hee therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes hath also the seede of it And againe seeing all euill tendes to a perfection as well as grace doth what reason therefore is there but wee may safely thinke that the Diuell would hale euery one to that height of sinne if it were not that the powerfull hand of God preuented him who will neither suffer wicked men nor the Diuell himselfe to bee so wicked as they could and would be The vse of this second rule is notable For in this searching of our selues it sheweth vs what wee are without all colours or deceit and fully discouers vnto vs the vglinesse of our natures and it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther Pharohs vnnatural crueltie the Sodomits vnnatural lust Achitophles diuilish pollicy Senacheribs horrible blasphemie Iudas monstrous treason Iulians fearefull Apostacie When we heare of the fearefull murders treasons periuties sinnes against nature blasphemies Apostacies witchcrafts and other the horrible sinnes of the world let vs then returne into our selues looke homewards euen into our owne hearts and confesse euery one that these should haue bene euen thy sinnes also if Gods grace had not preuented thee This will humble thee and make thee thinke vilely basely of thy selfe and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment and the very reason why men repent not nor amend their waies is because they are Pharisies by nature and thinke highly of themselues and of their owne natures and their naturall inclinations this will be a harsh and a strange Doctrine to them Oh they haue excellent natures and they cannot indure such and such sinnes and they thanke God they are not as ill as others but let all such men knowe they must cease magnifying nature and learne to magnifie Gods grace Let them knowe that nature in them is in the Roote as much corrupt as in the worst man in the world and euery mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne therefore praise not thy nature but Gods grace and mercy in giuing thee so good a nature or rather so well restraining and rectifying thy nature and stay not there but desire of the Lord that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature thē to other men so also he would bestowe on thee his speciall and sauing grace and as he hath kept thee from the feareful sins of others thou being as ill naturally as they so he would also lead thee into the way of saluation which else the best nature in the world can neuer attaine vnto The third rule to be known and practised by him who will truly search himselfe is that euery man borne of Adam is by nature the child of wrath and Gods enimie this is true of all without exception High or Low Rich or poore noble or simple borne in the visible Church or without And further by being enemy of God he is therefore borne subiect to hell to damnation and to all other curses so that looke as a Traytour conuicted stands therby in his Princes high displeasure and is sure of death without speciall pardon so stands euery man when he is borne conuicted of high treason against God in his high disfauour and is in daunger of Hell which is the fulfilling of the wrath of God Thus Dauid confesseth of himselfe I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my Mother conceined me If in sinne then in Gods wrath and vnder the danger of damnation If any aske how or why this is so I answere the truth as also the equitie of this third rule depends on the two former for because euery man is borne guiltie of Adams great sinne and also tainted originally with all corruption a pronnesse to all sin therefore it followeth in equitie and iustice that euery man is borne vnder the wrath and curse of God This point is a plaine and euident truth yet men in the world thinke not so and it is the cause why men repent not of their sinnes for most men thinke that by nature they are in Gods fauour and therfore they neede not to sue for it in humiliation and repentance but onely liue ciuily and do no open wrong and all is well whereas alas there is no condemned Traytour more out of his Princes fauour nor more sure of death without a pardon then al we are out of Gods fauour and sure of damnation vnlesse we procure Gods fauour again by faith and repentance For the better opening of this third rule and the manifesting of the truth let vs know further that the curse of God vnder the which we are all borne is three-fould The first is a bondage vnder Sathan It is a certaine truth that euery man as he is borne of his Parents and till hee repent is a slaue of Sathan man or woman high or low Sathan is his Lord and Maister Hee sittes as iudge in his heart and in this sence Sathan is the King of the Nations and God of the world Men will in wordes defie Sathan and not name him without defiance and spitte at him and yet alas hee is in their hearts they spit him out of their mouthes but hee is lower they should also spitte him out of their hearts and that is true defiance indeede for alas hee lodgeth in thy heart and there he makes his Throne and raignes vntill the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him and till then no seruant is so subiect to his maister no slaue to his Lord as is the heart of man by nature vnto Sathan the prince of darknesse Nay our bondage is more fearefull then the slauery of any poore Christian