ensue a great happinesse according to that true saying of the Poet Virgil Foelix quipotuitrerum cognoscere causas O blessed hee and excellent that knowes the cause of each euent Thus for our conclusion of this branch obserue that such as are truely plowed by the word and Spirit of God are dead tosinne and sinne in them for they that are Ghrists haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Likewise the same Apostle saith If Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake If you will haue an example of this that further it may be manifested turne your eyes vnto there of the Acts 18. 19. verses Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many also of them that vsed curious arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of siluer If you aske a reason of it it is from the power of grace which is able to subdue the power of Sathan For Sathan sinne the flesh and the world can but make a finite power but wee are protected with an infinite power Greater is hee that is in you then hee which is in the word Therefore whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne neo potest peccare neither can sinne O excellent gift as one affirmes being donum omnium donorum maximum A gift excelling all gifts Augustine vpon this hath this obseruation Before the law we do not fight vnder the law we fight and are ouercome vnder grace wee fight and ouercome For wee are more then conquerers in Iesus Christ. It is a thing common with the Physicians to driue and purge out a lesser poyson by a stronger as we dayly see a lesser light extinguished by the greater The Sunne puts out the light of the Moone and the power of Gods grace puts cut the power of sinne Thus when the stronger man gets into the house bindes the master and spoyles him of his goods God is the stronger man his grace is the influence which comes downe from heauen to helpe vs in the midst of our conflicts Much like the elements that helped 〈◊〉 in his battell so that he got the victory whereof Claudian sung O nimium dilecte Deo cuimilitat aether Et coniurati veninut ad classica venti O Gods beloued when power aeriall And winds came armd to helpe when thou doest call Let not slip your consideration without obseruation where sinne liues and thriue there all goodnesse withers and dies Dauid put sorth a question Lord let me know mine age and the number of my dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue to liue So many doe say Lord let me know mine estate whether I belong to thee or no. And now I answere as the Frenchman did the Scots and the Irish which of long time had been at controuersie for a piece of ground to which nation it should belong The controuersie was to bee ended by the said Frenchman in this maner Put said he thereinto Serpents and Snakes If they die it belongeth to Ireland but if they liue it belongeth to Scotlands Thus the contiouersie was ended So in like maner if sinne liues and thriues in you you belong to Sathan but if it wither and die then you belong to God So our Lord teacheth vs Matt. 7. 16. You shall know them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their fruits Thus here is an end of this branch Lastly the terrene plow makes the earth more fit for the seede Euen so doeth the tearing of the heart by true repentance makes it the more apt to embrace the mercie of God The thid part THus we haue gone thorow the subiect and the propertie of the worke now followes the proprietie of the persons lacaem your committing this worke to euery particular person Obserue that all men are agents in their faith repentance contrition and saluation Plowe vp your falowe ground your owne falowe As God saide to Ierusalem Wash thy heart O Ierusalem and by the Prophet Ioel Scindite corda vestrum Rent your hearts So I say vnto you wash and rent your owne hearts for if you will not lay to your helping hand they are neuer like to bee cleane God in the time of the Lawe commanded that lie which should offer an offering was to put his hand vpon the head of it Heb. 3. 2. Hereby shewing that we must haue a hand with God in euery part and worke of regenetation He that made without thee will not instifie thee without thee He made thee without thy knowledge and doth instifie thee with thy consent Therefore said Christ If you will find seeke If you will receiue then aske For no seeking no finding no asking no receiuing God proclaimes not Ho euery one that is athirst I will bring him water But Ho euery one that is athirst let him come and fetch water Supper is made ready by our Lord all things are prepared at his owne cost and charges and when it was ready hee said not goe carie it to these men but goe bid them come in and eate it Herevnto tend the words of Paul Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling And Peter also saith Make your calling and election sure Sure it is with God not with vs vntill then Worthily doth that sieke person perish that calleth not for the Physician but refuseth him comming of his owne accord vnto him Man by the ordinance of God is appointed an agent for his owne saluation For the subiect of faith repentance and contrition are in vs not in God Indeed God is the efficient cause the word the instrumental cause but our hearts willes and affections the materiall cause that is subiectum conuersionis the subiect of conuersion as the schoolmen define the fanie Delor est in corde Sorrow is in the heart Fuga est in voluntate Flying is in the will and that with purpose not to commit sinne any more Auertio est in corde voluntate a malo ad bonum The turning is in the heart and will from euill vnto that that is good still the subiect is in vs and so we must needes be agents For wee are not like a piece of waxe that receiues no impression but what is put into it being meerely pasaiue but actiue as formerly hath been shewed And to adde the sentence of Aristotle Nemo voleus malus nec inuitus foelix No man is euill with his will nor any man is happie against his will In thy mouth and heart is the cause of saluation saith Chrysostomes that is the 〈◊〉 use and subiect as hath beene sayd And as the subiect is in vs so euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart which other men is not able to know for What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him it is a
