but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
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
the one and reiect the other but most principally respecteth in the whole to edifie the heart and conscience being well assured that this part hath most neede in most Christians of direction and consolation and as we be in this part affected so be we in substance and veritie before God For this cause hee desireth and laboureth most in all these workes to stirre vp the heart and to quicken the affections to embrace true godlines that so being freed from sin by the blood of Christ made the seruants of God we might haue our fruit in holines and in the end eternall life In this Impression I haue carefully reuised and corrected in the whole worke all the faults which either by mine owne priuate reading or by the helpe of other louing friends I could obserue in word or matter Here I rest for a time requesting thy prayers good Christian Reader that now all these holy workes thus knit together may serue to Gods glorie and to the further building of the Church of God in our Land Thine in the Lord Iesus HENRY HOLLAND CHristian Reader thou hast here all Maister GREENHAMS workes as they haue beene heretofore gathered and published by the industrie of that worthy and painefull Preacher Maister Henry Holland In this edition thus much is performed viz. the 119. Psalme perfected a praier of Maister GREENHAMS in the end of his workes added and the whole Booke reduced into a more methodicall order which would haue beene dâ—â—e by Maister Holland if he had longer liued all which hath now beene thought fit to be published in this manner as may appeare in the contents following A SHORT AND GENERALL VIEVV OF ALL SVCH MATTERS AS ARE CONTAINED IN THE VVHOLE VVorkes of Mr. Greenham digested after a more Methodicall manner then heretofore The whole Booke is diuided into fiue seuerall parts as hereafter followeth with their particular Titles contained vnder euery one of the said Parts THE FIRST PART Wherein are contained these Titles hereunder following 1 THE first portion is of graue Counsels page 1 2 Another or second portion of an hundred and one and fifty graue Counsels or diuine Aphorismes page 44 3 A third portion likewise of an hundred graue counsels and diuine directions for the attaining and retaining of faith and a good conscience page 51 4 A short forme of catechising page 71 THE SECOND PART Wherein are contained these Treatises following 1 A Sweet comfort for an afflicted Conscience page 95 2 A second Treatise of the same argument page 112 3 The markes of a righteous man 118 4 Sweet and sure signes of Election to them that are brought low 122 5 A Treatise of Contract before marriage 122 6 A Treatise of the Sabaoth 128 7 Notes of saluation with the necessitie and notes of a true vpright hart 171. 172 8 A direction for the reading of the Scriptures page 173 9 A Treatise of the Resurrection 178 10 A Treatise of examination before and after the Lords Supper 187 11 A Treatise of Gods feare 194 12 A Treatise of Hypocrisie 200 13 A Treatise of Anger 204 14 A Treatise of Blessednesse 207 15 A Treatise of Fasting 210 16 A Treatise of sending the Holy Ghost 216 17 A short treatise of prayer vpon the words of the Prophet Ioel chap. 2. ver 32. alledged by Peter Acts 2. ver 21. 236 THE THIRD PART Wherein are contained these Sermons following 1 THE first Sermon of Quenching the the Spirit vpon 1 Thes. 5. ver 19. 241 2 Of murmuring on Exod. 16. v. 2. 249 3 Of Zeale Reue. 3. v. 19. 255 4 Of a Good name Prou. 22. v. 1. 259 5 Of Humilitie Prou. 18. v. 12. 268 6 Of the education of children Prou. 17. ver â—1 276 7 Of Repentance and true sorrow for sinne Acts 2. ver 37. 281 8. 9. 10. Of the heauenly purchase in three Sermons on Mat. 13. 44. 287 11 Of Christian warfare on Ephe. 6. ver 10. 11. 307 12 Of diuers Christian instructions on Psal. 16. 316 13 Of flying ill company Idolatry and Sweareing on Gen. 42. v. 9. 12. 14. 15. 21. 332 14 Of the mutuall duties betweene the Ministers and the people on Heb. 13. ver 17. 339 15 Of the Confession of sinnes how many kindes of Confession how truly to confesse and the necessary vse thereof on Pro. 28. 15. 359 16 Of the first effect of Christs crosse what is meant thereby how rightly to professe this Doctrine the loue that we should beare thereunto the ioy that ariseth therefrom on Gal. 6. ver 14. 15. 363 17 Of the latter or second effect of Christ his crosses which is the power of Christs Resurrection how and by what meanes men are made new creatures on Galat. 6. ver 15. 370 THE FOVRTH PART Wherein are contained certaine Meditations on diuers portions and parts of Scripture 1 MEditations on the. 119. Psal. 381 2 Meditations on Pro. 4. vers 13. to 23. 609 3 Meditations on Prou. 14. ver 5. 6. 7. 8. 622 4 The summe of the Epistle to the Hebrewes 627 5 A briefe summe of Ecclesiastes 628 THE FIFT PART Wherein are contained godly instructions for the due examination and direction of all men to the attayning and retayning of faith and a good conscience reduced into diuers Chapters and common places as followeth Chap. 1. OF Christian Admonition 629 Chap. 2. Of the Forme and Rules of Christian Admonition 631 Chap. 3. Of Adultery and youthfull affections 635 Chap. 4. Of Affection 638 Chap. 5. Of Affliction ibid. Chap. 6. Of Anger 641 Chap. 7. Of Angels ead Chap. 8. Of Baptisme 642 Chap. 9. Of Couetousnesse and the desire of Riches 643 Chap. 10. Of Care couetousnesse and Contentation 644 Chap. 11 Of our generall and speciall calling 645 Chap. 12. Of conference and godly wisedome in the gouernment of the tongue 647 Chap. 13. Of the Church ead Chap. 14. Of the confession of sinne 649 Chap. 15. Of Conscience 650 Chap. 16. Of censure and correstion 651 Chap. 17 Of ceremonies things indifferent