in the Spaniards or in the Turkes Gallies for their bodies are but in bondage and at commaund and vnder punishment but our best part our heart our conscience our soule it selfe is captiuated vnto him and vnder his commaunde who is the King of crueltie and confusion and Lord of Hell whose commaundements are Iniustice whose seruice is sinne and whose hyre is damnation The second part of the Curse is the first death or the death of the body that is a separation of the soule and body a sunder for a time namely till the last iudgement This death is duly and iustly the punishment of any one or the least sinne therefore how due and iust a punishment vpon that horrible heape of sinfulnesse which is in euery mans nature and it is a most terrible curse For it is the very gate of hel and the downfall to damnation vnto all men but such as by faith and repentance doe get their death sanctified by the death of Christ vnto such men indeed it is no curse but a gracious and glorious blessing for it is altered by Christ his death But vnto all men by nature and which repent not it is the heauy curse of Gods wrath and the very downfall into the gulfe of Hell The thirde part of the
curse vnder which euery man is borne is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on body soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporarie death the death of the body The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all torments and I shewe it thus Often when thy tooth acheth and sometime when thy head acheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the world to bee eased of that paine Nay in the exstremitie of some fitts many will wish them-selues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one tooth can so farre distemper minde and body that it cannot bee releiued with all the pleasures of this life O then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of Gods wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule body and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternally without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vgly and darksome place of torments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and beway leit with thee but with the Diuels and damned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy misery and will reioyce as thou didest serue them in earth so now in hel to be thy tormēters It may be therfore by the way good warning and wisedome to vs all when we feele the extremity of some bodily paine to consider with our selues and say O then what shall be my misery and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lord of Hostes In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euery man is borne And these doe answer to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first Rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a three-fold guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall and vniuersal corruption Thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euery man is equally guiltie In the second euery man is equally corrupt But in the third euery one keepes that compasse within which the Lord wil keepe them by his limitting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sin hath his beginning In originall sinne his continuance in actuall sin his perfection So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwaies standeth opposite to sinne is begun in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And now these three Rules I commend to the carefull Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you Search your selues as here the Prophet bid deth So that you can neuer search your selues aright til you bee perswaded and resolued of these three Rules and of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sin Secondly that thou art prone by nature to al euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit Scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as these three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to be such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a new course therefore what the Prophet sayd to those Iewes I say vnto you also my brethren of this Realme of England who are here now gathered together out of so many countries quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to do or not to doe it but know it that God commandes you as euer you will come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to bee searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much Chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt proue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blown away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take hold therefore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart Bee sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the Ministrie of the Word of GOD will bee putrifyed and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhort you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this Chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceits of Gods fauour before wee haue it that so this Chaffe being blowne away the Lord may then bestow vpon vs foundnesse of grace the foundation of al goodnes which is a holy humbled heart Salnation is such a building as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong Ignorance blindnesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon any earth but will first search it least it prooue Sandie so ouerthrow all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building wil refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sound grace as whervpon he may trust so weighty a work as is the Saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stand in the day of triall then Search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt Chaffe Wheat thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the wind but good corne indures the Fan and the furie of the wind so in
