out corruption The milke in the breast not strained is pure too hard pressed it is corrupt Thirdly the word worketh by diuers meanes And I hope with Eliah that there be â—oe profit by the word than I see Iohn Baptist came mourning Iesus Christ came piping but few profited For many would follow Iohn vntill he required repentance They would heare Christ vntill he spake of the crosse Great is the wisedome of God in vsing the vehemencie of one the mildnes of another the zeale of another But some will neither profit by Iohn nor by Iesus Christ who will rather be offended at the infirmities of the speaker being few than by his good speeches profit though they be many FINIS A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST giue me his good Spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued Master S. letter wherin he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue been not a little grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences and other weightie affaires I haue bene hindered from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit euen still I am in the same case yet conscience towards God and compassion and loue towards you forceth me to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwaies preuaile against And albeit I cannot write as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed grounds I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ if you will not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of yourselfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taryed not still at Cambridge according to my aduice you must know that I aduised it not as a thing necessary but more conuenient as I then supposed but yet that I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelding I cannot see how you offended it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knowes whether being heere you might not haue bene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knowes whether it be the Lords pleasure for the ensample and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you wil now thinke that here you were neerer the more and stronger meanes yet know you and hee perswaded that GOD can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupted nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the Name of Iesus Christ humblie to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in mercie vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them and then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters Wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of me then for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate by some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I presently perceiue by M. S. letters is that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot be moued either with the promises of God his mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with loue and delight of the things which bee good or with hatred and lothing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of dispaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somwhat through your owne default First therefore know you for a certaintie that this is no other temptation than such as diuers of Gods children haue for a time bin humbled with afterwards haue had good issue out of And if it please God to moue you to credit me I myselfe haue knowne others as deeply this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And yet further to confirme you herein the holy Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people In whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably thus complained chap. 63. vers 15. O Lord looke downe from heauen and beholâ— from the dwelling place of thy holines and of thy glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions they are restrained from me And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies and hardened our heart from thy feare And in the next chapter vers 6. We haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquitie like the winde doth take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And afore in the 59. chapter vers 10. We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight we are in solitarie places like dead men we roare like beares and mourne like doues So complaines Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Esay 38 14 Like a crâ—ne or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a doue And Psal. 51. 10. c. when Dauid crieth Create in me O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish me with thy free spirit doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirit crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage so that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption he could neither crie Abba father nor â—â—ue any power against sinne Thus you see how God his children may be blinded in minde and hardened in hart for a time so that they feele in themselues the graces of the holy spirit to be as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this point because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kindes of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other which is
seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taried not stil at Cambridge according to mine aduise you must know I aduised it not as a thing necessarie but more conuenient as I then supposed but I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelded I cannot see how you offend it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knoweth whether being there you might not haue beene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knoweth whether it bee the Lords pleasure for the example and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you will now thinke that here you were neerer the moe and stronger meanes yet knowe you and bee perswaded that God can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupt nature to make much of such as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the name of Iesus Christ humbly to praise God for those meanes he offereth in mercie vnto you to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them And then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of mee than for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre forth as I shall bee at any time instructed in your particular estate in some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I perceieue presently by M. S. Letter is that you are afflicted with the blindnesse of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot bee moued either with the promises of Gods mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with the loue and delight of the things which bee good nor with the hatred and loathing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of despaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somewhat through your owne default First therefore knowe you for a certaintie that this is no other tentation than such as diuers of Gods children haue beene humbled with and afterward haue had a good issue out of it and if it please God to mooue you to credit me I my selfe haue knowne others as deepely this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare And yet further to confirme you herein the holie Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people in whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably complaineth O Lord looke downe from heauen behold from the dwelling place of thy holinesse and of the glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions They are restrained from mee And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare And in the next Chapter verse 6. Wee haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthie clouts and we all doe fade as a leafe and our iniquities as the winde doe take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold on thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And before Wee grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we roare like Beares and mourne like Doues So complaineth Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue And when Dauid crieth Create in mâ—e O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish mee with thy free spirit Doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirite crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage So that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption hee could neither crie Abba Father nor haue any power against sinne Thus you see how Gods children may be blinded in minde and hardened in heart for a time so that they feele in themselues the grace of the holie Spirit to bee as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this case because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kinds of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearfull when anie doe purposely resist the motions of Gods spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation of which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh 7. 11. They refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Lawe and the words which the Lord of Hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes Wee haue made a couenant with Death and with Hell wee are at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falshood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hidden This was a fearfull estate indeed yet for all that no man can say but some of these hauing hardened their hearts might bee and were afterward conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearfull yet it is daÌ„gerous enough is in such as although they wilfullie resist not Gods spirite in good meanes yet securely carelesly and willinglie they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauid his estate for the space of a yeare before Nathan the Prophet came to reprooue him and rouze him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwise then in temptations Sathan may somtimes moue you thereunto The other kind of hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they doe finde small or no ease at all in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of Gods people complained And
Dauid prayeth against presumptuous sinnes that they should not reigne ouer him signifying though hee sinned presumptuously yet if hee did not perseuer in presumption obstinately without desire to repent that such sinne or sinnes were pardonable Now the Lords couenant towards his in Iesus Christ is not to deale after their sinnes nor to reward them after their iniquities much lesse will he not regard in wrathfull displeasure their infirmities For if he should so marke what is saide or done amisse who were then able to abide it But with him is mercie in Iesus Christ that he may be feared Therfore lift vp your hands which hang downe and strengthen your weak knees and say vnto your soule Why art thou so cast down and vnquiet within mee I will yet trust in Iesus Christ and waite vpon the mercifull graces of God purchased by his merits Consider that true humilitie ariseth of faith in Iesus Christ and that is true Faith that ingendreth humilitie as we may not diminish our sins so may we not too much aggrauate them nor diminish Christs merits haue euermore in your minde the example of the prodigall sonne who saith not I am not thy sonne but I am no more worthie to be called thy sonne hee saith not Let me be thy bond-slaue Nay hee saith not Let me be thy hired seruant but Let me be as one of thy hyred seruants his Father came and met him and fell on his necke c. So shall it come to you good brother I need make no more application the holy annoynting which you haue receiued will bring the old mercies of God vpon others and vpon your own soule vnto remembrance and leade you into all trueth which shall be requisite for your saluation Put your trust in the Lord and be you assured beleeue his Ministrrs and you shall prosper The Lord Iesus came not to breake the bruisedreede nor to quench the smoking flaxe his grace shall bee euermore sufficient for you and his vertue shal vnto the end manifest it selfe in your weaknesse Now therfore I beseech him to preserue your bodie and soule and spirit vnto his most glorious appearing Faithfull is hee that hath called you and promised who will also performe it Amen From my house in London in Warwicke Lane Annâ— 1591. Feb. 24. Yours in Iesus Christ as he hath bene RICHARD GREENHAM A LETTER CONSOLATORIE WRITTEN TO A FRIEND AFFLICTED IN conscience for sinne Grace and peace in Iesus Christ. MY very good and louing friend in the Lord Iesus I vnderstand by M. H. who oft trauaileth into those parts that you require of me letters of comfort for reliefe of your afflicted and distressed conscience Wherein I could bee glad to performe any dutie that is within the compasse of my poore abilitie But your best and soundest comfort as I take it lieth in those that haue themselues beene exercised with that triall who from the comforts of Christ that haue abounded in them are best able to comfort those that are in like sort afflicted by the hand of God Againe I haue written vnto you many times of this argument if my Letters remaine with you they may alwaies speake for me that which I am able to say to that poynt If you require more than I haue written before this then were it reason you should send me my former letters that I might know where to begin that which remaineth My leisure is not great as you know and there is nothing whereinto I enter more vnwillingly than into this labour of writing Yet that you may vnderstand that I haue not altogether forgotten your old loue towards me nor haue suffered mine affection towards you vtterly to decay I will endeuour at once as briefly as I may to remember vnto you so farre as I can cal to mind the summe of all that I haue written vnto you heretofore The question as I take it that lieth in controuersie betweene your conscience and the enemie is of the assurance of your saluation Wherein I would haue you first to consider what is or at any time past hath beene the testimonie of the spirit of God vnto your spirit and then I doubt not but either from present sense of the same spirit of God crying in your hart Abba Father or from the remembrance of the daies of old wherein you had a comfortable assurance of Gods fauour you shall be able to repell the force of this temptation considering that the holy Ghost cannot lie that God whom he loueth vnto the end he loueth and because his gifts and calling as the Apostle saith are such as whereof he doth not nor cannot repent him Then consider the nature of faith which how weake and vnperfit soeuer it be it cannot be deuided euen by Sathan himselfe to be faith according to that which is said I beleeue Lord helpe thou mine vnbeleefe And if you haue faith euen as much as a graine of mustard seede c that faith apprehendeth Christ Iesus in whom there is all sufficiencie of saluation and in whom we are complete so that whatsoeuer scruple ariseth from our selues or is enforced of the enemie from any imperfection that is in vs it neede not at all to dismay vs because we saue not our selues but are saued by him Who is made vnto vs from God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that who so glorieth should glorie in him And indeed there is no surer refuge when the enemie distresseth vs than renouncing our selues to professe the onely name of Christ Iesus who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For if the enemie shall say we haue sinned our answere is Christ hath dyed for vs yea is risen againe yea is ascended into heauen c. If he say we want the righteousnes of the Law we must answer Christ hath fulfilled the Law that we by him might be made the righteousnes of Christ If he say we are in nature corrupt and therefore both vnworthie and vnfit for the kingdome of heauen we must answere him with the words of Christ himselfe For their sakes haue I sanctified my selfe Finally whatsoeuer shall be obiected against vs by the enemie our answere must be that in Christ all the promises of God are Yea and in him they are Amen That all fulnes dwelleth in him and that in him we are perfected so that we may boldly say with Saint Paul There is no damnation to those that are in Christ Iesus If Sathans importunitie and impudencie will not thus be answered we must end all disputation with him by our selues and send him vnto Christ who amongst other parts of his office towards vs performeth also this for vs both before his heauenly father and against all our aduersaries that he is our aduocate to plead and defend our cause which yet is not so much ours as his owne because the question is not of our merits or satisfactions
soule I haue sinned against the Lord was it think you a small comfort that Nathan said immediately vnto him The Lord hath pardoned thy sinne I will say nothing of the prayers of so many of the seruants of Christ as haue commended your cause vnto the Lord which cannot be frustrate the Lord himselfe directing them to pray according to his word and vpon the assurance of his promise Reade Iob 33. 23. If there be present with him that is with the afflicted soule as verse 22. a messenger from God an interperter of the will of God such as is one of a thousand who may signifie vnto man the equitie of the Lord and intreating him for fauour shall say Redeeme thou him that hee goe not downe into the pit by that redemption which I haue found when he hath humblie be sought the Lord he doth graciously receiue him that hee may behold his face with ioy and hee restoreth vnto man his righteousnes In which words there are many excellēt things to be noted for the comfort of those that are afflicted The first is that the anguished soule finding no comfort at home and in her selfe by reason of the strength of temptation must seeke reliefe abroad at the hands of those whom God hath appointed to make glad the sorrowfull minde and to giue rest vnto the wearied and distressed conscience Wherein you must consider with all thankfulnesse how great mercie the Lord hath shewed vnto you for I doe perswade my selfe as before I haue said that since the time of your affliction there hath not been almost one that hath any special gift in that kinde who by conference writing or otherwise hath not bestowed some part of his trauaile vnto your comfort I could my selfe name a great number besides those aboue mentioned but yourselfe can remember many more Now the testimonie of many faithfull seruants of Christ witnessing the grace and goodnesse of God towards you must bee as the voyce of God himselfe who is not as man that hee should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should repent or alter that which he hath once testified And if Iob doe acknowledge that the comfort of one faithfull witnesse on the behalfe of God is enough to the erecting cherishing of the heauiest minde what can Satan say vnto the testimonie not of two or three witnesses which the law onely requireth but vnto the testimonie of two or three score the meanest and weakest whereof should be able to answere in your behalfe vnto all that the enemie is able to obiect against you The second thing I note is that these haue not come vnto you by error or by chance but by special addresse of Gods prouidence as sent from the throne of grace to bind vp your wound and to minister comfort vnto your conscience The third that these speake not their own words nor of themselues but are the faithfull interpreters of the will of God not indeede immediatly from himselfe but by viewing and esteeming of the worke of God and the fruites of his grace in those that are his The fourth that as they declare vnto the afflicted that fauour of God towards them which themselues are not able for the present to discerne so they commend them by prayer vnto the Lord who hath promised to heare to graunt their requests The fift that for cōfort in this case we must passe out of our selues in whom there is nothing that may ease our griefe and cast our eye and cogitation onely vpon Christ in whom al fulnesse of saluation doth dwel considering that this is one of the meanes whereby Sathan doth most distresse and anguish the afflicted soules that hee holdeth them in the cogitation of their sinnes and transgressions against God and suffereth them not to see that length breadth height and depth and to knowe that loue of Christ that passeth all knowledge that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God The sixt that the Lord both mercifully blesseth the labours of his seruants in comforting his children and also graciously heareth their praiers and supplications made in their behalfe vnto his Maiestie And the last that God in his good time erecteth the mindes of the afflicted and openeth their mouthes to praise his name to protect his goodnes that he hath brought againe their soule from the pit and hath shined vpon them with the light of life Which effect of the grace of God because you haue both seene in others and felt in your selfe many times you haue great cause to hope and expect the returne of his comforting hand in due season who also shall once determine these conflicting daies and set vs in that peace which shall neuer be interrupted and wherein all teares shall bee wiped away from our faces for euer The malice of the enemie during this life hath no end nor measure at all and therfore we may iustly feare all extremitie of attempt against vs but we must strengthen our selues in him who can and will enable vs vnto all things The last and most grieuous assault of Sathan against the afflicted is that he calleth into doubt their election For that saluation is onely of the elect hee laboureth by all meanes to snake this ground and pillar of comfort and if it bee possible to subuert and ouerthrow the same It behooueth vs here to take heede how we carrie our selues as in that temptation which of all others is most difficult and dangerous First therefore wee must beware of that gulfe wherein the enemie hopeth to deuoure vs that wee enter not into the secret and hidden counsell of God For the secrets of the Lord are for himselfe but the things that are reuealed are for vs and our posteritie after vs for euer as Moses saith What then hath the Lord reuealed concerning our election First the spirit of God witnesseth vnto our spirits that we are the children of God then it teacheth vs to cry Abba Father and stirreth vp in vs those gronings that cannot bee expressed From these let vs descend vnto faith it selfe the voyce whereof if it be not suppressed by the grieuousnesse of temptation soundeth cheerefully vnto vs that wee are beloued of God redeemed by Christ and fellow heires with him of his fathers kingdom If here also the enemie haue darkened our senses and obscured our light we must of necessitie with Iob relieue our selues from the fruits of our faith These what they are hath alreadie beene said If necessitie doe so compell vs we must flie vnto the times that are past and referre our selues vnto the testimonies of the faithfull ministers of God who as they are for their wisedome and manifold experience better able to iudge of our estate than our selues so haue they power and authoritie from God to decide the controuersie betweene vs and our enemie and to pleade our cause against him Also where the enemie from