doore into ioy and happinesse for If sinne by repentance be not presently done away by the waight it will draw a man to more sinne Therefore the onely way to keepe vs from sinning is to repent of our former iniquity for a wicked vse is hardly abolished Repent and thou shalt be free from it but before thou canst haue ioy in the holy Ghost first thou must vndergoe the smart of repentance Qui'cupit opt atam cur su contingere metam Multa tulit facirque miser sudauit alsit He that desireth first to touch the marke taketh much paines sweateth abundantly and runneth exceeding swiftly Let vs therefore be waile our sinnes that ought to be bewailed great sinnes require great lamentation sweet meate must haue sower sauce Therefore let vs bee as prone to lamentation as we haue been prone to sinne Come let vs water our hearts with the salt teares of contrition and sweepe them with the broomes of hearty sorrow Here giue me leaue not to let this point passe in obscurity nor the soule in doubtfulnesse Sorrow is common both to the good and bad therefore I will shew the difference so then be iudges of your owne estate First they differ in causa impulsiua in the impulsiue cause of this sorrow in both The wicked are grieued Non propter offensum Deum Not for offending God as the Godly are but tantum propter poenam but for the punishment The one greeues because hee doth offend God and dishonour him The other greeues for the iudgements of God that are like to come vpon him Secondly they differ in causa efficiente In the efficient cause which breedeth sort owin both The wicked torment themselues ex diffidentia desperations from distrust and desperation casting themselues off from God and his promises but the godly they mourne and grieue Ex fide sin fiduoia misericordiae 〈◊〉 From faith and confidence in the mercie of God feeling some sweetnesse in their hearts of the same Thirdly they differ In ipsaforma In the forme it selfe The griefe of the godly is Conuersio ad Deum a diabolo a peccatis anatura veteri A conuersion vnio God from the deuill from sin and from the old man They come more and more vnto God the more they sorrow the neerer they are vnto the Lord and surther from Sathan sinne and the flesh But the sorrow of the wicked is Auersio a Deo adipsum diabolum A turning from God vnto the deuill himselfe flying from the Lord crying to the hilles and mountaines Fall on vs and couer vs from that wrathfull iudge Fourthly they differ Ineffectu In the effect In the godly sequitur noua obedientia followes new obedience For They crucifie the flesh with the lustes and effections thereof But in the sorrow of the wicked Non sequitur noua obedientia followes no new obedience They still continue in their sinne and wicked wayes Thus you see the difference of this sorrowe and contrition Be now iudges of your owne estates if any mans griefe be for feare of punishment or because God forsakes him if he flee from God and still bring foorth the fruite of sinne there can be no comfort in this sorrow But if it be because wee cannot please God as we would if Gods promises constraine vs hereunto if the more God cuts our hearts the nearer we cleaue vnto him and a good life followes the same 〈◊〉 then this is of God and great comfort may bee had in this 〈◊〉 Then lauandum est cox poenitantie lacrimis Let vs wish our hearts in the troubled to area of repentance And thus you see their agreement in the second branch In the third place obserue that the plowe in turning vp the earth causeth the weedes to perish rotting the blade vnder the clots and withering the roote aboue Euen so t is in this spirituall plowing for the turning vp our sinnes causeth them to die and perish This is called mortification Mortificatio veteris hominis siue caruis As the Apostle speaketh They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lustes and affections thereof which is called detestatio it fuga peccati a hatred and a flying from sinne First in the iudgement to condemne it secondly in the affections to hate and detest it and thirdly in the whole man to crucifie it Recessus amalo a for saking of euill accessus adbonum a returning to that which is good This mortification of sinne is very frequent in the word especially in the new testament For in the Epistle to the Romanes the Apostle speaketh thus If you martisie the dcedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue Hereby to shewe vnto vs that the plowing vp of finite causeth the death of sinne the like he saith Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupisoence and couetousnesse and the like This mortification of sinne consisteth first in the heart cruoifying the motions thereof for as we vse virriculo penitentiae the broome of repentance to sweepe them out so wee must gladio spirituali the sword of the spirit to cut and mortifie them in their yong and tender age before they get strength for inquisption shall bee made for euery evill thought prenent it s therefore before the day For this purpose you must deale with the motions of your hearts as the