CERTAINE Godlie and learned Sermons Made vpon these sixe following Parables of our Sauiour Christ declared in the Gospell 1. Of the vncleane spirit 2. Of the prodigall sonne 3. Of the Rich man and Lazarus 4. Of the vvounded man 5. Of the vnmercifull seruant 6. Of the faithfull seruant By S. I. Nascimur in commune bonum At London Printed by I.R. for R.B. and are to be solde in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Sunne 1601. To the right Reuerend Father in God Ma. Doctour Babington Bishop of VVorcester a plentifull measure of Gods grace in this life and eternall ioyes in the life to come MAtter 's of learning are most fit to be presented to theÌ„ that excel therein For as the prouerbe is Scientia â—emiâ—eÌ„ habet inimicum prater ignorantem so by the same rule may I say Scientia nemiâ—â—em habet amicum et Mecanatem nisi studiosum faâ—tâ—reâ—â—que honorum literarum Let wisdom grow in fauour with them that haue knowledge and waighty discourses be accepted of learned men Caluine and Erasmus making their Comentaries vpon the New-testament tooke choice to dedicate them to Kings and Princes Nobles which I take it was not only to make them in loue with religion but also to make them to fauour and further it to the vtmost of theyr power Though my selfe be nothing comparable not so much as worthy to carry their bookes after such learned men yet I may take example froÌ„ them And although Right Reuerend I know right well that you not onely fauour religion but are an earnest professor thereof that I need not to exhort and stirre you vp therein yet the principal scope of this my writing is of this my dedication in most humble earnest sort to desire you thaâ—â—s you haue done much good already by your printed labors so you would vouchsafe yet more and more to further Gods church the ministerie by this means Among whom my selfe beeing but a mean member haue reaped great profit by your labors For the which as we of the ministery chiefly are to acknowledge gods goodnes for raising vp such an instrument in his church so as many as haue beene furthered bettered by your painfulnesse are also to account theÌ„selues beholding vnto you as I am I speak it vnfainedly I heare being one of your neighbour Diocesse that you haue great care of a learned ministery and at the entrance of your honourable place in VVorster you shewed your selfe a forward man therein I beseech your Lordship to pardoÌ„ my presumption and to take my meaning in good part For them that are vnlearned and eyther would or by any means are like to enter into the ministery where you haue to doe either you may aduice theÌ„ as no doubt you doe to stay a longer time till they be sufficient or debar theÌ„ or exhort and counsell them to take vpon them another course of life For those beeing vnlearned that are already placed who considering their ovvne wants and weaknesse might bestowe some part of their liuing vppon sufficient and able men to helpe to discharge that vvaightie dutie which lyeth vpon theÌ„ to performe in that behalfe if they be vnwilling this way of themselues wil be studious painful endeuouring to discharge a good conscience in their place and calling no better helps can they haue then learned bookes Who if they would but follow the direction which you haue already set foorth I dâ—â—â— aâ—sure them they may doe much good in theyr congregation Nowe as Kings and Princes desirous to gouerne theyr people well doe not onely commaund them to liue in due obedience and ciuill order but also doe prescribe lawes statutes that thereby they may be directed to liue as they ought to do so such men as your selfe vnder Kings and Princes beeing appoynted great Gouernours hauing a great charge doe well to perswade your Clergie vnder your iurisdiction that they haue especiall care to instruct the people coÌ„mitted to them but they doe better that by all meanes they can deuise doe help and further them to make them able Ministers The example of your Lordshippes painfull preaching is a notable incouragement in this behalfe but if it would please you as yet further to preach to the by your painfull pen they might at good leyfare instruct thâ—â—â—elâ—â—◠〈◊〉 by due meditatioÌ„ make good vse therof to the edification of others And that you may continue in your godly 〈◊〉 of a learned ministery as also the vnlearned may take heed what they doe 〈◊〉 much heerein they offend let mee further perswade by the words of that lerned and reuerend man Ma. Doctour Some who in a printed booke aunswering Penry his obiections shâ—weth his great forwardnes in this matter I beseech you let it not seeme â—â—dâ—ous vnto you though I recite vnto you that which there I haue râ—â—d The vvordes are these as followeth Doctour Sâ—mes desire of a lerned ministerie I haue 〈◊〉 very earnestly and humbly by wriâ—ingâ— and speech for a learned ministerie I haue receiued very comfortable aunswere of very great and honourable personages who haue alreadie thanks be to God employed some and will no doubt imploy more in the churches seruice Penry maketh a speech as proceeding from vnlearned ministers chap. 25. vvhich make the ministery vltimâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 They in their practise say Lord whether of soule or no we care not but rather then we should not haue the meanes to liue in this life for this is theyr onelie scope in continuing in the ministerie require the blood of soules and vvhat thou wilt at our hands And so sencelesse men they sell themselues body soule vnto euerlasting woe destruction To this speech Ma. Doctour Some aunswereth wisely and discreetly I am so far saith he from beeing a defence to ignorant eyther Leuites before or Ministers nowe that I confesse freelie that their entrance into the priest-hood and ministerie and â—â—â—â—uance in it most absurdly vvas and is a gâ—eeuous sinne If the Lorde hath or shall punish them senerely for theyr intrusion into so high a calling they cannot plead not guiltie If they doe it is in vaine for at Gods barre they shall not be acquitted You write that the ignorant Ministers whom you call sencelesse men doe sell themselues body soule to euerlasting destruction Your speech is true Illi viderint Let them if they be not gracelesse and shamelesse looke into it All that I say vnto it is the Lorde for his Christ his sake heale that sore It is not so grieuous thankes be to GOD as it was I assure my selfe it will be lesse I would to God it were none So farre Maister Doctor Some who I am perswaded vttered this not so much addicted vnto learning beeing himselfe a man verie learned as principallie vpon a good conscience considering the vvaightie charge that lyeth vppon the Minister to performe to teach to confute to comfort vvhich cannot bee performed vvithout learning Novve
sinne and defiled againe and continuing in their former sinnes whereof they haue repented this is the house which is swept and prepared for his comming and in such sort as he wold wish to giue him entertainment It is not cleanlines or hansomnes or sweeping or garnishing where-with the deuil is delighted the reason is because he is an vnclean spirit his delight is in vncleanenes those men women that are most vncleane they are the onely hoasts to entertain so loathsom so homely a guest Whē the house is swept from all cleanenes frō all godlines honesty vertue then is it swept as it shold be for him This sweeping is wel expressed in the Scripture by two similitudes the first is as when the Sow after washing hath walowed in mire is all dirty then is she cōpared vnto that clean soule which the deuil maketh choise of the other similitude is of the dogg that is returned to his owne vomit 2. Pet. 2.2.2 Sweeping is not enough paring with an iron instrument is more needfull The former custome of sinne sticks hard in thy remembrance and a simple bare confession of thy accustomed sinne which may be compared vnto a slight sweeping is not of that force but that thy old custom wil bring in the deuill againe and giue thy old Landlord his induction into his new possession Thou hadst need therefore to pare it away with great sorrow harty repentance ioyning therto all diligence watchfulnes against the same especially and aboue the rest crauing Gods helpe assistance that thou maist ouercome thy old euill custom But deceaue not thy self in thy negligence when thou doest these things for a shewe fashion confessing thy sinns in such sort as though thou hadst some other busines in hand and in the meane time as one that is carelesse thou liuest content without feare laying thy head vpon thy pillow Whereby it cōmeth to passe that the deuill being as it were inuited into the house of thy soule through thy euil custom maketh hast and looketh not for a second bidding See therefore that thou pluck vp thy euil weeds by the roote leaue no shew of the roote therof in the ground of thy hart if it be possible least it take sap strength grow vp again And that thou mayst the better doe this practise that vertue which is cōtrary to thy vice which hath so mightily entangled thee as sobriety in steed of drukennes chastity in steede of whoredome humility in steede of pride loue and charity in steede of slaunder and euill report liberality in steed of vsury oppression and extortion and so in the like giuing heede there-vnto with all painfulnes circumspection and watchfulnes For as the Aethiopian cannot change his skin nor the Leopard his spots so some are wholy giuen to sinne and can neuer returne because they will not Hee that is vsed to wholsom meat cannot brook that which is vnsauory and the souldiour that is accustomed to eate horse-flesh after a while can away with it well enough So before we are giuen to a custome of sinne it seemeth vgly and loathsome but when once we are caught in the snare haue giuen our selues there-vnto and haue had a pleasant tast therof then we drink it down as though it were sweete vvine and being once thus wedded we are neuer purposed to be diuorced and to breake off Come counsell come threatnings come perswasions come punishments afflictions the displeasure of God the shame of the world a guilty conscience the feare of death and of hell all is one Iron twice hardned must needes be most durable Wee are like the deafe Adder which stoppeth her eares and we will not be called or if we be called we will not be vvone charme the charmer neuer so vvisely The sinner vvhen he is fallen into the depth of sinne then hee despiseth all warnings and setteth very light by his best friendes They regard not the grace of God but receiue it in vaine and take as great delight in theyr sinnes as if they were possessed of heauen and with the sow they altogether delight to wallow in the mire Secondly it is sayd that hee founde the house from whence he came Emptie empty Mat. 12.44 After we haue repented we becom idle and lie open euen as open as Noah as carelesse as Lot Giue no place to the deuill Eph. 4. The idle giue roome enough but they that are exercised in godly studies and labours the deuill hath no place there The children of Dan tooke Lais the people being carelesse Dauid was inticed to adultery beeing idle Many seeme to labour and to be busied in a thousand matters as though they had not so much leysure as to eate theyr meate and yet theyr time is but idely spent because it is onely in the affayres of this life and not concerning that which is to come all for the body and little or nothing for the soule Luke 10.42 Little children in making theyr toyes are meruailous busie and we in these worldlie matters are too forward and all to little purpose because the care of heauenly things is so much forgotten or at least-wise so slenderly regarded beeing meruailous wise in our owne conceit while we vnderstand nothing God would haue the people of Israell to gather Manna not to last a weeke or a yeere but for euery day So must we cast of sloth labour continually in the works of our vocation vntil the sabboth of rest of glory come so greatly desired of vs where then most happily we shal enioy the fruite of all our labours Reuel 14.13 and this especially that by our painfull labours in all godly sort we haue beene kept from committing great many offences which otherwise we thight haue falne into beeing preserued by Gods grace and made able to liue in his feare and in his seruice Thirdly he findeth it garnished A bed orderly made doth inuite vs to lye downe a faire hansome house doth prouoke vs to come in and beeing entred there to make our stay and abode The garnishing of the house is but an accidental ornament and the occasions of sinne are great inticements there-vnto Therefore the Apostle willeth vs not onely to refraine from sinne but euen to abstaine from all appearance of euil 1. Thes 5.22 Moses would not leaue a hoofe behind him Occasions of sin must be auoided Exo. 10. and wee must auoyd euery little occasion for the occasions of sin are the ornaments of the house wherein the deuill delighteth to dwell the occasions of sinne are the deuils pledges whereby hee hath an interest in vs. If thou hast repented thee of thy whoredome retaine not thy whore nor any iewell or token of hers whereby thy minde may be intangled to come into the remembrance of her loue for that is the deuils hooke and snare whereby he mindeth to catch and intrap thee and to lay sure hold on thee The