are all lodged in the same graue of the earth and death hath like dominion ouer them all 3. But afterwards at the last day at Gods great haruest great winnowing time he then with the winde of his power seuereth them a sunder in soule and body Wheate from the Chaffe sheepe from the Goates separateth them neuer to be mingled againe for euer euer and then with the winde of his wrath he blowes the chaffe into fire vnquenchable and with his louing fauour gathereth his wheate into the euerlasting and glorious garners of heauen So then the first seuereth them in affection The second in soule for a time The third actually in soule and body for euer and euer Now of these three winnowing times the holy Ghost speaketh here properly of the second namely the fan of Gods iudgements so that the meaning of the Metaphor is this search your selues and repent betimes least God come vpon you with some fearefull iudgements because you haue so long contemned the fan of the word and finding you too light to abide the try all doe take you away in the iudgement and cast you into hell for as sure as the fan of the word hath made difference of you which are chaffe and which are wheate so sure shall the fanne of his iudgements blow away the chaffe to hell and damnation Thus much for the meaning Now for the vse for vs in England the case stands thus Our church doubtlesse is Gods corne field we are the corne heape of God and those Brownisles and Sectaries are blinde and besotted who cannot see that the church of England is a godly heape of Gods corne but withall we must cōfesse we are ful of chaffe that is of prophane wicked Hypocrits whose hearts and mindes abound in sinnes and rebellions and many of our best professors are also too full of chaffe that is of corruptions and doe giue themselues too much libertie in many sinnes but alas the pure wheate how thinne is it scattered howe hard to finde a man at least a family which dedicate themselues to the Lord in holy and sincere obedience and labour to make conscience of all sinnes now therefore seeing wee are Gods corne field and we haue some pure wheat amongst much chaffe therefore God will winnow vs to find out the corne if hee haue but one corne of wheat in a handfull of chaffe but one good man of many he will stirre all the heape for those fewe cornes hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell to finde out those fewe cornes of wheat to lay them vp in heauen so that out of all question England being so ful of chaffe must look to be winnowed Nowe for the first Fanne of his word it hath beene vsed in this land these fiue and thirtie yeares and that as powerfully and as plentifully as any where in the worlde and yet alas many are more Godlesse more ignorant more prophane then euer they were yea wickednesse groweth and the Chaffe increaseth aboue the Wheate bee sure therefore that God will bring his second Fanne vpon vs because wee will not suffer the first and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and search vs therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements and with it hee will blowe soule body into hell with those our sinnes corruptions which we would not suffer the Fanne of Gods worde to blowe from vs. The first hath so long blowen in vaine that the second must needs come vpon vs it hath already begun to blow three or four blasts haue blown ouer vs famin pestilence earthquakes fire water winde these haue so blowne some of vs that they haue taken away a great number of vs. For vs that remaine this onely remaines that wee strengthen our selues by grace to be able to stand against the next blast for come it wil when it comes no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vs to endure it onely faith repentance the grace of God will stand at that day Now therefore in that so feareful a fanning abideth vs seeing it is so neer as appeareth by the blasts already past ouer vs which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tēpest what shuld be our care except wee care not to be blown body soule into hel but to labour to efchew this feareful fan of Gods wrath or at least if it come vpō vs that it may not blow vs to hell but hasten vs to heauen It thy heart be touched to aske how this may be I answere thee onely to follow the Prophets aduice in this place by Searching and trying our selues The way to escape Gods triall is to try thy selfe and to escape Gods iudgement to be a iudge to thine owne soule and so the way to escape the fearfull fanne of God is to fanne thine own heart by the law of God For whomsoeuer the first fanne that is the word of God doth worke vpon these men are neuer blowen away with the fanne of Gods iudgements O then entertaine the word of God into thy heart submit thy soule vnto