bodily enemies to remaine eternally in the glorie of God of Christ Iesus the Spirit and the holy Angels is not this an infinite and incomprehensible ioy Wherefore men must leaue off the false ioyes of this world and the pettie ioyes of sinne and cleaue vnto this ioy and seeke after it Now euery one the greater treasure that hee findeth the more hee doth reioyce and so euerie one the neerer that hee draweth vnto saluation the more ioyfull and glad he is For the kingdome of God doth not keepe one and the same tenour in all men This ioy is not in all the children of God alike God he doth sometime hide his louing couÌ„tenance from them some times he giueth comfort and sometimes againe more sorrow And as wee see that the Lord sendeth sometimes wet weather and sometimes againe more faire weather sometimes he sendeth stormes tempests and boysterous weather and by and by most calme and still euen so dealeth he with his children sometime he hideth his graces from them which other sometimes he maketh apparrant vnto them And as after stormes and tempests come faire weather so after sorrowes and troubles ioyes and pleasures doe come vnto the children of God after their anguish and paines are past great calmenesse and peace of mind and quietnesse in conscience ariseth vnto them And as it is saidâ— in Psalme 30. 5. The anger of the Lord endureth but a while but in his fauour is life Weeping and sorrow may abide for an euening but ioy commeth in the morning Wherefore euery one is to examine himselfe whether he hath this ioy or not for whosoeuer hath it not certainly he hath not his saluation Yet it may be that he may haue some sight of it but it was neuer hid deepely in his heart And here we are to know that there are two sorts of ioyes in receiuing the word There is a ioy in the wicked in hearing of Gods word but it hauing but a small crust of the earth to nourish it it withereth quickly away and remaineth but for a time as is shewed in this chapter in the parable of the seede which fell in hard stonie ground There is another ioy which endureth and continueth vnto the ende which although it haue many intermissions yet it doth not altogether cease but will at the length haue the victorie against all sorrow whatsoeuer The one of these is the ioy of the minde the other is the ioy of the heart The first is deceitfull the second is effectuall A man may therefore be deceiued in ioy and thinke that he hath it before hee hath found it and that there is a ioy when a man thinketh that hee hath found a treasure when hee hath not and another ioy when he knoweth indeede hee hath found it euen so is there a double ioy in the kingdome of God For there is a ioy in the hearing and knowing of this that the kingdome and graces of God are offered vnto vs It is a ioyfull thing for a man to knowe his saluation and to know that God offereth vnto him eternall life and redemption but if this ioy doe but abide and swimme as it were on the top of their braine and goe no further then is there but a crust of the earth as it were in these hearers and their stonie and hard hearts are hardened with deceitfulnesse of sinne and there is also another ioy in this when a man is assured and fully knoweth that he is saued There is a ioy of the minde when a man doth see the mysterie of his saluation there is a ioy of the heart when a man hath the experience thereof the former of these ioyes may be deceiued the other cannot The former remaineth but for a time if a man doe rest onely in the knowledge of his saluation a man can minister no true comfort vnto this man For it is one thing to know there is eternall life and another thing to know that eternall life is ordained for thee For it is one thing to know that sinnes are pardonable and another thing to know that thy sinnes are pardoned neither doth it follow that because thou seest the way to heauen that therfore thou art there Wherfore thou must know that the seate of faith is not in the braine but in the heart and that the head is not the place to keepe the promises of God but the heart is the chest to lay them vp in Therefore as the minde must be conuinced of sinne so the heart must be continually rebuked feared humbled and terrified from sinne it must be the closet wherein the word of God must be kept With the heart saith the Apostle a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse The minde of man if it be troubled it is nothing but if his heart be troubled the trouble thereof is great Therefore as the griefe of the minde is nothing to the griefe and sorrowe of the heart so the ioy of the minde is nothing comparable to the ioy of the heart And then it is indeed a true ioy when a man hath in his heart an experience of the mercies If I can say now not I but Christ Iesus which liueth in me O this is the ioy of the heart which passeth the reach of all vnderstanding Many cannot distinguish betweene this ioy of the minde and the ioy of the heart But let such men know that a temptation may change the minde and motion of the braine but the heart and affection being roote in goodnesse it can neuer change it For although there be sorrow in thy heart in the euening and for a season yet ioy againe will come in the morning The Lord he is faithfull who hath called his and he will alwaies perfect his worke in them first in raising vp the bodie in the last day and then in ioyning it together with the soule and making both partakers of that blessednesse and glorious happinesse which is prepared for them in the kingdome of heauen THE NINTH SERMON PREACHED ON PART OF the 44. verse of the 13. Chapter according to Saint Matthew MATTH 13. vers 44. And for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field IN the former Sermon wee shewed that the kingdome of God was taken in two diuers senses as namely First for the glorious estate of Gods children after this life when they shall liue eternally with God and enioy the presence of the holie Angels triumphing ouer sinne hell death and condemnation and secondly for the entrance which Gods children haue into the kingdome of God in this world This kingdome is of two parts one of the meanes whereby God offereth his kingdome vnto them the other of the graces of the Spirit which hee offereth by the meanâ—s Here we are taught that none shall euer haue fruition of the ioyes of heauen but those which take possession of them in earth none shall rise againe with Christ to glorie which doth not here arise
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
the remnants of corruptions defects of good things may easily be drawne of a malicious man to cut off himselfe from the Church not being able to discerne betweene essentiall and accidentall betweene the principall and inferiour points which make or destroy a Church that is which cannot iudge how the substantial ground workes remaining there is a Church though there be otherwise some accidentall things wanting If any man not so much intending this mans good as to feede his owne ambition pride stomacke or vaine glory shal carrie such a one to such superstitions or schismes he by his euill heart intending to hinder the truth and to destroy the temple of God the Lord shall destroy him and he shall either grow prophane or worldly or he shall be cut off by death or beare some other token of Gods wrath And because of a singularitie of spirit such men with an euill conscience disturbe the Church they may grow from error to heresies from precisenesse to prophannesse from strictnes to madnes not being content to be corrupted but seeking to corrupt Howbeit the man of infirmities and for want of iudgement going in an high path shall in the end inherit good things and be saued but as by fire The true suruay and examination of our selues 1 VVHen we examine ourselues we are to sit in iudgement ouer our selues and to keepe a solemne court in our owne consciences to suruay our manners our wits our senses our members and to see how we haue vsed them but yet least we should be too fauourable to our selues either in not espying out our sinnes or in not coÌ„demning our sinnes still we remember to make the law our iudge but Christ the answerer of the iudge The motions of the spirit of God in vs. 1 IT is a good thing to make much of a tender conscience and to nourish the motions of Gods spirit and not to offer any violence to that spirit of grace which rebuketh sinne iâ— vs for he that hath once crackt his credit will happily care for nothing she that hath once bruised her virginitie will by all likelihoods proue an old harlot It is daungerous to burie the checkes of our conscience to fight against Gods spirit or to â—mother the light of grace in vs for so we may grow to such a sottishnes in sinne that no admonition can forewarne vs nor punishment can affray vs the smallest meanes will prouoke vs to sinne the greatest meanes cannot reuoke vs from sinne For suffering our selues to be hardned by degrees the spirit is so quickly quenched the conscience so tender is so soone bruised that it is no maruell though we vse so great precisenesse and warinesse in so tender a matter by suspecting the retire of old sinnes and by foreseeing the assaults of new sinnes Euill spirits 1 HE obserued the difference of superstition and true religion in many things and namely how the diuell whilest he was made knowne to men onely by hornes by clawes or by an hollow voyce was wonderfully feared but now being reuealed to be a more secret aduersarie a spirituall tempter a priuie ouerthrower of the soule no man almost regards him and therefore as some haue feared him too superstitiously so now it is come to a more dangerous extremitie that he is not feared at all and which is more we cannot truly beleeue the gracious helpe of Gods holy Angels but seeke after Satans practises He marked that good men and learned did much omit this in their prayers that God would send his Angels to them to deliuer them from euill spirits Temptations 1 EVery man is that indeed that he is in temptation 2 The faithfull shall not be tempted aboue their strength but with the increase of temptation the Lord will increase our faith or with the decrease of our faith he will decrease our temptation 3 Gods children haue their faith so tried by the crosse as alwaies some drosse of sinne is purged away thereby As Iacob ceased not to wrestle though his thigh were â—â—â—â—â—d till he got the blessing so we must not faint in temptation though we be humbled til we get the victorie We must not despayre of victorie because in our striuing we had some infirmities but rather we must reioyce in this that God hath giuen vs a will and a desire to cleaue vnto him 4 It is a great fault in time of temptation not to resist those corruptions which after our temptation is ouer we are ashamed of and time it selfe resisteth them 5 Outward temptations doe not hurt till our inward corruption doth yeeld but rather they are as Surgeons to draw out our festered corruptions 6 Long and strange temptations may betoken long and strange sinnes 7 Gods seruants being tempted are not so much to looke at their state present as on their estate to come because they that presently sow in teares in time to come shall reape in ioy 8 He said that when a great temptation hangeth long vpon vs it were good to seeke for some speciall sinnes in vs because that we shall finde that for some priuie pride or vnthankfulnes or such like a teÌ„ptation remaineth long with vs. There is a a traine of corruption in vs and God often punisheth one sinne with another which if we espie not but looke onely to the grosser sinnes we shall hardly be brought to humble our soules vnderneath the hand of God or to profit by the admonition of others Againe we must auoide all occasions of drawing on sinne and vse ruery principall meanes at the least that helpeth against sinne For although we shunne all occasions and vse many meanes and omit but one of the chiefest God may correct that one omission in vs. 9 He thought it to be a Christian dâ—scretion neuer to vtter a temptation but when a man had no comfort in himselfe or when he stood in very great neede of comfort and then alwaies to discerne to whom he opened it 10 Subtiltie and violence are vsually attendant vpon the temptations of the diuell and the flesh the diuell especially vsing these two 11 Vnto one that was much tempted with vnbeleefe he gaue this counsell When the temptation commeth either fall downe in prayer and say Lord thou makest me to possesse the sinnes of my youth and this temptation is of very equitie howbeit oh Lord grant I may by wisedome herein make this temptation an holy instruction and suffer me to possesse my soule in patience oh turne this â—o thy glorie and my saluation I see and confesse what hath beene in me a long time by that which now sheweth it selfe in me and that thy grace â—ath altogether hitherto kept vnder this corruption yet Lord I beleeue and yet Lord I will beleeue helpe Lord my vnbeleefe thy name be praised for this seale of thy loue and pledge of thy spirit that in this vnbeleefe I am grieued as in my beleefe
