge and not a little sharpen prouoke theÌ„ on In the ministers verilie those glorious promises and great praises which God hath vouchsafed vnto them 2. Tim. 4.7.8 namely that if they shall well performe and finish their course in this holy race there is laid vp for them the crowne of righteousnesse Daniel 12.3 and that the wise or teachers of others shall shine as the brightnes of the firmament and they that iustifie or instruct many vnto righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euer and euer And in the hearers this should prouoke yea preuaile verie farre that the word which is grafted in them Iam. 1.21 being receiued with meekenesse is able to saue their soules And that our Sauiour Christ himselfe pronounceth them blessed Luke 11.28 that heare Gods word and keepe the same Which that we might be the better and more assuredly perswaded of the Lord hath repeated it againe and againe in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Errata Pag. â—4 lin 5. read whom p. 20. li. 5. r. time pa. 35. li. 19. r. costâ— pa. 43. li. 8. r. for p. 89. l. 1. for without r. with p. 91. li. 3. r. he
is in another Prophet to write a bill of diuorcement to put it into our hands and to cast vs off euen for euer and euer wee are then carefully to cōsider what is now to be done this dounge of our iniquities being cast in our faces our sinnes also being thus set in order before vs and the fierce wrath of the Lord being so iustly sharply also kindled against vs. Shall we persist and hold on in a course of euill So Sathan in his malice against vs would suggest that is not to be doubted And so wicked ones would teach vs both by their perswasion and practise as the Apostle sheweth saying Rom. 6.1 Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound Yea it may be the corruption and naughtinesse of nature would easily yeeld to it as to a poynt pleasant to flesh and blood But this and all such like wicked conceits and assaults from whence or from whom soeuer they come we must cast farre from vs and speedily and vnfeignedly returne vnto the Lord who graciously calleth vs saying Ezech. 18.30 31. Returne and cause others to turne away from all your transgressions presently after shewing how and in what sort we should come vnto him Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will you die O house of Israel which also Saint Iames expresseth notablie saying Submit your selues to God resist the diuell and he will flie from you Draw neere to God Iam. 4.7.8 and he will draw nigh to you Clense your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded men c. But herein alwaies we must take heed of and according to our vttermost seeke to auoid two dangerous yea deadly rockes The first is delay and putting off from time to time which as in other things so here is verie perillous Which also the holy Ghost insinuateth by stirring vs vp whilest it is called to day Hebr. 3.7 to harken vnto his voice and assaieth to cause vs more plainely to vnderstand it whilest in another place he prouoketh vs to redeeme the season because the daies are euill Ephes 5.16 Iohn 12 35. And Christ verie earnestly presseth it saying walke whilest ye haue the light adding therto for a better incouragement this reason least the darkenesse come vpon you and verie perspicuously in another place of that Gospell mencioning the like saying Iohn 9.4 the night commeth when no man can worke All which plainely bewraieth our strong inclination to this great euil and how hard a thing it is to recouer vs therefrom otherwise it had been sufficient by a word and away to assaied to reclaime vs. The second is a conceit which we haue that Gods great holinesse and our grosse iniquities will well stand together men many times supposing that God either doth not regard things or sinne done vpon the earth or hareth them not as is pretended he doth or cannot or will not punish according vnto demerit But if we knewe the truth of God as it is contained in the scriptures of God and how mightily there and else where it opposeth it selfe against the same we would quickly alter our mind What Shall not he that hath planted the eare Psal 94.9.10 heare or he that hath formed the eie shall hee not see or he that chastiseth the nations shall hee not correct hee that teacheth man knowledge shall he not know Psal 5.4 Againe God loueth not wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with him Nay which is more Habba 1.13 He is of pure eies and cannot see euill or behold wickednes And in another place In the hand of the Lord is a cup Psal 75.8 and the wine is red it is full mixed and he powreth out of the same Surely all the wicked of the earth shall wring it out and drinke the dregs therof All which we must acknowledge vnlesse we will with the Atheists blasphemously denie God to be or with the Epicures grossely suppose him to fit idlely in heauen or with the prophane carnall and carelesse presume of his mercy before hand But this we must assure our selues of that if we foster these such like conceits within vs as the wicked continually carie about with them it cannot be auoided but liuing their life we must die their death and that as we haue been fellowes with them and followers of them