ac ianua lingua necis The tongue is the gate of life and also of death Therewith blesse we God Iam. 3.9 euen the Father and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God But let vs looke to the true vse of the tongue and haue it still in our hearts and minds which is first to glorifie God and then to exhort our neighbour to goodnesse This made Dauid to pray thus O Lord open thou my lippes Heb. 3. and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise and it made the Authour to the Hebrewes to giue this good counsell Exhort one another daily while it is called the day Lactantius writing of the tongue of man setteth down these things to be considered the Finall cause the Materiall cause the Formall the circumstances and the manner how it is wet and moistened 1. The Finall cause which although it is last in execution yet is first in intention and that is as the Philosopher hath to expresse the conceptions of the minde But the Scriptures tell vs Heb. 13.15 3.13 that the tongue was giuen to glorifie God and to instruct one another 2. The matter of the tongue it is made of flesh and not of bones that thou shouldest not bee stubborne and stiffe in thy speech but gentle and courteous 1. Pet. 3.8 3. The forme of the tongue it is more long then broad open aboue and shut below This shewes that it ought to be stretched out and to reach on high to sound out the praises of God but it ought not to be delighted to talke of things below 4. The circumstances Labia et dentes the lippes and the teeth The lippes must speake to the glory of God and the edification of our neighbour and the words as hee saith must bee examined dentibus examinationis with strict examination and due consideration before we speake 5. The tongue is wet from the head so our speech ought to be of Christ our head it is wet also with our owne spittle so our talke should be of our owne filthines of our owne sinnes that wee may be ashamed of them repent and amend that we may be forgiuen The fourth gate of this Farme the body which letteth in sinne into it and hurts the soule also is our tasting our eating and drinking which should be moderate to suffice nature and not to make the flesh proud and rebellious against the spirit which a little will doe as the Philosopher thought The Apostle would haue vs to walke honestly as in the day not in eating and drinking meaning excesse of eating and drinking like to the sonnes of Eli Iob Baltazar and the rich glutton 1. Pet. 4.3 and thus the Apostle Saint Peter vnderstandeth it And our Sauiour giues vs a good caueat to beware of this excesse in eating and drinking Take heed to your selues Luk. 21.34 lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse Excessiue banquetting with costly meate and drinke makes a man procline and prone to lust Hierom. Venter mer◠aestuans spumat in libidinem Let vs therefore follow both the counsel and example of Paul His counsell is Col. 3.5 that wee should mortifie our flesh our earthly members His example is laid down 1. Cor. 9. where he saith I tame my body or I beate downe my body that is I bring it into seruitude The last gate of this Farme whereof wee are made Stewards and which letteth in sinne and death to the body and soule is Touching the obiect whereof must be no vncleane thing as the Apostle doth teach 2. Cor. 6.17 2. Cor. 6.17 In which place the Apostle bringeth in an exhortation taken out of Esay 52.11 where the Prophet saith Depart ye depart ye goe out from them and touch no vncleane thing c. Which exhortation the Apostle bringeth in there to perswade the Corinthians and all Christians 1. Cor. 6.19 that for as much as they were the Temples of the holy Ghost they should leaue the Temples of Idols the prophanations of the Babylonians and their filthy coinquinations for that which the Prophet speaketh of the peoples going out of Babylon into the Land of the Iewes Esay 52.11 the same he transferreth from the type to the thing signified to wit that all they which haue giuen their names to God should forsake the wicked prophanations of the Gentiles their haynous sinnes Ephes 5.11 their filthy kind of life Haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenes yea they should be so farstrangers from an vncleane life that they should not so much as touch any vncleane thing lest they should be defiled for he that toucheth pitch shall be defiled Esay 52.11 1. Cor. 6.17 Act. 2.40 Which places may well be vnderstood of both ill company-keeping and of vncleane liuing from both of these we are forbidden But to speake a little of the former Wee see by daily experience that one mangie horse will infect another therefore when wee see in a close or stable such a one wee will say Wee will not put our horses there lest they should be infected In like manner wee our selues will refraine the company of such as haue any contagious and and dangerous diseases as the