Egyptians did with the Israelites destroying their children while they were young For as a little draft at the first is easily bowed which in time growes so or at that will not 〈◊〉 it So euill motions at first are easily cut downe which in time may ouermaster vs. Naturalis est ordo vt ab imperfecto ad perfectum quis moueatur It is a naturall course euen in euill by degrees to come vnto perfection Therefore that caueat is very good that the author to the Hebrewes giues Take heede least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne for as Iames saith Lust when it is conceiued brings foorth sinne Hereby shewing that lustes are to bee mortfied in the hatching and not a motion to passe vncrucified Happy shall they be that take these young ones and dash their heads against the stones Follow therefore the counsell of the Apostle in shunning the former lustes of ignorance and not there to stay but also to kill the very motion that brought forth that sinne For the man of wicked imaginations God will condemne Let no man thinke with the wicked ones all is well when they haue preuailed so farre as to mortifie some sinne in the act yet still retaine the motion in the heart whereas the crowne of a Christian is to mortifie the inward man in the lustes thereof Latius regnes audium domando Spiritum quam si libiam remotis Gadibus iungas et vterque paeius Seruiat vni He that can conquer his affects rebelling Hath larger Monarchie then he that swayes the
ages had beene spent in sinne euen from the dayes of Ieroboam till the dayes of Hosea notwithstanding all the Prophets exhortations Esaiah cried Ieremy wept Amos roared and yet are they still in sinne which for qualitie were great and for countenance long and therefore time it is to seeke the Lord. Therefore the longer we haue continued in sinne the more cause haue we himselfe Wash thy heart Ierusalem and this is drawne from the continuance in sinne How long shall wicked thoughts remaine within thy heart and how long wilt thou goe astray The like argument is vsed by Peter for he saith it is sufficient that wee haue spent the former time in sinne Thus long continuance in sinne must be an argument vnto vs to cause vs the more willingly to turne to the Lord. First propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God For by how much the more we are wicked and sinfull by so much the more is Gods mercy seene in the pardon therof As Moses saide if thou pardon this sinne then shall thy mercy appeare And there is nothing wherein Gods mercy doeth more manifest it selfe then in this and the greater the sinne is the greater is his mercy which forgiues it Secondly propter nostram consolationem for our consolation for the more sinnefull the more iudgements are prepared What is to bee done now to flye with Ionas from the Lord that is not the way with the fish to leape out of the panne into the fire but with the prodigall sonne to returne to the Lord that wee may not come into that place of torment The Lord hath two heraulds of conuersion and obedience namely mercy and iudgement promises and threates aut sequeris aut traheris either drawing vs or following vs and vse is made of both wherein it will not bee amisse to borrow Horace his verse Oderunt peccare boni vertutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidime penae The good from offence vertues loue doe detaines The euill to offend feare of paine doth restraine These are two good schoole-masters the one serues a free horse the other a dull iade Where Gods mercy will not alure there his iudgements must compell and therefore the greatnesse of our sinne should cause vs the sooner to seeke the Lord that so we may escape the greatnes of his iudgements Here giue mee leaue to cut the vlcer of this sinne in the wicked which haue not drunke their fill of iniquitie and yet you may see the vlceration of these men The saying of Dauid is reuiued againe Fourtie yeeres long haue I been grieued and yet still doe they continue in sinne to heape wrath vpon wrath Sinne is said to be darkenesse and tenebrae commeth of tenendo to hold for the wicked are held with the chaine of sinne that they thinke creation a fable incarnation infallible redemption improbable election vnprofitable resurrection vnpossible And then it followes that there is neither heauen nor hell so that Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla volupt as Eate drinke and be merrie for after death there is no pleasure Thus doe they diuulge their Satanicall suggestions These speake stoatly walke proudly and liue wickedly therefore high time to leaue it O that there should be any soules so traduced by any infernall spirits their reason so blinded their vnderstanding so darkened and their saluation so endangered as still to remaine in sinne Surely these sinners are in a dead sleepe of finne that neither Aarons belles Solomons songs nor Isaiahs trumpet can awaken them Thou hast smitten them yet haue they not felt it If the wound be such that it neuer causeth smart if it neuer ake nor grieue it is but dead flesh and to be cut off Therefore it is to bee feared that these are gone too farre downe to the chambers of death There are but seuen steps to the bottome and they are on the last The first Importabile cumbersome then graue heauie then leue light then insensibile past feeling after this comes delectabile delight and ioy then followes defiderabile desire to finne and the last step is defensibile defence of sinne And here are the men of this age making an apologie for sinne as drunkards with a weakenesse in the head gluttony with good fellowship adultery with a tricke of youth couetousnesse with good husbandry and murder with