yet we may eate the fatnes of meate which was forbidden them And so in all the commandements the morall obseruation belongeth to vs as well as to them the ceremoniall keeping to them and not to vs. And the same we conclude of this place concerning the fire making on this day Out of the new Testament they also gather two reasons First they say it is not mentioned nor vrged so much in the new Testament as are the other precepts I an answere this is no good reason but is rather to be returned to the Anabaptists who reason that the iudiciall lawes are not to be vsed because they are not vrged Nay rather looke what the holie Ghost hath set downe more sparingly in the old Testament he hath more fully plainly supplied it in the new Testament and what thing the law containeth more fully that the Gospell handleth more sparingly because the Lord in his heauenly wisedome would not trouble vs much with one thing But we know it is named Matth. 12. and 24. Mar. 2. Iohn 5. Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16 and 16. Reuelat. â— The second argument is this The Apostles changed the day which say these men they neuer would haue done had it been morall I answere it was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seuen but that there should be obserued a seuenth day which being kept it is sufficient and the law remaineth vnuiolated And yet we permit not that any man at his pleasure should now change this day For that which the Apostles did they did not as priuate men but as men guided by the spirite of God they did it for the auoyding of superstition wherewith the Iewes had infected it Againe as the Iewes vsed the other day which is the last day of the weeke because it was the day wherein the Lord made all things perfect so the Apostles changed it into the day of Christ his resurrection who was the beginner of the new world on which day we receiued a more full fruite and possession of all the benefits in Christ his conception birth life and death Besides this was the first day of the creating of the world wherein the Lord drew light out of darknes Lastly the holy Ghost is said on this day to come downe vpon the holy Apostles So that this day doth fitly put vs in minde of our creation to be thankfull to God the Father of our redemption to be thankfull to God the Sonne and of our sanctification to be thankfull to God the holie Ghost Now if any can alleadge more effectuall or equall reasons vnto these hee may alter the day so it be with the consent of the Church Wherefore the equitie of the law remaining it is not abrogated Circumcision as we haue shewed is considered two manner of wayes either as the seale of Faith Rom. 4. or as a signe of that circumcision which wee haue in Christ made without hands In this manner considered it is ceased as it is a seale of Faith it remaineth not the same in forme and manner but the same in effect For although wee haue not the same helpe of our Faith yet we haue a helpe The Iewes had Sacraments moe in number but we more excellent in signification Though we haue not many SacrameÌ„ts and holy-dayes yet wee haue two Sacraments and one day more effectuall than all they were which the Iewes had We see therefore in truth no reason as yet why we should not obserue the Sabbath as Morall Thus hauing confirmed the doctrine of the Sabbath by the holy Scriptures and proued that there is a morall vse of the same as well for vs as for the Iewes and hauing answered all the contrarie objections that might seeme to make against this doctrine it followeth now according to our first diuision that wee should speake of the obseruation of the Sabbath it selfe shewing how it is kept and wherein it is broken For both these are expressed in the Commaundement wherein is set downe the affirmatiue to teach how to keepe it and the negatiue to shew how we breake it First then we will shew how the Sabbath ought to be kept then afterward we will declare how it is broken Where it is said in the beginning of the precept Remember to keepe holic and in the ende thereof the Lord hallowed the Sabbath so that it is not simply said Remember to keepe but to keepe holy neither is it simply mentioned that the Lord left the seuenth day but blessed the seuenth day hallowed it Hereby is insinuated vnto vs that in this day we should grow in loue towards God tender affection to our brethren wee are taught that then wee keepe the Sabbath aright when we vse it to that ende for which it was ordained that is when we vse in it as we haue before shewed thâ—se exercises whereby we may be the more sanctified and God the more glorified both on this in the other dayes of the weeke These exercises be such as are either priuate or publike The publike exercises are twice at the least to bee vsed euery Sabbath and they bee these First the word read and preached then prayers feruently made with thanksgiuing singing of Psalmes reuerend administration of the Sacraments And first for reading and preaching of the word wee reade Nehem. 8. 8. And they read in the booke of the Law of God distinctly and gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand the reading Also wee may see this in the practise of the Apostles Act. 13. vers 15. And after the lectures of the Lawe and Prophets the rulers of the Synagogue sent vnto them saying Yee men and brethren if ye haue any word of exhortation for the people say on And as the Ministers did reade and preach the word so it was the practise of the Church to heare as Eccles. 4. vers 17. Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God and bee more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles And it is saide Nehem. 8. 3. The eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Law And concerning praying thanksgiuing singing the Prophet of God vseth a vehemeÌ„t exhortation to the Church Psal. 92. 1. Come saith he let vs reioyce vnto the Lord let vs sing aloude to the rocke of our saluation 2. Let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing aloude vnto him with Psalmes And Psal. 65. 1. O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion c. Now for the Sacraments generally we are to marke that as in the time of the law the sacrifices were most vsed on the Sabbath day so our SacrameÌ„ts succeeding the sacrifices are then most to be frequented As for the supper of the Lord it appeareth Act. 18. 1. Cor. 11. as it seemeth that it was administred euery Lords day although now adaies the ministers may
For come to the younger sort of them then nouices and learners they will say openly somewhat and will giue some reason of their doctrine but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seene they flie the light and goe into corners Are these men full of the spirit who so cowardly forsake the triall of their doctrine and leaue the poore people to stand to it who are not so deepe in their reuelations nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquitie Vndoubtedly they are not yea rather the elder heretike the ranker knaue and he is called most notable not which is most wise but which is most subtile to denie a truth and to set a face on a lie Wherefore this is not fulfilled euen among the Anabaptists and Familie of loue themselues This thing then cannot literally be vnderstood they must needs confesse that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following where mention is made of blood fire and vapours of smoake whereby is meant that there shall be great troubles heresies and such like And here the Heretikes will graunt a trope though in the former they will not God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament because that was best knowne to the Iewes This deceiued them in that when they heard of the new Temple they were zealous of the old Temple and reioyced in that Temple which Herod made though it was nothing like that which Salomon made and this deceiueth the Iewes vnto this day The like error are the Papists in For where the Scriptures say that in the time of Christ there should be sweete incense offered in all places then say they behold the daily sacrifice the sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead Neither of these doe consider that the Lord in the old Testament doth adumbrate foretell these things to come and that vnder those termes and phrases which were best knowne to the Iewes and vsed of the old Prophets This folly of theirs doe the Anabaptists see and yet they runne as farre on the other side as also doth the Familie of loue One of them reproueth another and yet neither of them will confesse his fault to the glorie of God nor returne and receiue the truth There may be also another argument why this place should not be literally vnderstood and that is drawne from the interpretation of the like places of Scripture Exod. 19. Moses telleth the people that the Lord hath called them to bee Kings Priests and Prophets This is repeated by the Apostle Peter in the new Testament by Iohn in the Apocalyps and is applied as in this place generally to all Christians Now the Iewes did neuer thinke that euery man was a King sitting in a throne thereby ouerthrowing the politicall estate they thought not that euery man was a Priest taking that office of the Priest vpoÌ„ him but that they had the liberty of their consciences were freed from the bondage of men of sin as also that now through Christ they might offer vp first their prayers theÌ„ their soules and bodies to be an holy and acceptable sacrifice to him Neither doe we at this day think any otherwise of the kingly Priesthood of Christians And why then should wee thinke grossely and literally that indeede wee are become Prophets hauing that speciall calling and so take away that order of Teachers and learners which God hath ordained For as we be Priests so are we Prophets if the speech must be qualified in the one why ought it not so to be in the other Againe we say of prophecies as we say of miracles Before the word was written the Lord taught his people by visions and by dreames and that hee might prepare them to receiue his doctrine and confirme them in it hee both wrought miracles himselfe and gaue power to others likewise to worke as wee may see in Moseâ— Eâ—iah and Elisha yea he gaue power to doe miracles when the Law was written because the Gospel was not yet reuealed and when the Gospell was reuealed hee continued his gift because the holy Spirit was not yet giuen yea and when the Spirit was powred out vpon the Apostles yet this gift was in the Church that as yet the Spirit had not gotten credit But when the Gospell was reuealed the spirit sent downe and confirmed by signes and wonders then the vse of miracles ceased not that there are no miracles at all now for wee doe not shorten the hands of the Lord but yet they be but few and those extraordinarie Now the rules whereby we shall trie them whether they be of God or no bee these If they doe either conuert and winne men to the word or confirme them in the word who are alreadie wonne if they be agreeable to the word and beare the same maiestie in them as doth the word then may they be receiued as from God But when they agree not with these rules though the thing wrought be miraculous yet they are much to be suspected as the miracles of olde time were with reuerence to bee receiued For God in his secret iudgement doth suffer some times such to be wrought that the wicked and vnbeleeuers may the more effectually be deluded Againe we know that Antichrist commeth with signes yea and the same so effectuall that euen the very elect if it were possible should therewith bee deceiued In like manner doe wee say of dreames and visions vntill the Gospell came and had gotten credit in the hearts of men there were visions and prophecies of things to come but these being now ceased it is not ordinarie that the Lord should make all Prophets or teach by visions and dreames But what doe we stand longer to proue that this place cannot be so taken and vnderstood as the words at the first shew might seeme to giue especially seeing that the deuillish ouerthwarters both of Papists and of the Familie of loue are so grosse and papable in this point For such is the spirit of these men and so contrary to the good spirit of God that where the Scripture ought simply and without any trope or allegorie to be interpreted they will there turne it into allegories as wee see many places peruerted by the Papists and almost the whole Scriptures by the Familie of loue and whereas the Scripture by conference of places doth shewe that it ought tropically to bee vnderstood they sticke bluntly to the bare letter as in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum The Papists here would haue no trope yet the whole course of the Scriptures doth inforce the same The Familie of loue will in no place almost admit the naturall sense as it floweth of the words and yet here they doe bitingly abide by the word notwithstanding all the former reasons And this surely commeth to passe by the righteous iudgement of God that seeing they would neither acknowledge nor yeelde to the naturall sense when they might
themselues carnall cannot see themselues sold vnder sinne The Apostles knew grosse sinnes as well as they did to be the breaches of the law of God yea and the worldly wise Philosophers could confesse as much but he saw further that euery little thought rebelling against the spirit and fighting against the law was sinne which they neuer dreamed of And therefore Paul sifting his corruption so low thought himselfe euen as a slaue or dead man howsoeuer before he might haue thought himselfe and did account himselfe as vpright a man as the best of them If we likewise shall looke narrowly into the law seeing the good things commaunded and the euill things forbidden and both of them infinite then shall consider our selues to be infinite our affections not being angelicall but our whole nature corrupt and our whole will rebelling this will rid vs of all imagined righteousnes and will cause vs to cast off our hold of our owne perfection for finding the law commaunding good things so plentifully and forbidding euill things so manifoldly and then seeing our selues to doe so many euill things and to leaue vndone so many good things wee shall not onely be conuicted to be sinners but we will confesse ourselues to be most miserable sinners But why are not our affections moued with a sense of sinne as in iudgement we haue the sight of sinne because our eyes are still set on the things commaunded and forbidden and withall we looke not into the curses of the law and threatnings against them that commit the euill things and omit the good things FINIS THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON Galath 6. vers 15. For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature AS we haue spoken of the former fruite of the crosse of Christ which was that the Apostle was crucified to the world and the world crucified to him so now wee are to speake of the latter effect that is hee was made a new creature And here note by the way that though mention here bee not expressiuely made of the resurrection of Christ as was before of the crosse of Christ yet it is necessarily vnderstood and that according to the meaning and custome of the holy Ghost because as it is the vertue of the crosse of Christ that crucifieth sinne in vs so it is the power of his resurrection that raiseth vs to newnes of life and as Christ died for our sinnes so he rose againe for our iustification Rom. 4. and as hee died to cleanse vs from our sinnes so also to crucifie sinne in vs and as hee rose to impute righteousnes vnto vs so also to worke in vs righteousnesse and holinesse In that the Apostle speaketh here of a new creature as also hee doth 2. Corinth 5 27. If any man be in Christ let him bee a new creature c. we are taught that it is not sufficient to be crucified to the world but we must be also new creatures we must not onely put off the old man but wee must put on the new man and looke what wee detract from the one we must adde to the other it is not enough to die vnlesse we be borne again it is not enough to be corrupted vnlesse wee bee chaunged For as it was not sufficient for Christ to be crucified but hee ought also to rise againe so it is not sufficient for vs to bee freed from the guiltines and corruption of sinne which we receiued of Adam but we must also be clothed with that righteousnesse and bee made partakers of that holinesse which floweth from Christ so that as none of our sinnes shall bee laid to our charge likewise all Christ his obedience is as fully ours as we our selues had done it Now the better to conceiue what it is to be a new creature we must consider for the one part that which is Ephes. 4. 22. 23. 24. Cast off concerning the conuersation in time past the olde man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lusts And bee renewed in the spirit of your minde And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse and for the other part that which is Coloss. 3. 9. Ye haue put off the old man with his workes 10. And haue put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him briefly the word importeth thus much that whatsoeuer wee lost in the first creation wee must receiue in the second and whatsoeuer we haue been depriued of by Adam we haue it restored in Christ. Adam not in substance but in qualities was made like vnto God and we are new creatures made partakers of the godly nature as witnesseth Peter not in things essentiall but in holy qualities to resemble the Creatour And as Adam in the beginning and we in Adam were made wise righteous holy and in perfit felicitie and both he and we through sinne haue lost this heauenly image for in Christ it is renewed so fully as he is our wisedome and taketh from vs ignorance hee is our righteousnes and acquiteth vs from our sinnes he is our holinesse and freeth vs from our corruption hee is our redemption and restoreth to vs our libertie And because we are then renewed when wee are a wise people righteous holy and waiting for the comming of Christ we must on our parts in some measure haue our earthly wisedome mortified spirituall wisedome renewed our earthly affections slaine godly affections quickened our old conuersation quelled our conuersation from hence-foorth in heauen we must not liue as we were wont but our liues must be changed to the obedience of the word which wee must testifie in thought word and deede Briefly then wee are renewed by faith in Christ when wee assuredly beleeue that 1. Cor. 1. 30 Christ Iesus is made of God vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and by the fruites of faith by Rom. 12. 2. not fashioning our selues like vnto this world but by being changed by the renewing of our minde and by Ephes. 4. 24 putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse First therefore we must beleeue that Christ is made to vs wisedome because naturally Ephes. 4. 18. our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in vs. How blinde we are by nature and what neede wee haue of the Spirit of Christ to enlighten vs the Prophet Dauid euen in that image of a new creature Psal. 119. by his often praying for the same doth plentifully declare And when it shall please God thus to enlighten vs then must wee labour for a certificate in our consciences to haue our sinnes cleerely discharged in the death of Christ and to assure vs that Christ his righteousnes in his resurrectiō is as surely imputed vnto vs as if we had done all righteousnes and though we haue been sinners as others yet
and Correction MAny thinke to priuiledge themselues from the name of Sinners by reading largely and reprehending plentifully the sinnes of other men counting it a compendious way to credite by building gorgeously on another mans discredit and ruine 2 Flesh and blood will ease it selfe superiours looke to inferiours and inferiours to superiours but euery man must looke to himselfe 3 As an house being on fire if it may bee quenched it is best to vse water onely but if it bee like to endanger and set on fire the houses rounde about it is best to pull downe the house quickely so if offence being raised it may bee quenched with water vse water and let the house stand still but if fire burst out on euery side then pull it downe When the Viper will still bee a Viper and retaine his poyson though the charmer charme neuer so wisely the Apothecary takes him and makes a Triacle of him to expell poyson out of others so if a brother will not be admonished if he will not leaue his poyson make triacle of him that he that would not take heede of others should bee made a preseruatiue for other to beware by him if euill will not be taken from one in Israel then take away the euill out of whole Israel If we must needes see somewhat dead it is better to see a dead arme than a dead corpes When men will harden themselues God in his iudgement makes them as an adamant and when they grow so hard it is good to cast them out 4 We are giuen to display euery sinne yea the least in others and to conceale and bury many graces yea the best in others 5 Such as be fallen must be restored with the spirit of wisedome and lenitie Such as be falling must be vpholden by al good meanes speedily least they fal so dangerously as that then cannot be recouered 6 In an euill report or vniust censures of men it is not good straightway to be angry but to fly to Gods prouidence and to desire to profit by them 7 Because we do not to men that good which we should doe God often suffereth them to report and speake euill of vs. 8 Though we may be discouraged to deale in exhorting or dehorting admonishing or reprouing or any ecclesiasticall and Christian dutie yet being called of God we must aske wisedome of him who will send wisedome to blesse his owne ordinance 9 It is a dangerous thing to haue a proud spirit with a vaine minde 10 The drunken peace of hypocrites must not be suppled with oyle but pierced with a speare 11 If we be reproued for sinne of man let vs feare the reproofe of God It is our great corruption that wee are sooner brought to leaue a sinne when man doth rebuke vs once than when God doth threaten vs often 12 It is a good thing sometime to haue enemies For we often are more afraid to sinne least our enemies should reproue vs than wee make conscience of sinne least God should condemne vs. 13 Although the wicked speake euill of vs let vs be content indeede a good name is better than a precious ointment but remember that the Lord had made vs all priests and therefore let vs offer vp our good name to his glory and if the wicked will bring coales of iuniper let vs sacrifice vp our good names and with Paul let vs say I esteeme it the least thing in the world to be iudged of you it is the Lord that iudgeth and there is a blessing propounded for them that are so euil spokē of But there are foure hundred Prophets that speak against you are they all deceiued Many eyes see more than one True if it be spoken of the like for one Eagles eye seeth more than a thousand owles eyes and as Salomon saith One man that feareth God is better than a thousand sinners And Paul saith what haue I to doe with them that are without God shall iudge them Vpon which words a learned man biddeth vs obserue how the Apostle accounts euil men as nothing wherefore seeing the wicked are so vile and so vaine one is better then many of them therfore their censures and calumniations not to be regarded CHAP. XVII Of Ceremonies things indifferent and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse AS it is a fault to vse vnnecessary ceremonies which with the peace of the Church may be left so it is faultie to leaue a good ceremonie which hath a good vse and no superstition with it 2 The Lord commanded Exod. 16. 33. an Homer full of Manna to bee reserued as a monument for posteritie And so it was kept by the Lords commandement and therefore not abused to superstition as the brasen Serpent and Gedeons Ephod which because they were without Gods commandement reserued therefore they were quickly abused But this Manna and the Alter which the Rubenites made hauing a warrant of Gods commandement were not abused Where we learne that in bringing in ceremonies and rites into the Church wee ought to thinke that if they haue not their warrant from the word of the Lord they are like to be vsed without fruit and in danger to be turned to hurtful superstition but if they haue their warrant from the word of God that the Lorde hath commaunded them then may they haue very profitable vses in Gods Church And they shall neuer be so much abused to doe hurt as they shall bee profitable in the right vse of them And therefore in bringing in ceremonies and orders we must aske counsell of the Lord that his word may be our warrant 3 The more ceremonies the lesse truth 4 This is a generall rule whatsoeuer separateth man from God or man from man is abrogated but whatsoeuer conioyneth man to God or man to man is left still In this respect the whole Law is abrogated according to the rigour of the curse for otherwise wee could not stand before God So in Christ now hauing found reconciliation we are more bound to keepe the law morall then the Iewes because Gods commandements are more cleerely reuealed and greater strength is now giuen against sinne therefore nothing is taken from the law that we should be carelesse but the curse and condemnation of the law is done away that wee may haue an entrance to God with boldnes Whatsoeuer separateth man from man is abrogated and so the ceremoniall law is abrogated that which is meerely ceremoniall is meerely abrogated and that which is in part ceremoniall is in part onely abrogated as the Sabbath 5 The Apostle 1. Tim 4. 1. prophecieth of certaine spirits of error which should superstitiously forbid the vse of Christian libertie but 2. Tim. 3. he speaketh of another sort who among many other properties should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God The former are said to be in the last times but these in the last daies one degree further
