will endeavour to discharge his duty by good report and evil report 2. You may observe that goodness it self is hated and truth it self slandered and traduced for in his mouth was found no guile but as Saint John saith he is the way the truth and the life and yet all that malice can invent is thought little enough to be laid on him he must bear in his bosom the reproach of a mighty people and he must endure the contradictions of a wicked generation And therefore what wonder is it if the best King and Governour in the world were he as mild as Moses as religious as King David as upright as Samuel and as bountiful to Gods servants as Nehemiah or if as worthy Preachers as ever trod pulpit were they as faithful as Saint Peter as loving as Saint John and as zealous as Saint Paul should be maligned traduced and slandered for you may assure your selves it is no new thing though a very true thing for the wicked to deal thus with the good and godly at all times But among all the subtil arguments doubtful questions and malicious disputations that the Scribes Christs good deeds inraged the wicked Pharisees and Heredians had with our Saviour Christ which were very many and all only for to intrap him in his speech that they might bring him to his death and not to beget faith in their own hearts that they might attain-to eternal life this conflict in this chapter seemeth to be none of the least for after he had so miraculously healed the poor man that was born blind their malice was so inraged and their rage so furious against him that they excommunicated the poor fellow and thrust him out of their Synagogue for speaking well of him that had done so much good for him or because he would not be so wicked and so malicious as themselves and then gathering themselves together round about Christ they began to question him about his office and very strictly to examine him whether he was the Christ the Messias or not And Our Saviour Christ Christ answereth for the good of the godly that knew their thoughts better then themselves intendeth not to satisfie their desire which was to receive such an answer whereby they might accuse him yet for their instruction that would believe in him he setteth down an institution or an infallible induction whereby both their subtil question was fully answered and his own true servants perfectly expressed and distinguished from them that serve him not in these words My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Wherein The means ways to save us our Saviour setteth down the means whereby the true Christians are eternally saved in being called justified and sanctified which are the three main steps or degrees whereby we pass from our natural state of corruption unto the blessed state of grace that brings us to eternal glory 1. Called in these words My sheep hear my voice 2. Justified in these words I know them 3. Sanctified in these words They follow me 1. Then the Christians are called to come to Christ in that he saith My sheep hear my voice for as Adam after his transgression never sought for God until God sought for him and said Adam Where art thou So all the children of Adam would never come to Christ if Christ did not call them to come unto him but as wisdom crieth without and uttereth her voice in the streets Prov. 1.20 so doth this wisdome of God Jesus Christ cry Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you and if he did not cry and utter forth his voice his sheep could not hear his voice but God sendeth forth his voice yea and that a mighty voice and as the Prophet David saith The Lord thundered out of heaven Psal 68 33. and the most high uttered his voice And that not onely as he did once unto the Israelites God uttereth his voice two wayes when he delivered his laws on mount Sinai but also to all others whom he calleth and uttereth his voice unto them two special ways 1. To the ears of his people by the mouths of his Prophets 1 To our ears Apostles and Preachers of his holy Word that do continually call and cry unto them to come to hear his voice and to obey his Precepts 2. To the hearts of his servants by the inspiration of his blessed Spirit 2 To our hearts which teacheth them to cry abba Father and perswadeth them to yield obedience to all his heavenly motions And our Saviour saith that his sheep or servants will hear his voice that is both uttered by his servants and inspired by his Spirit and they will neither neglect to hear the preaching of his written Word nor suffocate or choak the inspired Word that is the internal motions of his holy Spirit but they will most readily and willingly hear both these voices My sheep hear my voice howsoever uttered Three things observable For the further and the better understanding of which words you may observe these three things 1. The denomination Sheep 2. Their appropriation my sheep 3. Their qualification hear my voice 1. By Sheep here is understood not those four-footed silly creatures The children of God called sheep in a double respect that by their wooll and lamb and milk and their own flesh are so profitable unto us and by their simplicity are so easie to be kept and are the most innocent among all the beasts of the field but those children of God and true