of one other thing which I had forgotten before and that is this your loue must spring from that reuerence feare that you must yeeld vnto your husband for true loue is mixt as it were with these two and this is a speciall dutie often repeated in the Scripture that the wife must feare the Husband So that you see Sister that you must not looke to haue your Husband at your becke for your loue but you must render due beneuolence vnto each other For as the bodie of the Husband is not his owne but his wiues so is not the woman 's her owne but her husbands for they are both one flesh as the Scripture doth teach Now if anie doe object that this is the way to bring women into bondage and to be as drudges to their Husbands if they should in this manner be subject vnto them No no it is not so but the most readiest way to procure vnto themselues grace peace of conscience and more sweete libertie whilest they liue in obedience to God and his holy ordinances And therefore the spirit of God admonisheth all women that they be not afraide of any such vaine terror Now further my Brother and Sister that you may keepe your bodies pure and chaste one for the other I would counsell you to beware of being alone with anie when there is feare of temptation vnto euill but bee carefull that you may alwayes haue witnesse of your Christian behauiour and in keeping companie conuenient chuse vnto your selfe such as be most sober and faithfull Well although there bee manie more duties yet I will content my selfe to goe one thing further that is that as you seeke for continuance and increase of loue so you take heede of jealousie for although that true loue is very earnest and mixt with godlie jealousie yet there is a wicked jealousie and that causeth causelesse suspicions which worketh great woe vnto such as giue credit vnto them Take heede therefore my Brother and Sister of this yea though there should seeme iust cause yet giue not too speedy credit vnto them Now if you desire to know in your heart which are vngodly suspicions know them by this token for they will make you more negligent in praying one for another and more slacke in performing all other duties of loue one to another In the eight Commaundement you are charged Brother to vse all lawfull means to prouide for the maintenance of your wife in honest estate else were you worse then an Infidell But I charge you to take heede least through distrust in the prouidence of God you make shipshracke of a good conscience vsing any vniust or vnlawfull meanes And you Sister are commaunded to be a good houswife and to keepe those things together which you haue and so increase them as you may from time to time be helpfull vnto others For if you should consume and waste things vnprofitablie you should grieue and trouble the minde of your Husband who ought to be cased of that care by you And further if it should please God to call either of you to suffer persecution in time of triall the weaker must for the Lords cause giue place to the stronger and desire the Lorde to giue greater strength for we must labour for grace that we may be willing for the Gospell to forsake all things whatsoeuer we haue Out of the ninth Commaundement I will giue you this rule that neither of you blaze abroad the infirmities of each other it is a great enemie to pure loue But if there bee neede of counsell and helpe in any matter then chuse a faithfull friend with consent that may be an indifferent iudge betwixt you And againe in any case tell the truth one to an other for it is a thing diligently to be regarded in these our dayes when as men and women are so full of pollicies and subtil fetches that there is almost no simplicity to be found in anie In the last commandement which concerneth wicked motions and thoughts although there be no consent giuen vnto them you are to consider that your nature will neuer bee freed from them in this life therefore you must prepare to prayer and other heauenly exercises of Faith to striue continually against them Thus I will end beseeching God for Christ Iesus sake to giue you of his spirit that may teach you in these things and enable you to further duties agreeable to his helic wâ—ll to the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comfort O Lord God deare Father for thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiours sâ—ke make vs thankfull for this thy gracious prouidence towards vs. Oh Lord forgiue all our sins and keepe vs pure both in soule bodie for thine owne Names sake write these instructions in our hearts and giue vs grace to make practise of them in the whole course of our liuâ—s â—uide vs in all things deare Father by the grace of thy good spirit and let the mercifull eye of thy fatherly prouidence watch ouer vs continuallie that wee may be comforted in thy wayes and quickened alwayes to giue thee immortall praise and that through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After the exhortation and prayer hee asked the parties to be contracted these two questions 1 Of their consents of parents After their answere of their parents consent to make a faithfull promise of mariage one to another at such time as their parents could agree vpon it they were charged to keepe themselues chasle vntill the mariage bee sanctified by the publike prayers of the Church for otherwise many mariages haue been punished of the Lord for the vncleannes that hath been committed betwixt the contract and the mariage 2. Whether they euer were precontracted Then hee charged them saying I charge you as by authoritie from Iesus Christ in whom you looke to be saued that hauing the consent of your parents and receiued these precepts that I say yee labour to grow in knowledge and in the feare of God And now as in the sigâ—t of God with all such leâ—itie as of others is vsed you must make before the Lord a contract which is farre more then a promise and that on this manner their hands being ioyned â— R. doe promise to thee F. that I will bee thine husband which I will confirme by publike mariage in pledge whereof I giue thee mine hand In like manner doth the woman to the man Then after the prayer the parties are dismissed FINIS A TREATISE OF THE SABBATH IT is written Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it â—olie c Dearely belâ—ued in the Lord there is no Commandement of Gods part more vrged and of ouâ— parts lesse obserued then this one of the Sabbath wherefore with zeale to Gods glorie and loue vnfained vnto your selues I haue endeuoured in that measure and manner that God hath enabled mee to intreat of this argument The
abominable Many will temper their tongues and stay their hands but yet will giue some libertie to their hearts as though the Lord condemned not as well the hypocrisie of the one as the wickednesse of the other Now we must remember to euery generall poynt to ioyne our particular practise that we may obtaine the blessings laid vp for the obedient and auoide the curses laid vp for the disobedient which the Lord assist vs in for Christ his sake our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen FINIS NOTES OF OVR SALVATION LIkewise these be true notes of our saluation when we search the Scriptures in them to finde Christ and in him eternall life as men search for siluer and gold Prouerb 2. 4. 2 When wee esteeme the word of God more than our appointed foode Iob. chap. 23. vers 12. and couet so to bee fedde with it that wee may grow thereby 1. Pet. 2. ver 1. 2. 3. 3 When wee are swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath laying apart all mailciousnesse and the exâ—rements of sinne and receiue with meekenesse the word that is grafted into vs that it may saue our soules I am 1. vers 21. and obey from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine whereunto we are deliuered Rom. 6. 17. 4. When we meditate in it day and night Iosua 1. Psalme 1. 2. desiring that all our actions words and thoughts may be directed by it Psal 1. and 119. 5 If wee long after the holy assemblies Psal. 84. Psal. 122. 1. and make the Sabbath our delight Esay 58. 6 When the Ministers are most deare vnto vs Act. 10. 16. Rom. 10. 15. and wee most ioyfully minister vnto them in all our goods Gal. 6. The necessitie of an vpright heart is thus by these consequents thereof proued 1 WIthout it wee cannot assure our selues to be iustified and sanctified in Christ Iesus Psal. 32. 2. Heb. 10. 22. 2 Without it wee cannot assure our selues that we haue truly repented vs of our sinnes Ioel. 2. 12. Ezech. 18. 22. 23. 3 Without it we cannot assure our selues that our waies doe please God Psalme 119. vers 1. 5. 10. 11. 80. 4 Without it we cannot heare Gods word fruitfully Luk. 8. vers 12. 16. 5 Without it we cannot pray vnto God acceptably 1. Tim. 2. 8. Psalm 119 58. and 145. and 66. 18. 6 Without it wee cannot be assured that we are truly baptized 1. Pet. 3. 21. Matth. 3 8. Rom 2 29. 7 Without it wee cannot receiue the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to our comfort 2. Chron. 30. 18. 19 Psal 4 45. 8 Without it we cannot fast Dan 10. 12. 9 Without it wee cannot worship God at all truly 1. Ioh. 4. 24. Esay 29. 13. Psalm 15. 2. Psalme 24 4. 10 Without it wee shall neuer see God Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Psal. 15 2. and 24. 4. 11 Without it wee shall neuer receiue blessing from God but looke for confusion and destruction Psal. 125. vers 4. 5. Psal 119. vers 6. and Psal. 80 Psal. 7. vers 10. Notes of a true and vpright heart 1 WHen wee are perswaded that God the Father by the blood of Iesus Christ and the working of the holie spirit doth cleanse vs from our sinnes 2 When wee are perswaded that the spirit proceeding from the Father and the Sonne doth by the word thus cleanse vs and therefore make conscience of all things in the said word without respect vnto mans aduice counsell or commaundement without the same or contrarie to the same word of God Respecting I say all the Commandements of God without preferring one before another labouring to know them if we doe not and if wee doe to doe after them according to the measure of grace we haue receiued 3 When we are truly desirous and labour to auoide all the outward occasions which might either bring on foster or bring vs backe to any sinne wee haue fallen into or may fall into hereafter 4 When we mourne for the very first motions of sinne whereunto we haue yeelded or we feare we may yeeld vnto hereafter 5 When wee are desirous and labour to vse all and euery of those meanes which God hath ordained in his word to bring vs vnto puritie of heart 6 When we do all those former things as well secretly by our selues as before others 7 When in doing these things wee simply and singly seeke to approue our selues vnto God without either looking for praise or profit rebuke or losse from men not seeking chiefly these outward things at Gods hands but principally his kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof Matth. 6. FINIS A PROFITABLE TREATISE CONTAINING A DIRECTION FOR THE READING AND VNDERSTANDING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTVRES BY MAISTER Greeneham THose things which God hath ioyned together no man may seuer a sunder Therefore preaching and reading of the holy Scriptures being of God ioyned together in the worke of our saluation may not be seuered asunder In all Sciences Arts and Trades teachers and maisters are requisite ordinarily for the sound learning and practising of them we must be perswaded much more that it is necessary to haue guides to goe before vs in the way to saluation That preaching is the most principall meanes to increase and beget faith and repentance in Gods people must be granted Deuteron 18. 18. 33. 10. Leuit. 10. 11. Mal. 2. 6. 7. 2. Chron. 36. 15. Esay 50. 5. 57 8. 53. 1. 55. 10. 11. 57. 19. 58. 1. 61. 1. 62. 15. 6. 7. Mat. 13. 3. 28. 19. 20. Ephes. 4. 11. 12. 13. 14 Rom 10. 14. 15. 1. Cor. 1. 21. 1. Pet. 1. 23. 25. And where this ordinarie meanes of saluation faileth the people for the most part perish Prou. 29. 18. Hos. 4. 6. 2. Chro. 15. 13. Esay 56 9. Matth. 15. 14 Luk. 11. 52. But that the reading of the Scriptures publikely in the Church of God and priuately by our selues is a speciall and ordinarie meane if not to beget yet to increase faith in vs it is likewise proued Deut. 6. 6 11. 18. Psal. 1. 2. Ioh. 5. 39. Mat. 14. 15. Rom. 15 14. 2. Pet. 1. 19. Nehem. 88. Act. 13. 15. 15. 21. The manifold fruite which comes of the reading of the Scriptures proue the same Reading rather establisheth than derogateth from preaching for none can be profitable hearers of preaching that haue not been trained vp in reading the Scriptures or hearing them read Many inconueniences come from the neglect of reading as that the people cannot tell when a sentence is alleadged out of the Canonicall Scriptures when out of the Apocrypha when out of the Scriptures when out of other writers that they cannot discerne when he speaketh his owne or a sentence of the Scripture Againe reading helpeth mens iudgements memories and affections but especially it serueth for the confirmation of our faith which may be prooued by the example of the men of Beroea Act. 17. 13. It serueth to discerne
bodie also whereby he brought grace and restored holines as well to the body as the soule seeing both body and soule had lost the same by transgression He ascēded not only in soule but in body also because he would giue glorie to the body and the soule seeing he had purchased them both Wherefore it must needes follow that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh For if by faith we are made bone of his bones and by faith are made partakers of his flesh Ioh. 6. and Christ did all these things in his body the vertue whereof we must receiue from him how should all this be if there were no resurrection The meanes whereby we come vnto Christ require also that this should be so First we know the word pierceth our bodies as well as our soules for the eye is to see the Sacraments the eare to heare the tongue to speake the word and the bodie hath it duties as well as the soule in receiuing and obeying of the word and therefore the force and fruite of the word shall as well be shewed on our bodies as on our soules Likewise in offering our prayers we haue the vse both of the soule and bodie For we lift vp pure hands and kneele with our knees we eleuate our eyes we crie with our voyces we prostrate our whole bodies and therefore as God hath made both for his glory in this life so hath he appointed to glorifie both in the life to come Again in the Sacraments there are actions of the body as well as of the soule for the body is dipped into the water and taken out againe in the sacrament of Baptisme and therefore if Baptisme be a token of our resurrection to grace and that in bodie and soule we are not to doubt but that the bodie shall rise againe as well as the soule In the Eucharist also we are solemnely occupied in both parts for as the soule in beleeuing so the eies in beholding the bread broken and wine powred out the eares in hearing the word the hands in handling the outward elements the mouth in tasting them are deuoutly occupied and therefore the fruite of it must appeare as well in the bodie as in the soule Now to proue this by other creatures of God the Angels desire this day and the other creatures sigh and groane waiting when the Sonne of God shall be reuealed the diuels feare it and therfore they crie to our Sauiour Christ Why persecutest thou vs before our time Againe the very confusion which is in things sheweth that there is a time when they shall be brought into order againe as they were created in order at the first And man himselfe especially must looke for it and cannot be without it whether we looke to the manifold profits which come by it or to the wonderfull inconueniences by the want of it Why doe men endure the crosse so patiently why doe they abstaine from euill so carefully why do they follow that which is good so cheerefully but that because they looke for a glorious resurrection which is the full end of all God his promises without the which the most godly are most miserable and the most wicked lesse vnhappie For if this were not what sanctification would appeare what sinne would not appeare how few would be good how many would be ill how should God be dishonoured how should good men be disinherited who would care to worship God in their bodies or who would make conscience to keepe their bodies from sinne FINIS A TREATISE OF EXAMINATION BEFORE AND AFTER THE LORDS SVPPER 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe THese words are ordinarie and well knowne and they containe a sanction or decree whereby the Apostle taketh order for euery mans examination before the participation of the mysterie of the Supper And two things chiefely are to be stood vpon in these words First the necessitie of examination and then the manner of it For the first it may seeme speaking in the phrase of our teaching Let a man examine himselfe that it is but an aduising or a counsell rather than a commaundement yet in the originall tongue the word runnes in that tearme that Princes Parliament lawes and commaundements doe vse to runne in the word I say is as much as if it were said Be it enacted be it decreed or prouided so that the indifferencie in our tongue in the originall seemeth a necessitie Now albeit the commaundement ought to be of sufficient credite with vs and we without all adoe to yeeld vnto it yet hauing receiued it by faith we are to enter into the reasons of this streight examination and finde out the causes of the execution hereof The reasons may be reduced into two heads it standeth either vpon a great reuerence of the person with whom we are present as we see men busilie prepare themselues when they are to come before some honourable personage or beside the dignitie of the person vpon the excellencie of the profit of the things receiued in respect whereof we are also to prepare our selues as in receiuing Physicke we prepare our selues that the prescript may more effectually worke vpon vs so that for both these things we prepare our selues and they both meete together in the Lord his Supper For though we should not haue an eye at all to the profit yet the very reuerence of the person with whom we sit ought to make vs haue regard to this thing according to that rule Prou. 23. 1. When thou sittest at meate with a ruler consider diligently what is before thee and prepare thy selfe well to sit at the table with such a man Albeit Ioseph when Pharaoh sent for him knew not why he was sent for and thought little of that successe of his going which sell out afterward yet because he was to stand before a King and because he was a miserable prisoner he shaued his head and changed his raiment to go to so high and royall a personage The same is confirmed vnto vs in that parable where we see that not only they are reiected which make excuses and refuse to come but such also as hauing once been admitted come vnprepared without their mariage garmēts to honour the mariage of the Kings Sonne because they did not orderly addresse themselues Therfore this table in the Church being but a representation of the table whereat our hearts doe communicate in the kingdome of heauen where is present not only the beloued spirits hoast of Angels but the glorious Trinitie we are I say in respect of God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost and all the Court of heauen with great solemnitie to prepare our selues But yet we ought to do it more if we consider what great preparation hath been vsed in things inferiour to this in the law though then there were no commaundement for
