beleeueth in the Sonne shall be saued This is not a Cup and yet as though the Cup were the new Testament it selfe it is called the new Testament because it signifieth the new Testament so the bread and wine are called Christes body because they signifie Christs bodie They which knewe that the Lambe is not the Passe-ouer though Christ called it the Passe ouer that Circumcision is not the Couenant though God calleth it the Couenant that Baptisme is not Regeneration though it be called Regeneration that the Cuppe is not the newe Testament though Christ called it the newe Testament could they not as well vnderstand that the bread wine were not Christs bodie though Christ called them his bodie As they vnderstood these speeches so they vnderstood this speech therefore they which say that the bread and wine are Christes bodie because Christ saith This is my bodie may as well say that the Lambe is the Passe-ouer because Christ calleth it the Passe-ouer that Baptisme is Regeneration because Paule calleth it Regeneration that the Cup is the new Testament because Christ calleth it the newe Testament If euerie Sacrament was called by the thing which it signified and yet neuer anie Sacrament was taken for the thing it selfe what reason haue they to take this Sacrament for the thing it selfe more than all the rest It is the consent of all Writers that a Sacrament is a signe therefore not the thing signified no more than the bush at the doore is the wine in the seller If I call the Prince a Phoenix the Vniuersitie a Fountaine the Court a Peacocke the Cittie a Sea the Countrey an Hermite why can the Papistes vnderstand mee and not vnderstand Christ What a darke and straunge and intricate and incredible speech had this bene for them to vnderstand groslie and literallie Would they thinke that they did eate Christs bodie when his bodie stood before them and he had told them before that his bodie was like their bodie Nay this would haue required moe wordes and made them come againe with Master what is the meaning for they were not so instructed yet before the resurrection to beleeue euerie thing without questioning if it were contrarie to sense and reason but as they asked who had giuen him anie meate when he said that he had meate they could see none so they would haue asked what meate is this which we see not How can euery one of vs eat his body yet he hath but one bodie that body is whole when we eat it Loe he standeth before vs saith that his body is like vnto ours yet he takes bread breaks it giues it vnto vs to eat when we eate it This is my body yet his body standeth before vs stil If his body be like ours as he saith how can it be eaten be there for ours cannot Thus they wold haue questioned if they had not bene vsed to such phrases but as they could vnderstand him when he called himself a stone a rock a doore a window a vine so they pickt out his meaning when hee sayd that bread was his bodie for hee had told them before that hee was the bread of eternall life Now the bread of eternall life is not eaten with teeth for the bodie cannot eate spiritually no more then the soule can eate corporally and therefore hee is such a bread as is eaten with faith and so himselfe saith in the Gospell of Iohn Marke this eating by faith and all the strife is ended Flesh and blood indeede neede not faith to chew them for the teeth can chew them well inough Therefore if the bread and wine were the bodie of Christ then we neede not faith to eate it but all which haue teeth might eate Christs bodie yea the Myce might eate it as well as men for they eate the same bread that wee doe as well after it is consecrated as before If this be not inough to batter the ruines of this vpstart Heresie I will come to Interrogatories and see whether they haue learned it by roate or by reason If they grounde their Transubstantiation vpon these wordes of Christ This is my bodie which hee spake to his Disciples I aske them whether they receiue that bodie which was mortall or that bodie which is glorified because one of these bodies they must needes receiue either his mortall bodie or his glorified bodie If they say that it is his mortall bodie the mortall bodie will not profite them for you see that mortall foode is but for this mortal life neither hath Christ a mortall bodie now to communicate vnto them because it is changed to an immortall bodie therefore they cannot receiue the mortall bodie because Christ hath not a mortall bodie to giue vnto them If they saye that they receiue his glorified bodie then they must flie from this Text for at that time Christ had not any glorified bodie When this Sacrament was instituted and Christ sayde This is my bodie his bodie was not glorified because the Sacrament was instituted before his death and his body was glorified after his resurrection Therefore if they receiue the same body which the Apostles receiued as they say they doe they cannot receiue a glorified bodie because then Christ had not a glorified bodie to communicate vnto them Thus the rockes and sandes are of both sides them they receiue a bodie neither mortall nor immortall if Christ hath any such body iudge you Here they stande like a foole which cannot tell on his tale Nabuchadnezzar dreamed a dreame and knew not what it meant Beside I aske them to whom Christ spake when he said This is my bodie Marke sayth hee spake to them that is to his Disciples well then if these wordes This is my bodie were not spoken to the signes but to the persons not to the bread and wine but to the Receiuers as the words which follow Doe this in remembrance of mee if these wordes were not spoken to the bread and wine then it is plaine that they doe not change the nature of the Bread and Wine If the nature of them be not altered then the substance remaineth and then wee receiue no other substance with them because two substances can not be in one place What then is there nothing in the sacrament but bread and wine like a hungry nunscion Nay wee say not that the sacrament is nothing but a bare signe or that you receiue no more then you see for Christ saith that it is his body and Paul saith that it is the communion of Christs body and blood Therefore there is more in sacramentall Bread then in common bread though the nature be not changed yet the vse is chaunged it dooth not onely nourish the body as it did before but also it bringeth a Breade with it which nourisheth the soule for as sure as wee receiue breade so sure wee receiue
many titles to make it more amiable It is called a lanterne to direct vs a medicine to heale vs a guide to conduct vs a bit to restraine vs a sworde to defend vs water to wash vs fire to inflame vs salt to season vs milke to nourish vs wine to reioice vs rayne to refresh vs a treasure to inrich vs and the keye to open and vnlocke heauen gates vnto vs. Thus the worde is named in al things that we should onely desire it in stead of all things And surely therefore the worde is in so small request among vs because wee know not what blessings it bringeth with it It is the word of saluation because it saueth the soule from pyning as the corne which Ioseph sent did Iacobs house from famine So that as Elisha sayd of Iordan wash and be cleansed so may we say of the word Heare it and be saued It is called the worde of life because it reuiueth the spirite as Elishaes bones reuiued the Israelites It is called the worde of reconciliation because it is like a golden chayne to linke GOD and vs together And in regarde hereof it is called a iewell of inestimable price as if all the treasure in Egypt were not wealthy enough to buy it And therfore as Dauid longed for the Well of Bethlehem so must we long and languish for the milke of the worde The Word is resembled to milke in three respects First because it is the onely foode of the faithfull as milke is the onely and proper foode of babes Secondly because it is not hard and intricate but playne and easie to be conceiued as milke is easie to be digested Thirdly because it is sweete and comfortable to the soule as milke is sweete and pleasaunt in taste For the first poynt the Lord chargeth the Israelites to doe whatsoeuer he had commaunded and not to adde or diminish any thing And Iosua Iosiah Ezra and the rest when theâ— would renew the Lordes couenant with the people reade nothing but the lawe to shewe that it was the only rule and square of al their duety and therefore Esay recalleth vs to the lawe and to the testimonie c. and Christ sends vs to search the Scriptures because by them we haue eternall life and therefore the Popish church which nor content with the milke of the Gospell hath broached manie heathen traditions and vnwritten trash doth not feede but choke and poyson her children with them and depriue the Lords people of this foode of life and like cursed Philistines stop vp the wells of water which other haue digged what doe they else but starue and famish so manie Nations For well may their hedge priests like drie Nurses delight and disport the children for a season but when hunger bites when the distressed conscience would bee fed and comforted then they are not able to affoorde them the very crummes from Christs table and therefore wee must needes account the estate of those congregations to bee full of dread and horror which haue not this milke of the word to feede their soules which want a good steward to giue them their meate in due season which like the AEgyptians lye crawling in the darke when other churches enioy most comfortable light Iaacob forsooke the blessed land of Canaan when it had no bread and can we be enamored of those assemblies where there is no soules foode If ye did consider my beloued that ye cannot be nourished vnto eternall life but by the milke of the word ye would rather desire your bodies might be without souls than your churches without preachers I tremble to thinke how oft you haue heard this and yet how little you haue performed it For the second poynt that the doctrine of the Gospel is plaine appeareth when the wise man saith Al the words of his mouth are plaine easie to him that wil vnderstand The testimony of the Lord is sure giueth light to the simple If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid vnto them that perish for as the Sunne which was made to lighten all things is most light so the word which was made to cleare all things is most cleare so that if there be no communion betweene light and darknes the word of God be a lanterne vnto our feete a light vnto our pathes then it is euident that the Word hath no darknes in it If we see not all thinges the fault is not in the light but in the eie as Agar could not see the water which yet was before her therfore our aduersaries falsly charge the Scriptures of exceeding hardnes and intricatenes When the spies were returned from Canaanâ— they could not say but that it was a good lande but they sayd it was hard to come by So the Papists must needes confesse that the Scripture is a good Word and yet to disswade the Lordes people from a serious and diligent search of it they bring vp a slaunder and say it hath many obscurities and by-pathes But as Elisha saw the horses and fiery chariots which his enemies could not see So beloued if yee come with a faithfull and a holy heart to the Worde and to the Scripture yee shall see that plainnesse and easinesse in the doctrine which our aduersaries cannot see For the third poynte that the Gospell is the onely comfort and consolation of a faithfull soule The Prophet Ieremie saith Thy wordes were found by mee and I did eate them and thy worde was vnto mee the ioye and reioycing of my heart Thy testimonies haue I taken for an heritage for euer for they are the ioye of my heart As a man will bee glad to be hired to a noble man so Dauid when hee had gotten the milke of the Worde reioyced as much as if hee had been hyred vnto God and therefore in all the storie of the Acts we see ioy and comfort to haue followed the word as Elisha followed Elias and would not leaue him So the wise men reioyced exceedingly when they saw the starre which should leade them to Christ so yee haue matter of great ioy comfort when ye heare the woord preached which shall carrie you to heauen like the chariots which conueyed Iaacob into AEgypt There be many Micols in this land which haue mocked King Dauid for dauncing before the Arke There are many which terme vs heady and foolish men because we come and throng prease thus to a sermon but as Christ said Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe So God forgiue them they know not what they say for if they did feele the calme of conscience the ioy of heart the consolation of spirite and the exceeding and euerlasting comforts in God which the faithfull possesse and enioye by hearing the word they would account vs not onely fooles but starke mad if al the pleasures or profites or daungers of the world should withdrawe or with-holde vs
It followeth This is my bodie Here is the fruite of his thankes before hee prayed that the bread and wine might be blessed they were blessed As Isaacks blessing shewed it selfe vpon Iacob whom he blessed so Christ his blessing appeared straight vpon these mysteries for it could not be said before This is my bodie because it was meere bread but now it may be called his bodie because his blessing hath infused that vertue into it that it dooth not onely represent his bodie but conuey his bodie and himselfe vnto vs. The efficacie of this blessing is in this Sacrament euer since sanctifying it vnto vs as well as it did to the Apostles euen as Christs praier staied Peters faith after Christ was dead Now ye haue heard the meaning of these words He tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs First as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondly as Christ when he had taken the bread blessed the bread to make it a spirituall food so Christ when he had taken our flesh powred foorth most rich and precious graces into it to make it food of life vnto vs. Thirdly as Christ when hee had blessed the bread brake the bread so Christ when hee had filled his bodie with most precious graces brake it vp like a rich treasure house his handes by the nayles his backe by the stripes his head by the thornes his side by the speare that out of euerie hole a riuer of grace and goodnesse might issue flow forth vnto vs. Lastly as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it so Christ by a liuely faith communicateth his bodie after he hath crucified it Hereby wee are taught that when we see the Minister take the bread to feed vs we must conceiue that Christ being God from euerlasting tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holie vse we must conceiue that Christ by vniting the Godhead vnto it sanctified his flesh for our redemption When wee see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies we must conceiue that Christ in his death brake his bodie to refresh our soules When wee see the Minister giue the bread to our handes we must conceiue that Christ as truly offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs. Because vpon these wordes the Papists ground their Transubstantiation that is that the bread is changed into Christs flesh the wine is turned into Christes blood whereby we eate the same bodie which dyed vpon the Crosse drinke the same blood which issued out of his side That you may see the blindnes of this Popish dreame I would haue you but marke euerie word of this scripture how they make against transubstantiation that ye may see them slaine like Goliah with their owne sworde Euen as God made Caiphas speak against himself so the scriptures which heretikes alledge do make against thēselues like the Baalites which wounded their owne flesh I may liken their allegations to Satans when he tempted Christ in the wildernesse he alleadged but one sentence of scripture for himselfe and that Psalme out of which hee borrowed it made so plaine against him that he was faine to picke here a word and there a word and leaue out that which went before and skip in the middest and omit that which came after or else hee had marred his cause the scripture is so holie and pure and true that no word nor sillable thereof can make for the diuell or for sinners or for heretikes yet as the diuell alledged scripture though it made not for him but agaynst him so doe the Libertines and Epicures and heretickes as though they had learned at his schoole Now there is no sentence of the scripture which the wiser Papists alleadge boldly for their Transubstantiation but this that Christ sayd This is my bodie by which they may proue as well that Christ is a doore because he saith I am the doore or a vine because he saith I am a vine for his sayings are like Figuratiue speeches must not be construed literally but this is heretikes fashion If you mark you shall see throughout that all the testimonies which the Papists alledge for their heresies are either tropes or figures or allegories or parables or allusions or darke speeches which when they presume to expound allegoricallie or literallie without conference of other scriptures then they wander and straie from the marke or else it is impossible that the truth should maintaine error that is that the scripture should speake for heresie if it were not peruerted therefore wee see that Eue neuer erred vntill she corrupted the text Now we will enter the lystes with our aduersaries and see whether these wordes doe proue that the bread and wine are turned into Christs bodie Paul saith Iesus tooke bread well then yet it is bread when he had taken it then he blessed it what did he blesse the bread which hee tooke well then yet it is bread when he had blessed it then he brake it what did he breake the bread which hee blessed well then yet it is bread when hee had broken it then hee gaue it what did hee giue the bread which he brake well then yet it is bread when he had giuen it they did eate it what did they eate the bread which hee gaue them well then yet it is bread when they did eat it then he sayd This is my bodie what did hee call his bodie the bread which they did eat well then yet it is bread If it be bread all this while when hee did take it and blesse it and brake it and gaue it and they did eate it when is it turned into his bodie here they stand like the Sadduces as mute as fishes Now that ye may see that not we only say it is bread and wine after the consecration in the 27. verse Christ himselfe doth cal it bread and wine after he had giuen it as hee did before And in Marke he saith I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine Here Christ saith that it was the fruit of the vine which hee drank but his blood is not the fruit of vines but wine therefore wine was his drinke and not blood Beside if you would heare Paul expound Christ hee sheweth that all our Fathers had the same substance of Christ in their Sacraments that we haue in ours for hee sayth They all did eate the same spirituall meate and al drinke the same spiritual drinke Straight hee saith that this meat and this drinke was Christ Marke that he sayth not onely They did eat the same meat that we eate but he saith that this meat was Christ and not onely so but