it let it pearce try and ransacke thy heart and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes and when thou seest thynakednesse and misery confesse it bewayle it be humbled for it cry call for mercy and forgiuenesse pray against thy speciall sinnes striue to purge them out as the poyson of thy soule craue grace from God against al thy sinnes and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature more deere vnto thee and which more prevaile against thee then others doe pray against these sinnes and striue against them aboue all and endeuour that by the fanne of Gods word they may bee blowen away from thee When thou hast done this then marke what will come of it when thou hast fanned thy selfe God will not fanne thee but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes and bloweth so strongly vpon the wicked then the Lord finding thee already fanned and clensed by his word will spare thee and his iudgement shall either blow ouer thee and passe by thee vntouched as ouer Lot in the destruction of Sodom or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions and blow thee vp to heauen to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners and mansions of glory which Christ ascended to prepare for thee Now then amongst those many businesses with which this world doth comber euery one of vs all which shall perish with the worlde it selfe let vs good brethren spare some time for this great businesse Martha may be combred about many things but this is that one thing which is necessarie therefore whatsoeuer is done let not this bee vndone Once a day put thy selfe and thy life vnder the fanne of Gods lawe try thy selfe what thou art and thy life how thou liuest Once a day keepe a Court in thy conscience call thy thoughts thy wordes and thy deedes to
their tryall let the ten Commaundements passe vpon them and thy sins and corruptiōs which thou findest to be chaffe blow them away by repētance so shalt thou remaine pure and cleane wheate fit for the house and Church of God in this world for his kingdome in heauen But if we will not doe this then alas what wil follow my heart grieueth to vtter it but I must vnlesse I should be a false prophet And therefore I wil. Our long peace plentie and ease haue bred great sinnes so great that they reach to heauen and prouoke Gods Maiestie to his face and so strong that they will violently drawe downe iudgments from God vpon vs which when they come they will bee so powerfull and so violent that they will blow vs away like chaffe and bring this kingdome to some miserable ruine O therefore how happy are wee if we can entertaine this Doctrine and practise it for in so doing we shall preuent Gods iudgements wee shall continue the Gospell to this land and preserue this glorious Nation from being destroyed or dispeopled by some fearefull iudgement Beloued you come hither to this place purposely to buy and sell and thereby to better your estates in this world how happy then are you if besides the good markets you make for your bodies and estates you learne also how to make your selues abide the triall of Gods iudgements and how to be made pure corne fit to replenish the garners of heauen how to continue Gods fauour and the Gospell to this Nation If thou goe away with this lesson thou hast a Iewel more worth then if thou shouldest goe home possessed or all the huge riches of this Faire you call this and such like times Faire times but if thou learne this lesson right then thou maist say that this was the fairest day in deede that euer shon vpon thee since thou wast borne This pretious Iewell which I haue spoken of all this while I heare offer vnto thee Euery one brings hither some-thing to bee solde this is the merchandize that I bring and set to sale vnto you what euer commoditie any of you bring it is from some quarter of this land but all is from the earth but this that I bring it is from heauen and all the earth cannot yeelde it and as it is from heauen so it is of a heauenly vertue and will worke that which all the wealth in this faire is not able to doe therefore cast not to buy the basest and let passe the best of all and neuer alledge that it is aboue thy compasse and being a Iewell it is too deare and costly for thee for I offer it freely vnto you and to euery one of you I pronounce vnto you from the Lord that here this blessed doctrine is offered vnto you all in his name freely and that you may buy it without money Happie is that day when thou comming so farre to buy things for thy bodie and paies so deare for them doest meete with so pretious a Iewell the vertue whereof is to saue thy soule and payest nothing for it Thou maiest hereafter reioyce and say I went to buy and sell and to helpe my body but I haue also learned to saue my soule I went thither to helpe to maintaine my owne estate but I haue learned to helpe to maintaine England in prosperitie for assuredly if wee would all of vs learne this lesson and practise it we might assure our selues of the glorious prosperity of England to cotinue from generatiō to generation whereas alas if we continue go forward in our sins impenitency it is greatly to bee feared that neither the Gospell nor this peace will reach to our posterities Therefore now to make an end I once againe lastly cōmend this doctrine to you al euery one of you for this marchandise