shalt most readily performe if thou doost returne the same way thou wentest from him Eph. 4. Cast off lying and speake euery man truth vnto his neighbour hee that hath stolne let him steale no more but rather labour and worke with his handes the thing which is good that hee may haue to giue to him that needeth Let the proude learne to bee humble the drunkard to be sober the riotous to be chast the misers to be charitable If we haue gone away from God let vs approch vnto him by a reformed lyfe holy manners holy conuersation That it may be spoken of vs as Paule speaketh of the Ephesians chap. 2. Ye which were a farre of are made neere But more God-willing shall be saide heereof when vvee shall speake of the returne of the prodigall Sonne Nowe let vs come to the third principall poynt 3. What hee did in a strange country namely what the prodigall Sonne did in a strange country and how hee behaued himselfe that was loosly enough for hee spent his patrimony riotously and wastfully When this youngster had receaued his patrimony he was so prickt vp in pride that hee thought himselfe a Lord or a King to doe what him listed and abroade he must to shewe his brauery His Fathers house could not holde him his licentious will and loose liberty set him forward the deuill beeing at his elbow to tell him what a iolly fellow hee was and the deuils workmen euill companions set this matter abroach to bring him his estate rather to confusion then to perfection to woe then to happines And now this sorrowfull game begins and his shame is set out to euery mans view for he consumed all his goods among harlots And there he wasted his goods with riotous liuing Wasted all Hauing receaued his portion hee sets not himselfe to liue vnder anie ciuill gouernment neither doth hee in any sort regard his credite but as an outlaw an abiect and an extrauagant and a wilfull waster sets all at sixe and seauen hee and his companions being like to the grashoppers of Egypt that eate vp euery greene thing First hee spent all and secondly among harlots in riotous liuing Many a one through pouerty spendeth all some by debt ouerthrowe thēselues some through suretiship are vndone some are ouershot by sutes of law some through sicknes and phisicke are brought to a low ebbe some by fire are made full poore some through shipwracke are cast behinde hand and diuers are the inconueniences that fall out in the worlde whereby a mans estate may be brought to nothing But none of all these hinderances come through wilfulnes for the man that feareth god may be brought to all these hazards but the vngodly vvaster hath no defence for himselfe By this departing from GOD see howe the wretched sinner looseth all that he receaued which was very profitable for him to the attayning of euerlasting lyfe As knowledge vnderstanding and grace yea hee spoyleth both his body and soule in this life and in another All the good deedes which hee hath doone in this lyfe are by this meanes defaced as though hee had doone no such thing According to that we read Ezech. 18.24 If the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse commit iniquity and doe according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shalle he liue All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sin that hee hath sinned in them shall he die Tell me if one abyding among the Indians for the space of twenty or thirty yeres after returning into Spaine loaded with wealth forgetting all his former labours and dangers which hee vndertooke before hee coulde come to that treasure shoulde wilfully in one night hazzard all at the dice or cardes vvould not euery one in his company iudge him not to be well in his wits But the carelesse sinner is farre more foolish vvho running into mortall sinne dooth ouer-throwe the fruites of a godly life 30. or 40. yeeres spent in prayer and fasting almes many other godlie exercises and indangering the hope of a better life Hee for a short delight and by greedy couetousnes to gaine looseth all in a night what hee hath gotten a long while yet thou dooing the like betwixt God thy selfe art far more foolish For he may returne to the Indians and gette as much more but the sinner cannot doe so for the most part rather making himselfe the seruant of sin then seeking to breake of the course thereof as the seruant laboureth for the Maister so the sinner maketh himselfe a bond-slaue to the deuill being altogether vnable to practise any worke to the obtayning of life euerlasting First thou doost loose all thy good deeds which thou hast done and secondly thou doost bring thy selfe into that estate from the vvhich thou canst not easily recouer thy selfe and therefore none more vnhappy none more vnwise But howe did this prodigall sonne wast and consume all his goods With riotous liuing With riotous and licentious liuing among varlets and whores Which often falleth out among thē that are negligently brought vp who when they are come to yeres of discretion care neither for parents nor maisters nor Magistrates nor theyr betters thinking themselues equall to all and inferiour to none They despise both the counsell and the company of those that bee good and godly in gaming banquetting they exceede spending that most carelesly and lewdly which their parents gathered together with carke and care This prodigall child wasted all in wantonnes and whoring Whoredom which vice consumeth the gold of grace and the power and strength of nature weakening the bodie disturbing reason making the wit vnderstanding very dull spoyling vs of money honour of temporall benefits blessings and of eternall happines and bringing vs vnto vtter ouerthrow confusion Therefore Salomon saith hee that nourisheth a whore wasteth his substance Pro. 29.3 and he that loueth feasting shall die a begger Therefore it is compared vnto fire that deuoureth all wasting our welth consuming the body and destroying the soule This sinne prouoked GOD to destroy the world with water to consume Sodome and other Citties thereto adioyning with fire and brimstone The Sichemites and Beniamites for this were put to the sword Absolon killed his brother Ammon at a banquet for defiling his sister Through this Salomon was driuen to idolatry Sampson lost his eyes with shame and discredite Dauid felt the smart heereof his children committing incest murder to his great griefe to heare of it Thys caused the two wicked Iudges to bee stoned to death and for this offence there fel in one day 23. thousand of the people of Israell VVhereby wee may gather howe great this sin is that had so great punishment and whereof in the Scripture there are so many fearefull examples Our Sauiour Christ suffered many sinnes among
his disciples but not this He bore with the vnbeleefe of Thomas and of the rest suffered theyr pride and ambition when they stroue who should be the greatest when they called for fire from heauen to cōsume the Samaritans and to be reuenged of thē hee gently reproued them When they enuied at others for casting out deuils in his Name he did not so greatly rebuke them The couetousnes of Iudas nay his treason Christ did freendly forwarne him of Peter denied him and forswore him and yet he restored him The beastlines of lust he which feedeth among the Lillies could neuer abide in his company And therefore his loue was especially bent vnto the Euangelist Saint Iohn for his purity and virginitie Hee is the seruant of the deuill whose minde doth onely runne vpon beastly cogitations And the Apostle Gala. 5. doth pronounce of them that they that are so carried away shall neuer enter into the kingdom of heauen This sinne is the fire of hell the matter whereof is gluttony filthines the flame shame the smoake that ascendeth therehence and euerlasting torments the ende and the reward thereof VVhen the deuill tempted our Sauiour Christ hee did not once offer to intangle him by this meanes knowing how farre it was from his nature and how much he did detest it the deuill was not so grosse but he assaulted him with finer conceits Thys sin destroyeth the body shortneth the life defaceth vertue and is the manifest breach of Gods lawe All other sinnes defile the soule but this defileth both soule bodie Your bodies are the temple of God and hee that defileth the temple of God him shall God destroy 1. Cor. 6. Thou canst not auoyde Gods seuere iudgement if thou doost impudentlie abuse the Temple of God But nowe thys cursed plague hath spredde it selfe ouer all the worlde Lots daughters are counted most infamous but I feare mee there are some which are more woorthy of shame which in the sight of the worlde are counted chast They required onely to preserue seede of theyr Father but many wiues follow lust too greedily more then to haue children beside many other shameful behauiours vnknowne to the world wherof their conscience no doubt doth accuse thē Let them call for mercy and forgiuenesse and endeuour chastity without the which none shall see God The female among beasts hauing conceaued doe neuer suffer the male to come neere them Thus the vnreasonable creatures teach vs that make great account of Christianitie to be sober temperate and chast God forbid that all should so be affected and they that are so ouertaken may learne to amend for shame of themselues and feare of eternal punishment This sin is ouer-come by flying from it Remedies of lust as the Apostle counselleth 1. Corin. 6.18 Fly fornication All other sinnes are ouercome by fighting this only by flying It is not good to fight with that enemy which taketh strength by thy presence Howe shall that King fight with his enemie that hath traytours in his army And when we fight against riot whoredome our own body and sinfull flesh is ready to take part against vs. Another remedy of thys sin is the remembrance of hel fire wherein lewd persons shall bee tormented It is a harde thing to resist thy tentation but more hard to endure hell torments But as the greater fire ouercommeth the lesser so let hell fire put out the flame of fleshly lust A third remedy is repentance with a ful and resolute endeuour of all amendment A fourth remedy is the practise of al good workes walking in an honest vocation preyer and fasting Fire is quenched by water by humble teares all fleshlie lusts are washed and wiped away This sinne as all other sinnes is not in our power to refraine or ouercome the Lord therefore giue vs his grace and of his goodnes alter the power of our wicked nature And that wee cannot doe the Lorde will bring to passe in our behalfe if wee earnestly seeke his helpe by prayer and that comfort and strength which Paul had the same shal we haue My grace is sufficient for thee To these helps may other also bee added to keepe our selues as much as may be out of the companie of Women according to that verse Carpit enim vires paulatim vritque videndo famina Againe to settle our selues to studie and earnest meditation to vse our selues to hard fare and hard lodging Sine cerere et Baccho friget Venus And this is it which the Apostle speaketh of 1. Cor. 9.27 I beate downe my bodie and bring it into subiection By this prodigall sonne wee are taught into how great misery a foolish and selfe-willed man or woman is brought vnto by following their owne vnbrideled will He was wealthy sounde and in especiall account in his fathers house but euery one seeth into howe great pouerty and miserie hee is brought in following his owne swinge and sway hee lost all that euer hee had and of a wealthy man and in high degree became most vnhappy and of base account being pinched with pouerty for his aboundance hauing rags for his robes and beeing inforced to eate huskes vvith Swine which before could away with nothing but delicates and dainties VVe see also vvhat is his reward which forsaketh the Lord as also what his practise is that is left vnto himselfe becomming worse worse and falling from one sin into another Marke also howe the number of sins increase daily vntill they haue altogether ouer-whelmed vs. We learne also vvhat a horrible iudgement and miserable condition remaineth to him whom GOD giueth ouer and vvho is thus left to himselfe On the contrary what a great ioy comfort it is to be vnder Gods direction and tuition the which onely keepeth vs from sinne from danger and from eternall death They that are not vnder Gods guiding and vnder his safegarde howe great are theyr miseries and into howe manie inconueniences doe they fall howe manie mischiefes and calamities doe light vppon them Thys prodigall Sonne lost all spent his goods riotouslie among harlots and beeing driuen to great pouertie was almost starued to death by famine And heere-hence followeth the fourth matter worthie of noting and remembrance to wit what ensued in those daies after he had spent all There followed a famine miserable scarcetie Now when he had spent all there arose a great dearth throughout the Land Now. c. and hee began to bee in necessitie This is the end of riotous maisterfull youth which quickly consume all and come vnto great miseries if not lamentable ends Wherefore it is the duty of the parents to bring vp theyr chyldren in the instruction information of the Lord Ephe. 6.4 And if their education proue well and their children bee of good gouernment so much they haue got and gained as also they are to giue GOD thankes that hath giuen so good successe But if the contrary fall out this crosse and