Doe this in remembrance of me that is these signes shall bee a remembrance of my death when you breake the bread you shall remember the wounding of my body and when you drinke the wine you shall remember the sheading of my blood If wee doe this is remembraunce of Christs bodie which was broken like the bread it is an argument that his bodie is not there because remembrance is not of thinges present but of things absent we remember not but wee see that which is before vs. This might put the Papists in remembrance that Christ is not sacrificed now when we do but remember his sacrifice this is not Christes sacrifice but a remembrance of his sacrifice he was sacrificed before and now it is applied lest his sacrifice should be in vaine This was done once reallie when he offered himselfe vpon the crosse therefore that offering was called a sacrifice because he was sacrificed indeed but this offering is called a Sacrament because it is but a signe of his sacrifice If Christ in this Sacrament were offered indeede then it should bee called a sacrifice as his once offering was but because it is but a remembrance of his sacrifice therefore it is called a Sacrament This is not a sacrifice of Christ but a sacrifice of our selues Lest we shoulde take it to bee a sacrifice of Christ Christ himselfe calleth it a remembrance of his sacrifice Do this in my remembrance Here is our worke as Christ hath done so must we doe so we minister and so you receiue wee can giue you nothing but that which we haue receiued from him as Paul saith Therefore if Christ did not giue his mortall bodie which stood before them and could not profite them nor his glorified bodie which was not glorified then and when it was glorified ascended vp vnto heauen and there abideth how can these iugling Priests make their God againe which made them They can no more turne wine into blood bread into flesh than they can commaund a gnat to become a camell for it is a greater worke to make God than to make the world Therefore as Christ saith When they tell you here is Christ and there is Christ beleeue them not So when they tell you that Christ is in heauen and that Christ is in earth in this place and that place beleeue them not for Elias ascension was a figure of Christes ascension when Elias was ascended yet some sought for his bodie vpon earth so though Christ be ascended yet manie seeke his bodie vpon earth but as they could not finde Elias bodie so these cannot finde Christes bodie although they haue sought three hundred yeares But if his bodie were vpon earth as they say should we handle it and touch it now it is glorified After his resurrection he sayd vnto Marie Touch me not because his bodie was glorified that is not to bee touched with fingers any more but with faith Therefore we reade of none which touched his bodie after it was risen but onely Thomas to settle his faith Thus you see wee neede to suborne no witnesses for euerie word in this Text which they alleadge for Transubstantiation doth make agaynst Transubstantiation whereby if Antichrist doth signifie those which are against Christ you see who may be called Antichrist There is no question in Poperie except Purgatorie the Popes publican and tasker about which the Papistes are at such ciuill warres among themselues as about this Transubstantiation They cannot tell when the chaunge beginneth nor what manner of change it is nor how long the change continueth some hang one way and some another like the Midianites which fought one against another And no maruell though their consciences stagger about it for to shew you the right father of it it was one of the dreames of Innocentius the third in the yeare of our Lorde 1215. so manie yeares passed before Transubstantiation was named and then a Pope set it first on foote so it came out of Rome the grandame of all heresies and for want of scriptures hath bene defended with fire and sword and swallowed mo Martyrs than all the gulfs of the Papall sea beside Now when the doctrines of men goe for scriptures you shal see how many errors rush into the Church for graunt but this to Pope Innocentius as the Papists do that the bread and wine are chaunged into Christes bodie First it wil follow that Christs body is not ascended vp to heauen because it remaineth vpon earth and so one of the articles of our faith shalbe falsified which saith He is ascended into heauen or if he be ascended and descended againe another article will be falsified which saith That hee sitteth at the right hand of his father that is as Peter saith he abideth in heauen Secondly it will follow that Christ hath not a true bodie but a fantasticall bodie because it may bee in manie places at one time for if his bodie be in the Sacrament he must needes haue so many bodies as there bee Sacraments nay hee must haue so many bodies as there be bittes in euerie Sacrament Thirdly it will follow that his bodie is diuided from his soule and consequentlie is a dead bodie because the bread is onely changed into his bodie and not into his soule Fourthly it will follow that the wicked and prophane reprobate may receiue Christ as well as the godlie because they haue a mouth to eate as well as the best Fiftly it will followe that Christes Sacrifice once for all was not sufficient because we must sacrifice him againe and breake his bodie and shed his blood as the Iewes crucified him vpon the Crosse Sixtly it will follow that the bread being turned into the bodie of our Redeemer hath a part of our redemption as well as Christ Seuenthly it wil follow that Christ did eate his owne bodie for all the fathers saie that hee did eate the same Bread which he gaue to his Disciples Lastly it will follow that a Massing Priest shalbe the creator of his Creator because hee makes him which made him All these absurdities are hatched of Transubstantiation Thus when men deuise Articles of their owne while they strike vppon the anuill the sparkes flie in their face and they are like the man which began to build and could not finish it When I see the Papist in so many absurdities for entertaing one errour me thinks hee seemeth like a Collier which is grymed with his owne coales Therefore as in maners we should thinke of of Peters saying Whether is it meete to obey God or men So in doctrines we should thinke whether it be meete to beleeue God or men Thus haue you heard the Author of this Sacrament The Lord Iesus the time when it was instituted in the night that he was betraied the manner how it was instituted after thankesgiuing the end why it was instituted for a remembrance of his death
begin well for as boords well ioined at the first sit close euer after but if they square at the first they warpe more and more So they which are well ioined are well maried but they which offend their loue before it be setled fade euerie day like a Marigold which closeth her flower as the sunne goeth down til they hate one another more then they loued at first To begin this concord well it is necessarie to learne one anothers nature and one anothers affections and one anothers infirmities because ye must be helpers and ye cannot helpe vnlesse you know the disease All the iarres almost which doe trouble this band doe rise of this that one dooth not hit the measure of the others heart to applie themselues to eithers nature whereby it commeth to passe that neyther can refrain when either is offended but one sharpeneth another when they had neede to be calmed Therefore they must learn of Paul to fashion themselues one to the other if they would win one another and if any iarre doe arise one sayth in no wise deuide beds for it for then the sunne goeth-down vpon their wrath and the meanes of reconcilement is taken away Giue passions no times for if some mans anger stand but at night it turneth to malice which is vncurable The Apostle sayth that there will bee offences in the church so sure there wilbe many offenses in mariage but as he saith these are trials who haue faith so these are but tryals who are good husbands who are good wiues His anger must be such a mood as if he did chide with himselfe and their strife as it were a sauce made of purpose to sharpē their loue when it waxeth vnpleasaunt like Ionathans arrowes which were not shot to hurt but to giue warning Knowing once a couple which were both cholerick and yet neuer fel out I asked the man how they did order the matter that their infirmitie did not make them discord He answered me when her fit is vpon her I yeeld to her as Abraham did to Sara and when my fit is vpon me she yeelds to me and so we neuer striue together but asunder Me thought it was a good example to commend vnto all married folkes for euery one hath his frenzie and loueth them that can beare his infirmitie Whom will a woman suffer if she will not suffer her husband and whose defects will a man beare if he will not beare hers which beareth his Thus much of their duties in generall now to their seuerall offices The man may spell his dutie out of his name for he is called the Head to shew that as the eye and the tongue and the eare are in the head to direct the whole body so the man should be stored with wisdome and vnderstanding knowledge and discretion to direct his whole family for it is not right that the worse should rule the better but the better should rule the worse as the best rules all The husband saith that his wife must obey him because he is her better therefore if hee let her bee better than himselfe he seemes to free her from her obedience and binde himselfe to obey her His first duetie is called Harting that is hartie affection As they are hand fasted so they must be heart-fasted for the eye and the tongue and the hand will be her enemies if the heart be not her friend As Christ draweth all the commaundements to loue so I may drawe all their dueties to loue which is the hearts gift to the bride at her marriage First he must choose his loue then he must loue his choise this is the oyle which maketh all things easie In Salomons song which is nothing else but a description of Christ the Bridegrome and the Church his spouse one calleth the other Loue to shew that though both doe not honour alike yet both should loue alike which the man may doe without subiection The man is to his wife in the place of Christ to his Church therefore the Apostle requireth such an affection of him towardes his Spouse as Christ beareth towarde his Spouse for he saith Husbandes loue your wiues as Christ loued his Congregation that is with a holie loue and with a heartie loue and with a cōstant loue as the Church would be loued of Christ Will not a man loue his glorie Why Paul calleth the woman the glorie of the man for her reuerence makes him to be reuerenced and her praise makes him to be praised Therefore hee which loueth not his wife loueth his shame because she is his glorie Eph. 5. 28. Paul saith Hee which loueth his wife loueth himselfe for thereby he enioyeth peace and comfort and helpe to himselfe in all his affaires therefore in the same verse Paul counselleth husbands to loue their wiues as their bodies And after in the 33. verse as though it were too litle to loue them as their bodies he saith Let euerie one loue his wife as himselfe that is as his bodie and soule too For if God commaunded men to loue their neighbours as themselues much more are they bound to loue their wiues as themselues which are their next neighbors As Elkanah did not loue his wife lesse for her barrennesse but said Am not I better vnto thee then tenne sonnes as though hee fauoured her more for that which she thought her selfe despised So a good husband will not take occasion to loue his wife lesse for her infirmities but comfort her more for them as this man did that she may beare with his infirmities too When Christ saith that a man should leaue father and mother and cleaue to his wife hee signifieth how Christ left his father for his spouse and that man doth not loue his wife so much as he should vntil he affect her more then euer he did his father or mother Therfore when God bad Abraham forsake all his kinred yet he bad him not forsake his wife as though the other sometime might be forsaken for God but the wife must be kept for God like a charge which bindeth for tearme of life His next dutie to loue is a fruit of his loue that is to let all things be common betweene them which were priuat before The man wife are partners like two oares in a boate therefore he must diuide offices and affaires and goods with her causing her to be feared and reuerenced and obeyed of her children and seruants like himselfe for she is an vnder officer in his Commonweale and therefore shee must bee assisted and borne out like his deputie as the Prince standeth with his magistrates for his owne quiet because they are the legs which beare him vp To shew this communitie betweene husband and wife he is to maintaine her as he dooth himselfe because Christ sayth They are no more two but one Therefore when hee mayntaineth her hee
vnnaturall they may say thou followest thy mother for she was vnnaturall first in locking vp her brests from thee and committing thee forth like a Cuckow to be hatched in a Sparrowes nest Hereof it comes that we say He suckt euill from the dug that is as the Nurse is affected in her bodie or in her minde commonly the childe draweth the like infirmitie from her as the egges of a Henne are altered vnder the Hauke yet they which haue no milke can giue no milke But whose breastes haue this perpetuall drought Forsooth it is lyke the goute no beggers may haue it but Citizens or Gentlewomen In the ninth chapter of Hosea thy brestes are named for a curse what lamentable happe haue Gentlewomen to light vpon this curse more then other sure if their breasts be drie as they say they should fast and pray together that this curse migro be remoued from them The next dutie is Catechize a childe in his youth and he will remember it when he is olde This is the right blessing which fathers and mothers giue to their children when they cause God to blesse them too The wrong mother cared not though the childe were deuided but the right mother would not haue it deuided so wicked Parents care not though their children be destroied but godly parents would not haue them destroyed but saued that when they haue dwelt together in earth they may dwell together in heauen As the Midwife frameth the bodie when it is young and tender so the parents must frame the minde while it is greene and flexible for youth is the seed time of vertue They which are called fathers are called by the name of God to warne them that they are in stead of God to their children which teacheth all his sons What example haue children but their parents and sure the prouidence of God doth ease their charge more than they are aware for a childe will learne better of his father than of anie other And therefore wee read of no Schoolemaisters in the scripture but the Parents for when Christ saith to the Iewes If yee be the sonnes of Abraham yee will doe the workes of your Father Abraham he sheweth that sonnes vse to walke in their Fathers steppes whether they bee good or bad It is a maruellous delight to the father and mother when people say that their children are like them but if they be like them in godlinesse it is as great delight to other as to the parents or else we say that they are so like that they are the worse for it Well doth Dauid call children arrowes for if they be wel bred they shoote at their parents enemies and if they be euill bred they shoote at their parents Therefore many fathers want a staffe to stay them in their age because they prepared none before like olde Eli which was corrected himselfe for not correcting his sonnes Are not children called the fruite of their parents Therefore as a good tree is knowne by bringing foorth good fruite so parents should shewe their godlinesse in the education of their children which are their fruite For this cause the Iewes were wont to name their children so whē they were borne that euer after if they did but thinke vppon their names they would put them in mind of that religion which they should professe for they did signifie some thing that they should learne An admonition to such as call their children at all aduentures somtime by the names of dogs euen as they proue after In 1. Kings 2. 2. we haue Dauid instructing his sonnes In Gen. 39. Iacob correcting his sonnes and in Iob. 1. Iob praying for his sonnes These three put together instructing correcting praying make good children and happie parents Once Christ tooke a childe and set him in the midst of his disciples and sayd He which will receiue the kingdome of heauen must receiue it as a little childe shewing that our children should be so innocent so humble and voide of euill that they may be taken for examples of the children of God Therefore in Psalme 127. 4. children are called the heritage of the Lord to shew that they should be trained as though they were not mens children but Gods that they may haue Gods heritage after Thus if you doo your seruants shall be Gods seruants and your children shall be Gods children and your house shall be Gods house like a little Church when others are like a denne of theeues Now I speake to one which is a mother so soone as she is married therefore peraduenture you looke that I should shewe the dutie of stepmothers Their name dooth shewe them their duetie too for a stepmother doth signifie a stedmother that is one mother dieth and another commeth in her stead therefore that your loue may settle to those little ones as it ought you must remember that ye are their stedmother that is in sted of their mother and therefore to loue them and tender them and cherish them as their mother did She must not looke vpon them like Rehoboam who tolde his people that hee would be worse vnto them then his predecessour for then they will turne from her as his subiects did from him but she must come to them as Dauid came to the people after Saules death and sayd Though your master Saul be dead yet I will raigne ouer you so she must say to them though your mother be dead yet will I be a mother so the children will loue her asmuch as their father Further these children are orphanes and therefore you must not onely regarde them as children but as orphane children Now God requireth a greater care ouer widowes and Orphanes than ouer anie other women or children Lastly you must remember that saying As you measure vnto other so it shall be measured vnto you againe that is as you intreate these children so another may come after and intreat your children for he which hath taken away the first mother and sent you can take away the seconde mother and sende a third which shall not be like a stepmother to yours vnlesse you be like a stepmother to these If these duties bee performed in marriage then I neede not speake of Diuorcement which is the rod of mariage and diuideth them which were one flesh as if the bodie and soule were parted asunder But because all performe not their wedlocke vowes therfore hee which appointed mariage hath appointed diuorcement as it were taking our priuilege from vs when we abuse it As God hath ordained remedies for euery disease so he hath ordained a remedie for the disease of mariage The disease of marriage is adulterie and the medicine hereof is diuorcement Moses licensed them to depart for hardnesse of heart but Christ licenseth them to depart for no cause but adulterie If they might be separated for discord some
