dealt Satan with Eue he made shewe that hee had some good thing to tell her whereby their state might be bettered but it turned to theirs and our destructiō So did the foure hundred false Prophets of Baal contrarie to the true Prophet Michaiah prophecie good successe to Ahab in his war against the Aramites but his harkning to them cost him his life And so dealt Hananie with the Iewes when they were besieged by the King of Babels armie contrarie to Ieremies counsell he prophecied peace and safetie but it turned both to his owne and to their destruction Ier. 28. 1 2. c. The 7. pretence is boldnesse and constancie in suffering for their opinions for a man in obstinacie may liue and die for errour as well as the childe of God may doe for the truth Constancie in opinion is no sure note whereby to iudge a true Prophet for many heretikes haue suffered death confidently for the maintenance of their damnable heresies Thus we see the pretences of false Prophets now hereto wee must adde this second point to wit that for all this they bee but wolues because by their damnable doctrine they seeke to poison and corrupt the soules of simple men If it be said they haue no such intent they themselues thinke it to be the truth I answer that may be true in some but this cleareth them not from beeing wolues for the deuill that hath deluded them who is their Lord and master doth by them dangerously delude and deceiue the simple The Vse 1. Considering this danger of false Prophets we must practise Christs lesson Mat. 10. 16. Be simple as doues that is bee innocent and harmelesse thinking euill of none neither intending euil or offence to any in thought word or deede and yet we must be wise as serpents who haue great subtiltie in sauing and defending their head from harme so must euery one that lookes to be saued labour for so much wisedome whereby hee may preserue himselfe from the hurt of false prophets Now the beginning of this wisedome is to feare God in hi◠word beleeuing his promises obeying his commandements The true feare of God is not without knowledge and therefore euery one must labour to be instructed in the principles of religion for without knowledge we cannot feare God and so shall want true wisdome to eschew false Prophets II. In that the false teacher by so many faire shewes seekes to bring in false doctrine it is euery mans dutie in his place to labour to preserue wholesome doctrine and the puritie of true religion This dutie is necessary for we must be as forward for the truth as the enemie is for falshood and doe as much for God as they doe for the deuill Againe no poyson is more deadly to the body then false doctrine 〈◊〉 to the soule therefore seeing God hath long blessed vs with his truth let vs esteeme it aboue all outward blessings and by seeking to preserue the puritie thereof shew our selues thankfull to God for the same Verse 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles This verse those which follow to the 21. containe the third point which Christ laieth down concerning false prophets namely the means whereby we may discerne and iudge of them And herein he obserueth this order First he giues vs a notable rule to direct vs in iudging of false prophets Ye shall know them by their fruits Secondly hee explanes the same rule by a similitude drawne from trees Doe men gather grapes of thornes c. For the rule that we may vnderstand it the better wee are to search what is meant by the fruits of false Prophets A false Prophet must bee considered two waies First as he is a man taking vpon him the name profession of Christ for so false Prophets vse to do and secondly as he is a false prophet in both these respects hee hath his fruits As he is a man taking vpon him the profession of Christs religion hee may bring forth many outward duties of external obedience vnto the moral law but these fruits are not here meant for a false Prophet may dissemble much goe farre in the outward duties of religion so as he cannot be discerned by his generall profession or by the works of his ciuil conuersatiō There be other fruits which come frō him as he is a false prophet by them must he be discerned these therefore are to be considered Now we shall know them the better by searching out the fruits of a true Prophet 〈◊〉 he is a man of God appointed to teach Gods people The fruits of a true Prophet be principally three I. He teacheth and preacheth in the name of God by vertue of calling from God and otherwise dares not presume to teach Rom. 10. 14. How shall he teach vnlesse he be sent and the author to the Hebrewes saith Christ tooke not the honour of beeing the high Priest and Prophet of the Church to himselfe but was called thereto by his father Heb. 5. 