and to giue a greater light vnto the same As we see in Moses who came to bring the Law vnto this people not a new Lawe nor contrarie to that which was before but hee renewed it confirming and making it more cleare and that which they had before deliuered from hand to hand that hee gaue in Tables and that which they afore had practised he giueth forth vnto them now in Precepts For by the whole story of Genesis it is soone perceiued that not onely the morall Lawe contained in the two Tables but eueÌ„ the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall law were knowne vnto Abraham and others that liued before the law it was neuer lawfull for them to haue any more gods but one only and true God and so consequently that his pure worship which was according to his will The Sabbath was obserued and kept not onely in Paradise but euen of the Israelites when they were in Aegypt before they came to the wildernes which they could not haue done had they not receiued it by traditions The duties also in the second Table were as common and as well knowne as any others were And when we reade in Genesis of Priests and Altars and sacrifices differences betweene cleane and vncleane beasts c. it doth easily appeare that the substance of the Ceremoniall law was long before Moses his time the death of adulterers and the punishment of murtherers doe plainely declare that they had the politicall Law before the dayes of Moses that he was not the first giuer therof vnto the people he taught therefore no new or strange doctrine nor yet contrary to that which was before He was only the means to confirme it and to make it more easily to be vnderstood for he deliuered it in plainer maÌ„ner than it was deliuered vnto the Fathers The Prophets did expound it more plainly then he and as euery Prophet was more nere the time of Christ so did he bring greater light to that which went before Iohn Baptist had cleere reuelations than any of the Prophets For our Sauiour doth prefer him before them not in respect of his person but in respect of his office and calling but the Lord Iesus euen our God and Sauiour our onely Prophet of al others hath brought most cleere light which hee hath reuealed and made knowne vnto the world both by himselfe and the Apostles whose Epistles and writings are by many degrees more plaine and manifest than the writings of the Prophets which were before them And do we not see that since the time that the Lord began to renue the light of the Gospell and to deliuer vs as it were from the darknes wherewith we were well neere oppressed Doe we not see I say that greater light doth more and more appeare that many things are now more manifest than they haue beene in former times and ages Moreouer the law had testimony from the couenaÌ„t made with Ahraham Isaac and Iacob The Prophets did proue their doctrine by the law and the couenants and our Sauiour hath his witnes out of the law and the Prophets and his Apostles did draw their proofe from all The law is in the Gospell and the Gospell in the law and therefore whosoeuer shall not make their doctrine agreeable to the law the Gospel they may nor ought not to be receiued but in the boldnesse of Gods good spirit we may say with S. Paul Let them be accursed For the Lord is not contrary nor vnlike to himselfe As the spirit spake in old time in the Patriarkes and Prophets so spake he in the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ and so will he speake in his true seruants and ministers to the ende of the world there is with him no variablenes nor shadow of change but hee abideth euer the same most like vnto himself and so doth his word which is of the same nature Whosoeuer then shall bâ—ing vnto vs any doctrine not warranted by Gods word or contrarie to that which before hath beene deliuered yea if he bring it in harder and more darke speeches than the word of God is or if hee deliuer it more strangely or obscurely and yet wil beare vs in hand and make vs beleeue that he hath cleerer reuelations we may then iustly suspect him of vntruth and vtterly refuse him further than by certaine grounds reasons out of Gods word he doth confirme his Doctrine And as we may rightly hold all the doctrines of men accursed when they speake or write any thing contrary to the holesome word of truth or else doe adde anything thereto So likewise if any shall take away from the word of God one iot or tittle we may in the feare of God and in the zeale of his truth pronounce against him that sentence wherewith God in great wisedome hath closed vp his holy Scriptures The Lord will take his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and out of those things which are written in this booke 2 Iohn saith the Spirit bloweth where it listeth so also as much as it listeth sometime breathing softly like the coole ayre and sometime like the whirle-winde for man is full of wandring thoughts and imaginations especially when he heareth the word but nothing is more dangerous than the yong mans heart which is in all places of the world at once if you speake not what he thinketh he doth not attend if hee be not astonished and for this cause doth the holy Ghost often offer galling concessions and pinching permissions as Eccl. 10. God seemeth in such speeches at the first to fauour sinne But as we lift vp a thing high to driue it the harder so God vseth such speeches to throw them to eternal destruction to breake them to fitters Yea we would thinke the Lord to be a proctor of euill if hee should not sometimes be very vehement The bitterest kind of deniall is to bid vs go yet so â—â—ine would God worke on our heart that he vseth such vehemencie 3 It is as farre from God his nature to deride any man as it is for him to repent but our sins are so great that if it were possible yee should make him a scoffer But as when saluation is wrought in the highest measure it is wrought in greatest compassion so the highest point of reuenge is derision Wee know the nature of God is full of pitie and vnlesse it be to very euill persons his speeches are full of compassion Speake my people saith he Micah 6. And Esay 5. What haue I not done that I could doe to thee And Oh that my people would haue heard Psal. 81. And when they would not heare he speaketh to the dumbe creatures Heare heauen and earth Esay 1. And Christ saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. These are good and royall speeches which are very sweete and sweetnes it selfe But when he speaketh to the desperate and wicked he changeth his
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
people and so for mee How gather you this By the annointing of Prophets Priests and Kings which were figures of him Was Christ annointed with materiall oyle as they were No but he was annointed with all gifts of the holie Spirit without measure Why dâ—e you call him Prophet Because hee was he is and euer shall be the onely teacher of the Church What were then the Prophets and Apostles They were his Disciples and seruants and spake by his spirit What comfort haue you by this Hereby I am sure that he will leade me into all truth reuealed in his word needfull for Gods glorie and my saluation Why call you him Priest Because offering vp himselfe a sacrifice once for all he hath satisfied for all my sinnes and maketh continuall intercession to the Father for me What comfort haue you by the Priesthood of Christ Hereby I am assured that he is my Mediatour and that I also am made a Priest How are you made a Priest By him I haue freedome and boldnes to drawe neere and offer my selfe and all that I haue to God the Father Why call you him King Because â—e doth guide and gouerne me vnto euerlasting life by his word and spirit What comfort haue you by this Hereby I am assured that by his kingly power I shall finally ouercome the flesh the world the diuell death and hell Why call you him Lord Because not with gold nor siluer but with his precious bloud hee hath purchased vs to bee a peculiar people to himselfe What comfort haue you by this Seeing he hath paid such a price for mee he will not suffer me to perish What is the second thing wherein the faith of Christ consisteth Secondly I beleeue that he hath wrought my saluation indeed after that manner that is set downe in the Creede After what manner hath he wrought your saluation 1 By his most painfull sufferings for sinne 2 By his most glorious victorie and triumph ouer sinne In what words are his most painfull sufferings expressed In these words Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell What is the generall meaning of these words By them I shew my selfe to beleeue that Christ endured most grieuous torments both of body and soule What comfort haue you by this I am freed from all those punishments of bodie and soule which my sinnes haue deserued How then commeth it to passe that we are so often afflicted with grieuous torments both in bodie and soule Our sufferings are not by desert any satisfaction for our sinnes in any part but being sanctified in the most holy sufferings of Christ they are medicines against sinne Why are these words added Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Not onely for the truth of the storie but also to teach that he appeared willingly and of his owne accord before a mortall Iudge of whom he was pronounced innocent and yet by the same he was condemned What comfort haue you hereof That my Sauiour thus suffering not any whit for his owne sinnes but wholy for mine and for other mens sinnes before an earthly Iudge I shall be discharged before the heauenly iudgement seate What is meant by this That he was crucified That he died not onely a common death but such a death as was accursed both of God and man What comfort haue you by this I am comforted in this because I am deliuered from the curse which I haue deserued by the breach of the law and shall obtaine the blessing due vnto him for keeping of the same What is meant by this That he died That his soule was separated from his bodie so that he died a corporali death Why was it requisite that he should die Because by sinne came death into the world so that the iustice of God could not haue beene satisfied for our sinnes vnlesse death had beene ioyned with his sufferings Why is it â—rther added That he was buried To assure vs more fully that he was truely dead What comfort have you by his death and buriall 1 I am comforted because my sinnes are fully discharged in his death and so buried that they shall neuer come into remembrance 2 Secondly my comfort is the more because by the vertue of his death and buriall sinne shall be killed in me and buried so that henceforth it shall haue no power to reigne ouer me 3 Thirdly I neede not to feare death seeing that sinne which is the sting of death is taken away by the death of Christ and that now death is made vnto me an entrance into this life What is the meaning of this He descended into hell This is the meaning that my Sauiour Christ did not onely suffer in body but also in soule did abide most vnspeakable vexations griefes painfull troubles feare of minde â—â—to the which both before and most of all when he hanged vpon the crosse he was cast What comfort haue you by this I am comforted in this because in all my grieuous temptations and assaults I may stay and make sure my selfe by this that Christ hath deliuered mee from the sorrowfull griefes and paines of hell What beleeuest thou in this article Hee rose againe from the dead I belieue that Christ in his manhood hath suffered for mee and that he did in the third day â—â—â— againe by his owne power from the dead Wherin doth this article minister comfort vnto thee In three things 1. His resurrection doth assure me that his righteousnes shall be imputed to me for my perfect iustification 2. it comforteth mee because it doth from day to day raise me vp to righteousnes and newnes of life in this present world 3 It ministreth vnto me a comfortable hope that I shall rise againe in the last day from bodily death What beleeuest thou in this Article Hee ascended into heauen I belieue that Christ in his humane Nature the Apostles looking on ascended into Heauen What comfort haue you thereby 1. I am comforted in this that Christ hath prepared a place for mee in heauen which now I see by Faith and herâ—aâ—ter shall fully enioy 2. I am comforted by his intercession to the Father for me What fruite haue you by his intercession 1. First it doth reconcile me to the Father for those sinnes which I doe daily commit 2. Secondly being reconciled in him I can pray to GOD with boldnesse and call him FATHER What is the meaning of this article Hee siâ—tteth at the right hand of God the Father I belieue that CHRIST in mans nature was aduanced by the FATHER vnto that high authoritie whereby hee ruleth all things in heauen and earth What comfort haue you thereby 1. I am comforted because I shall receiue from him all things needfull for mee vnder his gratious gouernment 2. By his power all mine enemies shall be subdued and troden vnder my feete What beleeue you in this article From thence hee shall come c I belieue
may safely vse it to proue the Resurrection It is said moreouer Iob. 19 25. I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and hee shall stand the last on the earth 26. And though after my skinne wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see GOD in my flesh 27. Whome my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall beholde and none otâ—er for mee though my reines are consumed within mee This place the very Heretikes will grant after a fashion that is with a most wicked minde vnderstanding it onely of that rising againe vnto sanctification which is in this life Others there bee which are of a reuerent iudgement in other things who expound this of the renewing and restoring of his flesh to freshnes and soundnes after that it was corrupted with sores and eaten with cankers But admitte it were so which in truth cannot beare that exposition how could hee haue belieued that but that hee being perswaded that God who when his bodie should wholly bee resolued into corruption would raise it to a more glorious perfection could much more restore soundnes to his bodie now whilst this corruption was but in part on him How could hee doe it but by hope in the power of GOD which with greater case could renewe his flesh and bones beeing but corrupted than reuiue the same being altogether dead and throughly consumed as we reade Ezech. 37 5. 6. wherein is set downe a notable type of this rising againe 5. Thus saith the Lord vnto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall liue 6. And I will lay sinewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath in you that ye may liue and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord. True it is that the chiefe purpose of the Holy Ghost is to foreshewe the bringing againe of the people out of captiuitie howbeit vnder a most excellent figure of the rising and restoring of the flesh in the last day So that the place importeth thus much if the Lord could restore sinewes flesh skinne breath and life to rotten bones much more hee could restore the Israelites to their countrie The same sense may be applied to that Esay 26. 19. Thy dead men shall liue euen with my bodie shall they rise Awake and sing yee that dwell in dust for thy dewe is as the dew of hearbs and the earth shall cast out the dead In which place is signified thus much As hearbes in time of winter seeme dead and yet in the spring time sprout againe by reason of that sappe that lay hidden in the roote and as the bodies of the faithfull seeme vtterly to perish when they are in the earth and yet in the last day shall rise againe through that seede which is giuen in Christ euen so the Israelites who in time of their banishment seemed to die as winter hearbes and to perish as dead bodies should bee brought home againe and restored to their former libertie Which place could not but shew the returne of the people vnder the type of the resurrectioÌ„ in that the Prophet saith Euen with this bodie shall they rise Notable is that place Daniel 12. 2. Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to perpetuall shame and contempt Whereunto agreeth that saying of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 5. 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce 29. And they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of condemnation Now wheÌ„ we shall see that there is nothing more cleere of the doctrine of faith contained in the new Testament than that of the resurrection and that there is no new doctrine in the same but it is also in the old Testament although indeede that is more manifestly and in more perfect beautie set down by the Prince of Prophets than by the Prophets his forerunners what shall wee say there is in the new Testament not proued in some measure alreadie in the old The Iewes beleeued no one article more than that of the resurrection as may appeare by that readie answere of Martha Ioh 12 24. at what time our Sauiour Christ came to raise vp Lazarus her brother for hee saying vnto her in the verse going before Thy brother shall rise againe by and by she answered I know that he shall rise againe in the resurrection of the last day Again we reade Act. 23. 8. that the Pharisies confessed the resurrection Now it is knowne that the faith of the Iewes was grounded on the word which as yet was onely in the administration of the old Testament and not in the new for as yet it was not extant or in no credit at the least with them wherefore seeing not onely the primitiue Church hath beleeued herein by the euident light of the new Testament and the Iewes before beleeued it by the light of the old it is manifest that the doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ is proued in the old and among many places this of our Psalme is not the least where it is said Thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption By soule we must vnderstaÌ„d he meaneth his natural life as it is taken in the Scripture 1. Cor. 15. 45. where the Apostle borrowing his speech from the second chapter of Genesis and seuenth verse saith The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit The reason why hee prooued the rising againe of his flesh is here drawne from the power of our Sauiour Christ of whom these wordes are meant Thou wilt not suffer thine holie one to see corruption as both Peter in his notable Sermon Act 2. and Paul Act. 23. doe plainly affirme for the Apostle saith that Dauid was buried and sawe corruption and therefore he spake not this of himselfe but of Christ his head in whom was found no qualitie of corruption at all so that Dauid as a member of Christ gathered this by the eye of faith that there should come an holie one out of his loines who by his owne mightie power should raise vp his owne bodie from seeing any corruption and by the same power should also raise his bodie which should see corruption that it might rest with his and be made like his as we may reade Philip. 3. 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. 21. Who shall chaunge our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like to his glorious boâ—ie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe So that the Prophet looketh for a resurrection of the flesh after it shall bee corrupted contrarie to the heretiquâ—s who dreame of a spirituall resurrection from sinne which by no meanes
you and hearken vnto my words 15 For these are not drunken as ye suppose since it is but the third houre of the day 16 But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel. 17 And it shall be in the last dayes saith God I will powre out of my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames IN the former part of this chapter is set down the worke of God in sending downe the holy Ghost on the Apostles as also the effects hereof both in the Apostles and in the hearers wonderful in the one diuerse in the other the Apostles speaking with such strage tongues the hearers hitherto not greatly moued but secretly murmuring saying they had drunke deepely and so became eloquent Whereat Peter taking this good occasion confuteth them by two reasons first telling them it was but yet nine of the clock or the third houre of the day at what time men vse not to be drunken Nay saith hee it is so far off that we are drunken as ye suppose that it is with vs cleane coÌ„trarie For the thing is not come to passe that one of your owne Prophets foretold you it is not superfluitie of drink but an aboundance of God his spirit not promised by speciall priuiledge to vs alone but to all sexes conditions and estates of men whatsoeuer if ye be prepared to receiue it For as the Lord hath bestowed the gifts of his spirit on vs so will he also doe it to you if ye wilfully refuse not and therefore the Lord is readie now to worke wonders in the world whoso either wittingly refuseth or carelesly abuseth these graces shall be snared in these iudgements yet so as the Lord being more readie to magnifie his mercie than to shew his iustice will accomplish this that whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall both escape the iudgements threatned and also obtaine these And thus much both generally briefely for the scope of this place More particularly we may obserue three speciall poynts first the liberall testimonie of Ioel and his rich commendation of the grace of God in bestowing such graces on his Church vnder the kingdome of Iesus Christ and this is set downe vers 17. 18. the second thing is that at what time the Lord will thus deale with his people the Lord will send many iudgements as heresies offences dearths plagues and warres which here are declared in figuratiue and borrowed speeches of blood fire vapour of smoke and such like whereby he will punish and auenge himselfe for the contempt of so gracious mercies as vers 19. 20. and the third thing is the meanes how wee shall escape such heauie iudgements and attaine to such heauenly graces and so perseuere in them which is declared vers 21. But before we enter further into the deep discourse of these particular poynts we will obserue the occasion and the circumstances of this speech of Peter the occasion was that the people not profiting by the former and marueilous work of the Lord the Apostle taketh occasion further to instruct them that were teachable and to reproue the scorners and yet he was not so offended at them in that God his wonderfull works did nothing profit them as that therefore he left off all but he stirreth vp himselâ—e the more earnestly and endeuoureth familiarly to teach them Whereby we are to learne not rashly suddainly or vnaduisedly too much to be offended at the not profiting slender profiting or back sliding of some but rather we must labour to attempt the matter with a new onset remembring alwaies that not onely a woe is threatned to them that giue iust occasion of offence but also vnto them that in Christ doe take offence and therefore taking a view of our selues either in naturall or spirituall gifts we must trie our selues how patiently we can susteine without offence either the want or resistance of the like gifts in others and yet we see that if after some meanes vsed men goe slowlie forward and not make such speedie proceedings as is desired men for the most part are readie to leaue off all and are glad to draw out of the yoke of their duetie as thinking themselues well exempted and as it were discharged when as spirituall men in such cases thinke themselues to be stirred vp to the more earnest and painefull vsing of the meanes to which well meaning minds and to men of so vpright an heart the Lord often giueth good increase of gifts that they may imploy the vse of them vnto others And surely if flesh and blood might iudge in such a case we would thinke that this present occasion might haue made Peter giue ouer and goe from the people but he more meekely and modestly as the foreman of the quest followeth the matter and answereth vnto them as we haue heard We may reade Acts 6. how there did arise a murmuring betweene the Iewes and the Grecians in so much as the Apostles credit began to be called into question that they had not care of the widowes which was a dutie belonging vnto them as though they had the faith of God in respect of persons This might seeme to be able to discourage them but contrariwise through the blessing of God his spirit they espied their own wants in themselues and began to seeke a new Ministerie Now if they had taken the matter too much to heart they might haue become vnprofitable but they meekely passing ouer the offence and wisely looking to the counsell of God thought themselues to be but men and that they could not infinitely bee ocupied or busied in many things ordained Deacons in the Church This then we must make a speciall vse of when for some good meanes vsed or otherwise much vnkindnes is offered vs euen of our friends or we find little thankes for our trauell nay sometime reape reproches at their hands for our reward that then we growe not slacker in our duties or waxe colde in loue and droope in our affection towards them which if we doe we shall bewray that our affection was meerely and onely naturall and not spirituall True it is and cannot be denied that a kinde heart and liberall minde is most broken with reproches but yet this offence must be ouercome and striuen against in vs after the example both of Peter in our present text and of the rest of the Apostles in that former place Acts 6. who rather tooke occasioÌ„ to accuse themselues than to cease to be profitable to the Church of Christ. Neither is it neither ought it to seeme to vs a strange thing that the graces and gifts of God haue found such cold entertainement yea which is a thing more contrarie great repulses and reproches Much learning saith Festus Acts 26. 24. maketh Paul mad the workes of God his spirit here are counted drunkennes Ezechiel is thought to sing a
fond song Christ was thought to cast out diuels by the power of the diuell Iohn Baptist was thought but a melancholike man Iehu being threatned called the Prophet a mad braine for so they iudged of the Prophets digressing somewhat from the set order and compositions of words and precepts of their art So that the graces of God seeme often to men to be cleane contrarie If this hath been alwayes the iudgement of the world that because they could no longer heare men or further see into things than either reason or art did guide them they thought the Prophets and Apostles railing spirits and barren soiles wee must not thinke it a new thing And hearers are here greatly to be circumspect that they thinke not so basely of men zealous in gifts of the spirit as that they should account them mad melancholike or cholerike men and such as either would hurt themselues or doe some hurt to others but rather reuerently acknowledge that there is a secret and mightie power of the Spirit which the Lord often conueieth into the hearts of the godly Men can for the most part well away with an ordinary course in preaching and so long as it fals into an oratorie stile and iust proportion of words or so long as a man sheweth a wittie inuention and comely composing of the matter but if a man presse into the consciences of men and with some vehemencie speake against their familiar sinnes straight way they say surely this kind of teaching bewrayeth him to be brainesick And that we may be the more wearie herein let vs consider who they were that inueyed thus against the Apostles were they not men out of euery natioÌ„ fearing God and such as were somewhat religious yes surely And who nowadayes will sooner and sorer open their mouthes against zealous preachers than men claborate in arte and skilful in precepts who not being able by reason to see into this vehemencie iudge them that vse it too austerely Wherefore as this must correct iudgement in hearers least they iustly offend God in being vniustly offended at them that are zealous for the Lord of hoasts sake so also it must teach the Ministers of the word patience if sometimes they be wrongly coÌ„strued so recompence their furie with meekenes as the Lord may humble their aduersaries the more euen by their meeke dealing of whom they thought so hardly which vndoubtedly oftentimes is most effectuall euen to breake the hearts euen of the most obstinate gainesayers And it cannot be gainesayd that these men seeing the Apostles meekenes were farre more wonne and sooner humbled than if he should haue breathed out furious speeches and so haue ceased from his holy busines And we shall see by experience that men thinking one to be curious singular or precise after the Lord hath sanctified some crosse vpon them and humbled them in some measure vnderneath his hand they are more humbled at the meekenes and long suffering of him whom they offended than by any other meanes because they then perceiue they haue resisted the grace of God and persecuted the gifts of God in him In the last dayes That is when Christ should be manifested in the flesh preached vnto the Gentiles belieued on in the world and receiued vp in glorie shall these gifts of the spirit abound It is called the last day because of the stabilitie of the Church and perfection of the word in that in it wee looke for none other doctrine vntill Christ come in iudgement 1. Corin. 10. 11. After that the Apostle had feared the Corinthians with the example of the Iewes he commeth â—o applie his doctrine in this manner Now all these things came vnto them for ensamples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the endes of the world are come As if he should say these things seemed not to serue for them alone but for vs in the last daies And Heb 1. â— it is plainly in euident phrase said At sundry times and in diuers manners God spake in old â—imâ— to our fathers by the Prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne c. All which places in sense at the least agree with this place together with that Galath 4. 4. where it is called the fulnes of time For the estate of the people before Christ his comming was childish and paedagogicall and therefore men looked as Iohns Disciples for another that should come and the Samaritanes had this generall principle among them That the Messiah when he came would restore all things and set them in order Whereby we must learne not to looke for any new doctrine or reuelations of men Christ himselfe is come and hath made things perfit Christ the prince of Prophets whom they looked for is manifest in the flesh by how much the Prophets were neerer him by so much they had the clearer sight of him the further they were from him the dimmer was their knowledge of him The Lord himselfe hath spoken the booke is now shut vp with a complet conclusion if any man shall diminish of the words of it God shall take away his part out of the booke of life if any man shall adde vnto it God shall adde vnto him the plagues threatned in the booke And therefore all Heretikes Papists and Turks wil not stick to agree in this common errour The Turke though he doth not denie Christ and the scripture but giues them their time and place yet will haue a way for his Mahomet who must expound the word to him as he please The Papist in plaine tearmes dares not denie Christ and his Gospell yet can he not see all sufficiencie therein but complaining of some defect he looketh to vnwritten verities and leaneth to old traditions to be giuen to the Church therefore he will haue the Pope to be Christ his vicar and looke whatsoeuer their Synodes do conclude that must be established as a catholike trueth measuring the scriptures by their traditions and not their traditions by the scriptures The damnable Familie of loue make the word which is a thing fearefull to bee thought much more to be spoken of but a nose of waxe or a shipmans hose and yet they will haue their H. N. who is the eight person and the last man who must bee ioyned with the Gospell and so farre forth as hee with other gray-headed and illuminate elders do interpret the Scriptures they will agree We now against these and all other heretikes confessing the scriptures of God to be perfect and absolute to saluation ioyne none other thing with them but say that wee liue in the last dayes wherein Christ left the fulnes of doctrine of prayer of Sacraments and discipline to the Church by his Apostles and therefore we minde no reuelation Mahometicall interpretation nor traditions of men but though an Angell come from heauen bring an vnwritten veritie varying from the trueth of God his word we vtterly reiect him Neither as running too