predicament then those which borrow for necessitie and therefore if they bee not old enough to answer for themselues I am too yong to answer for them There are other borowers as I haue heard which for some secret cause would seeme barer needier then they are either because they would not bee charged deepely with subsidies or els because they would compound with their Creditors for a little therefore they will haue alwaies something for Vsurie that their Creditors may thinke them bare of monie or that other may pittie them in their charges These are like those Foxes which haue wealth ynough to pay their debts and yet lie in prison because they would defraud their Creditors I doubt not but there bee more sorts then I know I cannot hunt euerie corner because I want experience But this is my conclusion I would haue no man paie interest vnto Vsurers but for necessitie euen as a trauailer giueth his purse vnto a theefe because he cannot chuse Thus you haue heard what I can say of them which take vsurie and thē which giue vsurie Now you would vnderstand the last question if you haue bene vsurers alredie what you should doe with that money which you haue gained by Vsurie Surely euen as Zacheus did restore it againe If you cannot say as Samuell sayd Whose goods haue I taken then you must say as Zacheus sayde Whose goods haue I kept The best thing is to do no man wrong but the next to that is to make him amends This God signifieth when hee saith Put awaie the execrable thing from you that is Let no vnlawfull thing staie in your hands like the wedge of Achan which hee had got by sinne the same law serueth for all which is got wrongfullie which was instituted against theeues Restore it againe the reason of this lawe is because the sinne is not remitted vntill the debt be restored For as humilitie is the repentance of pride and abstinence is the repentance of surfet and alms is the repentance of couetousnesse and forgiuenesse is the repentance of malice so restitution is the repentance of vsurie As hee which is not humble dooth not repent his pride he which doth not abstaine dooth not repent his gluttonie he which doth not forgiue doth not repent his malice so he which doth not restore doth not repent his vsurie for how can he be said to repent for his Vsurie which liueth by vsurie still therefore Daniel saith to Nabuchadnezzar Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse shewing that nothing but righteousnesse can breake vnrighteousnesse As diseases are healed by the contrarie so pride is healed by humilitie gluttonie by abstinence malice by forgiuenesse couetousnesse by almes and vsurie by restoring This Paul calleth The reuenge of a Christian when he takes reuenge vpon his sinnes and punisheth his lusts so that hee maketh them doe contrary to that which they would do Therfore you must restore that which you haue got by vsurie or else you doe not repent of your vsurie As a Cammell when hee comes home casteth off his burden at the doore that hee may enter into his stable so they which are laden with other mens goods when they goe to Heauen must leaue their burthen where they had it least they be too grosse to get in at the narrow gate But as the Disciples of Christ said This is a hard speech so to them which haue got most that they haue by vnlawfull meanes this is a hard speech to bid them restore it againe there bee two great rubs in the way First the losse which they shall sustaine if they restore againe all which they haue got vniustlie Then the difficultie to restore it againe to the right parties If you aske me as Amaziah asked the prophet How shall wee doe for those hundred talents How shall I liue when all is gone that I haue got wrong fullie I can say no more then the Prophet said to him The Lord is able to giue thee more then this Zacheus did not feare how hee should liue but Zacheus did feare to offend so thou shouldest not feare to restore other mens goods but thou shouldest feare to keep other mens goods and as Zacheus liued when he had restored so thou shalt liue whē thou hast restored He which sayth Trie mee if I will not powre downe a blessing trye him whether hee will not poure downe a blessing for hee hath promised to blesse the Lender as well as the Sacrificer Hee which is the Lorde of all can giue thee more wealth then thou needest but if you cannot restore to the owner nor to his heires then giue it to the poore for they are the next heires and repent that thou hast kept it so long but in no wise thou maist keep it to thy selfe because it is none of thine When Hezechia was like to die Esay said vnto him Set thy things in order before thou die That which hee aduised him he aduiseth all set your things in order before you die What is this to set things in order but to restore vnto euerie one his owne When thou bequeathest thy bodie to the earth then thy bodie is set in order when thou bequeathest thy soule to God then thy soule is set in order when thou bequeathest thy goods to the owners then thy goods are set in order therefore if thou die with other mens goods in thy hand then thou diest before thou hast set things in order and then thou diest in thy sinnes and then no promise in all the scripture appertaineth vnto thee because nothing is promised vnto sinners but vnto penitent sinners Therefore that you may not die in your sinnes it is necessarie to make restitution before you die or else you die in your sinne and are crossed out of all the ioyes of Heauen Wherefore as Abner sayd to Ioab Knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end So remember whether this course will be sweet or bitter in the end If they be condemned which giue not their owne goods to them which neede like the rich glutton how can they bee saued which drawe other mens goods from them that haue more need of theirs Thus you haue heard the definition of Vsurie and the deriuation of it and the vnlawfulnes of it and the kinds of it and the punishment of it and the arguments which are alleaged for it and what may bee thought of them which doe not take vsurie but giue vsurie and what they should doe which haue got their liuing by vsurie Now seeing you may not bee Vsurers to men let euerie man hereafter be an vsurer to God which promiseth If thou leaue father or mother or wife or children or house or land for him not ten in the hundred but an hundred for ten nay an hundred for one and in the world to come life euerlasting that is a thousand for one That wee may receiue
this vsurie let vs pray that the words which we haue heard out of this Psalme may dwell with vs till we dwell in heauen FINIS THE BENEFITE OF Contentation To the Reader HEaring how fast this Sermon hath vttered and yet how miserably it hath bene abused in printing as it were with whole limmes cut off at once and cleane left out I haue taken a little paines as my sicknesse gaue me leaue both to perfect the matter and to correct the print Now as the Angell said to Iohn Take this booke and eate it so I wish that thou hadst so digested this doctrine that all the parts of thy bodie and soule were strengthened by it But if all this will not make thee content with that thou hast sorrowe that thy couetousnesse is greater then others and neuer loue thy selfe vntill thou canst find in thy hart to be blessed Farewell Thine H. Smith THE BENEFITE OF Contentation 1. Tim. 6. 6. Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that he hath BEcause when wee preach wee know not whether we shall preach againe my care is to chuse fit and proper texts to speake that which I would speak and that which is necessarie for you to heare Therefore thinking with my selfe what doctrine were fittest for you I sought for a text which speaks against couetousnes which I may cal the Londoners sinne Although God hath giuen you more then other which should turne couetousnes into thankefulnesse yet as the Iuie groweth with the Oke so couetousnesse hath growne with riches euerie man wisheth the Philosophers stone and who is within these walles that thinkes he hath enough though there be so manie that haue too much As the Israelits murmured as much whē they had Manna as when they were without it so they which haue riches couet as much as they which are without them that conferring your minds and your wealth together I may truely say this Cittie is rich if it were not couetous This is the diuell which bewitcheth you to thinke that you haue not inough whē you haue more then you neede If you cannot choose but couet riches I will shewe you riches which you may couet Godlinesse is great riches In which wordes as Iacob craued of his wiues and his seruants to giue him their Idols that he might burie them so Paule craueth your couetousnes that he might bury it And that ye might be no losers hee offereth you the vantage in stead of gaine hee proposeth great gaine Godlinesse is great gaine as if he should say Wil you couet litle gaine before great You haue found little ioy in money you shall find great ioy in the holy ghost you haue found little peace in the world you shall finde great peace in conscience Thus seeing the worlde striue for the worlde like beggers thrusting at a dole Lawyer against Lawyer brother against brother neighbour against neighbour for the golden Apple that poore Naboth cannot hold his owne because so manie Achabs are sicke for this vineyard when he had found the disease like a skilfull Physition hee goeth about to picke out the greedie worme which maketh men so hungrie and setteth such a glasse before them that will make a shilling seeme as great as a pound a cottage seeme as faire as a pallace a plough seeme as goodly as a diadem that he which hath but twentie poundes shal be as merrie as hee which hath an hundred and he which hath an hundred shal be as iocund as he which hath a thousand and he which hath a thousand shal be well contented as hee which hath a million euen as Daniel did thriue with water and pulse as well as the rest did with their wine and iunkets This is the vertue and operation of these words If you heare them with the same spirite that Paul wrote them they will so worke vpon your hearts that you shall goe away euerie man contented with that which hee hath like Zacheus which before he had seene Christ knew nothing but to scrape but as soone as he had heard Christ all his mind was set vpon giuing This was not the first day that Zacheus seemed rich to others but this was the first daie that Zacheus seemed rich vnto himselfe when riches seemed dung and godlines seemed riches Christ doth not will other to giue all their goods away to the poor as he bad the yong man to see what he would do but hee which forbad him to keepe his riches forbids vs to loue riches which makes our riches seem pouertie When ye contemne riches ye shal seem rich because no man hath inough but hee which is contented but if ye couet groue thrist as Iacob gaue Ruben a blessing but said Thou shalt not be excellent so God may giue you riches but he saith You shall not be satisfied for ye wil be couetous vntil ye be religious He that will haue contentation must leaue his couetousnes in pawne for it This is the spirit which we would cast out if ye will leaue but this one sinne behind you shall depart out of the Church like Naaman out of Iordan as if you had bene washed and all your sins swept away like the scales from Paules eyes For what hath brought Vsury simonie briberie crueltie subtiltie enuy strife and deceit into this Citie and made euerie house an inne euery shop a market of lyes and fraud but the superfluous loue of money Name couetousnes and thou hast named the mother of all these mischiefes other sinnes are but hirelings vnto this sinne Vsurie and briberie and simony and extortion deceit and lyes and oathes are factors to couetousnesse and serue for Potters to fetch and bring her liuing in As the Receiuer maketh a theefe so Couetousnesse maketh an Vsurer and Extortioner and Deceiuer because shed receiueth the bootie which they steale Euen as Rachel cryed to her husband Giue me children or else I dye so Couetousnesse crieth vnto Vsurie and Briberie and Simonie and Crueltie and Deceit and Lies Giue mee riches or else I dye how they may saue a little and how they may get much and how they may prolong life is euerie mans dreame from sunne to sunne so long as they haue a knee to bow vnto Baal so many vices budde out of this one that it is called The roote of all euill as if hee would saie the Spawne of all sines Take away couetousnesse and he will sell his wares as cheape as he he will bring vp his children as vertuouslie as hee hee will refuse bribes as earnestly as hee he will succour the poore as hartely as hee hee will come to the Church as lightlie as hee If ye could feele the pulse of euerie heart what makes Gehezi to take the bribe which Elisha refused What makes Demetrius to speake for images which Paul condemned What makes Naball deny Dauid that which Abigail gaue him What
makes Iudas grudge the oyle which Marie tendered Nothing but Couetousnesse When thou shouldest giue she saith it is too much when thou shouldest receiue she saith it is too little when thou shouldest remitte she saith it is too great when thou shouldest repent she saith it is too soone when thou shouldest heare shee saith it is too farre like Pharaoh which founde one businesse or other to occupie the Iewes when they should serue God Thus euerie labour hath an end but couetousnesse hath none like a suter in law which thinkes to haue an end this Tearme and that Tearme and the Lawyer which should procure his peace prolongeth his strife because he hath an action to his purse as his aduersarie hath to his land so hee which is set on coueting doth drinke brine which makes him thrist more and seeth no hauen till he arriue at death when hee hath lyed hee is readie to lye againe when hee hath sworne hee is readie to sweare againe when he hath deceiued hee is readie to deceiue againe when the day is past he would it were to begin again when the Tearme is ended hee wisheth it were to come againe and though his house bee full and his shop full and his coffers full and his purse full yet his heart is not full but lanke emptie like the disease which we call the Wolfe that is alwaies eating and yet keepes the bodie leane The Ant doth eate the food which she findeth the Lion doth refresh him selfe with the praie that hee taketh but the couetous man lyeth by his money as a sicke man sits by his meate and hath no power to take it but to looke vpon it like the Prince to whom Elisha sayde that hee should see the corne with his eyes but none should come within his mouth Thus the couetous man makes a foole of himselfe hee coueteth to couet hee gathereth to gather hee laboureth to labour he careth to care as though his office were to fill a coffer full of Angels and then to dye like an Asse which carrieth treasures on his backe all day and at night they are taken from him which did him no good but loade him How happie were some if they knewe not gold from leade If thou be wise saith Salomon thou shalt be wise for thy selfe but he which is couetous is couetous against himselfe For what a plague is this vnlesse one would kill himselfe for a man to spende all his life in carking and pining and scraping as though hee should do nothing but gather in this world to spend in the next vnlesse he be sure that he shall come againe when hee is dead to eate those scraps which hee hath gotten with all this stirre Therefore couetousnesse may well bee called miserie and the couetous miserable for they are miserable indeede Of them which seeme to bee wise there be no such fooles in the world as they which loue money better than themselues but this is the iudgement of God that they which deceiue others deceiue themselues and liue like Cain which was a vagabond vpon his owne lande so they are beggers in the middest of their wealth for though they haue vnderstanding to know riches and a mind to seeke them and wit to finde them and policie to keepe them and life to possesse them yet they haue such a false sight and bleare eye that when their riches lye before them they seeme pouertie and hee which hath not halfe so much seemeth farre richer than they Will you knowe how this commeth to passe To shewe that the couetous men belong to Hell they are like Hell while they liue Hell is neuer filled and they are neuer satisfied but as the Hors-leach crieth Giue giue so their hearts crye Bring bring and though the Tempter should saye to them as hee said to Christ All these I will giue thee yet all will not content them no more than heauen contentented him But as the Glutton in Hell desired a droppe of Water and yet a whole Riuer woulde not satisfie him for if a drop had bene graunted him hee would haue desired a drop more and a drop more and a drop to that so they will lye and sweare and deceiue for a drop of riches The Diuell neede not offer them all as hee did to Christ for they will serue him for lesse but if he could giue them all all would not content them no more than the world contented Alexander for it is against the name and nature of couetousnesse to be content as it is against the name and nature of Contentation to be couetous Therefore one saith that no mans heart is like the couetous mans heart for his heart is without a bottome A Prentise is bound but for nine yeares and then he is free but if the couetous might liue longer than Methushelah yet they would neuer be free-men but bounde prentises to the worlde while they haue a foote out of the graue It is a wonder to see as the Diuell compasseth about seeking whom hee maye deuore so men compasse about seeking what they may deuoure Such loue is betweene men and money that they which professe good will vnto it with their hearts will not take so much paines for their life as they take for gaine therefore no maruell if they haue no leasure to sanctifie themselues which haue no leasure at anie time to refresh themselues Christ knew what he spake when he sayd No man can serue two maisters meaning God and the world because each would haue all As the Angel and the diuel stroue for Moses body not who should haue a part but who should haue the whole so they striue stil for our soules who shall haue all Therefore the Apostle saith The loue of this world is enmity to God signifying such emulation betweene these two that God cannot abide the world should haue a part and the world on the other side cannot abide that God should haue a part Therefore the loue of the world must needes be enmitie to God and therefore the louers of the world must needs bee enemies to God and so no couetous man is Gods seruant but Gods enemie For this cause Paul in the fifth chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians and fifth verse calleth couetousnesse Idolatrie which is the most contrarie sinne to God because as treason setteth vp another King in the Kings place so Idolatrie setteth vp another God in Gods place This word doth signifie that the couetous make so much of money that they euen worship it in their hearts and would do as much for it as the Idolaters doe for their Idols Paul seeing such sinnes committed and such paines taken for gaine thought with himselfe If they could bee perswaded that Godlinesse is gaine it is like they would take as much pains for godlinesse as they take for gaine therefore hee taketh vpon him to prooue this strange Paradox that Godlines is