5. And this stands with reason for euery true Prophet and teacher stands in Gods roome and is Gods embassadour to deliuer his will to his people which thing none can doe but he whome God calleth and sendeth for that purpose Yet the calling of Prophets and teachers by God is diuers Some are called by voice from God immediatly as were Abraham Moses and Samuel and all the Apostles in the new Testament by the immediate voice of Christ for Paul was called by the voice of Christ from heauen Act. 9. 4 5 6. Againe others haue their calling from God by the speciall message of some Angel or some men Thus was Aaron called by Moses Elisha by Elias and Philip by an Angel to preach to the Eunuch Act. 8. 26. Thirdly others be called by the instinct and motion of Gods spirit so Act. 8. Philip was by ordinarie calling a Deacon but by extraordinarie instinct he became an Euangelist and a preacher of the Gospel for the building of Gods Church These three kinds of calling men into the ministerie were extraordinarie and are now ceased and not to be looked for neither are they to be regarded which say they are thus called at this day A fourth way whereby God now calleth Prophets and teachers into his Church is by his Church for God hath giuen to particular Churches a particular ministeriall power and seruice whereby they may designe a place vnto the teacher and also make manifest that God hath called him Now this authoritie is but ministeriall to designe and manifest whome God hath called for the principall calling is from God for Act. 20. 28. the Elders of the Church of Ephesus are said to be made ouerseers by the holy Ghost when as they were designed thereto by men And by one of these foure waies are all true Prophets and Teachers called Here some may demaund what kind of calling
God respects them for this true desire as if they had faith And they are blessed because they shall haue plentie of faith and assurance of grace and fauour with God in Christ for it is mercie and grace with God to hunger after grace and mercie when the heart feeles the want thereof But yet such persons must be admonished that they shew the truth of this desire by a constant endeauouring in the meanes which God hath sanctified for the obtaining of a true and liuely faith in Christ wherewith they may be satisfied The second temptation is from the smallnesse of sanctification Many there be that endeauour to please God making conscience of all sinne and yet they finde in themselues an exceeding measure of rebellious corruption much ignorance in their minds peruersenesse in their wills and frowardnesse in their affections yea a continuall pronenesse vnto all manner of sinne and on the contrarie they can perceiue but small fruits of sanctification the olde man they feele rushing in them like a mightie Gyant but the newe man so weake and seeble that they can hardly discerne any spirituall life and hereupon they are sore troubled with temptations yea oftentimes driuen to doubt whether they haue any true grace at all This cannot but be an heauie case and yet here is true comfort for them for Christ calleth them blessed not that are filled with righteousnesse but who hunger and thirst after it that is who feeling the want of righteousnesse in themselues doe earnestly desire it in their soules These persons therefore that feele in themselues a sea of corruption and scarce a drop of sanctification must truely examine their owne hearts how they stand affected to these things for if they be truely grieued for their corruption and rebellion and withall doe earnestly desire grace and sanctification vsing the meanes constantly whereby they may be freed from the one and indued with the other then they haue wherewith they may comfort their hearts for Christ calles them blessed and so they are for in due time they shall be satisfied and in the meane time their will and desire is accepted of God in Christ for the deed it selfe The third temptation is to despaire when a man after the breach of conscience by some grieuous sinne is plunged into this gulfe that he thinkes verely hell is prepared for him and he must needes be damned what remedie now in such a case Answ. Some thinke the onely way is to propound vnto him the grounds of vniuersall grace as that because he is a man Christ died for him for Christ died for all but this is a slender comfort for the despairing conscience will thus replie God indeed hath done his part but I refused Gods grace when it was offered Therefore another way of comfort must bee sought which is by proouing vnto him out of Gods word that he is within the couenant and that the promises of grace and life doe belong vnto him for the effecting whereof one maine ground is here propounded to wit that though a man want all righteousnesse yet if he truely hunger after it he is blessed and the right applying of this ground is this search must be made whether the partie thus despairing hath in him any sparke of true grace or no and this will be knowne by these two demands first whether he dislike his sinnes because they are sinnes secondly whether he truely desire to be reconciled vnto God to repent and beleeue in