that before the foundation of the world was laide the foundation of our saluation was made before we sinned the remedie against sinne was found before the maladie the Lord had prepared a medicine before wee were damned he had purposed a way how wee should be saued In respect whereof seeing we are rather to reioyce in this that our names are written in heauen than if wee had power without hurt to treade on Scorpions or had spirites subdued vnto vs Luke 10. 19. 20. wee conclude with the Prophet Psalm 65. 4. Blessed is the man O God whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee The substance of this blessednes is our redemptiō in Christ Iesus which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 29 by whose blood we haue the forgiuenes of our sinnes Ephes. 1. 7 and by whose Spirit when we haue beleeued the Gospel wee haue the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 4. 14. The excellent price whereof is set out vnto vs herein in that being filthy in the blood of our sinnes he washed vs with his owne blood Heb. 9. 14. in that hee being iust suffered for vs being vniust 1. Pet. 3. 18. in that we being of no strength vngodly he died for vs Rom. 5. 6. in that we being enemies through sinne were reconciled by him to God the Father Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore seeing he is Blessed whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Psalm 32. 2. let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome as though it made him happie nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither let the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that hee knoweth the mercie of the Lord wherein consisteth our saluation Ier. 9. 23 24. And let vs all learne the meaning of the salutation of Elizabeth to the virgin Marie Luk. 42. Blessed art thou because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed The formal cause is the illumination of God his spirit making vs capable of the former mysteries sealing them to vs with such assurance in our hearts that wee dare boldly crye Abbafather that wee dare boldly say If God bee on our side who can stand against vs Such blindnesse folly and incredulitie possesseth vs by nature that of our selues we can neither see into these mysteries of our saluatiō nor beleeue the thing we see concerning our comfort vntill we haue receiued of this Spirit which cōmeth from aboue For none commeth to Christ vnlesse the father draw him and how draweth he but by inlightening the hearts of his elect by the holy Ghost Ioh. 6. 44 Wherefore seeing these things are not reuealed vnto vs but by the Spirit 1. Corinth 2. 14. we end with that blessing of the Lord Iesus to Peter Matth. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon thou sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen The instrumentall cause is partly within vs as faith partly without vs as the word and the appurtenances accompanying the same as Prayer the Sacramēts the discipline of the Church Faith being the ground of things which are hoped for the euidence of things which are not seene Heb 11. 1. doth so applie the promises of God to our proper and peculiar comforts that it sealeth vs vp to the Lord affoording a certaine testimonie to our hearts that we haue not in vaine receiued of the good spirit of God Now because there is a certaine kind of faith which Satan himselfe doth broach in his schoole and propounds as a principle to all his schollers seeing the Papists vrge faith in their vnwritten verities the Familists will haue it in their foolish reuelations The Turke requireth it in his dry speculations of Mahomet and the wizzard will seeme to demaund it in his deuillish incantations we must not beleeue euery spirit but trust to the word onely which is our sure load-starre and touch-stone and being it selfe firme doth make our faith in it most firme sure and vnchangeable This blessednesse to haue the Lord communicate himselfe to vs by his word is priuiledged aboue that praise which the woman gaue our Sauiour Christ Luk. 11. 27. as may appeare by his sharpe answer Yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wee conclude then with the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord they will euer praise him Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord and in whose heart are his waies Psal. 84. 4. 5. If the Queene of Saba coūted those men happy that might stand before Salomon and heare his wisedome 2. Chron 9. 7. if Dauid thought it a high recompence and princelike benefit to preferre the sonne of Barzillai to sit at the table of Salomon how great is our happines to heare the wisedome of Christ how high is our blessednes to sit at the table of the Lord where not Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present where not Salomon but a wiser than Salomon speaketh vnto vs Behold then the causes of true blessednes which are our election redemption illumination sanctification all which are sealed vnto vs by the holy Ghost the spirit working faith through the word preached Christ Iesus so sending his Spirit to renue vs God the Father sending his Sonne to redeeme vs redeeming vs to call vs calling vs to iustifie vs iustifying vs to sanctifie vs sanctifying vs hee sealeth vs by his spirit and so by all these doth hee lay the sure ground-worke of our saluation and eternall blessednes Concerning the effects of blessednesse some are inward and some are outward the effects inward are partly in respect of our selues only partly in regard both of our selues and of others those in our selues are either concerning mortification or about our sanctification The first of these is both truly orderly couched in that sermon of the Lord Iesus Marth 5. where those men are set in the first ranke who are emptied both of the opinion of their owne wisedome and of all perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and of those it is said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Now because many haue lost their hold in iudgement who haue not so throughly giuen ouer in affection in the next degree happines is promised to such who are so farre descended into the sight of their owne vilenes and sense of their naturall coruptions that they are not onely conuinced of an vnrighteousnesse inherent in their iudgements but also are much humbled for it in their affections of whom the Lord of comfort hath thus determined Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Further for that Sathan laboureth and preuaileth much in ouer comming exercised mindes with pettie shames a thing oft incident to afflicted consciences the next be atitude is allotted to them that are meeke in spirit
counteruaileth all the rest and saith that the Lord will giue them his Spirit to be powred out vpon all flesh which may seale and season all other his benefits and which neuer should leaue them vntill they were come to life euerlasting Aboue all gifts then in the world this is the gift of gifts the Spirit of God in which one the Lord preferres vs not onely aboue all other earthly creatures but also aboue many men like to ourselues whilest he maketh vs Kings Priests Prophets by powring the same spirit vpon vs. The excelleÌ„cie of this benefit Christ himselfe teacheth vs where he teacheth the people to pray saying Which of you iâ— your childe shall aske you a peâ—ce of bread will insteâ—d of bread giue him a stone c if you that be euill doe know how to giue vnto your children good things when they aske them how much more shall your heauenly father giue you good things saith Matthew his Spirit saith Luke This is the top this is the head this is the height this is the depth of all good things euen the Spirit Now if this is life eternall Ioh. 17 3. to know the Father to be the only very God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and no man can euer doe this but by the spirit of God whereby we know and beleeue this according to the word and so liue for euer who will denie this gift of all gifts to be most principall If this be the dignitie of dignities that we are the children of God and heires of a better life how precious a thing is it to haue the priuiledge of God his owne spirit which giueth vs the full title interest and assurance of all these things vnto vs Againe if this be the â—ulnes of our reioycing in the day of Christ that he is made of God vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and that through him we are as fully more assuredly perfect as euer Adam was in his creation and we cannot haue this wisedome vnlesse the Spirit telleth vs how we are cleered thereby from our ignorance we cannot reioyce in this righteousnes vnlesse the spirit assureth vs that by it we are acquited from our guiltines we can haue no comfort in that holines vntill we know by God his spirit it answereth for our impurenes and prophanenes and so seuereth vs and putteth vs apart to the works of sanctification we cannot triumph in our redemption vntill the comfortable spirit of God stay our impatient spirits by an vndoubted expectation for the glorious appearing thereof without this spirit all things are death but with this all things are life This bringeth knowledge in the things whereof we are ignorant this brings to our remembrance the things which we haue knowne and forgotten this assures vs of things wherein we haue been wauering this ioyneth vs to God and vniteth vs to Christ when we goe astray we come home by the spirit when by it we are renewed and by the same we are established come life come death come honour come dishonour prosperitie aduersitie wealth or woe the one shall not too much lift vs vp the other shall not too much cast vs downe If the Lord giueth vs an healthfull bodie credit riches and authoritie we are hereby resolued to glorifie God by these things to redeeme the time and so to possesse them as though we possessed them not if the Lord denieth vs these things and sendeth sicknes discredit pouertie and obscuritie the Lord will send a recompence of inward things and wanting bodily health he will giue the saluation of our soules in stead of outward credit we shall haue credit with God and be well thought of among his children and if wanting worldly riches we be enriched with heauenly things we haue lost nothing hauing changed drosse and dung for gold Without this wit becommeth subtiltie wisedome worldly policie authoritie is armed to tyraÌ„nie dignitie breedes ambition riches engeÌ„ders couetousnes Physicke is made vnfaithfulnes Law proueth craftines Diuinitie degenerates into heresie to be briefe without this heauenly gift of God sanctifying all gifts the wiser man the fairer man the stroÌ„ger man the fitter pray for the diuell the meeter subiect for him to work vpon But to haue wit and therewith the spirit of God sanctifying it what a thing is this To haue riches and the spirit of God to vse them is a double blessing to haue authoritie and in it to be guided by God his spirit what good may one hauing this benefit doe either in Church or Common-wealth If the spirit be absent all turneth to our hurt to God his dishonour to the establishing of Satans kingdome and with this all things are seasoned with their vse seruice and ministerie vnto vs. Oh how are we to pray that Ministers that Magistrates that euery one of vs may haue so great a good The Ministers that they may purely boldly preach Iesus Christ that they may be Ministers of the quenching spirit not Ministers of the bare and killing letter that they may preach the crosse of Christ sincerely and not themselues vain gloriously Magistrates that they may prouoke obedience by good gouernment that we our selues might liue holily both before God and men This then is that which keepeth a tenour in all things this giueth the pith and marrow of goodnes to euery thing If religion come once but to serue for fashion all wil be confounded Among many rules this is a notable rule to haue our hearts filled with heauenly and spirituall delights which fenceth out as at the doore and first entrie many idle discourses and vaine platformes of worldly deuises and causeth vs to vse this life as though we vsed it not And as they that are giuen to the world are not fit for God his kingdome so they that are replenished with good things haue such an inward and sufficient working in them as they seeke not after earthly things with those greedie affections wherwith others doe The Papists and Anabaptists rather babling than prophecying shew they haue no true reuelations how soeuer they bragge of them because they haue not the spirit and yet in that they are so painfull by their illuding spirit wherewith they were deluded to delude others this must make vs ashamed either of our ignorance or that hauing knowledge and the holy Ghost teaching vs we trauell no more to winne others vnto Christ. For whosoeuer is so ignorant that he cannot giue an account of his faith to God his glorie and the edifying of others he cannot say that he hath the spirit of God If any haue Christ his spirit he is Christs if he be Christs he must be a Prophetable to giue an account of his faith being required and so he is Gods if he be Gods then come life come death come health come sicknes come what will all comes well if a man hath outward things he is not too much puft vp with them if he hath them not
or great light in darke places or great heate in bodies that were nummed before euen so truly we may say and so certainly we may perswade our selues that the spirit of God is in vs when we see our corruption consumed our soules purged from the drosse of sinne our hearts inlightened and made hot in walking and working according to that light The second question to be cōsidered is whether that man which once throughly tasted of the spirit may lose it and haue it quenched in him To this it may be said that because the spirit of God commeth to and worketh in diuers men diuersly in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the diuers working of the spirit then frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lighter lesser worke of the spirit which may be quenched in them that haue it and that this inferiour or lesser kinde of working may be taken away appeareth plainly by the parable of the seede which our Sauiour Christ propoundeth for that besides them that receiue the word into good ground and bring foorth fruites some an hundreth some thirtie some sixtie folde he doth also make mention of some others that receiued the word and yet continued not And what had not these the spirit of God in them Yes doubtlesse for they receiued the word yea they receiued it gladly and that which is more they beleeued that which they had receiued Behold then three fruites of Gods spirit in these men and yet they continued not for they beleeued indeed but their faith was temporarie it lasted but for a time and after a time it vanished away and the spirit departed from them for either the pleasures and profits of this life did driue out the graces of God and drie them vp or else the fierie heate of persecution did quite consume them More plaine and notable for this purpose is that in the sixt to the Hebrues for there the Apostle saith That some may taste of the holy Ghost and thereby be made to taste of the good word of God to be inlightened to receiue heauenly gifts yea and to taste of the power of the life to come And what then surely the Apostle saith That if such fall it is impossible they should be renewed giuing vs to vnderstand that euen they which haue receiued the holy Ghost that haue been inlightened that haue receiued heauenly gifts and haue tasted of the power of the life to come euen such may fall away and the spirit may be quenched in such There is a second kinde of working of the spirit which is a more thorough effectuall working which can neuer be taken away frō them that haue receiued it This the Apostle Peter describeth when he saith That the chosen of God are begotten againe of the immortall seede of the word This is not a bare receiuing or a light tasting of the word but it is a deepe taste of the same whereby we are begotten and borne againe The Apostle S. Iohn setteth downe another note of it saying That they that are thus borne againe cannot sin that is they cannot make an occupation of sinne they cannot fall flat away by sinne and why Euen because the seede of God abideth in them euen that seede wherewith they were begotten to a liuely hope of life euen that seede doth abide and will abide vnto the end Who so is begotten againe by this seede and hath this seede abiding in him the spirit hath wrought that in him which shall not be taken from him and therefore our Sauiour Christ saith The word that I speake is spirit and life And in another place he saith That none shall take his sheepe from him for the father is mightier than all and therefore in another place he saith That it is impossible that the elect should be seduced Thus then we see the question answered namely that there is an inferiour working which may be lost and a more effectuall working of the spirit which can neuer be taken away from them that haue it And this must not seeme strange to vs neither must we be offended that the Lord should take some and leaue others or that he should begin in some and not bring his worke to perfection for so he dealeth with other things in the world Some corne is sowen and neuer riseth some springeth and yet shortly withereth some groweth vp to an eare yet then is stricken or blasted and othersome at his good pleasure doth come to a timely ripenes In like manner some trees are planted and neuer take roote some take roote but yet not blossome some blossome yet neuer bring forth fruite and othersome through his goodnesse doe bring forth fruit in good season If the Lord deale so with the plant and hearbe of the field why may he not deale so with vs the sonnes of men If we cannot conceiue the reason of this we must holde our peace for all the workes of God are done in righteousnesse and all our knowledge is vnperfect therefore we must herein rather accuse our selues of ignorance than the Lord of vnrighousnesse nay we our selues doe deale in like sort with those things which be vnder our hand In Colledges Fellowes are first chosen to be Probationers and if they be then approoued they be made full fellowes otherwise they are not If a man being childles doe take some friends childe to make him heire of all his goods he will keepe him vpon liking if his manners be honest he shall be preferred yea it may be set ouer all his house and yet afterwards for some fault committed quite cast off Some other man taketh another childe to the same end and maketh him heire indeed so then wee must thinke it righteous in the Lord to deale thus with vs seeing we are in his hand and we must not be offended though he call some and do not inlighten them and although he inlighten some and doe not continue them and doe of his great mercie continue some euen vnto the end let vs rather see what vse we must make of this doctrine First we must take heede that we neuer quench any grace or gift that God bestoweth vpon vs. Secondly we must still labour to haue greater measure of gifts for the wicked may come to haue some small gifts such as may be quite taken away from them Lastly it doth put a plaine difference betweene the godly and the godlesse betweene them that beare a shew of holinesse and them that are indeed the holy ones of the Lord for the one endureth but for a time and the other lasteth for euer Now if we require a further triall whereby we may know whether we haue receiued that spirit which lasteth but for a time or that which will abide for euer with vs then let vs marke these rules which put a plaine difference betweene them First we must marke that inlightning and insight we
the secret counsel of the Lord herein we must know that neither the promise of the Lord is so vniuersall that euery particular childe of a faithfull man should be within the couenant for if of many there be but one blessed the promise is performed Yea which more is though that a faithfull man haue neuer a good childe yet if vnto the thousand generation there be but one good the couenant is not broken Neither must wee tie the Lords worke so much to man that a good man may not haue an euil sonne seeing though the Lord visit not his sinnes yet hee may visit the sinnes of some of the forefathers to the third and fourth generation going before To the second I say that an euill father hauing a good child though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before And though that an euill man haue no cursed child yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation which we leaue onely to the Lord to make good or bad according to the good pleasure of his owne will I exhort parents to vse the ordinarie meanes to bring vp their childreÌ„ so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of the couenant or at the least be comforted in their owne consciences if the Lord refuse their children for some cause vnknowne in that to their abilitie they haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and offered them to God And if parents haue cause to be grieued when thus trauailing in good education they cannot see good in their children how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed no labour at all to bring them vp in the feare of the Lord and yet many will be grieued for the one that will not be grieued for the other Wherefore let vs learne if we will conueigh Gods blessings to our posterities to vse all holy duties thereunto and on the contrarie if we will be loath to conueigh Gods iudgements to our children let vs carefully auoide all meanes that leade vnto them And surely as it is a blessed thing in the houre of death with Simâ—on to depart in peace leauing our wife children and seruants spouses to Christ children to God and seruants to the Lord so in death no one thing will be more grieuous to a man than the Lords hauing giuen him the charge and dignitie of so many soules to be furthered to saluation that his owne tormented conscience shall presse him how in as much as he could he hath helped them forward to their damnation and so which is more fearefull he shall haue them spuing and foming out in his face continual curses in hell accusing him for euer to be the murtherer of their soules Howbeit I doe not exempt children from all blame so charging the parents as though the children were free from all guiltinesse herein for I am not ignorant that as in the time of Ezekiel so in our dayes youth is readie enough to take vp this Prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge But I affirme that though the occasion be offered of such wicked parents yet the cause of destruction is still in the children themselues And besides that it is sure that the soule which hath sinned shall die the death Seeing also there be some yong men who notwithstanding the great prophanenes of the most the manifold corruptions offered abroade the vngodly examples abounding at home are so mightily preserued by the seede of grace that they escape safely in an holy course of life lamenting when they see the least occasion of euill reioycing in the least occasion of good things the rest who please themselues and hope to shelter their sinnes vnder their parents defaults are plainely left without excuse and are iustly guiltie of the blood of their owne soules Labour therefore ye yong men to wipe away the teares of griefe from your fathers eyes and stay the sorrowfull spirits of your tender mothers and consider with your selues if you haue any good nature in you and haue not buried the vse of common reason what a shame it is to be a shame vnto your fathers to whom ye ought to be a glorie and thinke ye wanton wits that haue not cast off all naturall affections what a contempt it is to be a contempt vnto your mother to whom ye haue offered as it were a despightfull violence in that ye are as it were a corrosiue vnto her heart when as ye should haue bin a Crowne vnto her head The end of al this briefly is thus much that parents hauing children not walking either in knowledge or in a good conscience must make some vse of so iust a cause of griefe examining themselues and accusing their owne soules before the Lord either for that their meeting was prophane to so holy an estate or brutish because they desired rather a seede like vnto themselues in flesh and blood than such as might be like to Christ by grace and new birth or that they begat their of spring as meere naturall or very carnall men or because they either prophanely neglected al educatioÌ„ or monstrously misliked that in their children which they liked in themselues and punished in them their owne corrupt precepts or for that they suffered iniuriously their children to doe euill vnto others which they could not suffer them to doe vnto themselues or vntaught that at home which was taught abroad or in that they doe lie in some sinne vnrepented of or else because they neuer made conscience to bring their posteritie within the couenant of saluation but still loued their flesh in their children not their soules And children must here also learne that it is one speciall propertie of a liberall and ingenuous nature to be carefull so to liue that in time they may bee a glorie to their fathers and a ioy to their mothers which the Lord grant to vs all for his glorie and our euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour FINIS OF REPENTANCE AND TRVE SORROVV FOR SIN THE SEVENTH SERMON Acts 2. vers 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and saide vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes c. IN this portion of the holy booke of God is set downe to vs an effect or rather a fruite of Peter his sermon which hee made for the answering of the slanderous reports of the Iewes at what time they sawe the wonderfull gifts of God sent downe vpon the Apostles In which Sermon the Apostle had pricked their consciences with shewing