religion because the preachers did not agree or because the liues of professors gaue some offence therefore Paul sheweth that there is no cause why they should mislike the word for the Preacher or why they should despise religion for the professor because the word and the religion are not theirs which teach it and professe it but Gods and therefore can not be polluted by them no more than God Then hee concludeth that seeing it is necessarie that there shal be alwayes errours and heresies to trie vs we should also trie them and thereby be prouoked so much the more from errour or heresie or superstition that we abstain euen from the appearance thereof lest we fall into the sinne this is the scope of these words Despise not prophecying This admonition is as it were the keeper of the former for by prophecying the Spirit is kindled and without prophecying the Spirit is quenched and therefore after Quench not the Spirite Paule saith Despise not prophecying shewing that as our sinne doth quench the Spirit so prophecying doth kindle it This you may see in the Disciples that went to Emaus of whom it is sayd when Christ preached vnto them out of the law and the Prophets the spirite was so kindled with his prophesying that their harts waxed hot within them This you see againe in Sauls messengers which were sent for Dauid when they came among the Prophets heard them prophecie their spirite was so kindled that they could not chuse but prophecie also insomuch that Saul came after him selfe and hearing the Prophets as they did the Spirit came vnto him likewise and he prophecied too wherupon it was said Is Saul also among the Prophets This is no maruell that the spirit of man should be so kindled and reuiued and refreshed with the word for the word is called the Food of the soule take away the word from the soule and it hath no foode to eate As if you should take food from the bodie the bodie would pine And therefore Salomon saith Without visions the people perish that is without prophecying the people famish Therefore hee which loueth his soule had no need to despise prophecying for then he famisheth his owne soule and is guiltie of her death therefore that Pastor or that Patron which is the cause why any place doth want preaching is guiltie of their destruction because he which taketh or keepeth away the food doth famish the bodie The Apostle might haue sayd loue prophecying or honor prophecying but he saith Despise not prophecying And why doth hee forbidde to despise Prophecying Why did Christ say The poore receiue the Gospell but to shew that the rich did contemne it Why doth Paul say I am not ashamed of the Gospell but to shew that many are ashamed of it Euen so he saith Despise not prophecying shewing that the greatest honour which we giue to Prophets is not to despise them and the greatest loue which we carrie to the Word is not to loath it If we do not despise the preachers then we thinke that we honour them enough and if wee do not loath the Word then we thinke that we loue it enough therfore the Apostle sayth Despise not prophecying for Honour prophecying Prophecying here dooth signifie Preaching as it dooth in Rom. 1. 14. Wil you know why preaching is called prophecying To adde more honor and renown to the preachers of the word to make you receiue them like Prophetes and then Christ saith You shall haue a Prophets reward that is not such a reward as you giue but such a reward as God giueth Lastly if you marke Paul saith not Despise not Prophets but prophecying signifiing that from the contempt of the Prophets at last we come to despise Prophecying too like the Iewes who when they were offended with the Prophet charged him to prophecie no more Therefore as Christ warned his disciples to heare the Scribes and Pharisies although they did not as they taught so Paule warneth the Thessalonians that if anie prophets among them do not as they teach and therefore seeme worthie to bee despised like the Scribes and Pharisies yet that they take heed that they do no despise prophecying for the Prophets Because the preachers are despised before the word be despised therefore we will speake first of their contempt Christ asked his Disciples what they thought of him so I would aske you what you thinke of Preachers Is he a contemptible person which bringeth the message of God which hath the name of an Angel and all his words are messengers of life Prophets are of such account with God that it is sayd God will do nothing before he reueale it vnto his Prophets so prophets are as it were Gods counsellers Againe Kings and Priests and Prophets were figures of Christ al these three were annointed with oyle to shew that they had greater graces than the rest but especially the Prophets are called Men of God to shewe that all which are of God will make much of Prophets for Gods sake Therefore women are forbidden to take vpon them to prophecie lest that noble calling should become vile and despised by such vnskilfull handlers of it Therfore when the Prophet Elisha would sende for Naaman the leaper to come vnto him these were his wordes Naaman shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel as though all the glorie of Israel were chieflie in this that they had Prophets and other had none as if one Parish should triūph ouer another because they haue a preacher and the other haue none Therefore when this Prophet was dead Ioash the King came vnto his coarse and wept ouer his face and cryed O my Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and horsemen of the same shewing that the Chariots and horses and souldiers doe not so safegarde a Citie as the Prophets which teach it and praye for it Therefore when God would marke the Israelites with a name of greatest reproach hee calleth them A people which rebuke their Priests as if he should say vsurpers of the Priests office for they rebuke their Priests which are appointed to rebuke them How ioyfull and glad was Lydea when she could drawe Paul and Sylas to her house If you thinke me to be faithfull sayth shee come to my house shewing that neuer any guests were so welcome to her house before How tender was the Shunamite ouer Elisha that she built an house to welcome him and to keep him with her thinking all the places in her house too bad for him she built him a new roome to make him staie with her How much did the Galatians make of Paul that he saith they would pull out their owne eyes to doe him good So once a Prophet was esteemed like a Prophet And hath he bid you despise them now which bad you to honour them before No Paule chargeth vs to receiue our teachers as hee
which hee gaue once a yeare to his Leuite nor like the gluttons flaunt which ietted in purple euery day nor like the light clothes which Christ sayd are in kings Courts and make them lighter that weare them But it is like the garment of the high Priest which had all the names of the Tribes of Israell written vpon his breast so all the names of the faithfull are written in the breast of Christ and registred in the book of his merites it is like Elias mantle which diuided the waters So he diuideth our sinnes and punishments that they which are clothed with Christ are armed both against sinne and death It is like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare fortie yeares together they wandered in the desert and yet saith Moses their shooes were not worne but their aparell was as when they came out of Egypt So the righteousnesse of Christ doth last for euer and his mercies are neuer worne out As Mardocheus shined in the kings roabes before the people so and more glorious are the faithfull in the roabes of Christ before God When Christ was transfigured vpon the mount Mathew saith that his face shined like the Sun his clothes were as white as the light So when we are transfigured into the image of Christ wee shall shine before other men like lights and therefore Christs disciples are called Lights because they were clothed with light and shined to the world Salomō was not so glorious in all his royaltie nor the Lillies which are brauer than Salomon as he which is clothed with Christ because the apparel vpon him is better than al the world about him Therfore if Dauid said Weepe ye daughters of Israel for Saul which clothed you in purple I may say reioyce ye daughters of Israel for Christ which hath clothed you with righteousnes as it were with a vesture before you come to y t banket This is the Wedding Garment without which no man can feast with the Lord. This Garment is called an Armour because it defendeth vs from all the assaults of the diuell the flesh the world the heate of persecution and the cold of defection This Garment is called Light because it is the beautie glorie of them which weare it This Garment is called a Kingdome because none but Kings do weare it that is they are inthroned in the kingdome of Christ made kings ouer the world the flesh and Satan which weare this Garment like the haire of Sampson which while he wore he was like a king and all his enemies had no power to hurt him This Garment Paul hath sent vnto you to go before the king of heauen and earth a holy Garment a royal Garment an immaculate garment an euerlasting garment a garment whereof euerie hem is peace of conscience euerie pleate is ioy in the holy Ghost euerie stitch is the remission of some sinne and saueth him which weareth it If shee which touched the hemme of Christs garment was healed he which weareth the Garment nay he which weareth Christ him selfe shall not he be healed of all his sores though he were wounded from head to foote You need not cloath him now which saith When I was naked ye did not cloath me nor cast your garments in the way as they did when he came to Ierusalem but take his Garments and suffer your selues to be clothed as Noah did to couer your nakednesse As the good Samaritane put him vpon his owne beast which was spoiled with theeues and bound vp his sores when hee was wounded So Christ Iesus mounteth the faithfull vpon his righteousnesse and healeth their sinnes as though he should couer them with his garments whom the world the flesh and the diuell haue robbed of their garments that is the righteousnesse which they had in Paradise before the serpent came so if we put on Christ we are clothed with his obedience wherby our wickednes is couered we are clothed with his merits wherby our sins are forgiuen we are clothed with his spirit whereby our hearts are mollified and sanctified and renued til we resemble Christ himselfe This is the Apostles meaning to put on Christ as it is vnfolded in Col. 3. 12. Where he brings forth all the robes of Christ and sorts them saith put on mercie put on meeknes put on humilitie put on patience put on loue all which before he called the new man So that to put on Christ is to put on the new man with all his vertues vntill wee be renued to the Image of Christ which is like a new man amongst men They which labour to be righteous and yet beleeue that Christs righteousnes shal saue them haue put on Christ as Paule would haue them We are not taught to put on Angels nor Saints nor the virgin Mary nor Paul himselfe to couer our sinnes with their righteousnes as the Papists do but we are commanded to put on Christ and couer our sinnes with his righteousnes The bodie hath manie Garments but the soule hath one Garment Euery clout will couer our sores but the finest silke wil not couer our sinnes Therfore when we seeme braue to others we seeme foule to God because his eie is vpon our sins which lie naked whē al the rest is couered vntil we put on Christ then we hear y t voice Thy sins are couered thē we haue that blessing Blessed is the man whose sin is couered so we are clothed blessed together Yet this garment is out of request too rough for some too graue for others too base for others And therefore in stead of putting on Christ they put him off in stead of welcomming him they discharge him like the Gadarens that they may keepe their swine that is their beastly pleasures which he wold cast into the sea These are like the foolish souldiers which should haue made Christ their Garment and they cast lots vpon his Garments and diuided them and so spoiled them So do the Papists deale with this Garment they say it is not fit for them and therfore they breake it and mangle it and peece it with ragges of their owne inuentions they say it is too light and not able to beare off the stormes of death and heate of hell and therefore choose rather to make themselues garments of their merites and their masses and their penance and their pardons and their pilgrimages like Adam and Eue which made themselues coates of fig leaues which God destroyed againe to shewe that when men haue patched all their leaues of masses of pardons of pilgrimages satisfactions together yet they will not couer their nakednesse nor keepe off the heate of Gods wrath but are like the curtall skirtes of Dauids Ambassadors which hidde not their shame Therefore when wee may goe in our masters attyre shall we scrubbe
like beggers patched in our ragges Mine owne garments defile mee saith Iob Our owne Garmentes our owne righteousnes defileth vs for what garment what righteousnes haue we of our owne but that which is like a menstruous cloth which had more neede to be washed it self thā to wipe that which is foule Therfore Christ must make vs Garments or else when our backes flaunt it like Courtiers our soules shall strip like beggers And the diuels will sport themselues like Cham to see our nakednesse First the Father made vs Garmentes in Paradise now the Sonne makes vs Garments in the Wildernesse nay the Sonne is made our Garment as Paul saith Christ is made vnto vs righteousnesse that is Christs righteousnesse must be our Garment or else we shall be ashamed when our righteousnesse doeth not reach to couer our nakednesse but still some part will peepe bare vntill he cast his righteousnesse vpon it and then all is couered As Dauid needed no other armour against the Giant than a sling so we need no other Garment against sinne than Christ There wanteth nothing but this to put it on Now let vs see how to put this Garment on Many fumble about it like childrē which had neede of one to put on their cloathes Some put on Christ like a precious head tire which all day is worne beautified with iewels and beset with gemmes to make the face seeme more amiable but at night that riches is layd aside and the head muffled with some regardlesse tyre Thus do our curious women put on Christ who when they heare the messengers of grace offering this Garment and preparing to make the bodie fit to bee garnished with so glorious a vesture as Paul did the Romanes first washing away drunkennes and gluttony then chambring and wantonnes then strife and enuie and so sinne after sinne they seeme like the stonie grounde to receiue it with ioy and thinke to beautifie their head with this precious ornament but when hee tels them there is no communion between Christ Belial that if this Garment be put on all other vanities must be put off they then turne their day into darknesse and reiect Christ that woulde bee an eternall crowne of beautie to their heades and wrap their temples in the vncomely rags and refuse of euerie Nations pride and in these toyes they cause their seruants to spend manie howers on euerie day in the weeke but especiallie on the Sabboth day to decke their bodies as if they were but little children which had neede of one to put on their cloathes Some put on Christ as a cloake which hangeth vpon their shoulders couereth them when they goe abroad to bee seene of men they can cast on the cloake of holinesse and seeme for a while as holie as the best but so soone as they come home the cloake goeth off the man is as hee was whose vizard was better than his face Thus Hypocrites put on Christ as many retaine vnto Noble men not to doe them anie seruice but to haue theyr countenance Many put on Christ like a hat which goeth off to euerie one which meetes them so euerie temptation which meetes them makes them forget what they heard what they promised what they resolued and change their way as though they had not repented at all So the common people lyke your selues put on Christ they are zealous so long as they are in the Church and beate their breasts and cast vp their eyes like the Publican when they heare a sentence which mooues them as though they would do no more against that saying while they liue but the next businesse putteth all out of mind till they come to the Church againe Some put on Christ as a gloue which couereth but the hand so they put on the face of Christ or the tongue of Christ but their hands worke and their feete walke as they did before So manie professours of Religion put on Christ which call but for discipline and reformation that they might get a name of zeale and sinceritie to couer some fault which they would not be suspected of Thus euery man would couer himselfe with Christ but they haue not the skill or they haue not the will to put him on What will you do then Though the Garment bee neuer so good yet it is not good to them that do not weare it for what profite haue we of the Garments which we doe not weare they neither keepe vs from heate nor colde Therefore Paul doth not bring you a Garment to laye by you for the moaths but he bids you put it on Here is the cunning now in putting it on If Paule had taught vs this then you would hearken vnto him Well you shall heare what Paul saith to the putting it on First saith Paul you must cast away the workes of darknesse and then put on the armour of light first you must put off and then put on As the Eagles feathers will not lye with anie others feathers but consume them which lye with them so the Wedding Garment will not bee worne with filthie Garments but scornes like the Arke that Dagon should stand by it If any man may not weare womens apparell for lightnes may he weare the diuels apparell and cloath himselfe with pride with couetousnes with enuie with hypocrisie with vncleannesse and when hee is like the diuell sit at Gods table No man saith Christ patcheth a new peece to an olde Garment and wilt thou patch an olde peece to a new Garment God forbad the people to weare linsey wolsey because it was a signe of inconstancie but this is incōstancie it self He doth not put on Christ but putteth off Christ and putteth on Belial which fashions himselfe to God and the Worlde too As Christes coate was without seame so they must bee without stayne that weare it For when a man putteth on faire clothes hee maketh himselfe faire too and auoydeth euerie foule thing lest it should fowle his cloathes so must he which putteth on Christ for the finest Garment is soonest stained Therefore when thou hast put on this Garment thou must wash thy selfe and picke thy way and choose thy workes and handle nothing that is foule for marring thy cloathes that is thou must not thinke as thou diddest nor speake as thou diddest nor liue as thou diddest but remember that thou hast chaunged thy master serue him with whom thou art bound For if God and the diuell coulde not agree vpon Moses bodie for one to haue one part and the other another part but God would haue all much lesse will God agree that the diuell should haue part of the soule which would not yeeld him part of the bodie Thus haue you heard what you must put off now heare how Christ must be put on As the Angell taught Iohn to reade the Booke when he bad him eate it so we must put on Christ as
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
reasons do cry with Salomon Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth This is the Kings commendation or greeting to the Colledge of youth But how should young men remember God when olde men forget him If Noah be drunke who shall rebuke Cham It is time to remember GOD in age or to forget him for euer Therefore as the Isralites gathered twice so much Manna the day before the Sabboath as they gathered any day before that because they might not gather vpō the Sabbaoth so the gray head which looketh euerie day for the last Sabbaoth when he shall rest in the graue should pray twice as much heare twice as much doo twice as much to prepare the sacrifice of his bodie soule readie and acceptable vnto GOD because the night is at hand when he cannot heare nor pray nor repent any more It is said the Diuel is very busie because his time is short but an old mans is shorter What haste should he make that must goe farther than the Mores than the Sunne in a yeare or a mouth or a weeke which the Saintes were going all their life Therefore if youth had neede of legges age had neede of wings to flie vnto God But as Christ saide The poore receiue the Gospell though the rich be more bound so we may say the yong men receiue the Gospel though the olde men haue more cause The yong men follow Christ the yong men heare the word the yong men sanctifie themselues the young men stande for the church the yong men beare the heate of this day olde Noah is drunke old Lot is sleepie olde Sampson hath lost his strength Once the yonger brother did steale the blessing from the elder now he hath got it againe as the malice of Esau shewes which persecutes him for it I speake it to their shame they that weare the furres and scarlets as though they were all wisedome and grauitie and holines euen to the skirtes may say as Zedechias said to Micaiah When did the spirit depart from me and goe to thee When did zeale depart from vs and goe to you They are so nouseled to the world and acquainted with sinne that it is too late now for the world to speake vnto them they may looke vpon the signes of wisdome and grauitie and holines when they see their long beards and gray heads side gownes and aske why is this bush hanged out and no wine within What meruaile then if they be not reuerenced but mockt and pointed at when Sem and Iaphet had need to come againe and couer their nakednesse What a shame was it to the Israelites when Christ saide by a Canaanite I haue not found so great faith in Israel So what a shame is it to the elders that Christ may saye againe I haue not found so great faith nor knowledge nor zeale in Masters and Fathers and Rulers as in seruants and children and prentises Which made an olde Father of this Citie say which now is with God that if there were any good to bee done in these dayes it is the yong men that must doe it for the olde men are out of date their courage stoopes like their shoulders their zeale is withered like their browes their faith staggereth like their feete and their religion is dead before them Bee assured of this that yee are come to that time which your selues set to repent and yet as though there were another age to repent after olde age for you spende olde age like youth as if you were appointed to die in your sinnes God hath chosen the weake things saith Paul 1. Cor. 1. so I may say God hath chosen the young things to doe his woorke as if the Lord had spoken to you in his wrath Fathers I will prouoke you by your children Masters I will prouoke you by your seruants as once hee threatned to prouoake the Iewes by the Gentiles Therefore be of good cheere yong Daniel yong Samuel yong Timothie though our aduersaries be as the Aramites yet there be mo with vs than against vs. Flesh blood could not ouercome flesh and blood but if you be sanctified it is the spirite which hath sanctified you for the diuell would not goe out vnles a stronger than the diuell had entred the house when you come to be richer and elder like Demas then take heed that ye doo not embrace the world as Demas did turne to that which ye condemne The vine would not leaue her grapes nor the oliue her fatnes nor the fig-tree her sweetnes to bee a King but the bramble did hee is not a vine nor an oliue nor a fig-tree but a bramble made for the fire which leaueth his righteousnes to become worse He which is of the Church will say with the Church I haue washed my feete how should I defile them again Let the dogge turne to his vomite and the swine to their walloing but hold thou on thy sacrifice like Abraham to the euening of thy life and a full measure shalbe measured vnto thee as thou hast measured thy selfe Vnto the which measure without measure the Lord Iesus bring vs. FINIS THE TRIAL OF THE RIGHTEOVS PSALM 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of all THe summe of this verse is as if he should say Let the Righteous looke for mo troubles than other likewise let thē hope for greter comforts than other for when they are well they shall bee eclipsed againe to shewe that their light was but borrowed and when they are eclipsed their light shall returne to shew their difference from them whom God hateth which fall from plague to plague as they runne from sinne to sinne This verse hath three partes for heere the righteous are the agents their condition troubles and the Lord their deliuerer so manie things fall out contrarie vnto our mindes euery day that hee which wanteth patience in this worlde is like a man which standeth trembling in the field without his armor because euerie one can strike him and hee can strike none so the least push of pain or losse or disgrace dooth trouble that man more which hath not the skill to suffer than twentie tryals can moue him which is armed with patience like a golden shield in his hand to breake the stroke of euerie crosse and saue the heart though the bodie suffer for while the heart is whole all is well A sound spirit saith Salomon will beare his infirmitie but a wounded spirit what can sustaine Pro. 19. 