serue the world if all our minde heart and affections bee giuen to the world wee cannot serue God They then that are filled with wine are drunken cannot haue the holy Ghost I say drunken because otherwise there were no reason For one may drinke wine moderatly and yet speake wonderfully of the workes of God and a man may after eating and drinking vtter the graces and praises of God to shewe that he hath not immoderatly abused God his creatures For it is a flat argument whereby we may proue our selues that if after our repast receiued wee can discreetly reuerently and humbly speake of things to God his praise and glorie we haue not been immoderate or intemperate deuourers of his gifts This is a profitable argument and worthie our meditation In what worldly thing soeuer we exceede we cannot applie our selues to God his kingdome For if the kingdom of God be our chiefest delight we shall vse this world as though wee vsed it not Wee are wont to marueile much that after the word preached our prayers made the Sacraments receiued there yet appeareth no change nor alteratiō in vs our affections are as they were our life is the same that it was before but we doe not consider that before we came to the word prayer and Sacraments our hearts were fraught and ballaced with worldly cares so that there was no place left voide in our affections for the word and that our hearts were so pestred and thronged with vaine pleasures that there was no roome for God his spirit to keepe residence in and for religion to dwell among vs. The due consideration whereof must waine vs from the world and surfeting pleasures which locke vp our hearts that the Lord cannot enter in We cannot well runne with the Hare and hold with the Hound wee cannot hold fire and water together we cannot reconcile Christ and Belial light darkenesse God and the diuell If one be vp the other must downe if one be downe the other will vp Againe we marueile that after the word preached we are so ouertaken with our accustomed pleasures and profits seeing that whilest we did heare we had a secret and sweete disliking of sinne and an irking of our selues for the same so long as these after-thoughts correct the former Surely I answere out of Paul 2. Cor. 3. 3. because we are yet carnall we are more carnall than spirituall we are babes in Christ we haue but young beginnings in Christ but old proceedings in the world Why then doe we come to God so halting and limping euen because we are not come to any good growth in new birth Howbeit let vs beware that we continue not still to be staruelings least it breedeth in vs a sickne vnto death both of body and soule If we were more spirituall than carnall had the Spirit powred vpon vs in some plentifull measure were fully perswaded of God his prouidēce watching ouer vs of the ministerie of his holy Angels waiting vpon vs assured of the glorie of the life to come feeling the mightie power of the word of the law to humble vs of the Gospell to breede faith in vs of the Sacraments to seale vs of Christ to liue in vs oh how should we liue in this world Whilest Christ liued in Paul he vsed this world as though he vsed it not he felt such ioy in the fruites of the Spirit that all other things were vile vnto him So the cause why good motions die in vs so soone and the suggestions of the flesh preuaile so strongly against vs is because we are more carnall than spirituall Many rules may be giuen how a man may vse himselfe but to set downe all either we shall come short or else in reaching some good measure of them we may swell in priuie pride but learne this well and learne all which after a long part of a sermon our Sauiour Christ concludeth with Matth. 6 33. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and his righteousnes c. This is hard but if we come to any meane growth in holines and taste how sweete the Lord is to vs then we shall surely feele our flesh not to be so masterfull neither shall it be so laborious to doe the good we desire to doe The argument of the Apostle we see is this It is so farre from these men that they are drunken that it is God his spirit in them than which two what can be more contrarie and it is written euen by one of your owne Prophets In the last daies I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh c. This is now come to passe and therefore Christ his kingdome is now For whensoeuer God his Spirit shall come vpon all then is the kingdome of Christ come but now God his Spirit is come vpon all therefore now is the kingdome of Christ come Thus the Apostle reacheth vs how we may know when and where Christ his kingdome is euen where as well the young as the old the women as the men the seruants as the maisters can shew forth the workes of the Lord. In Poperie men and women old and young maisters and seruants could not talke of the mysteries of God therefore in Poperie there is not Christ his kingdome And though our compound Anabaptists haue great things in their mouthes yet because their men and women speake nothing but dreames forsaking the word of God they haue not the kingdome of Christ. In many places in the daies of Queene Mary both old and yong were not afraid to shew the praise of God as well women as men boldly professed the truth not only maisters but seruants gaue testimonie to the Gospell with their bloud and therefore then in such places appeared this kingdome And we may safely at this day reason so in euery congregation where old and young men and women can speake the praise of God there is the Spirit of God there is the kingdome of Christ otherwise if these things are not there there is not his kingdome what meanes so euer are vsed And now to braunch out these words more particularly first we are to note that God bestoweth such an excellent thing as his Spirit secondly that so excellent a thing is sent to so vile a thing as flesh thirdly this grace is not leased out to a few here and there but is freely offered to all sorts ages sexes and conditions of men fourthly it is not distilled by thinne drops but powred out in full measure and plentifull abundance What more vile than flesh what more pretious than the Spirit of God the excellencie whereof we shall see more euidently Ioel. 2. where after the Prophet had seuerely threatned the Iewes and exhorted them to conuert he comforteth them againe by promising vnto them the renewing of God his mercies and not staying in telling them how the Lord would send them againe corne wine and oyle he commeth at the last and putteth them in minde of that which
he is not too much grieued But if we haue not God his spirit surely we belong not to God For haue we wit wisedome health power wealth authoritie credit friends or any such thing and yet haue not receiued the spirit of God what are we but a more fit substance or subiect whereupon Sathan may frame the worke of sinne It is not the poore sillie or simple people that be the maine instruments which the diuell doth vse in his greatest affaires to doe hurt but the wise politique rich and mightie men of the world Contrariwise if with these good gifts we haue the spirit of God what great good may we doe in Church or Common-wealth If besides the beautie of God his spirit we haue the flowers of outward things what a singular ornament is this to our garland What shall I say more In affliction the spirit sheweth vs the hand of God both humbling and comforting vs reuealeth our sinnes worketh in vs the contempt of this life the desire of the life to come and so sanctifieth our crosse by wisedome repentance and patience Seeing then these are the effects of God his spirit that it feoffeth vs by faith into euerlasting inheritance it assureth vs of all our rich treasures in Iesus Christ seeing it sanctifieth all inward gifts seasoneth the vse of all outward things briefly seeing with it all things seeming miserable are most blessed and without it all things seeming happie are most miserable it followeth that of all gifts the holy Ghost is the most excellēt Howbeit one thing here is to be added that we may wholy separate our selues from the Anabaptists we speake of the Spirit as he sheweth his force in vs and worketh in vs by the ministerie of the word which two worke together and therefore it is said Ioh. 6. My words are spirit and life For without the Spirit the word is as the bright Sunne to a blind man who not for fault of a pure obiect but for want of sense is not able to discerne the cleerest thing in the world and therfore the Prophet Dauid Psal. 119 saith Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law True it is the Sunne is bright but what is that to a blinde man True it is the word is glorious but what is that to a man without the spirit of God For so farre we profit by the word as we receiue the power of it by the inward ministerie of the Spirit we must trie the spirits by the word and we shall then know that we haue receiued the spirit of God when he giueth vs the pure vnderstanding the carefull receiuing and zealous practising of the same Carnall men and our late Anabaptists be but boasters of themselues in terming themselues spiritual men we are not taught so to bragge of the Spirit or any worke thereof but as it is warranted vnto vs by the written word we confesse that blinde is our minde and that we cannot profit by the word but by God his spirit we looke not for the spirit in our phantasie but for the spirit which worketh by the word which spirit spake by Abraham by the Patriarches by Moses and the Prophets by Paul and the Apostles and by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Seeing the spirit of God is so high a thing we are here to complaine why we hunt after life profit and pleasure and haue so small care to obtaine God his good spirit which is so pretious It is a great fault to fansie so much the things of this world and so little to esteeme this And here not of a set treatise but by the way we will speake of the last part of our diuision that is of the meane how to attaine to these graces of the Spirit We know rich men can for their increase frequent faires ambitious men can get preferment carnall men will watch their opportunities and euery man in his kinde knoweth how to prouide best for his profit and pleasure Our way goeth on the other hand and heth in the carefull hearing of the word the feruent vse of prayer the reuerent fruitfull resorting to the Sacraments and most holy submitting of ourselues to the discipline of the Lord in frequenting the companie of God his children and in waining our selues from the world by all which meanes the spirit may haue a more voluntarie free and perfect worke in and vpon vs. And although all these things are not particularly here set downe yet marke here is named the most proper meane pointing at all the rest and this as ye see is prayer by the which the Lord conueigheth his spirit into vs to make all the other meanes more pleasant profitable to vs. Why then are not so many sermons now adaies more effectuall when one or two sermons touched these people so powerfully Surely God his spirit worketh not in vs as he wrought in them Why when any be conuerted doe so few turne to the Lord when as the Lord drew so many of these men at once to himselfe Because we are drawne away too much of our owne flesh and taste not the sweetnes of God his spirit as they did But can a man pray for faith and God his spirit which as yet hath neither faith nor the spirit of God Whatsoeuer good gift we haue it is certaine we haue it by faith and God his spirit in some measure in vs and then we may pray for the increase of them in vs. For it is God his spirit that prayeth in vs Rom 8 True it is that many haue receiued God his Spirit before they feele it and faith before they see it and by this meanes they pray to receiue faith and the spirit of God as they thinke or rather the increase of both thinke I because they haue receiued them before for els could they neuer truly haue prayed But they then that are called owe this dutie to Ministers that they must pray for thē euen as Preachers must pray for them Thus we shall see the prayers of the Church Psalm 67. The Pastor for the people the people for the Pastor must make prayers supplications Generally all must so let their light shine before men so watch in prayer that others seeing our godly life may say oh what a people in wisedome true godlines is this it is a good and an happie thing to ioyne our selues to them what zeale what humilitie what plentifull fruits of faith are here blessed are the people that haue such a Pastor blessed is the Pastor that hath such a people And here let vs remember how the Apostles did not onely pray for the increase of God his spirit in themselues but for the beginnings of it in others which as yet had not receiued it teaching vs thereby what is our dutie to wit that we rest not in our owne priuate feelings or in praying for the increase of them but that we pray that others may taste of the like ioyes as we
feele that the seede of God his Spirit may bud foorth that both we and they ioyning together in deuout prayer and Christian practise of our profession may call and allure others as yet further from vs to come neerer to vs. But some will say vnto me I was wont to haue better dispositions and to feele sweeter motions than I haue done of late I profit little or nothing nay I feare rather I goe backe Why I pray you is this I say surely God his spirit worketh not in me as he hath done before because I cannot haue such delight in the word such sweetnes in feruent prayer such ioy in the Sacraments I haue not such a plentifull measure of God his spirit in me Now followeth the second thing in these words Vpon flesh Here are two things in nature opposite one against another the one most pretious the other most vile What more pretious than the Spirit of God what more vile than flesh that is than a man meerely vnregenerate That this word flesh so signifieth it appeareth Genes 6. 3. where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with men because he is but flesh that is such as in whom my image is blotted out And Rom 7. 18. the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing In which place the Apostle speaketh of himselfe as of a man meerely naturall and vnregenerate And Ioh. 3. 6. it is said That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Where the antithesis and contrarietie doth shewe the meaning of this word flesh Here then is the depth height length and breadth of God his mercie commended vnto vs in giuing his holie spirit to sinful flesh and therefore we may iustly crie out with the Prophet Psal. 8. 4. what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Oh what is man that the Lord should giue him his Spirit If the man of God cried out thus for the benefit of outward things how much rather are we to crie for the benefit of God his Spirit If Iob in his booke reasoneth that it is a great mercie of God that he will take paines to chastice man how much more mercie is it when he will vouchsafe his Spirit to be giuen vnto him If then flesh is so contemptible a thing that it lieth without all honour vntil God doth send his blessed Spirit here is confuted the doting opinion of the Papists who think that there is some good thing in man which moueth the Lord through a liking and louing of him to bestow these inestimable graces of the spirit on him when as of it selfe it is wholy alwaies and in al things corrupt and onely euill continually Wherein these blinde Diuines shew and bewray themselues not to haue tasted truly at any time of the spirit of God but to glance at it with some glimmering sight to their further condemnatiō as the foolish Philosophers For God his people doe plainly feele and to the glorie of God boldly confesse that there is no first degree or preparation in themselues whereby they might moue the Lord once to cast his fauourable countenance towards them but that it is onely the merit and the vndeserued mercy of God that his spirit which worketh any good proceedings in them doth also begin in them and the same spirit both continueth the worke and maketh a way for the worke which he himselfe must worke vpon afterward It is said Esay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon the thirstie and flouds vpon the drie ground where our nature for barrennes is compared to drie ground and the Spirit to a fountaine of water The Lord moreouer by his Prophet sheweth that vntill by his good spirit he doth soften vs wee haue stonie hearts And can a stone bleede though you bruise cut and breake it in peeces Surely no more can wee bee bruised humbled and broken in heart for sinne be the iudgements of God neuer so sorely vrged vpon vs vntill God by his good spirit touch vs. If it bee then a great worke to turne a stone into flesh to make a thing most insensible most sensible then surely to make a stonie heart fleshie and our hearts that are hardened to melt bleede and to be resolued into teares is a more excellent worke and this is the onely worke of God his spirit And as thus much wee haue spoken for doctrine so also it may make for our consolation and for the comfort of al them that are broken in minde and feele the burthen of their naturall corruption True it is that all generally and naturally are flesh drie ground and hard hearts but all doe not feele this all see not this all lament not this and therefore all that haue not the beginnings of faith and haue not tasted the first fruites of the spirit because they are but flesh how can they feele any thing in themselues But when the spirit commeth that hardnes is taken away the vale is rent and then wee begin to complaine of our deadnes and dulnes then wee will crie out of our selues as of men vnworthie of any grace or fauour of God Then remember to thy comfort the couenant of God made vnto vs that is that God will powre out his spirit on flesh and thou shalt receiue of the power thereof if thou complaine in truth and not as a Parrat counterfeiting the worke of reason For as some birds can counterfeite mens wordes so some men can counterfeite God his words If then thou art not truly moued and purely affected neither feelest such gratious working in thee as thou desirest remember that God will powre his spirit on flesh God will powre waters on drie ground God will soften the hard hearts and though in our selues wee finde no towardnes the Lord will send flouds of water in steed of drinesse and fleshinesse in stead of hardnes and comfort in stead of heauines Now followeth the third thing that is that this benefit shall vniuersally be powred out vpon all And this setteth out the goodnesse of God that doth giue it in that he doth it without respect of persons as well on children as on fathers as well on seruants as on masters as well on women as on men as well on young as on olde together with the fourth thing in that this heauenly gift shall in plentifull measure bee powred out in that the ions and daughters shall prophecie the young men shall see visions and the olde men shall dreame dreames Wherein we obserue first the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell betweene the Fathers vnder the Law and those that are vnder the Gospell We grant that we al had one substance of faith and repentance only they looked for Christ to come we to Christ alreadie come And here are to be noted two other differences the one that then the spirit was giuen to
therefore they cannot see where a trope should haue his place Thus it went with their great Master and father of allegories Origen who giuing himselfe to follow his deuised allegories could not through God his righteous and iust iudgement see those places that will admir a trope For comming to that saying of Christ our Sauiour where he intreateth oâ— three kindes of chast persons whereof one maketh himselfe chast for the kingdome of God sake hee taking it too literally did cut off his owne members and so grossely did misunderstand it The true vnderstanding of this place then is this that in the Apostles times and in the ages following there should bee riper knowledge than was in the ages before But if it be here obiected that the men of our daies are not like the great men and Prophets of God as Eâ—â—y Dauid Ieremiah or Daniel to this wee answere that comparisons must be alwaies in the like Then if we compare the Apostles with the Prophets that were before them we know the Apostles in cleerenes and excellencie of knowledge did surpasse them And our Sauiour Christ testifieth of Iohn Baptist that he was the greatest among the Prophets and yet that the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell were greater than he Then compare our Euangelists with the Patriarches and they saw a cleerer light than these did For Abraham sawe Christ but a farre off and to come they sawe him euidently and already come Proceede to compare the common sort of people then with the common sort in these dayes and euen we doe see Christ more liuâ—ly painted out before vs than they did they had assurance that these things should come to passe wee knowe that they are alreadie come to passe seeing plainly the effects and issues of them And thus wee see that God his graces are moe and more excellent than they were in the time of the Law Compare Christ with Mose and hee did as farre exceed him as the Master builder doth the hired seruant Compare their common Ministers the Priests and Leuites with our ordinarie Doctors and Pastors and they goe beyond them in the euidence of knowledge All these notable men of the Law knew that Christ should come and that the holy Ghost should come but the maner of their comming they saw but very darkly but we see it and reioyce therein The plaine meaning then of this place is that whereas God did in the old time reueale his will vnto some by visions and by dreames now al sorts of men young and old man and maide shall be instructed in the knowledge of God more plentifully and more perfitly For it is to be vnderstood as that Exod 19 Ye shall be a kingly Priâ—sthood c. and 1 Pet. 2. it must be interpreted as often in Esay as chap. 11. in Ieremy and in the Gospell aâ—ter Iohn it is saide They shâ—ll all bee taught of God and that which is in his Epistle the annointing shall teach you all things These doe not take away the ordinarie ministerie of the word but doe shew that men shall not onely haue the outward meanes but shall also haue the teaching of the Spirit And all of these are so begun in this life that they be not performed to the full vntill wee be vnclothed of this flesh and haue our full part with Christ in the life to come This is the meaning of the place and herein doe wee goe beyond the men of the old ages And besides this in the very manner of deliuerie there is farre more cleernes and euidence now than was in the times of the Law For the Prophets and holy men of God indeede laboured but the fruite for the most part was little and the Apostles as Christ saith Ioh. 4. entred into their labours Yâ—a the Apostle Peter goeth further and saith that they were a light shining in a darke place but wee haue a surer light of prophecie Further hee addeth in the same place that they serued not so much their owne ages and times as vs that are come after them Now hauing the right vnderstanding of this place we are to be greatly thankfull to God for that he hath not left vs to doubtfull dreames but hath giuen vs the certaintie of the word written whereunto serued all the former visions dreames and prophecies and it is confirmed vnto vs by euery one of them Thus wee haue the sense of this place wherein it was fulfilled in the Apostles times as Peter here witnesseth and in this sense it was fulfilled in the Primitiue Church as all good stories doe record Let vs further see what it is that men shall prophecie that is they shall be taught by the spirit of God in the word to trie themselues to trie the spirits of their teachers to teach others and to be able to giue a reason of their hope before their enemies for as the holy Ghost came vpon Christ so must be come vpon euery one of his members and as he was annointed a Prophet so must his members also be Prophets This sound knowledge consisteth in foure things The first thing required in a Christian is that he be able to trie himselfe and his estate â—efore God whether he be in the faith or no whether he be God his childe or no contrarie to the doctrine of the Papists and cold Protestants that rest onely on common iniunctions and accustomed proceedings Thus Paul giueth charge to the whole Church of Corinth 2. Cor. 12. Examine your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no and hereunto he addeth a fearfull speech vnlesse you be refuses Who so is not in the faith is a refuse and if a man knoweth not whether he be in the faith or no then he doth not know whether he be in Christ or no. This examination must be according to the Scriptures for so saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ search the Scriptures for they testifie of me and in another place he saith ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Then we must not hang on the Preacher nor on this nor on that man but we must beleeue because wee haue found it in the Scripture and haue been taught it by the Spirit according as the men of Samaria saide to the woman when she told them of Christ. Againe we must not simply and barely knowe the Scriptures but applie them to our owne vse and make our owne faith sure by them if we be not reprobates and this is the first thing required of Christians The second thing is that we be able to trie our Teachers not in euery thing that they speak but in things pertinent to saluation Thus we are commaunded to doe 1. Corinth 5. Ephes. 4. and in the Epistle of Saint Iohn Trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and in the epistles of Peter and Iude it is said that those were peruerted with heresies that neuer came to knowe the truth but were vnstable and carried away with euery winde of
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