estate is soâ—â—â—ong therefore seeing I cannot chuse but sinne I wil for euer remaine therein Little thinking their foolishnes is so great that though we sinne against GOD through weakenes not of presumption if it be a hundred times yet if we turne to the Lord by tru repentance hee will so often forgiue vs. These faint-harted people despairing of Gods goodnesse and mercy and hauing no hope of amendement cast themselues headlong into sinne and yeeld themselues wholy into the power of sathan perceauing theÌ„selues to be falne from grace from the fauour of God This prodigall sonne had rather suffer the most terrible tiranny of the deuill then to endure some hardnes in comming to his fathers house where he should enioy all freedome and wealth Straite is the gate that entreth into life and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction The Israelites had rather returne into Egypt to suffer the tiranny and persecution of Phamo then to vndertake a little labour in the Wildernes that they might enioy the promised Land flowing with milke and honny Such is the estate of many finners who had rather stil 〈◊〉 kept vnder the slauery of the deuill then by confessing theyr sinnes to receaue spirituall comfort from Christ and to obtaine his grace and fauour He sent him to his farme to feed swine To feede Swine He is cast out of the Citty which is an honourable place and sent to base drudgery The sinner is dismissed of heauenly meditations and intangled in wordly busines and ouercome thereof Such is the course of most men now adaies beeing giuen to worldly busines marchandise bargaines and other affaires of this world that they leaue no time to serue God hauing theyr mindes herewith choked vp so that they doe not so much as once thinke of God Neyther doe theyr mindes runne vpon any thing else speake doe desire any thing but that which is worldly temporall and fleshly In this sort mayst thou be termed a keeper of swine which feeding thy body doost suffer thy soule to starue And as after the death of swine there is no more remembrance of them so of all these thy worldly labours there shall be no profite remaining to thee concerning an other life For what shall a man get if he win the whole world looâ—â— his own soule Our soule is that whereof wee ought to haue especiall care and by the which we are reasonable creatures and differ from brute beastes But following our owne fleshly desires wee become like brute beasts and feede swine taking vppon vs a most abiect state of life not whorthy to be called men but to bee compared to refuse and dunge To feede the eyes with beautifull shewes the taste with sweet meates and the feeling with all inticements what is it else but to feede the belly the sences and the flesh as if with swine wee delighted to wallowe in dirt and mire The place of Esay chap. 34. is notable comparing mans ruinous estate to desolations where in the place of come shall growe nettles and thornes and theyr stately houses shall be nothing else but an habitation for dragons a court for Ostriches c. This swinish people shall be like vnto the Madianites to Sisera and vnto Iabin of whom mention is made psal 83.9 which perrished at Endor and became as the dung of the earth And he would faine haue filled his belly with the huskes that the swine eate but no man gaue them him By husks are heere vnderstood all other matters besides and without God as pleasures profits wherwith we desire to satisfie our selues vvhich are the iewels of this present world For all that is in the worlde as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world Which things the most part of the world do hunt after and for the which they are so eagerly set that they raise strife discord Inâ—â—â—â— and when they haue all doone it is but for buskes for vaine and transitory thinges The daintiest foode dooth but fill the bellie and afterward goeth into the draught and the chiefest pleasures serue but for a time afterward damne the soule When men enioy those pleasures which they would they thinke they shall neuer haue enough therefore is heere mention made that although the prodigall sonne woulde haue filled his belly yet no man gaue them him The deuill will not fulfill thy appetite in the course of sin fearing least when thou hast thy fill thou shouldest forsake him and detest his seruice and betake thy selfe to the seruice of God The deuill sets before thee the beauty of euery woman thou lookst vpon to drawe thee into his net When hee hath caught thee he keepes thee from the presence sight of the woman which thou louest least being satisfied with her loue thou begin to contemne the sin and to condemne thy selfe and depart froÌ„ that sin and turne to the Lord. This is the deuils pollicie to giue thee but a tast to keepe thy appetite alwayes fresh to hunger after his sauce keeping thee still in slauerie and making thy chiefest delight to bee a torment vnto thee Pharao denied to giue the Israelites strawe to make them more weary Holophernes stopped the water springs froÌ„ the Bethulians so that through scarcely of water their thirst was rather increased then quenched So the deuill giues thee a taste to make thee more hungry but neuer satis-fieth thy desire to make thee the more greedily to hunt after it Thou refusest the fountaine of the water of life and diggest vnto thy selfe vnwholsome waters our of broken cesterns thy waters stink through the vncleannes of thy vices and taste full euill through the bitternes of our conscience diuersly defiled What madnes therefore hath entred into our mindes that we forsaking the true and euelasting goodnes of GOD should desire to be fedde with chaffe and with huskes that are cast vnto Swine especially seeing our creation is so noble and that by gods word and by his grace we are chosen called to enioy such excellent treasure in Christ Iesus We being blinded take huskes for dainty meate which are rather prouided for swine then for 〈◊〉 whose stomacks can hardly away with such meate Beware therefore seeing thou are bought of Christ with so high a pâ—icâ— and redeemed and set at liberty that thou deliuer not thy selfe againe into the â—â—iuery of sinne and the deuill Compare this present estate of a sinner with that former wherein he was created or wherein since wee were created by Gods grace we stood Before vvee had a Father nowe vvee haue a Lord what said I a Lord nay a tyrant before we were free but now slaues before was this prodigall sonne furnished with plentie now is he pinched with scarcety before hee liued in his fathers house now among robbing destroying strangers before hee was accepted among the sonnes of a kinde father now is
this is the badge of Christians whereby they are distinguished froÌ„ the douils company VVhen our Sauiour Christ taught his disciples the time he was conuersant with them humilitie patience contempt of the world and other christian vertues and duties the perswasion of loue charitie and good will he reserued to his last supper to the intent that hee might most firmly imprint the loue of our neighbour into the harts and memories of his disciples For this is giuen vs by nature that looke what our friend doth giue vs last in charge wheÌ„ he departeth from vs that stickest longest in our remembrance In this duty of loue consisteth the perfection of al christianity Therefore S. Paule sayth that the whole lawe is comprehended in this one thing Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe He that fulfilleth both these commaundements as he ought may without blushing appeare before God Dauid saith ô Lord I haue loued thy commaundements and therefore he desired the presence of God but Adam beeing called fled from God hid himselfe because hee had disobeyed God and therefore durst not come into his presence The prophet saith not I haue knowne thy law or I haue kept thy lawe but I haue loued thy lawe To keepe thy lawe is of necessity and feare but to loue proceedeth from inward affection The loue of God is perpetuall but the loue of the worlde or of our selues is but for this life for the loue of the worlde and of our selues we indanger our selues but for the loue of God we finde a meanes to be pertakers of the kingdome of God and of euerlasting ioyes The especiall cause of louing our neighbour is in respect of his soule And a good shepheard wil not spare to lay downe his life for his sheepe and many haue been content to be offered vp for the confirmation of the faith of others This doâ— and thou shalt liue See how Christ doth prouoke vs vnto good works This do c. teaching vs that we should walke in them He saith not Say this or beleeue this but doe this That is loue God and loue thy neighbour and shew forth the vvorkes of charitie As the Apostle speaketh 1. Ioh. 3. Let vs not loue in word neither in tunge onely but indeed in truth Hee that seeeth his neighbour in necessity shutteth vp his compassion from him how remaineth the loue of God in him Hee that loueth his neighbour hath life and hee that loueth not abidâ—th in death 1. Corin. 13 Though wee speake with the tongue of men and Angels haue not loue it were nothing As the body is sustained by naturall heate so is charitie the life of the soule without the which it is as dead If thou hatest thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art dead and if thou findest thy selfe thus dead loue and liue We are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren Nothing is so precious vnto vs as life whereof this is an cuident token that for the same we can be coÌ„tent to haue an â—r me or a leg cut off and to drink most bitter potions Yet is this life no true lyfe but rather a shadow an image of death If we can be content to endure such things for this life which is of so short continuance how should we bestirre our selues what should not wee vndertake to attaine the glorious life euerlasting For Christ speaketh not heere of this transitorie lyfe but of euerlasting life which is the seate dwelling place of the blessed The Gods of the Gentiles require the death of infants and that men should sley themselues but the Lord saith by the prophet Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he returne liue Oh how good is our God who I would were loued of vs as meete is and that wee could frame our selues to obey his holy will and for thys our loue and holy obedience requiteth vs not onely with this transitory life but will crowne vs hereafter with eternall ioyes But hee willing to iustifie himselfe sayd vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour But. c. Heerein he sheweth himselfe to be an hypocrite that he would iustifie himselfe as though he had fulfilled the whole lawe of God perfectly and left nothing vndoone Our hypocrisie is especially founde in the keeping of the second table for that is the sold giuen to the poore not being moued there-vnto through charitie but because hee was a thiefe and bare the bagge The sonne of Iacob when they sold their brother Ioseph willing to iustifie themseluâ—s before theyr Father and to cleere themselues from all offence brought their brothers garment stayned with blood as though nothing might be lay de to theyr charge So Herod purposing to kil Christ made a shewe that he would goe vvorship Christ The wicked Iudges woulde haue cleered themselues to be farre from the offence which they lay de to Susannas charge But let all these vnderstand which dissemble with their double hart that there will come a time when all shall bee reuealed as the trechery of Absolon Heliodorus Herods was if not in this world yet in another He sayth he loueth God and yet maketh question who is his neighbour But he that loueth not his neighbour whom hee seeth daily how shall hee loue God whom hee hath not seene He speaketh suspiciously as though a man might loue God and yet neuer thelesse be cruell and hurtfull to his neighbour The Iewes they had onelie respect to them of their owne nation supposing it was lawfull for them to hate allants and forrenners and to let them alone without dooing them any benefit on good at all But the name of neighbour dooth extend it selfe to a further compasse to wit vnto all men Forasmuch as oftentimes it chaunceth that hee which is nighest to vs in birth or country is farther from vs in affection and loue then our very foe And Iesus aunswered and said A certaine man went downe from Ierusalem to Icricho This might bee for Ierusalem was in the high mountaine Sion and Iâ—icho in a low place Besides there was a desert betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho where passengers were spoyled by theeues and where Zedechias the King vvas taken by by the Captaines of the king of Babel when he fled from Ierusalem Some apply this man that was wouÌ„ded by theeues vnto Adam and vnto man-kinde the priest and the Leuite vnto the sacrifices of the old lawe and Christ vnto the Samaritane which healed man-kind being spoiled by the deuils temptations of the gifts graces of God the denill beeing compared heere vnto theeues Some compare the man that came from Ierusalem to Iericho vnto a sinner that falleth from the estate of grace vnto the deformity of sin But how far this is from the sence and true meaning euery man may perceiue For the chiefed cope that our Sauiour aâ—â—eth at 〈◊〉 to shewe vvho is our neighbour
to allure and to prouoke vs he commeth neere vnto vs and feeleth our affections and inclinations and offreth matters to our sences If wee be giuen to drunkennes he will intice vs by the pleasantnes of the wine and the sweetnesse of the drinke If vnto gluttony he will entice vs with plenty of meate and belly-cheere If possessed by the lustes of the flesh he will tempt vs with the beautie of women who haue no care of theyr chastitie and make small account of theyr honestie and good name If vnto anie of these or the like motions and temptations wee giue our consent then hath the deuill what he would and so will hee vse meanes to proceed fâ—rther so will hee take aduantage against vs by watching and prying into the corruption of our owne nature and so becomming daily and continually our domesticall foe And although wee may keepe our selues in neuer so warily and restraine our selues and haue an eye vnto our own inclinations yet if we be too hard for him one way hee will venture vpon vs another way hee will neuer leaue but stil be tempting of vs. And therefore our life is truely said to be a warfare that wee might alwaies stand in a readines to fight against these temptations to be alwaies practised in auoiding that which is euill When one temptation vvill not take place our enemy tryeth another as an inuincible fighter that is still prepared vnto the combat One temptation followeth in the necke of another either in matters which concerne the body and outward affayres or such as pertaine to the spirit and minde of man and to the estate of another life Therefore vvhen one temptation is past and the trouble ended we must not thinke to rest vnmolested as flesh blood naturally perswadeth it selfe we must not be lulled in the cradle of security but we must alwayes prepare our selues to a newe fresh assault to be ready to incounter with euery new temptation And this is the cause why many are ouer-come by temptations because they promise peace and safetie vnto themselues in this life because they are alwayes vnprouided and neuer looke for the worst neuer looke to preuent temptations Beeing altogether ignorant of the deuils diligence who is ready at all assaies and looketh after euery occasion But wee in this matter are altogether as carelesse as they that are recouered from some great and dangerous sicknesse vvee thinke vvee shall not fall into the same or the like againe Howbeit we must knowe that temptations are more rife with vs then sicknesses and the dangers of the one farre greater then the other Most men and wemens mindes hee inforceth to grosse and shamefull sinnes The vncleane Spirit and foule faults whose harts by custome hee hath fully possessed and who lye open to his assaults And aboue all other his ordinary temptation is by adultery whoredome vncleannes and wantonnesse and therefore he is truly termed in this place to be the vncleane Spirit Hee is called an vncleane spirit not onely because he hath lost his purity and his innocencie wherein hee was first created but also because hee delights in all vncleannesse is an vtter enemy to all holines Knowing well our inclination and howe prone our corrupt nature flesh blood is to this sinne he maketh vs to fight against our selues while hee standeth by to behold the conquest According to that the Apostle Saint Peter giueth vs warning of saying Deerely beloued I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule It is not barely sayd the Spirit but the vncleane Spirit to put a difference betwixt it and the Spirit of God which is mentioned without any addition Gal. 5. 