Christ Now if his conscience tell him that these things bee in him indeede then is he brought within the compasse of this blessednesse here pronounced by Christ and hath title to this promise that he shall be satisfied for he that is grieued for his sinne because thereby he hath offended God and withall hath an earnest desire of mercie and grace to repent and beleeue is truely blessed And therefore it may bee said vnto him seeing thou findest in thy heart this griefe for sinne and desire of grace thou art blessed and shalt be satisfied Thus may the distressed soule receiue comfort but as for them that liue in sinne here is no comfort for they haue no true dislike of sinne no purpose or desire to repent thereof Secondly as this rule of Christ ministreth comfort to some so it dedeclareth the miserable estate of others to wit of all those that want this spirituall hunger after righteousnesse for they haue no title to the promise of heauenly satisfaction by Gods mercie in Christ. And yet generally this is the state of men euery where for after riches pleasures honours and preferments men hunger and thirst as the drought in summer doth after raine but rare it is to finde a man that sauoureth the things of God and thirsteth after his righteousnes and yet such onely are blessed Thirdly this rule of Christ serues for sure direction whereby we may know our estate before God in regard of true happines if we hunger and thirst after righteousnes we are surely blessed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Now this spirituall hunger is knowne by two things first by an vnfained heartie sorrow and griefe for sinne past where this is wanting true spirituall hunger and thirst is not secondly by an earnest desire of Gods mercie in Christ for the pardon of sinne and for sanctification testified by a constant endeauour in the vse of meanes to come thereby he that hath these things in him may assure himselfe that he is blessed for these be the motions of Gods spirit and the true pledges of his grace Hereby then we must trie our estate if these things be in vs we haue wherein we may reioyce but if our hearts be dead and hard so as we haue no touch for our sinnes no hungering after the blood of Christ nor desire of sanctification then are we voide of grace and so most miserable for the smallest measure of true grace that can be is to hunger after grace in the want thereof Lastly this rule of blessednes must admonish vs as we tender our saluation so to labour for this spirituall hunger in our soules after reconciliation with God in Christ for all our sinnes past and for the sanctification of our hearts and liues by his word and spirit we may heare read and talke of Gods word and yet all to no ende vnlesse we be in heauines for our owne vnrighteousnes and from our hearts doe sende forth sighes and grones after mercie and grace in Christ. For what auaileth it to haue wit and learning honour and riches if the soule be voide of mercie and grace in Christ which doubtlesse it is while this spirituall hunger is wanting in the heart And to mooue vs to labour for this hunger the reason annexed is very effectuall namely the Lords promise that they shall be filled which also shewes wherein this blessednes doth consist Now they that thus hunger are filled partly in this life by receiuing
sinnefull conception al which our Sauiour Christ was free from for at the very time when hee bare our sinnes hee was in himselfe more holy then all men and all Angels Fourthly it is said that if Christs righteousnesse bee made ours then wee are made Sauiours Answer It followeth not for Christs merits and righteousnesse are conuaied and applied vnto men not as they are in Christs person in whom they are sufficient to saue ten thousand worlds but as they serue to saue and iustifie that particular person onely to whom they are imputed so that this remaines an vndoubted truth that that righteousnesse which brings saluation is Christs righteousnesse onely Here some may say How is Christs righteousnesse made ours and wee assured of it Answ. It is made ours by sauing faith which the holy Ghost creates in the heart and soule as an hand whereby wee may laie hold on Christ and applie his righteousnesse vnto our selues as hee is offered vnto vs in the promises of the Gospel Some obiect that if Christs righteousnesse be made ours by our beleeuing it to bee ours then if a man beleeue his neighbours house to be his it is his also and so for any other thing Answer There is not the like reason in these things for it is a meere fancie and imagination for a man to beleeue his neighbours house to be his hauing no ground for it besides his owne conceit but when a man beleeueth Christs righteousnesse to be his he hath Gods commandement and promise for his warrant and assurance that it shall be imputed vnto him and withall that faith so grounded maketh Christs righteousnesse as truely his as any thing a man hath is his