vs as that it is not onely to bee confessed of vs in words but also in vnderstanding to bee conceiued in affection to bee well liked of and agreed vnto and in life to be expressed For blessed are they that can so thinke of and make vse of this treasure Now where a mans treasure is there is his heart and where his heart is thither are all the powers both of soule and bodie carried headlong For so soone as men giue themselues to like of and to loue pleasures riches credit honour or learning wisedome or glorie so soone they make these as it were their Gods when men begin to be perswaded these things are a treasure when their hearts are once set on these things then wee see presently that all parts both of soule aud bodie bend that way then goeth minde heart and hand and affection and the whole delight to the attaining thereof Therefore if this Word be a treasure then all the powers and faculties of bodie and minde must bee giuen onely vnto it Wherefore euery one must know this that they onely haue this treasure whose hearts are set on the kingdome of God they are the neerest vnto saluation whose hearts are set on the Word and doctrine of saluation who can say from the bottome of their hearts with the man of God Dauid This one thing O Lord haue I desired and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life But what to doe to behold the beautie of the Lord and to see the light of his fauourable countenance in Christ Iesus and to receiue the gifts and graces of the spirit of God which may be sure seales and pledges of his saluation yea saith he I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of vngodly men Neither must we desire so much to be present in the house of the Lord in bodie onely but also in spirit that wee may euen behold his fauourable countenance shining vpon vs in Christ Iesus Wherefore we ought to make most precious account of the meanes because they bring much excellent graces By them we are brought into Gods house to behold his face and to enioy his mercies Why then will some say is the preaching of the Word the gates of Heauen are the preachers of the Word the porters of these gates If this be such a treasure why is not the Word more preached why is it not more esteemed Are the graces of the spirit of heauen in earth are they our entranee into heauen how then is it that they are not longed after Why doe not men make more account of them Surely our Sauiour Christ teacheth his children to meete with this obiection when he saith it is hidden This treasure is not apparant but secret not of this world nor knowne to them of this world but hidden and vnknowne of them and therefore not so much regarded and esteemed of And this treasure is hidden whether wee consider the meanes as things of no glorious shew or the graces of the meanes which are not of this world but rather contrarie to this world That the graces of the spirit are hiddeÌ„ from them of this world our Sauiour Christ sheweth vs in Matthew 1â— and 25. verse saying I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes That the meanes are hidden Saint Paul witnesseth in the 1. to the Corinth 2. and 7. verse But we saith he speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie euen the hid wisedome which God hath determined before the world vnto our glorie which none of the Princes of this world hath knowne c. And in the 2. of Corinth 4. and 3. verse he saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that be lost whose mindes the god of this world hath blinded The Word is hidden in the base meanes of the Ministerie as the Apostle saith 2 Corinth 4 and 7. verse We haue the treasures in earthly vessels c. And therefore it being in earthly vessels is the lesse esteemed of the world Also this treasure is hidden vnder the creatures of Water Bread and Wine I do now speake â—afely of these according vnto the manner of men but I knowe how I doe account of them for vnto God and the godly these meanes are not base but indeede in respect of the graces offered by these meanes they are very base and who would thinke that in a mortall man like my selfe should be hidden the treasure of heauen and earth Who would thinke that by the preaching of a sillie poore man Iesus Christ with all his treasure should be offered vnto vs Who would thinke that in the creatures of Bread and Wine and Water were hid the seales and pledges of the kingdome of heauen These be treasures indeede but they are hidden As a treasure in the field This treasure sure is such a hidden thing as that the eye of the quickest hath not seene it neither hath his eare heard of it neither hath it entred into his heart to conceiue of it Now as in a goodlie field adorned with Grasse Flowers Trees Herbes and such like perhaps there lieth hidden no treasure whereas contrarie in a barren peece of ground wherein no such things are there may be and doe commonly lie hidden treasures very great so there is an inequalitie of meanes and the Lord bestoweth his graces vpon them for the most part which carrie least shew in this world and vseth them as instruments and meanes to set foorth his glorie and so likewise in the Sacraments and in the word of God though they be lesse esteemed of in the world yet in them is the chiefest treasure of all hidden This must teach vs that it is no marueile though fewe of the world come to this treasure because that it is so hidden and therefore this was prophecied of long before of the Prophet Esay in his 25 chap. 1. verse Lord saith he who will beleeue our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed The which prophecie is also repeated againe of Christ Iohn the 12 and also of S. Paul Rom 10. 16. But answere may be made hereunto euen they who are transformed into the image of Christ. Seeing then it was the complaint of the Prophets in old time let not vs be offended that so few seeke this treasure and men doe so little esteeme of it but let the wicked esteeme neuer so ill of it and let it neuer bee reuealed vnto the vngodly yet the godly shall esteeme of it neuerthelesse and vnto them shall this good treasure bee reuealed and made most apparant Let vs therefore pray the Lord that hee would raise vp and send foorth most plentifull and diligent labourers into his haruest and that he would send foorth
of his Saints when we cannot keepe them with a good conscience we will willingly leaue them alwaies making the Lord our chiefe inherirance as we aâ—e his and on this manner being weaned from earthly things we must looke for our outward estate to be ordered in full measure and scarcitie by God that we may say with Paul Philip 4. 11. I haue learned in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content 12. And I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie and to abound and to haue want If we haue much it is well and wisedome is a goodly thing with inheritance if we haue not outward things the word is able to saue our soules and blessed are they that in time of triall can say my lines are fallen vnto me in faire places Euery man is to try himselfe how in his particular calling he can stay himselfe on the word of God Iacob desired nothing but cloth and meate for foode and raiment and Paul 1. Tim. 68 saith When we haue foode and raiment let vs therewith be content And surely great rest should we finde in our consciences if we could command our soules not to looke for greater things than the Lord hath placed vs in for nothing doth more beâ—ray out want of faith than our restles mindes which are not contented with those places allotted to vs of God But who in the time of the gospell cannot say that his lines are fallen to him in faire places Wherefore we must be so quiet in our proper stations as if we were Kings or Emperors knowing that wheÌ„ our places are not fit for God his glory and his church the Lord will fleete vs. In the meane season let our consciences rest on the Lord his will how base and inferiour so euer our calling is and he assured that by so much the more our walking therein is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord by how much our gifts being the greater they doe submit and humble themselues vnder the ordinance and appointed calling of the Lord the more And let vs stay at the Lord his commaundement and pleasure to be put in his time to some other vse neither let vs put the fault of our trouble in our places as commonly we doe but in our restlesse minde which as a rolling stone is carried from one place to another It followeth in the next verse I will praise the Lord who hath giuen me counsell my reinâ—â— also teach me in the nights That is I acknowledge that it is thy free benefit that I haue discerned to make this choise For how should I thinke thee to be my portion of mine in heritance and to maintaine my lot but because thou hast renewed me by thy spirit and aduised me in that wherein flesh and blood could not counsel me The due consideration hereof made our Sauiour Christ say on this manner I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to little ones for so it is thy good will and pleasure As if he should say I would marueile these sillie soules should so profit more in heauenly wisedome than the wise of the world but Lord I see it is thy will and the wisedome of the wise can nothing further thee nor the simplicitie of the other can any thing hinder them for thy kingdome but thou workest al in al according to thy pleasure Againe among so many opinions of the Iewes of the Scribes Pharisies of Sadduces Herodians and Essens it was the onely power of God whereby Peter was taught among the rest of the Disciples and in the name of all rightly to confesse Christ to be the true Messias and to be both true God true man Wherefore our Sauiour Christ hearing this his confession saith Peter flesh and blood hath not reuealed this to thee but my Father which is in heauen that is thou neuer attainedst to this by thy mother wit or by the light of nature thou hast not been fenced by thine owne reason from hunting after me and opposing thy selfe against me with the Scribes and Pharisies but my Father hath both guided and guarded thee And what shall we thinke of our selues Is it not the Lord his mightie secret working in vs that among such swarmes of heresies such boldnes of Papists such a multitude of Anabaptists Arrians and Familie of loue we are preserued to discerne the right and to cleaue to the truth If we looke to our wits others which are fallen away are as wise as we If wee looke to our naturall dispositions wee are as full of naturall corruption as they if we looke to our education and helpes in learning haue not others been as much thereby furthered as we We are made all of one mould wee were all borne vnder one climate wee are not sanctified by nature more then others are not wee then highly to praise God in that wee maintaine not our owne lot but whilest round about vs some are become Papists some Atheists some Arrians some Familists we are both guided of God to make our choise of the truth and are continued in the well liking of our choise being made What a benefit is it that in such store of politiques we should not only vnderstand the letter but also conceiue the mysterie of the truth What a grace is it that we should be so taught of God that if we abound wee can be thankfull if wee be in trouble we can be patient if wee suffer the crosse we are content But doe not the Papists and Familists commend the Saints doth not euery man say God is his portion how is this then any particular thing in the godly True it is they doe so but wee stay on God his will reuealed in the word which we account our portion Talke with a blasphemer talke with a drunkard an whoremaster or a worldling talke with a skilfull man of law or an expert Physition and euery one will as proudly and as boldly professe God to be his portion as another but come to them in a matter of saluation or in a case of faith and they can say nothing how much now are we to be perswaded of and being so perswaded to bee thankfull for the free mercie and vndeserued good will of God in directing vs in chusing and nourishing our choise My reines teach me in the night This place hath in it some difficultie and diuers interpreters write diuersly of it But it is certaine that often in the Scriptures the heart and the reines are mentioned together as Psal. 26. Proue me O Lord and trie me examine my reines and my heart By the heart I thinke is meant the more inward and secret thoughts by the reines are vnderstood the more outward and sensuall affections as Psal. 51. 6. Behold thou louest truth in the inward affections therefore hast thou taught
before the hiâ— God shall I comâ— before him with burnt offerings iâ— he hath shewed thee ò man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God that is that thou shouldest set him iâ— thy sight belieuing that he doth guide and gouerne thee Besides the Apostle teacheth vs â— Cor. 3. 18. that we all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same image For when we behold the Lord in his promises of reconciliation that he is at peace with vs of sanctification that he will renew vs of safegard and prouidence that for our good he will watch ouer vs and that he is at our right hand with his Angels and on the other hand with his creatures then we behold him as our redeemer as our teacher as our prouident father and as iudge of heauen and earth so we shall with Steuen see Christ and thus beholding God in his word and workes we may be said to walke before the Lord. Whereupon we may easily coniecture how requisite a thing it is often to heare reade and meditate of the word of God to be frequent in prayer whereby we may attaine to a cleerer sight of God his promises which are all yea and Amen in Iesus Christ. Whosoeuer then setteth God before him first as a God of glorious maiestie who will not iustifie the obstinate sinner then as a father of gratious mercie who comforteth the repenting sinner and in euery particular thing is perswaded that God seeth him as a iudge and a Lord of the spirits and God of glory and power it can not be but this will shake from him all drowsie securitie and chase away all vaine imaginations as the bright Sunne beames breake the darke and mistie clowdes And because there is no dealing betwixt God and man but by a Mediatour we must set God before vs in Christ and Christ in God that we may behold his iustice vnder his mercie and his mercie under his iustice And being thus perswaded that we are beloued of God in his beloued we shall doe all in his name which is the end of all happinesse This one lesson of Diuinitie will teach vs the vse of many and wil stand in steed of a thousand both to comfort and instruct vs to comfort vs with pacifying our consciences with a godly securitie in things most open and apparant to instruct vs by charging our consciences to auoide carnall securitie in things most inward and secret Vntill we are brought to walke before the Lord in this obedience all the wisedome of the learned is vanitie Hauing learned this one ruâ—e and made in truth this pedagogie of our actions the simplest soule shall come foorth himselfe in the conscience of vnfained holinesse For he is at my right hand This phrase of speech is borrowed from them who when they take vpon them the patronage defence or tuition of any will set them on their right hand as in place of most safegard Experience coÌ„firmeth this in children who in any imminent danger shrowde and shelter themselues vnder their fathers armes or hands as vnder a sufficient buckler Such was the estate of the man of God as here appeareth who was hemmed and hedged in with the power of God both against present euils and daungers to come Neither doth the Lord hatch Dauid alone vnder the haÌ„d but al other that put their trust in him as Psal. 91. 1. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie c. Wherein we see this assurance of God his protection to be common generally to all which flie for succour wholy to him in time of temptation Againe Psalme 121. 4. it is said Behold he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe Vers. 5. â—he Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shadow at thy right hand c. Where we see he speaketh of the whole bodie and noâ— of any particular number of the Church We are then to learne thus much out of this straine that when we haue a care to set the Lord continually in our sight he hath a care continually to watch ouer our estate This glorious reioycing of faith is also in other places of the booke of God Psal. 23. throughout the whole Psalme the man of God sheweth that he had so richly and so sweetly tasted of the promises of God that in trouble he neuer wanted helpe The Apostle likewise to the Rom. 8 sheweth the happie estate of all the regenerate although in a more excellent patterne of his owne faith saying vers 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God his chosen It is God that iustifieth 34. who shall condemne c. And afterward vers 38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come 35. nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Howbeit we must not thinke that the man of God was not remoued at all For he counteth himselfe a stranger vpon earth and he had many pushes and diuers assaults yet so as he was not finally moued and vtterly ouerthrowne He had many battels but got the victorie many men rose against him but the Lord was on his side still he was vnremoueable as Mount Sion and though he was shaken for a time yet in the end he was safe Now to the verse following Wherefore mine heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also doth rest in hope Here are two pestilent opinions of the Papists ouerthrowne The one that we should not boldly reioyce in the vndoubted assurance of our saluation The other that we should douâ—t and be in a mammering of our finall perseuerance In our confession of the faith immediatly after the article of the remission of our sinnes followeth the acknowledging of an happie resurrection and glorious immortalitie wherein we are assured that euen as in this life our sinnes are pardoned so we shall not miscarrie to the very resurrection and our very flesh shall rise againe to most blessed immortalitie Shall I doubt that God watcheth ouer me as a father in loue as almightie in power as a prouident preseruer in gouerning heauen and earth Shall I doubt that Christ true God and true Man died for my sinnes rose for my iustification ascended to take possession of that glorie which he will giue vnto me at his comming Shall I doubt that the spirit of God hath sealed me and sanctified me preseruing me vnblameable in Christ vntill the day of redemption Shall I doubt that I am of the number of the Saints which are ordained to that glorie which is freely giuen of God the Father dearely purchased of