6. Rom. 8. Esay 41. An euill spirit possessed Saul The deuill is sayd to be vncleane principally in respect of his vncleane qualities because he prouoketh vs to vncleanenesse making vs to fall from goodnes that hee may draw vs to eternall torments But how subtle craftie how powerfull and maisterfull soeuer his temptations be 2. There is a time when hee goeth out yet there is a time when he goeth out of vs though it be much against his wil. By good counsell much is brought to passe vvhich is the meanes which GOD vseth to bring some into the way againe Theyr owne conscience also testifying vnto them howe farre they goe astray and mouing them to forsake the deuill and all his workes But the cheefest meanes whereby he is throwne out is the conuerting grace of God which doth not onely minister good thoughts good wishes and good desires but giueth sufficient effect and power thereunto making vs able to throw out the deuill and to resist him The effect of this grace is that it prouoketh vs to true repentance vvhich doth not consist in the shedding of teares so much as in the conuersion of the hart the amendement of our life and conuersation All this notwithstanding how soeuer he be throwne out like a male-content he neuer resteth but seekes to enter in againe being ful loth to be long without his Mansion and dwelling place The force of Christ his redemption doth principally work this exile and banishment of the deuill his daily intercession in the behalfe of the godly doth worke it more and more Where by the way wee haue a notable instruction to consider how miserable the estate of mankinde is by nature that he is the habitation resting place of the deuill and of the vncleane spirit Neyther is it true onely in this or that man but in all the posterity of Adam And this is the glory renowne of our naturall or rather corrupt integrity that both in body in soule the deuill raigneth in vs. By howe much the more therefore haue we cause to extoll the vnspeakable mercy of God who of filthy and lothsome stables of the deuill maketh vs temples to himselfe consecrat places for his holy spirit to rest in Only diligent carefulnes is heere required that we continually remember how great a benefit we haue receaued in that we are freed from so troublesome a guest and so deadly an enemie And now haue we time to consider Gods goodnes to continue therein and to behold the great dangers we were in and to learne to auoide them and to detest the deuils malice and mischieuous working to make a vow with our selues not to be ouercome and ruled by him By good counsell hee may be throwne out and yet no sufficient discharge but as he will thrust in againe so will he easily be admitted Some doe vtterly refuse good counsaile and cannot abide to heare it and hate them that bring it shew their good will herein And they that shew themselues tractable for a while may giue consent and also haue a purpose to order themselues there-after and yet the deuill can alter all and make them stoope againe and they that were at defiance
and shut vp all passages keepe thee very straightly For if the cōpany of the godly were the means to deliuer thee out of his prison and so rescue thee he will so prouide that thou shalt shun yea by little and little hate their company and so will he harden thy hart against all good counsaile perswasions If preaching of the word did with-draw thy hart from him and win thee vnto God now wil hee haue dainty deuices of pleasures and worldly baites enow that thou shalt not be able to escape his hooke And by these meanes wil he shut vp all passages and the Castle being taken again he wil set a stronger garrison and bring with him seauen other spirits worse then himselfe who after they haue entred wil dwell there and make their continuall aboade Secondly in respect of the sinner himselfe In respect of the sinner his last state shall be woorse then the first He wil grow from worse to worse vntill there be no recouery the second disgrace will make him contemne all good meanes and bring him to be past shame Like vnto the man that hath the disease of the Lethargie whom neither talke nor striking nor pinching shal keepe waking The sinner falling into the depth of sinne contemneth all good perswasions counsailes and godly inspirations Prouerb 18. And his hart is become like the face of a harlot that cannot blush his hart will not relent neither is there any remorce Iere. 3. And then who will goe about to wash the black Moore and to make his skin white who will come neere that Sow which is nothing else but all dirt ouer Thirdly in respect of God the last state of the sinner is worse then the first In respect of God Because that sinner is so much the more left of God who returneth to his former sinnes againe like the dogg to his vomite and God doth take the lesse care about his saluation The Phisition that hath healed the sicke body giues him a charge and prescribes an order of diet willeth him to auoid grosse meates marrish fowles fish and other hurtfull meates which may impaire his health But the Phisition being out of sight if hee follow his hurtfull appetite and fall into his sicknes againe the Phisition being sent for is loath to meddle with him and giues him vp to himselfe and makes him an aunswere of deniall leaueth him as one despairing of his health seeing him so carelesse and so witlesse that hee cannot tell what is good for himselfe and whom no counsell can make to beware and to looke to himselfe Euen so God dealeth with that sinner that hauing beene often pardoned and often cleansed yet will run headlong into his former sinnes againe he then leaueth him to himselfe whom God forsaketh the deuill lieth in waite for as the Woolfe deuoureth that sheepe which is without a Sheep-heard Therefore the Lord speaketh iustly by his Prophet Ieremie chap. 51. Wee would haue cured Babell but shee would not be healed let vs leaue her therfore and come out of her least ye be pertakers of her sins and of her punishments And of Ierusalem the Lord saith Iere. 15. Who wil take pitty on Ierusalem who wil pray for her peace thou hast left me saith the Lord hast gone backward As if he had said I wil heale thy malady no more Pharaoh had diuers plagues to heale him but he continued in his stubbernes God left him for the multitude of his sins for God denieth to such sinners not only his effectuall helpe the power of his holy spirit to their cōuersion but all other helps also whereby other sinners are allured vnto repentance King Saule offended God greatly he was pardoned and had a faire warning least he should offend againe he had an especiall commaundement but he fell afterward in such sort that falling from God he neuer recouered againe neither returned into fauour The sonnes of Ely were not obedient vnto the voyce of their Father the reason is added because the Lord would destroy them for their manifold sinnes and that they vvere past amendement And though Moses Noah and Samuel should pray for such people the Lord would not heare them neither would he be entreated in their behalfe Now for a restoratiue in this wofull case A restoratiue in second falls this may be added that no man or woman despaire if they be not vtterly past grace though they fall againe seeing there is a difference betwixt a resolute determination in sinne a repentant mind which is hartily sorry for euery fall and offence Gods mercy doth often-times cast out the deuill that hee cannot haue any quiet possession and wandring in dry places and being in his sorrowful banishment he is still busie with vs to giue him entertainment againe Which we doe as often as by sinne we quench Gods spirit in vs and haue not that reuerent due waighty consideration of Gods grace as wee ought to haue He that hath beene sick and newly recouered vnlesse he take great heed he falleth into his sicknes againe So we being newly cleansed from our sinne through our negligence and carelesness fall many wayes into it againe First because we think our selues whole sound vpon a sodaine are cast downe againe Againe though sin be for a while banished it is not cleane rooted out for reliques remain such sparkles which will kindle flames We are sleepy and the deuill is too watchfull the spirit is weake the lusts of the flesh too powerfull The Israelites deliuered out of Aegipt had the Philistimes to molest them the deuil by his temptations the world by euil counsell and euill example are alwayes at our elbowes to trip vs and to giue vs a fall The sick man being newly recouered must com to his strength by dainty meates he that is newly recouered frō sinne must seeke after heauenly food to make his soule strong as often prayer hearing Sermons reading of good bookes and frequenting good cōpany harkning to good counsaile by all meanes to auoid the occasions of his former downfall Let him not presume of his strength nor thinke himselfe too sound diuers occasions may make him fall againe Still let him suspect the worst and feare a fall for he that will resist the deuill must still stande armed The body is kept in health by labour and exercise and the soule if it will continue in a happy estate must not onely auoide all euill works to the best of our power but wee must endeuour to practise all good workes and so shall wee make our foundation so sure that nothing shall ouer-throw vs. And this shall be vnto vs in steede of walls of brasse to keepe out the fierie darts and fierce assaultes of the deuill So shall wee continue in that state wherein GOD by his mercy hath sette vs free Otherwise if we be carelesse and negligent and sliding into our forme◠sinnes if the
him rest frō all his enemies then did he commit adultery and murder Heere wee may learne to take dislike against the riches honours and prosperous estate of this world For for want of wisedome and through negligence great danger commeth at vnawares In the Mountaines of Gilboa King Saul and his sonnes were slaine and in the honours and prosperitie of the world vertue dooth oftentimes take a fall Prosperity at the first shew appeareth most sweet and pleasant but bringeth there-withall great dangers to the soule if they be not wisely preuented In prosperitie therefore thinke of aduersity so the thought of alteration change shal breed wisedome and moderation The pride of prosperitie cast downe this prodigall Son into extreame misery Haman was happy when he was in fauour with the King but in his greatest iolity his destruction vvas then most neere The same fell out to Pharao and Senacharib the one beeing drowned in the Red-sea the other beeing stabd in by his owne sonnes But when this prodigall Sonne had this libertie let vs see what hee did and how hee imployed himselfe He tooke his iourny into a far country Farre away hee thought not himselfe farre enough But who willed him to depart who put him out of the house Into a farre Country His Father sent him out into banishment neyther vvilled him to go out of his house but he himselfe no body denying him of his ovvne accord or rather through his owne lightnesse hee went away and left his Fathers house So the sinner of his owne accord dooth leaue the gouernment of his heauenly Father doth make a voluntary separation Will. refusing the direction of Gods word the counsell of the godly of their faithfull friendes yea spurning against the secret warning of their owne conscience No doubt many about his Father gaue him counsel to the contrary but they could not turne his mind all meanes were assaied but nothing woulde serue the turne nor beate backe the humor of his licentious libertie his stubborne will coulde not be tamed his minde must needes bee fulfilled Vnder this parable the lawlesse affections of many young men are sette downe For this prodigall sonne liueth yet and will do vntill the worlds end But if they wil needs goe and will needes haue their swinge and sway if they will needes run their race they haue theyr time euen such a time that god doth leaue them to themselues For God doth not for sake any till hee be first forsaken And if we will needs goe be it known vnto vs that we runne vpon our manifest hazzard danger For who can tell whether in this disordered course he shal come to mischiefe or to some miserable end or whether God will shew him mercy that he may cal himselfe to better remēbrance As we read Eccles. 