diuels yet God is vnchaungeable and maketh them white as snow and as he loueth vs not simply for any wel doing so he doth not cast off his loue simplie for any euil doing We must often listen to that sweete Eccho which is betweene the Lord and our consciences Sinner saith the Lord I am thy saluation Father saith the sinner thou shalt be my saluation That we may be assured hereof it pleaseth the Lord euen to admit vs into his Tabernacle of coÌ„ference and will not only let vs tread in the courts but also giueth vs a stoolâ— to sit in his owne presence before the Arke yea and not onely giueth vs a roome in his Church but also diuideth vs our portion of heauenly consolation by his Spirit truth whereby not only our soules and bodies be holden together but also we grow from glorie to glorie from pleasure to pleasure vntill wee be made perfit in his Syon 34 The heart is God his owne part and that which must goe to the Lord Now as nothing should runne to common vses which was sacrificed to the Priests vnder the Law so the heart which is the Lords title must not be freely giuen to any possession but onely in for and from him 35 As of all mercies of God this is not the least that the Lorde will not let vs thriue in sinne but vouch safeth to crosse vs and meete vs in our way as hee did with Baâ—â—â—m going into an euill way So this of all iudgements is the sorest when the Lord taking away his carefull hand from vs shall suffer vs to prosper and growe cunning in sinne so as wee can rode thorow and cut downe whole woods drie vp whole fountaines and drinke vp manie riuers and ouerthrowe euery mountaine that stands in our way And therefore God his children are quickly espied to be bungerlike workers of sinne that the Lorde may shame them in this life but the wicked knit so close a web that they goe away with art and peace vntill the Lord shame them in the day of shame 36 As many being much diseased in bodie are the more thereby distempered in their mindes So manie troubled in minde bring a disorder of nature euen vpon their bodies And none more then conteÌ„tious persons who not looking to the hand of God but to the weaknes of man doe fret too much which is only to be remedied with considering of the vilenes of our sinne of the wisedome of our God Iob did not fume against the Chaldeans but humbled himselfe before God Dauid fretted not against Shimâ—i but cast himselfe into a searching of his conscience And wee shall finde by proofe that they that are much humbled for their owne sinnes are most meeke to others as also that they who are most contentious with others are not much humbled with their owne sinnes 37 It is one thing to haue our hearts hardening and another to haue them hardened Our hearts are hardened when there is litle hope of repentance or at least hard comming to repentance our hearts are hardening when we are but in the way to the other and this commeth either by wholly refusing of good things or by some carelesse vsing of them or else by doing of euill and suffering our selues to be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne This deceiueablenesse of sinne is either an inarching vpon vs after some good fruite or Christian profession when hauing beene any long time well occupied wee haue not through want of feare and priuie pride the former iealouzie ouer our thoughts but wee are ready to giue some larger libertie to our first motions motions breeding consent consent producing the action the action iterated bringing a custome and custome casting vs into hardnes of heart or else it slâ— lie stealeth vpon vs by leauing our exercises of religion by little little when we can leaue off for once without any necessitie one thing and â—notâ—â—r time another vntill at the length our desire die and our good purposes lye buryed â—re we â—e aware 38 Wee may learne to suspect our wisedome in matters concerning a better life euen by the wise men of the world in things concerning this life The Physition whose Arte hath bene fruitfull to manie will not content himselfe being fallen into some sicknes with his owne knowledge but will ioyne in conference with the more learned in that facultie for his recouerie The skilfull Lawyer hauing coÌ„mendablie handled the causes and controuersies of many Clients will not in his purchase or proper case trust to his owne practise but prouideth better for the matter by taking the aduice of many men of experience in that profession and yet in the matter of saluation in the great sicknesse of the soule and purchase of eternall life wee thinke our selues wise enough and that sinne can soone be plaistered and Heauen gotten with ease as though saluation were not worth the labouring for 39 Manie are readie to doe duties and they will also require duties and though they haue not duties answered to them yet they must goe forward in duties Manie will doe no iniurie and they will suffer no iniurie yet they must learne to beare iniuries and bee readier to receiue the second then to reuenge the first It is also true that many see their owne infirmities and will not see other mens and yet they espie not so manie things as they may espie Manie thinke they doe many good things and they doe so yet they doe not many things which they may doe And one may doe many things good in their owne natures and yet corrupt them in the manner of doing and by some blemish in the affection corrupt the beautie of the whole action Manie leaue many sinnes and doe manie good things thinking that all others should leâ—ue many sinnes too and that euery one should goe foote by foote by them and yet God giueth not the like measure to euery one Many rebuke a thing rebukable and when the offenders see it not they growe impatient and yet in wisedome wee should waite for the turning of the sinner Manie will forgiue when they see a man relenting neither is it any great matter yet this is a Christian dutie in deed by faith in God to hope and waite for the conuersion of a sinner in the meane time supporting all infirmities The naturall affection of parents with their children doth by hope vse great longanimitie and why should not we then vse the same and more in Christianitie For Gods children are to put vpon them the affection of fathers of mothers and of brethren and sisters to heare out and sustaine the infirmitie of our brethren Many do duties forbeare want of duties looke to the least infirmitie in themselues not prie into the defects of others and yet cannot away to bee adn onished but if a man can sustaine the rebuke of his friend and the reproch of his enemie not looking so
his mercies are most wonderfull there if they bee contemned the iudgements of God ensue most feareful The serpent of all beasts the wisest abusing that wisedome became of all the cursedst Sodome the beautifull valley being puft vp with pride became the filthiest pit The church of the Iewes the valley of vision not vsing it dignitie was as a scattered wildernes Ierusalem is an heape of stones Sion as a thicket the Temple as a vast vessell The Church of Rome refusing Christ is become the seate of Antichrist The churches of Asia lost their candlesticke because light comming to them they loued darknes more than light 66 Vntill a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinnes determineth to arise goe to his father the word doth say he is not come to himselfe as Luk 15. in the lost child contrariwise when a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinne saith he will arise and goe to the father the world crieth with Festus he is besides himselfe too much learning hath made him mad So farre differ the iudgements of the word and of the world 67 As the Serpent was the first instrument of sinne â—o sinne retayneth still a qualitie of the Serpent For first it windeth round about vs as though it would imbrace vs but in the end it playeth the Serpent and with the tayle it doth sting vs. For the sorrowes which belong vnto sinne do not commonly accompanie the fact to be committed but the fault already committed and doggeth the conscience to sting it to death at the time of most aduantage for sinne taketh occasion by the law and deceiueth and therefore sâ—ayeth vs. And let not him thinke that findeth not a present controlement of conscience for euery sinne committed that therefore he hath not offended God for we are oâ—t suffered to haue the spirit of slumber for a while that the spirit of Christ Iesus might more perfitly awake vs. 68 God his children are to reioyce for the day of their Resurrection is their day of Redemption Their iudgement day was when Christ was iudged at what time all that are in Christ were iudged And as the wicked are now damned but then shall haue the sentence of damnation so now the godly are saued but then they shall haue the full testimonie of their saluation by Christ yea with Christ they shall be assistants in iudgâ—â—â—â—â— to condemne others so farre they shall be from comming into iudgement to be condemned 69 Bersillai hauing done a great benefit to Dauid the King could no◠〈◊〉 estimation how sufficiently to recompence it but referred him and his children to â—eat Salomons table Bersillai thought in himselfe this to be so great a recompence that he reâ—use 〈…〉 If it were both in Dauids estimation and in Bersillaieâ— opinion so great a 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Salomons table how much more glorious a benefit is it to sit at Christ his table 〈…〉 Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present 70 It is our corruption that we are more grieued when we suffer as â—el-doers than when we suffer for euil-doing For this is the logicke of the world I am grieued that I am thus dealt with because I neuer deserued it had I done any thing worthy of punishment it would not haue grieued me though I had beene punished Thou speakest like a foolish man thou knowest not when to be grieued and when â—ot to be grieued For whether is it better to suffer when thy conscience is free and suffereth not or when with thy outward affliction thou art afflicted also of thine owne heart And is it not a glorious thing to suffer for well doing wherein thy cause of griefe is the lesse and an ignominious thing to suffer for euill doing wherein the cause of griefe is the more For if rather the cause of affliction than affliction itselfe should grieueâ— hee then affliction without cause of affliction being for God his cause should rather comfort thee 71 Companie is the best thing and worst thing in the world how much and how 〈◊〉 are men beholding to it it maketh and marreth whatsoeuer commeth neere it 〈◊〉 as wormes do easily breede in the softest wood so doth it commonly spoyle the best â—â—â—â—sition 72 When we haue any crosse it is hard lucke say we Well that luck as you call it and prouidence as I iudge it is often more worth vnto vs than all our substance And why so the reason seemeth simple and yet is most forcible for then we begin to be in necessitie That is as you thinke a cold comfort and I should hardly perswade you that this argument is good For if I shall say that if ye did beleeue ye should see this as sure as your life I know that you would smile at it Notwithstanding it is sure that the sense of our necessitie causeth vs to looke for a remedie the asking of it by prayer doth assure vs to obtaine because of the promise 73 Herein is a difference betweene children and bastards that originall sinne in the refused hath the roote as rottennes the branch as dust the bud as blasphemie the fruite as despaire in the elect being ouerturned with the power of affliction then ariseth in stead of it both the blossoms of rising from sinne and the sweete smelling fruite of conuersion vnto God 74 There is nothing so good but priuie pride will corrupt it nothing so euill but a lye will couer it For priuie pride cast the Angels from heauen exiled Adam out of Paradise ouerthrew the deerest of God his children when they were most full of the spirit and was the last but most fierie temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ was assaulted It is seene of others before it is espied of our selues it commeth with greatest graces of God whereas other sinnes come with sinne it was the first sinne in God his childe and it will be last For euen when all sinnes seeme to bleede and all graces seeme to stand herein we can be proude that sinne is so dead and godlinesse so abundant in vs. 75 It is good still to attend vpon hearing the word although we feele not that inward ioy and working of God his Spirit which either we haue felt or desire to feele The preaching of the word is God his ordinance if it hath noâ— wrought heretofore though it worke not presently it may worke hereafter And because we know not who is the man what is the time where is the place which is the sermon that God hath appointed to work on vs let vs in all obedience attend on the ministerie of euery man watch at all times be diligent in euery place and runne to euery sermon which we can conueniently because though the Lord touch vs not by this man in this place at this time through such a sermon yet he may touch vs by another Let euery one therefore thus meditate with himselfe Though I hearing am as dead as a stone and
to leade such a strict life they will haue other men liue like Angels and they themselues like Deuils Some more effectuall notes and of more common vse than these are set downe Matth. 23. But some may say and gather hereupon If it be a grosse hypocrisie to reprehend I will not deale with it at all and these are either fearfull or wickedly subtile and they are worse than the other Wee must not mislike the doing of an hypocrite further than God misliketh his misliking must bee our rule and hee blameth him not for the outside but for the inside A reprehension is good but in him it is ill accidentally as the best things in the Gospell may be The Pharisies were reprehenders and our righteousnesse must exceede theirs that is comprehend theirs and more Augustine saith well Sheepe may not therefore cast away their skinnes because wolues sometimes are coated with them Euery outward thing in their hypocrisie was good making of Proselytes keeping Saints memories and hee that hateth them for their abuse shall prooue himselfe a foole in the end Another kinde of men may conclude and thinke that those that are such open offenders and riotous not to be hypocrites and it is all they can boast of I am no hypocrite But we know that he is a singular hypocrite by Christs owne testimony that hath a beame in his eye Surely they are of the brotherhood of hypocrites Esay chap. 9. speaking of young men of wilde youths saith they are all hypocrites Iustine saith Euery euill man is an hypocrite more or lesse none is worse than such And yet if a man should see him in a mantle and heare him to pronounce Iehouah in sixe lines seuen times hee would thinke well of him he being darknesse turneth himselfe into an Angell of light and as hee is an hypocrite himselfe so is his crue The flesh shee complaines she is very weake and cannot rise and the spirits are dull they cannot studie But Dauid omitting his spirituall watch fell seuen times worse than hee did before The world is an hypocrite you may see by the tares which all good writers expound hypocrites that there be bundles of hypocrites though few beare the name Christ saith in the Gospell Hypocrites Esay prophecied well of you you come neere me with your lips c. Of these there be many bundles such are all they as will not goe one inch further in doing their duties thaÌ„ the precepts of men A man might marueile at Saint Paul that he called some the circumcised of God and the Israel of God as though there were any other Israel or circumcision there are indeed the circumcised of Parliaments and the Israelites of Princes Many there are who if Iosias his statutes were abrogated would bee readie to take the statutes of Omry There is another kinde of hypocrites called Heretikes as the Nouatians Anabaptists Familists The worst kind are those in the Church which open well vntil they haue a morsell cast into their mouthes Diuers colour their hypocrisie vnder the cloake of affected popularitie as Absolom The cast of hypocrites is to ioyne to great men that if they make a scape they may not bee medled withall Secondly they will ioyne themselues to good men and if that cloake will not serue they flie to statutes as in Daniel and last of all to the cloake of religion as Pilate to Christ I adiure thee by the liuing God and as the sonnes of Iacob did to the Sichemites they gate them to circumcise them that they might kill them There is a kinde of dissemblers that thinke it but hypocrisie to take vpon one the dutie of admonishing and they say of themselues that they are not cleane fingred but cleane hearted and that they are glorious within for all that the world seeth But Iames saith they must be cleane fingred too One saith to Augustine It sufficeth mee that I haue a pure conscience or that I haue a good conscience Augustine answereth Let not that content thee but remember the words of Christ also Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your heauenly father Matth. 