manhood Such are the prodigious sinners of our time that they haue some cloake to put on sinnes backe and are themselues become a fit dish for the Deuils table For Sinne is the gate to death but to defend sinne is the next steppe to bell And seeing these are going with Iudas to their owne place let mee speake one word for their farewell which is that seeing they could find no end of sinning while they were here they shall haue no end of torments when they are there their curse shall be proportioned there answerable to their sinnes here For for euery ounce of vanitie they wall haue a pound waight of torment Cursed of God whose curse is Poenarum inflictio the punishment of affliction cursed in themselues which is conscientia cruciamen the torment of conscience cursed of the deuils which is Poenarum executio the execution of punishment and cursed of the damned which is Poenarum aggrauatio the augmentation of punishment Thus they shall turne from Snakes to Addars from both to Scorpions and from all to the vnquenchable flames Then will they crie when it is too late And here I cannot but tell you what Herodotus tels me of one that came to the water and played with his pipe but the fishes would not dance then he castin a net and tooke them out and layd them on the ground and then they could dance but the man made this answere when I played you would not dance but now you dance I will not play There is a good morall to bee made of it for God hath piped and mad a melodious sound in the preaching of his word offering his mercies vnto vs but we would neuer dance after this pipe Wherefore when wee would dance God will not play but answere vs thus when I pro ered mercy you refused the same now you seeke mercie I will denie it And therefore seeke the Lord for it is time in regard of your continuance in sinne And here let neither the greatnesse of sinne nor the long continuance in the same hinder our turning to God for were our sinnes as crimson yet shall they bee as snowe saith the Lord. And how can it goe ill with vs when there are infinite mercies to finite sinnes His mercies are deeper then Hell broader then the Earth and higher then Heauen Therefore obserue for your comfort your persons are not so wicked nor your sinnes so great but you may see the like entred the gates of heauen Art thou a drunkard looke vpon Lot Art thou a murderer looke vpon Dauid Art thou a swearer looke vpon Peter Art
obseruing hereof yet because the King and authoritie hath set these downe I thinke it fit that they should be obserued But all this is nothing to answere them mine appologie is fillipped backe with contempt and they dispute but not by reason yet strong victorious and full of desperate valour euen as Saul reasoned with Dauid Euery traytor ought to be put to death But Dauid is a traytor Ergo Dauid ought to be put to death Well Dauid grants the proposition that euery traltor deserues to dye but denies the assumption saying I am no traytor and therefore not to bee put to death But now Saul prooues it by imagination takes his spheare throwes it at Dauid an inuincible argument Thus deale our brethren the professors with vs arguing in this same manner All Idolaters ought to be detested But the Church of England is Idolatrons Ergo All the members of the Church of England Ought to be detested Well we doe not much stand vpon the maior but altogether and truely denie the minor and say for our selues that we are no idolaters and therefore ought not to be detested yet they wil proue it whet their tongues open their mouthes and shoote sharpe headed arrowes at vs. Thus wounding deeper with their bitter words then the high-way thiese doeth with his sword an vnanswerable syllogisme This is for our persons they haue another for our ceremonies thus All the shewes of idolatry are to be auoided But the ceremonies of the Church of England are idelatrous Ergo All the ceremonies of the Church of England are to be auoided We answere to this as to the former that wee stand not vpon the maior but altogether deny the minor that the ceremonies of our Church are no shewes of idolatry therefore ought not to be auoided But they proue it reiect them flye out of the Church picke out teachers for their humours and of their owne minde nisi quod ip si faciunt nihil recte existimant they thinke nothing well done but what they doe themselues And these thinke nothing rightly taught but such as these teachers teach But I thinke I speake words in value for it is a hard matter to drawe these to a consormitle Therefore let vs come to take notice of the manners of the Church of England And here a question is to be answered whether a generall disobedience or particular makes a Church to be no Church And answere is not a particular but a generall disobedience proued by Scripture Vnto the Angel of the Church of Thyatyra a Church you see by the testimony of God yet thou hast them that maintains the woman lez ibel yet a Church The like is seene by the Carinthians where their sinne is noted out first in him that had his fathers wife and secondly in contention and in going to lawe one with another and yet a Church as it appeates by the wordes of Paul in the beginning of his Booke Was Thyatyra a Church and among the Corinthians a Church and yet had priuate falues and shall the Church of England be denied to be a Church because there are found winked ones among I knowe that there are many wicked ones yet I am assured that there are thousands that conforme themselues to the Church of England that are right Nathaniels In whom there is no guile And with iudgement make well the types of the Church from time to time Adams family a type yet a Caine in it