of Gods iudgement 3. That we must wisely discerne betweene the true sorrow for sinne which causeth repentance not to be repented of and that worldly sorrow which causeth death For godly sorrow softneth the hart to the obedience of the word but that worldly sorrow causeth men to kicke and spurne against the word to the further hardning of their hearts 4. That many are galled and pricked with pouertie sicknes and other afflictions but few with their sinnes which is the cause of their afflictions But let men be well assured of this saith he that if a man be not troubled for sinne here he is in the way to hell if he be troubled in this life for sinne he is in the way to heauen 5. Lastly that in true repentance the pricking of the heart and sorrowing for sinne must be continued and daily renewed we must be humbled with continuall sorrow that we may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. And thus farre the compendious and short view of all these Sermons This graue and reuerend Father who hath left vs these holy instructions hauing continued for many yeeres with good successe and a comfortable experience of Gods blessing on his holy ministery in preaching the Gospell of Christ his Sermons were many in number and how effectuall let the godly iudge by these fewe which Gods good prouidence hath reserued for posteritie Now right Worshipfull I offer them vnto your good patronage and protection because I am well assured you loue and what you may you further the preaching of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Much am I bound to remember your Worship and that vertuous Lady your wife for your great loue to me and mine I can no way require your loue yet by some poore testimonie I desire to make mine affection knowne in the performance of any Christian duty what I may The Lord Iesus Christ that hath knit both your harts by one spirit in one holy faith vnto himselfe and in loue vnfained one to another graunt you the true peace which passeth vnderstanding to keepe your hearts and mindes in his faith loue and feare vnto the end And thus I humbly take my leaue recommending you and all yours to the protection of the Almightie Your Worships euer to command in Iesus Christ HENRY HOLLAND A SERMON PREACHED BY MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM VPON THESE WORDS THE FIRST SERMON Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads First how wee may be prepared to receiue the spirit of God Secondly how the spirit may be retained when as wee haue once receiued it And therefore Saint Paul hauing laboured to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirit doth here teach them how to keepe and continue this spirit vnto the end And this the Apostle doth by giuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they doe Quench the spirit thereby doubtles teaching that as the shunning of euill is the first step vnto goodnes so the readie way to continue the spirit of God in our hearts is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon great waightie cōsideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though al those be worthily and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirit of God yet as our Sauiour Christ saith A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vpon them that hauing once receiued it doe afterward lose the same againe Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect for the word worketh not where the spirit of God is wanting prayers haue no power to pearce into the presence of God the Sacraments seeme small and sillie things in our eyes and all other orders and exercises which God hath graunted ordained for man they are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to cōuey them into our hearts there to seale vp the fruit of them Last of all we are fit to receiue no good grace at Gods hand nay we doe not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price vpon them for speake of the Law or of the Gospel of sinne or of righteousnesse speake of Christ or of our redemption and iustification by him yea speake of that huge and heauie waight of glorie wherewith the elect of God shall be crowned all this moueth not we are little affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of his good spirit to profit by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many great causes are to listen vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs so we depriue our selues of all these fruits Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit it may appeare that he speaketh to those that had alreadie receiued the spirit For as the fire cannot be said to be quenched where it is not so they cānot be said to quench or lose the spirit which haue not as yet receiued it Then know that this precept doth properly belong to thē that haue receiued the spirit of God and they especilly are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it cannot profit them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the ground a long time doth afterward budde and become fruitfull so this continue in their mindes till they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breed in them some carefulnes that they doe not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and found the spirit of God in them to them saith S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirit Of this if we doe somewhat seriously consider these two questions will offer themselues and soone arise in our minde First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost againe or no which if they bee well and sufficiently answered they will doubtlesse giue great force vnto this precept For the first then if we will knowe whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth best that he hath life which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him And if wee will further know this by the peculiar working and effects of the spirit then let vs marke these First of all if there bee nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be attained by the art and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the world when he saith We haue
therefore it is the spirit of God that must certifie our hearts and spirits of the same And hereof there doth arise that which we take as the fourth note when we finde it in our selues to wit the life and nimblenes that is in vs to doe good for when a man doth finde fauour from God for the forgiuenes of sinnes then the loue of God constraineth him that ioy which he conceiueth inforceth him putteth life into him for the performance of those things which are pleasing vnto God then he beginneth to finde himselfe not onely reclaimed from euill but also applied and framed to that which is good then is his vnderstanding inlightened to see into the mysteries of godlinesse and into that great worke of his redemption and into whatsoeuer concerneth the sauing health of his soule then is his iudgement reformed and he is made able to iudge betweene false religion and true betweene the workes of the flesh and of the spirit betweene that which is good and that which is euill displeasing in the sight of God Then are his affections in some good measure altered his desire is set not vpon earthly but vpon heauenly things his ioyes are not in the earth but in the heauens his anger is wasted and spent not vpon his owne priuate cause and quarrels but vpon his owne sinnes and vpon whatsoeuer hindreth the glorie of his God This is the life of God in him thus he liueth that hath receiued the spirit and thus he leadeth his life continually for they that haue receiued the spirit are led by the spirit do liue accordingly bringing forth the fruits of the spirit But this hath weaknes ioyned with it and men through frailtie may soone fall and therefore their life is said to be hid in Christ because in full perfect manner it doth not appeare Therefore if notwithstanding these frailties and falles wee will know whether we still retaine the spirit of God we must search our selues and trie our hearts by these rules First if through frailtie we haue fallen for who is he that falleth not we will then know whether by our fall we haue lost the spirit of God or no let vs see what liking or misliking we haue of sinne for if after our fall we doe hold our former hatred of sinne and the oftner we fall the more thorough deadly hatred we conceiue against sinne vndoubtedly that frailtie hath not as yet depriued vs of the spirit Secondly come and see how it standeth with thy sorrow for so long as thy sorrow encreaseth for thy sinnes it cannot be thought that sinne and the flesh haue ouercome vtterly quenched the spirit in thee Thirdly trie thy care and if thou growe in a godly care both how thou maist be able to wage battell against sinne in the plaine field how thou maist preuent sinne in all his policies then thou hast a further assurance that sinne although it be as great as Goliah yet it hath not hitherto preuailed against thy poore and little Dauid I say against those few and small graces which the good spirit of God hath bestowed vpon thee But the last is most certaine and that is this When thou art carefull to redeeme that which by the fall thou hast lost and hast a care to runne so much faster forward by how much more thou hast been letted by thy fall then it doth appeare that the spirit is in thee yea it is liuely and mightie in operation and such as shall neuer be taken from thee vntill the day of Christ. Thus may we in some good and competent measure trie and proue whether we haue the spirit of God or no for where these fruites are to be found there is also the spirit of God For further confirmation whereof we may note the manner of speech where he saith Quench not the spirit We doe commonly vse to say the fire is quenched when the light and heate thereof is taken away and indeed nothing can properly be said to be quenched but the fire Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit he giueth vs to vnderstand that the spirit is in some respect like vnto fire therefore if we doe but a little consider of the nature of fire we shall a great deale better iudge of the spirit And among others these properties we finde to be in the fire First of all it will burne vp consume things that may be burned and consumed and therefore lighting vpon straw stubble stickes or such like it bringeth them to ashes and doth make them as though they had not beene at all Secondly it doth purge and purifie those things that can abide to be purged and this it doth first by taking away the superfluitie of drosse that hath ouercouered the thing to be purged Then by fining the thing it selfe and by making it purer purer Thirdly it giueth light euen in the most dimme and darkest places And last of all it giueth heate and withall doth as it were put life into those things which are capable of life for whilest a man is frozen and starued for cold he is numbed and as it were without life but being brought to the fire he is heat he is reuiued he is cheered then becommeth actiue nimble These are the properties of fire and these do in some manner resemble and shadow out vnto vs the workes and effects of the spirit For first of all when the spirit of God seazeth vpon a man and entreth into his soule then it beginneth to burne to waste and consume in him those things that will be wasted after this sort euill affections noysome lusts and other stubble which is in man by the spirit of God are consumed and burned Secondly it doth purge vs from grosse sins and daily more and more doth purifie vs that we may be a cleane and holy vessell and temple for him to rest and dwell in Thirdly it is a shining lampe euer burning continually giuing light vnto vs in that way which we haue to walke And lastly it doth set vs on heate inflameth vs with a zeale of Gods glorie with a care of our dutie and with a loue of all mankinde yea withall it putteth life and lust into vs to walke in that good way which leadeth vnto life and to doe all those good workes which may glorifie God or be commodious vnto men Thus we see what likelihood there is betweene the spirit and fire for which cause the spirit in the Scripture is compared vnto fire nay it is sometimes called fire for Iohn saith That our Sauiour should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is like vnto the fire Therefore as truly and as certainly as we may say that there is fire where we see straw and such like things consumed or gold and siluer finely purged
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
Noah to become a laughing stocke to his owne son What heart-breaking to Dauid by his owne sonne to bee thrust from his kingdome So grieuous were those punishments laid vpon them that if without any respect of hell or heauen we could consider of them we had rather want all the pleasures of sinne which they enioyed then wee could beare the reproch and feele the paine which they suffered Last of all when the graces of the spirit of God are once decayed they can neuer bee repayred and recouered but with much sorrowe and great danger for it cannot but breede much sorrow of heart to remember his former sinnes to examine and see the greatnes of them to apply Gods iudgements to them and to prouoke himselfe to sorrow for them This is as it were to goe through the pikes and through a purgatorie in this present life and yet this must be done before wee can recouer Gods graces againe Againe it is a very dangerous thing for in such cases men are brought as it were with Ionas into the bottome of the sea and as Dauid saith into the deepe waters so that all the surges and waues doe passe and flow ouer him Now we know what danger it is for a man to be thrust ouer head and eares into the deepe waters and therefore they that are in such a case are in great danger Wherefore all these things considered the losse of all our labour the losse of all true ioy the vnfitnes to doe good the readines to sinne the griefe and daunger that insueth thereof will or at the least wise may cause vs to beware how weâ— quench the spirit And this is the vse of the doctrine in humbling of vs which also doth furthermore serue to comfort vs knowing that we may suffer a great decay of Gods graces yet by the rod or by the word of God or by both they shall be renewed in vs againe And thus much of this commaundement that the Apostle giueth here that we should not quench the spirit OF MVRMVRING THE SECOND SERMON Exodus 16. 2. And all the congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron MANY men nowadayes hearing the often murmurings of the children of Israel doe euen spit at them and account them as the worst people vnder the Sunne which would so often and so obstinately rebell against the Lord. But these men doe little consider either the temptations wherewith the Israelites were prouoked to murmur or the corruption of their owne hearts which will as bitterly murmur vpon lesse occasion For albeit they were an obstinate and stiffe necked people as Moses witnesseth of them euer since they came out of Egypt vntill now yet here no doubt they were vehemently tempted when they from the plentie of all things which in Egypt they enioyed were brought into a rough desert wildernes being sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children great store of cattel hauing neither meate nor drinke wherwith they might be nourished Wherefore let vs cease to wonder at this people and let vs in them see our owne corruption we shall finde it to be as great as euer theirs was For doe not many men I pray you euen among vs beholding the riches of others or the plentie of things which the Lord bestoweth vpon his Magistrates or ministers for the faithful discharge of their duties doe they not I say murmur against Gods seruants set ouer them And are they not more grieued for the waÌ„t of such things than thankful for that the Lord hath freed them from such troubles which others haue or giuen them sufficient to liue vpon True it is notwithstanding the greatnes of this peoples temptation yet their sinne was wicked in them and great and hainous in the sight of God because that whereas they had often times manifold waies after a wonderfull manner felt and tasted of the goodnesse of the Lord in so much that the very vnthankfullest of them all had been driuen to confesse it for wonderfull was their deliuerance out of Egypt so miraculous was their preseruation at the red sea and infinite mercies more aboue hope and expectation bestowed vpon them yet now forgetting all his former benefits would so gradge and murmur for the want of meate that rather than they would continue still they would wish againe to returne to bondage And indeede such is the nature of murmuring that it will cause a man not only to forget Gods benefits but to forget that he is a man It preuailed so much with this people that they wished themselues againe in Egypt although they knew that there they were most miserably afflicted that the Lord in carrying them thither at the first did in iustice punish them for their sinne And this wish of theirs is as much as if they should haue said would the Lord had at once cut vs off and destroyed vs rather than left vs in this case Thus they were contented to doe so that they might haue their bellies full and rather than they would depart from their flesh-pots and other pleasures which in Egypt they inioyed Many are like minded to these people nowadaies for wee see diuers vpon their death-beds very senseles and secure who can be conteâ—ted with open mouth to record the goodnesse of God towards him in things concerning this present life but in the meane time being without hope sense or feeling of the sweete ioyes to come doe die thus by their fleshpots Othersome if they bee brought to any miserie as pouertie sicknes or such like doe beare it so impatiently that in their hearts and oftentimes in open speeches they wish they neuer had been borne shewing thereby that their flesh-pors doe more like them and their health doth better please them than the goodnes and louing countenance of the Lord. None of all these doe euer consider what they haue receiued of the Lord but their eyes are still vpon their wants and the want of one thing that they doe desire though it be but small is more disquietnesse vnto them maketh them to murmure more than the enioying of many benefits which they haue can quiet their hearts in the trust of Gods prouidence or make them thankfull Now if any of vs shall be brought to wish our death by the griefe of any affliction let vs shake it off and put it farre from vs the desire is euill for it is better as Salomon saith to be a liuing dogge than a dead lyon For bee wee neuer so miserable whilest we liue there is a time left for repentaÌ„ce but after death there is none therfore in thy life time labour to feele Gods mercie in Iesus Christ and then no miserie shall euer hurt thee till thou be gathered into his kingdome This shalt thou learne to doe if thou canst receiue the fauour of God for it selfe though it come alone yea though trouble doe come therewith knowing and perswading thine owne
the dignitie of a faithfull pastor and for the notable profession of his faith was pronounced blessed by the Lord Iesus Christ beginning to leaue too much to his carnall reason and his strength was called Satan and not knowing what corruption was in his hart when he most magnified his constant loue to the Lord Iesus he fell to denie him thrice and the last time to curse himselfe if he were the man But to leaue ancient and former examples and to turne the edge to our selues wofull experience by diligent obseruation of their owne hearts hath taught many that after some sweet plentifull measure of Gods mercy receiued they haue waxed lesse careful iealous ouer their owne â—ffections so for a time haue bin left of the Lord whereby though not some fearefull destruction yet some grieuous fall hath ensued vpon theÌ„ It is good therfore for vs to kâ—epe a carefull waâ—ch ouer our selues and to see whether after we haue been refreshed with some speciall graces of God in preaching praying and admonishing we haue not beene lesse carefull and so the neerer to some fall and vnfitter to receiue some new benefit vntill the Lord by humbling of vs hath prepared vs with some new desire And hereupon commeth it to passâ— that when we haue been some long time bathed as it were enbalmed with some inward feelings and outward fruits of the holy Ghost we haue beene corrected for that selfe loue and â—uffeted with some priuie pride dwelling in the flesh by some grieuous deadnes and dulnes of the spirit humbling vs vnder the hands of God as it did the Apostle Paul Now as we haue by these examples of others and experience in our selues proued that an hautie minde goeth before destruction so on the contrarie we will proue vsing none other order but that before set downe that before honour goeth lowlinesse Saul before he was exalted and aduaunced to the scepter hid himselfe in great humilitie as one that thought himselfe vnworthie so great a dignitie and so afterward was exalted Ahab though a most wicked man humbling himselfe at Elias rebuke was not punished in his owne person but in his posteritie Rehoboam being humbled with his people was exempted from that plague which otherwise was like to haue fallen vpon him But this we may behold more liuely in the godly whether we respect those reuelations and apparitioÌ„s of Angels which in former times happened to the fathers being humbled or whether we consider other graces of God in like estate bestowed vpon them Abraham was humbled Isaac was humbled Iacob was humbled then came the promise then appeared Angels then receiued they visions Ioseph though he had good graces of God yet least the violence of vnbridled youth should carrie him away he was humbled the iron pearced his soule his feete were in the stockes his place was among the imprisoned yet after some time of triall he was exalted not meanly but very highly Moses albeit he had some instinct of the Lord that he should be the gouernour of the Lords people besides his fortie yeeres in the court had fortie yeeres trauaile in the desert and afterward was aduanced After that Dauid had receiued many pledges of Gods fauour towards him as being annoynted king and in that he obtained great victories in ouermatching the Beare and the lyon in ouer throwing the furious Philistine after he had cured the raging spirit of a mad man by his sweet musicke yet as one not sufficiently prepared for the worke of the Lord he was preferred by humilitie If we consider of all the Kings of Iuda and Ierusalem as of Ezekiah Iosiah Asa and others we shall see how Ezekiah wept sore confessed his sinnes was much humbled before the health of his body was restored vnto him Iosiah before the Lord did vse him in the reformatioÌ„ of his Church had his hart broken Yea before the Apostles receiued thâ—t great gift the sending downe of the holy Ghost vpon them they were humbled with the Iewes they were shaken with a great winde and after so solemne a preparation they were endued with sweete graces of the spirit And throughout the whole volume of the booke of God it is manifest that when the Lord would appeare by visions or Angels to his holy people he humbled flesh and blood before as we see in Iâ—cob Ezechiel Zacharie Elizabeth and Marie the blessed virgin Now to come to the reasons why the Lord in wisedome vseth to deale with his on this manner we must know that therfore the Lord refuseth the seruice of the proud because then we are vnfit to glorifie his name we are vnprofitable to do good vnto our brethren we are vnprepared by pride to receiue any mercie at the hands of God And no mâ—rueile for how should wee looke that God should put honour vpon vs in vsing vs our seruice when we refuse to giue the glorie of his owne graces to him againe And why should not he dishonour vs with the want of his graces when we so dishonour him with abusing his graces Againe seeing vsually such is our weldoing to others as is our affection and compassion to them that neede our helpe and the pride of our owne abundance benummeth vs and maketh vs senselesse in the wants of others how can wee finde our hearts aright to any good dutie to our brethrens necessitie when for want of humilitie and tender affection we haue no regard of their wants nor feeling of their miserie Besides if when we are puft vp with a perswasion of perfection and rest in the securitie of our present safetie we are entangled and fettered that we cannot humble our selues in prayer before the Lord how shall we thinke our selues to be capable of any blessing from the Lord whose due time of helping is in the day of want and who refuseth to giue to none but to such as in the pride of their hearts refuse to doe so much as to pray vnto him On the contraâ—ie part when the Lord shall see vs good and faithfull seruants in returning the gaine and aduantage of all his gifts vnto himselfe and that we are content with his honour that â—e are his stewards when the sense of our owne miserie hath taught vs to shew mercie vnto others the conscience of our owne vnworthines hath emptied vs of all opinion of our selues and hath driuen vs in our beggerlike necessities to craue for euery little supplie of wants at the throne of mercie then is God most neere at hand to put vs in credit with his graces then are we most prepared to minister to the wants of others and then are wâ— fit to be filled with the hid treasures of the Lord for our comfort And hereupon it commeth to passe that many hauing had a large measure of Gods graces through pride haue suffered them to rot and consume away Hereof it commeth that
them their sinnes telling them of a suretie that their iniquitie was the cause of Christ his death whereby a certaine care began to bee wrought in them in so much that being thus troubled they enquired and saide Men and brethren what shall wee doe Whereupon afterward followed the second Sermon of Peter where hee exhorteth them to continue in their repentance and teacheth vs that if our sorrowe bee good wee must goe forward therein Further hee sheweth them to this ende that they must beleeue that beleeuing they may bee baptized that being baptized they might receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Lastly it is manifest how they hearing that Sermon first receiued the doctrine and after perseuered in the practise of the same Briefly therfore three things are hereto be noted First the fruit of the former Sermon of Peter contained in these wordes Now when they heard it c. Secondly the summe of a new Sermon of Peter in these wordes Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues c. Thirdly is set downe the fruite of their obedience In the former part of this Chapter we may know the wonderfull workes of God that the Apostles who were neuer brought vp in schooles spake with diuers tongues which when the multitude heard some are said to maruell and to be astonished some mocked them and said They are full of new wine But when Peter with great boldnesse of spirit had in this Sermon which he made set the trueth of God against their false accusations and had preached against their sinne then they left off mocking and were pricked in their hearts Where first wee may note the power of Gods word which onely is able to touch our consciences for sinne For neither the diuersity of tongues nor other gifts of the holy Ghost could prick their hearts as being able onely to cast them into an admiration What more forcible thing than that which causeth a godly sorrow and causeth our consciences to be pricked What so able to pricke our consciences as the word of God Indeede many feele sorrow and are inwardly pricked but because therewith is not ioyned the power of Gods word they bee either senselesse as blockes or in their feeling they be murmurers This commeth vnto vs by the dignitie of Gods word in that no wonders from heauen no miracles on earth can touch our hearts and worke in vs any good fruit without the same For though the Lord should shew vnto vs all the wonders from heauen which he shewed on the old world and on Sodome although he should lay al the plagues vpon vs which he laid on Pharaoh and on the Egyptians without the word of God we should be as vnprofitable beholders as euer were the Sodomites and should become as hard hearted as euer were Pharaoh and the Egyptians so that no iudgement from heauen no trouble from earth can humble vs no blessing from aboue no benefit from beneath can profit vs vntill the word of God commeth which teacheth the olde way to forsake it the newe way to enter into it and the perfect way to continue in it And thus much for the generall scope of this doctrine Now more particularly we may obserue in this first part three things First the power of the word to pricke our consciences Secondly that this pricke must not cause in vs a more rebelling against the word and Ministers thereof but rather a greater reuerence to them both Thirdly such prickes must prepare vs to a greater desire to profit For the first we must know that this is the beginning of repentance this is the entrie to godlinesse euen to conceiue a sorrowe for our sinnes and so bee wounded with a feeling of our euils For as long as men are secure it is not possible that they should seriously apply their mind vnto doctrine neither without the knowledge and feeling of our sinnes can we heartily long for Christ. To this agree the Law the Prophets and the Apostles The law because in all their sacrifices wherein Christ was prefigured was manifested also vnder darke signes the contrition of heart and acknowledging their vnworthinesse The Prophet as Dauid and Esay Dauid in the fourth Psalme and fift verse faith Tremble and sinne not where the Prophet sheweth that this is an effectuall thing to true repentance to quake and tremble for feare of Gods iudgements That wee may then truly examine our selues wee must feare and humble our selues because before trouble terrour and quaking at the iudgements of God we wil neuer be brought to offer our selues to Christ alone In Psalme 51. vers 18. 19. the Prophet likewise sheweth that no sacrifice is acceptable to God without a contrite heart that is neither prayer neither almes-giuing neither praise of thanksgiuing vnles wee bringing an humble and contrite spirit with vs cast our selues downe before his iudgement seate and sue for mercy in Christ. And here marke that he saith The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit c. where hee vsing the plurall number sheweth that the sacrifices of repentance which must not be one but many are humblenes of the spirit and contrition of heart For the affliction of the soule and contrition of the minde doe so cast vs downe wounded with our sins and humbled with a feeling of Gods wrath as that it maketh vs to acknowledge that we are nothing of our selues and to seeke for our saluation wholy at the mercie of God No marueile then seeing by this meanes we being confounded and ashamed of our selues staying our selues on the only promises of God doe come to confesse our owne nakednes and wretchednes if the Prophet should say that the Lord is pleased with his sacrifice as with the sacrifice of sacrifices The Prophet Esay 40. 6. 7. 8. saith All flesh is grasse and the beautie thereof as a flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth when the breath of the Lord falleth vpon it Where the Prophet painting out man in his proper colours and driuing him to seeke out saluatiō not in himselfe but in Christ describeth the outward part of man to be as grasse and by the flower of grasse he sheweth his gifts of minde being vnregenerate as wisdome memorie knowledge and vnderstanding So that when Gods spirit doth but breath on vs all our wisdome all our knowledge riches and authoritie fal before the presence of the Lord of hosts neither can we remaine but only by the word of God whereby we are borne againe Wherefore the considering and meditating of our transitorie estate driueth vs to a contrition and humblenes of spirit Besides the Lord God saith Esay whom the heauens cannot containe nor the earth hold will come and dwell with a lowly poore and troubled spirit and which standeth in awe of his word God doth not accept our sacrifices which are offered without trembling at his word no more than if we should kill a man and choake a dogge