5. This is certaine saith hee if there be a beame in thine eye there is a whole stacke in thine heart How comes it to passe then that they that are more carefull than the rest are called hypocrites Christ indeede might call the Pharisies so for hee knew their thoughts but no Prophet euer called any hypocrite that had not a beame in his eye But this is the pestilent practise of the Diuell to vexe the children of God with that sinne which they cannot with any outward witnesses or compurgators so wel discharge themselues of being a sinne in the heart If a man be accused of adulterie hee might shew the contrarie by circumstance of time and place and so acquite himselfe but for this sinne no oth will serue for then hee is thought to be greater hypocrite Giue me all the Saints saith Augustine and say to them and see how they can discharge themselues Then the matter is this two things are required in a Christian which God giueth Iob that we be both straight without and sound within FINIS A TREATISE OF ANGER MOses in the twelfth of Numbers is coÌ„mended for the meekest man vpon the earth yet Exod 32. 19. he is said to be angrie and also is commended for it and his anger is allowed where wee learne that euery anger is not forbidden in the word of God but that only which is either without or not for a â—ust cause and which is not measured by the word For anger is in vs as other qualities of the minde are that is if it be ruled by our corruption it is euill and is forbidden in the word as a worke of the flesh but if by Gods good Spirit it be sanctified and ruled by Gods word it is a dutie commanded and we ought to bring it â—oorth as a fruit of the Spirit And many of Gods seruants in the Scriptures being angry for good causes and obseruing measure are commended for it whose examples in the like causes we ought to follow That we may therefore know spirituall and Christian anger from fleshly carnall anger and that we may discerne the workes of Gods Spirit in vs from the corrupted workes of our flesh it shall be profitable by some notes to make a difference betweene them that so they may both be knowne The first note or difference betweene these two kindes of anger is this If wee can patiently swallow vp and ouercome iniuries and faults committed against our selues yet in the cause of the Lord we can be very hot earnest and iealous this is a good signe that our anger proceedeth from the Spirit of God within vs. But contrariwise men in their owne causes and quarrels and when the iniurie is done to them will be very hot and angry and marueilously
who mourne rather in themselues possessing their soules in patience thā murmur against others as labouring in a secret disdaine of them and of this sort of mourners the Lord Iesus hath pronounced this iudgement Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Neither must we be of too abiect a spirit as they that will patiently suffer all things because they would be troubled with nothing for that were rather a stoicall and vnchristian sottishnes than an heroicall and Christian meekenes but willingly submitting our necks to the yoke by the Lord his appoyntment imposed vpon vs we are rather patiently to waite for the time of our deliuerance and by labouring to keepe a good conscience we are to hunger and thirst after righteousnes where with vpon the credite of the Lord his owne word we shall in his good time be satisfied Now that wee may continue sanctification with mortification as wee ioyne together Christ his passion and resurrection let vs adde somewhat of those quickening graces of the spirit wherin some effects of Blessednesse doe appeare most euidētly the first is peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 2. wherby we finde both truce with God and are at league with his creatures so as both for our comfort in the promises of God we haue accesse to him to reioyce vnder the hope of his glorie and for our confidence in the promises of God we can lie downe and sleepe in many perils because God hath either meanes to deliuer vs out of them or else is readie to sustaine vs in them Psal. 3. 6. and 4. 8. Of this thus speaketh the Prophet Blessed is the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenance O Lord Psal 89. 13. Now least we should deceiue our selues with some false peace and illuding ioy we put vnto this peace of minde sinceritie which the holy Ghost hath linked together Psal. 32. 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile And Psal. 119. Blessed are those that are vpright in the way and walke in the way of the Lord. Beware least this vprightnes of minde be boysterous and voide of loue without which all is as nothing but a swelling pride so with this we make knowne our faith by fruites and our feeling by sweete effects For loue the enemie of securitie is carefull to please God and fearefull to displease him and blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies Psalm 128 1. Lastly this feare is ioyned with a care to please God in the obedience of his word Luk. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Those effects which concerne not onely our selues but others are of two sorts and comprehended Matth. 5. The first a Christian care to worke in others a taste of that sweete reconciliation which is from God to man or from man to man whereof it is said Matth. 5 9. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Many may vndertake this dutie but vpon some sinister affection and therfore we require a fellow-feeling of the euils of others mourning both for their inward defects outward necessities of whom Christ hath said Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Of the other the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 40. 2. Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore c. And when wisedome ioyned with compassion pitie mixed with policie doth worke such a moderation in our affections as that wee may vse such a mercifull seueritie where it is needefull and a seuere lenitie where the matter so requireth it this causeth vs to auoide on the one side taking of offence for Blessed are they saith the Lord Iesus that are not offended at me and on the other side it teacheth vs to reach out our hand to the needie for it is a blessed thing to giue rather than to receiue Act. 20. 35. The outward effects are prosperitie as a signe of God his loue and aduersitie as a thing sanctified vnto vs in the crosse of Christ Psal. 128. Many temporal blessings are propounded not vniuersally but as restrained to them that feare the Lord because indeed they haue the surest interest in them right vnto them The like felicitie falleth out Psal. 144. but to such as haue God for their Lord. And much more is a certain gain and handsell of happines ariseth euen out of the bitternes of affliction to them that feare God in that thereby the Lord strippeth them from some sin wherewith they might haue rotted or whetteth them vp to some actions of godlinesse wherein their zeale began to freeze for cold or to trie their faith which else would haue beene drosse or for the good of others that might make their profit thereby The Prophet his testimonie of this is Psal. 99. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord and teachest him in thy law Herevnto may be ioyned that beatitude of the Lord of all blessings Matth. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen To draw at the last to the consummation of all this we make the full heape of all happines after this life to be filled with the Lord of life and with the sweetnes of his presence who is happie aboue all that can be thought and counted happie This is foreshewed Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you And Reuel 14. Blessed are they that die in the Lord c. For thus shall we be ioyned to God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost then shall all teares be wiped from our eyes then shal our infirmities be taken from vs then shall we dwell with the Angels with all the hostes of heauen in most happines and blessednes it self We see now by this chaine not forged by our own braine but framed out of Gods his word that he is indeed blessed whom God chuseth whom Christ redeemeth whom the Spirit renueth whom faith staieth whom the Word Prayer Sacraments and discipline build vp in the Lord in whom faith breedeth peace peace sinceritie sinceritie loue loue a feare of displeasing and a care of pleasing God in whom this care striueth to a mortification in pouertie of minde this pouertie comming from a mourning heart possessed in a meeke spirit which hungreth after righteousnes all these things being ioyned with that sanctification which lamenteth the sinne of others and relieueth the wants of others knowing to vse prosperitie and aduersitie as pledges of God his fauour and vndoubtingly looking for the kingdome of heauen in the life to come If any of these linkes be missing the chaine is broken if any of these members be wanting the bodie of blessednesse is vnperfit FINIS
vaine doctrine Wherefore we must not be euer learning and yet not come to the knowledge of the truth but the trueth must dwell plentifully in vs with all wisdome that wee may discerne the spiritâ— And when we haue waied and found any thing according to the word then must wee receiue it as the word of God with reuerence and if we finde any thing false in it wee must be so farre off from receiuing it that we must hold him accursed that shall bring it though he were an Angell from Heauen Foolish then is that phreneticall fansie of the Familie of Loue which will say we may not iudge we cannot condemne For euery Christian taught by the spirit may yea and ought in the libertie of the spirit to trie and condemne all that is not consonant with the holy word of God The third thing required of a Christian is that by his knowledge he be able to instruct and admonish others This doth Iude in his epistle require that we should doe wheÌ„ he exhorteth vs to edifie one another in our most holy faith This also is giuen in charge Hebr. 3. that we should admonish one another and Hebr. 5. it is said that in respect of the times we ought to be teachers Our Sauiour Christ also commaundeth vs if our brother offend that we should admonish him This dutie wee owe and this we must be able to discharge especially to them of our household of our towne of our kindred and so by degrees to all men as wee haue occasion to deale with them and as our calling shall suffer vs. The fourth thing is that wee should be able to giue an account of our hope euen vnto our enemies This Peter requireth in plaine wordes this doth our Sauiour Christ require that if we would hee should confesse vs before his Father that we should confesse him before men These things were fulfilled in the Apostles times in the primitiue Church and in Queene Maries daies and this euen among vs may be found in many places therefore this is the true and natural meaning of this place This was neuer found in the Anabaptists who the younger they were in heresie the better they were in honestie and if once they waxe old in their heresie they grow not so much in knowledge as in subtiltie to inuent mens phrâ—ses to delude and deceiue with new starched termes They will auouch nothing before a Magistrate if they bee taken they will recaâ—t if they die they will say it is for treason and not for heresie And although nowadaies there be found few Christians which be able to trie theÌ„selues their Teachers to teach theÌ„selues to admonish others to giue an account of their hope before the aduersarie yet we may lesse marueile at it though they be not ashamed of it when as some occupying the roomes of Ministers and many wise and politique Magistrates cannot examine themselues and much lesse trie others Examine them and deale with them in matters of a better life of doctrine or discipline and they can say nothing but by act of Parliament by iniunctions and the common proceedings If there were a contrarie blast of heresie blowne in their eares they could not tell what to say to it they would follow the Court and doe as most doe affirme as the superiours affirme and denie that they denie because all their religion hangs on the Councels determination and on the Kings proceedings So that euery one is not a Christian that carrieth the title and beareth the face of a Christian but they indeede are professors of Christ who are annointed with his Spirit wherewith hee was annointed whether in a dropping or more flowing measure We see then what we ought to doe and doe not wherein we may be the more ashamed that the Papist the Turke the Familie of loue delight so much in their studie They be so carefull to dishonour God we are carelesse to honour him which thing ought to moue vs and to make vs more carefull to seeke knowledge Many so farre exceede that they begin now to be ashamed and they bid away with exercises of religion they can leaue them for and post them to others I am no teacher but an husband man saith one I am not booke-learned but a poore artificer saith another I was neuer brought vp at schooles with these learned men but at home saith the third it is not for vs to be seene in these points it appertaineth rather to Doctors The words of God are here very flat I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh c. And surely if any man hath not receiued God his Spirit the Apostle pronounceth him to bee none of God his children and if wee haue the spirit wee shall sheew it in the fruites of the spirit Wherefore let vs cast away these vaine excuses farre from vs We are young men we must haue a fling youth is vnstable it will bee time for vs to be grauer hereafter when wee become old men Howbeit the Prophet Dauid saith Psal. 119.9 Wherewithall may a young man redresse his way c. And Eccles 12. 1. it is said Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c. If young men will appertaine to God they must haue God his spirit that is such gifts as they may doe these things Let none say wee are old our memorie failes vs if our wits were as fresh as they haue been we could doe something now we can remember nothing For men can remember things of vanitie done in their youth and in chronicling theÌ„ they will weare tongues and to fetch euidences of lands or mony which they haue hidden their memorie failes in no point Well as the Lord saith that yong men shall see visions so old men shall dreame dreames If wisedome and the feare of God be the crowne of old age and without these the aged man euen of an hundred yeeres old is accursed they had neede to labour for knowledge Old men will pleade for their priuiledge to goe before young men in worldly things and will they hope for plackards to excuse them if they come behind them in heauenly things None must say We are but seruants and vnder others wee must labour for our wages and no time can wee haue as others to learne such things it is well if wee may haue the Lord his day to rest on we must haue our recreation then wee cannot alwayes be toyling Well if ye be the seruants of God as well as the seruants of men men or maides ye must by God his spirit be able to prophecie Is your condition hard vnder the Gospell oh praise God it is nothing so hard as vnder the Law For in times past seruants were bondmen little better in condition than bruite beasts and yet men being at that time in such an estate vnder such heathen men did so carefully attend vpon the Lord in the word and in prayer that they would redeeme al times possible for to