graue wise men appointed to looke to the manners of the children of God and not to be alders and helpers of the Ministers of God in the furtherance of his office and whereas they saw any disorder among the children of God they were to admonish them of it which if it would not serue together with the whole congregation would vse admonitions but if they would not be obedient thereunto such was the authoritie of the Church that they might excommunicate them so rend them off from the Saints fellowship and deliuer them to the diuell that thereby they might be driuen to true repentance for their sinnes and haue their soules saued To these ouerseers doth the Apostle will them to be obedient and doth not meane generally all kinde of superiors and ciuil Magistrates as in diuers other places of the Scripture In Rom. 13. 1. 2. 3. and Titus 3. 1. also 1. Pet. 2. 13. we must take it in this place according to the Scriptures in the first Epistle to the Theslasonians and fist chapter S. Paul writeth in this sort Now we beseech you brethren that ye acknowledge them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that ye haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Be at peace among your selues Here the Apostle also speaketh of them that rule ouer mens consciences by the ministerie of Gods word and not of ciuill Magistrates We see therefore that it is meant that there should be a gouernour ouer euery congregation which we call in our English tongue a Pastor Only this remaineth among vs that we haue Pastors Doctors or Teachers and Ministers How necessarie they are our Sauiour Christ testifieth in the ninth chapter of his Gospell after S. Matthew But when he saw the multitude he had compassion vpon them because they were dispersed and scattered abroad as sheepe hauing no shepheard This people by whom our Sauiour Christ spake had the Scribes and Pharisies great learned Clerkes Doctors of the Law and yet he saith that they wanted shepheards and therefore he willed his Disciples to pray to the Lord of the haruest that hee would send foorth labourers into his haruest Whereby he noteth that those only be true Pastors which be labourers He likeneth true Ministers to faithfull shepheards and the people of God to a flocke of sheep taking the occasion of this similie according to that countrey where were many mountaines deserts and wildernesses so that their sheepe without a shepheard were scattered abroad very dangerously in that so many wolues and sauage beasts laid waite in euery corner to deuour the sillie sheepe In like case are they that haue not a Pastor that laboureth faithfully in preaching the word of God which is the instrument which God hath appointed to pull his people into the sheepfold of Iesus Christ where they are without daunger of destruction when as all they that are without a Pastor are wandring abroad to their owne destruction such horrible disorder is there where Gods word is not truly preached In another place he saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not This people dwelt all together they were not scattered here one there another but abode whole in that goodly citie of Ierusalem yet because they were not in the vnitie of the spirit of the household of God they were scattered abroad in most miserable disorder For the Church of Iesus Christ is not in one place onely but dispersed and scattered in diuers places throughout the whole world and yet are they all of one household all of one sheepfold and are vnited together in one spirit and though we be here yet are we of the same number and flocke with them in Germany so long as we are of the true faith of Iesus Christ for their faith and ours is all one their spirit and our spirit all one according to the words of the Apostle There is one bodie and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation There is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all We must therefore take this as the Scripture teacheth that the ministerie of his word is the necessariest thing in the world which cannot be done without faithfull Pastors and distributers of the same For when the Lord will beget your soules which he doth not by mortall seede but by the immortall seede of his word he will appoynt you a spirituall father also He neuer establisheth any kingdome but he appointeth a King and when he hath any scholler he prouideth him a schoolemaster to instruct and teach him his most holy will For this is most certaine where a Common-weale is without gouernment the case is very miserable one man shall not liue by another Againe if there be such gouernours as vse tyrannie oppression and seeke to enrich themselues gathering and scraping all into their hands what miserable slauerie shall the poore people be brought into So it is in the church of God if such be placed ouer it as be blind vnable to feede the flock such as seeke their owne pleasure to fill their bellies to cloathe their backes to enrich their coffers and to liue as they list the people of God shall be in miserable case as blinde men groping out of the way and be deuoured of their aduersarie the diuell who as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure because they know not how to resist him by a stedfast faith and so be led away captiue vnto hell This commeth of not hauing a Pastor or hauing such a one as regardeth not the soules of his people For the end why the Lord placeth faithfull and labouring pastors of his Church is that they may teach his children out of his word the way to heauen sincerely and purely and such gouernours must wee obey and bee ruled by them according to the word of God Neither must we say in heart Who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead but the word of God is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart We must therefore obey the true Ministers and faithfull laborers in the Lords Vineyard and learne by that holsome doctrine which they bring vnto vs how to attaine vnto saluation for there is no other meanes in the world to come vnto Christ than by the preaching of the word according to that saying of S. Paul faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God and as hee speaketh a little before how shall they heare without a Preacher We may therefore draw a very strong argument to proue that faithfull Ministers are appointed of God to this ende only to
if thy brother repent seauentie times seauen times thou shouldest forgiue him doth he perswade him truly confessing that hee will forgiue him and shall not then the Lord be mercifull vnto thee if thou confesse in giuing thee remission of thy sinnes and sanctification from thy sinnes Yea God is more mercifull than man when man truly confesseth We are to pray that the ministery may be recouered that the Ministers being humbled the people may also ioyne with them Another kinde is to confesse to men and not only vnto God otherwise it is hypocrisie as it is though we confesse to men and not to God We must confesse to men when we owe some dutie or when we are to receiue a benefit by them We owe them dutie when we are admonished secondly when we haue offended them They that vse good meanes and come by authoritie we must confesse vnto theÌ„ Mat. 18. Where there must be a yeelding or a proceeding with farther processe Luk. 17. It is required that a man should acknowledge or he cannot haue forgiuenes Where men offending are admonished I will confesse say they vnto God not vnto you when as the Lord requireth that it should first be done vnto men First reconcile thy selfe to thy brother then vnto God We offend our brethren when we iniurie them secondly when we are authors or counsellers of them vnto euill or thirdly when we giue them euill example Whether we haue iniured them in their bodies goods or good name Leuit. 6. 4. the same day the sacrifice was to be offered the same day must satisfaction be made And where iudgement is threatned men refusing to satisfie the parties God will not forgiue who is also offended for God requireth confession and man satisfaction Many haue charged others to do euill and haue wrought euill with others the one being humbled the other will not be perswaded it is so but hauing hurt them in their soules though by confession we cannot recouer them yet we must shame our selues vnto them that they may haue the cause of sinne vpon themselues If thinking of these things in our studies yet if we practise them not our prayers will not be acceptable We are to receiue benefit when we would haue aduise from them or would be comforted of them and we would haue aduise when we are tempted vnto sinne or accused in our consciences for sinne Though men cannot accuse vs yet there are many times speciall sinnes that we cannot get peace with God for or power to ouercome them these must be confessed to men that we may get strength in wisedome Iam. 5. Where I take acknowledging to be more than confession for a man cannot acknowledge a thing but he must needes confesse it but he may confesse and yet not acknowledge And there the Apostle speaketh of recouering one from sinne when they are tempted as the whole scope of the place sheweth In accusation the Diuell will lay sinne to our charge and the conscience is feared both in reason and affection then there must be recourse to our friends Experience wofull enough will witnes this some for light matters haue hanged themselues who if they had opened their griefes might haue beene recouered as some haue beene whose throats haue beene ripped and others who haue beene found lying in the waters God hath appointed a communion of Saints and if we will not partake of their counsâ—ile we may be brought downe for not disclosing as others haue beene There is another higher sight of diuinitie and better faith of godlines when there is griefe for sinne or for temptation to a sinne or thirdly for lying in sinne and not getting out of it and also for being prouoked to grosse sinnes Many men lying in a sinne when neither by praying nor fasting nor hearing nor otherwise they can get out of it they must seeke for strength at others and desire their prayers The Papists will haue vs bound to the Ministers S. Iames more large To come out of sinne is the best way to shame our selues and acknowledge it and this meanes vsed plainely will driue Satan away for comming neere vs. The temptations are many times strange thoughts to blaspheme God and iniurie highly whom most we loue and many such like things The family of loue had these temptations and many others who haue bene giuen ouer grosely because fighting with an euill conscience they did not vse the meanes of getting out And these are laid vpon men for corrections for things past for remedies for things to come to passe and for prouocations vnto prayer No remedie is so great as to disclose them to thy friend who loueth thee and will pray with thee Choyse must be vsed of those in whom we will disclose especially of a spirituall father must our choyse be spirituall for discerning well of the temptation and for wisedome in prescribing a remedie Not those who say it is fond lessening the sinne which should be waighed as it is that the iust proportion of Gods iudgement may be seene neither to those that shal aggrauate it least they terrifie thee too much When sinne fighteth then learning will not so much preuaile Satan is such a subtle Sophister A father he must be a brother a sister a righteous man as S. Iames saith who must haue the affection of a father for compassion taciturnitie and not vpbrayding Compassion that the heart may bleed as of a tender father and mother that though the sin be not ours yet we may haue a fellow feeling for the mercifull is blessed which followeth the poore in spirit Taciturnitie that the sinne being close it may neuer goe further thaÌ„ the cause is Vpbrayding is such a thing as it feareth many because it is the propertie of worldly men to keepe men vnder by that meanes but these fathers may not doe it Though it be true that many meeting such a father they will not vse him as a father which appalleth the spirit of a good father who if in wisedome hee shall but touch any thing that may be thought to be disclosed he is thought to doe it to vpbrayd them FINIS THE SIXTEENTH SERMON Galath 6. vers 14. 15. Be it farre from mee that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumsion but a new creature HAuing finished in a late Treatise the doctrine of the true obseruation of the Sabbath as a furtherance to nourish religion in them that are alreadie called we now haue purposed considering the small proceeding in Christian profession which ought to be found in this ripenes of the Gospell more glorious and abundant to entreate of such matter as being most agreeable to them that as yet haue not tasted how sweete Christ is and his Gospell very profitable for our senseles age wherein Christ is almost vtterly forsaken may breede some loue of religion
varietie of learning as may giue content to each seuerall Reader Histories for the Temporist Philosophie for the Naturalist Ethiques for the Moralist Mysteries for the Artist and languages for the Linguist Heere is a Flood for the great Elephant to swimme in and â— Foorde for the little lambe to walke in Would wee be acquainted with the vanitie of the worlde what better meanes haue wee then the booke of the Preacher would wee know how to liue in the worlde whence better can we haue it then from the booke of the Prouerbes and if we would powre out prayers to God Dauid in his Psalmes hath a platforme of praying which one little booke is the Epitome of the Bible Caluin calls it the Anatomie of the soule Another the prayer-booke of the Church Athanasius the definition of humane life Basil the prediction of things to come Nazianzene the sweete Companion of life Augustine the common Treasurie of all good things Ambrose the Medicine of Mans salutation Chrysostome a Salue against euery sore Gregorie that Stone which killed Goliah And Bernard saith that whosoeuer faithfully and deuoutly doth sing the Psalmes in a sort is in association with the Angels without which deuotion what Quirister soeuer shall sing them in the Church I may say vnto him as Augustine once saide to the singing men of his time Plus placet Deo mugitus Boum latratus Canum grunnitus porcorum hinnitus Equorum quà m cantus Clericorum luxuriantium The bellowing of oxen the barking of dogs the gâ—unting of swine and the â—eying of horses doe more please God then the singing of luxurious Quiristers Now though euery Psalme be of speciall Obseruation yet this one is especially remarkeable It was penned by King Dauid that sweete singer of Israel it hath in euery verse a commendation of the word of God it is artificially written euery eight verses beginning in the Hebrue tongue with one Letter of the Hebrue Alphabet and the longest Meditation that euer Dauid had either concerning Gods word or workes it seemeth hee had it when he penned this Psalme which the Iewes vsed as a Catechisme for their children To the ende this Psalme might bee vnderstood of all it hath beene expounded by many worthie men especially by that worthie man of God M. Richard Greenham memorable in our Church It is pittie that all his meditations on this Psalme come not yet to light but that in former editions about fortie verses were left vnexpounded Now that godly man who hath the sale of his workes was very desirous that there might bee an Exposition vpon euery verse and to that purpose hath employed mee And I finding the foure first verses expounded by a worthie Elisha vpon whom the spirite of this Eliah doth rest was bolde to set downe the same as I found it the rest I haue finished according to the grace giuen vnto mee and thus offer them to the Church of God I remember that an ancient Father saith Iudicem aditurus patrâ—num quaere Must you appeare before the Iudge seeke a Patron I am now to appeare before as many Iudges as Readers I desire a Patron and I finde none fitter then your Honor who hauing for manie yeares post beene a bountifull Patron to my labours in the Church will I doubt not vouchsafe to become a Patron of these labours for the Church If euer wee must looke for a blessing from Counsellors it is then when they consult with the Lord and are not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ. Among manie such Honorable Senators in our Kingdome we haue good cause to number your Honor. What Sabbath is there which you passe ouer without the morning and euening sacrifice what Minister is there who preacheth before you whome you sende away without a blessing what moneth is there in which you once are not a CommunicaÌ„t at the Eucharist what day is there that passeth ouer your head in which you vse not both prayer and meditation You were once gracious in the eyes of that Queene then whome the Church neuer had a more nourcing mother you are nowe gracious in the eyes of that King then whom the Church will neuer haue a more nourcing Father in this honorable Parish wherein you liue what good you do by your owne example in frequenting Gods house your liberalitie bountie in maintaining Gods Saints your care that your familie may be the Church of God I had rather be silent then say little Your old age is a crowne of glorie being thus found in the generation of the righteous The consideration of your honorable respect to pietie and godlines hath made me a long time to honour you in mine heart and the consideration of your fauour to mee a poore preacher emboldeneth mee to publish these my labours vnder your Honorable name If it please you to allow that your name which I am perswaded is written in the booke of life may remaine in this liuing and worthie booke I haue that which I desire by this Dedication Thus crauing pardon I humbly take my leaue beseeching the Lord to continue you long a trustie Counsellor to our most gracious King your Honourable Ladie the Ladie Margaret a precious Iewell vpon your right hand and your hopefull and happie Children as Oliue plants rounde about your Table London From Salisburie Rents at S. Martins in the fieldes Nouember the first 1611. At your Honors seruice Robert Hill WHOSOEVER IS DESIROVS TO LEARNE AND REMEMber the Word of God that he might liue after it let him consider of that which is written in the 119. Psalme ALEPH. THE FIRST PORTION ¶ Verse I. Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the Lawes of the Lord. THat which all men seeke for and few finde the same is set out in the word of God namely felicitie and true happines And because God would haue all men to know wherein their blessed estate doth consist therefore Christ begins his first Sermon with it Math. 5. Dauid his first Psalme with it Psal. 1. And the Prophet in this place his first verse with it describing therein a blessed man A description opposite to all that vaine felicitie which euer vaine Philosophers deuised out of their deepe speculations or prophane men frame out of their corrupt affections not consisting in pleasures riches honors greatnes in ciuill honestie formall hypocrisie or the whole possibilitie of nature but in the sinceritie of the heart and continuall walking in the waies of God Salomon saw this and therefore after he had sought happines in all things of this life he willeth vs to heare the end of all namely to feare God and keepe his commandements for thus saith hee this is the whole man If this saith one be the whole man then without this man is no man no though hee wallowe in wealth swimme in pleasures and be carried alofte vpon the wings of Honor For first all these though they were all in the possession of some
thou forsaken me this was the complaint of Gedeon Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egipt but now the Lord hath forsakeÌ„ vs deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Iudg. 6. 13. M. Robert Glouer martyr at Couentrie after hee was condeÌ„ned by the Bishop was now at point to be deliuered out of the world it so happened that two or three dayes before his death his heart beeing lumpish and desolate of all spirituall consolation felt in himselfe no aptnesse nor willingnesse but rather a heauinesse and dulnesse of spirit full of much discomfort to beare the bitter crosse of Martyrdome readie now to bee laide vpon him wherevpon hee fearing in himselfe least the Lord had withdrawn his wonted fauour from him made his moane to one Austine his deere friend signifying vnto him how earnestly he had prayed day and night vnto the LORD GOD and yet could receiue no motion nor sense of any comfort from him vnto whome they saide Austine answered againe willing him patiently to waite the Lords pleasure howsoeuer his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was iust and true he exhorted him constaÌ„ntly to sticke to the same to play the maÌ„ nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visite him and satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation c. The next day when the time came of the Martyrdome as he was going to the place and was now come to the sight of the stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feele none suddainly he was so replenished with the holy Ghost that he cryed out clapping with his hands to Austine and saying with these words Austine he is come he is come c. and that with such ioy and alacritie as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to liberty of life then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death Desertion in sinne is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sinne And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the authour of sinne but onely man that falleth and Sathan A resemblance of this truth we may see in a staffe which if a man shall take and set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his hand though he neuer push it downe it fals of it selfe In this desertion was the good King Hezekiah of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus Hezekiah prospered in all his waies therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which sent to him to inquire of the wonder which was done in the Land God left him namely to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe in tempting him that he might trie out all that was in his heart To this place appertaine Noahs drunkennesse Dauids adulterie Peters deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this If a patient shall be grieuously sicke the Physition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to recouer him and if he once come to a desperate case the physition rather then he will not restore him will imploy all his skill he will take poyson and so temper it and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health The elect children of God are diseased with an inward hidden and spirituall pride whereby they affect themselues and desire to be something in themselueâ— foâ—â—h of Christ and this sinne is very dangerous first because when other sinnes die in a man this secret pride gets strength for Gods grace is the matter of pride in such wise that a man will be proud because he is not proude for example if any shall be tempted of the diuell to some proud behauiour and by Gods grace get the victorie then the heart thus thinketh Oh thou hast done well thou hast foiled the enemie neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee such and such could neuer haue done so and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kind of motions in this life Secondly there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is for it poysoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace so long as it beareth any sway for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated that is he must be brused and battered to a flat nothing in regard of any liking or affection to himselfe that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father and as it were with both the hands of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits that he may be wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption life good workes and whatsoeuer good thing he is neither in nor by nor for himselfe but euery way forth of himselfe in Christ. Now this blessed condition of a beleeuing heart by naturall selfe-loue selfe-liking is greatly hindered God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption lets his elect seruants fal into trouble of minde conscience if they happily be of greater hardnesse of heart into some actuall sin so declaring his wonderfull mercy in sauing them he is faine against his mercy to bring them to his mercy and by sin to saue them from sin By this means the Lord who can bring light out of darknesse makes a remedy of sin to slay pride that inuisible moÌ„ster of many heads which would slay the soule Though this be so yet none must hereupon venter to coÌ„mit any sin against Gods commandemeÌ„ts least in so doing they cast away their soules For the godly man though he fal into sin yet it is against his purpose and it makes his hart to bleed the course of his life shall be alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God because he is led by the spirit of God The ends for which God vseth desertions are three the first is the chastisement of sins past in the former part of mans life that he may search them out coÌ„sider them he hearâ—ily sorrowfull for them for this end was Iobs triall Thou writest saith he bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the sinnes of my youth The second end is that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants not that he is ignorant what is in man but because he would haue all men know themselues To this effect saith Moses And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God lead thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee and to prooue thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to prooue and trie what was in his heart The triall by desertion serueth for two purposes for other whiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sinne that the godly may