of the word of God succeeding them vnto the end of the world as it appeareth by Matthew the 28. the 19. and 20. verses Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the end of the world The Apostles are gathered to their fathers but the ministerie shall be for euer it continueth vnto the end of the world therefore vnto the Ministers also are committed the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they are the porters of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles were Now this is euident by Ephes. 4. 11. c. He gaue some to be Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and some Doctors And vnto these hee committed the ministerie of the word vntill the time that all the elect Saints of God were gathered together and the bodie of Christ througâ—ly builded vp which should not be before the end of the world By this we see that the Ministers are the porters of heauen and that they haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as the Apostles had Of this kingdome our Sauiour Christ speaketh Matth. 23 13. where hee reprooueth the Scribes and Pharisies saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for you haue shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men for ye your selues goe not in neither suffer ye them that would enter to come in What these keyes be our Sauiour Christ sheweth Luke the 11. the 52. saying Woe bee vnto you Interpreters of the Law for yee haue taken away the key of knowledge yee enter not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Of this kingdome our Sauiour also speaketh Matth. 9. vers 35. And Iesus went about all cities and townes teaching in the Synagogues and preaching the Gospell of the kingdome And in the 10. of Luke the 10. and 11. verses our Sauiour Christ biddeth his Disciples to goe and preach but if they will not receiue you goe your waies out of the streetes of those cities and townes and say Euen the dust that eleaueth on vs of your citie we wipe off against you notwithstanding know this that the kingdome of God was come neere vnto you And in Luk. 17. 21. when the Pharisies asked Christ a questioÌ„ when the kingdom of Christ should come hee answered them and said The kingdome of God commeth not by obseruation and glorious signes neither shall men say loe here and loe there for the kingdome of God behold it is among you And here wee must beware of these translations who haue it thus translated the kingdome of God is within you for we must not thinke that the kingdome of God was in euery one of the Scribes and Pharisies but that it was amongst them so that euery one is not the kingdome of God as the Familie of loue teacheth And in Matthew 21. vers 43. Christ speaking vnto the vnthankfull Iewes saith The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and shall be giuen vnto a nation that shall bring foorth fruite Where we see that the kingdome of God is taken for the ministerie of the Word and the application of the kingdome of God vnto vs and here wee are to know that by these meanes of the ministerie of the Word as Fasting Prayer c. the kingdome of God is offered vnto vs but these are not the kingdome but the meanes to bring vs thereunto as is euident by Esay 52. vers 14. the which afterward is repeated and applied vnto this end of the Apostle Paul Rom. the 15. and 21. verse To whom hee was not spoken of they shall see him and they that heard not shall vnderstand him where it is apparant that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes to bring vs to the knowledge of Christ and so to his kingdome The kingdome of God is wholy spirituall as Romanes the 14 and 17. verse The kingdome of God saith the Apostle is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holie Ghost And that the kingdome of God consisteth partly of all the graces of the spirit proceeding from this meanes it is euident by the 2. of Peter the 1. and 4. verse c. Therefore giue all diligence thereunto ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temporance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue for if these things bee among you and abound they will make you that you neither shall bee idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherefore brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall for by these meanes an entrance shall bee ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thus then we see that the kingdome of God consisteth in these things as in respect of the outward meanes which is the Word and in respect of the fruite of these meanes it consisteth in these graces which fruite God bestoweth on them which vse the meanes Here then wee learne that none shall make appearance in the kingdome of God hereafter which maketh not an entrance into it here He which taketh not possession of it in this life shall neuer possesse it in the life to come none shall rise and raigne with Christ which doth not with him here crucifie himselfe and rise from sinne on earth for who so will be made partaker of the kingdome of heauen must here wholie addict himselfe to seeke the kingdome of heauen Therefore it behooueth euerie man to make an especiall account of these meanes seeing that by them wee haue alreadie passed the second death and entred into the kingdome of God which whosoeuer doth not enioy here can neuer enioy it in the life to come wherefore the kingdome of God is and may well bee called a treasure The righteousnesse of Christ Iesus with the peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost vertue faith knowledge temperance patience godlinesse brotherly kindnes loue c. these bee sure gages seales and pledges vnto vs of our entrance into the kingdome of God and therefore most excellent treasures For if that bee a treasure which if a man haue he needeth nothing else and without which if he haue all things he hath nothing then may this rightly bee called a treasure for all things without them are nothing and these without al other things are sufficient for our saluation Therefore this being so great and inestimable a treasure is highly to be esteemed of vs. Haue we this treasure then wee neede not to esteeme of all other things In iudgement men doe see that the onely treasure of man is the saluation of the soule this is a granted rule neither doth this neede so much to be proued vnto
is requisite that men should consider it when God offereth such a worthie treasure vnto them then they are to search into their hearts throughly and diligently to cast before hand what lets impediments and hindrances there may be what that is which they seeke for what cost and labour they are to bestow vpon it and againe what may bee the profit commoditie and ioy thereof which may redound vnto them thereby when they haue it and how they may keepe themselues in sure possession of it hauing once obtained it This preconsideration our Sauiour Christ confirmeth vnto vs in two Parables in Luke the 14 the one is of building the other of warre For the first he saith Which of you minding to build a tower sitteth not downe first and counteth the cost whether hee hath sufficient to performe it least after that hee hath laid the foundation and is not able to performe it all that behold it begin to mocke him saying This man began to build and was not able to make an end For the second he saith What King going to warre against another King sitteth not downe first and taketh counsell whether he be able with tenne thousand to meete him which commeth against him with twentie thousand least afterward to his great shame for so it may be gathered by the circumstances he may be constraiâ—ed to send an â—mbassege vnto him and to desire conditions of peace So ought euery one which commeth to heare the Word to make this premeditation and preparation with himselfe whether he be able and can endure the cost which he must be at in comming vnto the Lord whether he can endure that fight which he is to take in hand before he come vnto the Lord whether he can sustaine the losse of his father mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also and all that he hath whether he be able to fight against Powers Principalities the Diuell the World and the flesh his owne reason and affections least that otherwise he breake off his course and shew himselfe not to be the man he seemed first to be This premeditation and preconsideration must be made before we can enioy that treasure and buy the field wherein it lieth There is no similitude in the Scriptures vsed more often than the similitude of building which often is englished by this word Edifying Of this building mention is made 1 Cor. 3. where the people of God are called the Building of God and the Apostles the Builders so likewise in Ephes. chap. 2. verse 20. 21. 22. And are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom all the building coupled together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord in whom yee are also built together to be the habitation of God by the spirit And in Esphes 4 and 12. verse it is said by the Apostle That Christ gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and some Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ. And in verse the 16. By whom all the bodie being coupled and knit together by euery ioynt for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of the bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue And Iude in his Epistle verse the 20. requireth of vs that we build our selues in our most holie faith praying in the holy Ghost Againe who knoweth not that the similitude of warfare is often repeated also in the Scriptures as in Iob The life of man is a continuall warfare And in the 1 of Timoth. the 6 chapter and 12. verse Fight a good fight saith the Apostle And 1. Peter 2. and 11 verse Abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And Eph. 6. and 12. verse We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and against earthly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses in heauenly things So that wee see that of necessitie euery Christian must be a builder and a warriour This building and fighting was shadowed out in the rearing vp of the materiall walles of the temple of Ierusalem which when the Iewes did build they wrought with one hand and held their weapons in the other hand to fight against their enemies as it is in Nehem. 4. and 17 verse The profit and commoditie of building is a deede very great the glorie and honour of victorie gotten in warre is great but this wee know that nothing is more troublesome and dangerous than both building and warre yet be thinking of the commoditie and glory which do arise of them do counteruaile the paines griefes But greater is the profit and more excellent is the glory which we shall attaine vnto in building vp of our selues temples of the holy Ghost Therefore as none can looke to haue commoditie by his building nor honour by fighting without trauaile and paines so let no man deceiue himselfe with a vaine perswasion that he shall inherit the kingdome of heauen when he laboureth not with might and maine to come there For we shall neuer be victors except we fight valiantly we cannot enioy the building if we spare the cost And as we see some begin a building which not being able to finish doe leaue off to their discredit and as many doe moue and make warre who not being able to finish it and to goe through withall are faine to their shame to seeke truce so alas many begin to build and make an entrance into Christianitie with a great and faire shew at the first but few continue to the end And we finde it most true in the Gospell that nine lepers being clensed but one of them returned backe againe to giue him thankes for it Wherefore this forethinking and premeditation is most expedient and necessarie neither must wee thinke that religion is so slight a matter as many doe perswade themselues that it is which kind of men when death commeth vpon them euen then they are deceiued of their saluation because they make no account thereof before hand they neuer thought that the profession of Christianitie would be so costly vnto them they neuer thought it would be so chargeable a matter Whosoeuer therefore will auoide a most dangerous and desperate estate at his death whosoeuer he or she be which will goe on vnto this building must forecast and premeditate before hand what it must cost him he must deeply consider with himselfe what his saluation and the kingdome of heauen will cost him I tell you it is no small thing it must cost him the losse of all the pleasures and delights of this world it must cost thee the forgoing of all thy lusts the losse of riches of libertie and of banishment the losse of thy
corrupt within euen so must the children of God doe and they must make a conscience to keepe downe their corruption or else that filthy fountaine will grow vp still and they shall see that it will so worke with them that euen if Sathan were away and should doe nothing it would pull and draw them from God except they do suppresse it and continually meditate vpon it This is painefull vnto the wicked but very ioyfull and pleasant vnto the children of God when they shall sell all their sinnes for euer for the more of them they sell the more sweet and comfortable it will be vnto them Besides this we haue an aduersarie within vs euen the pricke of the flesh the messenger of Sathan for so the Apostle witnesseth of himselfe 2. Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of our reuelations there was giuen vnto mee a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet mee because I should not be exalted out of measure Who or what man was more in taking paines than the Apostle Paul Who went through more perils for the testimonie of Christs truth Who was more zealous in aduancing the Gospell of Christ Iesus Could not all the Apostles watchings all his fastings his dangers his continuall prayers finally could not all his giftes and graces which were in him aboundantly beate downe and cure this pride and arrogancie of the spirit in him Who therefore or what are we that thinke we can get so easily a victorie of sinne seeing the Apostle who was carried vp to the third heauen cannot doe it When all other sinnes are ended in a man and when he thinketh himselfe safe from sinne then commeth pride for it ariseth of well doing and therefore the Apostle saide that the pricke of the flesh did buffet and boxe him Where hee sheweth that this sinne was so grieuous vnto his soule that hee fought against sinne and Sathan euen as Christ did fight against him when after he was baptised he was tempted of him Euen so it commeth to passe with the children of God when they are deliuered as it were wholy from sinne and thinke themselues most farre off from offending God then Sathan commeth like an Angell of light seeking by this meanes to deceiue them that in well doing they should please themselues ouermuch and so displease God wherefore the vertue of God must appeare in our infirmities For as the Apostle saith Gods power is made perfect through weakenesse and therefore when any temptation shall happen vnto vs we are to beware that we neither make a light account of them neither be too much afraide of them for as it is with the bodily enemie so is it likewise with the spirituall if thou be carelesse then thine aduersary setteth vpon thee at vnawares if too fearefull then he ouer commeth thee at the first assault euen so is it with Sathan if thou be secure and passe not for him then he suddenly taketh thee napping if thou be ouer feareful then likewise he seeketh thy destruction Wherfore take good heed vnto Sathan see that thou make not too light account of his temptations but still consider with thy selfe that the diuell is euer knocking at the doore readie if thou haue but one euill thought to enter into thee Wherefore beware least by reason of thy securitie the diuell do enter into thee be humble in thy soule as it becommeth the child of God on the other side feare him not too much but knowe that God Christ Iesus the holy Ghost and the Angels in heauen and all the Saints of God in earth will take thy part against him THE ELEVENTH SERMON PREACHED BY MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM as followeth EPHES. 6. vers 10. 11. 12. 10 Finally my bâ—â—thâ—â—â— be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might 11 Put on the whole armour of God that yee may bee able to stand against the assaults of the diuell 22 For we wrestle not against fleshe and blood but against principalities against powers and against the worldly gouernours the princes of the darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in the hie places AFfter the Apostle had vsed generall doctrine and in forced thereupon particular exhortations hee returneth from his specials to generall exhortationâ— againe as wee may see in these verses wherein â—ee exhorteth them to stand strongly and therefore putteth them in mâ—â—â—e of armour without the which they must needes lye oâ—â—n to their aduersaries The perill whereof is so much the greater by how much their aduersaries were the sorer and for that cause the Apostle falles into the description of them with whom they must encounter Afterward the seuerall peeces and parts of our defence are set downe c. More plainly these things are worthie to bee noted The exhortation it selfe in these wordes Bee strong in the Lord. Secondly the way how to stand by putting on the armour of God Thirdly the reason which is For wee wrestle not with flesh and blood alone c. Lastly a description of the weapons and armour it selfe Finally that is to conclude or what remaineth or take this the conclusion and corollarie of al that you must not thinke it a small thing to professe Christ his Gospell as some doe neither yet on the other side must â—e be discouraged at the difficulties of the professio but as on the one side you must still thinke of a battel and not dreame of peace so you must know that the Lord will harnesse you euen with his owne coate armour thereunto Thus he noteth with two extremities incident to Christians that is that either they forget that they are in a warfare by securitie and presumption and thinke it to be lesse than it is or else they are too much dismaid at the first view of it and so desperatly yeeld ere they fight But doe any here marueile that Paul should speake thus to Gods children and well approued Christians To them I answer that besides other miserable experieÌ„ce of latter times present time which doth declare it too openly Dauid a deare child of God Peter a professed an approued Christian will sufficiently teach them in this point One would little thinke Dauid had had an adulterous heart or bloodie hand if one should haue told Peter that he would haue â—orsworne his soueraigne Sauiour it had been a matter of quarrell But seeing Dauid in the conflict shrunke and Peter in the triall failed let vs beware we be not daring Dauids nor prowd Peters speaking further then we try our hearts No doubt of it Peter spake simply and as he thought yet he saw not what he thought he knew not his owne heart It is another thing as Gods children can well tell vs to haue a general knowledge of our strength and another thing to haue a particular feeling of it let vs thereupon still remember that heauenly apophthegme Who so will followe
Christ must for sake himselfe Now if Satan finde vs wisely and warily catechized in this point then he turnes another leafe and works ouâ— desperation Then he shewes the difficulties of godlines our weakenes and the number of our hinderances to bring vs to be discouraged but this is the more rare euill Thus Satan finding another corruption vseth another course with vs if he cannot make vs easie Christians he will make vs heauie ChristiaÌ„s To raise vp such faint hearts the Apostle cries Be strong and least any man should replie of his owne want of strength Paul shewes what and whose strength he meanes namely Gods strength and in the power of his strength this strength is required when wee see it is not good fighting with Satan in his owne armour he is a sophister dispute not with him in his owne logique he is an oratour beware of his eloquence he is a Prince take heede of his power As Satan in his owne cause must vse his owne strength so wee in the Lords cause are to trust to the Lords strength This doctrine requires rather meditation than declaration conscience than knowledge to be made of it Now to shew how we must be strong it is added Put on the whole armour of God c. It is a pleasant and profitable comparison here vsed to shewe the estate of Christians As silly souldiers going into the camp cannot hope for any good issue if they bee naked and vnarmed so we if in our daily conflicts we remaine vnfenced cannot thinke of any better end than to be ouercoÌ„med But three things here offer theÌ„selues First it must be God his armour Secondly it must be a whole armour Thirdly it must be put on There are some in the pride of their wit and opinion of their learning and policie that maruell that silly soules lye so weakely vnder Satans hand But alas if one temptation shake them if one wound of conscience bruise them they see no learning but learning from heauen no wisedome but the wisedome of the spirit can helpe them Satan will ouercome them in his owne armour and Gods cause is defended with his owne strength Now that we must put on all it is plaine for as he were worthy to be counted a foole that with one peece or with a few would venture into the battel seeing the enemie strikes rather at one part not fenced than at all the other couered so what were it to haue one grace of God what to leaue one sinne what to see one want what to hate one corruption and yet to lye open in a great many Lastly wee must put on our harnesse Admit a man had his armorie neuer so well stored and his weapons neuer so tried if either he cannot put on his armour or being armed wants skill to vse it what doth it profite when the enemie knocks at his gateâ—so if I haue neuer so good things if either in temptation I knowe not how to vse them or to deale in them how shall I stand at Satans assaults This courage must be neither meane nor in our selues but in God and in the power of God and in the might of his power And to adde to the former examples moe consider how Noah presuming proued weake how Ezekiah after many distresses not suspecting himselfe did fal for the Lord leauing him he was vaineglorious euen before Gods enemies So far haue euen Gods seruaÌ„ts bene deceiued in an opinioÌ„ of their strength not that they were grosse hypocrites but that they saw not the corruption of their owne hearts and therefore when they came to handy strokes they were foyled No doubt Peter as we said the other Apostles were not purposed to deceiue mens eyes yet they fell Who then are we hauing no such strength if the Lord let vs see our weakenes by withdrawing his spirit from vs why should we thinke well of our selues Late lamentable memorie shewes that many old Gospelâ—ers are now cold professors some being heretikes some Epicures some worldlings No little charge nor slender burthen is Christianitie then for many seeke the straight way and cannot get in many either in practise or otherwise being plainely Atheists And surely hereof it must teach vs that Gods Saints in tentation and acculation are so faire to seeke for wisedome strength as we are to learne wisedome by other ineÌ„s harmes least in trouble we be such as falter in affliction Heere our Sauiour Christ his admonition commeth in speede that if we will come to him we must goe out of our selues and thinke no wiâ— wisedome reason or streÌ„gth to stand on temptation if the Lord keepe vs not We are as in building so in battell for the building we must prouide stuffe enough for the battell we must prouide sufficient furniture we are to cast our costs before wee must recken our reuenewes and take accompt of our armory and consult of our ability because of Christianitie bee building and warring together we must prouide both trowell and sword together least finding hard tempests we retire and recoâ—le with shame And what makes vs so secure but that we thinke that Christian profession is but a sleight And to goe further why comes it to pasâ—e that oft disputing Preachers in conflicts are confounded and most couragious châ—me subtill oâ—â— tâ—e vileâ—t dastards but from hence that they trust in themselues But ô maliâ— of the â—n ô corruption of naturâ—â— if thou Satan canst not make vs â—o presume thou wilt â—xtremitâ— to despaire ô vile nature thy preiuming is the way to despairing And to soeake of this latter extremitie which is the lesse curable euill if Satan meete with vs as hauing a â—ight of our weakenes sure he will bring vs to despaire It is a sure temptation to hindereâ—â—hâ—eâ—â— which â—eliâ—fâ—â—n perfection is as hard as to fulfill the lawe and it is Satans practise â—he once see vs downe he will keepe vs downe answer all our wants If we say we haue no wisedome he will confirme it â—â—y he will make vs to despaire not only of our wisedome but of Gods wisedome in vs. But remember that that which is not in vs is in Christ. Remember Gods strength must be seene in our weakenes Nâ—cessarie then was this reduplication of Paul concerning the strength and might of God In tentation we say we are strongly tempted Paul saith the Lord will strongâ—â— help vs. But here note a difference betweene the exhortations legall and euangelicall The exhortations of the law kill the exhortations of the Gospell quicken For he that thinks he should doe good as he should doe it and leaue sinne as he ought to doe shall finde corruption in euery thing Hereof it comes to passe that many say I see nothing in prayer and in all gâ—od things but hypocrisie It is well thou thoughtest thy selfe liuing but thou art dead But to â—â—â—â—â— to the difference spoken of the exhortations of the lâ—w do bind vs on paine of death the