puffed vp with pride that they reioyce when their pride may be pulled downe or their haughtinesse abated either by some sharpe rebuke or by some fearefull threatning or by some moderate correction from the Lord. For they know that if it were needefull for S. Paul to be buffeted and that by the minister of Satan to the intent that his pride might be beaten down then it is much more needful for them after sundrie waies to be humbled Besides they doe not only desire the word but they also waite vpoÌ„ the Lord vntill it please him to worke further in them thereby and this waiting is as earnest as is theirs who hauing watched all the night doe waite and looke for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wants so also they see that grace they haue receiued and are for that time well appayed and contented therewith and therefore as their wants doe humble them so the graces of God receiued doe comfort them and as their wants doe call vpon them cause them to seeke more so that they haue doth prouoke them to be thankefull for that they haue receiued See then a quite contrarie course of the wicked and those that of sinceritie doe worship God see I say how contrarily the graces and gifts of God doe worke in them And therefore from the consideration hereof wee may well draw a fourth rule whereby to make triall and examination of our selues So to conclude this point in a word when a man by the spirit of God hath been inlightned vnto a certaine and sufficient knowledge of Gods will when he findeth his affection chiefly and aboue all other things set vpon God when he findeth a pure and sincere loue of God in his heart not for wages but for the worke of grace which after an vnspeakeable manner doth moue him thereunto when he doth thankfully acknowledge mercies receiued as he doth carefully attend and waite vpon the Lord til he bestow some greater measure of graces vpon him then may he bee vndoubedly perswaded that hee hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectuall manner and that therefore it shall neuer be taken from him But what then may such men cast off all care No for vnto them doth S. Paul giue this charge That they doe not quench the spirit And notwithout cause doth he giue them this charge for though the spirit it selfe can neuer be taken vtterly from them yet doubtlesse if they waxe proud if they grow secure if they fall into sinne then the graces and gifts of the spirit may decay and dye in them their cleere vnderstanding their feeling their affection and all may be gone so that in their own iudgement and in the iudgement of others it may seeme that they haue quite quenched put out the spirit Neither must this seeme so strange for if the image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam than it is now in vs If I say this image might quite be lost and blotted out as we see it was then no marueile if the graces of the spirit of God be for a time as it were dead and drowned in vs. And that we may be the lesse offended herewith the Scriptures doe offer vnto vs such examples of men as hauing been once effectually called and truly borne againe haue yet afterward through some sinnes lost the graces of the spirit such were the Galathians for they were truly called and effectually regenerate by the spirit and Gospell of God as may appeare by this that for the words sake they reuerenced the Apostle as the Angell of God yet they were snared with false doctrine and fel very dangerously to the choking and quenching of the graces of Gods spirit in them The spirit it selfe was not takâ—n from them nay Christ did still continue in their hearts but yet for want of godly graces hee was as it were without fashion or forme so that the Apostle did as it were trauell againe vntill Christ was fashioned anew in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought into the like â—ase therefore in the 51. Psalme he prayeth That God will create in him a new spirit What was the spirit quite gone No for by and by in the same Psalme he prayeth That the Lord would not take away his holy spirit from him How can these two stand together first to pray that a new spirit may bee created in him and then that the spirit of God may not be taken from him Surely the spirit it selfe was still in him and therfore he prayeth that it may not be taken from him but the graces and gracious working of the spirit they were dead and gone and therefore he praieth that they may be renewed in him By this then we see that the very chiefe graces of the spirit may be quenched euen in the most godly when they fall into sinne But yet that no libertie may be taken hereby let vs a little consider what griefe and punishment they procure to themselues that do by any meanes lose the graces of the spirit First of all we must know that though the spirit of God caÌ„not be gotten by our labour yet it costeth vs much labour and wee must vndergoe much trauell and suffer much trouble before the spirit of God doe take possession of vs now when the graces of the spirit are lost all this our labour seemeth to be lost and what griefe is it to see the whole labour and trauell of a man to vanish and come to nothing Secondly when a man receiueth the spirit of God and by the same spirit is assured that his sinne is forgiuen him that he is in the fauour of God there doth arise in his heart a great ioy in the holy Ghost a ioy I say that is vnspeakeable and glorious and this ioy is lost and gone when the graces of Gods spirit are gone with how great griefe and woe they knowe that in any measure haue tasted of it Againe when the graces of the spirit are choked in men then they haue no heart to doe good they haue no affection to goodnesse but all is gone and they are made for the time as it were an vnprofitable burthen of the earth What griefe can be greater than this what sorrow can sinke more deepe than that a good man should bee cleane withholden from doing good Moreouer it is sure that wheÌ„ the gifts of the spirit are in this sort gone then he that was most righteous before may soone fall into great sinnes yea and which is more they shall also suffer the reproch of their sinnes For this is a part of the couenant that God made with his That though he will not take his mercies vtterly from them yet hee will visite their sinnes with the rodde and their iniquities with scourges and what griefe this is the example of Gods children may shew vs. What griefe was it to
children of God Why therefore shouldest thou lay before thee the difficulties of ouercomming Sathan that thou shouldest therefore despaire in the mercies of God Why should any of vs thinke that wee are not able to ouercome our owne lusts when Christ Iesus standeth for vs and fighteth with vs when his Angels pitch their tents round about vs and the spirit of God is powerfull in vs and the word of God maketh for vs. Now seeing thou hast the Word which is of power to saue thy life and seeing thou hast the seales of Gods mercies Water Bread and Wine which are more sure seales of Gods fauour than the obligations and bonds of any Priaces seeing thou art so fenced in on euery side bee not discouraged by the mightie power of thine enemies but abide the brunt a little and desire the Lord to increase thy faith and no doubt thou shalt be a conquerour and triumph ouer all thine enemies Let vs bethinke vs of our charges and costs being certainly perswaded by whom in whom through whom we shall be more than conquerours that so we runne not away at the first Let vs beleeue and it shall be vnto vs according to our faith and if wee cannot beleeue let vs pray with the man in the Gospell Lord helpe our vnbeliefe FINIS THE TENTH SERMON PREACHED ON PART OF the 44. verse of the 13 Chapter according to Saint Matthew MATTH 13. vers 44. Againe the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a treasure hid in the fielde which when a man hath found he hideth it and for ioy thereof departeth and selleth all that hee hath and buyeth that field HAuing spoken of this verse before my purpose is not to vse any long repetition of that which was deliuerâ—â— â—n effect this â—ath been before shewed namely that the price of our saluation here called the kingdom of God â—s so excellent that it is resembled vnto a treasure which howsoeuer it is hid from the reprobate and those that bee of this world yet it is manifest and reuealed vnto the children of God who finde it and when they haue found it hide it fearing least they should lose it againe the finding whereof breedeth such ioy in their hearts that they will willingly part from all things that they haue so that they may enioy this treasure and therefore it is saide that the man hauing found this treasure departeth and withdraweth himselfe Where we haue shewed that many for want of this withdrawing themselues or premeditation not considering what the price of this treasure is nor what paines and labour he is to take which enioyeth it after they haue once begun and entred into this course which leadeth vnto eternall life not being able to continue therein doe with the vnskilfull builder not forecasting what the building will cost and with the vnwise King hauing begun warre and not able to go through there with leaue off vnto their great shame and reproch And here we haue shewed that no man can sell all that he hath to buy this treasure before hee haue throughly considered and deeply â—ayed what the thing itselfe is and what losse and perill he is to sustaine before he can attaine thereunto And heere leaâ—â— that any should be discouraged from selling that which he hath to buy this treasure I shewed the remedies and helpes which further vs therein For howsoeuer this treasure is chargeable yet the cost is Christs and how laborious soeuer it is yet Christ haâ—h taken sufficient paines in obtaining it for all those that put their trust in him And although the perils and dangers be great yet in our Lord Iesus they are all ouercome After that a man hath premeditated the charges paines and perils which hee is to sustaine in buying this treasure then he commeth to a ful resolution and he selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field In this word selleth there is much matter contained where we ought to giue more diligent attention thereunto The things in generall which are to be sold before this field be bought are either of their owne nature euill and in themselues simply sinfull or else such as are sinfull in respect of circumstances those which of themselues are simply sinfull are of two sorts either grosse outward sins or else the inward corruption of our corrupt nature Concerning the former to wit grosse outward they must bee parted withall and sold for this saying is true both in religion and in manners No man can serue two masters c. If Baal be God then we must follow him we must not be luke-warme hot cold for such the Lord spueth out of his mouth Wherefore we cannot serue God the world for there is such a contrarietie and a fight betweene them that vntill we reiect forsake the world we can neither serue God aright nor yet attaine to the fruition of this treasure In these words He selleth all that he hath there are three things to be considered First that sinnes must be sold and not changed Secondly sinnes must be sold all and not some Thirdly they must be sold for euer and not for a season As touching the first we see many that doe not so much sell their sinnes as make an exchange of them for many in the time of Poperie had in estimation the Pope and that religion of Antichrist which now professing the Gospell doe neglect and contemne it heretofore the paines of that fained Purgatorie were feared of many but now men are not afraide of the torments of hell which are most sure heretofore men prayed in an vnknowne tongue not vnderstanding what they said but now they will not pray in a knowne tongue knowing what they say before men prayed for the dead now they will not pray for them which are aliue before men vsed long and continuall prayer now either they pray not at all or they are so short and soone wearie as it seemeth they receiue no grace thereby before many Sacraments which were no Sacraments were much accounted of now there are but two and those are true Sacraments and yet they are neglected heretofore men fasted very often and that very scrupulously insomuch that they did rather offend in fasting too much thaÌ„ too litle but now a Christian fast publikely appointed is rather oppugned than receiued and a priuate fast is not knowne amongst Christians Before there were many and superstitious holy daies receiued now the onely Sabbath of the Lord is prophaned the diuell or at the least not God that day is serued Before men confessed their sins vnto euery hedge priest now men haue left confession of their sinnes vnto their brethren chusing rather to murther themselues than to acknowledge their faults one to another as the Apostle Iames willeth they should Yea men are so farre from this that they will rather by periurie and briberie cleere and purge themselues than make their sinnes knowne and so satisfie the congregation