11. Reioyce ô young man c. God worketh with those that flie from him diuers wayes eyther by secrete crosses and afflictions or by open punishments miserable ends 1. Tim. 5.24 or els by granting vnto some the gracious gift of repentance Hee runneth far that neuer returnes as indeede many are so desperatly bent that they neuer returne But into this prodigall sonne God poured such abundance of his mercy that it had his issue in plentifull teares and he became a new man And so happy was his conuersion that his Father had great ioy thereof expressing the same in diuers comfortable tokens Out of this example we may gather that the cause of sin is our owne will not God or the deuill yea our owne sinfull flesh how soeuer many can make blind excuses for theyr owne euill life The first beginning of all euill is to turne away from God The children of men saith the Prophet psal 62.9 are deceitfull vpon the weights For in one ballance they put their pleasures and profits in another they place GOD and heauenly considerations making the one to weigh a great deale lighter then the other making more account of earthlie things then of God whom we should loue aboue all with all our hart and with all our soule All that God hath done for thē they consider not and they altogether neglect Your sinnes saith the prophet Esay haue made a separation betwixt you and your God A false ballance is an abhomination vnto god prou 11 1. This prodigall sonne as a man of no experience went rashly to worke Rashnes neyther did he consider what good things hee enioyed in his Fathers house nor what he lost nor yet howe great danger hee did vnder-take He little considered the manifold inconueniences that fall out in this life Hee that is too rash shall afterward repent Man sinneth in hast because hee cannot a little refraine his wilful affection before he do dulie and wisely consider the end of sin the euil successe therof But if we could refraine our selues and not rush on so hastily little considering the danger of our soules vvee would not run on into such head-long sin Therfore Dauid said psal 118. I considered my waies turned my feete vnto thy testimonies The Bethulians were too rash to yeeld themselues to Holofernes if God did not helpe them within fiue daies As oft as thé people of Israell came to Moses before he would giue them an aunswere he asked counsel of God O that we would take this course as oft as the desire of reuenge honour or lust should prouoke our mindes not to giue any of these any aunswere vntill we had asked counsell of god but wee aunswere hastily rashly not considering god nor his commaundements so runne into diuers mischiefes and dangers Iosua rashly beleeuing the Gibeonites was deceaued Good aduisement must goe before good deeds much more before euill deeds The virgine Mary before shee aunswered the Angell did wisely consider what manner of salutation that should be A foolish Nation Deut. 32. without counsel wisedome doth not consider nor forecast their latter end Dauid too hastily beleeuing Sheba his lying tale did great wrong to Mephibosheth contrary to his couenaunt VVhen the woman taken in adultery vvas brought before our sauiour Christ he made a stay before he spake his mind When Achab was throughly bent to warre the prophet Micheas warned him hee should not doe it hee tooke not his warning but the King was one of the first that died nay the onely man and none but he that perished For the King of Aram made proclamation on fight neyther against small nor great saue onely against the King of Israell And when the King was smitten the battel was ended 1. Reg. 22.34.36 So the sinner which is as it were bewitched and too much giuen to any sinne no warning of Preachers nor counsell of friends shall vvithdraw him frō sin or bring him to amendement vntill his owne rod hath made him smart or his own deserued destruction hath made an vtter end of him As also on the contrary side there be bad companions to perswade him
affliction is patiently to bee indured and the parents are in the meane time to content and comfort themselues that in dooing theyr best endeuour they haue discharged theyr dutie Ezech. 3.19 For often times it falls out not onely to slothfull and negligent parents but also to those that are most watchfull carefull that they may haue chyldren wicked and vngodly farre differing from the disposition of the parents And the more worthy and godly the Parents are the more are they vexed with this affliction as Adam had Caine and Noe had Cham Abraham had Ismaell and Isaac had Esau and Dauid had Absolon Ammon Eh had Hophni and Phinehas and Samuell had sonnes giuen to corruption and bribery all which did greatly disgrace theyr Fathers houses stocke and linage In this prodigall Sonne although hee were so forgone yet God doth not vtterly forsake him but reacheth him out the hand of mercy sheweth him the means of repentance First in setting before his eyes his pouerty and misery and then pinching him with famine that by his rods chastisements he might draw him to newnesse and amendement Ose 2.9 And worthily hee began to want to whom the treasure of knowledge and wisedome and of the feare of God did seeme a matter so base preferring his own pleasures and the vanities of the world before it who had forsaken the high estimation of heauenlie wealth Hee that leaueth the well-spring must needes thirst and hee that departeth from treasure must needs want he that emptieth himselfe of honestie goodnes must needes come to nothing Hee began to want suffer hunger because nothing can satis-fie a prodigall minde and hee is woorthy to bee famished which will not feede of heauenly foode Where-soeuer Ioseph went there was plenty and where he was not there was scarcety enough So where God is there is no want and where his helping hand is not it is no maruell though all come to hauock ruine Three things are heere woorthy to be considered First that without God thereis nothing but famine and penury Secondly that nothing can satis-fie our soules but God Thirdly how in God onely not else-where men all other creatures finde all plenty and aboundance Psal 34. The Lyons want â—â—â—d suffer hunger but they that feare the Lord want no manner of thing that is good psal 23. The Lorde is my Shepheard therefore can I lacke nothing And there is no Prince nor Potentate in the worlde that can say so For the greater theyr estate the greater theyr expences and vpon infinite expences come great wants Onely the godly mind which hueth in a contented estate hath this sufficiencie The sheepe ouer whoÌ„ the deuill is shepheard haue noysome hearbes to feede on and venomous water to drinke which secretly infect vnto death For honours pleasures and riches bring destruction to the soule of a sinner they deceiue vs of eternall life and keepe vs farre from it He that is sicke of the Dropsie is still athirst and wealth and pleasure still call for more psal 145.15 The eyes of all waite vpon thee ô Lord and thou giuest them theyr meate in due season Coniurers can sette aboundance of dainty â—eates before thine eyes but if thou touch to tast there is nothing but onely the deceit of the eyes which for a time they can wonderfully delude So the deceauable worlde can perswade her followers that all her gyfts are of great waight and that they are sufficient to satis-fie our desire to the vttermost but in the end they prooue to bee vaine more vnconstant then the wind and lighter then vanitie it selfe And this is a most true cause why sinners can neuer bee satis-fied and finde them-selues contented Hee that is a Husbandman woulde be a gentleman a gentleman a squire a squire a Knight a Knight a Lorde a Lorde an Earle So are all the desires of the world they stirre vp hunger but they neuer satis-fie hunger or quench thirst Therefore the prophet truly speaketh of such Yee haue eaten and haue not enough ye haue drunke and are thirstie ye clothe you and are not warme he that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge The water that was poured about the Altar was burnt vp 1. Reg. 18. Ionas gourde withered so in all the pleasures profits in the world there is a worme ingendered within them â—hat dooth consume them The more thou hast of this worlds goods the more doth the fire of thy desire breake forth into a flame as if thou shouldest endeuour to put out fire with oyle Secondly nothing can satis-fie our mindes but God as the prodigall Sonne was neuer quiet in mind vntill he returned vnto his Fathers house There is no ioy or perfection but in God As God speaketh by the mouth of the prophet psalme 81. Open thy mouth wide and I shall fill it After that God did commaund vnto the people the keeping of his commaundements he willeth theÌ„ to opeâ— their mouth wide he will fill it Which is not meant of the mouth of the body which a little may fill but of the contentation of the soule which is not easily satisfied The soule beeing made to the image of God must then be in his best perfection when God doth begin to renue it In God onely is sufficiency rest quietnesse and perfect ioy without GOD there is nothing but greefe and perplexity of minde which increaseth and multiplyeth while wee make that account of the world as wee doe seeking our rest and chiefest solace therein That vessell which is put into the vvater is very light but being taken out is very heauie So so long as thy minde doth rest in God all thinges are comfortable and ioyfull but when it is plunged in worldly desires all things seemeâ—â—d and sorrowfull The vngodly beeing weary in seruing the worlde are most combersome vnto themselues hauing a clogged soule and a heauy conscience For honours wealth pleasure they haue not so glistering a shew but they haue as many dangers ioyned with them The godly in theyr chiefest perplexities miseries and distresses haue rest and ioy in God who filleth their harts with great cheerefulnes wheras without God there is neither peace of conscience nor any other true comfort The bodie can take no rest beeing straitned in a narrow roome and all the worlds delights are too strait for a godly soule for it desireth to bee inlarged with that freedome which commeth from God euen as the byrde which is fed with daintie meate in a cage makes more account of further libertie although hee be destitute of dainties Moses beeing in Pharaos Court could not so well serue God as when hee vvas quite cleere from it Seeing theÌ„ there is no rest in these worldly matters turne vnto God and make a better choyce a happier change When God made man hee rested from all the workes which hee had made so did he not rest wheÌ„ he had made other creatures Seeing
therefore GOD rested in making man let mans chiefest happines be in resting in God God filleth our desires with goodnesse saith the Prophet neyther is our appetite satis-fied vntill it enioy that vvished end For our soule is of so noble a disposition that it can finde rest no where but in the chiefest good Therefore the holy king and prophet sayth Euen as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee ô God My soule is a thirst for God yea euen for the liuing GOD when shall I come before the presence of God My teares were my meate day and night while they daily said vnto me where is now thy God Hee was absent farre from god therefore he wept hungring and thirsting after him desiring to be replenished with god that hee might finde all perfect ioy And feeing the worlde cannot fill vp thy desire betake thy selfe to Christ Come vnto me ye that hunger and thirst and I will refresh you Math. 11.28 Iohn 4.14 And I will fill the emptie soule with goodnes Psalm 36. Delight thy selfe in the Lord and hee shall giue thee thy haâ—s desire Hetherto we haue shewed how that in the world there is nothing but famine and great scarcetie and penury of all thinges but in God onely there is perfect sufficiencie ioy and glorie to be sounde Nowe let vs see a further reason of these thinges afore-sayde and vvhy in the vvorlde is scarcely and all plenty with God which is the third thing to be spoken of The world is not sufficient because the large and ample capacitie of our mindes dooth further extend it selfe The soule which was created for God what-soeuer is inferiour to God it counteth it but base The pottle or the gallon cannot bee filled with the measure of a pynt all the worlds goods is but as a graine of mustard seede in the belly of an Elephant they fill the soule satisfie the minde in such sort that stil there is some place empty so vaine they are and fall of sound as empty vessels haue a great sound in these desires there is no soundnesse no perfection Againe the desires of the soule are infinite the profits pleasures of this world haue their bounds So that there is no other remedy for vs in this life but to remoue our mindes from the desire of these earthly things and to transport them vnto God and heauenly considerations that so our mindes and our desires may fully be contented For all other creatures GOD hath appoynted theyr foode but God only is the foode of the soule As grasse for the Lyon flesh for the horse is vnmeete foode because they are not agreeable to theyr nature so ought not earthly desires to be the foode of the soule For there is nothing in the worlde to serue the minde but onely God Pryde and couetousnes and enuy and pleasure are the things that mens mindes doe most ayme at but these are rather the famine then the foode of the soule The grace of God and the heauenly gyfts of his holy Spirit they onely comfort and nourish the soule and strong then it Why is breade rather the nourishment of mans body then poyson The reason is because the one is agreeable to the nature of man the other dooth destroy it So is GOD the foode of the soule because his presence and goodnesse is most agreeable there-vnto beeing created after the likenes of God as for all other matters they are nothing else but death and famishment And if thou feede the soule vvith any earthly considerations it is as if thou shouldest feede the body with stones and grauell As our soule without God beginneth to be sad heauy hungry and dead so all the delights pleasures profits commodities of this worlde are nothing but misery pouerty The fist generall matter is the miserable estate of a sinner vnder the condition of the prodigall sonne feeding Swine Then hee went and claue to a Cittizen of that Country and hee sent him to his Farme to feed swine This is the best preferment that we get by the deuils seruice First by our owne