will punish it in them ass we may see in this kingly Prophet Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 2 to bring them to an examination of themselues as he did in the Mariners Ionah 1. 3 to moue them to repentance as in the Israelites Hoseah 5. vers 15. 4 to trie them as the Eagle her yong ones and the goldsmith his mettals as hee did lâ—b chap 1. 5 to confound Sathan all his ministers who would ioy if Gods children should euer prosper doe these men serue God for nâ—â—ght Iob 1. 9 6 that as the camomile doth spread better by treading the tree growe better by pruning the Pomander smell better by rubbing the iron looke better by scouring and the bodie like better by purging so the godly might be better by affliction In a word were wee not sometime in trouble wee should forget God we should not cal vpon his name nor be distinguished from bastardes nor conformable to Christ nor weaned from this world nor vnderstand Gods will nor desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Vse Is Dauid afflicted who then can iudge of Gods loue or hatred by outward things Eccles 9. Dauid in his trouble thought he was cast out of Gods fauour but hee was deceiued Dauids enemies thought that God had forsaken him but they were deceiued and euen Gods children doe oftentimes thinke the proude and rich and Epicures blessed but they also are deceiued To gee on is Dauid afflicted 1 Suspect thine estate if thou euer art at ease in this world It is the greatest misery neuer to taste of any misery 2 Be patient to endure crosses since the most godly haue beene thus crossed 3 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the wicked and the sinners appeare 1. Pet 4. 18. I had perished 2 Note that Dauid was readie to sincke vnder this burthen to faint vnder this crosse to be swallowed vp of these waues and to perish in this trouble of his Thus God woundeth but he healeth againe casteth downe but setteth vp againe killeth but reuiueth againe and afflicteth but comforteth againe We before troubles come are like vnto Peter wee thinke wee can walke vpon the Sea but it pleaseth the Lord to send one dangerous storme or other that we may say with the same Apostle Helpe maister I perish But why was Dauid thus readie to perish he saw the Sea but not the Whale the Egyptian but not the saluation the water but not Christs power walking on the water He was impatient of delaye looked too much to man trusted ouer much in himselfe and thought more of them that were against him then God and his Angels that were on his side And is not this our case when there is but a thinne curtaine drawn for a while betwixt God and vs O let him that is exercised with troubles but aske his owne heart of this point Except thy lawe wee haue heard how Dauid was wounded here is that plaister which cured that wound namely the lawe of the Lord his God He being pursued with the heart betaketh himselfe to these riuers persecuted flieth to these mountaines inuironed hasteth to these bulwarkes and afflicted with delight he comes to these comforters The word of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flieth to it and is deliuered Here note a difference betweene humane and diuine lawes Philosophie and diuinitie Art thou in trouble what will Philosophie say vnto thee all that it can say is but thus much ferendum est quod vitari non potest I must vndergoe that which I cannot auoide But come to diuinitie it will teach thee whence troubles come why they are sent how thou must endure them by what meanes get out of them to depend vpon God repent of thy sinnes examine thy waies that the ende will be good and that death is aduantage vnto thee it will teach thee that sinne is pardoned Sathan vanquished and that Christ is thy companion in troubles and crowne after It is as the sword of Goliah no weapon like â—â—â— that spirituall Mannah no foode comparable to it and that poole of 〈◊〉 or â—â—â—â—â— riuer into which if thou once descend whatsoeuer thy disease be assure thy selfe of cure But it must be applied or else it will doe thee no more good then the bread that is euer in the cubbord the cloth in the drapers shop the wine in the vessell or the medicine which thou keepest euer in thy pocket Dauiâ— applies it by delighting in it My delight This word my is very remarkeable Dauid a great man delighted in the lawes and statutes of God he made them his counsellors from which as from graue Senators he euer receiued the best counsell One faith that bookes are the best counsellors because they teach without flatterie it is not euer true of the writings of men their maisters teach them to speake silkâ—n words but it is most true of the word of God which as a true glasse sheweth to euery one his proper fauour If great men would take counsaile here they would not in so short a time make Rehoboams diuision of their inheritance vpon earth nor sell heauen Esau-like for a messe of pottage But because in steed of the booke of God they delight in dice cardes pride pleasure luxurie flatterie and all vanitie no maruaile that the place which did honour them doth honour them no more Delight In the originall it is the plurall number delights as if he should say all my delight onely my delight my chiefe delight And no meruaile for what is it that can delight the heart of man to reade of which is not contained in the booke of God is it historie here is the most ancient and true historie is it poesie here are most harmonicall and golden verses is it Philosophie the secrets of nature are heere opened is it moralitie here are most Christian ethiques is it mysteries what greater mysterie then the mysterie of godlines preached to Adam shadowed out to the Iewes manifested in Christ and reuealed in the word is it policie Aristotle neuer wrote such politikes as here are would you reade much in fewe wordes Theognis and Phocylides and Pythagoras short sentences come farre short of Salomons prouerbes In a word are we merrie here we may sing Dauids Psalmes to Dauids harpe would we be sorie who can reade Ieremies lamentations and not lament In this lawe young and old rich and poore high and lowe males and females may finde that which will delight them And truely all ought to make it their delight it is the word of God the way to life the sword of the spirit our fathers testament the trustiest friend the most comfortable companion and the best salue that euer we can applie to our diseased soules When Chrysosteme was to be exiled by the Emperesse he comforted himselfe with this saying The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal. 24 1. when Vrsinus was driuen almost to despaire he comforted himselfe with this saying my
who truely knoweth God should fall downe before an image Lactantius said well Non dubium est quin nulla sit tbireligio vbi simulacrum est How shall they call vpon him whom they haue not beleeued how shall they beleeue on them which are no Gods but the worke of mens hands I am thine This indeed is an excellent motiue to drawe from the Lord helpe in trouble I am thine thine by creation I was made by thee thine by adoption I was assigned ouer to thee thine by donation I was giuen to thee thine by marriage I was espoused to thee thine by redemption I was purchased by thee thine by stipulation I haue vowed my selfe vnto thee Saue me for I am thine Then 1 God hath especiall care of his 2. he aboue the rest hath regard of his annoynted 3. a sinner may be Gods child nay vnlesse a sinner first not Gods at all The whole haue no need of the Physitian but such as are sicke 4. none can truely call vpon God but such as are perswaded they belong to God 5. a man may nay he must be perswaded that he is Gods childe 2. Cor. 13. 5. Omnis anima saith one est aut sponsa Christi aut adultera diabols Euery soule is either the spouse of Christ or the diuels strumpet He will not be his owne he must not be the diuels he dares not be the worlds he is Gods owne childe he will not serue two maisters In this seruice is true libertie to be Gods sonne is the truest nobilitie We thinke the Barbarians seelie people who in many places of the world preferre iron or leade or some base mettall before gold but as for such amongst vs as make gold their God wee thinke them wise men seest thou a man wise after this sort there is more hope of a Barbarian then of him For I haue sought thy precepts Many signes there be and trials of our adoption as Rom 8. 15. I he spirit witnesseth to our spirits that we are the children of God and Ioâ— 3. 14 by this we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And Ioh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods words But to seeke out the knowledge of Gods will and to practise it in life and conuersation this is the very badge of Gods childe Reade but this one Psalme and you shall finde Dauid many times protesting his loue to Gods lawe promising his obedience to Gods commandements praying for knowledge of Gods will and valuing this treasure aboue all the treasures of the earth Seeke them to knowe knowe to remember remember to beleeue beleeue to practise and you shall be blessed in your deed It is curiositie to seeke onely to knowe or at least to knowe that which is aboue our knowledge it is pietie to seeke to knowe and doe those things which belong to the peace of conscience and pure conuersation ¶ Vers. 95. The wicked haue waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies HE prayed before that God would saue him had he not need thinke you when the wicked waited to destroy him thus this and the former verse haue their coherence Here then he complaineth against his aduersaries and protesteth notwithstanding his recourse to Gods word He describeth his aduersaries by their names calling them wicked ones 2. by their diligence they lay waite 3 by their malice they waite to destroy him For the first the hebrew word translated wicked if the letters be transposed signifieth a rich man because it is hard to finde goods and goodnes riches and righteousnes in one person and I thinke that Salomon calleth riches the treasures of iniquitie Prou. 10. 2. not onely because they are gathered by badde meanes but also because often their owners are bad men These wicked persons strangers from the wombe the sonnes of men the children of Beliall scoffing Ishmaels parasiticall Doegs persecuting Sauls Dauid often complaineth of in this Psalme as veres 23. 52. 61. 69 78 85. 87. 110 241. 157 261. and here and in many other Psalmes And surely not without cause for many were these euill spirits that vexed him his brother Eliab accused him of pride Goliah the Philistine despised him to his face Saul the King hunted him as a partridge Doeg the Edomite slandered him to his Lord Absolon his sonne draue him out of his kingdome Achitophel his counsellor counselled against him Mâ—choâ— his wife contemned him in her heart Shemey his subiect rayled on him in his miserie Nabal the Charmelite played the churle with him and they that did eate of his breade and were entertained as friends became in the ende his vtter enemies and all because the Lord loued him and he followed that which good was When Caine and Abel can agree in one field Ishmael and Izaak in one house Iakob and Esau in one wombe then shall the wicked and godly agree together not before see Prou 29. 29. It is the nature of the wicked to be opposite to the good and persecutors of the godly therefore are they compared to Lions Beares Tygers Bulls Serpents Adders Archers and Foulers the godly man is the Partridge they the Hauke 1. let the Hauke all her lifetime sit vpon her Lords fist yet when she dies she is but cast vpon the dunghill let the Partridge be chased all the daies of her life yet after her death she shal be brought in a siluer dish to her Lords table Yet knowe that if thou oppose thy selfe against the godly thou art to be reputed but a wicked man Waited They were vigilant diligent and wise to doe hurt neuer did Cat so waite for the mouse or Wolfe for the sheepe or Lion for the Lambe or Hauke for Partridge or Fouler for Bird or the Souldier for his enemies as they waited for him they bent their bowe they made readie their arrowes vpon the string that they might secretly shoote at him that was vpright of heart Dauid complaineth of this so may wee Dauid prouided for these so ought we and though they waite day and night and lay all kindes of battes that can be yet in the ende Dauid hath the best for in the name of the Lord he shall destroy them This is our comfort waite they may but they can doe no more Luke 22. 31. For me Dauid had many followers in the time of his troubles yet his aduersaries aymed especially at his life Strike say they the Shepheard and the sheepe shal be scattered Stub vp the roote and the branches will wither chop off the heade and the members will perish if Dauid be once gone who shall resist Thus the worthiest Princes grauest counsellors and most vigilant Ministers haue euer beene the marke of wicked Archers Thus like the King of Aram they say 2. Chron 18. 31. Fight you not with small or great but against the King of Israel onely Experience wee haue had of this in the daies of our gracious Queene Elizabeth
dayes because wee attribute so much to ministeriall knowledge and haue felt so little profit by the teaching of the Spirit and seeing we brag so much of faith haue so little loue lastly whereas wee boast of our professioÌ„ and yet are so little profited in holy conuersation the Lord for such contempt of his trueth doth now teach vs by deluding spirits and fantasticall deuisers and the lying Familie of loue Wherefore vnlesse we be more enflamed with a loue of the truth and an hatred of heresie than we haue been it may come to passe that as in the Primitiue Church the Gospell of Iesus Christ being preached at the first of men of the lowest state and afterward for the good liking of it was brought to bee preached after the more learned sort euen so heresie now beginning in the vnlearned and ignorant people may by the iust iudgement of God for the contempt of the word take place euen among the best learned For it is as easie for the Lord in his iudgements to send a lying spirit into foure hundred learned men as to suffer the common Israelites to bee deluded therewith so then we haue the mysteries of iniquitie to teach the mysteries of righteousnes and we must learne loue of them which are the abusers of loue Wherefore if wee desire to know Christ crucified by the spirit in his word if wee will know him to be our Prophet our Priest and our King we must be new creatures for the olde things are gone and new things haue succeeded them in their place wee must let loue be laborious in vs and fruitfull in good workes But when wee haue not so good misliking of heretikes wee shall finde them as the grashoppers of Egypt we shall see new and old enemies ioyne together to the great dishonour of our God Oh how I loue thy lawe We haue then in this verse a iust occasion to examine our selues how we profit in the loue of Gods word wherein the Prophet for our example and imitation pathetically protesteth how he loueth the word of the Lord to declare that it was not in outward shew but in inward affection and that he did not indeede delude himselfe as we do in many things he proueth it by effects for that here alone is true wisedome and not elsewhere to bee found Wherefore it shall not bee amisse to gather all such proofes whereby we may see his loue was vnfained and came from the bottome of his heart The first is a speciall hatred that hee had to the contrarie that is to all false religion opposed to the true seruice of God Secondly it may be shewed in the circumstance of the time and that for two causes both in respect of the lawe which then had little countenance and in respect of his person which then did suffer contempt The third is the reposing of his felicitie in the word when either he felt the sweete promises of God or his inward man delighted with the law in that he preferred it before all profit pleasure glorie with which things naturall men are most delighted as also his great griefe of minde when either he felt not such comfort in Gods promises or his inward man not delighting in his word or when he saw any other traÌ„sgressing the same The fourth is his careful vsing of the means which were many namely his conference with Gods children either in reaching his gifts vnto them or in the participating of their gifts with him his praying praysing of God his holy meditations and his vowing with himselfe to keepe the law of the Lord. In that so vehemently he bursteth forth into this speech Oh how loue I the law we are to see his great zeale to compare our selues with it and where he saith 〈◊〉 we are to learne that if we finde in our selues any wearinesse and loathsomnesse to this exercise we are not as yet sound at the heart Concerning this word thy law we may note that he putteth the law of God his loue thereunto for his loue to God for this end because euery man wil say that he loueth God as the Turke the Pope the Familie of loue but few of vs and none of them doe loue his word For is there any heretike or hath bin who perswadeth not himselfe and would perswade others that he loueth God Wherefore to our vse we must know that if we feare the Lord we must feare him in his threatnings denounced by his word if we say we loue him we must loue his promises contained in his truth if we obey him we must obey his commandements reuealed in his will if we will worship him we must worship him according to the prescript rule of his owne ordinances For the first reason which we haue shewed to be the heartie hatred of false doctrine or false religion he saith Portion 15. vers 1. I hate vaine inuentions but thy law doe I loue And in Portion 21. vers 3. I hate false hood and abhorre it but thy law doe I loue And in the fourth Portion vers 5. he â—larly prayeth against it saying Take from me the way of lyâ—â—g and graâ—â—t me gratiously thy truth Where we see that as the mail of God sheweth his loue to the truth so he sheweth his hatred to lies Neither must we vnderstand here that which he calleth the way of lying for a breach of any particular commaundement but for a generall breach of the whole law of God for a thing opposite to the truth of Gods word so also is it to be vnderstood when the Spirit of God calleth Satan the father of lies that is of fained and forged doctrine both in religion and life as also God is said to be the Father of all truth Now it is manifest I neede not as I thinke to shew this out of the Law nor by the Prophets nor by the example of godly Kings how it is by precept commaunded and by practise vsed onely we will shew a few places in stead of many Deut. 7. vers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Deut. 13. 6. 7. Zach. 13. 3. Where we may see that naturall loue shall giue place to heauenly loue the second table must giue place to the first and the loue of man to the loue of God Psal. 16. 4 the Prophet professeth that he will not once make mention of their names within his lips For examples we may see Reuel 2. 6. how acceptable it was in the sight of the Lord that the Church of Ephesus hated the heresie of the Nicolaitans and Reuel 3. 15. the Spirit of God reprooueth the Laodiceans because they were neither hot nor cold So grieuous a thing is it in the eyes of the Lord when the world will rather take vp false religion than zealously gainsay it But it may be that their ciuill conuersation and outward courtesie doth much slake our hatred against