14. Therefore as the lid is made to open and shut to saue the eie so patience is set to keepe the soule and saue the heart whole to cheare the bodie againe Therefore if you marke when you can goe by an offence and take a little wrong and suffer a trouble quietly you haue a kinde of peace and ioy in your heart as if you had gotten a victorie and the more your patience is still the
our sinnes are washed with Christes bloud when our bodies are washed they are taken out of the water againe to signifie how we shall be raised from death to life by the resurrection of Christ and how we should rise from sinne to righteousnesse thus we begin our life with a solemne promise to God before the Church to serue him with our bodies and soules till death vs depart Now let vs remember how we haue kept this promise with the Lord or rather how we haue broken promise with him then we gaue our selues to GOD but since we haue giuen our selues to sinne then wee promised to renounce the world but euer since we haue embraced the world therefore now let vs begin to pay that which we ought so long and pray the Lord which hath instituted this Sacrament as a seale of his mercie to receiue this child into his fauour as we receiue it into his Church to baptize it with his spirit as wee baptize it with water and powre vpon it his grace as we giue it the signe of grace FINIS THE PILGRIMS WISH PHILIP 1. 23. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ. HEere is Pauls desire to be dissolued and the cause that he might be with Christ wherein first you shal see the difference betweene the faithfull and the wicked how one loatheth this life and the other longeth after it Secondly because the Apostle seemes to desire death you shall see whether any man may wish to die Thirdly because after his dissolution hee hopes to bee with Christ you shall see the diuersitie of iudgements betweene Paul and the Papists which think when they are dead that they shall goe on to Purgatorie Lastlie because the soules which are with Christ cannot walke as they did when they liued vpon the earth you shall heare a little of walking spirits which haue beene so much talked of in the time of poperie and were taken for the soules of them which were dead after wee will speake a little of the Sacrament which yee come to receiue and so commit you to God I desire to be dissolued Before Christes comming when the Kings or Patriarches died it is said that they went to their fathers as we read of Dauid and Salomon c. but after Christs comming when the faithfull die they are said to go to Christ as we read of the penitent thief Luke 23. 43. Not because the Patriarches went not to Christ as well as they but because yet Christ was not ascended to heauen therefore they are not to go to Christ although if they went to heauen they must needes go to Christ because Christ touching his Godhead was alwaies in heauen I desire to be dissolued As the wordly long for Christ to come to them so the faithful long to go to Christ for vnlesse we ascend to him as he descended to vs his descending is in vaine because he came downe that we might go vp he descended to take our flesh we ascende to take his kingdom he descended to be crucified we ascende to be glorified he descended to hell we ascend to heauen that is to ioy to glory to blisse to our father to our Sauiour to our comforter to Angels to Saints to eternall life therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be at rest for no doubt it was the sweetest voice that euer the theefe heard in this life when Christ said vnto him This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise Luke 23. chapt vers 45. Besides as Paul persecuâ—ed before so he was after persecuted himselfe as he tels the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 24. I was thrise beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwrake c. Therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be out of trouble Yet he wil not dissolue himself but desireth to be dissolued that is that he which brought him into this world would take him out of the world neither doth he wish or pray or make any petitioÌ„ to God to take away his life but tels him his desire desiring to be dissolued to desire is not to pray but shewes what we approue neither doth he desire so to be dissolued as though he were weary of his labors would suffer no more for Christ but he is content to liue as he saith in the 24. vers Neuertheles for me to abide in the flesh were better for you as if he should say to do you good I am content to suffer euil and stay still from Christ whom I long to be with Seeing then that he wil not dissolue himself nor pray to be dissolued but is content to liue stil why doth he say I desire to be dissolued Onelie to shew what he preferreth in his desire if hee might choose life or death for his owne respect he could be content to leaue friends and riches and pleasures and life and all onely to bee with Christ This seemes to be a good lesson for sickemen when they can liue no longer then to be with Christ were better then to be with the glutton which neuer thought of heauen til he was in hell but Paul was not sicke nor sore when he desired to be dissolued therefore this is not onely for the sicke but for the whole If he had wished to liue stay still in the world no man need to be taught to say after him for yong old desire not to be dissolued but few are content to bee dissolued To a naturall man in this life nothing is so sweete as life it selfe and he which is in loue with this world seldome dyeth quietly vpon his bed but to a minde which misliketh this worlde nothing can come so welcome as death because it takes him out of the world This it is which Paul would haue vs learne that nothing in this world is so pretious or pleasant that for it we should desire to liue or stay from God one hower though all may not wish to die yet all must subscribe to this that death is better then life because it leads to Christ which when Paul had throughlie tasted he was satisfied for all things else and desired to liue no longer that he might bee with Christ heerein appeareth the end of mans life which when he hath obtayned he desireth to liue no longer how great riches and honours and friends soeuer he leaue behind him From the time he knoweth Christ crucified and begins like Enoch to walke with God he cryeth euer after with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne death weare to me aduantage Euen as Simeon reioiced that Christ came to him so the faithfull reioice that they shall go to Christ The necessitie of sinne is so irksome to him which knoweth the vilenesse of sinne that the faithfull man but to doe good would not liue
out of heauen no not one hower This made the Martyres so willing to abide any kinde of death that tyrannie could deuise to be rid of their sinfull bands and this corruptible burthen which presseth downe the soule that looks after Christ like his disciples when he ascended to heauen All is trouble and wearines and vanitie to the godly mind whether he eate or drinke or sleepe he counteth it a seruitude vnto the flesh and wisheth with Dauid to be rid from these necessities so the knowledge and loue of God maketh a man forget his owne flesh maketh him despice the whole world taketh away the difference from life and death changeth his nature which hee could neuer ouercome and teacheth him to renounce his deere selfe and say though he should die Not my will but thy will bee done All this appeareth in this example what operation is in the knowledge and loue of Christ it made the world irksome vnto Paul which all men naturally desire it made death pleasant vnto him which all men naturally abhorre although they bee wearie of their life and haue no pleasure from morning to night yet it will not please them to change which they needes must they neuer loath but loue their miseries I will not dye one houre to liue for euer Doe not the wicked themselues prophecie by their feare of death a worse condition of some dreadfull iudgement after this life prepared for sinners and all that contemne GOD when none but they stande in such feare of death Why dooth one wish for it and another tremble to heare of it If it were but a sleepe no man would feare it at all for who feareth to take his rest when the night approacheth If it did take away sence and feeling and make men trees or stones no man would feare it at all for who would feare strokes if hee could feele no more then a stone or who would care for any thing if he had no sence of anything would any man tremble so to bee as the dead creatures which haue no sence of euill They must needes be in better case than the happiest man in this life which is not without the sence of euill Therefore this feare of death which you see in all but the faithfull dooth presage some strange torment some heauie change and sharpe punishment to those men which they begin to tast alreadie before they dye like the spirite which persecuted Saul before his end They desire not to be dissolued but they feare to bee dissolued they goe not to Christ but their departure is an euerlasting departure from Christ to the damned to the diuels to hell without either end or ease or patience to endure it Thus you see that no man is willing to die before his conscience bee quieted towarde God and that he can catch some hope of a better life after this life He which knowes that he shall go to Christ it is impossible that he should die vnwillingly but he which can not hope for a better world must needs leaue this world grudginglie and feare death more then all the terrors of life He had rather to be sicke and cold and hungry and want and beg then go with death because he knoweth what he suffereth here but hee knoweth not what he shall suffer hereafter Therefore he which is not willing to be dissolued hath not â—earned Christ yet as Paul did for no man esteeme this life when he begins to taste of the next but then the loue of the world doth fall from him like the mantle of Elias when he was rapt into heauen The Apostle had seene many good things in his daies and was neuer satisfied willing to be dissolued but thirsted still and no water could quench his thirst vntill hee dranke of the water of life and then hee thirsted no more so nothing can fill the soule which was made for God but God alone Riches and honors pleasures did not make Simeon willing to die but the sight of Christ happie are the eyes which see him for they are as willing to die as Simeon was So soone as Iohn Baptist did see our Sauiour and knew that it was hee hee debased himselfe as if hee had beene nobodie and would not bee accounted of but sought to loose the opinion of the people that Christ might haue all although he was a Prophet and more than a Prophet and not a greater amongst the sonnes of women So when Paul had seene his Sauiour hee forgot all that he loued all that hee desired and all that hee possessed no ioye no glorie no life now but to die All thinges must yeelde to the Sonne and bee content with Iohn that hee increase and wee decrease This is our glorie and life that hee liueth in glorie It is enough saith Iacob for me that Ioseph my sonne liueth it is enough for vs that Iesus our Sauiour reigneth If the head be crowned all the bodie is more honoured therefore let vs glorie that Christ is glorified and reioyce as much that hee is ascended as our fathers reioyced that he descended for where the head is there the body must needes be I desire to be dissolued he calleth his death not a destruction but a dissolution for three causes First he departeth from this life and hath no more societie with them that liue vpon the earth Secondly his soule departeth from the bodie vntill the day of resurrection then she findeth her owne bodie agayne and they reioyce like friends which are met together Thirdly he departeth from this vale of miserie into the paradise of ioy and all felicitie to liue and reigne with God for euer in assurance whereof he saith that he shall bee with Christ so that death is the way to Christ As the Doue found no rest vntill she came to the Arke so the faithfull find no rest till they come to Christ they goe through the wildernesse like other men Vntill the Iewes arriued at Canaan all their life was spent in sinfull Egypt or in the dreadfull desert during the time of their iourney they had no setled rest or continuing pleasure Peace beginneth when the battell endeth there is the prerogatiue of the dead least death should bee too fearefull to vs. The best of Gods blessings are behind that is euerlasting life and the way to it is death thou art going to ioye therefore looke not for it vntill thou come to thy iourneys ende If Canaan the land of peace the land of plentie the land of pleasure bee in the wildernesse stay heere march no further whither doe you goe like the Pilgrims of Israel if Canaan be in the wildernesse But Paul lookes for the crowne at the gole he is not with Christ but trusts to bee with Christ he is not in heauen but he hopes to come to heauen and this hope led him through the wildernesse that he murmured not like the Israelities but only longed for
that day when Christ shall say vnto him as he said to the penitent theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thus you haue heard the difference betweene the faithfull and the wicked how the one lotheth this life and the other longeth after it Now wee come to our questions Simeon said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace so Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ they doubted not as the Papists doe what should become of them after death for one saith that he goes to Christ the other saith that he goes to peace therefore it seemes that Purgatorie was not yet found when the iust men went to peace This is one of the fruits of a godly life it hath hope saith Salomon in the end in death it warranteth a man of life when the flesh saith feare and the serpent despaire it makes the flesh crouch and the serpent flye the soule reioyce while death is opening the prison doore that she may flie to her countrey from whence she came Therefore what shall I say to Purgatorie if Paul go to Christ Simeon goe to peace Some say that it is in the ayre some say that it is in the earth some vnder the earth some a little aboue hell Thus Nabuchadnezzar cannot assoile his owne dreame You must vnderstand that Purgatorie is like your paynted Sepulchers which are framed more for the liuing then for the dead for you know that the locusts of Rome liue by Trentals and Dirges and Masses for the dead as the Siluersmiths in Ephesus liued by Images and therefore as they were loth that Images should goe downe so they are loth that their Purgatorie should bee quenched for it is the gainfullest lye in all Poperie for out of this lake issue their Masses and Dirges and Trentals for the dead They are sayd for the dead but they make for the liuing For the dead haue no portion of al that is done vnder the sun doe what you will say what you can Masses Dirges or Trentals they haue no portion in it for they haue receiued their reward alreadie and the tree lieth where it fell yet these foolish virgins hope for oyle of the wise virgins and thinke they shall be paied for other mens labours and almes and trentals pilgrimages and Masses as though they neuer read that the iust shall liue by his owne faith that he which beleeueth shal not go to iudgement but passe from death to life that they that die in the Lord rest from their labours how doe they goe presently into Paradise if they stay at Purgatorie and fire torments Hath Christ satisfied for vs must wee now make satisfaction for our selues Whither the glutton and the beggar are gone thither must we all that is to Abrahams bosome or hell fire there are but two kindes of men and therefore but two waies and where then is Purgatorie which the best of the fathers confesseth that he could neuer finde in Scripture Therefore take heed of hell for Purgatorie is but a scarre babe Furthermore when Paul sayth that he shall goe to Christ this seemes to resolue the old question often debated among the simple people once deluded whether the soules of men departed walke after death and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or that as Gregorie or some counterfeit reporteth in his Dialogues The Apostles before their full groweth might seeme to bee incumbred with this errour because when they saw Christ walking vpon the waters they sayd It is a spirite and when Peter knocked at the doore in the night they sayd to Rhode a Damsell It is his Angel Act. 12. 15. Which errour was drawen from the elusion of Sathan and vulgar opinion receiued from Pythagoras which taught that the soules of men departed did returne into the bodies of other men after death either for correction or for reward if they were good soules then they were preferred to better men if they had been badde soules then they were cast into worse bodies then they had before a fine Philosophicall dreame This deluded Herod when hee heard of Christ he supposed that Iohn Baptist was risen againe whom he had beheaded and the better sort of the people as we reade in Mat. 16. 14. dreamed that Christ was Elias or Iohn Baptist or Ieremie or some of the Prophets risen againe But touching the soule once departed from the body that it returnes not nor can returne into the world many examples and testimonies and reasons the order of our resurrection declareth The soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord no man or diuell can take them out of his hands the soules of the wicked are in the hands of the diuell and God will not take them out of his hands and therefore Abraham sayth He which is here cannot come from hence and they which be there cannot come frō thence for then the paines of hell were not euerlasting paynes not the ioyes of heauen euerlasting ioyes but temporal like the paynes and ioyes of this world Therefore it is no soule which walks about How then What is this which I see in the night like such a man and such a man The Diuell which chaungeth himselfe into an Angell of light to deceiue can change himself into the likenes of a man much more that is it which thou seest as Saul sawe Samuel 1. Sam. 28. 8. not Samuel himselfe For could the Witch raise Samuel out of the graue which could not keepe her selfe out of the graue or could the diuell disturbe the Prophet after death Then he should neuer be quiet if the diuell could disturbe him because hee disquieteth the godlie so much while they liue If this apparation bee called Samuel how doth he call it Samuell if it be not Samuel As the Bookes of Caluine are called Caluine as the picture of Beza is called Beza as he which playeth the King vpon a stage is called a King as the golden Myce and Hemerodes which the Philistines layd in the Arke were called Myce and Hemerodes although they were but meere shapes and figures of them so this likenesse of Samuel is called Samuell though it was not Samuel in deede but a counterfeit shape of Samuel For GOD would not answere Saul before by Oracle nor by Priest nor by Prophet and would hee aunswere him by the dead which dooth forbid to aske counsell of the dead No sayth Abraham they haue Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. As if hee should say let them learne of the bookes of the dead for the dead shall not returne vnto them Againe if it had been Samuel himselfe which had taught Saul to worship GOD woulde that holie Prophet haue receiued worship himselfe as this spirit did Againe If it had been Samuel Sauls Schoolemaster which taught him alwayes to repent while hee liued hee would rather haue exhorted him to repentance now