exhortatios of the Gospell commands that which Christ is readie to giue vs and it chargeth vs not so much to do it but to beleeue that Christ by his blessed spirit will worke euery good thing in vs. For the Gospell being the Ministerie of â—â—fe giueth life and strength from aboue when we are dead weake The not discerning of this difference makes many good precepts fall to the ground The lawe indeede reueales sinne but the Gospell cures sinne the law woundeth and so must it do but the Gospell healeth vs which the law can neuer doe Hitherto wee haue heard thus much first wee must prouide that wee fight in Gods harnesse not with Satans weapons whether they be wit reason policie education or such like We fight against a Prince and principalitie who wants not wit knowledge ciuill gifts or any such things which things haue beene geuen euen vnto the heathen for they were wise and learned men yet many of them lay in great sinnes in idolatry some fearefully ended their liues Let not Christians then say haue I not wit reason and education beseeming a man Well so did the Philosophers and Poets and yet behold their fruits behold their ends but let vs deny reason and withstand wit for it will surely faâ—le in the houre of death and in the houre of temptation No gift of nature no gift of bringing vp can withstand Satan or sinne vnlesse from heauen God change vs Neither is this the sinne only of the vnregenerate but in the regenerate who still sliding to reason or ouerweying of God his power are foiled and therefore we see many ouercome who purpose to withstand yet striuing in their owne wisedome they are spoyled be their purpose neuer so great Many will say why this is a monstrous temptation I will neuer yeelde to this yet they fall This we shall see both in temptations and accusations when â—â—en striue and dispute with reason with so subtill a sophister so the more they striue the more they are intangled for they want strength to fight with the strong man who will not be subdued vnlesse we put on the armour of the stronger man which is Christ Iesus which armour is afterward set downe Neither is it enough to haue a peece of harnesse but we must haue all the whole armour for what is it to couer the head if the breast be bare what if the armes be armed when the back is vnharnesseâ— we cannot auoid the darts which come against euery place So we must not haue one grace and want another for then Satan comes in the open place who obserues whether we want a head-peece â— gauntlet a brest plate or whatsoeuer wherefore we must thinke that Satan as a politique souldier lookes not so much to the armed part as to the naked part If he seeth vs afraid of him theâ—â— will he tempt vs to dispaire if we will not be pearced with vncleannes then he will shake 〈…〉 s with couetousnes If he sees vs pettish and vnarmed with loue then Satan wil tempt v 〈…〉 o anger Alas it is our weake nature to reserue one sinne or other it giues Satan aduantage we â—e Heroaâ—an courtiers and Christians we are halfe perswaded with Agrippa to be ChristiaÌ„s but we must throughly be harnessed least as a dead flye corrupteth much good oyn 〈…〉 h one sinne we defile many graces Euery one hath his familiar sinne which 〈…〉 ur to espie as an aduersarie and to fight against as an enemie whether it bee pl 〈…〉 r couetousnes or such like Whereas then thou seest some graces yet be hu 〈…〉 hose which especially are wanting to thee and wherein thou art most vnarmed then pray labour for more helpe by grace in Christ Iesus But what if we haue good armour and all armour yet without vse of it we may be strangled in our armour What if wee 〈…〉 good graces and all graces yet without experience and vse of them our soules may 〈…〉 urthered in the midst of them Many may come to the assemblies and heare ye 〈…〉 ey either faile in knowledge or in practise of it And sure such is a man as he is in temptation What is it to haue many precepts against anger yet be ouercome of anger What is it to haue rules against couetousnes to see the issue of it yet to be a couetous man Let vs know that it is one thing to learne to fight against Satan and another to fight against men In materiall coÌ„flicts there is some time of truce but with Satan there is no truce with vs but for his aduantage for him we must be armed as well in the night as in the day in outward battels winters make warre to cease we haue no quietnes neither in summer nor in winter That yee may bee able to withstand The Apostle describes our enemies If wee had to deale but with our selues or with men like to our selues or with the world wee had neede of God his power but seeing beside all these wee are to deale with all the hellish armie much more we neede this we are not only to fight against the flesh and the world but against the diuels neither must we thinke that Paul denieth in this place that wee should fight with our owne corruption but he sheweth we fight not only with ourselues and with the world but with Satan too and so that we neede more armour By two things hee describes our enemies by their might and subtiltie For their might he cals them principalities and powers This title is giuen to the diuels Rom. 8. Colloss 1. Indeede these names are giueÌ„ to the good Angels as Ephes. 1. Hebr. 1. so that looke what titles are giueÌ„ to the good Angels are giuen to the wicked spirits which except sanctification are equall in gifts to the good Angels for though these spirits haue lost their goodnes yet haue they not lost their strength and wisedome They be worldly gouernours God be blessed their gouernment reacheth not to heauen but to the world yea of the darknes of the world Thus he distinguisheth of the world as it is by creation and so God is the prince of it and as it is now by corruption and so the Diuell is the god of the world This teacheth vs wheÌ„ Satan shall preuaile euen ouer men liuing in ignorance and vngodlines The world was made good by creation but degenerated to euill by corruption Well we see the diuell is called the prince of the world and he saith of himselfe that all is his It is not so by creation but be the righteous iudgement of God all is in his hands to punish our sins or try our faith It followes to speake of his subtiltie in these words Against ambushments c. Euen as ambushments are vsed priuily to vndermine the enemy so by wiles Satan goeth about to trap vs. But this is larger said against spirituall wickednesses If one could see the enemie he might be
preuented but wee cannot see the operations of the diuell because hee is spirituall and therefore we neither can by sense nor by reason discerne him so that hee is not only a layer of ambushments but of spirituall ambushment Yet note though they be spirituall yet not in goodnes but in wickednes In heauenly things Though Satan be the prince of the aire yet here it is meant that he fighteth against men in heaueÌ„ly knowledge By creation they had much good knowledge their goodnes they haue lost their knowledge is retained Againe Paul saith there is a mysterie of iniquitie shewing that as there is a mysterie of godlines so there is a mistery of wickednes and therefore Satan is said to change himselfe into an Angell of light which is because he will come in good things in knowledge in spirituall exercises and falsely and wickedly glose on them by that great practise and experience which from their first fall they haue learned Thus Satan comes euen in good things Worldly wise men distinguishing whether the enemie by strength or by subtiltie doth most â—â—rt conclude that the subtill enemie is most dangerous Alas we are in euill case then hâ—â—ing to doe with enemies not only strong but subtill it were enough to deale with an enemie hauing but one of these qualities but we fight with theÌ„ that haue both that is both strength subtilty so that we know not whether they are more strong or more subtill â—wo vses there are of this doctrine One is we must not make it a slight matter of the eâ—â—â—ie The other is that we be not too much afraid Both these are dangerous extremitieâ— Some vile heretikes deny there is a God or a diuell or that the diuell is so strong and subâ—â—l as he is Indeed men will not speake thus but they shew it by their peace in themselues in their liues which sheweth that men do not belieue there is a battell For we see wee are now at peace and why because there are no enemies But were it so that the enemies were in the field would wee not feare Did we belieue that Satan could sit in our consciences deluding iudgement and vnderstanding and casting a myst on reason would wee â—â—â—t be more jealous of reason would we not be more fearefull of our selues yes surely Let vs then consider that besides our selues which were enough Satan addes both corruption to iudgement and affection And herein specially Satan shewes himselfe a subtill Apostata in that hee cares not whether we be sound in iudgement and corrupt in life or carefull in life and corrupted in Religion so we may be one Hereof it comes that heretiques are precise in life and good Christians are so carelesse in conuersation so either he gathers false conclusions on good principles or else glorious sequeles of rotteÌ„ premisses To go back to the plaine sense of these men the meaning is not that we fight not with flesh and bloud at all but wee chiefely or onely fight not with flesh and bloud The like speech is in the word as Thy name shall not be Iacob but Israel that is Iacob only Againe in the Epistle it is saide The word is not in word but in power that is the Gospell is not chiefely in word or only in the word Againe Rom. 7. Galat. 5. it is plaine we fight with flesh and bloud And Iohn 15. wee fight against the world Wherefore seeing we fight not against our selues onely but against such aduersaries as whet vp our selues against our selues and therefore we stand in neede of all the armour that may be which wee shall see to be more requisite if wee consider that it were enough to fight with an aduersarie either strong or wise but seeing we conflict with them who for strength and subtiltie too are equall with the good Angels For their power these aduersaries are called Powers as Coloss. 2. Rom 8. So are the good Angels Powers as Ephes. 2. Heb. 1. Herein the euill spirits differ from the heauenly spirits in that these are from heauen for the good of the Church those are gouernours of the world that is of the corrupt estate of the world so that their whole power is against the children of the world Satan may strike the children of the best but slay them hee can not CHRIST calleth Satan the Prince of the world and Paul calleth him the god of the world Christ calleth him a strong armed souldier or giant yet God be blessed all his strength is in the world Well then be he more fearfull to vs then Goliah to the army of Israel be it that he be as a roaring Lyon at whose voyce all the silly beasts stand trembling be it that hee so astonish terrifie our conscience that we know not what to thinke or to speake yet all is to the terrour of the wicked But behold besides his strength Satan is spirituall inuisible not to be discerned and therefore more dangerous in that wee can not preuent him nor his temptations being aboue nature and aboue reason cannot be descried vnlesse aboue nature and reason we be either very well taught of the Diuell or of God To this vnsearchable nature hee is occupied in heauenly things but as a spirituall wickednes not goodnes To shew how hee is spirituall we see in this in that he is an Angell of light he tempted Christ with scripture he set the Pharises in diuelish wisedome against Christ he subornes false heretikes yea his subtilties shal be such by Christ his owne testimonie that euen the elect if it were possible should be deceiued And Paul speaking but of the childe of Satan the Antichrist reports that hee shall be mightie in power in miracles c. Only this is our comfort that this wisedome is but wickednes which is the only thing wherein they be distinguished from the good Angels with whome in wisedome and strength Satan is equall Here ought wee to blush in that wee desire rather learning wisedome and power wherein Satan and wicked men haue not only bene equall to vs but aboue vs and we lesse desire goodnes wherein we are like to God to good Angels and the children of God For this may be a speciall marke that wee belong to God when wee rather desire goodnes than those other qualities wherein we are equall but to the Deuill Be we neuer so learned he is more learned be we neuer so strong he is stronger For is not he mightie in power that can so trouble the aire as he did to Iob and as oft as he doth in that boysterous manner that no naturall Philosopher can giue a reason of it In Exodus wee know that the Lord vsed euill Angels to trouble the Seas Psal. 78. the Lord is said to send euill Angels to trouble theÌ„ And as godlines is a mysterie so there is a mystery of iniquity and the Lord sending an effectuall illusion 2. Thess. 1. on theÌ„ that receiued not the word in loue