owne beeing giuen him of another Now this sauing faith laying hold on Christs righteousnesse for mans iustification is neuer seuered from sanctification by the spirit with the fruits thereof whereby the old man beeing mortified and the new man in Christ renued according to his image in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse the whole person is turned vnto God and made carefull to please him both in thought word and deede and hereby doe wee receiue assurance of our iustification for true sanctification is the earnest of the spirit of adoption in our hearts whereby we are sealed vnto the day of our redemption Doth that righteousnesse whereby we must be iustified and saued in the day of our Lord come from Christ onely and not from our selues then we see what iust cause we haue to humble our selues and to acknowledge our great vnrighteousnesse and want of all goodnesse in our selues and when wee can doe this vnfainedly wee haue gone one steppe in the way to true happinesse Secondly we also must hereby learne to esteeme all things as drosse and dongue with the Apostle in respect of Christ Iesus and his righteousnesse for he it is that brings vs to heauen and therefore wee must honour him aboue all and value his righteousnesse as that most pretious iewel which when a man hath found hee will sell all that he hath to get and keepe it Matth. 13. 46. Thirdly we must hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousnesse for it is the fountaine of all blessednes and without it we are most miserable yea though wee had all the world beside yet without it wee loose our saluation Now what will it profit a man to winne all the world if he loose his soule Fourthly seeing Christs righteousnesse is made ours by faith we made assured of it by sanctification of heart and life wee must labour for true faith whereby our hearts may bee inwardly renued we must not content our selues with an outward holinesse for that will neuer bring a man to heauen but our endeauour must be for inward holinesse whereby we shal be preferred with God aboue all the Pharises in the world and get assurance of eternall happinesse And this faith wee must shewe forth in all holy exercises as when we heare the word wee must lend the inward eare of the heart with the bodily eare and when we fall downe to praier we must bowe the knees of our hearts and in fasting from meate wee must abstaine from sinne yea in all things wee must be carefull to serue God in spirit and truth for which cause wee must pray with Dauid Lord renue a right spirit within me that so feeling Christ to liue in vs by grace wee may bee assured that Christs righteousnesse shall bring vs vnto glorie Verse 21. Ye haue heard that it was said of olde Thou shalt not kill for whosoeuer killeth shall be culpable of iudgement Our Sauiour Christ hauing laid downe his Preface doth here begin his interpretation of the Law beeing indeed the onely true doctour of his Church and herein especially hee doth meddle with the second Table beginning first of all with the sixt Commandement touching Murther In the handling whereof hee obserueth this order First hee setteth downe the false interpretation of this law by the Scribes and Pharises in this verse Secondly hee sheweth the true meaning of it v. 22. And lastly hee propoundeth rules of concord and agreement betweene those that be at variance verses 23 24 25 26. For the first The Exposition Ye haue heard that is you Iewes which now heare mee whether Scribes Pharises or others you haue heard that it hath beene said of old that is by your auncient Teachers the old Scribes and Pharises who haue expounded this law vnto you and that this phrase must be vnderstood of the ancient Iewish Teachers may plainely appeare because in the next verse hee opposeth his owne teaching thereunto and would haue these his hearers that before had learned a false interpretation of this law from their old Teachers now to learne of him the true exposition thereof The Law is this Thou shalt not kill The exposition of the ancient Iewish Teachers was this for whosoeuer killeth shall be culpable of iudgement that is whosoeuer laieth violent handes on another to take away his life for they knew no other murther neither did they extend this commandement to forbid any sin but actual murther shall be culpable of iudgement that is shall be held guiltie of murther both in the courts of men and also before the iudgement seate of God where hee shall receiue the deserued punishment thereof This was the interpretation of the Iewes Here first obserue that Antiquitie is no infallible marke of true doctrine for this exposition of this commandement was ancient received from ancient Teachers and yet Christ the doctour of truth reiecteth it as false and corrupt and therefore the argument which the Papists vse for the stablishing of their religion drawn from Antiquitie is of no effect Secondly by these words of Christ ye haue heard it hath beene said of olde wee may easily gather after what manner the Scribes and Pharises expounded the law namely they left the Scriptures and followed