then before seeing the daye of his death was so neere But you will say Whatsoeuer it was it seemes that he could prophecie of things to come for hee foretold Sauls death Can the diuell prophecie This was an easie matter for the diuell to prophecie because he knew that Dauid was annoynted before and therefore Saul must be remooued that he might reigne as he was annoynted Secondly he knew that Samuel had prophecied his confusion and therefore hee must bee degraded that the Prophecie might bee fulfilled Thirdly hee did see the Philistins comming against him and therefore no meruaile if he did aime that his death was neere at hand seeing a man might prophecie the same If any man bee not satisfied with this to beleeue that the soules of the dead doe not walke after their dissolution let mee reason with him thus Is it a soule which thou seest Why a soule is a spirit and cannot bee scene no more then a voyce or an Eccho diddest thou euer see thine own soule though it hath been euer with thee since thou was borne Doest thou thinke it is a bodie Why a bodie cannot walke without a soule for the soule is the life which mooueth the bodie If thou say it is a bodie and soule too then why doth Paul call death a dissolution It is a separation of the soule from the bodie if the bodie and soule bee not dissolued then the man is not dead but liuing still If thou say the soule is come to the bodie and the bodie is risen to the soule for that time then I can say no more to thee but beleeue thine owne eyes If thou thinkest that it is such a mans bodie which thou seest looke in the graue and open the ground and there thou shalt see the bodie where it was laide euen while this vizard walkes in thy sight therefore apparitions are no other then that which appeared to Saul Thus the Diuel hath many wayes to deceiue and this is one a dangerous one to draw vs from the word of God to visions dreames and apparitions vpon which many of the doctrines of the Papists are grounded They had neuer heard of Purgatorie but for these spirites which walked in the night and tolde them they were the soules of such and such which suffered in fire till their masses and almes and pilgrimages did raunsome them out So these night spirits begate Purgatorie and Purgatorie begate trentalles as one Serpent hatcheth another Yet a third question riseth out of these wordes and that is this Whether a Christian may wish for death As Paul desired so may wee desire if wee haue Pauls spirit As Christ told his Disciples when they asked him whether they should pray for fire from heauen as Elias did Christ answered that they knewe not of what spirit they were as if he should say If you were of Elias spirit and did praye with the same mind and to the same end that he did then you might pray as he prayed The wicked wish to die because they would bee rid of the crosse and suffer no more for God as Cain so soone as he was cursed and knew that his life should be a torment he sought to dye to preuent the iust iudgement of God spight him as it were which shuld punish sinnes So doe the people oftentimes which haue not to satisfie hunger the sicke which saint of an incurable disease and the wearie captiues in prison galleis and bonds As for the faithfull if they at any time wish to die they pray for death as the last remedy against sinne and Sathan euen as they pray in the Reuelation for the hastening of Christs comming to iudgement Come Lord Iesus come quickly for the shortening of the daies of sinne least all flesh should perish But they which wish for death in this sorte would dye as the will of God hath ordained and mortifie their flesh to abide these troubles and still by fayth suppresse the doloruos griefe of sin by frequent meditation of inward ioy receiued by grace in Christ and therein reuiue themselues as with the earnest pennie of their inheritance which they shall receiue at the fit time when it shall comfort them much to haue suffered so long Much therefore haue they to answere which are not contented to die in peace and stay till they bee dissolued but as though themselues were the authors of life death from cruell heart giue wrongfull commission to the bloodie hand to cut asunder that which God hath ioyned the louing soule and their body as Iudas Achitophel Saul and Pilate did not one of these was good in life or death Yet the Author of the Macchabees commendeth Raz is most of all for that which was the greatest sinne that euer he did for killing himselfe Man was not borne of his owne pleasure neither must hee die at his owne lust or else it had been good for Iob which suffered more than any Saint except Christ to make away himselfe as Iudas did But why is it commanded then thou shall nor kill If thou maist not kill another much lesse maist thou kill thy selfe As for the example of Sampson Iud. 16. 30. which may seeme to oppose against this in that he killed himselfe when as he pulled the house vpon his owne head and all that were with him vnderstand that hee was a figure of Christ which vanquished moe in his death than in all his life and it appeareth that he had warrant from God in that his strength being taken from him was for the acte in a moment restored to him vpon his prayer And the Epistle to the Hebr. 11. 13. to cleere that fact saith that he did it of faith that is knowing that he had deserued to die and that by these meanes the enemies of God should bee destroyed he submitted himselfe to the good will of GGD like a good Captaine which ventured his life to kill his enemies therefore we must not looke to particultr examples but to the generall law Wherfore let no man doe this euill that any good may come of it but rather follow the aduise of the holy Apostle as it becommeth vs with patience let vs runne out the race which is set before vs. Here I might shew you that they are guiltie of their owne death that kill themselues with surfetting intemperance drunkennesse c. although they loue their life too deare yet they take all meanes to hasten their deaths Thus much of Purgatorie night spirits and praying for death Nowe it remaneth that as the Leuites sanctified their brethren before they did eate the Passeouer so I would prepare you before yee eate this holy Sacrament of which the passeouer was but a signe The Iewes were taught of God before they did eate the Passeouer to put away leauen out of their houses the daie before Exod. 12. 15. Hath God care of leauen No this is it which the Apostle teacheth 1. Corinth 5.
recorde against it selfe repenting for breaking this commaundement and that commaundement and neuer repenteth for breaking this commaundement reioice euermore It is not an indifferent thing to reioyce or not to reioice but wee are commaunded to reioyce to shew that wee breake a commandement if we reioyce not Oh what a comfort is this when the comforter himselfe shall coÌ„maund vs to reioyce God was wont to say repent and not reioice because men reioyce too much but heere God commaundeth to reioyce as though some men did not reioyce enough Therefore you must vnderstand to whom he speaketh In 149. Psal 5. It is said Let the Saints be glad not let the wicked be glad and in Esaiah 40. 1. Hee saith Comfort my people not comfort mine enemies shewing to whoÌ„ this commandement of Paul is sent reioyce euermore it is not in this as Christ saieth that which I say vnto you I say vnto all but that which I say vnto you I say not vnto all Giue wine saith Salomon vnto him that is sorrowfull that he may forget his griefe So giue comfort vnto him which is penitent that he may forget his feare Salomon saith fiue times that this is the portion of man vnder the sunne to receiue the gifts of God with thankefulnes and to reioyce in them hee which would haue vs holy as he is holy would haue vs ioyfull as he is ioyfull he which would haue vs do his will vpon earth As the Angels doo it in heauen would haue vs reioyce vpon earth as the Angels reioyce in heauen he which hath ordained vs to the kingdome of Saints woulde haue vs reioice that we haue such a kingdom to receiue Therefore he saith to his Disciples Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life as Bâ—az said vnto Ruthâ— goe not out of this fielde to gleane in any other field for here thou shalt haue inough so he woulde not haue vs goe from this comfort vnto any other comfort for here we shall haue enough the spirite of God is called the Comforter because we should haue comfort in it I will send you the Comforter saith Christ to shew that they which haue the spirit haue comfort too and they which resist comfort resiste the spirit therefore the sonne of GOD is called the Consolation of Israell to shew that hee bringeth Consolation with him and that ioye is where Christ is as light is where the SuÌ„ne is Therefore the chiefest ioy is called the ioye of the holie Ghost to shewe that they haue the chiefest ioye which haue the holie Ghost therefore the greatest peace is called the peace of conscience to shew that they haue the greatest peace which haue a good conscience therefore the faithfull are said to be annointed with the oyle of ioy as though ioie were in their countenance therefore they are said to be cloathed with the garmeÌ„t of gladnes as though gladnes did compasse them like a garment therefore Paul in al his Epistels doth ioine grace peace together shew that the peace of God doth follow them which haue the grace of God It is not in vaine that the holy Ghost when he named Barnabas interpreted his name too because it signifieth the sonne of consolation as though he delighted in such men as were the sonne of consolation Comfort one another saith Paule How shal we comfort one another without comfort Therefore Paule saith GOD comforteth vs that we may be able to comfort other by the comfort wherby we our selues are comforted of God shewing that wee cannot comfort other vnlesse wee be comfortable our selues and therefore that we may performe this dutie we are bound to nourish comfort in our selues Paul saith I am full of comfort who then can say I am full of sorrow but he must contrarie Paule As the bodie may not offend the soule so the soule may not iniure the body because it is the bodis keeper but a pensiue man doth iniure the body and the soule too for Salomon saith A sound spirit will beare his infirmities but a wounded spirite who can beare As if he should say The heart must be kept couragious and strong liuely like an instrument which is tuned to tune all the rest or els euery griefe wil make thee impatient In Deut. 30. 9. it is said that God reioiceth to doe vs good therefore in the 28 of Deut. the Iewes are reprooued because they reioyced not in the seruice of God As he loueth a cheerfull giuer so hee loueth a cheerfull seruer and a cheerefull Preacher and a cheereful hearer and a cheereful worshipper and therefore Dauid saith Let vs sing hartelie vnto the Lord shewing as it were the tune which delighteth Gods eares If you would know with what tune ye should sing vnto God Dauid saith Heartelie that is you must giue heartelie you must loue heartelie you must obey heartelie you must pray heartelie and when you do all thinges heartely then you shall doe all things cheerfully Therfore now I may say vnto them which resist comfort and nourish griefe as the Prophet saith Who hath required these things of you GOD doth require no sorrowe but the sorrow for sin no feare but the fear to sin no care but the care to please him nay hee hath forbidden al other care and therefore Peter saith Cast your care vppon him As though God did not allow vs to care he sent his Apostle with this charge Cast your care vppon him As wee doo cast our sinnes vpon Christ so we must cast our cares vpon him for God hath commaunded vs to labour but not to care because care hindereth our labour like the Samaritanes which seemed to helpe the Iewes to build the Temple hindered them to build the Temple so care and sorrow thought seeme to helpe vs in our labours our studies our prayers and our strife but indeede they hinder vs for they take al the time from that which we should do disable vs to do it and therefore when care commeth to vs we shal answere it as Christ said vnto Sathan Auoide Sathan auoide care for euery care which is not of God is of Sathan and we may not beare that which God commaundeth vs to cast vppon him shall I hang my ioy and my faith and my hope because I haue sinned as Iudas hanged himself The Scripture saieth not let him which hath stolne despaire of mercie but Let him which hath stolne steale no more and it is enough As we are taught to discerne of spirites of doctrines so we must discerne of cares and sorrowes for when Paul saith There is a repentance not to be repented of Hee sheweth that there is a repentance to be repented of that is a repentance which is a sin like the teares of Esau which wept not for his sins but for
terrours of Iudas come vppon the soule the tongue cannot hide his sinne for despaire and horror will not bee smothered But hee which hath Sauls spirite haunting him will rage as Saul did There is a warning conscience a gnawing conscience The warning conscience commeth before sinne The gnawing conscience followeth after sinne The warning conscience is often lulled a sleepe but the gnawing conscience wakeneth her againe If there bee anie hell in this world they which feele the worme of conscience gnawing vpon their hearts may truely say that they haue felt the torments of hell Who can expresse that mans horror but himselfe Nay what horrors are they which he cannot expresse himselfe Sorrowes are met in his soule as at a feast feare thought anguish deuide his soule betweene them All the furies of hell leape vpon his heart like a stage Thought calleth to Feare Feare whistleth to horror horror beckeneth to despaire and faith come and helpe mee to torment this sinner One saith that shee commeth from this sinne and another saith that shee commeth from that sinne so he goeth through a thousand deaths cannot die Irons are laid vpon his bodie like a prisoner Al his lightes are put out at once hee hath no soule fit to be comforted Thus he lieth as it were vpon the racke sayth that he beares the world vpon his shoulders and that no man suffereth that which he suffereth So let him lye saith God without ease vntil he confesse repent call for mercie This is the goodlie waye which the Serpent sayde would make you Gods and made him a diuel Therefore at last learne the sleight of Sathan in this wretched traytor His subtilties are wel called the depth of Sathan for is so deepe that few can soūd him Now he lets Iudas see his sinne before he hid it from him Vntil he had sinned hee made as though it were no sinne but with promises and bribes mufled his face and couered the vilenesse of his fact lest shame should keepe him frō it But whē he had done he made it seeme as vile as hee could to make him despaire for it All his baites are made of this fashion that the sinne is done before the punishment bee considered Let vs not looke for Iudas to come out of hell to warne vs for this is written for our learning therefore Be as wise as Serpentes that the Serpent may not deceiue you The Petition of Moses to God The Text Deut. 3. Chap. 23. 24 verse And I besought the Lord the same time saying O Lord God thou hast begunne to shew thy seruant thy greatnes and thy mightie hand for where is there a God in heauen or earth that can doe like thy workes and like thy power HEere Moses teacheth vs howe to pray hee beginneth first and telleth God that he hath begunne to shewe him fauour well might Moses so say for hee was no sooner borne but the Lorde beganne to shewe him his greatnesse in sauing him when he was cast into the Riuer and deliuering him vnto a Kings daughter to be brought vp and after by his mightie prouidence bringing him to his mother to be nursed If all that the Lorde hath done for him till this time be considered hee had great cause to say O Lorde thou hast begun to shewe thy seruaut thy greatnes Heerein Moses in some part sheweth himselfe thankefull for that hee hath receiued trusting thereby to intreat GOD to continue his benefits and louing-kindnes towards him which is a thing that pleaseth God for which of vs hauing a friend at whose hands wee had receiued a benefite heretofore if we should stand in neede of him againe woulde not saie vnto him Sir you haue beene my friend heretofore and many waies good vnto mee the consideration whereof at this time hath imboldened mee to come vnto you againe Who is it but will account this a thankfull fellow and saye see it is a good deede to doo for one which sheweth himselfe so thankfull Euen so Moses commeth to God he is not like one who sitting in his doore and seeth one day by daye come by him and salute him and yet taketh no acquaintance so that if he stand in need of him either hee knoweth not where he dwelleth or els because he is not acquainted with him he is abashed to aske any thing of him Moses is not such a one but hee is acquainted with the Lorde who so often passed by him and therefore he now sayth Thou hast begun O Lord thou hast begun to shewe thy seruaunt thy greatnesse and thy mightie hand Of this is already spokē what this greatnes and mightie hand which God shewed to Moses was we haue alreadie heard namely that mightie deliuerance which the Lorde euen from his birth to this time had sent him in the time of neede For where is there a God in heauen or in earth that canne doo like thy woorkes or like thy power Here Moses challengeth all the Idoll Gods and telleth them that amongst them all there is not one of them that can doo like his God So God when he is opposed and set against his enemies is then most glorious and confoundeth them all Now Moses procedeth in his prayer saying I praye thee let mee goe ouer and see the good land that is beyond Iordan that goodly mountaine Lebanon But the Lord was angrye with mee for your sakes and would not heare mee and the Lord said vnto me Let is suffise thee or bee content speake no more vnto me of this matter Get thee vp into the top of Pisgah c. Heerein is foure things to be considered First the prayer of Moses in these wordes I pray thee c. Then the answere of God for his prayer then the mitigating of his anger set downe in these wordes Let it suffise thee or be content c. Speak no more vnto mee of this matter Then the promise which God maketh vnto Moses that hee shall see the land of Canaan though not possesse it First for the prayer of Moses set down in these wordes I pray thee let mee goe ouer and see the good Land c. Here Moses prayeth like one of vs who are alwayes crauing but neuer haue respect to the will of God to say Thy will bee done Christ hath not taught vs to aske Our dayly bread before he taught vs to say Thy will be done and therefore Christ when he went to pray after hee had prayed that if it were possible that houre might passe from him Yet after remembring how hee had taught his Disciples before returned againe and saide Neuerthelesse not that I will but that thou wilt bee done And our prayer made after this sort is the cause many time why wee are not hearde therefore let vs hereafter learne in our prayers to pray that Gods will may bee doone What this Mountaine Lebanon is surely Moses meaneth the place where the Temple shoulde bee built