depriueth himselfe of this meditation weakeneth his faith For it is to our comfort and humbling To our comfort that albeit we be in danger and no man with vs yet God and his Angels be with vs. To humble vs that in euill doing they both see vs and can hurt vs as also the euill angels which still houer ouer vs. And therefore we must knowe that as the good Angels haue appeared to good men for speciall defence so the foule spirits doe appeare also to some men for speciall sinnes And when euill spirits so appeare we may not with the Papists and the Iewes beleeue they be soules departed but the euill spirits in the ayre about vs Epes 6. 11. 12. 13. CHAP. VIII Of Baptisme BAptisme is a pledge of our washing in Christs blood Act. 2. 30. of our iustification Gal. 3. 27. of our ingrafting into Christs body Ephe. 4. 16. of our dying to sinne Rom. 6. 3. of our resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 26. of our vnitie of spirit with our brethren Ephe. 44. of not seeking our owne 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 24. 2 Of Baptisme in Papistry this we may say for as much as they euer kept the foundation the substance of the institution of Christ that Sacrament was effectuall for more preuaileth the institution of Christ vnto good than the corruption of man vnto euill 3 The example of Zipphorah cannot be followed amongst vs that women should baptize though Papists abuse that example to proue it for the ministration of the Sacrament is ioyned to the ministerie of the word which office none can take except he be called as Aaron was and it is a most waightie and most honourable office to haue the word and seales of our reconciliation committed vnto vs. 4 It is obiected that it is a dangerous matter to want Baptisme it causeth death I answere The child saith the story was not punished but Moses through whom that contempt came for when as it is said Gen. 17. that the man not circumcised shall be cut off the reason is this because he despiseth the couenant of the Lord. Now a child caÌ„not so do therefore the negligent father is punished and if the child come to yeeres continue in his fathers steps he is in the same state of rebellion contempt against God and so it is in our Baptisme Againe this popish opinion of the necessitie of Baptisme is confuted by the Lords institution of Circumcision the eight day for if this necessitie had been in Circumcision which they affirme to be in Baptisme all that dyed before the eight day were condemned The Lords meaning was in appointing this conuenient time to prouide that the child might haue more strength to beare the wound and this regard of time is fit to be obserued also with vs that this holy worke might be done on the Sabbath day in the congregation because it is a publike action by diuine institution 5 Concerning promises in Baptisme and the office of the witnesses which be called Godfathers and Godmothers looke in what things the Scripture giueth general rules the Church may vse the particulars so all be done decently and to edification the law giueth this generall instruction to a man in authoritie to defend the good and to offend the euill he may to this end take some godly man to him for an assistant The law commanding generally to distribute to the poore a man is not able to helpe all particularly therefore he endeuoureth the relieuing of some speciall persons The law commanding generally to helpe one another with godly instructions and no greater need to any than to a father in helping him for the education of children surely this dutie of loue to be an assistant in Baptisme may not be denied Againe to professe ourselues enemies to Arrianisme we vse Glorie be to the Father and to the Son c. all one with that so often in the Psalmes Praise yee the Lord So may we in like manner to auoid Anabaptisme haue witnesses to testifie to the Church that we are Christianly baptized And as we are to renounce all friuolous ceremonies so to keepe the peace of the Church we may not refuse such orders as tend to edification to loue and comelinesse in the Church 6 It is good to teach children while they be young that whereas they haue been baptized and blessed in the name of the Trinitie they should be taught forthwith some questions concerning their creation redemption and sanctification CHAP. IX Of Couetousnesse and the desire of Riches THere are manie which can be content to make Iacobs vowe that is if they haue meate drinke and cloathing they will serue God but they goe vpwards still in their worldlike accounts and downwards in heauenly things they rise from tens to scores from scores to hundreths they will not goe downeward with Abraham they will haue thousands of sheep els they be but poore they will haue Nabâ—oths vineyard with Ahab and dwell alone els they be sicke Thou hast set vp the heauens high saith the Prophet else surely rich men would haue all the vse of them leese them too So nothing can satisfie mans desire which is infinit but God who infinite And if he haue all the riches in the world he will desire more A very vnnaturall desire is this as the dropsie in desiring drinke when the desire proceeds from fulnes for a man should desire that which he wanteth The minde of a man is not filled with corporall things no more then a chest can be filled with wisdom or spirituall things But presuppose that riches could fill a man if wee had all wealth all riches all apparell wee put not our wealth in our mindes our clothes do vs no good but wheÌ„ they are vpon vs. The possessing of riches doth not so fully possesse the heart but that it can desire a thousand things more 2 Riches are in question whether they be good or no When the Scripture speaks of riches they ioyne alwayes somewhat to them to take away our hearts from them as the deceitfulnes of riches the vncertainty of riches the riches of this world and therfore like the world now here now gone they either haue their own end or our end They make no man good but they are euen like a penie purse which is worth as much as the money that is in it but the money taken out it is nothing worth euen so is the man that hath his good in his riches When they are takeÌ„ from him he is worth nothing he hath no good in him God hath them not and yet he wanteth no good thing It is the common complaint that the worst men doe most abound with them Dauid was faine to goe to Nabal for them Esau had foure hundred men when Iacob lay downe at his feet with a few Sometimes indeed they doe good but that is not sufficient to ground a Maxime they
vnthankfulnes by remaining still in our corruption to let him loose his labour in all his sufferings wherein as we haue no care of our saluation so we manifest an open contempt of his most pretious Passion well worthie are we to die and vnworthie are we to liue in that the choise being set before vs we chuse rather to be murdered with our sinnes than to be rescued to life by Iesus Christ. For iustly is the reward promised to such as ouercome Reuel 3. 15. 12. 22. that is to such as will not onely strangle presse out the breath of sin and close vp the eyes of it at the fall and death of it but also follow it to the graue and couer it with moules so as it neuer rise againe Not that we thinke that sinne in this life is so wholy martyred but that the life of sinne may well be weakened counting it a rebell to regeneration not a Prince ouer the spirit of sanctification And as a Serpent cut in diuers peeces hath but certaine relicks of poyson and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members and mangled parts thereof and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man as when it was whole and perfectly membred so howsoeuer some relicks of sins remaine in our old but in our martyred Adam yet it hath no such force or fiercenes to preuaile against vs as when it was in it perfect age like rather a mightie Monarch than a poore prisoner 22 It is vsuall either in deliuering or hearing doctrine to seuer disioyne those things which in their owne nature are conioyned by the holy Ghost Thus some deale in the doctrine of faith For when it is said The iust shall liue by faith they forget the former proposition that is the iust shall liue For here are two doctrines first he that is iust must liue by faith then that he must not liue by faith except he be iust Here must be no seuering of things because they may well be coupled together CHAP. XXVIII Of Feare MAny causes we haue to feare first for want of perseuerance we should leaue our estate in so great a danger that being swept and garnished yet the diuell at his comming should be accepted and make his reenter into vs againe There is another feare the feare of offence least by our halting we should draw others after vs and so weaken their hands and their knees The third feare is of comforting our enemies and of grieuing others that haue beene our defence I meane the Angels who as they are comforted in the perseuerance of the iust so they mourne at the falles of the righteous 2 True feare hath many properties as first it breeds in vs a maruellous humilitie as wee see in Iacob who was much afraid of his brother Esau therefore comming towards him he falles down seuen times There is a feare humbling and it is the worke of God to bring vs to himselfe And surely the Lord takes great delight in it and what is the reason of it because the Sonne of God in his humilitie hath done greater things for vs than euer hee did in his glorie for being God and vouchsafing to bee humbled euen to a worme hee hath done vs more good and more glorious things than euer hee did whiles hee was among the Angels Now the world is full of such proud spirits that nothing can qualifie them A second qualitie of feare is that it is very credulous This againe wee see in Iacob for when one told him his brother came against him so well furnished he feared greatly yet disputed not long in the matter It is the glorie of our age to dispute and gaine say a man and to say surely though you be of such an opinion I am not thinke as you will I thinke thus So that our dealings are so full of doubts and so ambiguous as though there neuer had been world before vs or as though now it were high midnight in Poperie The third qualitie in feare is diligence This also we see in Iacobs example who was marueilously studious to salute his brother disposing wisely of his children and cattell in the best order he could to preuent his brothers furie 3 It is a kindly thing to feare at Gods threatnings therefore when the iudgements of God were denounced it was noted as a signe of great deadnesse of heart if the most wretched sinner were not smitten with terrour hee that was in the highest degree of reprobation as Pharaoh feared for it is the nature of an iron rod easily to breake an earthen pot But for promises to bring vs to feare it is as strange a thing as it is in nature that thin water should breake a bodie and yet some bodies there be of so weake substance that any thing wil dissolue them Such is the nature of them who seeing and finding in themselues a great vnworthinesse to inherite such gracious promises of God are euer readie to melt away and to breake in sunder as beaten with an iron rod. Wherefore if wee can thus feare in loue and loue in feare we may haue a good testimony to our owne consciences that we haue a good feare because tasting how gracious and marueilous the Lord is in all his Saints we feare least we should lose so good and so gracious a Lord. 4 It is good to be stricken with feare so that we lie not in it willingly but being humbled therewith search our owne corruption and so to bee moued to enquire further after God and his word 5 The wicked feare not before affliction commeth and then they feare too much the godly feare before it comes and then their feare ceaseth For impietie triumpheth in prosperitie and trembleth in aduersitie but pietie trembleth in prosperitie and triumpheth in aduersitie 6 If Moses and the deare seruants of God were afraid when hee did appeare in mercie to them what shall the confusion of the wicked be when hee commeth to iudgement Wee cannot be prepared to receiue God his mercie vnlesse wee be striken with a reuerent feare both because we are his creatures and also sinfull God is alwayes God and is to bee feared 7 Many men maruell how men bee so smitten with such feares and so despaire that they cannot beleeue but these neuer consider the iudgement of God in hardning them and thus by a carnall admiration are depriued of all profiting by such examples In all things we should turne our eyes from man and onely behold God and know that it is hee which maketh our enemies to loue vs our inferiours to obey vs our friends to hate vs our superiours to loth vs. If we had this in our hearts we would surely cast off the feare of man and flatterie and striue to feare God in all sinceritie and to knowe that if the feare of God preuaile with vs we shal preuaile with men and haue
and can discourse and talke well of things but yet for that the heart is not truely touched they are as vaine in sinne and as much subiect to pinching sorrowes for sinne as any other Great cause then the fountaines bee staied and the principall parts plastered for if there bee a worlde of sinne in the tongue as Saint Iames saith then there be a great many worlds of wickednes in the hearâ—â—â— there be a beame to be sound in the eye of one hypocrite as Christ admonisheth then there is a whole staâ—ke in the heart CHAP. XXXIX Of Heresie and many corrupt kindes of knowledge and how the diuell pesterâ—th the Church with euill teachers WE must humble our selues to see Heretikes doe more for vaineglorie and for their sâ—ct than wee will doe â—or Gods glorie and for his truth 2 The neerer heresie commeth in likenes to the trueth the more dangerous it is 3 It is a dangerous thing to haue a proudâ— spirit with a vaine minde for theâ—e sinnes leade men to heresie 4 The â—â—ueâ— seemeth to be very strong for as the wise conclude if they that are couragious were also politike or tâ—ey that haue wisedome had also courage none could stand with them Wherefore these are dismembred in men but in the diuell they â—unâ—â—e both together for he is both couragious as a Lion and subâ—ill as a Serpent This is he that foyled all men from the first Adam to the last man in whose hand all the â—athers were no stronger than vanitie and in this age hee hath made the high pinacles of veâ—â—â—e the Iowe shrubs of the earth Besides this combination of strength and wisedome beside this proofe of his courage in all ages Christ himselfe who is his enemie saith â—e is strong Luk. 22. 20. Nay I will adde more Christ that ouercame him pronounceth â—â—m to be a shâ—â—â—d enemy If he hath â—een strong hee is more strong both because the world waxeth shorter and wee grow securer In these latter daies the more the dâ—uâ—â— rageth the more his strength increaseth for anger is the wheâ—â—â—one of strength the elder the world waxeth the more the diuel rageth For as he plaieth with meÌ„ so he practiseth with the world he laâ—eth his sorest siege in his last assault when death beginneth to moderate â—im And no maruell for if he take a foyle or suffer the repulse in our life time he may recouer with ease and come againe with some hope but because in death either now or neuer he must bestir himselfe he followeth with all force Secondly he rageth the more for our security or little accounting of temptation and not serious bâ—thinking of the matter makes him the stronger so as oâ—â— negligence doth inarme his diligence He is strong enough without aâ—â—our yâ—t â—o be sure he will put on armour too Goliah was strong and yet he goâ— armour which sheweth great diligence we are weake and â—eede armour yet seeke it not which sheweth extreame negligence Thus diligent is the diuel Sow no tares nor cockle and yet in the fallow it wil grow fast enough but he cannot conteÌ„t himselfe with that growth but hee wil sow also yea and plough too because he looketh for a plentiful haruest This is his good husâ—aÌ„dry though his crop would be good of it selfe yet he will sow No maruel then though Peter coÌ„tenteth not himselfe to call him a Lion but a ramping Lion and Iohn termeth him not only a Serpent but an old Serpent hauing by experience gotten a perfect habite and Paul ascâ—ibeth to him not onely darts but fiery darts The armour of this enemy is partly the reuelations of flesh and blood partly the corrupt example of the world The diuell hath a motion in vs and straightway it seemeth a reuelation to flesh and blood Doe euill saith the diuell doe so saith the flesh and strikâ—s the matter deeper doe so as Preachers doe it saith the world and this pierceth to the bone If we could wring out these two pieces of armour wee were strong Now the diuell as a Prince Iohn 13. 