other doctrine Good things cannot long find entertainement in our corruptions vnlesse the holy ghost hath changed vs from our old delights to conceiue pleasure in these things Where loue is there is no lack in pleasure there is no paine and when we finde the pearle of price which passeth all vnderstanding we will sell all our former delights and depart from our vaine pleasures to purchase this It is a continuall ioy that worketh a conscience to vse the meanes of any thing it is an abounding delight that auoydeth and fenceth off all wearisomnes in good things wherefore the holy Ghost saith Be yee filled with the Spirit and in another place Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously In which place we are to gather that there is in vs sometime an emptinesse of the Spirit and a scantnesse of the power of the holy ghost the spirit of God is not so mightie in operation grace is not so plentifull the word is not so powerful in vs and from hence commeth our momentarie ioy and transitorie gladnes And my tongue reioyceth That which in truth is inward will in time shewe it selfe outward as wee may see in these holy affections of the man of God The Prophet himselfe confirmeth this in another place Psalm 116. 10. I beleeued therefore did I speake which the Apostle repeateth in the person of the whole Church 2. Cor. 4. 13. because we haue the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken We also beleeue and therefore we speake And Rom. 10. 10. it is saide With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the tongue man confesseth to saluation and sure it is that of the abundance of the ioy of the heart the mouth reioyceth as coÌ„trariwise of the abundance of the griefe of the heart although there may be for a while an inward deuouring binding and suppressing of sorrow yet it will in time breake forth and wee shall euen rore for disquietnes of minde and cannot hold long vntill we haue eased our hearts with some outward complaint For we see if a man haue a through griefe how it consumeth him vnlesse he vtter it Againe if a man hath conceiued a true ioy how he longeth how hee is rauished how hee trauaileth vntill he hath brought it forth If then in any good measure we feele the ioy of the spirit the tongue will be at commaundement to vtter it Wherefore we are to try our selues and examine our hearts whether we heare reade pray or sing with this grace in our hearts with this ioy in our spirits with this comfort of conscience let vs lament considering how singing and spirituall reioycing is decayed how great a stranger the word is with vs what little delight and alacritie we haue in holy and religious exercises and let vs accuse our selues that therefore our tongues cleaue to the rough roofe of our mouth because our hearts are lockt vp in securitie which vndoubtedly is so open to all men that there is no man but bewaileth his want of inward ioy Many indeed as hypocrites can blow and bellow outwardly who make no melodie in their hearts who sing not in grace who haue not the sweete and naturall voyce which commeth from a well affected and right ordered minde either ioyfully shewing a godly digested mirth or dolefully breathing out into the passions of an exercised minde My flesh also doth rest in hope See his godly ioy made him haue a securitie in his flesh It is our naturally infirmitie that wee haue a trembling of the flesh which hindereth in vs many good actions as may be seene in our thoughts suspecting of dangers scarefull imaginations and wandring conceits forecasting this euill and that euill to the great disturbing and disordering of the peace of our minds all the which excessiue feares were in this man of God wisely corrected though not vtterly remoued but suppressed in him by faith Whereof commeth then our carnall and immoderate feares in dangers but of want of faith This our Sauiour Christ teacheth his disciples at what time they were with him being asleepe in a tempest on the seas when they through vnbeliefe feared his diuinitie to haue slept with his humanitie where he saith vnto them O yee little faith why doe you not beleeue Heere wee see hee rebuketh their excessiue feare which thing hee also doth almost in the same manner When they carnally feared him to haue been a spirit as he walked on the seas they were not throughly perswaded that God was their portion their inheritance and watched ouer them for if they had they would haue corrected these fleshly and immoderate feaâ—â—s that they should not haue hindred their holy meditations of God his powerful prouidence nor their prayers for his gratious assistance nor any other good exercises of their mindes Thus we see how the sure perswasion of God to be his inheritance his mainteiner both in soule and body his reacher both by day and by night both by his word and his spirit made the man of God secure both in soule and body And what caused this partly that which wee spake of before partly that which followeth for thou wilt â—ot leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption so that the promises already tasted of and the sure expectation to haue the good worke begunne to bee finished in him made him rest in hope and hauing God his cause in hand he saw how the Lord would not onely watch ouer him for his present estate but also would guide him to immortalitie Behold how his inward assurance wrought an outward safetie wherby wee plainely see that where there is a want of this comfort and faith in the soule there is a want of peace and securitie in the body It is our vnbeliefe then that hatcheth and nourisheth wandring thoughts and filleth our braine with suspitious phantasies and fruitlesse illusions dreaming of dangers where there are none and imagining mountaines where scarsely are molehils Let vs then strengthen our faith and certifie our soules that our flesh shall stand before God which will so worke in vs that neither flesh and blood shall weigh vs downe with securitie in time of prosperitie nor ouerlode vs with desperate terrours in time of aduersitie Neither as we said must we thinke Dauid to be a senselesse Stoick as feeling no troubles but that by the power of God he was in trouble a triumphant conquerour and in all these dangers through faith more than a victorer For as God reserueth his vnspeakeable ioyes for his children in vntolerable agonies so he neuer armeth them strongly but he prepareth them a field wherethey must fight stoutly Oh that this heauenly ioy were in vs more aboundantly and of moe men more frequented then should not the small remnant that now alwayes vse it be counted and called precisians then should wee giue more liuely testimonies of our effectuall faith to
graue wise men appointed to looke to the manners of the children of God and not to be alders and helpers of the Ministers of God in the furtherance of his office and whereas they saw any disorder among the children of God they were to admonish them of it which if it would not serue together with the whole congregation would vse admonitions but if they would not be obedient thereunto such was the authoritie of the Church that they might excommunicate them so rend them off from the Saints fellowship and deliuer them to the diuell that thereby they might be driuen to true repentance for their sinnes and haue their soules saued To these ouerseers doth the Apostle will them to be obedient and doth not meane generally all kinde of superiors and ciuil Magistrates as in diuers other places of the Scripture In Rom. 13. 1. 2. 3. and Titus 3. 1. also 1. Pet. 2. 13. we must take it in this place according to the Scriptures in the first Epistle to the Theslasonians and fist chapter S. Paul writeth in this sort Now we beseech you brethren that ye acknowledge them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that ye haue them in singular loue for their workes sake Be at peace among your selues Here the Apostle also speaketh of them that rule ouer mens consciences by the ministerie of Gods word and not of ciuill Magistrates We see therefore that it is meant that there should be a gouernour ouer euery congregation which we call in our English tongue a Pastor Only this remaineth among vs that we haue Pastors Doctors or Teachers and Ministers How necessarie they are our Sauiour Christ testifieth in the ninth chapter of his Gospell after S. Matthew But when he saw the multitude he had compassion vpon them because they were dispersed and scattered abroad as sheepe hauing no shepheard This people by whom our Sauiour Christ spake had the Scribes and Pharisies great learned Clerkes Doctors of the Law and yet he saith that they wanted shepheards and therefore he willed his Disciples to pray to the Lord of the haruest that hee would send foorth labourers into his haruest Whereby he noteth that those only be true Pastors which be labourers He likeneth true Ministers to faithfull shepheards and the people of God to a flocke of sheep taking the occasion of this similie according to that countrey where were many mountaines deserts and wildernesses so that their sheepe without a shepheard were scattered abroad very dangerously in that so many wolues and sauage beasts laid waite in euery corner to deuour the sillie sheepe In like case are they that haue not a Pastor that laboureth faithfully in preaching the word of God which is the instrument which God hath appointed to pull his people into the sheepfold of Iesus Christ where they are without daunger of destruction when as all they that are without a Pastor are wandring abroad to their owne destruction such horrible disorder is there where Gods word is not truly preached In another place he saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and ye would not This people dwelt all together they were not scattered here one there another but abode whole in that goodly citie of Ierusalem yet because they were not in the vnitie of the spirit of the household of God they were scattered abroad in most miserable disorder For the Church of Iesus Christ is not in one place onely but dispersed and scattered in diuers places throughout the whole world and yet are they all of one household all of one sheepfold and are vnited together in one spirit and though we be here yet are we of the same number and flocke with them in Germany so long as we are of the true faith of Iesus Christ for their faith and ours is all one their spirit and our spirit all one according to the words of the Apostle There is one bodie and one spirit euen as ye are called in one hope of your vocation There is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all We must therefore take this as the Scripture teacheth that the ministerie of his word is the necessariest thing in the world which cannot be done without faithfull Pastors and distributers of the same For when the Lord will beget your soules which he doth not by mortall seede but by the immortall seede of his word he will appoynt you a spirituall father also He neuer establisheth any kingdome but he appointeth a King and when he hath any scholler he prouideth him a schoolemaster to instruct and teach him his most holy will For this is most certaine where a Common-weale is without gouernment the case is very miserable one man shall not liue by another Againe if there be such gouernours as vse tyrannie oppression and seeke to enrich themselues gathering and scraping all into their hands what miserable slauerie shall the poore people be brought into So it is in the church of God if such be placed ouer it as be blind vnable to feede the flock such as seeke their owne pleasure to fill their bellies to cloathe their backes to enrich their coffers and to liue as they list the people of God shall be in miserable case as blinde men groping out of the way and be deuoured of their aduersarie the diuell who as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure because they know not how to resist him by a stedfast faith and so be led away captiue vnto hell This commeth of not hauing a Pastor or hauing such a one as regardeth not the soules of his people For the end why the Lord placeth faithfull and labouring pastors of his Church is that they may teach his children out of his word the way to heauen sincerely and purely and such gouernours must wee obey and bee ruled by them according to the word of God Neither must we say in heart Who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead but the word of God is neere thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart We must therefore obey the true Ministers and faithfull laborers in the Lords Vineyard and learne by that holsome doctrine which they bring vnto vs how to attaine vnto saluation for there is no other meanes in the world to come vnto Christ than by the preaching of the word according to that saying of S. Paul faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God and as hee speaketh a little before how shall they heare without a Preacher We may therefore draw a very strong argument to proue that faithfull Ministers are appointed of God to this ende only to
or other that he shall neuer taste of the ioyes laid vp for the children of God In the 20. of the Acts where S. Paul giuing charge of the Church and flock of Gods people vnto the ouerseers thereof giueth this charge first Take heed therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers to feede the Church of God which hee hath purchased with that his owne bloud The Minister must watch ouer the soules of his flocke but first ouer his owne for hee that cannot keepe his owne soule can much lesse keepe the soules of others hee that cannot gouerne himselfe cannot rule another The Minister must watch ouer the soules of his flocke so carefully and warily feeding them with wholsome and necessarie doctrine and so hungring after the saluation of all that hee must not suffer one through his default to perish therefore aboue all it is requisite that hee keepe his owne very sure Then when hee preacheth damnation vnto the obstinate and such as remaine in their sinnes thundering out the iudgements of God against them because they will not repent by that meanes to beate them downe and bring them to a sight of their miserie hee must be assured that the same belongeth not to himselfe Againe when hee preacheth of election and remission of sinnes by the merits of Iesus Christ hee must haue an assured and vnfallible testimonie to his owne conscience that he is an elect vessell of the Lord that he is redeemed by the sacrifice of Iesus Christ and that he shall enioy all the promises of the Gospell as all other children of God if hee be not assured hereof his case is worse then all other mens for in preaching condemnation to others hee condemneth himselfe and in offering the kingdome of heauen to others he quite excludeth himselfe so that hee which helpeth other out of an hole falleth himselfe so deepe into the same that it is not possible for any man to helpe him out Last of all the Minister must not onely reade and studie the word of God preach the same purely by exhorting and all other meanes that may be profitable vsing them both openly and priuately continually in season and out of season praying also for his flocke that his Ministerie may be profitable vnto them and setting himselfe an ensample of all godlines vnto them carefully watching ouer their soules but hee must also loue them so dearely that his owne life must not be deare vnto him for their sake Which tender and louing affection was in that good childe of God Saint Paul as it is manifest in his Epistle to the Thessalonians where he writeth in this sort Neither sought wee praise of meâ— neither of you nor of others when wee might haue beene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ but we were gentle among you euen as a Nourse that cherisheth her children Thus being affectioned towards you our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of God onely but also your owne soules because yee were deare vnto vs. So singular loue had hee towards them that they were dearer vnto him then his life this affection did hee not beare to them onely but to all the elect children of God and suffered all things for the elects sake that they might also attaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with eternall glory The reason thereof is because wheresoeuer the Gospell is sincerely and purely taught there bee alwayes aduersaries seeking the ouerthrowe thereof by persecuting such as professe the same to the great dismaying of the children of God who so soone as they take vpon them the profession of Iesus Christ in truth with a good conscience are straightway resisted with great combats of affliction which were able to make them forsake the faith of Iesus Christ and the profession of the Gospell if the Lord should not hold them vpright in this distresse The Apostle therefore whom the holy Ghost hath filled with all wisdome knowing that the crosse was the greatest hinderance of the Gospell that could be and also that where the Gospell was truely professed there the crosse would not be absent because by it the Lord bringeth his children into glorie of a great desire that hee had to the edification of the Church of Iesus Christ willingly suffered all kinde of afflictions thereby to confirme and strengthen the faith of Gods children and did reioyce in that hee suffered for the Churches sake for their commoditie in that by his example the Lord did not onely worke in them a greater credence and beliefe in the Gospell but such an earnest zeale also that they were readie and willing to suffer all manner of afflictions for the same and that with great ioy Whereas if the Apostle who preached vnto them this glad tidings should haue shrunke from the testimonie of his doctrine when any afflictions were laide vpon him for the same the people which were guided by him the spirit of God so prouiding would haue fallen away from the truth and euen haue hardened their hearts against it But this childe of God was so ready to confirme the faith of Gods people by these meanes when it was tolde him of a Prophet called Agabus that he should be bound at Ierusalem and deliuered into the hands of Gentiles he being intreated of the brethren that he would not goe vp who euen with teares besought the same Then Paul answered and said what doe ye weeping and breaking mine heart for I am readie not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus This affection must be in euery good Minister toward their flocke that for their soules sake he shall be readie to suffer all things yea euen to giue his life for the confirmation of his doctrine the strengthening of their faith and the glory of God Our Sauiour Christ also that good shepheard refused not to giue his life for his sheepe and truely in that place of Saint Iohn he doth notably declare the difference betweene the good shepheard and the hireling I am saith he that good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe but an hireling and he which is not the shepheard neither his sheepe are his owne seeth the wolfe comming and he leaueth his sheepe and fleeth and the wolfe catcheth them and scattereth them So the hireling flieth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheepe This place teacheth vs plainely that the Ministers of Gods word must not be hirelings such as haue no care of their flocke but respect their owne profit onely and in time of daunger they will forsake them howsoeuer before they haue fed their flocke but the true Ministers must not be such they must not measure their dutie and affection towards their flocke according to their profit but he must know that he is placed ouer them to watch ouer their soules to
their best workes yet seeing they haue pure hearts they are happie and blessed and shall finde the good effects of their blessednesse True holinesse and true happines are neuer separated As for perfection God lookes not for it at our hands If sinne hang on vs but we would faine cast it off if we finde vnbeliefe but would most gladly get faith if we be troubled in our hearts with hardnes but are desirous of softnesse if we be humbled for that we cannot be humbled sufficiently nor get such a large heart as we would desire and expect grace from heauen let vs not be discomforted for our defects and frailties for the Lord will spare vs and be gracious vnto vs in his beloued sonne according to that worthy prayer of good King Hezekiah The good Lord be mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary Though many haue beene braullers heretofore let them labour to be peaceable though they haue beene worldly let them striue to be heauenly though they haue beene filthy let them endeuour to get chastity though they haue beene ignorant and prophane let them study to obtaine knowledge and holinesse and then they may come to the Lords table and welcome the Lord will haue respect vnto them and grant them pardon for their sinnes and supply all their wants and giue them more grace to doe their dutie in the remainder of their life and in the daies of their pilgrimage that are yet behinde ¶ Vers. 3. Surely they worke none iniquitie which walke in his waies That is they make not a trade and common practise thereof Slip they doe through the infirmitie of the flesh and subtilty of Sathan and the allurements of the world but they doe not ordinarily and customably goe forward in vnlawfull and sinfull courses In that the Psalmist setteth downe this as a part and not the least part neither of blessednesse That they worke none iniquitie which walke in his waies the doctrine to be learned hence is this that it is a maruellous great prerogatiue to be freed from the bondage of sin If there were no other reward but this yet it were a happy thing to be religious euen in this respect that we shall be set at liberty from such a seruice This point is euident from the Apostles words where he speaketh thus God be thanked that yee haue beene the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine whereunto ye were deliuered Wherby we see that this was not the least priuiledge that they had being Gods seruaÌ„ts but indeed a matter for which he was greatly to be magnified that whereas they had beene the slaues of sinne and as base drudges at the command of euery vile and wretched lust by the vertue of the word powerfully preached vnto them faithfully receiued by them they had beene deliuered from that bondage and made the seruants of God in righteousnesse and holinesse of life and conuersation And therefore in that same Chapter verse 14. it is promised vnto Gods children as a speciall fauour That sinne shall not haue dominion ouer them It may sometimes tyrannously vsurpe authoritie in them but the strength of grace and the operation of the holy spirit of God will still diminish and at last abolish the force and violence thereof so that it shall neuer beare such sway ouer them as in the time of their vnregeneracie it did The truth of this doctrine will yet more clearely shine forth if we consider what the maister the seruice and the reward of sinfull persons are As for their maister it is Sathan For he is the God of this world and the Prince that ruleth in the children of disobedience of whom all vnbeleeuers are held in captiuitie and still imployed according to his will and pleasure Now he is a more cruell and sauage tyrant then euer Pharaoh was though he were very fierce against the Israelites exercised great tyranny ouer them yet Sathan putteth his vassals to carry heauier burdens and to toyle out themselues in baser workes then euer the taskmasters of Aegipt imposed on the poore Israelites For all impenitent sinners are in thraldome to euery brutish lust they must defile their bodies and corrupt their soules and consciences and pollute all their workes and waies when and in what maner soeuer the Diuell will haue them they must conuerse with euery lewd and sinfull companion they must runne vp and downe like drudges to follow euery vaine and base delight to pursue euery meane and trifling commodity and to hunt after euery promotion and dignity that offers it selfe vnto their view They cannot liue peaceably in the day nor rest quietly in the night as we may see in gamesters who breake their sleepe â—â— spend their time and strength depriue themselues of a comfortable estate and bring many miseries vpon themselues and their families by the ouer eager pursuite of their vngodly and vnthrifty courses It is a wofull and lamentable case that frantick persons are in that must haue euery one in the family to attend vpon them and to haue an eye vnto them least they should hang themselues or drowne themselues or get a knife to cut their throates or some way or other worke theÌ„selues mischiefe but farre worse is their case that are possest with a spirituall frenzie and led by the suggestions of Sathan who are euermore labouring to worke out their owne ouerthrow and to bring vpon themselues destruction of body and soule which is the reward that Sathan giueth them for al their paines that they haue taken in seruing him and in fulfilling the lusts of their owne wicked flesh according to the saying of the Apostle the wages of sin is death that is euerlasting death which is an vtter separation from Gods blessed presence from all maner of comforts whatsoeuer to endure vnspeakable and endles torments in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Another reason why it is a great priuiledge to be exempted from the dominion of sin is because it is a testimony that we are the sonnes of God as it is said by the Apostle Iohn He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell and whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not And why because the efficacy of the word and spirit doe restraine him there from A third reason is because that is it whereby we are made conformable vnto Christ Iesus when we are freed from the slauery of sinne we are still translated from glory to glory and haue the Image of God renued in vs daily more and more purging our selues euen as Christ is pure 1. Iohn 3. 3. This serueth for our instruction that seeing it is such a preheminence not to be a worker of iniquity therefore we should hereby fence and arme