of heart and therefore it standeth vs in hand to make conscience of euery gesture of our bodie of the casting of our eyes of our laughter and of all passionate words lest thereby we shew any contempt or anger towards our brethren If it be saide how can euery gesture expressing rash anger or contempt be murther seeing the law permits a widow to spit in the face of her husbands brother or next kinseman euen before the Elders of the citie if he refused to raise vp seedâ— vnto his brother Ans. First the Lord might command her so to doe thereby to manifest his great dislike of want of loue in him towards his dead brother Secondly I answer the words may as fitly be translated thus and spit in his sight that is spit on the ground before his face that he might see her and that seemeth to be the true meaning of that place for it was very vnseemely for any one much more for a woman so publikely to spit in a mans face And in that sense is the word vsed in the same booke Deut. 4. 37. where God is said to bring Israel out of Egypt in his face that is in his sight Secondly vnder this branch of murther by signe of contempt are many abuses of the tongue most iustly condemned as first bitternesse of speech when men that be at variance giue out hard and grieuous words one against an other these are as pricks of swords as the wise man saith and therefore the holy Ghost chargeth vs that all bitternes anger and wrath be put away from vs. Secondly all wrangling and contentious speech betweene parties disagreeing when as neither will yeild but each one thinks to haue the last word Philip. 2. 14. Doe all things without murmuring and reasoning for that springs of choler and stout stomacke cleane contrarie to meekenes and patience a fruit of the spirit Thirdly crying also is here forbidden whereby men or women beeing at variance in priuate speeches doe through choler and malice lift vp their voices that they may be heard a farre off This is a fruit of raging anger and surie Fourthly threatning speeches are also here condemned when as men from an inward dislike and rage in their owne priuate cause doe giue out menacing words against others Eph. 6. 9. Masters are forbidden thus to deale with their seruants much lesse then may one brother thus threaten an other Fiftly all kind of girding and taunting others by priuie and close nipps is here condemned although there be no open rayling for thereby men seeke to disgrace their brethren and to glad their owne hearts by grieuing others which is more then to say Raca The third degree of murther is in Reviling tearmes calling our brother foole or such like this also is a sinne against the ninth commandement by robbing him of his good name for one sinne in diuers respects may be against many commandements It is a breach of this sixt commandement in that hereby we grieue and trouble our neighbour and so farre as a reproach can goe make him wearie of his life Vpon the ground of this degree of murther be all grieuous practises of men against their brethren iustly condemned for bloodie practises As first Usurie whereby men binde their brethren to returne gaine for the bare lone of money or other goods which naturally yeild no increase without all respect to their necessitie or to the successe of the imploying of it Hereby many are brought to great pouertie reuiling tearmes doe nothing so much pinch the poore as this oppression Secondly the hoarding vp of corne till times of dearth that thereby they may gaine the more these men make a priuate gaine of Gods common iudgement vpon the poore Indeede it is not vnlawfull in time of plentie to lay vp stoare against a time of dearth but to doe it with the hurt of the poore is to sucke their blood and to eate vp Gods people as when men keepe their garners full and suffer the poore to starue the peoples curse lies on such Prou. 11. 26. Thirdly fighting and striking by priuate persons or by others in their priuate causes for they wound or weaken the bodie of their neighbours which is more then to grieue him by reuiling speeches Fourthly the detaining the foode of the soule by those that cannot or will not preach is a damage against eternall life and therefore Paul to cleare himselfe from blood in this behalfe said He kept nothing backe Act. 20. 26 27. Fiftly to giue offence by word or deede whereby others are occasioned to fall this is vncharitable walking Rom. 14. 