Leprosie or the plague and we will desire the societies of such as are sound and healthy And why doe we not refraine the companies of the wicked whose vile and lewd examples in speeches and liuing soone depraue vs and confirme vs in naughtinesse And againe Why do we not delight in the cōpany of the godly knowing that of them we may learne goodnesse for with the holy thou shalt be holy and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse Let vs therefore detest abhorre and flee from naughtinesse and wicked mens companies as from the sting of a Serpent and poyson of a Basiliske vnlesse it be in hope to conuert them and let vs touch no vncleane thing but practise holinesse of life and conuersation 1. Thes 4.3 4 5. For this is the will of God euen our sanctification and that we should abstaine from fornication that euery one of vs should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence euen as the Gentiles which knowe not God and God hath called vs not to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse 7. verse O deare Christians Christ hath made vs Priests vnto God Reuel 1.6 and St. Peter Ep. 2.5 saith That we are an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ and Paul beseecheth vs to giue vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice Reuel 12.1 holy and acceptable vnto God O let vs doe so let vs doe so let vs sleepe no longer in sinne rocked and lulled in the cradle of securitie And thus much concerning the second Farme place and the ports and gates of the same which a carefull Steward should circumspectly and warily looke vnto
The third farme is the soule of man which although it is created pure of God as the Angels are yet being in the body a foule and filthy prison and yet part of man for man doth consist of a body and a soule is polluted by this participation with the body is tainted now with originall sinne and performes not many times good parts and offices Now to speake somewhat more plainely to this purpose Whereas there are two parts of mans soule the Vnderstanding and the Will The office of the intellect is to discerne among obiects what is good to be allowed or meet to de disalolwed It is the office of the Will to chuse and follow that good which the intellect shall appoint and to despise and refuse that which the vnderstanding shall disallow If the former the intellect faileth in discretion and iudgement then the Will faileth also in chusing and following for the intellect is as it were the soules guide and gouernour the Will euer expecteth iudgement from the intellect and is still at his becke Now whereas man faileth many times in iudgement and vnderstanding and the Will not onely couets but chuseth that which is euill it commeth to passe that the soule is polluted and in mans members performes wicked actions And therefore man must craue the conduction of Gods holy Spirit to be led by him and the Word of God which must be a lanterne to his feet a light to his pathes and then he shall goe well This soule of man should not be polluted with impure and vncleane thoughts and bad choyces and all the vertues and powers of it ought to be directed principally to the knowledge loue and honour of God The soule of man performeth diuers offices in man and according to her seuerall performances takes diuers names as Isiodorus writeth Anima dum viuificat corpus Secundo etimolog anima est dum vult animus est dum scit mens dum recolit memoria dum rectum iudicat ratio est dum spirat spiritus est dum aliquid sentit sensus est This is a point fit for the learned and therefore I leaue the Englishing of it to them that can vnderstand it And so much of the third and last Farme-house which Man a Steward vnder God must looke vnto and haue an especiall care of for it is immortall By this which I haue spoken it may appeare what a great burthen and charge lyeth vpon euery mans conscience to looke vnto his wayes and pathes his consultations studies and all his labours and workes For Almighty God who by his Word and great power made all things in his infinite wisedome created nothing vaine and idle The glorious Angels are ministring spirits Seruentes vnto God his Messengers to do his wil sent for the good of the Church to bring glad tidings to comfort and help which the word AGGELOS teacheth Which thing the Author to the Hebrewes hath well obserued Chap. 1.14 saying that they are sent from God to Minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And therefore Gregory saith Angeli ad ministerium pro nostra salute semper mittuntur that is the Angels are alwayes sent to serue for our saluation The coruscant and glorious Sunne doth goe and accomplish his courses as God hath appointed by motions and operations Adam the first and principallest man as soone as he was created was placed in the Garden of Eden to dresse trim and keepe it in a decent and good order Gen. 2.15 And yet