man much more should mā humble himselfe for men therefore though Paul speake of a matter wherein he might commaunde as he saith to Philemon I might commaund thee yet as he did rather beseech him so he doth rather beseech them Marke the subtiltie of wisedome as I may call it As the serpent did vse pollicie to tempt so the Preacher may vse pollicie to conuert and so Paule won Agrippa to beleeue by perswading him that he did beleeue It was Pauls Office to teach the Romans but it was Pauls pollicie to beseech the Romans vntill compulsion need gentlenes is better than bitternesse Lenitie deserues to goe first and correction hath no place if perswasion wil serue I beseech you brethren we doe not vse to intreat and beseech but for our profite but Paul did beseech them for their profite Wee would haue other humble themselues to vs but Paul humbled himselfe to his inferiours to make them humble themselues to God Here the Preachers may take example of the Preacher of the Gentiles the louing phrase is the Apostles phrase and hee which beseecheth shall perswade easier than hee which thundereth Many haue beene drawn with the cordes of loue which coulde neuer bee haled with the chaines of iron God is loue and his Ministers must speake like loue or else they doe not speake like Paul he which fisheth for soules and doth not take his Net shall fish all daie as Peter fished all night and catch nothing Although a temperate Preacher be a wise Preacher and this be our pollicie to intreat and beseech you like Paul yet you should not looke to be intreated like the guestes which woulde not come but to bee compelled like the guests which came to the banquet For you must be intreated to your profit It is no reason that Christ should pay and pray the seruant praieth but the maister commaundeth Yet Paul hath not done his preparatiue hee is loth that his suite shoulde take the repulse and therefore he vseth a Mediatour vnto them and beseecheth them by the mercies of God I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God mercie is a louing soliciter and worthy to be heard because it heareth againe God doth intreate vs by the same Mediatour that we intreat God we intreate God for his mercie and God intreateth vs for his mercie So that mercie is like a signe betweene vs which calleth God to heare vs and vs to heare him What will not a good subiect doo for a mercifull Prince Many sweet things are in the worde of God but the name of mercy is the sweetest word in all the scriptures which made Dauid harpe vpon it 26. times in one Psalme sixe and twentie times he repeats this in the hundred thirtie and sixt Psalme For his mercie endureth for euer It was such a cheerefull note in his eares when he stroke vpon mercie that like a bird which is taught to record when he had sung it hee sang it againe and when hee had sung it againe he recorded it againe and made it the burden of his song For his mercie endureth for euer Like a Nightingale which when she is in a pleasant vaine quauers and capers and trebles vpon it so did Dauid vpon his mercie For his mercie endureth for euer But heere Paule speakes in the plural number not by the mercie but by the mercies of God There is a plurality of Gods mercies his lesser mercies in his corporall blessinges and his greater mercies in his spirituall blessinges his temperall mercies in earth and his euerlasting mercies in heauen his preuenting mercies in deliuering vs from sinne and his following mercies in pardoning of our sinne Howe many sinnes came with Adam and howe many curses came with sinne so manie mercies came with Christ to answere thē both Therefore when Paule coulde not number them for multitude hee was faine to laie them downe together in the grosse summe and in a word called them mercies as if hee should saie I cannot number the mercies of God but the lesse I can number them the more they are Thus much why Paul calleth them brethren and why he beseecheth them and why hee remembreth them of Gods mercies Now he hath prepared the way he commenceth his suite that they woulde giue their bodies to God hee speakes not heere of the soule though he would haue them giue their soules too As you may see in the next verse but he speakes heere of the bodie to shewe that the bodie is a seruant to God as well as the soule both are too little and therefore one is not enough And therefore Paul saith Glorifie GOD in your bodies and in your soules too but here he speakes the rather of the bodie to shewe that their battaile will be with the fleshe and that the fleshe will be vnwilling to this Sacrifice as Christ saith the spirit is willing but the flesh is fraile That is the fleshe will not afforde anie thing to GOD though he do neuer so much for her yet she is like churlish Naball which will doe nothing againe Therefore the Apostle vrgeth so to giue the body as if he should say drawe forwarde that which he draweth backeward and let the conuersion beginne where sinne hath his roote if you can winne the fleshe which is like Nabal the soule will come like Abigail and bring her traine with her Now to shew how we should giue our bodies to God the Apostle saith giue your bodies a Sacrifice to God That is you must giue your bodies to God as if you did Sacrifice them The Lawe appointed a Sacrifice in which all the members were offered together So yee must giue your members to God for the bodie is all all is but partes of the bodie therfore if you must giue your bodies you must geue eie eare tongue hand and feete vnto him For the heart sayth Paule doth but beleeue because it is not enough to beleeue therefore hee addeth the mouth doth confesse as it is as necessary to confesse vnto Saluation as to beleeue vnto Iustification So it is as necessary to sacrifice the tongue as the heart What then is the tongue enough Nay sayth Christ hee which hath an eare to heare let him heare Is the eare enough Nay saith Dauid Lift vp your handes to his Sanctuarie Is the hand enough Nay saith Salomon Let thine eyes beholde the right Is the eye enough Nay saith Salomon Remoue thy foote from euill So the worde passeth like a Collectour from one member to another to gather tribute for GOD vntill the body haue paied as well as the soule Therefore in Deut. 6. 5. GOD commaundeth not onely Thou shalt loue the Lord with all thy soule with all thy mind but with all thy strength that is if thou canst doe any thing for him with the strength of thyne hand or the strength of thyne eie or the strength of thine eare or any part else
Antichristes religion yet we bee of Antichristes fashion so long as wee shew foorth the same badge and cognisance you know what I meane This is to iumpe with the world and leape to hell This is not to be in fashion but out of fashion therefore nowe yee shall heare the best fashion It followeth Be you changed by the renewing of your mindes This is the second part of your reasonable seruice The changing and renewing of the minde to the likenesse wherein it was created As before he required you to giue your bodies so here hee requireth you to giue your mindes Outwarde seruice is like a tinckling Cimball though it hath neuer so pleasant a sounde yet it doth not please God because it hath no minde to please him so is the seruice of the eie or the eare or the hand or the foote if the minde be away it may please other like the Cimball but it pleaseth not God The body is a seruant as well as the soule but there is no promise made to the bodilie seruice but to the Spirituall seruice For vnlesse the minde worke the bodie will serue but a while Therefore make cleane within saith Christ Sanctification begins within vntill the minde be renewed the body is neuer sacrificed Therefore now Paul shewes as it were the knife that must kill this sacrifice that is the minde the minde must sacrifice the bodie Be ye chaunged as if he should say Suffer your selues to be chaunged as Noah suffered himselfe to bee couered that is Grien◠not the spirit doe not resist God bee not against your conuersion and GOD wil conuert you God will comfort you God will renew you By this renewing of our minds Paule calleth to our remembrance that once we had a pure minde and that we come the neerer vnto God the neerer we draw to that similitude againe And therefore the Scripture calleth so often for a newe man a newe creature a new heart As ye may reade Psal 51. 10. Dauid praieth the Lorde to create him a new heart not to correct his olde heart but to create him a new heart Shewing that his heart was like an old garment so rotten and tattered that he coulde make no good of it by patching and peecing but must euen cast it off and take a newe Therefore Paul saith Cast off the olde man Not pick him and wash him till hee bee cleane but cast him off and begin a new as Dauid did Wil yee knowe what this renewing is It is the repairing of the Image of God vntill we bee like Adam when hee dwelt in Paradise As there is a whole olde man so there must bee a whole new man the olde man must chaunge with the new man wisedome for wisedome loue for loue feare for feare his worldy wisedome for heauenly wisedome his carnall loue for spirituall loue his seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holie thoughts his vaine wordes for holesome wordes his fleshly works for sanctified works If the minde must be so renewed I would know of the Papists where are their pure naturals if our naturals were pure our mindes neede not to bee renewed for it is good to bee pure and euill to change it but because there is no purenes in vs therefore the Apostle would haue vs changed Againe let them tell me why our mindes should bee renewed if we haue free will to doe good if wee list But because our mindes are so corrupted that wee haue no free will to good nor will to doe good neither therefore the Apostle would haue our mindes renewed Thus one word of God hath battered two Castles of Antichrist FINIS A looking Glasse for Christians Rom. 12. 3. I say through the grace that is giuen vnto me to euerie one that is among you that no man presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that he vnderstande according to Sobrietie as God hath dealth to euerie man the measure of faith FIrst of the Preface and then of the counsell In the first verse of this Chapter Paule perswaded the Romanes by the mercie of GOD towardes them heere hee perswadeth them By the grace of GOD towardes him Paul speakes like a man in his deathbed which is set to giue good counsel and goeth from one lesson to another as though hee would speake al with a breath First he counselled them to make their bodies serue God because the bodie is a seruant as well as the soule then he forbad them to fashion themselues to the worlde because no man can serue two contrarie maisters Then he aduised thē to renew their mindes because except the minde be reformed the body will serue but a while And he setteth them to seeke Gods will because the will of man doth seduce him And now to make vp this Testament as it were hee admonisheth them to rest in the knowledge of Gods will and not to search further nor to be proud of their knowledge but to vse their knowledge to humble their pride This lesson may seeme vaine to the Romanes for they were not yet come to be wise and he councelleth thē not to be too wise Paule saith That the Gentiles sought after wisedome but he saith there That the preaching of the Gospell seemed foolishnes vnto them which was wisdom therefore God calleth them a foolish nation because they counted the true wisedome foolishnes and their owne follie wisedome For this cause there was such emulation between the Iew and the Gentile one despised another because they did not accorde what wisedome was although both sought for it Therefore that ye may not only seeke wisdome as the Gentiles did but finde wisedome as Salomon did Paul laieth a foundation for wisedome to stay vpon which he cals Sobrietie Be wise according to Sobrietie which is this By the grace of GOD which is giuen to me Because he speakes to all and his charge is of great moment and they which thinke themselues wise will hardly bee perswaded but that they are wise therefore he comes with authoritie like an ambassadour from GOD and saith By the grace of GOD which is giuen to mee that is by the vertue of mine Apostleship which I haue not receiued from men but from GOD nor from earth but from heauen I charge you that no man among you whether he be learned or vnlearned whether he bee an hearer or a teacher presume to knowe aboue that which is meete to knowe that is make himselfe wiser than he is or boast of the graces which GOD hath giuen him or despise the giftes of God in other or rome beyond his calling or trouble his head with curiosities but that hee bee wise according to sobrietie that is walke within his vocation be humble in his knowledge and vse his gifts to the profite of other as GOD hath giuen to euery man the measure of faith that is remembring that it is a gift of God which hath dealt gifts
that is wise saith Salomon is wise to himselfe but he that is ouer wise is wise against himselfe heere you may see that note aboue Ela is a iarring note and alwaies maks a discord in the harmony Christ would not haue vs wise Serpents but as wise as serpents lest they which are like serpents should circumuent vs to be wise to euil is an euil wisedom and there is no such enemie vnto knowledge as the opinion of knowledge for one which is wedded vnto his owne witte wil neuer be counselled of any Therefore how necessarie it is to remember this doctrine and God graunt wee may remember it I cannot tell howe no man can serue GOD vnlesse hee knowe GOD for none doe obey him excepte they which doe knowe him and yet it is saide that there was neuer so much knoweledge and so little goodnes Surely as Christ saide to his Disciples O ye of little faith so he might say to vs O yee of little vnderstanding for there is not too much wisdome but too much ostentation Humilitie is none of our vertues They which should teach others to be wise according to sobrietie passe the bonds of sobrietie themselues euerie man hath a common-weale in his head and trauels to bring foorth newe fashions As the Iewes were not content with such rulers as God had appointed them but would haue a king like the Gentiles As the Papists are not content with such lawes as God hath appointed them but they will haue traditions like the Iewes So the wisedome of this worlde is to deuise better orders better lawes better titles better callings better discipline than God hath deuised himselfe Euery plant saith Christ which my father hath not planted shall bee rooted vp that is euerie title and euerie office and euerie calling which God hath not planted shall be rooted vp to bee wise according to this booke is to bee wise according to sobrietie Therefore seeke the wisedome of Christ for the wisedome of the serpent is turned to a curse the wisedome of the Pharisies is turned to a woe the wisedome of Achitophell is turned to folly the wisedome of Nimrod is turned to confusion the wisedome of the stewarde is turned to expulsion the wisdome of Iezabel is turned to death This is the ende of the deceiuers wisedome of the extortioners wisedome of the vsurers wisedome of the persecutors wisedome of the flatterers wisedome of the sorcerers wisdome of the hypocrites wisedome of the Macheuelians wisedome As Moses serpent deuoured the sorcerers serpent so Gods wisdome shall deuoure mans wisdome Wherefore by the grace of God which is giuen vnto me I say vnto euery one of you with Paule Be wise vnto sobrietie bee not ashamed to seeme ignorant of some things but remember that it is better to seeme ignorant than to bee proude Thus you haue heard what wisedome is now let vs pray vnto God for it Food for new borne babes 1. Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes disire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow by it THis Scripture beloued in the Lord containeth an exhortation to inâ—â—re and stirre vp the beleuing Iewes that as God had illightned them with some knowledge of his trueth and sanctified them in some measure with the grace of his spirit so they would proceed grow on and dailie increase more and more in the faith and feare of Iesus Christ like the glorious sunne which still augmenteth and redoubleth his heat and light till it bee come to the middest of heauen where is perfect daie Nowe the meanes whereby we receiue all our grouth and increase in God is the liuelie preaching of the word of trueth And therefore the Apostle by a figuratiue and borrowed kinde of speech earnestly pressing them to thirst to long for the word of God euen the foode of their soules as little infants which are new borne crie for the mothers milke to nourish and sustaine them For there are two birthes mencioned in the Scripture the one fleshly and naturall by propagation from the first Adam whereby originall and our birth-sin as it were a Serpentes poison passeth and transfuseth it selfe into vs the other heauenly and spirituall by renouation from the second Adam which is Iesus Christ whereby grace and holinesse is deriued and brought vnto vs. In this latter and better birth God is our Father to beget vs the Church his spouse our mother to conceiue vs the seede whereby we are bredde and borne againe is the worde of God the Nurses to feede and to weane and to cherish vs are the Ministers of the Gospell and the foode whereby we are nourished and held in life is the milk of the worde as in this place And therefore in as much as children which are newe borne cannot increase in grouth and stature but must needes die and come to dissolution vnlesse they bee continuallie fedde and nourished with wholesome foode it behooueth all the faithfull and godlie who are quickened and reuiued in the life of God as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the worde that they may grow by it I thinke we neede not many words to cleare the generall drift and scope of this Scripture as we need not many fingers to pointe at the shining sun Let vs now therefore discend to the particular doctrines which issue and spring from the seuerall branches of this scripture First here is noted a preparation if we wil be bettered and increased by the worde wee must bee as new borne bares Secondlie our affection and duetie when we are newe borne we must desire Thirdly the matter obiect of our desire the milke of the worde Fourthly the qualitie of the milke it must bee sincere Lastly the ende and vse for which we desire it that we may grow thereby For the first point we must be as new borne babes Children wee know are principally commended for simplicitie and harmelesnes and therefore all those which will profite in the schoole of Christ and receiue light and comfort by the preaching of the worde are here taught to become as babes to laie aside all maliciousnesse and to bring holy and sanctified hearts to the hearing of it Suffer the little babes to come vnto mee saith our sauiour and forbid them not for of such is the kingdome of heauen as if we were neuer fit to heare learne of Christ til we be reformed newly changed into little babes againe For the secrets of the Lord as the Psalmist speaketh is with them that feare him to teach vs that as Dauid would admit no vile person into his couÌ„sell So God will admit no sinfull soule into his secretes If any man will doe Gods will saith our Sauiour he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no because no man can learn this doctrine but he that doth it as no man could learne the Virgins song but they which sang it And Salomon to the