voluntary free-will we yeeld ourselues slaues vnto the deuill for the deuill hath no power ouer vs till wee haue put our necks into his yoake Which worke when we haue once performed we are very hardly with-drawne from our vngodly purpose And when the deuill hath vs in his bands he then sticks too close vnto vs neither is it as we may suppose so easie a matter to shake off his yoke Our wilfull disobedience comes not of ignorance or infirmitie but of froward and stubborne disposition inclined to all wickednesse And this is the difference betwixt the godly and the wicked the godly falling into sinne riseth againe but the wicked continueth his course Neyther can wee be likened to the deuill in nothing more then in the perseuerance of sinne in spending the best of our time so and in waxing old therein The prodigall Sonne inforced by famine went not to his Father Shame vnprofitable not that hee had altogether forgotten his Father but that shame kept him back which keepeth many from good purposes He had rather suffer famme and banishment then that he would once confesse his fault Many had rather be vexed by the torment of conscience then in the sight of God to humble themselues and to keepe a smothering fire within their breast then to open theyr griefe to a godly friend or faithfull Minister to haue ease comfort If thou didst consider the safetie of thy soule and the quietnes of thy conscience the reproch of men shoulde neuer daunt thee neyther should the shame of the world euer confound thee VVhat needest thou to care what the world thinketh of thee so that thou be in Gods fad our and be reconciled vnto him VVhose displeasure if thou couldest perceiue neither the shame of the world nor any other let should keepe thee backe from the due consideration of thine estate God knoweth all why shouldst thou be ashamed to confesse thy fault before him But because either the shame or estimatioÌ„ of the world doth more preuaile with thee then the quietnes of thy conscience or the feare and fauour of GOD therefore art thou drowned in thy sin sinking therein daily more and more It may be he thought his father so seuere and extreame that he would not be intreated or that all former charity or fauour was banished from his breast so that eyther by famine Despaire or through despayre hee was brought into that case to be separated farre from his Father and to yeelde himselfe into dishonorable slauery who before was free But many are of so abiect a mind that they feare there is no place for mercy hauing so often repented and yet falne againe and despayring of amendement they say within themselues Many times haue I purposed to cut off the course of sin and to mend my life but yet I cannot my sinfull
he cast out to dwel with swine before he was fed with Angels foode now is he glad with huskes and cannot fill his belly Consider this depart not froÌ„ God But if thou hast gone astray despayre not marke what followeth and thereby receiue comfort Then he came to himselfe and sayde And this is the sixt generall matter worthy the noting containing the effectuall conuersion of a sinner shewing where â—â—nce it proceedâ—â—h â—â—â—â—â—ly from affliction and the knowledge and feeling of our oâ—â—ne misery He came to himselfe He came to himselfe and therfore it is a token he went farre astray and was in a deadly swoune of sinne but being a long while in a trance at lâ—st â—e reuiued Erring in religion disordering himselfe in lyfe and conuersation dooing those thinâ—â—â— which were quite contrary to Gods Laws now his returne is first begunne in and 〈◊〉 his vnderstanding calling himselfe to remembrance what kindnesse hee had in his Fathers house comparing his former happines to his present misery beeing not in so good case as his Fathers hirelings and now hee entreth into discourse debates the maâ—â—er with himselfe Esay 16.12 Heare mee vee stubborne harted that are far from iustice For there is nothing so farre from vs as we are from our seâ—â—es Therefore men beeing intangled and insoared in sinne and giuen vp to the vanities of this world are without theÌ„ selues and wander in the world He came to him selfe which was estranged from him-selfe hee vvent out forsooke him selfe and lâ—ft hys Father and calling him-selfe to better remembrance found him-selfe beeing lost vnto himselfe Considering his former happines hee is raised vp with hope of pardon forgiuenes for his offences and now knowing feeling his misery he beginneth to be another manner of man then erst hee was before bethinking himselfe how wel he was before and howe vnhappy a change hee had made by falling into sin The feare of â—od and coÌ„mon reason is banished when sin commeth in place Wee say that a mad man or a drunken man is not his owne man because he speaketh and dooth those things which a man in his right wits would neuer do but when he is sober and fencible and hath left his foolishnes then vvee say he is returned to himselfe So hee that forsaketh God and cleaueth to the deuill is either mad or deuilish beeing possessed with an euill spirit Christ said of his perfecutours They know not what they doe and Saint Stephen to the like sence Lord lay not this sin to theyr charge WheÌ„ thou seest a foole or a mad body or one possest to raue and to rage then looke vpon thy selfe who through sinne doost shewe thy selfe aâ— foolish before GOD as the other dooth in thy sight If it bee a thing to be wondred at to see the body possest with a deuill howe much more horrible is it to thinke that the soule should bee possessed by the deuill If it be a matter to be laughed at a thing very vndecent that which a drunken man saith or doth how great is the foolishnes of that soule that is left vnto it selfe and hath not God for his guide If it be a miserable and a lamentable thing to behold a mad man howe much more vnhappy is that man who neither lâ—â—â—th according to reason nor yet frameth him-selfe to be ruled according to Gods word and the direction thereof Happy is that man which being recouered from spirituall mad nâ—â— or drunkennesse and from the power of the deuill dooth come to him-selfe Hee runnes farre they say that neuer returnes surely therebâ— many that neuer come to themselues forgetting God and themselues not knowing that they are manicled and fettered who if they vverâ— not too much their owne foes might enioy most gracious and heauenly freedome There were two vrgent causes that prouoked this prodigall Son to come to him-selfe The first was his famine and miserie The second the great plenty which was in his fathers house vvhich made him to breake forth into these speeches to say How many lined seruants at my fathers 〈◊〉 bread enough and I die for hunger God fendeth sinners fâ—â—â—ne Affliction that they may seeke sustenaunce from him as also they may acknowledge theyr faulte in abusing his bâ—â—â—â—â—â—s before that they may make the more account of them when they are stiâ—â—e partakers thereof For if this prodigan bonne hall not beene punished thys way he would hardly or neuer haue come to a better mind Many are the plagues and punishments which God vseâ—h to make vs returne vnto him Esay â—8 Affliction giueth vnder-standing 80 after Moses had recited many plagues and punishments which vvere to come vppon the people of Israel Deuâ—onom 30. 〈◊〉 he aâ—â—â—â—â— this And it shall be when all these shall come vppon thee that thou shalâ— returne into thy hart Mark the vvordes how hee fore-telleth that they shall returne into theyr hart 1. Kings 18. In the tyme of Eâ—â—as the people through fimâ—â—re called vnto the Lord Mathew 3. Iohn Baptist threatning the paines of hell did in his time drawe the people to God Nowe is the axe sayth hee sette to the roote of the Tree euery Tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire First Paule was strooken to the earth made blinde before hee vvas wonne to the semice of GOD Acts chap. 9. Hosea 5.15 In their affliction they will seeke mee earlie Ieremie 2 2â— In the time of theyr trouble they will say Arise and helpe vs psal 83.16 Make theyr faces ashamed ô Lord that they may seeke thy name Psal 30. In my prosperitie I say de I shall neuer bere-mooued Then didst thou turne thy face from me and I was troubled Then cryed I vnto thee ô Lord and gate me vnto my Lord right humbly All the miseries and punishments which here fall vpon vs doe nothing els but inforce vs to goe to God Ezech. 7.4 My eye shall not spare thee and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 2. Chr. 26. Manasses being imprison prayed the Tsralites bitten with Serpents knew the lord Therfore Nehemias saith chap. 9. In the time of their tribulation and affliction they cryed vnto thee thou hem dâ—st them out of heauen Iudg. 6.1 Afterward the children of Israel committed wickednessem the sight of the Lorde and the Lord gaue them into the hands of Midian seuen yeeres ver 6. So was Israell exceedingly impouerished by the Midianites therefore the chyldren of Israell cryed vnto the Lord ver 7.8 And when the chyldren of Israell cryed vnto the Lorde the Lord sent a Prophet who willed theÌ„ not to feare but there-with-all putteth in this Item But ye haue not obeâ—ed my voyce As the mother desirous to weane the chylde putteth some sowre thing vppon her teates that by that meanes the milke may be forsaken so GOD doth alwaies mingle bitter matters with the pleasures of this world that
then the Maister God hath made all these earthly things for the body and the body for the soule the soule for himself that it might learn to know him loue honour reuerence him I wil praise the lord alwaies saith the prophet psal 33. and my mouth shal be ful of his praise Man throgh sin is dumbe and cannot prayse God I haue finned before thee that is in the inward receit of my soule where-into no mans eyes can pierce but onely God aboue many more hainous are our offences thē are openly known to the world As the prophet saith psal 50. Against thee only haue I sinned done this euil in thy fight He lay with Bathshabe secretly and more priuily did hee conspire the death of Vriah yet was it not so secret but it vvas most manifest to God there were fewe or no witnesses but onely God and his conscience Euery sinne before God is rather esteemed from the inward hart then from the outward worke For out of the hart come adulteries murders the like Mat. 15. And that thou maist know that Dauid finned priuily Nathan said from GOD Thou hast doone this in secrete but that which I wil doe in punishing thy sin shall be before al Israel Ananias Saphira finned before God We commit those things before God which we would be ashamed to doe before a prince or noble man yea before any meane man I haue finned before thee ô Lord my God what small account haue I made of thee howe little haue I regarded thee I shoulde haue considered that thou didst looke vpon me behold my doings that althogh I was much long prouoked by my sinful flesh yet the remembrance of thy presence authority scuerity in punishing should haue restrained mee Is God blind that he cannot see our offences psal 94.9 Eccl. 23.18 He. 4.13 nay our blindnes is lamentable which cannot see our blindnes is lamentable which cannot see our owne misery vntill it be almost past remedy and we in a maner brought to despaire as our first parents in paradice and Iudas after he had betrayed Christ The wicked Iudges that woulde haue defiled Susanna woulde not behold heauen Although sinners beleeue that God knoweth all yet they suspect that he is not offended with their sins or els they flatter themselues thinking that they shall escape scotfree because GOD dooth forbeare to punish them The forbearing of GOD which should prouoke thē to repentance dooth harden them in theyr sines That the eyes of God cannot be blinded let vs heare what the Word of God doth say to this intent 1. Sam. 16. GOD seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God beholdeth the hart psalm 7. The righteous God tryeth the very harts and raines He fitly aptly saith that God searcheth for the smallest things that are cannot escape his sight he searcheth diligently as it is said of the vvoman that swept her house lighted a candle to finde her Iost groate The knowledge of God diueth into the bottome of the great deepe Ecclus. 24. so that that which neuer man sawe is manifest vnto him Let no man think his sinne to be vnknowne neither let him say with the wicked Iudges The Orchard doores are shut and no man seeth vs. The Iudge of all the world seeth thee before whose iudgement seate thou shalt stand Many are like the foolish beast which hauing his head hid thinketh all his body hid to Although we see not God ye God seeth vs is about our paths God willed Ezech. chap. 8. to dig through the hole of the wall that hee might see the abhominations of the house of Israell Then he said vnto me sonne of man hast thou seene what the auncients of the house of Israell doe in the dark euery one in the chamber of his imagery for they say The Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth I haue sinned before thee so impudent and shamelesse was I like a beast before thee neither cōsidering thy secrete knowledge nor fearing the power of thy manifold punishments for diuers are the waies which thou vsest to punish offenders I haue finned before thee for thou onelie knowest my secrets Man doth not see the hainousnes of his sinnes till God do open his eyes The deuill blinded our first parents eyes to make them beleeue they were gods but when God opened theyr eyes they appeared to themselues to bee most miserable creatures and to be ashamed of themselues and their own nakednesse I haue sinned plenty made him wilde and vnciuill and like to a brute beast that hath no vnderstanding beeing altogether disobedient and vnruly therefore came this misdry wel vpon him as a fit meane to bring him to repentance So fit it is that God by great extreamities should violentlie breake our vnrulie nature and that miseries and despaire shoulde pull vs downe vppon our knees whom no other remedie can tame And happy is that distresse vvhich constrayneth a man to amend his cuill life Thys tenor and forme of speaking vnto his Father no eloquence or art of Rethoricke had put into thys young mans mind but his owne conscience beeing greeued and displeased with it selfe and yet not vtterly conceauing an extreame ill opinion of his Fathers goodnes For Gods mercie is not truly receaued till harty repentance become an humble suter which hath all his ground of cōfort in the hope of Gods mercy And the confession of our sinnes ought alwayes to be according to the nature of the offence Psal 32 5. if publique then publique confession if otherwise betwixt God and thy conscience I am no more woorthy to be called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired seruaunts This is one effectual note of repentance when we are perswaded that we shall not be refused of our heauenly Father but that wee shall obtaine mercy and forgiuenesse although vvee be altogether vnwoorthy Though I am not worthy to be one of thy houshold vouchsafe me to be a hanger on Vnworthy hee was to be called his sonne because by sinne hee had many wayes defaced the Image of God and now beeing farre vnlike vnto him By sinne hee made himselfe the seruaunt of the deuill and of sinne For of whom-socuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is hee in bondage 2. Pet. 2.19 Thefore I confesse my selfe vnworthy of fauour or to be vouchsafed the name of a Sonne humblie request that I may bee as one of thy hired seruants So that prudent woman Abigaell knowing that Dauid requested her to wife 1. Sa. 25.41 saith Behold let thine handmaid be a seruant to wash the feet of the seruaunts of my Lord. The Centurion said I am vnwoorthy thou shouldst come vnder the roofe of my house And for this humble cōfession Christ praised the Centurions faith granted his request Luke 7.8.9 Depart from me saith Peter for I am a sinfull man Yet none more worthy then they