that I bring is of that nature that though some take it yet there is also enough for euery one and I commend it vnto you euen from the very mouth of God himselfe thinke of it I charge thee as euer thou lookest to appeare before the face of Christ Iesus the great iudge at the last day and if thou wouldest escape the rigour of that iudgement enter now into iudgement with thy selfe and search thy selfe if thou now wilt not receiue this doctrine then shal it at the last day be a bill of Enditement against thee for if it saue thee not it shal condemne thee thinke of it therefore seriously as a matter that concernes thy soule and bodie yea and thy posteritie and this whole Realme all which shall smart for it if we repent not And if the body of our people and those whose harts are wedded to this world wil not enterteine this doctrine then I turne vnto you that feare the Lord and to you I direct my last warning Search O search and try your hearts and liues renewe and reuiue your faith and repentance that if iudgements doe come and blowe vpon this Nation and driue the Gospell from it and it to hell that yet you may haue a testimony to your consciences that you did not pull down this generall calamitie but for your parts laboured to haue preuented it by your earnest prayers and heartie repentance that so the posteritie ensuing may not curse you but speake reuerently of you and praise God for you and wish that al had done as you did for then had they enioyed this goodly land and al Gods blessings with it as wee their forefathers did before them so shall our names not rot but flourish amongst the posterities to come which shall bee partakers of the desolation And when we haue renewed our repentance let vs then euery one of vs deale with the Lord by earnest prayer for this Church and Nation that the Lord would shew his mercy vppon it and continue vnto it this place the Gospell it is nothing with the Lord to doe it his powerfull hand is not shortened he can continue our peace when the Papists look for hurli-burlies he can continue the gospell when they hope to set vp their Idolatry againe let vs therefore apply the Lord with our praiers and with Moses set our selues in the breach and pray for the ignorances of the multitude and bewaile their sinnes who bewaile not their owne So did Noah Daniel and Iob in their ages and prayed for the people in generall calamities Let vs all be Noahs Daniels and Iobs in our generations if we doe thus then when Iudgements come we shall either turne them away from our Nation or at the least wee shall deliuer our owne soules Let vs nowe turne to the Lorde in prayer and because it cannot be hoped but that this our generall sinfulnesse must needs end with some heauy Iudgment let vs desire the Lord still to defer our deserued punishments and still to spare vs and to giue vs time and leasure to repent that so we entering into our selues
to any creature Man or Angel for it is a plaine Commission to go and deliuer such a man from the power of hell to redeeme him into the state of Gods children and to make him heire of heauen Angels neuer had this Commission they are Messengers set out for the good of those whom Ministers haue redeemed and they haue brought many comfortable messages vnto them but it was neuer said to any Angel Deliuer that man that he goe not downe into the pit as it heere is saide vnto a Minister nor any man but Ministers haue this Commission To some callings GOD saith worke thou for man build him houses prouide him sustenance to the Phisition heale that man to the Lawyer doe that man iustice to the souldier fight for him to the Magistrate defend him to the King gouerne him see that euery one doe his dutie to none but to the Minister doth he say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit If this be so then for the vse first Ministers must learne heere that if they will haue the honour of Redeemers then must they doe the dutie of Redeemers they must pray earnestly for the people for that is one meanes whereby they redeeme men They must say with Samuel God forbid that I should cease to pray for you They must mourne for the impenitent when they will not turne to God So did Dauid his eyes gushed out with riuers of waters because men kept not Gods law And Ieremie who wished a fountaine of water in his eyes that he might weepe for the sinnes of the people They must priuarly conferre visite admonish and rebuke and principally they must preach and that in such good manner and in so diligent measure as that they may redeeme and winne soules and the end that they must ayme at must bee to winne soules Some preach for feare of the law to auoyd censure or punishment some for fashion sake that they may bee like to others some for ostentation sake to win credite and praise some for ambition to rise in the world all these forget their Commission which is Deliuer a man from hell This should bee the end of their preaching to deliuer a soule from hell what should Commissioners doe but execute their Commission High Commissioners are worthy to be low Commissioners or rather no Commissioners if they wil not put it in execution It is therefore lamentable to see that some by not preaching some by vaine preaching shew that they intend any thing rather then the winning of soules to God Let then all good Ministers so preach as they may say with Esay