our selues against all enticements whereby we might be allured to sinne either in hart or in behauiour when pleasure smileth vpon vs or filthy lucre setteth on our hearts or preferment calleth for vs c. Let this be as a buckler whereby to repell all the fiery darts of the Diuell It is a blessed thing to worke none iniquitie and what should it profit a man to winne the whole world and to loose his owne soule Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne and the preferments of Egipt for a season It was a foolish mad part of the Israelites to desire to returne into Egypt the house of their bondage that they might eate of their flesh-pots and of the leekes onions that in time past they had there enioyed but much more void of sense reason are they that wheÌ„ they haue bin once deliuered froÌ„ that spirituall seruitude wil cast theÌ„selues into thraldome againe when they haue bene puld out of the snares of the diuel wherein they were held at his pleasure will returne againe to folly intangle theÌ„selues the second time Wherefore let this put strength into vs in all conflicts that we may stand resolutely as against other assaults so against that of the example of great mighty men who vsually take their liberty in all voluptuous and licentious kinds of liuing This consideration I say should arme vs against it The Lord hath pronounced them blessed that worke none iniquitie and if I â—ee of the number of them I shall be more happy in renouncing sinne then the greatest Potentate on the earth is or can bee in committing of sinne And therefore let vs deale as Eliphaz did in the booke of Iob I haue seene the foolish well rooted saith hee and suddenly I cursed his habitation not by way of imprecation but of denunciation of Gods iudgements due vnto them for their euill workes shewing that they tooke such courses as did make them and theirs accursed and bring the vengeance of God vpon them the meditation whereof was a strong bulwarke to fence him against all temptations vnto the like sinfull and vile practises 2. This maketh for the terror of all such as doe drinke in sinne with greedinesse and giue allowance to themselues in blaspheming in Sabbath-breaking in wantonnesse in lying and slandering and scoffing and such other foule vices If they be blessed that do not worke iniquitie then cursed are they that make a common practise thereof But I hope will some say a mans heart may bee good though hee ouer-shoote himselfe by rapping out an oath now and then and by speaking foolishly and lightly c. you must not iudge say they God knoweth our hearts Hee doth so indeede and he hath made knowne vnto vs by his word that an ill tongue and an ill life doe alwayes argue an ill heart for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and a good tree cannot bring forth such rotten fruite nor a pure Fountaine send foorth such muddie and filthy streames as doe euermore issue foorth at their prophane mouthes and are deriued from their impure consciences vnto all or to the most part of their actions Vers. 4 Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy precepts diligently THe doctrine that these wordes affoord is this that nothing is superfluous that is done in obedience to Gods holie will The word translated Diligently doth signifie in the originall tongue wonderfull much so that the wordes goe thus Thou hast commaunded to keepe thy precepts wonderfull much And this the Apostle vrgeth the Corinthians vnto Hauing such promises beloued let vs purge our selues from all fithinesse of the flesh and of the spirit that is from all manner of corruption as wel inward as outward And that was the â—rift of Christ Iesus in giuing the true interpretation of th law which the Pharisees had corrupted by their false Expositions I say this was the drift to draw men from resting on the outward obseruation thereof and to bring them to haue regard vnto their thoughts and to the affections of their hearts and moreouer in their practise to doe those things which heathen men and hypocrites could not attaine vnto and therefore he often vrgeth this sentence to shew the slâ—ndernesse and insufficiencie of their obedience What singular thing doe yee Implying that Christians must in many things bee singular and differ from and goe beyond the common sort of men If one could doe as much good as an hundred yet he could not doe the hundreth part of that which a Christian ought to performe Let him say still for it is a truth I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue done no more then my dutie nor so much as my dutie As Christ came to fulfill all that his Fathers law required so it behoueth vs to obserue euery thing that wee are commanded though not in perfection which wee cannot attaine vnto yet in vprightnesse and with our best indeuours When the Israelites told Moses that if he would goe neare and heare what the Lord saide and declare it vnto them they would heare and doe all that the Lord should say the Lord himselfe testified the equitie of their words that they had well spoken all that they spake wished that there were such an hart in them to feare him and to keepe all his commandements alway that it might goe well with them and with their children after them Whereby we are informed what is acceptable vnto God and profitable for our selues namely entire obedience for our comfortable welfare and constant obedience for our continuall happines and to the same purpose tendeth that serious instigation of Paul to the Corinthians Therefore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmoueable abundant alwayes in the worke of the Lorde for as much as yee knowe that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. 1 First no vaine thing is commaunded but euery precept that he giueth is holy and euery dutie prescribed to vs is needfull to be performed he requireth nothing but that which is good and iust and who can charge vs to doe more than enough whiles we deale onely in that which is iust and good 2 Secondly the Lord desireth to be serued with all due care and faithfulnesse Can any man say I am before hand with him and I haue done more for his sake than he hath for mine doe we not receiue from him breath and being and life and liuing and preseruation and saluation it selfe and all things else 3 Thirdly our labour is not lost nor trauell mis-spent in yeelding obedience to him for he will reward it at the full and aboue all desert No man worketh for him without wages not a godly action not a godly word not a godly purpose not a godly motion of heart shall passe without pay and compensation 4 Fourthly euery default and omission of well doing at euery
when we know not so much as the word may instruct vs in When a man seeth as much in a Papist as in a blocke let him consider that as little as the care is which we haue of the word and as small as our conscience is in the obedience of the same so little is his light in heauenly things Yea though we haue knowledge and liue not after it we are yet in darkenes wee grope as it were a farre off who hauing knowledge haue no conscience A saying that may touch vs to the quicke that wee are but hauing a glimmering light as Paul had in the outward man at his conuersion or being as purblinde men not hauing our eyes cleane out nor our sight cleere when we haue knowledge and labour not to build vertue vpon vertue If then thou hast not a care to profite by the word thou hast a darke sight and a glimmering light there is a shadowe before thine eyes thou canst not discerne chalke from cheese No maruaile then why so few are sharpe sighted in the word sith either we know little or knowing somewhat we practise nothing Againe as if wee haue gone some part of the iourney in light and yet passe the other in darkenes it is very dangerous likewise in regeneration though wee haue spent some part of our life in the obedience of true knowledge and in the residue of our life do not escape the willnes of the flesh we cannot without dangerous darknes hold forth our course in the Spirit If we mingle light and darknes together and confound the world and the Church the wisedome of God and the inuentions of man we doe not as yet truly obey nor walke in the light of the word For as whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne and whatsoeuer is not in the light is darknes so whatsoeuer is not done according to the light of knowledge is done in the darknes of ignorance In all our affaires then we must learne to aske counsell of the word Here then is a good comfortable doctrine also that wee are so much in darknes as in whole or in part we be in ignorance so whether in part or in whole wee be warranted by the word of God for our doing so farre we haue a guide we haue a load-starre a lanterne and a sure light as Peter witnesseth to conduct vs. The Papists then are here confuted which say the word containeth hard things wee graunt indeed that there are many mysteries in the word of God and that the testimonies of the Lord are wonderfull especiallie in the doctrine of saluation and to a naturall man yet there be many things easie to a man regenerate and the very entrance into them giueth light to the blinde and to them which are lowly in their owne eyes It is our great corruption that when wee know in part we are as they that haue a glimmering sight of their way and therefore least they should bee accounted starke blinde refuse a leader But although wee see as in a glasse in part and in measure yet as a man may follow if he be not blinde the light of the lanterne so we may come to knowledge vnles wee shut our eyes at the truth We may therefore as safely for the soules health follow the light of the word as we may for the safegard of our body follow the light of a lanterne The way of saluation prescribed in the word is an high plaine and heaten way if anie thing hinder vs therevnto it is the curse and our sinne in that wee are not carefull to be directed For surely this is the word to open our vnderstanding yea though wee be borne blinde if you doe not willingly shut your eyes But wee must note that Gods word is a lanterne when Gods spirit worketh thereby for whilest we goe about the bare and literall sense it is no otherwise then if a blinde man should reade or a man hauing sight should put a vaile before his eyes Wherfore the man of God praieth port 17. 5. Direct my steppes in thy worde c. and vers 7. Shew the light of thy countenaunce vpon thy seruant teach mee thy statutes Why then do we so little profit by the word because we thinking that of our selues we can conceiue aright doe not pray to be taught by God his spirit For as no man seeth or can see what is in man but the spirit of man that which he vttereth with his tongue no more can we see what is in GOD but being taught by the spirit of God and his word Wherefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 2. 20. God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 11. for what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Flesh and blood as our Sauiour witnesseth to Peter cannot reueale the things of our saluation vnto vs but the spirit of God And why then are we yet so vnprofitable surely because we are not guiltie of our owne infirmities and we see not the darkenesse and blindnesse which is in vs or if wee see it wee feele not our selues pressed with the miserable captiuitie and bondage wherein it holdeth our soules This sight made the Prophet so often vse this prayer Teach me true iudgement teach me true vnderstanding teach me thy statutes c. All which repetitions might otherwise haue seemed to haue bin a vaine babling had he not vsed such a narrow sight of his inward corruptions with a desire to be deliuered from them which may condemne vs of our darknes and teach vs that there is no light in vs but by the word Many indeed are of a modest spirit and haue some sight of their ignorance yet they haue not a feeling of their miserie in particular things and doe not examine themselues in euery particular thing what it is to be in darkenes and therefore as we haue said doe no more desire to be enlightned and gouerned by another than he that hauing a slender eye-sight hardly discerning his way refuseth to haue a guide as though he were blinde And though the Lord often shineth vpon vs and maketh vs guilty of our blindnes yet we doe not see how loathsome yrksome and vncomfortable a thing darkenes is nor how pleasant amiable and comfortable a thing light is although we confesse in generall that we haue not the light but are in darkenes The want of seeing the monstrous vglines of this palpable darkenesse maketh vs dull in prayer for the light of Gods spirit Wherefore we must desire that that may be stricken into our consciences which we haue in iudgement that is that we may see how amiable glorious and heauenly a thing it is to be enlightned with Gods light and how horrible a thing it is to be plunged in the darkenes
humble they feare themselues they seeke the Lord by prayer and are desirous to be established in the promises of God they are as strong as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but remaineth for euer Psalme 125.1 Though then we be weake yet our Christ is strong though we haue many enemies yet the Lord hath promised to be our staie against them all Let vs knowe that perseuerance is as well the gift of God as to come at first to God We know what a free gift of God it was that we came to him Hee sought vs when we desired him not he found vs when we sought him not We see how before our calling we closed our eyes and would not see him we stopt our eares and would not heare him we drew backe and refused to goe to him and the Lord was faine to draw vs out so that our beginning came of God who reformed our iudgements and renewed our affections now to be established in seeing hearing and willingly drawing neere vnto God is his onely gift also Well we must be afraide of our selues and suspect our selues For why doe we slip often into such grosse sinnes why are we carried away with our owne affections why doe so many good motions die and perish in vs but only because of our securitie we are not careful to please God we are not afraide to offend God Well if we see that securitie hath bene the cause of our woe let vs labour to be carefull which is the cause of our good if securitie hath bene the cause we feared not let vs now be carefull that we may be afraide of our frailtie and trust in Gods word Otherwise if we be quiet with our selues and yeeld to presumption God will suffer vs to fall This is the cause why our sinnes breake out often to Gods dishonour and to the griefe of our owne consciences because we doe not more carefully to looke our thoughts and watch ouer our words It is added in this verse that I may liue So he saith Portion 10.4 Let thy tender mercies come vnto me that I may liue We see heere that the children of God thinke they haue no life if they liue not in Gods life For if we thinke we are aliue because we see so doe the bruit beasts if we thinke we are aliue because we heare so do the cattell if we thinke we are aliue because we eate and drinke or sleepe so do beasts if we thinke we liue because we doe reason and conferre so doe the Heathen The life of Gods children is the death of sinne for where sinne is aliue there that part is dead vnto God Art thou then giuen to malice to swearing to cursing to breaking of the Sabbath to adultery to filthines to stealing or slandring surely then art thou dead and if God should take away thy life from thee whilest thou art in this estate thy soule should goe sooner to hell than thy bodie to the graue We now see that Gods children finding themselues dull and slowe to good things when they cannot either reioyce in the promises of God or finde their inward man delighted with the law of God thinke themselues to be dead The Prophets meaning is this I am euen as a lumpe of flesh I am like an image or like an idoll of Gods childe I beare the face of his childe but I am as dead and as a blocke or a stocke or an idoll For as an idoll hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not mouth and speaketh not feete and goeth not euen so haue I eyes but I see not the glorie of my God I haue eares but I heare not the word of God I haue a mouth but I shewe not forth the iudgements of God I haue feete but I walke not in the law of my God The iust shall liue by faith Hab. 2. Rom. 1. Now I liue no more but Christ liueth in me saith the Apostle Oh that men would consider this that they are dead otherwise than their life is hidden in the promise and they haue no life but in Christ and from his spirit If the Prophet sayd this of himselfe where is the faith of our protestants where is the life of the godly where is their hope of a better life where is their practise of repentance where is the peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding where is the ioy of ChristiaÌ„s where is the care of mortification where is the quicknesse of sanctification where are all these become They are sewe and dead to good workes they liue in sinne they be but Christians in name they are very idols There is no life but in the word which we must finde by experience in our selues When Gods children finde this life of God in them then are they merrie and glad but when they feele that God withdraweth his spirit from them then they see how they are dead dull and carelesse as they were wont to be before they were regenerate Shall not this make vs more carefull and zealous of good workes and to be more iealous of our selues Let vs consider this that it is a ioy to haue a life and that euen the life of God the life of Angels the life of Christ when we contemne this life when wee are zealous of good workes when we feele spirituall ioyes when wee looke for a crowne of glorie when we labour to be renewed to the image of Christ. This is an heauenly life and though we will sweate and eate and drinke this is common with the beasts of the field and hauing no experience of faith in vs wee are either dangerously sicke or altogether dead If wee thinke it an hard matter to restore nature in a consumption how hard a thing is it to restore grace and saluation in a consumption of the soule If wee are without hope when a man is in a languishing disease when he hath no delight to eate when hee cannot brooke his meate and his sleepe is gone from him hee cannot labour and Physitians dare not meddle with him what hope is there when we are in such a consumption that the woâ—d which we heare doth vs no good the Sacraments which wee receiue doe vs no comfort prayer doth vs no good and when we cannot abide to labour in good workes surely it is a token we are almost languished to death if wee be not already dead wee are in extreame danger The Lord indeede is gracious and would not our death but if wee bee consuming and see it not if Gods life be going from vs and Sathans life is comming to vs if Gods graces be languishing in vs surely we are as dead Let vs then search our owne corruptione that we may see how neare we are to life or how neare wee are to death whether wee growe or consume whether for the one wee are to feare and pray to God or for the other to reioyce and praise God Thus we haue heard that the faith
c. Therefore the Lord denounceth plagues and punishments on euery side to fall vpon them Looke into the destruction of the old cities namely of the Egyptians of the Moabites of the Assyrians and of the Philistines and yee shall see how witcherie was the most especiall cause of their destruction So shall we thinke now that the feare of God doth touch their hearts who for losse of so small pelfe runne to wizards Well we are here to learne that as where the Lords feare doth so rule our hearts that we sanctifie the Lord therein we are free from the greatest temptations So where this reuerent feare of God is wanting there is no temptation though neuer so vile and grosse but we will yeeld vnto it The prouidence of the Lord being so rich and his hand so wide and large we must not be afraide of so small a losse of worldly goods Wee know that Zedechiah being a Prince Iere. 37. when the feare of God was gone from him feared that the very common people would mocke him so that he could not obey the Prophet Againe we know that Ieremiah being the Prophet hauing this reuerent feare of God seasoning his heart was nothing dismaid with all that either Zedechiah or any other of the kings could do vnto him Among many places excellent is that Iob. 31. where the man of God partly to stop the mouths of his aduersaries partly to comfort his own soule with the record of a good conscience and partly to shew the secret iudgements of God and that he did not suffer for his sinnes as he was accused but for som secret cause best known to the Lord he testifieth how free he was from fornication from adulterie from iniuries from vnmercifulnes from crueltie with his seruants and from oppression and sheweth the cause why all these things were in him because the Lord beheld all his wayes and told all his steps First for fornication he made a couenant with his eyes because there is no portion no inheritance from the Almightie to the wicked but destruction and strange punishments to the workers of iniquitie and as of fornication so also he speaketh how he was preserued by the feare of Gods iudgements from adulterie ' and afterward comming to shewe his innocencie in not cruelly dealing with his seruants he saith If I should contemne the iudgement of my seruant c â—hat then shall I doe when God standeth vp and when he shall visite mee what shall I answere Againe he professeth that the cause why he did not oppresse nor iniurie others was not that hee refrained for feare of men but for feare of God For saith he If I haue lift vp mine head against the fatherlesse c. I thinke my shoulder bones would goe out of their sockets Gods iudgements were fearfull vnto me I could not be deliuered from his Highnes c. And though he might by his great countenance which he did beare haue dealt roughly with men and might haue made afraide a great multitude Yet saith he the most contemptible of the families did not feare me Yea though the men were farre lesse then hee yet hee could not hide his sinne as Adam he could not conceale his iniquitie in his bosome Whosoeuer then wil be trulie religious and make a conscience of sinne in sinceritie he must thus walke in the feare of God and though he might so doe as no man could euer touch him for his outward conuersation though he did not run into the hand of the Magistrate and no man thogh he would could say Black is his eye he must submit himselfe to what perill soeuer and ouercome all feare of mans power with feare of Gods punishments And we must know that if there be some sin in vs on which the ciuill law can take no hold yet the fear of the law of God must be in stead vnto vs of all lawes knowing that though we escape the court of men we cannot escape the iudgements of God who will iudge vs not according to the law of man but according to his own law So that the children of God are so far off froÌ„ flattering themselues in these sinnes where mans lawes faile and which they doe not punish that they labour the more against them fearing that God will punish those sins more grieuously in the world to come which by the law of man in this world he doth not correct And because by mans punishing we are oft brought to repent of those sinnes wherein now oft times we die without any repentance So that we see how effectuall an instrument of God this feare of his law is against all kinds of sinne whatsoeuer For though in politike lawes there be no lawes against swearing breaking of the Sabbath or filthie speaking yet Gods children are not for that cause such as cast off all feare but such as by so much the rather feare and suspect such sinnes Now in that the man of God saith in awe of thy word see the man of God performeth that feare to Gods word which he oweth to God himselfe This is profitably to be considered of vs. If any deale now adaies with a prophane worldling in things concerning the true knowledge of God and the way of saluation he will answere What tell yee me of these things tell me what you can I am sure of this you can tell me no more than this Loue God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe and I trust I shall loue God as well as you or the best learned But here is their hypocrisie descried in that they haue so small loue to the word For our Sauiour Christ witnesseth Iohn 8. He that is of God heareth Gods word if ye were of God ye would loue his word so one may say to this effect if we feare God we stand in awe of his word Wherefore the man of God saith Oh how loue I thy law protesting that loue to the law which he had to God And as he saith O Lord thou art my portion so he saith also thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage Thus we must honour God in Christ and Christ in his word For looke what honour God would haue he would haue vs shew vnto Christ and looke what honour Christ would haue he would haue it done to his word Wherefore the Apostles not reuerencing our Sauiour Christ onely for his person but also for his word said Maister whither shall we goe from thee thou hast the word of spirit and life As this corrupt opinion of the feare of God is in the worldlings so also is it in heretikes and in the familie of loue who perswade themselues to loue God when they loue heresies more than the word but herein are those hypocrites and heretikes descried they will generally confesse they loue and feare God but examine them in any particular either of doctrine or of life and they will bewray their want of loue by heresie and their want of feare
haue our loue and hatred proportionable to the things loued and hated and our affections must be answerable either in liking the things which are commaunded or in misliking the things which are forbidden If our first loue decay it will first come to be cold and then to be none Wherefore the holy Ghost doth exhort men in the booke of the Prouerbs that their loue should be wholy set on their wiues and so they should not couet any other And Isaac who is said to loue his wife Rebecca deerely neuer fell into the sin of Polygamie or concubines So our loue to the word must be so through a loue that it take vp all our affections and so may shut out all that comes in the way which either might empaire part of our loue or spoyle vs of the whole We see in them that are irreconciliable what hatred is in them We may see how many hauing found sometimes terrour of conscience haue fallen from the hatred of sinne to the like of it and so haue made relapse either into old sins from which they were deliuered or else into some new sins where with before they were not acquainted Wherefore we must pray that our loue to good things and hatred to euill may daily be growing For if we stand at a stay we shall come to lesse and lesse yea in the end we shall shake hands with sinne againe For many are so cold in the pursuite of sinne that it is to be feared that the Lord will plague vs either with heresie or with profanenesse For whereof commeth our commending of Papists and heretikes that we can say Surely he is an honest man it is pitie he is a Papist I knew neuer any ill by him it is to be feared we shall come to be such Papists for want of more feruent hatred against them Vers. 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AS before the man of God spake of his ioy feare and hatred so now he sheweth his loue which therefore seemeth to be no colde loue because it made him seuen times a day to praise the Lord. As the children of God cannot satisfie themselues in the hatred of sinne no more can they satisfie themselues in the loue of the Lord. And as for their true hatred of sinne they abhor it not onely in themselues but in others so for the true loue of the Lord they loue it not only in themselues but in others wheresoeuer they finde it The meaning of the man of God briefely is thus much because I see O Lord that thou performest thy promise vnto thy children and executest thy threatnings on the wicked I praise thee and when I consider the examples of thy iudgements and see thy truth so iust I delight in praising thee The cause then why we haue no more pleasure in praising God is because we obserue no more diligently Gods mercy and truth fulfilled and executed in our selues or in others Seuen times a day If this be vsed on any day doubtlesse on the Sabbath day because in respect of our callings other dayes are full of distractions neither are the mindes at such libertie as they are at other times The Apostle Ephes. 5. 16. saith Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be ye fulfilled in the spirit 29. speaking vnto your selues in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs c as if he should say whereas other men cannot be merie vnlesse they be mad and they can finde no solace without their own conceits yet it is good for you in your most mirth to be plentiful in the spirit in good affections The same thing is vrged Colos. 3. 16 Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes c. What shall now become of them who thinke they doe God great good seruice to come twise on the Lord his day to the Church and thinke it a sufficient discharge for them seeing the Prophet protesteth that hee came seuen times a day to praise God that is Often he resorted to this sacrifice for this phrase of speech is vsuall in the word to set down a certaine number to expresse an vncertaine thing These remember not the often frequenting of priuate praier thanksgiuing conference admonitiō preparation visiting of the sicke almes giuing which be duties of loue annexed with the former publike duties of religion and as wel to be vsed in the Lords day as the other If this then be not to be done on the Sabbath day when should we do it True it is that with the good seruants of God Dauid and Daniel wee take vp euery day at morning noonetide and euening to praise the Lord but especially wee must remember to speake of these wonderfull workes of the Lord in the Sabbath as that 92 Psalme which is a Psalme of the Sabbath doth teach vs. Thus see how the Sabbath should wholy from morning to night be spent in these exercises and therefore is it set apart from all other dayes because that worship of God which we doe but in part on other dayes may now wholy be spent on the Lord. We see in time of Poperie how holy men would be at their solemne feasts as at Christ his tide Easter Candlemasse as they call it Holy thursday and Al-saints day Were they so superstitious in ill and shall we be cold in good things were they so feruent in idolatrie and shall we be so zealeles in the Lord his dayes wherein we haue all things doth not this day teach vs the benefits of Christs birth the profit of his Passion the fruite of his Resurrection the glorie of his Ascension the ioy of the comming of the holy Ghost doth it not teach vs how in this world we may praise God with his Angels and how hereafter we shall be occupied in heauen Wherefore let vs pray often in that day let vs examine our hearts what sinnes we haue done what benefits we haue receiued let vs prepare our selues before the congregation is gathered when they are assembled let vs so pray and heare that after the departure we may examine our hearing by meditating applying and conferring the prayers by the effects of them Thus in priuate and publike exercises in matters of religion and practises of loue we are to spend the whole Sabbath Alas how far are they now from praising God now seuen times in the day who passe it ouer in pleasures and so end it in their owne delights who no maruell must needes slip in common life who fall so deepely into God his course Doe I praise thee By naming one part of the exercise of God his worship hee comprehendeth many for it is not like that he contented himselfe with praising of God but that he also prayed heard meditated and conferred of the word and setting downe by name that whereunto we are most vnapt and most hardly drawne he includeth those things which