in their transgressions so also we must become partakers with them in their punishment Which if we would be sure indeed to auoid we must carefully do that that Saint Iames earnestly prouoketh vs vnto namely To be doers of the word Iam. 1.22 and not hearers onely deceiuing our owne selues and others also and to labour to haue our hearing mixed with faith which because the people in former time had not regard of Hebr. 4.2 that which they heard profited them not as the Apostle sheweth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes For your helpe therefore deare Christians that way and furtherance in other good works also there commeth out now and is published in print this worthie worke and godly treatise following Concerning which I will say no more but this that if you will read it reuerently as you should labour rightly to vnderstand it as ye ought and indeuour religiously to practise it in all the parts of it as in dutie and conscience you are bound you shall find not onely a gracious redresse of those things that either in times past haue been or presently are amisse in you but also feele a preuenting power of and against future euils yea I dare assure you in the word not of man but of God that you shall be caried along by the hand in the spirit Rom. 7.22 to delight in the law of God as in regard of your inward man and to be inabled by the mightie working of the same blessed spirit Rom. 7.15 no more to do that euill which you hate but to accomplish those good things which you vnfainedly loue that so being filled with the fruits of righteousnes religiō Philip. 1.11 which are by Iesus Christ to the glory and praise of God you may euen here in your hearts continually feele and else where in the life that is to come particularly and comfortably also heare that sweet sentence from our Sauiour Christs owne mouth Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world What shall I say more What am I able to doe else Phil. 2.13 It is God that must worke in you both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure For my part I can but exhort you to well doing I can but pray for you that you may beginne continue and increase in the same In these duties I haue not beene wanting according to such measure of mercie Hebr. 13.22 as I haue
our hearts also Iam. 4.8 as Saint Iames saith Clense your hands yee sinners and purge your harts ye double minded men and so draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Considering and remembring that in this case especially that common saying must be true Touch not holy things with vnwashen handes From whence also it cōmeth to passe as we see that so often as either prophets or godly kings among the people of God did call together eyther their household seruants and families or the priests or the whole people eyther to heare Gods word or to offer vp sacrifices or to intreat God when common calamities were at hand they exact demaund and call for nothing more than sanctification clensing and preparation thereto Places prouing that preparatiō or sanctification should goe before the word as in many places of the scriptures examples touching this point present themselues vnto vs. Amongest others see Gen. 35. vers 2. Exod. 19.10 1. Sam. 16.5 2. Chro. 15.12 2. Chro. 29.5 Ioel. 2.15.16 Heere we are to marke that this one word of sanctifying or sanctification comprehendeth vnder it all that dutie which a godly hearer that should prepare and fit himself to the sauing hearing of Gods word ought to bring with him yet because that is very large I will for more perspicuitie and plainnes sake more straitly aime at those things and more particularly put them down which are comprehended vnder this terme of sanctification as also what thinges are contrarie thereto and indeed should be remoued and amended For so by one and the selfe same labor it shal manifestly appeare that not only the very hearing of holy Sermons but that preparatiō also to that sauing healthful healing is not some light labor as sundrie suppose but a matter of verie great skill industrie trauell For euen as in the brittle fraile things of this world there is almost nothing that is not stopped as it were with certain his own lets hinderances for the remouing whereof men must especially labour and toile least both the thing it selfe and all the fruit and profit of it euen whilest it is greene as we say perish and come to nothing so to the hearing of Gods word and to the performance of Gods worship the most great grieuous and hurtfull difficulties of all others are obiected and set against the same yea shackles and more than yron setters which either altogether banish and withhold men from holy assemblies or else verily so snare and keepe their heartes in thrall that they make them that are present absent and rather shaddowes of men than men in the holy places of praierleaue them we may more truly say it liuing images in stead of those deaf dumb dead pictures that were wont to be there before But these lets obstacles must first of all be remoued And though by the things which haue alreadie bin spoken a man may easily coniecture and conceiue that they are of two sorts yet because for the most part they come together as if it