thunderbolts And if we consider it well if one be slauish the multitude is as a waspe the great man like a Lyon with bloodie â—eeth and therefore of greater force If we vrge the multitude a man may caution against them they are but sculles without braines authority is a great scholler if such a Rabbi be of the opinioÌ„ it is not like they should be out of the way Men commonly say that there are but the great matters of the Church and common-wealth to be cared for other matters are but rattels for children to play with But Dauid prayeth as well for the little hils as for the great mountaines and Christ saith we must be faithful in little and if we cannot better one talent the Lord should do iustice if he shuld put no moe into our haÌ„ds Elihu supposeth that in the Rabbins must needs be wisedome yet after he perceiueth that the greatest is not the wisest but the inspiratioÌ„ of the Almighty giueth wisdome Kimkie writeth that in their colledges they suffered the younger schollers to speake first to shew their opinions that they might not be oppressed with the authoritie of the elders and then afterwards the Rabbins and this order is kept in diuers Vniuersities vntill this day Many will say I had rather erre with Plato than speake truth with another a most prophane sentence And marke how these men going thus against the holy Ghost doe euen destroy Logike it selfe For what argument is this such a one saith it therefore I may doe it It is not against reason And to doe that which is nought and then to affirme it by authoritie young schollers haue learned to hisse it out and yet our Rabbins vse it themselues and cannot learne to denie it when it is vsed of others Againe in authoritie we know that it is required both that the author be not deceiued for if he be blind the blind followeth the blind also that we be sure that he will let vs know the truth But the holy Ghost saith all men are lyers therefore they will deceiue and our knowledge is in part euen in that part of our ignorance may the controuersie fall out and all our goodnesse is as a stained cloth and therefore no warrant is for vs in men but in God onely who hath all skill goodnes and therefore him we may follow not men and vnlesse Christ come down and worke among vs we may follow no mans example Cursed is the man saith the Lord Ierm 17. that maketh flesh his arme This Axiome and error was once in diuinitie The Pope cannot erre therfore the curse of God was on it we at this day denie it and say Pope Councels Church may erre This we say and hold in diuinitie but in morall matters wherein are most slippes wee haue let in the former Axiome Here Protestants will set themselues vp a Pope yea many Popes but the curse of God remaineth on it for flesh is their arme With great reason therefore the holy Ghost setteth it downe This were plaine enough if men had not a prodigious spirit of errour in them but for all this this is the fig-tree still and they that haue eaten the forbidden fruit come hither for fig-leaues Rabble such a one Looke through the bookes of the Prophets and you shall heare the people alwaies answere our fathers did it our Princes gaue vs leaue our Prophets defended it Let vs resume the argument of the Eunuch to Micheas he saith behold all speake good to the King for therein lieth the force of his argnment for it is as forcible to a carnall man to say the King would haue it so as all the Prophets to denie it Now I will shew you how a King was moued with this argument that you may see the force of it 1. Sam. 29. Dauid must be gone from Achish to morrow before day saith the King looke you be gone Why saith Dauid what haue I done thou hast done good in my sight saith the King neither haue I found any euill in thee Why then must I goe my Princes fauour thee not saith the King they thinke thou art not good Is that enough Dauid proceedeth and defendeth himselfe The King replieth thou art in my sight as an Angell of heauen but the princes of my people will haue thee gone Here the King is carried away with his Rabbins A strange thing that the King should thrust him out whom his owne heart iustified for two or three sonnes of Beliall Ioh. 7. they send to Christ two or three to entrap him in his speech they returne and say we neuer heard man speake as hee doth this was it onely that caried them Doe any of the Scribes and Pharisies or of the rulers fauour him But Ioh. 19. yee shall see the strangest thing of al they would haue Christ to be put to death wee haue a law say they by which he must dye The maior followeth for he made himselfe the sonne of God the law is Leuit. 24. So that their syllogisme might seeme very good but their minor was naught Well the law would nothing moue Pilate therefore they seeke a new argument for Pilate and that is If you let him goe Pilate you are not Caesars friend Presently against his owne conscience hee condemneth him to death Will you not doe it why Caesar will haue it so yee see then what force is in this Logicke argument and no doubt it will moue vnles wee put off both Pilates and King Achish nature 12 Euery sin hath two reasons for it an open and a secret reason the open is to blind the world withall yee shall see it in Iudas his open reason was the poore better it is the poore should bee prouided for than waste should bee made his secret argument was the bagge hee carried the bagge and paid himselfe for the carrying So that whatsoeuer they pretend the secret reason is the bagge The second argument is made out of the Smiths forge but schollers cannot answere it By Diana wee get our gold saith Demetrius and therefore great is Diana So that Diana shall be great if wee can get by het This is their secret argument profit makes it honest Thirdly we set downe with our selues euen to consume our selues so we may get And for this looke 1. Sam. 23. in Sauls oration Hearken yee sonnes of Iâ—mini can this sonne of Ishai giue you fields and vineyards and make you captaines ouer hundreds and thousands No no it is I that can doe it and will yee then follow him So that he that can preferre you or giue you a field or a vineyard either in Church or Common-wealth him yee follow So Balaac saith to Balaam Why come ye not when I sent for you am not I able to preferre you So that is alwaies their inward argument whatsoeuer is pretended outward Their fourth reason is this It is foolish to stand against him the King
the feeling of sinne is the mother of hunger after righteousnes So that where hunger after righteousnes is there must be also feeling of sinne and where there is exceeding hunger there must be needs an exceeding feeling and on the other side where there is a small and feeble hunger there is a small and feeble â—eeling and it is vnpossible to be otherwise For he that feeleth his owne deadnes wants and impuritie in euery commandement it is vnpossible but this touch of glorie and dread of the bondage of sinne should breed and as it were ingender in his minde an extreame hunger and desire of vprightnesse and obedience in euery commaundement The children of God haue then to comfort themselues in that they feele their impurenes of heart and want of vprightnes in euery commandement and deadnes to goodnes For this feare of bondage to sinne and Sathan and this feeling of our owne wants and impuritie is quicknes and liuing and this quicknes and life is by the spirit of Christ and where the spirit of Christ is there is life or liuing and this is called regeneration and life euerlasting So that if we weigh the difference of the quickning that is proper to the elect that is to say to hunger after righteousnes and doe examine deepely and weigh that more than we doe the feeling of our confused estate it is impossible but that we should find great comfort in sorrow great light in darknes I know indeed the reprobate or wicked are quickned in some sort by the spirit of Christ But yet they tast not of this worke of his spirit to wit of mercie by loue of righteousnes but by the power of it doe liue so euen in feeling of Gods eternall iudgement without mercy liuing continually in hatred of righteousnes and in bondage of sinne and Sathan 18 He that feareth hardnes of heart if he can but sigh and groane because he feeleth his hardnes of heart it is so much comfort vnto him as it is a testimonie that his heart is not altogether hardened so that if thou feelest sorrow indeed although thou weepest not yet thou maist gather comfort considering that that sorrow is for sin with a loue and hunger after God if thy assaults be distrust pride arrogancie ambition enuie concupiscence as hot as the fire of the furnace all the day long and though Sathan layeth on oyle in great measure and out of all measure that it is of the wonderfull strength goodnes of the Lord that thou standest and though thy prayers be dull and full of wearisomnes so that strife and waies also to all goodnes be so hard to thee that thou canst not tell whether thou striuest for feare of punishment or loue of so good a father yet if thou feelest this in thy selfe that thou wantest feare and yet desirest to loue the Lord and to be better being wearied and tired with sinne and desirest to please God in a simple obedience of faith then comfort thy selfe 19 The feeling of sinne with wearisomenes as it were a sicknes in the body is an earnest of our regeneration Gods children are often diseased and sore troubled In that they cannot make a difference when they are in the skirmish and agony betweene the motion to any euill and the consent to the same For oftentimes euill motions doe so possesse the mind of Gods children and doe as it were set downe so strongly in them that though they weepe pray meditate which be the best remedies to cure them yea though they feele them with irkesomnes and wearisomenes as we feele sicknes in our bodies yet they lie there continually without diminishing excepting delight c. let vs not therefore so vex and martyr our selues with disquietnes of minde because we are so pestered and stinged with wicked motions assaults but let vs quiet our selues and not suffer our selues to be hindred with sicknes of boÌ„die and mind by meanes whereof we are made so much the more vnprofitable to our selues others and to Gods Church For the godly shall not be freed from sin so but that they shall be snared with euill motions delusions vaine fantasies and imaginations The body of sinne and wicked motions and affections shall neuer be out of vs as long as we liue for they are almost continually boyling and walloping in vs foming out such filthie froth and stinking sauour into our mindes and so full of poison it is not only most detestable to the minde regenerate and that part of the minde which is renewed by the spirit of Christ but also so loathsome that it maketh it as it were ashamed and abashed to see into so filthie a stie and sinke and so greatly discourageth and astonisheth vs as it makes vs oftentimes to quaile and if it were possible would corrupt and defile the part regenerate for mightie is the power and raging is the strength of sinne 20 Martin Luther saith that as a man may trie and know whether he be effectually called and grafted into Christs body or not by this that he feeleth his heart cheared and sweetned by the feeling of Gods promises and fauour written in his heart so such a man hath forthwith regard of his neighbour and helpeth him as his brother careth for him lendeth him giueth him comforteth and counselleth him yea and briefly he is grieued if there be none towards whom he may be seruiceable he is patient tractable and truly friends to all men he doth not esteeme the temporall pleasure and pride of this life he iudgeth no man he defameth no man he interpreteth all things to the best part Finally when as he seeth not the matter goe well with his neighbour as that he fainteth in faith waxeth cold in loue he prayeth for him he reprooueth him according to his calling he is sore grieued if any commit any thing against God or his neighbour all this proceedeth from the roote sap of Gods grace for that the bountifulnes loue and goodnes of Christ hath sprinckled and replenished his heart with sweetnes and loue that it is pleasure and ioy for him to doe good to his neighbour and is grieued for his sinnes as Samuel for Saul 21 Whosoeuer is ioyned to Christ for his iustification must also be ioyned to him for his sanctification For if we be redeemed vnto holines and not to vncleannes why should we take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot or why should we make the temple of the Spirit a stie for Sathan Shall we do such iniurie to the members of Christ shall we doe such violence to the temple of God his spirit shall we rather be rotten impes and grow in our sinnes than remaine in the roote and spring in Christ If Christ his crosse be as a Chariot of triumph if Christ his passion to free vs from condemnation was in the entrance so grieuous in the end so lamentable what is our
successe in our affaires or see his loue in our correction and in exercising our faith 8 The people of Israel are said to feare God when hee destroyed their enemies and spared them This fruit we must haue in vs of all Gods works as well as they They did not onely feare but also beleeue which sheweth their feare to be godly for that feare onely is godly which is mingled with faith Then whatsoeuer feare wee haue it is nothing except it either confirme vs in the loue of the word or else doe turne vs thereunto that so we may beleeue 9 It is the Lord that smiteth the hearts of his enemies and giueth courage to his children as pleaseth him Ioshua 2. 9. Deut. 2. 25. 28. 18. And if of this we were throughly perswaded then would wee neuer feare in any good cause then could not the policy nor power of men dismay vs. Againe wee would be warie to deale against any of Gods children least while we striue against them we resist the hand of the Lord. 10 Ioseph might haue had many excuses when he laid vp the mony in Pharaohs house as that hee had Gods people to prouide for hee could not be espied yet did the feare of God truly grafted in him stay him from vnfaithfull dealing It may bee noted then that the feare of God causeth obedience and though wee might seeme to haue excuse and though we could escape the iudgement of men the law is not giuen to the iust but to the vniust If then the commandement onely doe keepe vs in obedience we haue not receiued the spirit of God if then we will either trust others or be trusted our selues let vs teach and learne this feare of God In that Ioseph would not deale vnfaithfully with a tyrant wee learne to vse iustice toward the wicked contrarie to the Familie of loue who because they thinke all things are theirs therefore it is lawfull to come by them as they can In that Ioseph would doe nothing without Pharaohs consent wee learne to doe nothing without those ordinarie meanes that God hath appointed CHAP. XXIX Of Friendship familiaritie familie and Fathers THe friendship with the wicked is such that to saue themselues they wil endanger their friends as we see in the King of Israel with Iehosaphat 2. Chron. 18. 19. 2 Wee must beware that wee neuer further sinne but if wee loue God wee must loue them whom God loueth and hate them whom God hateth Psalme 15. 4. 139. 21. 22. how dare many then hand ouer head and without choise bee friendes and ioyne in league with Gods enemies Prouerbs 29. 27. 3 We may haue familiaritie with some in whom though there be no great loue of religion yet there is no misliking of religion nor loue of heresies But our acquaintāce must be in outward things wee must beware our league proceed neither to the worship of God nor matter of mariage 4 The sinne of the master of the familie indangereth the state of the whole familie as wee see in Abimelech 5 It is the duty of seruants to couenant with their masters that they may so serue them as that they may serue God 6 When wee haue met our friends and haue done our ciuil dutie of salutation we must not there rest but proceed to talke of spirituall matters that we may edifie one another 7 He is a diuell that is euill among good but he is good that is good among euill 8 We become often hardned in our hearts in the companie of the godly because wee presume too much one of the goodnes of another 9 It is a good thing to haue the acquaintance of a good man for a good cause 10 Moses taketh Aaron and Hur with him knowing his owne infirmities though otherwise we see hee was a man of rare graces and great strength So it is often saide of the Prophets that they had euer some with them and the Apostles are sent by two and two to preach that one might help another Christs also sometimes takes Peter and Iohn not that he had neede so to doe but because he would leaue vs an example which we must follow being ready to vse all helps for our infirmities which the Lord shal offer vnto vs. We must not stay in our selues but vse the aduice of others for this cause it is saide that two haue better wages than one and that if one fall the other may raise him vp Where we see that when men agree together one grace of God doth set on fire another and the more the better if they consent together for a threefold cord is not easily broken yea though wee take such to vs as are inferiour to vs in gifts yet if they be faithfull the Lord by them may helpe vs as Hur was farre inferiour to Moses and yet Moses was strengthened by him And where as Moses in prayer takes but two with him wee learne to make a choise of our companie for that but few being faithfull may more profit vs and preuaile with God than a great multitude which haue but a shew in them 11 Great is the loue of nature Ioseph could not dissemble it for that hee was faine to bee alone that he might more freely breake foorth in teares to his breathrē Yea euen that rough Esau when he saw his brother Iacob a farre off his heart melted in him And like as no affection of loue and liking is so vehement whilest it lasteth so no contention is so bitter and so deadly as that of brethren A Christall broken will neuer be set together againe and there is no water will prooue so exceeding colde as that which hath been once heate Wherefore let men endeuour by all meanes to cherish naturall affection and the rather for that the spirit of God prophecieth that in the last dayes men shall want naturall affection 12 Fathers wee commonly count and call them of whom wee are by nature or vnder whom we are by gouernment whether ecclesiasticall or ciuill or behind whom we are in age and in gifts Augustine consesseth he rebelled against his father in heauen when he refused the instruction of his mother on earth for though thē saith he I could not see what shee did yet now I see that thou O Lord speakest and not shee alone and thy instruction was refused when her teaching was neglected Needfull it is then for fathers to bee taught of God who for that they bee fathers are to bee heard wherein they doe teach from God Ciuill fathers are carefully to furnish themselues with knowledge that they may learne to know when to strike and when not to strike for if they strike when God doth not command them what are they better than murtherers If they strike not when God commandeth what doe they but charge vpon themselues the sinne and punishment of others 13 That our spirituall fathers had need of God to be their teacher
must haue it fresh 5 It is our fault too much to commend euery trifle our tongues are our owne we call euill good if one bee not an open offender so that hee drawe not his sinne after him with cart-roapes though we see neither zeale nor feare of God in all his wayes wee tremble not to call him a good man In our flattering lippes we speake nothing but superlatiues and thinke otherwise we commend not a thing to any purpose But in the Dialect of the holie Ghost it is not so he is no giuer of titles and yet this much of his mouth is more then seuen swelling hyperboles from a vaine man This word good is his emphasis and in this word he expresseth matter of most high commendation If we should take vpon vs to speake of the workmanship of the Lord in the creation of heauen and earth and the Hosts of them both would we not vse the statelyest words in all our store Nay could we find any words stately enough to expresse them I tell you nay but they are able to swallow vp our vnderstanding and to make our tongues cleaue to the roofe of our mouth And yet the holie Ghost reporting the creation of them all as of Light which is saith Iob the Lords rose of estate of darknes which is the swadling bands of the Day the out-going of the Euening and Morning and declaring how he powred out the Heauens like molten glasse and set vp the firmament as a water ouer vs how he laid the beams of his chamber in the waters how he railed in the proud Seas with barres and doores and planted plaines in the midst of it how he lighted those euerlasting Cressets the Sunne and the Moone and gaue charge to the Starres not to faile in their watch telling how he created the clowds to be the bottles of heauen and diuided spouts in them for the raine how he laid vp his treasures of Snow and of haile and prepared the Forge for his Lightnings and Thunder describing the creation of Plants from the Cedar of Libanus to the hysop that groweth by the wall of birds from the Ostrich to the flie of beasts from Behemoth and Leuiathan to the little Emeâ— And last of all Man the Countie Palatine of the whole world and of the passing Wisedome in his reynes these workes be highly to be commended if any thing be to be highly commended to be magnified if any thing be to be magnified in all these the holy Ghost neither riseth nor falleth but this word serueth him throughout and God saw it was good and why not excellent good but that we might know his word is mightie in the simplicitie thereof and that what he calleth good is excellent good Yea heauen and earth may be glad of it seeing the word of God whereof one iote is of more price then they both that the word Hebr. 6. is called the good word of God and to stoppe the mouthes of them that will teach the holy Ghost Rhetoricke Christ himselfe Iohn 10. entituleth himselfe no otherwise but the good Shepheard And good was thought good enough for him and doe we yet require a more stately commendation 6 The Calling of the Ministerie is an alluring Calling and as I may say a Calling that calleth men vnto it a louely Calling such a Calling as the beames of it are able to rauish an eye yet some being to marrie this Virgin thinke her but hard fauoured and therefore before hand will be sure of a good portion with her or els they will none of her but she is full of grace euen downe to the feete in their eyes that loue her and full of Maiesty terrour euen to the dust of her feete vnto al them that despise her which more respect the reward than the worke but this I confesse withall that our eyes are so dazled with the golden stone and the horsseaches daughter Giue Giue cries so in our eares and euer since Adam did eate the apple all the mouthes of his posteritie are so out of taste that we can neither heare nor see nor taste any thing that good is True it is that if we looke vpon this calling with an eye of flesh it lookes euen like Christ for all the world Esay chap. 53. like a withered branch and like a roote in the drie ground and there is neither beautie nor fauour in it that we should desire it I am sure the eye of a carnall man can see no good in it vnlesse it be good to cleane vnto the Lord or it is good for me that I haue beene afflicted and such like which are like pilles and will not to die for it downe with a carnall man Well Christ saith this Calling is good We see what is thought in heauen of this Calling Howsoeuer it be shut vp in contempt of the men of this generation that though they say not it is not good yet by shrinking from it they proclayme so louder than a trumpet that they thinke it is not good Let them laugh we know that euen an Asse if she could laugh would laugh at any whosoeuer he were that eateth not thistles Let them iudge when mans iudgement is done we shall receiue the fruite of a better Fountaine Let them spoyle Church-liuings and deuoure the Lords portion let them swell with disdaine and burst with contempt against vs a blessed contempt it is that fashioneth these dayes of my vanitie into the similitude of the age of Christ. Christ doth not onely say this Calling is good but he hath magnified this Calling in his own Person He himselfe saith Paul Roman chapter 15. verse 8. was a Minister of the Circumcision with vs. The Princes themselues haue no greater honour than to ouersee the Church The best day that euer Dauid liued was when in a linnen Ephod he daunced before the Arke and that was the day that he weepeth and panteth to remember Psalme 42. Salomon the wisest richest mightiest and most glorious among the sonnes of men Ecclesiastes or Preacher was the crowne and beautie of his honour and aboue all titles of kingdomes and countries this was most honourable Salomon the Preacher But what are men or what are Kings or Princes in respect of Angels Yet euen these glorious Spirits the whole host of Angels whether they be Dominions Principalities or Powers the highest Honours they haue the proudest Title they boast of is to be Ministring Spirits If he be an Angell he hath no greater glory And who art thou and what is thy fathers house that canst farme vnto thy selfe greater Honour than to serue the Lord in this busines These arguments might moue vs but aboue all arguments take this The Sonne of God before whom euen the very Cherubins couer their faces spent his life in this Calling and shall a peece of clay a man a stinking worme so farre exalt himselfe in his birth in his riches in his