note that both prosperitie and aduersitie drawe vs neere to God if wee haue once receiued the Spirit of God but without that in their owne nature they are forcible to drawe vs away from God as may bee seene in the Israelites who for all their trobles in Aegypt could not bee brought to the Lord let vs learne then to glorifie God in our owne present estate and to vse that well and then shall wee bee prepared to â—eare well whatsoeuer commeth Iacob at his death giueth his Sonnes that which hee himselfe had neuer the possession of which declared his faith grounded on the word for heâ— faith God said thus Thus must we beleeue when wee haue the word though it seeme ridiculous but wee must not beleeue without the word CHAP. LVI Of Prophecie and Preaching THe office of a Prophet is not onely to foretell things although many did so the grosse vnderstanding whereof hath put downe our prophecies but also to teach to pray and plainly to interpret with a fit application to the people by the reuelation of the Spirit 1. Corinth 24 Genes 18. and 19 Number 11. Deuâ— 18. 1. Sam. 12. This reuelation commeth sometimes by meanes sometimes extraordinarily but alwayes spirituallay for this difference is betweene prophecying and teaching that a man may teach that he hath learned in the Schooles but the other hath a further reuelation of the Spirit to applie the word to times and persons fitly that euery one may haue his portion Reuelation is ordinarie or extraordinarie ordinarie when hee spiritually speaketh of the word as the word of God with power deuiding it aright as the Apostle Pauâ— saith If any be spirituall let him vnderstand what I say Extraordinarie when by some reuelation of Gods Spirit hee can note and specifie the time or manner or place of Gods threatnings here againe I say as the Apostle saith If any be spirituall let him consider what I say and the Lord giue them vnderstanding yet this is not to bring in the reuelations of the Familie of loue or any other Heretikes which dreame of such things as are not in and according to the word 2 To receiue a Prophet in the name of a Prophet is effectually to profit by their doctrine for all things are written for our learning so are all gifts which God bestoweth vpon others 3 As they that receiue a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward so he that is receiued in the name of a Prophet must performe the dutie of a Prophet 4 It is one thing to speake daily by meditation and to beate vpon the consciences as a Pastour and another thing to set downe a thing with iudgement and deepe studie as a Doctour must doe 5 There are three kindes of false Prophets The first teacheth false doctrine The second teacheth true doctrine but applieth it falsely The third teacheth and applie well but liue ill 6 It is good to preach according to the state of a mans owne conscience vnlesse wisedome require a consideration to be had of the time person and place 7 Pastors were not able to deuoure their great paines to the people vnlesse they should consider what paines Christ deuoured for them and that their paines may bee the more profitable as the Pastor or Preacher should pray for the people so in like sort the people should pray for the Preacher 8 We care not though the Lord accuse or condemne neuer so much so he doth it in another court and touch vs not So long as Ieremy prophecied against Edom against Moab against Ammon or against mount Sâ—ir so long presently after the threatnings the people would goe to the Church they were willing enough to heare the burthens of the Lord so long as it concerned not Iudah and Ierusalem but when he came to the burthen of Iudah and Ierusalem then they say the Lord hath not sent thee thou art taught to speak euil c. Wherefore wee must bring our selues to this to bee as glad to heare and with as great patience the action of the Lord commenced against vs as against any other And we may note it as a fault and marke of false Prophets to prophecie against other countries and to be full of generall tearmes but to come to particulars that they were loth to speake and others were loth to heare Being at Samaria they speake against Ierusalem and being at Ierusalem they speake against Samaria being at Bethel they prophecie against Gilgall and when they are at Gilgall they speake against Bethel at Dan against Sheba at Sheba against Dan. This is a sinne of false Prophets the true Prophets doe not so 9 The honour of a Prophet is not from the breast of his Mother it is not so materiall who was his father as who was his teacher In whom chiefly is to bee considered what the Prophet speaketh how The Prophets did somtimes threateÌ„ sometimes promise sometimes comfort sometimes reprooue but this they did rather as teachers than Prophets as whose proper function specially was in speaking of future things we doe not so much imbrace good things as wonder at strange things The Prophets spake that by inspiration which they knew by reuelation God disposing both their words and writings so that all that they spake and wrote they did but as instruments from God so great a difference is there betwixt our speeches and theirs Though we conceiue exquisitely how long are wee before we can speake And when we haue meditated wel doe not our tongues falter in our mouthes Though our tongues vtter most the puritie of knowledge when wee vtter the wisedome of God yet when herein we adde much indeuour how sore we grieue our hearers sometimes by obscuritie sometimes by vnsauorie and sometimes by vnseemly speeches In things of arte or reason be they Prophets bee they Apostles be they Euangelists or be they Pastors they may be deceiued Was not Moses counselled by his father in law Iethro Was not Peter conuicted of error by Paul Was not some of the Prophets conuicted by Ieremiah and Ezechiel But how then are the bookes of the Prophets so generally allowed Answere is that the Prophets were exempted from all possibilitie of errour in those things which they receiued by diuine reuelation indeede they must be voide of errour because God teaching them immediatly euery word and writing is voide of errour But how shall wee know that these their bookes were of such diuine reuelation and deliuered from God himselfe We must know that the certaine knowledge hereof to the prophets was one and to the hearers was another The Prophets by vision most certainly knew that the things they deliuered were from God The knowledge and certaintie of these things were confirmed to the hearers by miracle and oracle by miracle the persons of the Prophets were authorized for without doing of miracles they were accounted of as the
speech into sharpenes as Mat. 6. If light be darknes how great is that darknes If sweetnes become bitternes how great is that bitternes Euery thing when it degenerateth into his contrarie becommeth most contrary as of the sweetest wine is made the sowrest vineger and that which is coldest when it is boyled is most feruent the sea calmest when it is moued is most raging Augustine saith that his laughter is more to bee feared than his anger That which he speaketh with laughter let vs reade with weeping For God neuer vseth such speeches of derisioÌ„ but there followeth immediatly destruction Prou 1. 26 27. Psal. 2. Hee will laugh them to scorne and then will breake them in peeces And because this is the last warning before iudgement when wee finde the Lord speaking so vnto vs it is as much as if he should say Now heare the word or neuer Well these speeches are vsed to wilfull sinners as Micaiah speaketh to the King that would go to battaile whatsoeuer came of it Go to and prosper Prou 2. Because you haue not heard any word nor profited by my sermons nor by my inward checks nor come when I shewed out my benefite but refused my correction then commeth this I will laugh at your destruction Ephraim will needes follow Idols well let him saith God Iosu 4 Psal. 2. We will not be yoked and will ye not goe to the Lord in heauen will yoke you And againe such as drinke iniquitie till they haue no vse of God his gifts in them woe be to them 4 We must redeeme time euen from our ordinary callings to read the holy Scriptures 5 It is best to note the general vertue of the word and not to vse exceptions but vpon particular and constraining necessitie 6 It is the grace of God when the word of God is of such credit with vs that it humbleth vs more than all manner of corrections 7 The vsuall dealing of the Lord is that hee first sendeth his word then his wonders which if they preuaile not then doth hee fall to afflicting vs and the ending of one crosse shall be the beginning of another till he hath brought vs to him if we be his or till we bee hardened if we belong not to him 8 The word of God is the sauour of life to some and the sauour of death to others it bringeth some to repentance and others it hardeneth 9 We must esteeme highly of the Sacraments admonitions of our brethren because in contempt of these we despise Gods ordinance and they can neuer haue their fruit in vs. For whosoeuer haue felt the fruites of the spirit can tell that nothing is so comfortable to vs as that great ioy which they felt in the right vse of these holy ordinances of God And hereof commeth that continuall ioy which the children of God take and finde in reading hearing and speaking of his word prayer Sacraments Therfore let vs learne to esteeme the word of God which hath been offered so long and let not our corruption as in other things so in this lesse esteeme it because it hath been long with vs which through corruption we shall doe if God by his great grace doe not sustaine vs. 10 Our father Adam had nothing to leade him by but the great booke of the creatures which when by sinne it was blotted the Lord supplied this want by the word though not written which is cleere for that without faith it is impossible to please God but Abel by faith pleased God and that faith presupposed the word therefore they had the word for which cause some were called the sonnes of God because they were ruled by the word of God And this word is said by the Apostles and Prophets that it endereth for euer therefore our Fathers had this word though not alwayes written 11 We must learne principally those things which the spirit of God most purposeth to teach vs and be more sparing in those things which to knowe Gods spirit is the more sparing to teach vs. 12 Although the word of God is alwayes in season to be ministred yet mens hearts are not alwayes in season to receiue it 13 To one that said she had a thing told her in the spirit that should vndoubtedly come to passe he answered how it might bee of God who after some great and grieuous conflict comforteth her But euermore such workings are according to the word if they be of God And seeing such inward motions for the most part are either offered or wrought by our owne corruption or sent of the diuel as an illusion we must trie these motions by the word whether they be for spirituall or temporall things if they be of God and according to his word beleeue them for the words sake and not onely because of the reuelations if they agree not to the word how pleasant soeuer they seeme to flesh and blood listen not then to them too much and lesse beleeue them 14 The word of God is reuerenced with many titles it is the reuealed will of God the librarie of the holy Ghost the cubit of the Sanctuarie the Lanterne of Israel Psa. 119. â—09 the spirituall Manna Christ his Aphorismes the wisedome of the crosse the Lord his legacie the touchstone of error the key of the sheepfold the mystery of godlinesse the oldest way of life and truth Prou. 28 the fulnes of knowledge the Schoole-master of mankind the beacon of the soule the seede of new birth the mouth of the Lord Iehouah the two-edged sword the acts and statutes of the highest Parliament the mint of the Church the lode-starre of the faithfull pilgrim the signeâ— of God his right hand â—he Lambes book the watch-bâ—l the glasse of our life 1. Pet. 2. 2 the scepter of his kingdom the arch of the truth the breath of the holy Ghost God his Oracle the Epistle of God to the world the inestimâ—ble pearle the tenour of our freehold the couenant of promise the Court-roule of his fiâ—es and amercements the well of the water of life the Lord his treasurie the lightning and thuÌ„der of the most High WheÌ„ God speaketh any thing although it be no more than once spoken we ought to receiue it with that faith and deuotion as if it had often bin spoken Wee must thinke of the Lord his writings at the least to be as sure as the proclamations of the Medes and Persians which alter not Dan. 6. 12. Euerie iot title in the librarie of the holy Ghost is fined hath passed seuen times through the fire ere it come to our hands so it shall not neede the furnace of our vaine reason for it further triall Psal. 12. This word was giuen first by God in his owne person secondly by the ministerie of Angels thirdly by his seruants the Prophets fourthly by his owne Sonne Coloss. 2. 3. it was written 2. Pet. 1. 21. it was inspired 2. Timoth-3 â—6 it is
this that Satan so busily and so fiercely assaileth vs it doth appeare that as once he lost his possession in vs was cast out by one more mightie than himselfe which is Christ so now he findeth no peaceable entrance but a strong and mighty resistance therfore there yet remaineth such part of the former worke which he could not hitherto ouerthrow nor shal be able for euer which is the secret seede of faith still sustained and nourished by the spirit of God in vs when wee would thinke it were vtterly extinguished For as the fire when it wrastleth with the water throwne vpon it ceaseth not till it haue ouercome so this resistance of the spirit against the flesh will not cease vntill the full victorie be obtained and Satan himselfe troden vnder our feet Neither is there any more sure testimonie either of our present deliuerance begun or of our full perfect victory in time to come than this that by the word of God we doe though but weakly resist the temptations of the enemy and continue in the battaile against him mourning indeede and trauailing vnder the burthen of affliction but yet standing vpright before the enemie so that he cannot fully preuaile against vs much lesse ouerthrow destroy vs. But here one thing must carefully be looked vnto that we be not so farre discouraged either with want of feeling or ouerborne with desire of that wee haue not as wee forget what mercie hereto fore wee haue receiued When Iob so earnestly and as one would thinke impatiently wisheth the good things hee had sometimes enioyed he doth not onely expresse the great affection he had to be restored vnto his former estate but also giueth the attentiue reader to vnderstand a secret work of that grace of God from the remembrance of that which had been insinuating an hope of that which should be as the euent it selfe afterward declared which issue of his troubles S. Iames would haue vs diligently to consider when he saith Ye haue heard of the sufferings of Iob and haue seene the end of the Lord. But it fareth in this case with the afflicted soule many times as it doth with those that greedily striue for the goods of this world their affections of hauing more is so strong and doth so violently possesse and carrie them as it not onely depriueth them of the vse of that they haue but also maketh them forget the same and which is yet more protest against it as if they had it not at all So the humbled and afflicted spirit one borne for the time with present griefe and anguish of minde not onely vseth not the comforts it hath and cannot presently discerne but also causeth an vtter forgetfulnes of them and which more is protesteth against them as if they were not yea as we see often in Iob he so complaineth of the contrarie as if the Lord had not only forsaken his seruant but had armed himselfe and did fight against him to destroy him Here therefore we must bridle and chastice our impatient and murmuring spirit and remember that of Iob so farre contrarie to the other that though the Lord should destroy him yet hee will trust in him Neither must we so much vexe and vnquiet our hearts for that we want as labour to make vse of that wee haue which though it seeme little vnto vs for the present yet in truth is more than Sathan by all his force is able to ouercome as may appeare vnto vs by that endlesse resistance which the spirit of God dwelling in vs maketh against him For he that so fighteth is not yet captiue and he that standeth in face of the enemie and endureth all his assaults is not yet vanquished Yea for that hee holdeth out in so great weaknes of his owne against so strong and furious assaults of the enemie it plainly argueth that he standeth by a greater strength than his owne by which as hee is presently preserued that he falles not into the hand of his aduersarie so neede he not doubt thereby to be finally deliuered and crowned with victorie and triumph in despite of Sathan all hee is able to worke against him But the enemie whose quarelling with vs is endlesse as his malice is vnsatiable will not thus leaue vs and giue vs rest then as I saide before it is our best and safest way at once to end all disputation with him And we cānot better shake him off than by exercising our selues in prayer reading and meditation of the word of God and by diligent walking in the works and labours of our calling for there is no greater oportunitie nor aduantage that can bee giuen vnto the aduersarie than if he shall finde vs idle and vnoccupied If the mind be already possessed of and occupied in good things it cannot so easily be transported vnto that which is euill but if he finde the house empty and fit for him he then entreth without difficultie In the question of faith wee haue comfort also from the works and effects thereof in our selues For as the tree is known by the fruites so faith wanteth not her fruites whereby she may be discerned These are of diuers sorts sorrow for sinne past hatred of euill care and endeuour to auoide it both in generall and particular the loue of God and of his righteousnesse desire and care with labour and contentation to please him both in generall and particular duties And here againe wee haue a lawfull and necessarie recourse vnto time past For albeit wee haue nothing to glorie in before God when the question is of the cause of our saluation yet the effects of the grace and fauour of God towards vs in the former fruites of our faith may yeeld vs no small comfort in the time of our heauines and of the anguish of our spirits hereof it is that the Prophet in the Psalmes doth so often protest his obedience vnto God and care to doe his commandemēts hereof it is that Iob vnto the comforting of his distressed conscience remembreth the course of his former life led in the feare of God and obedience of righteousnes For although we may not attribute any merit vnto our workes but must giue the whole glorie of our saluation vnto Christ alone yet our workes doe witnes for vs that we are the children of God because we are guided by his spirit as the Apostle saith though the bodie be dead in respect of sinne yet the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Also the gracious effects of Christ himselfe dwelling in our hearts by faith are sure certaine testimonies that we are members of his bodie and doe belong vnto him because as branches implanted into him which is the vine we bring foorth fruite according to the nature of the vine It is said we doe yet sinne our answere is that that happeneth vnto vs not from the new creature but from that
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ
reioyce in any but in Christ crucified because he can present me blamelesse before God his iudgement seate hee hath nailed my sinnes to his crosse he is the immaculate Lambe that was sacrificed for me and will present me as cleare without spot before his father as euer I was created Wherefore Paul knowing the crosse of Christ able to performe all these things good cause there was why he then and we now attaining in some measure to the like knowledge should reioyce in Christ crucified by whoÌ„ we become crucified to the world First we are to note that they that with delight lye in sinne or haue no desire to come out of sinne cannot reioyce in the crosse of Christ. For if thou be filthie and wilt be filthie still in thy flesh how darest thou presume to reioyce in the scourged and torne flesh of Iesus Christ Canst thou ô miser still like and loue this world so much when thou doest more prick and pearce Christ with thy sinnes than euer he was pricked with thornes and nailes or can the thornes of Christ crucified be pretious to thee when the thornes of worldly cares doe so delight and choke thee How canst thou still boyle in thine anger when thou doest remember how mildly Christ crucified suffered the bitter anger of his father for thee Doest thou looke for great matters in this world considering Christ to bee borne for thee so basely to liue so poorely and to dye for thee so painfully Surely thou maist appertaine to Christ in secret election but thy sinnes thus with delight raigning in thee thou hast no assurance of Christ by thy walking Well on the contrarie doest thou thou poore sinner feele the lusts of thy flesh loathsome vnto thee that thou euen quakest to remember the place the time the occasion where sinne ouertooke thee and feelest more terrour to thinke of them than euer thou felâ—st pleasure in doing of them then for thy comfort remember thy sinnes are pardoned the pretious flesh of Christ was torne for thee and that thou seeing the wrath of God due to thy defiled flesh shalt receiue mercie because the crucified flesh of Christ doth acquite the filthines of thy flesh and the punishment due vnto it Againe doth the world begin to be vile in thine eyes and thou art ashamed that thine heart hath been so long set on things below the thornie cares doe now pricke and wound thine heart with sorrow then remember the head of Christ was planted with thornes and Christ for thee despised the world his hands and feete for thee being nailed his side pearced his whole body for thee being crucified Art thou angry with thy selfe that thou hast been so much giuen to anger and canst willingly take iudgement of thy selfe because thou hast abused God his presence and defiled his holy house in comming thither with an angrie heart then remember how Christ for thee sustained the anger of God his wrath to take from thee the imputation of thine anger Canst thou not be content to bee a worme of men and as it were troden on thinkest thou more vilely of thy selfe than of any other art thou now afraid of hypocrisie and feelest thy selfe troubled that thou didst not more earnestly seeke God and neuer didst so much desire the fauour of men as now thou desirest the fauour of God and thinkest it a great mercie to haue one foote in the earth then remember how vile Christ was to make thee pretious to God consider how he was the seruant of all a reproofe of men a worme and not a man troden downe euen of the worst kinde of men that he might free thee from thy vaineglory and secret pride Art thou grieued that thou hast presumed on the mercie of God and doest thou now thinke no more nor so much to be in thee as in other men and that thou art not a sinner alone but a sinner vily infected not resting thy selfe in any opinion of a ciuill life Art thou now as deepely plunged in despaire as before thou wast puft vp with presumption call to minde that Christ was not only reiected of men but of God to bring thee in fauour both with God and men and that he was trobled when he said Father if it bee thy will let this cup passe from mee remember how he laboured in a sweate and agonie not in a cold sweate but so as the warme blood was faine to runne out of their veines behold how hee was hanged betweene heauen earth as spued out of the one and accursed in the other and suffered the heauines of his soule to free thee from presumption by his mightie humilitie to helpe thee from desperation by his painefull crosse To be briefe there are two kinds of men that cannot reioyce in this crosse of Christ the one because they haue an opinion of their own righteousnes the other because they are senselesse for the securitie of their sinnes For the one because the feeling of the sore causeth vs to make much of the salue and the sense of sinne worketh a ioy in the deliuerance from sinne it is sure they cannot reioyce in the forgiuenes of sinne that neuer could lament for the guiltines and grieuousnes of sinne which are the cause of Christ his death Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Luk. 22. seeing certaine women following him with lamentation and mourning that so good a man so innocently should be put to death saith to them weepe rather ô daughters of Ierusalem for your sinnes teaching them that their most speciall cause of weeping was their owne iniquitie which was the cause why now he should suffer death Now then because we are ignorant many see not their sinnes and for that cause cannot mourne for them For they need no ioy that feele no sorrow they neede no comfort that tast no griefe they neede no release that are in no bands and none can truly reioice in the crosse of Christ but they that see their sinnes haue crucified Christ. Wherefore to helpe our blindnes in seeing and numbnes in feeling sinne wee must come to the law of God and to the iudgements of God there with adioyned Why cannot men come to the sight of their sinnes because they know not the lawe Why haue not men a sense of their sinne because they consider not the threatning of the law So that the remedie to make vs see sinne is the knowledge of the law the remedie to make vs feele sinne is the sense of the iudgements of God threatned in the law And why cannot the Papists reioyce in Christ but imagine other histories is it not because they haue imagined a coloured perswasion of the law thinking that the law may bee kept of man measuring the interpretation of the lawe and the obseruation thereof by grosse sinnes and not otherwise as did the Pharisies counting all the spirituall interpretation of the commandements but good counsels not necessarie precepts So that they not seeing the law spirituall nor