15. whereby we doe as much as in vs lieth destroy him for whome Christ died As this is cruell in all so especially in publike persons as Magistrates Ministers Parents Masters and such like because their practises are Rules to their inferiours They are like lights in an hauen which guides the shippes that saile by night which standing amisse leade the shippes vpon rockes and sands and so cause shipwracke Hauing seene the true meaning of this Law expounded by Christ let es here further obserue how he restoreth the true vse thereof We must not thinke that he did onely here intend the rectifying of our iudgements for vnderstanding and not also strike at the reformation of our hearts and liues for practise Touching the vse of this law therefore Christ here teacheth vs two things first to descend into our owne hearts and there to search how we haue broken this commandement as whether we haue borne in our hearts any malice against our brother and whether we haue expressed the rash anger of our hearts by speech or gesture or haue any way wronged him by reuiling tearmes or other iniuries against his life if we haue Christ tells vs we are murtherers Secondly Christ setting downe the curse to euery degree of murther teacheth vs vpon due examination of our hearts fuiding our selues guiltie in any degree to cast downe our selues before the Lord to accuse and condemne our selues crying out that all shame and confusion belongs vnto vs this we must doe that by the view of our miseries we may be mooued more earnestly to sue for mercie And indeede if we examine our hearts and our behauiours throughly we shall finde that we are all murtherers For though we may be free from actuall killing yet our consciences will tell vs that the motions of wrath and malice and the signes of vnaduised anger haue broken forth both in our wordes and gesture for who can say he neuer snuffed at an other by way of contempt or dislike who can cleare himselfe from deriding and disgracing others now these things and such like make vs guiltie of sinne against the law and so subiect to the wrath and curse of God which must needes be fulfilled though heauen and earth should passe away This
hee is a seuere iudge against all iniquitie II. This shewes that Christ preferres an honest and godly life aboue most worthy gifts euen before the gifts of Prophecie and Miracles and therefore our principall care must be to frame our hearts and liues to true obedience vnto our God in all his commaundements III. This must stirre vs vp to true and vnfained repentance If wee haue not yet repented it must mooue vs to beginne it if wee haue repented wee must doe it more for Christ will pronounce a fearefull sentence of condemnation vpon many professours because they liue in sinne though they haue prophecied in his name and cast ouâ— deuils and done many great workes yet because they haue beene in heart addicted to some sinnes hee shall say vnto them at the last day Depart from mee and goe yee cursed into euerlasting â—â—râ— The horrour whereof seeing Christ hath so long before made it knowne vnto vs ought to mooue vs to humble our selues to turne vnto God and to breake off the course of our sinnes euen in the purpose of our hearts And if wee will not now tremble and turne the day will come when wee shall heare a fearefull commaundement and obey it and noâ— bee able to turne from it but if wee shal now turne to God by true repentance and new obedience we shall in that day heare the blessed voyce of absolution vpon our selues when as the feareful sentence of condemnaâ—ion shall be pronounced vpon others IV. Whereas many men shall be condemned because in heart they haue beene addicted to some open or secret sinnes wee must in the feare of God labour to purge our hearts from all sinne so as wee bee not addicted to any one sinne with purpose to liue therein yea wee must labour to turne our selues from euery euill way from sinnes in thought in affections in behauiour and actions The purpose of our heart muâ—t bee not to liue in any one sinne so as if wee fall wee may yet truely say it was against our purpose and intent and therefore we must labour to bee renued in the spirit of our mindes euen in the most secret part of our soules It is not enough to leaue sinne when it leaues vs by reason of weakenesse or want of opportunitie thus doth many an aged man who hauing liued in lewdnesse and lust all his youth doth at length by reason of weakenesse in olde age leaue those sinnes in practise but yet his heart is still addicted to them and therefore euen then when hee cannot goe without a staffe will hee take great delight in rehearsing and remembring the trickes of his youth Now this man hath no repentance for his delight in the remembrance of sinne past is all one before God as if hee had liued still in the practise thereof our prayer therefore must be with Dauid to the Lord continually that hee would incline our hearts vnto his commaundements and not to couetousnesse or any other sinne Psal. 119. 