a promise it is rather paid to the promiser than to him to whom it is promised as one of the fathers saith God paieth his promises to himselfe and the accomplishment of it most respects himselfe 3 The nature of a promise is not presently to yeeld the thing promised for if wee had that wee haue not a promise of a thing to bee performed but a performance of a thing that hath beene promised we stand in faith and receiue in hope and whatsoeuer wee are we are but one hope which is our tenant and takes vp our possession of things to come for our behoofe Our life saith Paul is hidde with Christ. And it appeares not â—aith Iohn What we shall be But the best that may be made of the wicked is here to be seene to the vttermost And seeing our life is in Christ all that are on the stage of the world it is knowne who they be namely the wicked but whatsoeuer is the price of the godly it is yet hidde in Christ we haue nothing but the hope of it Now least some should say if wee haue nothing but in hope it were better to haue some thing certaine To them I say wee doe not speake of a promise from a man The Apostle saith the Lord is faithful If the life of a Christian be compared to a warfare then hope is our helmet Ephes. chap. 6. If it bee compared to a sea-faring then our hope is as an anchour which we must cast into the sea with them Act. chap. 28. to stoppe our shippe in dangers vntill the day appeare Lastly this is our stay God is faithful he hath promised therfore he will surely performe it First he speaketh the word then he promiseth that is saith it double In blessing thee I will blesse Then he addeth an oath As I liue saith the Lord I will visit thee yet more he hath left vs pledges further to assure vs of the trueth of his word if neither his word his promise nor his oath wil serue vs we haue nothing but promises for concerning riches glorie countrey and such like God his children often want them Come to God his grace and to peace of conscience which one would thinke they should haue they often haue them not but faith they haue the promise they haue euery thing else they haue not still they haue the promises them they haue Our faith takes hold on our sins pardoned on the assurance of the life to come these we haue without peraduenture wee haue the other things but by peraduenture The best things we haue we possesse haue them by hope and they that haue outward things are beholden highly to God but they be not his best blessings 4 Howsoeuer some thinke but meanely of God his promise yet nothing is more worthie our consideration and thankefulnesse That that is 1. Sam. 18 18. in the speech of Dauid wheâ— one tolde him that Saul was disposed to giue him one of his daughters in marriage may here be noted for what saith hee seemeth it small to you to bee a Kings sonne what am I or what is my life or the family of my father in Israel that I should be the sonne in lawe vnto a King So may wee say what are wee or what is our life or the familie of our father that the Lord should vouchsafe to make such promises vnto vs Dauid made no light account of his promise To set Dauid in our case and Saul in the Lords Dauids case was farre better than ours For by reason of his victories he had deserued wel of the countrey and therefore worthie to be considered of Saul againe though he should haue had Michol to wife he was not for this to be heyre of the crowne and yet he saith seemeth it to you a small thing Then I say if we could come to make the comparison betweene Saul and God who is the Saul of Saules and prince of Princes in whose respect al the Princes of the world are but wash pots and Cyrus is nothing to him he vnto whom the Angels are subiects and seruants and to whom heauen and earth stoope downe what analogie would there bee betwixt him and Saul On the other side that wee may stand in stead of Dauid if the Spirit of God would shew vs our vnworthinesse in a thing far aboue the promise of Dauid wee would say or wee should say what are wee what is our fathers house that the Lord should haue respect to vs were not our fathers Amorites drowned in superslitious idolatrie carried away with the loue of the world solde vnto sinne and men full of ignorance what was in our fathers house for ourselues what are we haue we not beene deriders of the word of God or hearers of the Lord speake to vs with far lesse reuerence than we heare a mortall men what is there in vs I thinke not of the worst but he that can best expresse his mind and meaning cannot expresse our vnworthinesse My stammering speech cannot vtter iâ— we must conceiue more of it knowe that there is nothing in vs or in our fathers house that the Lord should vouchsafe vs such mercy It must not seeme little that wee haue the word and are compassed about with so many promises wee must reade them with humility then no doubt wee shall reade them with thankfulnes The Apostle saith When the Angels looke at the mysterie of our redemption they are wonderfully astonished they can neuer looke enough to see the vnspeakeable highnes of the Lord and the great gulfe of our vnworthines to behold the ods betweene his greaâ—nes and our vilenes It needeth their conceauing which if we could also doe it would swallow vs vp to see the Lord bestow his promises on such vnworthie wretches When the Lord shall not only make promises in generall but in particular not onely reall but personal not onely conditionall but free not onely temporall but eternall who can goe through them all But setting aside these great promises benefits of his word of his Spirit he hath promised that euen our very corrections * shall doe vs good Setting these apart with all the care of his Angels ministery of all creatures he saith he wil so narrowly looke to vs take charge of vs that he will looke to the haires of our head nay Leuit. 26. he will looke to our kneading troughes and which more is Psal. 41. he will turne our beds couches in the time of sicknes A strange thing that the Lord should thus do with vs. In the heathen histories we reade that because a certaine Captaine came to wash his souldiers wounds they could not praise him enough Then if God the Captaine of his whole Church the God of glory shall so narrowly looke to vs as to number our haires to take care for our kneading troughs to turne our beds to swaddle our wounds these are able to amaze vs and to
euill is present with you and that when you do the euill you would not then do you not it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more then whē Sathan worketh withall buffeting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shal be perfect in your weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you belieue according to your faith it shall be done vnto you But you will say you cannot belieue that this vile and crooked hardnes of your heart can bee remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to God his spirit nor to your selfe who haue receiued it tell me what is the reason why you think you haue no faith Verily because you haue no feeling nor no other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and a fruite of faith And therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded or diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man be so sore wounded by Sathan and diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptation that he may thinke yea and may appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid Psal. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirit crooked or vnstable and vers 14. that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet vers 13. he prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore hee was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth repugnance but there is none He was depriued for a season of the graces of the fanctifying spirit but none of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified Which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will vnto you yea I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy and partly Satan worketh therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirit in you which I beseech you take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedies you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall inable me And I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate iu particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because hee is of your acquaintance and will bring it vnto me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring how hee had no feeling of his heart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God chap. 57. 23. I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is fare off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid Therefore say with him often and with God his people Esay 64 12. O Lord thou art our father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and we are the worke of thy hand c. Know you that God can cause Wolues Lions Leopards c. dwell louingly with Lambes Calues Kine Esay 11. 6. c and that which is vnpossible vnto men is possible vnto God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours Yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your harts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must make an end I commend you vnto God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them which are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so I shall pray for you and much more Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede A LETTER CONSOLATORIE TO Mistris Mary Whitehead THe Lord Iesus Christ by whose blood you are iustified stay and strengthen you now and for euer Amen Seeing we be so miserable blessed bee God that wee bee also mortall seeing wee be subiect to sinne praised bee God that wee are also subiect to corruption It would now grieue vs to bee mortall because wee sinne and by sinne purchase miserie it is sufficient that we shall then neuer die when we shall neuer sinne and then wee shall no more taste of corruption when wee shall no more so much as feare condemnation In regard whereof good Mistris looke not so much to your griefe for the death of your sonne which you see to be the cōmon lot of al and the happie lot of the godly as vpon his freedome from misery his libertie from sinne and his holy change to eternall felicitie And albeit he was young in yeares yet was hee come to sufficient yeares to goe to God that hee that hitherto did grow in Christ should now bee gathered and reaped vp to the kingdome of Christ so that we cannot thinke him to die in his flowers whose perfection groweth to so blessed a maturitie before the Lord. If then you reioyced in him as he was the interest of the Lord you are not much to sorrow that the Lord hath his right Which if your loue to him was right you know did euer appertaine vnto him Hee must not of you his earthly parents be deemed to be lost which of his heauenly father is so surely preserued And without all question his very growing in godlines vnder so manifold afflictions in this life could not haue been so profitable to him and comfortable vnto you as the losse of a few and faint pleasures recompenced with so infinite and vnspeakable ioyes in the life to come are I hope and must be vnto you Be not then so grieued for that
such was Dauids state After that Nathan had reproued him and Gods spirit beganne to worke with him yet hee crieth out as yee heard before of the losse of Gods graces and when hee saith that God will accept of no Sacrifices bee they neuer so manie nor precious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him hee wanted both This is your case and therefore you a in the state of saluation For Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sin and had receiued absolution and pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neuer felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy although he was farre off from the feeling of it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to be hoped of And you must know to be perswaded that those things which are written of Gods Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are examples for vs if we will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time till he come neerer vnto vs by his spirit neerer I say for he is come alreadie vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to beleeue certainely the truth of Gods promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after the comforts vsing the meanes of the word and prayer the Sacraments of the Supper and the company of Gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that Gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearefull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they perseuere and continue desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake very euill of them but all this is but temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christs sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie Dauid mooued with the spirit of ambition though dutifull admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rushing as a horse into the battaile euen then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold cord and fasteneth it with bannings and cursings and yet for all these he obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Sathan had desired to winnow them so our Lord Iesus prayed for them that their faith though it was vehemently assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was bartered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it was oppressed yet that it should not be extinguished And here be you fully perswaded that albeit Luke 22. 31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he prayed for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue praied for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend than the rest although their offence was very great therefore his our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise but did not appropriate it vnto him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not onely for the Apostles but for all those that should beleeue through their word yea further Our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the forefathers were baptized into him did eate his flesh and did drinke his blood so was his prayer effectuall euen to them vnder the law much more to vs vnder grace And when you can finde testimonie in your heart that when you would doe well euill is present with you and that you doe the euill you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue much more when Sathan workes withall buffetting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weakenes If you beleeue according to your faith it shal be done vnto you But you will say you cannot beleeue that this vile crocked hardnes of your heart can be remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirit or to your selfe who hath receiued it Tell mee what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and fruit of faith and therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may bee without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and to his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Satan and diseased by the present feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptations that he may thinke yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane or his spirit crooked or vnstable and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore he was not
most impatient either of reproches offered vnto vs by our enemies or any iniuries by our friends yet herein we â—eruently aske of thy wise and merciful goodnes that wee may reape a good fruite euen of such euill meanes And because wee grow to bee acquainted with the pride of our spirits and sloath fulnesse of our flesh and few meanes are left vs and many offences by our selues conceiued by others and Sathan offered doe alreadie and are daily like more to assaile vs O Lord thou which hast beene our God euen from our first birth especially since our new birth be thou the God of our middle age yea of our old dayes if we liue so long vntill thou finish the last worke of our new birth begun and continued thus farre in vs. To this ende wee aske of thee that we may vow and receiuing grace from thee wee doe vowe to vse all these forenamed good meanes of our saluation more mercifully than yet euer wee vsed them in vsing of them wee aske more feare of thy Maiestie faith of thy promises purenesse of our hearts loue vnto others and withall blessing and fruite more aboundant that our latter workes may be better then our former Wofull experience O blessed Sauiour teacheth and moueth vs to call vpon thee as for these former things so to be preserued and protected by thy almightie and mercifull grace from our owne corruption to come from all Sathans temptation and accusations from all manner of contagion of the vngodly in their iniuries reproches and their benefits praises their â—orceries inchantments yea from any hurt of thy children as they bee not regenerate and from any hurt by thy creatures so farre forth as any of these things may hurt our saluation Former experience O mightie God and mercifull Father ought not onely to teach but also to enforce vs to giue thee thankes praise and glory for thy former mercies vpon vs and thy Church bestowed but wherein thou hast prouided for vs many arguments of strength of faith or ignorance forgetfulnes negligence and want of reuerence of thy mercies receiued minister iust cause of humiliation and therefore in some faith in and thankfulnesse for thy former mercifull blessings and yet in much weaknesse in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord with our whole heart wee beseech thee giue vs a good portion of thy spirit to call carefully thy benefites to our remembrance wisely to vnderstand them and reuerently to regard and truly to be thankfull for them in mind in heart in word and deed through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Wee beseech thee most mightie God and mercifull Father to make partakers of our praiers and thankesgiuings all the whole Church and euery member thereof especially where dutie most chargeth promise bindeth necessitie craueth and thy glory chalengeth c. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHIEFE POINTS OF DOCTRINE HANDLED IN THIS VOLVME GATHERED INTO AN Alphabeticall order A ABstinence vsed 807. want of it hurt the godly 808. Admonition 28. 256 789 to whome it is to be giuen 205. and in what manner 547. 698. 58. of inferiours to superiours 257. how it should be taken 58. Rules of it in generall 629. 630. 631. Adoption what it is and trials thereof 450 Adulterie what it is and how many wayes committed 676. 767. 790. Remedies against it 635. 636. Affection naturall is corrupt 1. 103. 638. 681. 727. 57. 515. 325. alwayes to bee suspected 274. 651. the triall of it 1. 671. 680. how it is renewed 243. 175. 742. goood affections required in good workes 264. 161. Dead Affections 459. 827. Affliction 2. 262. 638. causes of it 35. 640. 197. 234. 235. necessitie thereof 80. how grieuous a thing 97 ioyes in it 686. 782. who are afflicted 95. 96. 639 766. the ende and vse of affliction 1. 2. 112. 686. 533. 334. how to comfort the afflicted 6. 106 1107 114. 116. Affliction soone tries godlie and godlesse 489. three rules for it 864. 865. Ambition 99. how to fight against Ambition 466. Amitie turned into enmitie 798. Anger godlie 243. euill anger 79â— cause of it 466. Triall of anger 3. 641. 204. 547. Angels watch ouer veâ— and how 3. 646 not seene but extraordinarily 641. euill Angels 310. 311. 312. Antichrist 666 Apparell 712. Apostasie how great a sinne 627. An Arrian Heretike 110. Armour of a Christian 308. 309. Assurance of saluation 322. 323. 328. See Saluation Astonishment 24â— Atheisme 3. Austeritie 769. B BAptisme 642. Our vowe in Baptisme euer to bee remembred 477. on what day to be remembred 157. Belieuers like children 18. the belieuer not hastie 408. Blessednes 314. the causes of it 207. the effects of it 209. true blessednes wherein it consisteth 394 Blessing denied because of sinne 784 786. the way to obtaine temporall blessings 644. these are no signes of Gods fauour 645. Blindnes of men 165. causes of it 197. Booke of GOD especiallie to be taken vp with the examples thereof 421. All that can delight the heart of man contained in the booke of God 446 Brethren most vehement in Loue and so in hatred 685. Brownists 258 C CAlamities publike fearefull Tokens thereof 464. causes of it 791. publike most affect vs most 2â— Calling generall speciall 645. misliking thereof dangerous 4. 30. 38. 613. 493. Of calling vpon GOD with diuerse circumstances thereof 449. Care immoderate of outward things hurtfull 464 644 Catechising of Children whiles they are yong required 2 8. 642. 664. families must bee catechized â—9â— how and by whom it must be done 649 6â—5 distinguished from preaching ibid. reasons for it 665 Cause good why it hath ill successe who are enemies to it 8. constancie in it 50 how to prosper in a good cause 461 they may looke to bee potected that haue a good cause and handle that cause well 504 256 651 Censuring of others how it must be done 4 Ceremonies 787 their first originall 152 good and profitable 652 euill and to be hated 353 321 364 Charitie 820 voyde of suspition 79 Chastitie 78 CHRIST 654 his excellencie in all knowledge 751 how and where we must labour to finde CHRIST to apply him 397 his Temptations 490 his Passion in â—oule â—4 186 his Buriall and the vse of it 84 his Resurrection 85 178 he holdeth his Kingdome by two Titles 655 two Crownes 6â—6 his incercession how he must be followed 692 654 his power 852 Christians their estate 308 who bee true Christians 231 A Christians life is the Meditation of the Lawe of GOD c. 459 Difficulties in Christianitic 384 Church why called holie and Catholike the Authoritie and dignitie of it 648 the prospetitie thereof should make vs reioyce 275 a care of the prosperitie a note of Gods children 620 wants in it and yet tollerable 74 648 819 ChildreÌ„ foolish 276 why God giueth such to parents 2â—2 how to be brought vp ibid 662 66â— how to bee corrected 278 marks of Gods children 853 316 their calling and priuiledges