O Lord breake all our stubborne harts and make vs to sigh grone vnder the most heauy burden and waight of sin who are maruailously loden yet thinke our selues in great ease and at great libertie Make an end of thy sin and looke vp to God who will ease thee For when thou night and day doost thinke vpon nothing else and doost set thy selfe to nothing else but to offend and displease God he dailie hourely heaping vpon thee a thousand meanes of his mercy waiteth for thy returne and daily looketh for thy happy repentance The happy remēbrance whereof did make this prodigall sonne to say Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son Great sinnes great griefe but a short confession and this is a waightie poynt of repentance when with the sence the feeling and remorce of sinne is ioyned both sadnesse and shamefastnesse And where there is not this sadnesse and shamefastnes the sinner can neuer returne to goodnes Therefore there must goe before repentance a holy anger and inward griefe and discontentment that wee haue displeased God For following our owne wayes we grow to great forgetfulnes but returning vnto God then are we brought to true remembrance Truly did the Apostle S. Paule speak 1. Cor. 15.9 I am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God ioyfully remembring gods mercy and his own happy returne For the more graciously the lord doth visit a sinner with his mercy the more deeply doth it sink into the hart of a true penitent sinner the more doth he hūble himselfe before God the more greeuously doth he accuse his owne wicked nature and disposition The more cleerly that he doth perceiue Gods mercy and compassion and doth behold his maiestie holines comparing there-vnto his own vn worthines ingratitude frowardnes and his most sinfull inclination the more doth he detest the same the more plainly doth hee confesse his fault All vvhich matters when the prophet Esay did euidently behold hee cryed out of himselfe chap. 6.5 saying Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lyps Iob also 42.5 saith I haue heard of thee by hearing of the eare but now my eye seeth thee Therefore I abhor my selfe and repent in dust ashes When the Apostle Saint Paule savve so much in him-selfe Rom. chap. 7. he cryed out O vvretched shooes on his feete Heere commeth the ninth matter to be intreated of namely the great solemnitie that God all the holy Angels do make at the conuersion of a sinner His Father doth not speake any thundering words of crueltie nor threaten to beate him or to cast him off nor to cast him in the teeth with his bounteous goodnes shewed vnto him neyther doth he lay vnto him his going away nor burden him with his gluttony or other abhominable poynts of lyuing he remembreth none of all this geare he doth so greatly reioyce that he hath got his Sonne againe The Son thought himselfe vnworthy the title or name of his son yet the father restoreth him to his old state and degree againe The sonne doth vtterly condemne himselfe and the father doth absolue and quit him The sonne did cast himselfe downe to be a seruaunt and the father setteth him perfectly againe in his old state dignitie Him that had cast him selfe into the bond seruice of abhominable maisters that is the filthy pleasures of the body him did his father vouchsafe to embrace in his armes to him that had deserued to bee scourged vvith many a sore stripe is giuen a kisse for a token of perfect loue and attonement Happy is that sinner whō the Lord vouchsafeth to kisse and embrace because he confessed his sins and refused the name of a sonne for that in his conscience he knew himselfe faulty there was brought forth the best robe and restored vnto him How-soeuer hee hath behaued himselfe saith his Father my son he was he hath beene dead and nowe is he called to life againe For sin is the death of the soule and hee runneth toward death which leaueth and forsaketh the Authour of life Hee leaueth and forsaketh the Authour of life whosoeuer is in loue with the things of this world for the worldly pleasures are farre wide from Gods schooling And such a one is reuiued againe as dooth repent and reforme his sinfull life He was lost without any hope euer to be recouered againe if he had be one left to himselfe howbeit he was found and gotten againe To depart away from the fathers house is to perrish for out of the same house there is no health The Father speaketh not to the Son but to the seruaunts he that repents prayes for Gods goodnes receiueth no aunswere Nowe when I passed by thee and looked vppon thee behold thy time was as the time of loue and I spredde my skirts ouer thee and couered thy filthines yea I sware vnto thee and entred into a couenaunt with thee saith the Lord God thou becammest mine Then washed I thee vvith water c. Thus doth our heauenly father not onely forgiue our sinnes in burying putting quite out the remembrance of them but also hee restoreth vnto vs those gyfts which we had lost As he dooth depriue vs of them and take them away punishing our vnthankfulnesse thereby and driuing vs to shame by the reproch of our nakednes Now by these tokens of Gods loue the true and effectuall forgiuenes of our sinnes is signified The father willeth the seruants to bring forth the best robe and giueth no time of delay for in this case delay breedes danger When a sinner in this sort dooth recount his manifold offences Despayre and is vexed with the torment of conscience it is high time to yeeld help for feare least through despayre he be cast away There is no stay betwixt forgiuenes of our sins and Gods grace and fauour The health of the body is not recouered but by little and little because the matter is not of so great waight but the distressed estate of the soule must be releeued with all speede that may conueniently be offred and affoorded When the body is sicke wee are meruailous diligent to haue health yea if it bee but the head-ache we can suffer no delay seeking for helpe and calling for Phisitions according as our power and abilitie vvill stretch So after our sinne committed we shoulde be as hasty to rise and to repent Repentance but heerein euery little excuse stayeth vs backe and wee are content to delay thys time of our conuersion a great deale longer then we should so much the more beeing intangled in wordly affaires and altogether drowned in forgetfulnes In so dooing thou loosest the practise of good workes and art troubled for want of the peace and quietnes of conscience Againe thou knowest not hovve suddainelie thy lyfe shall be taken from thee The humble
not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnes but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Rom. 13.13 Take heede to yourselues saith Christ Luk. 21.34 least at any time your harts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and least that day come on you at vnawares For as it was in the daies of Noe Luke 17.26 so shal it be in the dayes of the sonne of man they are they dranke they married wiues and gaue in marriage vnto the day that Noe went into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them all The nourishing of the body is not forbid but the superfluitie thereof building of houses is not denied but glorious and sumptuous buildings are spoken against garments are profitable but the brauerie of garments and excessiue expences are to be auoyded The meane would very well serue our turnes and the excesse might very well be bestowed to the benefit and behoofe of the poore Haue conuenient care for thy body but let it not be thy chiefest studie but rather let it be thy chiefest care how thou mayst be rid from these cares The body is but the garment of thy soule and who would make more account of the garment then of the body and of the body rather then of the soule Yet for the most part the world is set vppon banketting and carowsing he is not a man in these dayes that cannot quaffe and carowse and drinke as much as a horse Indeede beeing like vnto horse and mule that haue no vnderstanding And so is the world that Christianitie is turned vp-side downe into good fellowship and Epicurisme Birds of a feather will flie together yea and draw many into the snare that little thought of any such matter The Phisition will say that the body is best nourished with one dishe of meate and nowe it is no dinner of account that hath not great store and varietie of dishes but which of them comes to the poore mans share Stand at the gate of rich mens houses and see what store of scraps come forth who if they did rightly consider Gods commaundement vvould make the poore their chiefest guests Poets haue mightily inueighed against the ryot of their people but if they vvere now among Christians what would they do what would they speak what would they write Surely they would hold theyr peace and wonder and grieue with sorrow of hart This I thinke was a great cause of the vnmercifulnes of the rich man toward Lazarus that he thought all prouision but little enough for himselfe Let vs learne abstinence and sobrietie according to the counsell of the Apostle Ro. 8. If yee liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit yee shall liue That shyp which hath too heauie a burden must needes sincke and that body which is ouer-loden with gluttonie must needs make the soule more guiltie God that he might shew how small a care man should haue for meate did first appoynt him the hearbes and the fruites of trees to be his meate Gen. 1.30 to teach him abstiuence and sobrietie Paule the elect vessell of God did diuers waies keepe vnder his body 1. Cor. 9.27 wilt thou spend thy time in eating and drinking in quaffing and gurâ—nun dizing Daniel that he might be more ready for heauenly consolation comfort fared ful barelie Dan. 1. The deuill hath no greater weapons against vs then our owne sinfull appetites and if thou wilt ouercome him take away his weapons keep thy body in subiection Cruel beasts are tamed with watching by this maner of resisting the deuill flyeth froÌ„ vs. For if thou shalt afflict thy body with watching fasting prayer thou shalt tryumph ouer the deuill Nothing is more against the deuill then asperitie of life and nothing maketh him more bold to tempt vs and to set vpon vs then when we giue ourselues to liberty and to pamper vp our bodies with delicatâ— and dainties And fared delicatly euery day Sometimes to fare delicatly is no fault and to be merry with our friends in good honest and ciuill â—ort as is the custome of some men else how should we passe away thys wearisome life of ours if wee were debarred of all libertie and all recreation But to vse this continually and euery day is the fault heere spoken against For a day or two thou maist be merry with thy friends but in such sort that thou leaue not of thy manner of praying heauenly meditations thy straite course of life But in thys thy mirth turne all to the best and giue God thankes for his great aboundance vvhich the sensuall and sencelesse Rich man cannot frame himselfe to doe looking vpon the varietie of meates how and with what manner of meate he may fill and stuffe his belly Yet this is worthy the noting that God dooth graunt these sinners and rich men health riches many dainties to this end that by these meanes he might allure and win them to serue him with freer mindes and to consider froÌ„ whom they haue them that they may vse them as he hath appointed if not heereby to leaue them without all excuse You see the sleeting Hawke which flies astray is not brought againe with threatning but by shewing the baite So God vseth the rich and wealthy which goe astray from him thee allureth them with his manifolde blessings and benefits that they may reioyce to come to his lâ—re and to obay his will The Lord wayteth for the conuersion of sinners that they seeing his great goodnes and how much they are indebted may at the last relent But if there be some few that doe relent there are many thousands the more is the pitty that are too too stubberne abusing Gods blessings at their pleasure as this rich man did To such the Prophet Ezechiell giueth warning chap. 16. by the example of Sodome This was the sin of Sodome pride fulnes of bread aboundance of idlenes neither did they strengthen the hand of the poore and needy Thus much of this rich mans excesse in apparrell and riot in fare the third is of his vnmercifulnes towarde poore Lazarus But before we handle that point let vs see what manner of man this poore Lazarus was euen an image patterne of the godly afflicted in this world and in manifold distresse And there was a certaine begger named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores Lazarus is heere named because GOD hath care of the godly and their names are written in the booke of life because being sustained by hope with patience they endure such crosses and afflictions that it pleaseth GOD to lay vppon them for the try all of theyr fayth and for theyr further exaltation in the lfe to come And heere beginneth the second principall matter namely that vnder Lazarus is contained the patterne of a godly man submitting him selfe