Christians that are called and compared unto sheep in a double respect 1. In respect of Christ that is their Pastour or Shepherd 2. In respect of themselves that are his flock 1. Christ is often called in the Scriptures our Shepherd 1 Grand Shepherd of the sheep Christ the good Shepherd in two respects 1. A lawful entrance into his Office Heb. 5.4 1. By the testimony of his own conscience 2. By an outward approbation and he is set forth unto us in this 10. c. by a double manifestation 1. Of a lawful entrance into his Office 2. Of an absolute performance of his Duties 1. The Apostle saith No man taketh this honour unto himself that is to be the Shepherd over Gods flock and a Priest to teach Gods people but he that is called of God as was Aaron And how was Aaron called 1. By God inwardly by the testimony of his own conscience that tells him the Spirit of God calleth him to such an Office 2. Because a man is not to believe his own private spirit that many times deceiveth us therefore God would have Aaron to take his commission and his ordination from Moses as you may see Exod. 28.1 and as the Lord had formerly said unto Moses that he should be instead of God unto Aaron to call him unto the Priests office And as no man taketh or should
rebellion and disobedience of the people as here because Zedechia was not suffered by these stubborn and disobedient people to follow the advice of this our Prophet therefore they were all delivered into seventy years Captivity And as the Lord is extream angry with those rebellious people that disobey and labour to displace the Kings and Governours that he sets over them So he sheweth abundance of his love and kindnesse to them that submit themselves to his ordinance and behave themselves dutifully and loyally towards those Kings whatsoever they be that God placeth over them as you may see it in the whole course and Story of King David and Saul for as he was the most dutiful and most faithful subject that ever we read of so God was pleased to raise him to be the best King that ever reigned over Israel for his King and his Governour was Saul the very first of that Order among the Jews and he was an hypocrite a persecutor a murderer a tyrant and a mad man yet when David whose life he thirsted after had him at his mercy and could as easily have taken off his head as to cut off the lap of his garment he said The Lord forbid 1 Sam. 24.6 that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords Annointed to stretch forth my hand against him and his heart smote him because he had cut off his skirt And when he had him again in the like trap he said unto Abner Art not thou a valiant man and who is like thee in Israel wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the King this thing is not good that thou hast done As the Lord liveth you are worthy to die because you have not kept your Master the Lords Annointed and his oath As the Lord liveth sheweth 1 Sam. 26.16 that he spake it in good earnest and jested not And if they be worthy to die that defend not and protect not such a wicked King especially in going about so vile an action as the murdering of so good a man and so dutiful a subject as David was then what shall become of them and what are they worthy of that murmur and grudge and plot against the life of such a â—ood King as maintained peace and jâ—stice amongst his people and offered no special injury to any particular man of us all Surely if I had the wisdom of Solomon and the eloquence of Demosthenes I were not able to expresse the odiousnesse of their sin that conspired against the person and proceedings of such a King as is inoffensive before God and all good men But to go on to shew unto you how faithful this good subject was to this bad King when the young man that was an Amalekite and none of Saul or Davids subjects came of his own accord to bring tidings unto David of Sauls death and of the good service that he thought he had done unto Saul at his own request to put him out of his pain David presently caused him to be put to death 2 Sam. 1.15 because he durst presume to offer any violence though that violence seemed to be a favour unto the Ruler of the people whom we are straightly forbidden to revile Exod. 22.28 or to speak evil of him So dutiful and so loyal a subject was David to so evil a Governour and so wicked a King as Saul And this his loyalty and fidelity unto Saul was one of the chiefest vertues that we find commendable in him before God had according to his fidelity to his King raised him to the Rule and Government of his people And I wish that all and every one of us would strive and study to imitate this good man in our obedience fidelity and loyalty to our King and Governours that God hath placed over us But here it may be some troubled and discontented spirit will say I could willingly yield all due respect and obedience unto our Kings and Governours could I be satisfied that God appointed them to be the Kings and Governours of his people Jeremy 23.21 but as the Lord saith of the false Prophets They run and I sent them not So he saith They have set up Kings but not by me Hosea 8.4 and they have made Princes and I knew it not And should we be obedient and faithful to such Kings and