Behold Lord heere am I and the children whom thou hast giuen me And that they may returne their Commission thus Whereas thou O Lord gauest mee this people and badst mee deliuer them that they goe not downe into hell Lord I haue done it it is the thing my soule aymed at with all my desire and endeuour and by thy mercy I haue effected it accordingly And the rather must all Christian Ministers seriously intēd the sauing of soules inasmuch as Antichrist doth so earnestly seeke the destruction of soules by winning them to his Synagogue The Turke spares no labour no cost to infect young children of Christians with his impure and blasphemous superstition The Pope and his vassals especially Iesuits vse al means deuise many stratagems spare no cost nor labor to seduce inueagle young men and the best wits Surely their care and policie herein is admirable and yet alas when like the Pharisies they haue compassed Sea and land to make a Proselite they make him like themselues the childe of hel And they are so farre from hauing any Commission from God to doe this or any blessing promised as contrariwise GOD forbids them and his curse lyeth vppon them for so doing Shall they be so diligent to destroy soules without a commission and incurre Gods curse for their labour and shall not Christian Ministers be much more diligent to winne and redeeme soules hauing so large a commission for the purpose and so great a blessing promised thereunto In the next place this doctrine hath vse to the hearers First to let them see the excellencie of this calling which hath a Commssion and power to redeeme them from hell and damnation what honour is due vnto it and to let the wicked man see which any way abuseth either the persons or the function how base vnthankefull men they are to recompence euill for good and therefore no maruell though euil do neuer depart from the houses and families of such men and further to encourage all men to giue thēselues to God in this calling for see here what they are euen the high Commissioners of God Wee haue in our estate a power deligated to certaine men of worth and it is called the high Commission because they haue power to doe great things and that man thinkes himselfe happy who can bring his sonne to this to be thought fit to bee one of this Commission but behold heere a higher Commission a Commission from God to redeeme soules from the power of hell and the diuels clawes this is in deed a high Commission and so high as this was neuer granted out of the Court of heauen to any creature but to Ministers they therefore are the High Commissioners of the high God Is it not then an honour and happinesse vnto thee to bring thy sonne to this estate And lastly this must teach all hearers their dutie to Gods word namely to submit themselues vnto it for if the Minister haue a Commission to redeeme thy soule it must be by the word holy discipline Therefore thy dutie is to heare Gods word patiently to submit thy selfe vnto it to be taught and instructed nay to be checked and rebuked and to haue thy sinnes discouered thy corruptions ript vp If thou wouldst haue thy cause succeed wel thy Lawyer must discouer the weaknesses of it If thy body to be cured thy Physition must purge the corruption of it So if thy soule bee to be redeemed thy Minister must see the weaknes purge the corruptions of it and though his doctrine be harsh hard vnto thy nature and the discipline of the Gospel seeme rough vnto thee yet must not thou rage and rebel against it nor hate him nor raile at his persō but submit thy selfe vnto it for it is the message and Ministerie of thy saluation if otherwise thou doest indeede a great wrong to the Minister for thou frustratest his commission but alas a farre greater to thy selfe for thou furstratest thine owne saluation THE SECOND Treatise of the Duties and Dignities of Ministerie by Maister Perkins TO THE RIGHT worshipfull and Reuerend Iudges Sir Iohn Sauile Knight one of the Barons of his Maiesties Exchequer and Sir Christopher Yeluerion Knight one of the Iudges of his Majesties Court of Kings
guard of God and doe continually stand about the throne of his glory attend his holy wil both in heauen and in earth Thirdly that they are also by the merciful appointment of God the guard of Gods children and ministring spirits sent out as it were with a commission for the good of the elect All these points because they are plaine in the scripture and do lesse cōcerne our general scope which is touching the Ministery I passe them ouer Fourthly here it is apparāt that as the Ange's are sent out for the helpe seruice of the elect so especially of Gods ministers as is plaine in this place where the Prophet being afrighted a holy Angel is ready to giue him comfort and so ouer the whole course of the Prophets and at this day their protection and comfortable assistance is no lesse present to the godly Ministers of the newe Testament though not in such sensible signes and such visible manner as in the olde for if they bee ministring spirits sent out for the good of them which shall bee saued howe much more for their good which shall bee both saued themselues and saue others also A doctrine of great comfort and much good vse to all Ministers who first of all may here learne contentment intheir calling for howsoeuer no calling hath more crosses so none againe hath more