from it So much for our food now we come to the qualitie of our foode It must be sincere Sincere both in his sauor and also in effect and operation for as in nourishing our bodie naturally our blood cannot be good if our diet be vnholsome so in feeding our soules spiritually neither our hearts nor affections nor our words nor our workes can be good vnlesse the milke bee wholsome whereupon we feed and therefore as our Sauiour bâ—ds vs take heede what we heare so the Apostle to the like effect giues a caueat to take heede vpon what we feede for there is a pure and fresh doctrine in Ier. 1. 7. and there is a sower and leauened doctrine in Matth. 16. 6. There is a new wine of the Gospel in Matth. 9. 17. there is mixed wine in the cup of Fornicators in Reu. 17. 4. There are wholsome wordes in 2. Tim. 1. 13. and there are corrupt and vnwholsome words Ephes 4. 29. There is a doctrine of God Ioh. 7. 16. and there is a doctrine of Diuels 1. Tim. 4. 1. There is an edifying and a building worde and there is a fretting and a cankred word 2. Tim. 2. 17. As the Prophets children cryed out death in the pot so some places may say death in our foode and hereof it is that we are so often for warned in Scripture to beware of the leauen of the Scribes and Pharisies to take heede of the Prophets which come to vs in sheepes cloathing to beware that no man seduce vs through Philosophie to trie the spirites whether they be of God or no as we must taste our foode before wee digest it to trie our gold before wee treasure it Christ tasted the vineger but would not drinke so when wee taste false doctrine we must reiect it There are many greedy of milke but it is Dragons milke they take great paines to learne but it is to learne the language of Ashdod not the language of Canaan they run to heare but to heare fables and vntruthes Nimrod was as paineful in building of Babel as Salomon in rearing the holy temple Micah entertained a Leuit consecrated his siluer but to an idolatrous worship The Israelites melted their eare-rings but to erect a calfe Iezabel fed a great rout of trencher chaplains but to honor Baal Many desire to haue milke but they wil haue it from dragons poysoned and therefore we are here warned to desire the sincere milke c. For the Lord will not haue the wine of his word to be mingled and mashed with the water of humane inuentions He that hath my word let him speake faithfully what is the chaffe to the Wheat God would not haue one fielde sowed with two kindes of graine to shew vs that hee would not haue one heart filled with two kindes of doctrine Dagon could not stand with the Lords Arke no more can Christs trueth holde any fellowship with the word of error and therefore as the ministers must beware that they make not merchandise of the word of God so must the people also that they drink not any milke but that which is sincere And here ye ought my beloued more carefully to behaue your selues as yee see the diuell more subtilly to assault you and vnder the cloake of zeale and reformation to bring into the Lordes sanctuarie most wicked prophanation As a man will be more warie to trie euery peece of gold when he sees many counterfeit and Flemish angels to flie abroad so when yee see many sortes of doctrine crawling daily like Locusts out of the bottomles pit yee must bee more diligent to taste and trie which is sound and sincere It followeth That ye may grow by it Here is the end of our hearing That we may grow in grace and increase in the faith of righteousnes for the faithfull are called the trees of righteousnes because they must bee alwaies springing liuing stones because they must growe in the building good seruants which must trade and traffique the Lords talents to increase fruitfull branches which must be purged pruned by the hande of the heauenly husbandman Isaac must not alwaies hang on Saraes breast but must be weaned so we must not alwaies be children but grow vp and increase and profite more and more As the star neuer ceased till it came ouer Christ so we must neuer rest walking till wee come to GOD. If we haue faith we must proceede from faith to fayth if we haue loue we must increase and abide in loue if we haue zeale we must endeuour to be consumed with zeale if wee be liberall to the distressed saints of GOD wee must double our liberalitie as Elkana gaue Annah a double portion If we read the Scriptures we must go on and continue in prayer if we giue almes we must step on one foote further and giue them with cheerefulnes and thus as the Eagle continually soareth till she come to the highest so must we still increase till we come to perfection Let vs be led forward vnto perfection as if a faithfull man were like a ship vnder sayle neuer anchoring till he arriue at heauen The greater is our sinne which heare and heare but are neuer the more reformed for our hearing like Pharaohs ill fauored kine which deuoured the fat kine but remained as il fauoured as they were before so many of vs when we haue lugged the breast almost drie after twentie or thirty yeares feeding are as skregged and leane as we were before No man almost among vs is more zealous no maÌ„ more faithfull no man more constant for the truth no man more feruent in religion no man more sanctified no man more diligent in practising nor lesse vitious now then he was one hundred sermons a goe as if wee were night black-rauens which cannot bee washed with all the sope of the Gospel Though wee haue long heard and stil desire to heare yet we doe not grow by our hearing wee are verie dwarfes in Christ scant able to goe little in faith little in loue little in patience little in obedience little in zeal like Zacheus so little that wee cannot see Christ This is an vndoubted euidence that we haue not fleshly but stony hearts which though they bee washed yet they cannot be watred with the sweete showers of the Gospell For is there not in euery tauerne and in euery shop and in euery house and in euery hall as much couetousnes as much briberie as much cosening as much wantonnes as much maliciousnes after this long shine of the word as ther was before Are we not now as slothfull in Gods seruice as dissolute in the practise of Christian dueties as dishonest in our dealing between man and man as proud in our attire as light in our behauiour as hypocritical abroad as sinnefull at home as we were before And what is the reason hereof but that we come to the fountayn rather to
the way for other that they may fall too Therefore Let him that thinketh he standeth take heede lest he fall So earnestly must we call vpon our soules that we be not wearie of well doing for happier are the children that neuer began then Iudas whose ende was worse then his beginning Wisedome and Righteousnesse are angrie with him that leaueth his goodnesse to become worse if thy spouse had committed fornication thou mightest haue diuorsed her but he which leaueth his righteousnes to liue in wickednes forsakes his spouse to commit fornication and is diuorsed from Christ himselfe If thou wert like the Vine or the Oliue or the Figge tree they would not leaue their grapes or their fatnesse or their sweetnesse to get a kingdome but the Bramble did If thou be like the Bramble what wilt thou doe when the fire comes As this is a memorandum to all so especially let him that ruleth and him that teacheth take heede lest he fal for if the Pillers shrinke the Temple shakes as when a great Tree is hewen downe which is a shadowe to the beasts and a nest to the birdes many leaues and bowes and twiggs fall with it so many stande and fall with them whose lampes giue light to others Euen as Ieroboams sinne made Israel to sinne therefore Paul hath giuen you a watchword which euery one should write vpon his table vpon his bed vpon his nayles lest he forget in one houre for he which standes now may fall before night Sinne is not long in comming nor quickly gone vnles God stop vs as he mette Balaam in his way stay vs as he staied the womans sonne when he was a bearing to his graue we runne ouer Reason and tread vpon Conscience and fling by Counsel and goe by the Word and poast to Death as though we ran for a kingdome like a Larke that falles to the ground sooner then she mounted vp at first she retires as it were by steps but when she commeth neerer the ground she falles downe with a iumpe so wee decline at first and wauer lower and lower till we be almost at the worst and then we runne headlong as though wee were sent poast to hell from hot to luke-warme from luke-warme to key cold from key cold to starke dead so the languishing soule bleedes to death and seeth not his life goe till he be at the very last gaspe Woe bee vnto him that is guilty of this murther if the bloud of Abel cried for vengeance against his brother Caine which slew his bodie shall not GOD bee reuenged for the death of the Soule where is thy brother saith God Nay where is thy soule hast thou slaine it which was my spouse my temple mine owne Image If the seruāt which hid his Talent was cast into darknesse what shall be done vnto thee which hast lost thy Talent For he which falles from his righteousnesse dooth not hide his Talent but more he doth lose it Thus if you neuer knewe what good to make of euill this you may learne in the sinners Schoole let them which thinke they stand take heed lest they fall and let them which are downe care to rise and the Lord so direct our steppes that wee may rise againe FINIS THREE PRAYERS ONE FOR THE MORNING ANother for the Euening the third for a sicke man Whereunto is annexed a godly Letter to a sicke friend and a comfortable speech of a Preacher vpon his death bed Anno. 1591. A Morning Prayer O Lord prepare our hearts to praye ETernall God giuer to them which want Comforter to them wich suffer and forgiuer to them which repent we haue nothing to render thee but thine owne If we could giue thee our bodies and soules they should be saued by it but thou wert neuer the richer for them Al is our duetie al of vs cannot performe it therefore thy son died thy spirite descended and thy Angels guide and thy Ministers teach to helpe the weakenes of men All things cal vpon vs to cal vpon thee and we are prostrate before thee before wee know how to worship thee euē since we rose we haue tasted many of thy blessings thou hast begun to serue vs before wee begin to serue thee Why shouldst thou bestow thy health and wealth and rest and libertie vpon vs more then other we can giue no reason for it but that thou art mercifull And if thou shouldst drawe all backe againe we haue nothing to say but that thou art iust Our sinnes are so grieuous and infinite that we are faine to say with Iudas I haue sinned and there stop because we cannot reckon them All things serue thee as they did at first onely men are the sinners in this world Our heart is a roote of corruption our eies are the eyes of vanitie our eares are the eares of follie our mouthes are the mouthes of deceipt our hands are the hands of iniquitie and euery part doth dishonour thee which would be glorified of thee The vnderstanding which was giuen vs to learne vertue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sinne the will which was giuen vs to affect righteousnes is apt now to loue nothing but wickednes The memorie which was giuen vs to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but euill things There is no difference betweene vs and the wicked we haue doone more against thee this weeke then we haue doone for thee since we were borne and yet we haue not resolued to amende but this is the course of our whole life first we sinne and then we pray thee to forgiue it and then to our sinnes againe as though we came to thee for leaue to offend thee And that which should get pardon at thy hands for all the rest that is our prayer is so full of toyes and fancies for want of faith and reuerence that when we haue praied we had need to praie againe that thou wouldest forgiue our prayers because wee thinke least of thee when wee pray vnto thee what Father but thou could suffer this contempt and bee contemned still Yet when we thinke vpon thy sonne all our feare is turned into ioye because his righteousnesse for vs is more then our wickednesse against our selues Settle our faith in thy beloued and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmities Now Lord we goe foorth to fight against the world the flesh and the diuell and the weakest of our enemies is stronger than wee therefore wee come vnto thee for thy holy spirite to take our part that is to change our mindes and wils and affections which wee haue corrupted to remooue all the hindrances which lets vs to serue thee and to direct all our thaughts speeches and actions to thy glorie as thou hast directed thy glorie vnto our saluation Although we be sinners O Lord yet we are thine and therefore we beseech thee to separate our sins from vs which would separate vs from thee that we may be ready
what passion expelled what sin repented what good performed since we began to receiue thy benefites this day wee must confesse against our selues that all our works words thoughts haue been the seruice of the world the flesh and the diuell we haue offended thee and contemned thee all the day and at night wee pray vnto thee Father forgiue vs all our sins which haue dishonored thee while thou diddest serue vs run from thee while thou didst call vs and forgotten thee whilest thou didst feede vs so thou sparest vs so we sleepe and to morrow we sinne againe this is the course of al our pilgrimage to leaue that which thou commandest and doe that which thou forbiddest Therefore thou mightest iustly forsake vs as we forsake thee and condemne vs whose conscience condemnes our selues but who can measure thy goodnesse which giuest all and forgiuest all Though we are sinfull yet thou louest vs though wee knocke not yet thou openest though we aske not yet thou giuest what should wee haue if wee did serue thee which hast done all these things for thine enemies Therefore thou which hast giuen vs al things for thy seruice O Lord giue vs a heart to serue thee let this be the houre of our conuersion let not euill ouercome good let not thine enemie haue his will but giue vs strength to resist patience to endure and constancie to perseuere vnto the end Instruct vs by thy word guide vs by thy spirite mollifie vs by thy grace humble vs by thy corrections winne vs by thy benefites reconcile our nature to thy will and teach vs to make profite of euery thing that wee may see thee in all things and all things in thee because O most mercifull father we walk between thy mercie and iustice through many temptations gouerne our steps with such discretion that the hope of mercie may preuent dispaire the feare of iustice may keepe vs from presumption that in mirth wee bee not vaine in knowledge we be not proude in zeale we bee not bitter but as the tree bringeth foorth first leaues then blossomes and then fruit so first wee may bring foorth good thoughts then good speeches and after a good life to the honor of thy name the good of thy children the saluation of our soules remembring the time when we shall sleepe in the graue and the day when wee shall awake to iudgement Now the time is come O Lord which thou hast appointed for rest and without thee wee can neither wake nor sleepe which hast made the day and night and rulest both therefore into thy hands we commend our soules and bodies that thou hast bought that they may serue thee restore them O Lorde to their first Image and keepe them to thy seruice and resigne vs not to our selues againe but finish thy work that we may euery day come neerer and neerer to thy kingdome till we hate the way to hell as much as hell it selfe and euery cogitation and speech and action be so many steps to heauen For thy names sake for thy promise sake for thy sonnes sake O Lord wee lift vp our hearts hands voyce vnto thee in his name which suffered for sinne and sinned not Our Father c. A Prayer for a sicke man ALmightie God and all mercifull Father which art the Phisition of our bodies and soules in thy hands are life and death thou bringest to the graue and pullest backe againe we came into this world vpon condition to forsake it whensoeuer thou wouldest call vs and now the Somners are come thy â—etters hold me and none can loose me but he which bound me I am sicke in bodie and soule but he hath stroken me which in iudgment sheweth mercie I deserued to dye so soone as I came to life but thou hast preserued me till now and shall this mercie bee in vaine as though wee were preserued for nothing Who can praise thee in the graue I haue done thee no seruice since I was borne but my goodnesse is to come and shall I dye before I begin to liue but Lord thou knowest what is best of all and if thou conuert me I shall be conuerted in an houre and as thou acceptedst the will of Dauid as well as the act of Salomon so thou wilt accept my desire to serue thee as well as if I did liue to glorifie thee The spirit is willing but the flesh is fraile and as I did liue sinfullie whensoeuer thy spirite was from mee so I shall dye vnwillingly vnlesse thy spirite prepare mee therefore deare father giue mee that minde which a sicke man should haue and increase my patience with my payne and call vnto my remembrance all which I haue heard or read or felt or meditated to strengthen mee in this houre of my triall that I which neuer taught any good while I liued maye nowe teach other how to dye and to beare theyr sicknes patiently apply vnto me all the mercies and merites of thy beloued sonne as if he had dyed for me alone Be not from me when the enemie comes but when the tempter is busiest let thy spirite bee busiest too and if it please thee to loose me out of this prison wheÌ„ I shal leaue my earth to earth let thine Angel carrie vp my soule to heauen as they did Lazarus and place me in one of those mansions which thy sonne is gone to prepare for me This is my mediator which hath reconciled me and thee when thou didst abhorre mee for my sinnes and thou didst send him from heauen to vs to shew that thou art bound to heare him for vs. Therfore in him I come vnto thee in him I call vpon thee O my redeemer my preseruer and my sauiour to thee be all prayse with thy father and the holy spirite for euer Amen What shall stay me from my Father my brother and my Comforter A comfortable speech taken from a godly Preacher lying vpon his death-bed written for the sicke I Owe to God a death as his Sonne died for me Euer since I was borne I haue been sailing to this hauen and gathering patience to comfort this houre therefore shal I be one of those guestes nowe that would not come to the banquet wheÌ„ they were inuited what hurt is in going to Paradise I shal loose nothing but the sence of euil and anon I shall haue greater ioyes then I feele paines For my head is in heauen already to assure mee that my soule and body shall follow after O death where is thy sting why should I feare that which I would not escape because my chiefest happinesse is behinde and I cannot haue it vnles I go vnto it I would go through hell to heauen and therefore If I martch but through death I suffer lesse then I would suffer for God My paines doe not dismay mee because I trauaile to bring forth eternall life my sinnes doe not fright me because I haue Christ my redeemer the iudge doth not