Name the benefit one of another and to our owne great comfort Which thing is mightily furthered by often hearing the Word preached and by daily due meditation therof The reason of euery thing may not be demaunded for the misteries of Diuinity passe our reason and capacity As the Apostle speaketh vnto the Corinthians 1 Col. 3.1 I could not speaks vnto you brethren as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall euen as vnto babes in Christ I gaue ye milk to drinke and not meat for ye were not yet able to heare it neither yet now are ye able The articles of our beliefe are the principles of 〈◊〉 religion vvhich although we cannot vnderstand presently nor sounde the depth of them at the first view yet it is required of vâ— that we should beleeue for vnless we beleeue vvee shall neuer vnderstand any thing The conuersion of the whole Worlde vvas brought to passe not by wise learned men but by simple men and fishers vvhich coulde neuer bee effected by the power and strength of any great Emperour or by the wisedome and learning of any heathen Phylosopher For 〈◊〉 our doth not beleeue the Word of God vvill hardly giue credite to any worldly meanes or miracles what soeuer So froward is our wilfull ignorance and so stubborne that it will hardly on neuer yeeld it selfe to be instructed This historie painteth forth vnto vs the wonderful course of the world the vnriable estate of the sonnes of men som rich some beggers som liue in all aboundance som are pinched with great extremity and inioyful another mourneth Yet neither 〈◊〉 the one to be counted happy nor the other miserable vntil the tinne day coâ—â— when the sâ—enâ—ts of all harts shall be made manifest 1. Cor. 4.5 It teacheth vs also to despise the vanities of this world VVee would by our good wils beâ—ith mighty in the vvorld and for the same vvee venture many a hard iourny by sea by laâ—â—â—el yet if it should be put to thy choyce whether thou wouldest haue the rich mans life with eternall torments or the poore mans life with heauenly ioyes thou wouldest be well aduised what thou didst For vvhat could all the pleasures and wealth treasures of this rich man comfort or help him after death They can neither deliuer him from the power or howre of death nor from the hand of hell and being in hell in torments they can afforde no manner of remedy psal 48.16 Bee not thou afrayde though one be made rich or if the glory of his house be increased for he shall carry away nothing with him neyther shall his pompe follow him when he dieth Hee is cast into hell where for temporal plesures he shal be punished with eternal torments because â—ee preferred those worldly vanities before the â—are of another and a better life The poore shall not alwayes bee poore neither shall the rich be alwayes florishing Looke vpon Lazarus nowe like a King and looke vpon the rich man beeing farre worse then a begger And this for the most part is the end period of earthlie honours and wealth and this is the vnhappy issue of fleshly pleasures and sinfull lusts and of the dainty sweete delicates of this world Euerlasting life is giueÌ„ to those workes of charity which proceede from faith and likewise the vnmercifull are like to be too too miserable Heereby we haue especiall warning not to faint in our mindes and to be offended with God when we see the wicked in this world full of wealth hauing no punishment layd vppon them dooing in a manner what they list as also in seeing the godly to bee poore and miserable in this life and subiect to diuers extremines For God dooth order all thinges better in another life and this world is but the place time of tryall The long sufferance patience of God doth make the punishment of the wicked more iust and the long patience of the godly doth make their ioyes in another life farre more comfortable If in a Gold-smiths shoppe thou seest drosse and coales and such refuze and therewithall precious vessels of gold and siluer rings and iewels it doth somewhat discontent thee to see so disorderly a sight So in the Church of God where there are many holy and godly people you see manie wicked such mighty men like Nemrods Of the wounded man that fell among theeues LVKE 10.25 Then beholde a certaine Expounder of the Law stood vp and tempted him saying THis worldly Wise-man had knowledge enough and so no doubt hee thought of himselfe therefore hee did not demaunde the question to learne but to try and to tempt as they do that take a pride in their learning Marke how the great learned men and those that thought themselues full wise were Christ his heauy freends and deadly foes they are the first that set themselues against his doctrine There is no people so bad so dangerous as learned men that haue an euill conscience dooing more hurt in a cittie and Common-weale then a hundred plaine men simple ignorants For they infect more then a plague the one distroying the body the other indangering the soule Such are those that set vp and maintaine false doctrine and idolatry filling all the world with troubles and tumults with seditions and treasons as in these dayes Campian and Hart and other theyr confederates flowing from Rhemes ioyning to their false religion trecherous practises allowed by Cardinall Allen Saunders Moorton and the like howe many true subiects harts haue they drawne from her Maiesty from true religion from the hope of their true saluation from God and making themselues most lamentable spectacles In an Apothecaries shop painted boxes with goodly inscriptions haue poyson within them and from many learned men may proceed most dangerous doctrine manifest errour as poysoned wine may be drunke out of a golden cup. Many learne to know and fewe to practise and to become good Wicked Herod Math. 2. serched the scriptures not that hee might be the better thereby or edified in soule and coÌ„science but that he might know where Christ shoulde be borne that hee might come to kill him Many are very painfull in the studies of the lawes Lawyers searching Chronicles and Antiquities proposing vnto themselues promotion and gaine as their chiefest scope and therfore much wrong is done by such manner of men the law wrested many a good cause ouer throwne But where are those learned Lawyers that with a good conscience vndertake other mens causes if they be good they stand for him dispatch him without demurrs and long delayes if they be wrongfull they will not once meddle with them giuing the partie counsell to surcease and to liue charitably as a mutuall member of the same body as a good Christian and louing subiect vnder a milde and gracious Prince God forbid but that there should be store of them and I doubt not but that there bee
the Samaritane shewed himselfe the better man For the priest and the Leuit being of the same nation should haue had compassion on the wounded Iewe but they did nothing lesse passing by and regarding not Heere also we learne how few there be that haue mercy on their poore neighbors when of three there was but one that had compassion And such are our times which in steede of mercy exercise cruelty towarde our neighbours Then among three yet there was some mercy found but nowe you shall scarce finde one among a hundred which remembreth releeueth the estate of the poore and distressed as daily experience sheweth Nowe a man may see a great company of poore Lazarus people lie at the church dores all the company passe by neither is there one among twenty that wil turne his eyes vnto the poore so farve off are they from comforting them eyther in words or deedes And most lamentable it is that there be many poore housholders that are eshamed to shew their distresse yet is their estate well knowne of the rich wealthy neighbors which can scarcely find in their harts to talke of them or to be sorry for their necessity And if they be requested to shew releefe to giue somwhat their eares are shut vp and their stony harts cannot relent to heare their pittious moane but as though they heard nothing they dissemble all But if thou wilt not hearken vnto my words haue som regard to gods word Pro. 21 13. Hee that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore hee shall also cry and not be heard The which thing the most patient Iob considering with a mercifull heart maketh manifest his godly disposition as a patterne of mercy vnto all chap. 31 16. If I restrained the poore of their desire or haue caused the eyes of the widdow to faile or haue eaten my morsels alone the fatherlesse hath not eaten therof for from my youth he hath growne vp with me as with a father and from my mothers a wombe I haue beene a guide vnto her if I haue seene any perish for want of cloathing or any poore without couering if hi◠〈◊〉 haue not blessed me because heâ— wiâ—â— warmed vvith the fleece of my sheepe If I haue lift vp my hand against the â—â—aâ—hedesse when I sawe that I might helpe him in the gate Let my arme fall from my shoulder my arme be broken from the bone Thirdly we are taught by this example to shew charity and mercy not niggardly but in alarge and plentifull measure for God regardeth a cheerefull giuer This Samaritane had not onely compassion but went to him poured oyle into his wounds bound them vp brought him to an Inne prayed the Host to haue care of him and left money in his Hosts hands Compare this example to the rich man who would not refresh poore Lazarus at his gate yea Lazarus found more mercy of his dogges then of him for they licked his sores But as the one found fauour with God so the other no doubt feeleth eternall torments VVhat is a slender releefe to him which standeth in neede of great succour bring him into thy house and supply his wants if thou wilt not bring him into thy house goe to the poore where they are and shew thy almes as God hath enriched thee This Samaritane was no penny-father no niggard his hands were not shut but most liberally and plentifully did he releeue the wounded man Let this Samaritane be thy example and be it knowne vnto thee that whatsoeuer thou be slowest on the poore thou giuest into the hand of Christ which will recompence it with aduantage For many are his blessings which he hath and may heereafter bestow vpon vs in respect both of our body soule Pinch not thy selfe therefore which surely thou doest when thou dost not help the poore By this Samaritane also we are taught not to be ouer-squemish in beholding the sores wounds of the poore as many too daintily turne their eyes away stop their noses This Samaritane hee handled the poore mans wounds and bound them vp Christ humbled himselfe and healed euery disease among the people and refused not their company Fiftly in giuing our almes we must not consider his Countrey or personage his qualities or deserts that thereby we should with-draw our hand from doing good but onely we must remember he or she is our neighbour as also we must haue an eye to their great wants necessities Many are not willing to giue almes but to their kindred such as they know other some fall into the examination of the liues of the poore whether they be of good or euil behauiour This sheweth mercy not to one of his owne nation but to an enemy Refraine not therefore thy liberality from thy neighbor in his necessity although he haue spoken very badly of thee although he be thy enemy Yea let him be a stranger whoÌ„ thou neuer sawest in thy life before yet coÌ„sider that he is thy neighbour that he is made according to the image likenes of God let that be thy looking glasse help his miserable estate It is the duty of iustice to enquire into other mens faults but the property of mercy is to haue compassion Last of all heereby we are warned not onley to be inwardly affected but also to put to our helping hand Many rich people will take pitty but there-with-all they haue many dolaies and diuers excuses Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbour vnto him that fell among the theeues And he said He that shewed mercy on him Then said Iesus vnto him Goe doe thou likewise Now Christ coÌ„meth to the application of the parable to answer this learned Doctor And this is the conclusion of the parable where our Sauiour reserueth the waÌ„ightiest matter to the last Shewing that not onely he is our neighbour which may doe vs good but he also that standeth in neede of our helpe Whom we must help not onely in words passionate speeches but also in coÌ„fortable releefe which is acceptable both before God man The more mercifull that any one is the neerer doth he come to the nature of God Delay not thy mercy put so acceptable a work in practise be not slow goe doe thou likewise Titus the Emperor would say that he lost a day when in that day hee had not done one good turne to some man or other Iesus commended this Doctor that he had made a right answer a true mouing him there-with-all that his life should be like and answerable vnto his words that he shold be willing rather to be like to the Samaritane then to the priest or the Leuite who as men liuing to the behoofe of themselues and no more had little or no regard of any other but the Samaritane where by birth and kinde hee was enemie vnto the Iew in charity and loue became his neighbour All the vniuersall progeny