were in troupes I will one after one rehearse them withall declare the remedies of them On the day therefore before the Sermons as also at other times Surfetting must be auoided yea continually men must abstaine from drunken feastes and gulling in of wine likewise in the morning before the Sermons they must abstain from burnt wine which in some places a man may see readie to be sold eyther at the gates and entrances into the Church or very nigh to Churches On the other side it is meete carefully to striue vnto sobrietie and temperance which a man may not vnproperly call the perpetuall fast or abstinence of Christians for surfetting in meat A reason drinke or otherwise as also the fulnesse of the former daies wine eyther tieth men wholly to their beddes and chambers and so draweth yea driueth them away from holy assemblies or else in them causeth them to do nothing but sinne This we may assure our selues of that drunkennes and surfetting take from men reason and the vse of vnderstanding in which consisteth the chiefest dutie of mans reasonable soule Whereupon the prophet Hosea pronounceth That wine new wine or strong drinke take away the heart Hose 4.11 Wherefore that vtterly taketh away the serious meditatiō and thought of Gods word his works and iudgements whether they be mercies or miseries and afflictions yea it remoueth the meditation of euerlasting life which thing also Isaiah obserued when vnto them that were giuen ouer to continuall quaffing drinking and were mighty to drinke wine and strong to mingle things which would make men drunk he ascribeth this that they regard not the Lords worke nor consider or behold the worke of his hands Esay 11.24 but despise the law of the Lord of hostes and contemne the word of the holy one of Israel With which agreeth that which our Sauiour Christ telleth vs Luke 21.34 when he affirmeth That by surfetting and drunkennes mens hearts are become heauie and oppressed so that they are not able to rise vp to the contemplation and beholding of heauenly thinges that so they might delight in God who is that chiefe and eternall good and in the sight and sense of his eternall saluation than which what can be spoken or thought more grieuous or that is or can be more hurtfull to mans saluation or more estranged from the end to which he was created Wherupon Saint Paul also dehorting Christians from drunkennes doth by a certaine opposition set as directly contrarie one of them to another the spirit of wine and the spirit of the Lord as also the effectes of drunkennes and of Gods spirit and on the other side exhorting men to the effects fruits or works of the holy ghost and euen vnto those exercises also which should be performed in the holy assemblies of the Church disswadeth them from drunkennes Ephes 5.17 18. as a most present infection and destruction of them all saying Be not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is And be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be fulfilled with the spirit speaking mutually among your selues in Psalmes Hymnes spirituall songs singing and making melodie to the Lord in your harts giuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God the father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ It shall not therfore be besides the purpose Remedies against the hinderance or let of surfetting if as at all times generally so particularly the day before the Sermon and chiefely before the Lords day men do vtterly and altogether abstaine from more long and intemperate feasts and bankets yea if by some lawe and authoritie of the magistrate wine-sellers and victuallers be forbidden that the day before the Lords day they shoulde but for a certaine time and space set them sell wine or victuals to any and the like to be laid vpon them also in the Sermon while except
rather with thēselues than with their teachers Yea they should besides thinke with themselues that such reproofes though they be grieuous and tedious to the flesh are yet notwithstanding healthfull medicines and strong defences that they should not be ouertaken by Sathan nor deceiued by the world 1. Ioh. 5.1 Gal. 6.8 that wholly lieth in wickednes and so of the flesh reape corruption yea destruction yea they should remember that open rebuke is better than secret loue and againe that the words of a louer are faithful and the kisses of an enemie are deceitfull as the Lord saith by Salomon Prou 27. vers 4.5 In greater parishes and larger congregations The greatnes or largenes of parish assemblies both because such Churches are deuided and dispersed in many places into many townes and villages many on the Lords daies are hindred from hearing of the word of God and also by reason of the badnes of the weather the waies likewise vnto their parish Churches being sometimes troublesome and tedious the wearisomenesse whereof eyther they will not indure and swallow vp or else sometimes cannot they are let therefrom eyther by olde age or by sicknesse or by care of small children and household busines c. Verie aged people and sicke persons respected All which though I denie not but that they are certaine impediments yet are they not sufficient to excuse mens daily negligence in hearing of Gods