comfort and howsoeuer none bee more disgraced by euillmen yet none is more honoured by the holy Angels and howsoeuer in this world they aboue any calling are seruāts to all men yet none hath the seruice attendance of Angels so much as they for though we haue them not to helpe vs to do the outward actions of our ministery with vs or for vs as some popish Doctors teach that in their Masse A men is not said to one collect because the Angels say A men to it yet doubtlesse they are presēt alwaies as at all holy exercises and lawfull actions so especially at the publike seruice of God performed by the Ministers and beside that they are witnesses thereto and of the paines and diligence and faithfulnesse of a good Minister they also do Minister vnto them oftentimes bodily strength and assistance many comforts in their troublesome trauels which they know not how by any naturall meanes they come vnto them And as this Doctrine doth thus yeeld them contentment against the contempt so also courage against the danger of this calling For what though thou hast mightie men of this world against thee when thou hast angels for thee what though thou fightest against principalities and powers when thou hast Cherubins and Seraphims on thy side Godly Ministers haue many enemies but if by the eye of faith they can see as well who are with them as with the eye of reason who are against them they will confesse with Elisha there are more with vs then against vs. The stories of all ages doe affirme and the cōfortable experience of these daies of ours doth verifie the truth hereof Ministers that liue in places very prophane or very popish it is admirable to see how many daungers they haue escaped and plottes they haue auoided which by their enemies or rather the enemies of their Doctrine haue bone laide for their liues which their deliuerance and many other comforts in their Ministries whence are they but from Gods protection by the ministry of his Angels Afore we leaue this point two questions may be asked not amisse briefely to be resolued First if any aske whence comes it that Angels performe more seruice to good Mlnisters then to other men I answere the reason is partly from God partly from the Angels first God hath a principall care of them aboue other men because they worke his worke aboue all other callings for their labours immediately cōcerne the good of mens soules whereas others do first concerne the body and consequently the soule therefore whereas he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer all his elect to keepe them in all their good waies they haue a speciall charge doubtlesse ouer al godly and faithfull Ministers whose waies are Gods in a speciall manner Againe Angels themselues as they willingly performe any seruice to the Church or to any part thereof so most willingly of all are they imployed for the good of godly Ministers and that for two causes First because they are their fellow-labourers both for that that Angels good Ministers are both called Gods embassadors Gods own seruants or officers in a more peculiar manner then any other calling for that their seruice is so like that their names are common one to the other Angels being called Ministers and Ministers Angels as though they were almost all one Secondly because the Ministers dutie is to conuert saue soules being a worke which next to the glorifying of God and doings his wil the Angels doe take most delight in aboue any other for if they be sent out for the good of them which shal be saued how much more willingly for their good by whom they are saued which shal be saued if the Angels reioice at the cōuersion of a sinner surely they much loue him desire to doe him good by whom the sinner is conuerted and in these respects that Angels and Ministers haue the same names and are both imployed in the same great worke namely doing good to the elect Therefore is it that the Angel calles himselfe S. Iohn the Euangelists fellow in the Reuelation If then they be fellowes euē fellow-seruants fellow-laborers in a more special maner then any other what maruel though the angels be most willingly imployed in doing any seruice of helpe or comfort to godly Ministers In the second place If any aske if it be so then what duties are Ministers to performe to angels for this their so carefull seruice especiall attendance vpon them aboue other men A Papast would answere Ministers must therefore worshippe them and keepe their fasting Holy-dayes and say their seruice and pray vnto them as to their keepers and Mediators But alas cannot the Kings Messenger or Officer be honoured vnlesse he be set vpon the Kings throne will nothing serue him but the Crowne and Scepter so cannot Angels be honoured vnlesse they be made Gods or Sauiours or mediators But I answere therefore wee dare not go so farre least we remember the seruant so much that we forget the master but rather we answere thus seeing angels are thus seruiceable to Gods ministers it should first of all teach al men to honour that calling with all due reuerence For they cannot but please the angels in honouring good Ministers whom they esteeme their fellowes Secondly it should teach all Ministers not to content themselues with the name and title but to labour to bee good and faithfull For so doing they are fellowes to the Angels and it is a disgrace to the Angels when