36. Verse 24. Whosoeuer then heareth of me these words and doth the same I will liken him to a wise man which hath builded his house on a rocke 25. And the raine fell and the floods came and the windes blew and beat vpon that house and it fell not for it was grounded on a rocke After the deliuery of many notable instructions in this sermon of our Sauiour Christ whereby he hath sufficiently shewed himselfe to be the true Prophet and Doctor of his Church in this verse and those which follow to the 28. he comes to lay downe the conclusion of this excelleÌ„t sermon wherein he doth stirre vp his hearers to a notable duty namely that they should not make light account of his doctrine contenting themselues barely to heare reade or to learne the same but further to goe about the practise thereof in their liues and conuersations And for the effecting hereof hee laies downe here at large the fruite of true obedience to the word In this conclusion are these points contained I. A maine dutie to be done of all his hearers that is to heare and doe the words of Christ. Whosoeuer heareth these my words doth the same II. The propertie of this dutie it is a note of great wisedome I will liken him to a wise man c. III. The fruite of this dutie Safetie and securitie against all perâ—ls of bodie and soule in the 25. verse all which are amplified by their contraries in the 26. and 27. verses as we shal see in their place The first point is the maine dutie of euery good hearer namely to ioyne practise with knowledge of the word of Christ. This dutie is oft vrged vpon vs by the holy Ghost Rom. 2. 12. Not the hearers of the Law but the doers thereof shall bee iustified before God and Saint Iames stands long on this dutie Iam. 1. 22. Be the doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your ownâ— soules which after he enforceth both by the vanitie of hearing without doing v. 23 24. by the blessing that accompanies obedient hearing v. 25. Luk. 11. 27 28. when a woman in admiration at Christs doctrine pronounced her blessed that bare him Christ answered â—ay rathâ—r blessed are they that hear the word of God keepe it And in the parable of the sower Mat. 13. there are 4. kinds of hearers three bad one onely good who doe heare know receiue embrace the word of God withall bring forth fruit plentifully And naturall reason may perswade vs of the waight of this duty for the best learning that men haue in humane things is too little or of no vse without practise much lesse can diuine doctrine then profit a man without obedience be ioyned therewith Use. The consideration hereof must mooue vs to pray to God the Father in the name of Christ that he would vouchsafe his spirit vnto vs wherby our hearts might be enclined disposed bent to an vnfained loue obedience of Gods precepts deliuered in his holy word because it is our dutie to liue in the practise of that we heare Yea we must pray so to performe obedience in our life that our consciences may not only not accuse vs but also excuse vs before God in regard therof or at least in regard of our true endeauour desire to obey This duty being practised will minister true comfort vnto vs in time of distresse yea in the fearefull case of death it selfe Hereby did good king Hezekias comfort himselfe at his death that hee had walked before the Lord with an vpright perfect heart Isay 38. And the word of God is plaine for this comfort If our hearts condemne vs not we haue boldnes towards God 1. Ioh. 3. 21. alwaies prouided we haue a good vnderstanding of our duty to God for an ignorant conscience will falsly excuse II. Point The property of this dutie It is a part of great wisdom for he that heareth and
obeyeth is the only wise man I will liken him saith Christ vnto a wise man This point is likewise with care to bee remembred that the hearing doing of the word of God is a speciall part of true wisdome this is notably verefied in the 32. Psalme which is intituled Dauids learning and indeed it is a notable psalme of learning coÌ„taining the summe of all religion which Dauid bringeth to these two heads his repentance new obedience So Deut. 4. 6. the peoples obedience to Gods commandements is counted by Moses their wisdome for this cause he there saith they shal be counted the wisest people vnder heauen because they serued obeyed the true God to which purpose it is said The feare of God is the beginning of wisdome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter Psal. 111. 10. Hence we learne these instructions 1. all superiours magiâ—â—rates masters parents are bound to goe before their inferiours in wisdome as they are aboue them in authoritie therfore considering obedience is true wisdome euery superiour ought to goe before his inferiours in obedience to Gods commaundements for this onely is true wisedome without which all other wisdome is but folly and madnesse 2. Hence all students that professe themselues to seeke for wisdome and learning are taught especially to giue themselues to learne obey the will and commandements of God for this is true wisdom both before God and man And it is a great blemish and disgrace for any man of knowledge to lead a loose and dissolute life this argues their want of Gods feare which is the very ground of true wisedome 3. This giues a good caueat to ignorant persons who perswade themselues they may continue in their ignorance because they are not book-learned but they deceiue themselues for obedience is true wisdome and therefore they must labour for so much knowledge as will bring them to this wisdome here commended Now to come more specially to this true wisdom we must search out wherein it lieth This is expressed in these words which hath builded his house on a rocke which S. Luke setteth down more largely ch 6. 