14. possesseth not alwaies in his owne person but by lieutenants and embassadours who take vp the title of his soule to his interest This deputie or vicegerent is sinne which taketh vs vp as tenants for the diuell and this deputie is accompanied with foure Tetrarches The first is ignorance wher with when hee had taken possession of our fathers they might keepe good houses well enough and haue many gifts indeede for hee knew that for all that they were neuer the neerer to saluation Secondly if the diuell sees knowledge must needes come in and ignorance must needs go out he sendeth out Errour which must make men if they wil needs be knowing either Trinitaries or Arriaâ—s or Anabaptists or such like who may liue well indeed and make a great shewe of godlinesse but all for his greater aduanâ—age to winne the more soules Thirdly Worldlinesse succeedeth who dares play his part euen vppon them that haue pure knowledge whom neyther Ignorance nor Errour could preuaile against but if these preuaile not then comes Hypocrisie and hee will sift vs and search vs to the quick If an Angell from Heauen should withstand vs to the face wee dare boldly pronounce that ignorant erroneous and worldly men such as will take order for God when their barnes are full and all Hypocrites haue surely vncleane spirits breathing in them Ephes. 3 2. 3. 5 There are many kindes of knowledge The common course of the worlde is set down Micah 6 26 Ombries statutes are sought for knowledge of Law-points Christ Matt. 16. complaineth of another kinde of knowledge Yee see in the Euening the skie is red c. but knowe yee the face of the Heauens and are yet ignorant of the knowledge which bringeth euerlasting life A third kinde of knowledge there is spoken of Amoâ— 8. 5. and Prouerhs 20. where a kinde of people had a grace in making of the Ephah small and the Shekle great Wee haue learned a trimme part of knowledge to trippe men in buying and selling Another knowledge there is Ecclesiasticus 30 24. when people keepe much adâ—e about keeping of bullockes and that so farre as they first preferre them but God and his kingdome are sought for afterward Indeed these things are lawfull for him that hath first affected his own soule to seeke the kingdome of God but to make the knowledge of God come after is preposterous There is another knowledge and that is of the law of God which men make so smal account of that the Lord complaineth by his Prophet how hee hath taken paines to write the mysteries of the law and men think it a strange thing the knowledge of God his word is hard to them Well we must enter one way or other and therefore it shall be profitable to search and suruey the wayes One way is
ourtakes vs and we are as good as absent or else if wee be waking we goe away before it be done or if we tarrie as soone as we be gone we commit all to forgetfulnesse And so if with want of knowledge wee be mercifull and true dealers it is but after our owne braine and because the Lord hath not planted the Lord will roote it out The end of all is if men will not grow in the knowledge of God his wil they shal neuer come to the knowledge of God that is they shall not knowe God his mercy God his trueth glory and blessednesse neither will he euer know vs. For as without the knowledge of Gods will there is not nor shall be any knowledge of God so if we know not God God will neuer know vs. 11 When we shal be ioyned to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost then shal we know as we are knowne then shall all teares be wiped from our eyes then shall our infirmities be taken from vs then shall we dwel with the Angels and with al the hosts of heauen in most happie blessednesse it selfe We see now by this chaine not forged by our own braine but framed out of Gods word that hee is indeede blessed whom God chooseth whom Christ redeemeth whom the Spirit reneweth whom faith stayeth whom the word Prayer Sacraments and Discipline buildevp in the Lord in whom faith breedeth peace peace sinceritie sinceritie loue loue a feare of displeasing and a care of pleasing God in whom this care striueth to a mortification in pouertie of minde this pouertie comming from a mourning heart possessed in a meeke spirit and aspiring to true righteousnesse all these things being ioyned with that sanctification which lamenteth the sins of others and relieueth the wants of others knowing to vse prosperity and aduersitie as pledges of Gods fauour and vndoubtedly looking for the kingdome of heauen in the life to come If any of these linkes be missing the chaine is broken if any of these members be wanting the body of blessednesse is lame and dismembred CHAP. XLV Of Miracles and how God worketh without and with meanes and how we ought to attend on the meanes THe Miracles that were wrought in the Church were partly in mercie and partly in iudgement as in turning Iereboams hand into leprosie and into cleane flesh againe but the miracles against Aegypt were onely in iudgement 2 Signes are giuen to confirme vs in the word are not more excellent than it if then they draw vs from the word we must hold them accursed as wel as the false Prophet Deut. 12. That which Paul speaketh of tongues 1. Corinth chap. 14. is true of all miracles which are signes to beleeuers which may teach vs not to desire them for if we beleeue not Moses and the Prophets neither would we beleeue if miracles were brought from heauen So is it in the Sacramēts which are ordained to nourish that faith which is ingendred in vs by the word and therefore must not bee separated from the word nor esteemed aboue the word For we shall then profite truely by Baptisme when we in and by the word shall beleeue the washing away of sinne and get power to mortifie sinne daily within vs and then shal we profit by the Lords Supper when we beleeue all the promises of our Redemption wrought by Iesus Christ and shall be vnited into his body daily more and more by the word 3 Pharaoh did aske a signe not for any purpose to yeeld thereunto but if they could not doe any he might haue the greater aduantage against Moses and the people So the Scribes and Pharisies aske a signe of Christ to whom he answered the adulterous generation seeketh a signe So many in these daies aske proofe of many things in religion not that they minde to yeeld thereto but if they cannot haue such proofe as will stop their mouthes they may more quietly continue in their error We must learne to leaue this kinde of questioning which is seldome graunted for good let vs so frame our requests as that they may be reuerent and we may haue a desire to rest in that which is graunted 4 A wonder may moue vs for a time but commonly it lasteth at the most but for nine daies and we shall neuer gather any fruite thereby except it doth prepare vs to profite more effectually by the word 5 Some think that the miraculous Manna was not so straunge because it is to be found in these daies in other countries I answere not of that colour not of that propertie Therefore this was a miracle as may appeare by these reasons following First because it was neuer seene before and then came at Gods commaundement Secondly because neither raine nor faire weather did let it Thirdly because as soone as they came to the borders of the promised Land it ceased Fourthly because if it were kept till the morning it stanke but on the Sabbath day it continued sweet albeit gathered the day before Againe when it was reserued in the Arke it putrified not Fiftly because it followed the Israelites whither soeuer they went Sixtly because it fell in such abundance as that it sustained so great a multitude 6 At what time the Lord first sent Manna the children of Israel being rauished with the loue of it called it Manna that is meate prepared of the Lord herein they acknowledged the goodnesse of the Lord. This Manna is first commended for the colour it was as white as the precious stone called Bdellium Secondly for the taste tasting like fresh oyle Numb 11. 7. Thirdly for that it was Angels foode or meate prepared by Angels Psalm 98. And yet for all this when the people had beene accustomed to it they loathed it and set light by it wherefore their sinne was the greater The reason of it may be this This Manna was giuen them not onely to be foode for their bodies but also to be a token vnto them that seeing the Lord fedde them from heauen they were not to settle themselues on the earth but to looke for their inheritance in Heauen So many therefore as did rest in the bodily foode not respecting the thing spiritually signified by it they were soone weary of it So is it also with vs for albeit all the blessings of God be very deare vnto vs and of a great price at the first receiuing of them yet when they are common the best blessings are lightly regarded If it be so in earthly things which are agreeable to our nature how much more will it be in spirituall things which are so contrarie to our nature And hereby the great corruption of mans heart is discouered which will not be moued but with noueltie As for example the sunne if it were but seldome seene how glorious a creature would it be accoūted but because we haue the daily vse of it therfore very few of vs regard it Nay the word of
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
out hee keepes such roring foaming and trembling as is wonderfull Paradise one would thinke might haue delighted him being so beautifull yet hee esteemed it but as a wildernesse in respect of Adam 2 The Diuell hath a palace of pleasure and a court of libertie for those that he his but if wee will bee the Lords wee must be hedged in and stinted wee must not goe awrie The Diuell will let you doe speake and thinke what you will the more libertie ye vse the better he liketh your seruice but God hath a stâ—â—ct house he will haue the heart the minde the soule the bodie and the whole heart this is hard seruice well it is easie to enter seruice with the diuell if one say I will serue you freely if another say I will bee a retainer to you but I will weare Gods liuerie all shall be receiued none refused If you be well the Diuell is well if you be quiet he is quiet but this is a miserable seruice 3 The Diuell is very painefull in his assaults Hee workes with Christ and doubles his temptations on him and pursueth him all his life long When he gate Dauid once to con sent to adulterie then he trebles his blowes hee causeth him to make Vriah drunken he vseth deceit he causeth him to murther Vriah yea he murthered many with him he wil not be contented with the borders but he will assay to take the principall citie Take Peter for an example first he comes long behind secoÌ„dly he was haled in by the shoulders theÌ„ he began to palter after he denied Christ not long after he sweareth and last of all he curseth 4 It is a part of the Diuell his sophistrie as in good things to seuer the means from the end so in euill things to separate the end from the meanes Dauid ioyneth both together Psalm 119. I am thine oh Lord saue me The Diuell perswades vs that God will saue vs but makes vs neuer looke to that I am thine In euill hee beareth vs in hand wee may vse the meanes and neuer come to the end and so clips off halfe as when he can suffer this Eccles. 11. 9. Reioyce O young man he would leaue out this but thou shalt come to iudgement But these hath God ioyned together and neither the subtiltie of youth nor any witte of man nor all the diuels in hell can separate them the pleasures of the flesh and the iudgements of GOD. As to our first parents Eaâ—e yee shall not die To whom some Salomon might haue saide if it seeme pleasant to you Eate it but death shall come So in these two that Ezekiel hath ioyned the ease of the Pastour and the blood required at his hands He might haue saide goe too build you Tabernacles where you may take most profit and giue eare to nothing yet God shall bring you to iudgement God with a chaine of Adamant hath knit the pleasure of the world with iudgement he that hath one must haue both 5 It is often the pollicie of Sathan to make vs trauaile in some good things to come when more fitly we might be occupied in good things present 6 Wee must be proude against Sathan in CHRIST and humble to all men in Christ. 7 Sathan will tempt vs though hee cannot ouercome vs. 8 As GOD and his Angels are about vs so is the Diuell and his Angels and as the good Angels haue not bene seene but extraordinarily so are the euill Angels and he that depriueth himselfe of this meditation weakeneth his Faith For it is to our comfort that though we be in daunger and no man by vs yet GOD and his Angels are with vs to keepe vâ— And this meditation ought also to humble vs that though in euill doing no man can see and hurt vs yet the Diuell and euill spirits still houer ouer vs. Againe we must know that as the Angels haue appeared to good men for speciall defence so the soule spirites may appeare to some men for speciall sinnes which euill spirites are not the soules of anâ—e departed as in the blind papacie it was imagined but the euill spirites in the Ayre as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6. 12. which are there truly called the Princes of the darkenes of this world because they doe as Lords command and sway in the blinde soules of men Ephes. 2. 1. 2. Iohn 1. 4. 5. 9 Experience teacheth that manie meddle with the matters of the Church which are senselesse and barraine in the doctrine of Newe-birth But alas what if a man knewe all things and knew not himselfe to bee a new man in CHRIST all is nothing Wee must stirre vp our owne sluggishnes by the forwardnes we see in others so shall we rightly profit by Gods graces in them 10 If wee play with our owne affections sinne in the ende from sport will spurre vs to confusion for though we be giuen to flatter and presume of our selues that being twist or thrise spared we dare sinne againe yet we must know that the Lorde will recompence his long carrying with wrath in the ende 11 As a man being out lawed may take his pleasure for a while but whatsoeuer and wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeelde to the punishment which by verdict he is appointed so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is alreadie passed may for a while shake off their paine with vaine pleasure but afterward they shall bee arrested and carried violently to the place of woefull execution But for the godly vnto whose conscience the assurance of their inheritance of heauen by the euidence of the Gospell and â—eale of the Spirit is ratified all the diuels in hell shall not preuaile against them but in death they shall bee warned to make their open appearance in the day of the resurrection yet as honest and before the Iudge and not as fellonious offenders 12 It is a fearefull thing to be ouer quiet with our selues when we haue sinned for the way to draw sinne with Cart-ropes is not to bee grieued with sinne and the casting or shaking of temporall griefe is the way to eternall griefe When wee haue sometime quaked at sinne which wee haue seene in others and afterward although wee like it not yet if wee dislike it not with as great indignation as we were wont to doe but by little and little wee can well away with it It is greatly to be feared that by degrees wee shall fall into the same sinne or sinnes our selues 13 Many that are not meere euill men by securitie haue fallen into the hands of Gods iudgement 14 It is the righteous iudgement of God that there often is most deadly enmitie where hath bene worldly and carnall amitie If there bee any hatred risen betweene our selues and such men who haue bene our friends let vs examine our selues if wee â—ought first to please God aboue all and then to please them by good