Governours that ambitiously set up themselves and are not righteously set up by God To these men that stumble at this block I answer 1. That the Prophet speaketh there as I shewed to you before not of any Soveraign Monarch but of the Aristocratical government of many men that will all be as Kings and Princes ruling and domineering over the people for so you see the Prophet speakes in the plural number of many Kings that in all the whole Scripture you shall never find to be either appointed or approved by God to be the Governours of his people for indeed those many Kings and Governours of equal authâ—rity are none of Gods Governours neither are they set up by God nor as I find approved by God in any place of all the Scripture But as God is One and the only Monarch of all the World so he ever appoints one Monarch only to be his Deputy to govern the people or nation that he committeth under his charge 2. I say that this Monarch and Governour whom God raiseth to govern his people attaineth unto his Throne and right of Government even by the ordination of God divers wayes as 1. Sometimes by Birth which is the most usual best and surest way and most agreeable to Gods will 2. Sometimes by Choice and the election of the people as Herodotus saith the Medes chose Deioces to be their King and the Princes of Germany now chuse their Emperour and they commonly chuse him that is by Birth the eldest son of the deceased King 3. Sometimes by the power of the Sword as God gave the Monarchy of the Medes unto Cyrus and the Kingdom of Darius and of many others unto Alexander and the Empire of the Romans unto Augustus and many other Kingdoms unto others that had no other right unto their Dominions but what they purchased with the edge of their Sword Which right though it be nothing else but Vsurpation and Intrusion in these ambitious hunters after rule and dominion yet notwithstanding it must needs be a very good right as the same cometh from the just God who is the God of war and giveth the victory unto Kings when as the Poet saith Victrix causa diis placuit And he having the right and power Paramount to translate the rule and transferre the dominion of his people to whom he will he hath oftentimes for their sins thrown down the mighty from their seat and translated the government of his people unto others whom some waies he thought fitter to effect his Divine will as he did give the Kingdom of Saul unto David and of Belshazzers unto Cyrus and
take this office upon him but he that is as well outwardly approved by such as are lawfully authorized to approve him Exod. 4.16 as inwardly called by the restifying spirit of his own conscience so also Christ saith the Apostle glorified not himself to be made an high Priest and to become the great Shepherd of Gods flock Heb. 5.5 c. 17.21 but he that said unto him Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and hath sworn Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech And therefore if no man no not Christ himself taketh this holy office upon him but he that is lawfully called by such as have lawful authority to call him I wonder how any man dares to intrude himself into the Ministry without any mission from Christ or commission from such as are lawfully authorized by Christ to admit them You know what our Saviour saith As my father sent me so send I you and they that were his Apostles never went until he sent them for there must be an Ite go ye Mat. 28.19 Mar. 16.15 John 10.1 before Praedicate preach ye and you see what our Saviour saith here Verily verily I say unto you he that entreth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber that is he that is not lawfully called and comes not the right way into the Ministry to be the shepherd of Gods flock the same is none of Gods Ministers Jer. 23.21 14.14 but is a thief and a robber stealing to himself what of right belongs to another And yet I fear we have now too many of whom the Lord may say as he doth by the Prophet Jeremy I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied for we are not onely to consider whether they be called and approved to be the Ministers of Christ but we must likewise consider by whom they are called and approved for as idem est non esse non apparere so it is all one to be not called and not approved as to be called and approved by such as have no right nor authority to call and approve them as when a company of thieves and robbers gives power and authority to a man to be Justice of the Peace or a Judge of Assize we say his power and authority is null and of no validity so they that give orders and approve of Priests and have no right no power nor authority to give orders and to allow them do just nothing in the just way and their orders is worth nothing But you will say this may be true of the Lay-preachers but those that are ordained by the Presbyterians and approved by an assembly of Presbyters cannot be denied to be lawfully called and to enter in by the door into the sheepfold I answer that I will not at this time discuss who gave them this power and authority to ordain Priests but I say that I dare not I cannot approve and justifie their authority let them answer for it that presume to do it I have shewed you their error in my discovery of the great Antichrist So you see how this grand Shepherd did lawfully enter into his office and how all his under-Shepherds should imitate him in their lawfull entrance and not intrude themselves nor be unlawfully admitted into the Ministry 2. 