word vnlesse it be for the most part in verie olde people and in such as lie sicke in and vpon their beddes In this case how much more hard law The remedies did the Lord in times past lay vpon the people of the Iewes Exod. 23.17 Exod. 34.23 24. whom he would haue to appeare before the Lord three times euery yeare by far longer iourneyes by much more vnseasonablenesse of weather greater dangers causes and farre greater hazard of their worldly wealth yea Deut. 12.11 18. and euery one to bring their whole familie with them and that in Ierusaelem as if it were in the chiefe or onely parish Church and that not with emptie hands as perhaps couetous harts would perswade them but with the offerings of their hands as God had blessed all or any of them And least to hinder them in this worke they might pretend losse of their goods which to very many of them indeed if men would speake according to flesh blood could not be little or small or specially the inuasions spoiles that their enemies might make all the men meeting as it were in one place and the land left as it were naked of all helpe and defence God meeteth with this colour or feare or certaine danger if you will promising that he will so worke that not any of their enemies shall so much as couet their land Exo. 34.34 much lesse assault their emptie houses and countries whilest they go vp that they may appeare those three times in the yeare before the Lord. Yea so farre forth certainely did God meane to teach and testifie vnto vs that we should not neede to feare any disprofit or losse to come to our selues families or substance whilest for Gods seruice sake wee are constrained to be absent from our houses or rather willingly leaue them for a time As for the Iewes they are such carefull obseruers of this law that euen Ioseph and Marie with Iesus their sonne Examples of twelue yeares old came vp to Ierusalem Luke 2.42 according to the custome and manner of the feast And the Iewes also within their captiuities and sundrie exiles remained dispersed farre and wide here and there in the lands of the heathen and they likewise which of the Gentiles by their labour and trauaile had imbraced the Iewish religion did at Ierusalem frequent those feastes of the Iewes As for example are those religious persons Act. 2.5 that came euery one of them out of the places where they dwelt out of euery nation vnder heauen to Ierusalem and abode there on the feast of Pentecost And the Eunuch also a chiefe gouernour vnder Candaces the Queene Act. 8.27 So certainely the Queene of Sheba came to Ierusalem with a very great companie and with Camels which bare sweet odours and gold 1. King 10.1.2 c. exceeding much and precious stones to talke with that most wife king Salomon and to heare his wisedome Which example Christ himselfe alleageth against the contemners of Gods holy word saying Mat. 12.42 Luke 11.31 The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with the men of this generation and shall condemne them because shee came from the vttermost partes of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold a greater than Salomon is here So a great troupe Mat. 8.1 Iohn 6.1.2 c. out of diuerse and sundrie places of Galilie leauing all their businesses at home flocke vnto Christ and remaine with him full three daies together Mat. 15.32 induring also great hunger eyther because all the thinges which they had brought with them from home were consumed or else because they brought no victuall with them which falleth often forth in such sodaine and tumultuarie meetings But Christ willingly and of his owne accord regarded them and miraculously fedde them least feeling want and lacke of things necessarie for the sustentation of the bodie they might haue cause or pretend color of fearing euen from the very hearing of Gods word Wherefore the better we would haue eyther our houshold matters or priuate affaires prouided for A cōclusion we must so much the more diligently attend the studie and exercises of Gods word and so much the more cheerefully prepare ourselues to euerie iourney of our short life that so we may haue the more libertie and freedome to heare Gods word Al wee confesse that our life is our pilgrimage and that the daies of it are few and euill Gen. 47.9 and we haue not we cannot attaine vnto the yeares of the life of nor fathers And yet we laie vp for this brittle course as if we had many yeares to runne Whereas we know that man liueth not by bread onely Deu. 8.3 Mat. 4.4 Pro. 10.22 but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of God And againe the blessing of the Lord maketh rich Wherefore wee should first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes then all these things which we stand in need of for meat drinke cloth c. Mat. 6.33 Psal 127.2 should be giuen vnto vs otherwise it is in vaine for vs to rise vp earely to sit and to eate the bread of sorrowes But if mothers wiues or other of the household What wiues mothers others of the familie that cannot come must doe cannot safely sometimes by reason of their houshold businesses and attendance of infants vpon the Lords daies come vnto their parish Churches yet they must indeuour that turne by turne as it were vpon the next