48. saying he digged deep Laid his foundation on a rocke In which words 3. partâ— of this wisdome are propounded 1. to dig deep 2. to make choice of a rocke for a foundation 3. to build thereon The builder is the professor of the name of Christ and this digging deepe to finde out a fit foundation signifieth thus much that he that would make sure his owne saluation must come to a deepe search examination of his own corrupt heart that he may know the iniquitie therof also he must renouÌ„ce himselfe his pleasures whatsoeuer may hinder him in this building he must cast out for without this deepe search ransacking of the heart there can be no sure foundation laid nor certainty of saluatioÌ„ attained The second point of this wisdom is to choose a foundatioÌ„ to lay our saluation vpon that is the rocke Christ Iesus himselfe alone God and man he is the chiefe corner stone on which the whole building is coupled Eph. 2. 20 21. neither is their saluatioÌ„ in any other for among men there is giuen no other name vnder heauen by which wee must bee saued then Christ Iesus onely Act. 4. 12. and no other foundation can any man laâ—e then that which is alreadie laid which is Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 3. 11. Christ is the rocke and corner stone true Christians are liuing stâ—nes built vpâ— him 1. Pet. 2. 5. As for our works they are fruits but no part of this fouÌ„dation vnlesse to them that build on the sand like foolisâ— builders Thirdly hauing found a good foundation we must build thereon Our soules and our saluation must be builded on Christ. This is done by our faith in Christ for as mutuall loue ioynes one man vnto an other so true faith makes vs one with Christ Eph. 3. 17. the holy Ghost saith that Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith and Psal. 125. 1. He that trusts in the Lord is as mount Sion that cannot be remooued Yet here two caâ—â—ats must be remembred I. That Christ is a rocke yet not euery way that man frames in his owne heart but onely so as he hath offered himselfe in the promise of the Gospel which is the word of the couenant of grace And for this cause we must labour that this word of Gods grace may be rooted and grounded in our hearts by faith for it is all one to beleeue in Christ and to beleeue the word that reueales Christ vnto vs so saith our Sauiour He that refuseth me and receiueth not my word hath one that iudgeth him Ioh. 12. 48. And If ye abide in me and my words abide in you Ioh. 15. 7. We therefore must be like the good ground for as it receiues and keepes the good seede so doth the good heart receiue and keepe the word of grace which beeing rooted in our hearts keepes vs vnited vnto Christ and therefore it is called the engraffed word Iam. 1. 21. which beeing mingled with faith in our hearts is profitable for it knits vs fast to Christ and makes vs growe vp in him vnto perfection II. Caueat We must set all the maine affections of our heart on Christ for hereby must we shew forth our faith We must so esteeme and loue Christ as that in regard of him we count all things losse and dung with the Apostle yea we must so delight in Christ that we desire him wholly and receiue nothing into our hearts but Christ alone Thomas desired but to put his finger into his side but we must goe further and desire to haue our soules washed in the blood that issued thence and to haue our hearts possessed by his spirit whome he giueth to his Church Use. Seeing Christ Iesus is the rocke of our saluation our dutie is to haue our hearts rooted and founded on Christ. They which be as the stonie ground heare and receiue the word and it takes some rooting in them and brings forth some fruit but as the rooting is not deepe so the fruit is neuer ripe and therefore when heat commeth it withereth so it is with professors a man may be one in name and bring forth some fruit of the word which he heares and yet be deceiued in the matter of his saluation because he is not rooted and founded in Christ. This is the point which Paul stands much vpon in sundrie of his Epistles for shew of grace will not serue the turne Indeede in these happie daies of peace any grace makes a man seeme to be a Christian but when the parching heat of persecution comes vnlesse we be throughly rooted in Christ we shall neuer continue to the ende nor bring forth fruit with patience III. Point The fruite of this true obedience in which men by faith build themselues on