Noyes family a type yet a Caine in it Abrahams family a type yet an Ismael in it Dauids family a type yet an Ismael in it And when Christ was come in his family a Iudas Was the Church before Christ not without some wicked persons was Christ his family not without a Deuill And shall wee looke now to haue the Church free no the tares shall grow with the good corne to the end of the world But these obiect further that the Church of England knowing these to be wicked suffers them not with standing to be in the company of the Saints The Maior of this is false for the 26. Cannon commands That none offenders be made pertakers of the ordinances of God The Miner I feare is 〈◊〉 that some wicked persons are admitted to the holy ordinance of God yet impute it not vnto the lawe but rather to the corruption of such Midisters and Church-wardens at so suffer them Or if such persons be presented and yet not reformed then impute it to the inferior officers and not to the Gouernours and institutions of the Church And though it be so in some Congregations iudge it not therefore to bee in all Search and yee shall finde to the contrary Time will not suffer me to dwell long here therefore let me in a word perswade you to ioyne your selues vnto the Church of England in regard of the danger that will follow For while we fall to striuing about things indifferent the people fall to doubting what they shall hold what they shall beleeue and to whom they shall leane Thus that which is but matter of circumstance is called into question while matter of substance I feare is let goe So busie we are about the question de modo that the Deuill easily steales the matter of Religion out of our hearts And doe not our aduersaries aduersaries to see vs together by the eares for the leaues that they in the meane time may steale away the fruite from vs. and doeth not this debatelye as a stumbling blocke to hinder others from embracing the trueth which are restrained by the varietie of sects that are among vs. It is recorded of a Heathen man which said I would faine be a Christian sed rescio cui adheream multae sunt inter vo spugnae singuli tamen dicunt Ego verum dico but I knowe not whom to followe there are so many differences and contentions among you and euery one of your say I am in the right and yet there is but one Trueth one Father one Faith one Baptisme and one body And this proceeding hath not bin without some danger to themselues for I know by mine owne experience some that haue been first members of our Church after that of the more purer sort then Brownists and lastly came to be Anabaptists It is iust with God seeing they will disobey authority and not obey the truth that they should be deluded by falshoods Besides I haue well considered that this proceeding hath been accounted of God as a sinne to murmure and to speake euill of those that are in authoritie 〈◊〉 to minde what the Apostle faith There is 〈◊〉 Agreement betweene Christ and Belial sinne and grace cannot reigne together in one place for it is not the manner of Gods Spirit to sanctifie one part and leaue another vnsanctified to worke faith in one part and to suffer the sinne of murmuration to remaine in another part Therefore I make some doubt whether such haue any part reformed in whō still this
murmuration remaineth vnreformed And that ye may vnderstād that God doth not sanctifie a part but the whole cōsider what the Apostle faith Now the very God of peace sanctifie you not in part but thorowout spirit soule and bodie When Christ came to cast out the deuils out of the man of a legion he left not one When God by his Spirit sanctifies a man he doth it not by parts but wholly Wee know it is a point good in law that if a man keepe possession in one 〈◊〉 of the house though he keepe it not in all yet is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possession So is it in this though Sathan take not vp all yet if hee possesse any it is currant and will passe at the barre of Gods iudgement seate Then with wisedome and iudgement consider that this murmuring is no small sinne for it is both against the word of God and against the worke of Gods Spirit Iude in his Epistle sets it out in his colours These are murmurers complainers walking after their owns lusts whose mouthes speake proud things hauing 〈◊〉 persons in admiration And is it not thus with these Doe not these murmure against our Elders and all well-willers vnto them Haue not these mens persons in admiration Doe they not receiue the word more for the person that teacheth then for the word that is taught I haue and doe still see it by experience which are 〈◊〉 and who are 〈◊〉 to gouerne Ministers then they that are Ministers themselues which haue experience of the same calling profession and vocation Secondly in regard of the Doctrine which is in the Church who can better iudge of the Trueth of Errors of Schismes of Sects and the like As one saith Quod 〈◊〉 post elect us qui caeteris praeponeretur in sohismat is factum estremedium After one is elected which should bee 〈◊〉 ouer the rest it was done to bee a remedie against Schismes And as it is answered by consequence so it is by Scripture that gouernours of the Church ought to bee of the Clergie Therefore if you please to looke into the end of 〈◊〉 Epistle to Titut you shall finde him a Bishop and the Epistle to be directed vnto him thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Titus the first Bishop of the Church of Crete Now that ye may know that Creete is not one citie make enquirie of trauailers and reade Histories if you dare not beleeue my report This Creete was an Iland lying between Peloponesu and the Rhodes It hath on the North