this being before the fall and before any weedes and trumperies that there might grow there was no need to labour yet God appointing him to this worke hereby doth shew how much he abhorred idlenes Adam then was as it were the Lords labourer as well as his owne euen before the fall in the time of his integritie But after the fall labour was a punishment laid vpon Adam and all his posterity In the sweat of thy browes or face thou shalt get thy liuing Now labour is paine and therefore when we speak of a laborious man we say such a one taketh great paine whether it be in Mechanicall crafts and occupations or altogether in contemplation All men are Stewards and must labour the Word of God exempteth none and God hath no respect of persons Our Sauiour Mat. 20. will suffer none at any time to be idle but sendeth them to labour in his Vineyard Ministers are the Lords Stewards and must labour Math. 9.37 2. Cor. 6.1 and therefore are called Labourers they are called workmen and workers together and should shew themselues to bee cunning workemen rightly diuiding the Word of God They are the Lords Seruants and receiue Talents 2. Tim. 2.15 and therefore should make good vse of them His Shepheards Ezec. 34. therefore must feede and ouersee his flockes His Cryers therefore must cry alowd and spare not Esay 58.1 Tell the people their transgressions and the House of Iacob their sinnes they may not be dumbe His Builders therefore should goe on in their worke Fishers therefore ought to let slip their Nets to take and winne soules but cast their Angle to take money as Peter did Embassadours of the Lord 2. Cor. 5.20 Therefore they ought to haue tongues and sufficiency to doe the Lords message Feeders therefore ought to haue meat and to distribute it Sowers therefore ought to scatter the Seed of the Word into mens hearts His Leaders therefore they should conduct their flockes in the way of the Lord. His especiall Fighters against Sinne the World the Flesh the Diuell Heretikes and all the enemies of Gods Truth as Paul was 2. Tim. 4.7 By these and many other like Appellations and Names we see and may learne that God vouchsafeth the helpe of Ministers to execute his will and vseth them as meanes to saue his Sheepe from perishing yea they are the instruments to conuert the people The Lord saued the Arke but by Noah He conuerted the Niniuites but by Ionas instructed the Eunuch but by Philip perswaded Cornelius but by Peter called Paul but by Ananias Paul must plant Apollo water and God giueth the increase Albeit Christ is the light yet Ministers beare witnesse of the light though he be the fountaine of liuing water yet Ministers are the conduits to conuey them to the people though he be the Physician yet Ministers are the Apothecaries to make the confection though he be the cause efficient yet Ministers are the instrument euen helpers though hee be King yet Ministers are his Embassadours yea which is more if more can bee Paul telleth Timothy that if hee take heede to himselfe and vnto doctrine and continue therein he shall saue both himselfe and them that heare him and so Timothy should not onely be an Helper but a Sauer in sort Ministers then must bee good Stewards carefull and painefull Cura curarum regimen animarum The gouernment of soules is the care of all cares
yea thy Law is in my heart Againe God said to Dauid Seeke ye my face Dauids spirit heart and soule did answere Thy face Lord will I seeke Many goe to the Church to auoide the danger of the Lawes that they may not be presented to the spirituall courts or come into the danger of the temporall Lawes or be noted of their neighbours to be house-lurdins at home but not moued with religion pietie or any good deuotion to pray or any godly preparation to receiue the holy Communion O carelesse securitie and blind impietie from the which the Lord deliuer vs. I feare much that there are many temporizers that goe to the Church to free themselues from the danger of the Lawes or for company sake These men are so farre from their effectuall calling as the East is from the West For euery one that is but in the way to this carrieth this resolution that whatsoeuer he heareth truly taught out of Gods Booke he will follow Iam. 1. He will not be an idle hearer but a doer of the Word He will walke after the Lord keepe his commandements as much as in him lieth and his Statutes with all his heart as the people consented to do that heard Iosias the king reade the Lawe vnto them 2. Kings 23. 2. Chron. 