2 A perfect performance of all the duties of a good Shepherd Philo Jud. in l. de opificio mundi The other point here spoken of this great Shepherd is a perfect and most absolute performance of all the duties of a good Shepherd Where first of all you must observe that Theocritus Virgil and others writing of this office of Shepherds do make three kindes of Pastors or Shepherds and so doth Philo Judaeus where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shepherd Goatesman and Herdsman drive the flocks of sheep goats and bullocks and it is observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dici de pastore omnium animalium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum relatione tantum ad oves that the Greeks do call him onely that keepeth sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shepherd and our Saviour saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the good goatsman or the good herdsman John 10.14 but he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the good Shepherd that taketh care for his sheep but not for goats because the Lord careth for the righteous but as the Prophet saith he scattereth abroad all the ungodly And seeing that he is a Shepherd you know what the Poet saith Pastorem Tytere pingues Pascere oportet oves Vagil Eglog 6. The Shepherd ought to feed his sheep for as the old proverb goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spartam nactus es hanc orna every one should look to his own office as the learned Divine to preach the Word of God the Cobler to mend his shoes the Countrey-man to plough his ground curabit prelia Conon and the King or whosoever is the chief Magistrate to provide for war and to conclude peace which is the onely way to keep all things in the right way because that mittere falcem in alienam messem for the Coachman with his whip to lash the pulpit the Taylor with his shears to divide the Word of God the shepherd with his hook to rule the people and the unruly people to reign as Kings is that which as the Poet saith Turbabit fadera mundi Lucan phars l. 1. and is the readiest way to pull all things asunder to tear in pieces the whole course of nature and to subvert all the order of Gods creatures and indeed to reduce the total frame of the creation to a speedy dissolution whereas that man is worthy of all praise as Aelian saith which meddleth with nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pertaineth nothing unto him but looketh onely and carefully to his own duty and he is worthy to be reproved as our Saviour checkt Saint Peter for his curiosity to know what John must do that is a stranger in his own affairs and busieth himself onely with what onely belongs unto others And therefore not to do my self what I blame in others or to extend my discourse beyond my line to treat of the art of war with Phormio before Hannibal or to tell you the office of a King or a Judge when my text tels me I am to treat of a Shepherd but to keep my self contrary to the common practise ad idem to my own proper task I shall desire you to remember that the duty of a good Shepherd consisteth chiefly in these two points 1. Negatively what he should not do to his sheep 2. Affirmatively what he should do for them 1. The heathen man could tell us that boni pastoris est pecus tondere non deglubere it is the part of a good Shepherd to fleece
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripid. in Meleagro Fearfull men are of none account in the war but are absent while they are present which is the cause saith Cicero Cicero pro Aul. Caecinna Quod exercitus maximi saepe pulsi ac fugati sunt terrore ipso impetuque hostium sine cujusquam non modo morte verum etiam vulnere Fear destroyed great Armies great Armies have been overthrowen with this vain fear not only without the death but also without the hurt of any man and therefore reason it self perswadeth us to cast off all fear and to arm our selves with courage when we go against our enemies for though as the Comick saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many evils spring out of rashness Yet Fo rs juvat audentes prisci sententia vatis Claud. ad probinum And as old Homer saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Odyssâ—x Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis audax Sit licet hospes è longinquis venerit oris The stout couragious man is best in all affaires when as the timorous man omnia tuta timet doth oftentimes fear his own shadow and there is no receit against fear But though fear is an ill companion male cuncta ministrat and ordereth all things very ill It is sometimes good to fear dangers and how yet sometimes this fear of dangers is of an excellent use especia ly when it is joyned with a provident care to prevent it for it is a point of great wisdom in doubtfull things to fear the worst when the best will save it self we see many men have been suddenly destroyed because they feared not the dangers that were imminent