part the sea AEgeum and Cretense on the South the sea of AEgypt and Affricke It is now called 〈◊〉 It had in it an hundred cities whereupon it was called Centabolts This Creta is now vnder the Purkes dominion here Titus was head gouernour and Bishop So though Titus bee not called an Elder yet you see hee is a Bishop and gouernour of the Church in Creta Now let vs see if we can make a Bishop and an Elder both one and then I hope you will be answered which will appeare by comparing those two verses together in the first Chapter In the fift verse a gouernour or a teacher is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Presbyter and in the seuenth verse the same is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop whereby it appeares that 's Bishop and an Elder is one and the same Now then ioyne this with that of Paul to Timothie O and you shall see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one and the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then it is manifest that the Clergie ought to bee gouernours in the Church Neither am I ignorant that Episcopus is a name giuen to all Ministers yet more vsually applied vnto the Elders For Episcopum Presbyterum vnum esse aliud nomen offecij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop and a Presbyter are both one the one is a name of office and the other is a name of age I will conclude with this exhortation Let not any sacrifice turne mercie out of doores nor the fire of zeale drie vp the dew of charitie Let it not be said of you as Historians record of the dogges that ranne by the riuer Nilus not vouchsafing to giue a lap at the water So liue not you among vs not once submitting your selues to order nor speaking well of the gouernours The next thing that followes in order to bee handled is the propertie of the Worke. PLow vp your fallow ground The difference betweene the English and the Originall is this For our fallow ground in the English the Originall hath it new fallow For so the word niru doth import And likewise the vulgar Latine hath it innouate renew yee for the minde is to be altered and changed And this doth fitly agree with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which importeth properly a change of the minde or vnderstanding And adde hereunto the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an alteration of the will and purpose The summe of it being an exhortation vnto repentance as doth appeare by that of Ieremie himole Lahouah Be circumcised to the Lord uehasiru gnareloth lebabcem and take away the foreskin of you hearts that is the corruption of them which Paul expounds to be true conuersion vnto God saying Hee is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that 〈◊〉 which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the circumcision of the heart in the spirit not the letter whose praise is not of man but of God And Ioel uekirgnu lebabcem Rent your hearts And our Prophet here calleth it a plowing All which doe shew vnto vs that the heart must bee torne vp by repentance and contrition as the plow teareth vp the ground This was the end that Peter aymed at in his sermon when he sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Repent therefore This hee sayd that the consideration of their former acte in the murthering of Christ might rent their hearts as the plow doth the earth Poenitentia est verus dolor de offensa in Deum Repentance is a true sorrow for our offence towards God For it is meete that those who rent God from their hearts by sinne should rent sinne from their hearts by true repentance There is no small resemblance betweene the plowing vp of this terrene ground and the heart obserue and you shall find them agreeing in these things 1. The plow it cuts and teares the earth one piece from another 2. It layes open the inward parts of the earth discouering the rootes within the ground 3. The turning vp of the earth causeth the weedes to dye and perish 4. It makes the mould more tender and more apt to receiue the seede Now behold the like in the spirituall plowe First as the plow layes open and discouers the rootes within the ground in like manner doth this plowe discouer the weedes of sinne vnto vs for there must be
Agnitio peccati ct irae Dei The knowledge of sinne and of the wrath of God This knowledge is so needfull that without it we neuer flee from sinne witnesse that saying of Paul I had not knowne sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowen sinne except the lawe had said Thou shalt not lust By which it appeareth that by the iudgement of Paul concupiscence was no sinne and therefore hee in a happy and blessed estate as he saith in the 9 verse iudging himselfe to bee aliue and therefore sarte from repentance for his concupiscence because he did not see it to be a sinne But when the knowledge of sinne came by the Commaundement then hee rent his heart with contrition vers 10. And as he found this in himselfe so he commands it vnto others instructing them to meekenesse that are contrary minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may come to the knowledge of the trueth The like course Peter tooke with the Iewes to make their sinnes appeare vnto them that so he might drawe them to repentance which hee could not haue done without the sight of sinne for the whole neede no. Physitian saith Christ. No man will seeke to the Physitian before he feele his disease no man will repent before hee beleeues himselfe to be a sinner Nemofacit Legem nisi qui credit Legi No man doeth the Lawe but hee that beleeues the Lawe saith Ambrose Who will grieue for his sinne before hee sees that hee hath sinned In this sense a man may