sinned as also that hee might haue hindred this euill But the Lord was no more the cause of sinning than the soule is the cause of halting in a man For as in a lame man the soule is onely the cause of mouing and the shrinking of some veine or crookednes of the legge is the cause of vnperfect mouing likewise God is the cause of euery action in man but our owne corruption is the cause of the sinne of the action and yet for all this the Lord draweth out good euen from the vilest actions Wherfore neither doth the Lord euill himselfe nor suffereth euill to be done but as hee driueth out a more good than there is ill in the action it selfe 2 Some men leaue sinne as adultery theft or murther for open shame or for punishment but in other cases which offend God as much as negligence in their calling prophanation of the Sabbath neglect of hearing the word they make no conscience at all Therefore we must haue a labouring against all sinne Others leaue sinne but it is for age or fayling in pleasure or some such thing which hindreth them of which diuers will tell of their sinnes with such mirth and make much of them that fall into the same when as the mention of them should be odious It is not all one to leaue sinne and to repent of sinne Others haue a purpose to do good and are attentiue in hearing of the word but to winne credit by it but not to credit it whereupon it is that many doe not profit by hearing nay they doe not desire to profit nor are not sorie when they doe not profit This is plaine poperie they get the worke done they care not how Some others haue done good but their doing of good doth work in them such a pride that they take some glory of it to themselues they are made more carelesse which is abhomination before God Sinne shame and death came in together liue together and shall dye together as in Adam he was naked and had no shame so in Christ and in the godly at the last day no sin shall be in them nor shame as in the Angels now they are not CHAP. XX. Of profit and pleasure PAul diuiding the times 1. Tim. 4 and 2. Tim. 3. into the latter dayes and the last dayes telleth in the spirit of prophecie of them both that in the one there should bee much superstition which are gone and in the other into which wee are fallen and they are fallen on vs that men shall bee louers of pleasures more than of God and account gaine godlinesse so the one esteeme our life as a pastime the other thinke of it as of a market to be getting at all hands Although Marthaes part be the worse and Christ hath saide so because it shall bee taken away from her yet all choose her part and yet this otherwise hath often a great scourge of God ioyned vnto it It is the errour of the world in these dayes to thinke all is well so we get not our riches by euill meanes but I say though wee vse no euill meanes at all to get them euen in louing the bare things themselues too much wee offend For not onely things corrupt are impure but also things mingled with such things as are corrupt are made vnpure so things impure mingled with the soule corrupt it because the soule is onely for the Lord. CHAP. XXI Of Christs power THe Sonne of God taketh care of that thing which wee thinke no pitle needes to be bee taken of that is of the peace of conscience When men heare of their neighbours to come vnder this new Lord they thanke GOD they are not so and when they themselues are a little waked out of sleepe and feele their head not well but thinke the chamber goeth round about they quietly can lye downe and fall to sleepe againe Well then seeing Christ taketh care of vs wee must not feare a strong enemie because wee haue a more valiant Captaine The Diuell indeede is a Lion but so is Christ a Lion that of the tribe of Iudah there is a Lion for a Lion courage for courage The Diuell is a Serpent so Christ calleth himselfe a brasen Serpent there is a Serpent for a Serpent and wisedome for wisedome yea a Serpent of brasse to sting all the fierie Serpents of the wildernes But thou saiest Christ is called a Lambe and a worme Be not discouraged that is in respect of his Father who found him as meeke as a Lambe who might haue troden on him as on a worme but the Diuell neuer found him a Lambe but a Lion So that though before God hee was as a Lambe or a worme yet before the Diuell a Lion for a Lion a Serpent for a Serpent The weakenes of Christ is stronger than all the power of hell Iohn 18. when the Diuell seemed to be in his ruffe when hee had a proud shew he sends a great crue to take a sillie man when hee told them it was hee whom they sought this little word cast them downe a word of a man humbled and readie to be iudged by the breath of his mouth cast downe legions What shall this Christ doe now in glorie nay what shall he doe when it commeth with thousands of Angels This then is the estimation the Diuell is strong but Christ stronger the Diuell is wise but Christ is wiser CHAP. XXII Of Temptation OF all punishments this is the sorest to be suffered to walke as we list Ps 78. the people would needes haue Quailes Almightie God saith Let them haue Quailes but he destroyed them euen when the meate was in their â—â—outhes for with their morsels they swallowed wrath Oh saith the Lord that the people would walke in my way and Israel obey me but because â—hey would not God gaue them ouer to their hearts lust Rom. 1. 24. Idolâ—trie the greatest sinne that can be God punished with this whereby we see how heauie a sinne it is in God his sight how light soeuer wee make of it to be giuen ouer to our owne hearts lust In the booke of Numbers there is mention made of a place where the children of Israel were plagued called the graues of lust wherof a learned Father saith In these daies there are many graues of lust for his bodie that liues in pleasure is a graue of lust And this is that which I desire we may see that we might once haue a feeling of thornes in pleasure and that God punish vs not by suffering vs still to goe on I reade in the Scriptures of deliuering a man to Sathan and of deliuering a man to himselfe the first there may follow saluation as wee see to the man in the Epistle to the Corinthians but if wee fall into the second it is dangerous For it were better to be deliuered ouer to the diuell than to his owne lust for thither it will bring him and that so as he shall
from sinne for who so will bee made partaker of the kingdome of heauen must here wholie addict himselfe to seeke the kingdome of heauen euerie one therefore is to make great account of the word of God which is the meanes to leade vs to this kingdome that so he may be assured that he hath alreadie departed from death vnto life and so he may haue the assurance of the kingdome of heauen The word of God and the graces offered by it are called a treasure because that without this all things else are nothing and this of it selfe is sufficient to our saluation Many there are which will confesse that this is the onely treasure which a man ought to seeke for but few there are which doe agree thereunto in their liues and labour to expresse the same in their conuersation But blessed are they that can so thinke of it and labour to haue a testimonie in their consciences that they doe thus seeke after it for where euery mans treasure is there is his heart also So that if the word of God and the graces of the Spirit and eternall life bee our treasure then our hearts must bee set on them and then must wee wholie seeke after them but this treasure is a hidden treasure and therefore not so esteemed and reuerenced for whether wee doe consider the meanes which haue no outward power or shew in them or whether wee consider the graces of the Spirit offered by the meanes it is a treasure altogether hidden but yet though it be hidden yet it is not any whit lesse esteemed of the godly This must teach vs not to be offended with any when wee shall see them make no account of receiuing the truth for it is no new thing but hath been a thing prophecied of old Lord saith the Prophet Esay who will beleeue our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed Wee shewed that treasures are found before they bee sought for and so God he hath offered vnto vs the treasure of his word before wee sought it and therefore we must acknowledge that this is onely of the free mercie and fauour of God that wee doe enioy the treasure of his word Now for as much as God hath once vouchsafed to call vs wee must obey and hauing once spoken vnto vs we must hearken vnto him for it hath pleased the Lord to deale with vs as parents deale with their young children who when their children be tender they put the teate into their mouthes put on their cloaths vpon their backes and feede them with milke but when they waxe elder and grow to some yeeres of discretion then if they offend they are rebuked and scourged And euen so the Lord at the first beginning of our regeneration he offered his graces most plentifully vnto vs he sent his watchmen to call vs vnto him but now whether for omission of duties correction of our sinnes or triall of our patience it pleaseth him to withdraw his merciful countenance from vs and as it were to be gone from vs to the intent that now we might seeke him now wee must fast and mourne or he will not returne vnto vs againe Euery one must therefore examine his owne heart whether that hee doth there finde such power of the spirit of God working in him as that hee is willing to seeke vnto the Lord and a proceeding and holding on in grace in vertue and in goodnesse And if vpon due triall and examination of our hearts we finde them not in vs then we are to know that the reason why we haue them not is this wee would still be babes and still bee fed as children not seeking not knocking nor looking after the Lord. The man that findeth a treasure hath a ioy suddenly arising in his minde but by and by he doubteth of himselfe whether he hath found a treasure indeede or no and therefore he looketh ouer it againe to the intent he may be the better certified thereof least otherwise his sudden ioy should soone vanish away And euen so the children of God finde by the word of God the treasure of their saluation to bee in Christ Iesus and being throughlie touched in heart to seeke after the same yet oftentimes they doe make many doubts they seeke againe and againe and are desirous not onely to haue a smacke and a glimmering taste of Christ but a liuely eating and feeding vpon the Lord Iesus and therfore they hide the word with the Prophet Dauid in their hearts A man hauing found a treasure reioyceth Ioy and sorrow hope and feare working on mens hearts doe make knowne vnto men how farre off or how neere our hearts are vnto God for the neerer a man is vnto saluation the more ioyfull and gladder hee is Great is the ioy of haruest vnto them which haue haruest at hand great is the ioy of siluer and gold vnto them which haue abundance thereof but greater is the ioy of a good conscience great is the ioy of spoyles of victorie and glorie gotten by victorie and spoyles but greater is the ioy of a true Christian in the mercies of the Lord. And therefore Dauid speaking in the person of a regenerate man saith in Psalme the 119. the last part saue oneâ— I reioyce at thy word as one that findeth a great spoyle Those then which haue no ioy in the word in the spirit of God and in the graces of Gods spirit they neuer tasted of the good spirit of God neither shal they taste of the ioyes of the world to come There is a ioy of the minde and a ioy of the heart a ioy when a man knoweth that a treasure is to bee found but a greater ioy when in experience the heart is fully setled in the finding of it The ioy of a man which commeth in this that he knoweth that there is saluation this ioy may vanish away but that ioy which is setled in the heart in the full assurance of saluation this ioy though it may sometimes be darkened yet can it neuer bee vtterly extinguished heauinesse may abide for a night but ioy commeth in the morning It followeth He withdraweth himselfe or he departeth The naturall signification of the word is not onely to depart and goe away but to withdraw and seperate himselfe as it were from other businesse And this wee see aptly and fully to be resembled of vs in the finding of a treasure for when a man hath found a treasure hee goeth about to buy the field or when one is about to vndertake any other thing of great waight or importance then hee giueth himselfe wholy ouer vnto it hee goeth aside to consider of it what it is whether hee bee not deceiued in it what his owne abilitie is what good it may doe him what it must cost him what it may be worth vnto him and whether it will counteruaile all those things he laieth out for it and euen so in the doctrine of saluation it