over their heads whereas he Qui insidias timet in nullas incidet nec cito perit ruina qui ruinam timet quia semper metuendo sapiens vitat malum inimicum quamvis humilem docti est metuere he that feareth the snare falleth not into the snare and he that feareth ruine is not suddenly ruin'd because a wise man avoideth evil by fearing it and a learned man will not be fearless of the hurt that may happen unto him from his meanest enemy when according to that of the Poet Parva necat morsu spatiosum viper a taurum A cane non magno saepe tenetur aper Causa pusilla nocet sapiensque nocentia vitat A small thing may do much mischief Yet this fear of danger without a care joyned with it to prevent the danger or at least to lessen it is rather a vexation to be avoided than a vertue to be embraced Therefore this fear is only good as it makes us wary to prevent the evil as the fear of the Thief makes the good man of the house watchful to defend his house saith our Saviour And as this humane frailty The humane Fear hath driven many meâ— to great sins and the fear of future dangers hath been the ruine of many a man and the losse of many great Armies so the like fear hath driven many men to great sins As Pilate for fear of the people and of their complaint against him to Caesar condemned to death the Lord of Life Judges for fear of the rich and powerful men do many times decree unjust judgement And the Preachers of Gods Word do sometimes pervert the truth and preach placentia for fear of dangers either losse of Livings or of Liberties And in many other men this humane fear is the cause of many inhumane acts Therefore the holy Ghost prohibiteth this fear in every place Moses injoyneth Judges to be men of courage Luke 12. Jerem. 1. Esay 51.7 Ezech. 2.6 Our Saviour bids his Disciples not to fear them that kill the body and after that can do no more And the Lord often commandeth his Prophets not to fear the faces of men nor to be afraid of their threatnings As the Prophet Esay saith Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wooll And the Angel biddeth the Church of Smyrna Revel 2.10 to fear none of those things that they should suffer that is neither poverty nor sicknesse nor reproach nor imprisonment nor yet death it self And the reason why we should not fear these things is set down by the Lord himself saying Thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel Fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine when thou passâ—st through the waters Esay 43.1 2. I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Rom 8.31 because God is with us and if he be with us Who can be against us Nâ—m quid timet hominem homo in sinu Dei positus Aug. de verb. Dom. For why should any man that is in the bosom of God and upheld there by Gods hand be afraid of any man or of any thing Tu de illius sinu noli cadere quicquid ibi passâ—s fueris ad salutem valebit non ad pernitiem Do thou continue in Gods favour and thou shalt not need to fear any mans fury And so you see how the humane fear of all worldly evils is as much as we can to be shunned and no wayes to be embraced But 2. 2 The Divine fear God the object of this fear in two respects The Divine fear is that which we are commanded here and in all other places of the holy Scripture to seek for it and to embrace it And though as I said before the proper object of fear is said to be evil yet God which is the chiefest Good may be said to be the object of this fear in two respects 1. Respect 1 As the body feareth the parting of the soul which is the life of the body so the soul feareth the departing of Gods favour which is the life of the soul and that parting of Gods favour from us is the greatest evil that can happen unto us 2. As a Malefactor feareth the good and just Magistrate lest he punish him for his evil deeds so every sinner doth or should fear God lest he should render vengeance unto him for his sins And from these two respects springeth a twofold kind of Divine fear 1. The servil-fear which is a fear of punishment 2. Filial-fear which is a fear to lose the love and favour of God which grieves them more to lose it than to suffer all the punishment that they can endure And both these fears are wrought in our hearts by the finger of Gods Spirit when as the wicked neither respect Gods love nor fear his justice
but will notwithstanding all the promises of the Gospel and all the threatnings of the Law most fearlessely run to all kind of wickeduess And although the servil-fear hath for its object malum poenae 1 Of the servil-fear the evil of punishment and the filial-fear hath malum culpa the evil of sin Qâ—ia in illo timetur ne incidatur in tormentum supplicii August in isto ne amittatur gratia beneficii because that by the first we fear the torments of Hell-fire and by the second we fear to lose the joyes of Heaven Gregor in pass Et quem à prava actione formidata poena prohibet formidantis animum nulla spiritus libertas tenet nam si poenam non metueret culpam proculdubiò perpetraret And he that abstaineth from evil only for fear of the punishment is not refrained by the freedom of Gods Spirit because he would certainly commit the sin if he were not withheld by the fear of punishment And so as S. Augustine