say as the Eunuch said when Philip asked him if he knew what he read How can I without a guide So may we well say how shall sinners repent before they knowe their sinne Therefore the counsell of Ieremie is to be followed Let vs search and try our wayes to finde out our sinnes for he that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth them shall haue mercy The way to get pardon of sinne is first to know them 2. to repent for them This is the first effect of the plowe to discouer our sinnes To haue an acknowledgement of sinne these things are requisite First a skill in the word of God for there hee hath read a Lecture vnto vs both of good and euil sinne and vertue distinguishing the one from the other and painting them both out in their seuerall collours For that is it that is able to make it man wise vnto saluation Dauid asking this question of God Wherewith shall a man redresse his wayes Answere is made By taking heed vnto thy word for nothing doeth make sinne manifest what it is but onely Gods word The Deuill can but he will not Sinne is the lawe of his kingdome whereby it is gouerned and therefore this is to be obserued that the Deuill neuer taughtman to practise any thing but sinne as witnesseth the word of God and therefore farre from making sinne known vnto vs. The like proofe you may haue out of History as Augustine notes Does Paganorum nunquam bene uiuendi sanxisse doctrinam Those Gods of the Pagans neuer established the doctrine of liuing well for they neuer had care of those Cities that gaue them diuine honour And as the Deuill can and will not so nature is blind and cannot Therefore if the blinde lead the blinde they both fall into the ditch There is a kinde of Sympathie betweene sinne and nature onely the word of God can doe it The second thing that is necessary for the acknowledgement of sinne is the illumination of Gods spirit to worke true vnderstanding and iudgement in vs. Paul prayes that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ that father of glory might giue vnto vs the spirit of wisedome that the eyes of our vnderstanding might bee onlightened that we might knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs. So that it is grace that giues vs true vnderstanding to iudge betweene sinne and vertue It is not the Preachers voyce that serues the turne Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Hereunto tend the wordes of Christ. I will send the holy Ghost and hee shall reprooue the world for sinne no man sees sinne in others nor in himselfe that he should reproue it but by the spirit The third thing necessary whereby we may come to the acknowledgement of sinne is a diligene searching into our selues and an examination of our actions as Dauid saith I haue considered my wayes and 〈◊〉 my feete into thy testimonies for it is not enough for vs to consider sinne in others as Horac saith Cur in amicorum vitium tam cernis acutum Quamaut aquila aut sorpous Epidarlins Why doest thou into thy friends ill cariageprie With a quicke Eagles or a serpent eye No let the eyes of our vnderstanding bee looking into our selues as they said to Dauid See to thine owne house O Dauid So I say to thine owne heart O Christian to finde out thy particular sinnes Thus you see that the knowledge of sinne is needfull and you see also how to come to the knowledge thereof Now hauing seene how the spirituall and terrene plow doe agree in the first part let vs come vnto the second which is how the terreno plow doth teare and rent the ground So the spirituall plow teareth vp the soule that there is dolor propten peccatum offensum Deum A sorrow for sinne and for offending God wherein the heart is exceedingly greeued insomuch that no man can expresse the sorrow thereof For awounded spirit who can beare saith the wiseman and a sorrowfull mind drieth vp the boanes And yet this wounded spirit and sorrowfull mind wee must endure For the godly heart is neuer void Vuohospite recedoute alius statim subintrat One guest being gone another straight comes in Thus he is vexed that is to say haled and hurried by strong and violent force Of which Augustine saith Nihil est miserius misere non miser ante seipsum nothing is more miserable then a miserable soule not to comprehend her 〈◊〉 miserie O great is the sorrow of such a plowed soule That as Barnard saith Si msipsum 〈◊〉 speico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si inspecio me ipsum fere non quaeo If I looke not into my selfe I know not my selfe If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe So that they say with Dauid Out of the deepe I cried vnto the Lord. And this is the state of the poore penitent soule The consideration hereof teacheth vs that the dolor of heart is no true marke of reprobation for then God would not exhort hereunto as here he doth Sorrow is the