34. This good resolution did the people make which when Moses had told them all the words of the Lord said All the things which the Lord hath said Exod. 14. will we doe And so ought euery man and woman be resolued In which good resolution O God settle vs all for thy mercies sake But here it may be O Christian Reader that you desire to know what maner of calling this Steward had which was so grieuously accused to his Master To this I answere His calling was neither of the former but fearefull and very disconsolate a sudden and vnexpected calling to reckoning after manifest crimes and false dealings against his Master and vpon the same an account taken and he found faultie expulsion and finall departure from his office for euer following This Stewards Master dealt with him after the order and fashion of great men in this world which when they find their seruants vniust will presently call them to account and set them packing This is a great losse to poore seruants that haue nothing but their seruice to trust vnto But this Stewards losse went beyond all common seruants losses for it was of seruice goods life present and the life to come from all which wicked men depart as the rich man Luk. 12. and the rich Glutton Luk 16. Thus much of his calling Next of his reprehension or increpation in these words How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee These words giue singular instructions to all sorts of people taken literally and plainely or Allegorically If you take them plainely as the words are and vnderstand by the rich man any Magistrate whatsoeuer and by the Steward or seruant the subiect Or by the rich man any great Master and by the seruant them that serue in his house They giue foure instructions and informations to these great men of authoritie First that they may not couer sinnes and enormious offences but ought to reproue and correct them neither spare the rod and sword and deale too gently like old Eli when faults are committed 1. Kings 2. Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2.14 For Magistrates are set ouer the people for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well Secondly they ought to enquire out the truth of the same and examine the matter diligently Which thing we are taught by the example of the best euen God himselfe concerning the cry and exceeding grieuous sinne of Sodom and Gomorrha for thus the Lord said Gen. 18.21 I will go down now and see whether they haue done altogether according to that cry which is come vnto me and if not that I may know This Iob reported that he did Iob 29.16 I was a father saith he vnto the poore and when I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently Thirdly the accusers of the true bringers of the newes when the truth is knowne are not alwaies to be disclosed and vttered to them that are accused for feare of dissention and debate For here he saith not This man or that man told me but he spake indefinitely saying How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee He would not set the fellow seruants together by the eares but would maintaine charitie the bond of all perfection Col. 3.14 Fourthly he discloseth not openly to others the principall point whereof the Steward was accused to cause murmuring but calleth him vnto him priuily and telleth him priuately of the euill report that went of him saying How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee following the sweet charitable and wholesome counsel and aduice of our Sauiour Mat. 18.15 teaching vs thus If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee These words as I said before being taken allegorically containing aliud verbis aliud sensu speaking of a rich man and yet meaning God and speaking of a rich mans Steward and yet vnderstanding all mankind a large collectiue or Nowne of multitude doe giue vs to note two things worthy all godly mens considerations First that our faults are not hid from the Lord. Secondly that the Lord is displeased with them Mans faults are not hid from the Lord but although man worketh them neuer so secretly and closely which wicked men still affect for which cause their workes are called the workes of darknesse Rom. 13. because they proceed from the darknesse of mans vnderstanding are done in darknesse and leade men to extreme darkenesse yet all are knowne of the omniscient God the all-seeing God the searcher of the heart and reines who is totus animi totus animae knowing seeing and foreseeing all things Which thing who will be so mad as to deny seeing that the Psalmograph truly and reuerendly telleth God so saying O Lord thou hast searched me out and knowne me Psal 139. thou knowest my downe-sitting and mine vprising thou vnderstandest my thoughts long before and that is most of all He holdeth on in his speech and speaketh further saying Thou art about my path and about my bed and spéest out all my wayes He seeth euery thing that is done on the face of the earth For his eyes are like a flame of fire Reuel 1. Psal 121. Psal 142. they are most cleare and bright and neuer sleepe Hee looketh downe vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke after God He seeth both good and euill for as Dauid hath The eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous and his eares are open