saith Aug. l. 2. contâ—a pelag Qui timore poena non amore justitiae fit bonus nondum bene fit bonus nec fit in corde quod fierâ— videtur in opere quando mallet bonnm non facere si posset impune He that doth good for fear of the rod more than for the love of goodness doth not that good so well as he ought to do it neither is that done in the heart which seems to be done in the work when he had rather not do it if he might leave it undone without punishment Yet this servil-fear is very good and very necessary for most men That the servil fear is good and how because that as the needle draweth the threed after it so this fear entring first into the heart maketh way for the other fear to follow after and when this keepeth us from the evil it maketh us by little and little to fall in love with the good for as nemo repente fit pessimus but the sinner falleth into Hell by certain steps and degrees so we ascend to Heaven per scalas gratiarum by passing on from faith to faith and from one grace unto another that is from the weaker still unto the stronger and from the lesse perfect unto that which is more excellent The Scripture perswadeth us to this servil-fear Exod. 20.20 And therefore we are perswaded to this fear both in the Old and New Testaments As 1. Moses saith unto the Israelites God is come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not And the Prophet Esay saith Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear Esay 8.13 and let him be your dread And the Prophet Jeremy saith Fear ye not me saith the Lord and Will ye not tremble at my presence Pavor vester terror vester Jer. 5.22 which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot passe it though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not provaâ—l though they roar yet can they not pafs over it 2. Our Saviour saith Fear not them which kill the body Math. 10.28 but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Which very thing is further amplified Luke 2.5 and the Precept reiterated by S. Luke And S. Paul saith Heb. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God And therefore the Prophet biddeth us to kisse the Son lest he be angry and so we should perish from the right way And yet such is the nature and so great is the sottishness of foolish man that he will be afraid where no fear is he will startle at his own shadow he will suggest fears and raise jealousies unto himself as we see the English Rebels have done out of nothing We fear every vain thing more than we fear God for they dreamed they were undone when they were most happy and they made the World believe the King raised War against his Parliament when we saw the Parliament caused the King to flee away to save his life Thus we fear flies and tremble at the sight of feathers and the great God that is a consuming fire whose voice teareth the Mountains dryeth up the Seas and shaketh the Wildernesse we are no whit afraid to provoke him every day for though he chargeth us with a sub-pae-na as we shall answer it at his dreadful Judgement To honour all men to wrong no man to obey the King and to do to all men as we would they should do to us yet Revenge against our neighbours Rebellion against our King Robbing the poor Killing the innocent and the like are things of no more account than killing flies So much do we fear our God! But against this every man will say that he feareth God and what he doth he doth it for his service So the grand Rebels Corah Dathan and Abiram tell Moses All the Congregation is holy So that Arch-hypocrite Saul saith I have performed the Command of the Lord and when Samuel reproved him that he had not obeyed the voice of the Lord he stiffely justifieth himself 1 Sam. 13.15 20. and saith yea I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me and if any thing be amisse it is not I that am to be blamed for it but the people which took of the spoil and they took it to none other end but for the service of God that they might sacrifice unto him in Gilgal Even so all Rebels and all hypocrites justifie themselves under the spâ—cious pretexts of doing all for Gods honour and the good of the Gospel and if any thing be amisse it is that which they cannot help it is the fault of their unruly followers which also cannot so much be condemned because they intend all for the glory of God and by the spoil of the Bishops and Recusants to set up a Preaching-Presbytery which will be a very acceptable sacrifice unto God and a far better service than now is used And therefore I do very ill to taxe them that they fear not God And so the case standeth Marcus ait Scaurus negat I affirm it and they deny it But in truth though it is the property of all hypocrites to cloak their wickednesse under the pretence of bettering things Yet God likes better of what Himself requireth than of what these Will-worshippers think to be more honourable for him And as Samuel was faign to convince Saul by the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen so to prove these Rebels to be void of the fear of God I must say Si non creditis oraculis credite oculis If you will not believe my words look into their deeds for as the Tree is known by the fruits The two things that the fear of God doth 1. To