paines sweateth abundantly and runneth exceeding swistly For heauen is not promised vpon small tearmes When Christ told his followers of the bread of heauen hee commaunded them to worke for it if they would haue the same when he told them of the Pearle he said they must seeke for the same before they could haue it When Paul told the Corinthians of a Crowne hee said they must runne for it or goe without it For no man is crowned before he striue We reade in Scripture that the children of God were watching not sleeping working not idleing running not sitting The husbandman is a copie to our hands in this point which first plowes then sowes then harrowes then weedes then reapes and lastly it is fit for bread for his table but nothing you see without labour If this terrene haruest requireth such paine how much more the celestiall yea it is Ars artium the Arte of artes truely to seeke the Lord and requires the more diligence First because the way and the markes are obserued by the vapours of errors and the fogges of darkenesse by that infernall spirit which hath opened the bottomlesse pit so that the smoke surgeth vp whereby the Sunne and Aayre of knowledge are darkened that the way is become very difficulte and hard to finde therefore requireth the more vigilancy It is knowen that the lesse the obiect is to the sight of the eye the more steadily is the sight fastened vpon the same that it may aspect it the better and perceiue it the clearer The like must you doe in seeking the Lord seeing the way is so obscure not in it selfe but by Sathans malice and our corruption to bee the more carefull in seeking the same For Arta est via vere quae ducit adguadia vitae The way is straight and quickly mist that leades vs vp to glorious blisse Therfore diligence must seeke it and vigilance keepe it Secondly when we haue with the spouse found out the way to the Lord then doth Sathan begin to lay stratagems for vs whereby to stay vs in our ambulation if Gods assisting spirit and diligence should not preuent him The deuill neuer suffers man to be at ease for before regeneration he sets vs to make bricke as Pharaoh did the Iewes that is to commit sinne so that man before grace is but the deuils slaue And when we are going out of Egypt that is out of sinne he followes with an host of persecutions till wee come at heauens gate Therefore our life and the time of grace is like the state of the Iewes in building the walles of Ierusalem which wrought with one hand and fought with another Such is our military life while we are in this world that while wee labour to seeke the Lord by faith and repentance wee must fight against the deuill by prayer and patience Is it not then a worke of great labour and diligence Let there be a double vse made of this first to seeke the Lord more carefully Secondly when we haue him to keepe him with greater vigilancy I haue not yet done with this seeke the word it selfe will teach you how to seeke for derosh comes of darash signifies to enquire and vsing this word the Lord intimates his owne ordinance of which men ought to enquire namely at the mouth of his word and Prophts witnesseth another Prophet which liued in the times of this Prophet saying To the Lawe and the Prophets If yee aske enquire and turne should not the Priestes lippes preserue knowledge and the people seeke the Lawe at his mouth You see then a verball enquire is to be made an auricular attention obserued of vs towards the ordinances of God Man is the Lords aduerbe the deuill verbe the Lord saith enquire at my ordinances and walke according to that rule the deuill saith enquire not for hee can saue thee without this seeking But beleeue him not for by the testimony of Christ he is a lyer and wee haue all found it true in our first parents to our woe and misery had not God disolued his workes in the Elect. Good reason to seeke him in his ordinances for hee hath made a promise to meete vs there and not elsewhere Was not Cornelius sanctified by Peters ministery and the Eunuch by Philips God could doe it by other meanes but he will not thou must be saued by the ministry of man or thou shalt be damned Let this teach you to make reuerent account of the ordinance of God and to vse the meanes that God hath appointed for your saluation let not the meanes of the man hinder thee but looke thou to God which worketh by them therefore despise not prophesying Note here then the folly of those persons which contemne the ministery of men Hee that contemned Moses Lawe dyed how much more he that despiseth so great saluation as this And therefore as the Apostle saith He that despiseth these things despiseth God who hath appointed them The obiect FTh Iehouah this is the obiect and afairer marke we cannot ayme at then the Lord. For as anima vita est corporis the soule is the life of the body so Deut vita ese animae God is the life of the soule Take away the soule the body dies take away God and the soule dispaireth Whereof Augustine saith There is nothing missed more dangerously and nothing sought more laboriously and nothing found more profitably The Riuers of Paradice the springs of Lebenon the Streames of Sion the Fountaines of Hermon proceede from this Ocian For in him we liue moue and haue our being from whom proceedes the springs of grace the streames of redemption and the arme of protection There are three things which my soule loueth saith Salomon So there are three things we haue neede of Power for Protection Mercy for Redemption and Grace for Sanctification all which are to bee found in this name Iehouah which consisteth of three consonants which are the three laeues of Gods Booke in the first you may read Power in the second you may read Mercy and in the third Grace This name Iehouah is a compendium of the whole Trinitie Father Sonne and holy Ghost with all their attributes and as in the Godhead there are three persons so in this Iehouah there are three consonants and three vowels the Greekes call this name Tetragrammaton that is of foure letters which are but three saue that one is twise sounded The first is Iod which signifies principium a beginning which commeth of none but the other floweth from him and this is Elohim Cod the Father which is called principium sine principio a beginning without beginning The second is he and signifieth ens a being or to be or to giue being and this betokeneth Ben Elohim God the Sonne for by him were all things made and because Christ hath two natures God Man therfore he hath two hee s The third is vau which is