and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse 652 Chap. 18. Godly Meditations concerning Christs power against Sathan loue to the faithfull and how hee is our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and of our communion with him 654 Chap. 19 Of Death and Iudgement 656 Chap. 20. Of the shortnesse of our life and the Meditation of Death how profitable 659 Chap. 21. Of dulnesse of spirit and of feeling 662 Chap. 22. Of Catechizing and instruction of youth 662 Chap. 23. Of Examples and how wee must not sinne vpon Example 666 Chap. 24. Of Examination of our selues and of all things by their issues and how to gouerne the eyes 671 Chap. 25. Of the Exercises of Religion Fasting c. and of the carefull vse of the meanes at all times 673 Chap. 26. Of the Gouernment of the Eyes 675 Chap. 27. Of Faith Iustification by faith of Iustice and iust men and of Feeling 678 Chap. 28. Of Feare 682 Chap. 29. Of Friendship Familiaritie
is our Iudge and acquiteth vs and Christ was condemned and iustifieth vs he is our iudge that willeth not the death of a sinner he is our man of law who to excuse vs suffered himselfe to be accused for vs. O gluttonous hell where is thy defence O cruell sin where is thy tyrannous power O rauening death where is thy bloodie sting O roring lion why doest thou fret and fume Christ my Law fighteth against thee O law is my libertie Christ fighteth against thee O sin and is my righteousnes Christ fighteth against thee O diuel is my Sauiour Christ fighteth against thee O death and is my life Thou didst desire to paue my way to the burning lake of the damned but contrarie to thy will thou art constrained to lift vp the ladder wherby I must ascend into the new Ierusalem Wherefore if we shall finde our selues forsaken of God so as we perceiue nothing but matter of despaire let vs still hold our owne in the certaintie of our faith stay our selues sith Christ is giuen vs of God that he might extinguish sin triumph ouer the law vāquish death ouercom the diuel destroy hel for our only comfort and consolation But peraduenture some will say my faith is weake and cold and my conscience is as a flaming lampe and burning fornace I feare the Lord will still pursue me with his wrathfull indignation Thou doest well to feare but feare and sinne not For feare which subdueth the securitie of the flesh is in all most requisite in that the weaker we are in our selues the stronger we are in God But that feare is dangerous which hindreth the certaintie of faith in that it incourageth our enemie more fiercely to set vpō vs when we comming into the campe wil cast away our armour especially which should defend vs. Comfort thy selfe the Lord will not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede he looketh not on the quātitie but on the quality of our faith For as a good mother doth not reiect her childe because through some infirmitie it is weake feeble and not able to goe alone but rather doth pitie and supporte it least peraduenture it should fall and recompenseth that with motherly affection which in her childe is wanting by occasion in like manner the Lord God our most gracious father doth not cast vs off because through our imperfections we are vnable or afraid to draw neerer to the throne of grace but rather pitieth vs and seeing vs a farre off desirous to come vnto him meeteth vs by the way and by grace and strength of his owne hand directeth our steppes vnto his kingdome And as he which freely purposeth to giue a wedge of gold will not withdrawe his gift because the hand of him that should receiue it is weake troubled with the gout palsey or leprosie so that by any meanes though in great weakenes he be able to hold it euen so the Lord purposing in free mercie to bestow on vs an immortall weight of glory will not depriue vs of it though many filthy blemishes haue polluted and weakened our faith so that in any small measure we be able to take hold of his promises neither are we to looke for the perfection of faith because we neuer beleeue as we ought but rather on that which the Gospell offereth and giueth and on Gods mercie and peace in Christ in whose lap if we can lay our heads with Saint Iohn then we are in felicitie securitie and perfect quietnes Contrariwise there be some who notwithstanding that a tormented conscience is a stinging Serpent that it were much better that all the creatures rose vp against vs euery one bringing their bane then once to come before the dreadfull face of God are so blockish that they are wholy resolued into hardnes If they be pricked with sicknes they crie alas if they be pinched with pouertie they can complaine but as for the torment of minde they cannot skill of it And euen to talke of a brused contrite and broken heart is a strange language For proofe whereof our cōsciences are rocked asleepe so that not one amongst a thousand knoweth what it is to be pressed and harrowed with the rake of Gods iudgemēts But blessed are they that to their owne saluation feele this in their bodies whilest sinne may be both punished and purged For though God spare vs for a time yet we know what he keepeth for our ende Wherefore it is the best for vs to runne to the Lord in this life with a troubled minde least we tarrie till the Lord haue locked vs vp with the heauie fetters of desperation when he shall summon vs to the barre of his iudgement in the sight of his Angels and impanelling the great inquest of his Saints against vs shall denounce our fearefull and finall sentence of eternall condemnation for we see many that haue beene carelesse haue made good cheare all their life long yea and when men haue laboured to make them feele the iudgement of God they haue turned all to mockery but their iolity the Lord hath so abated when they draw towards death that in stead of resting sporting whereunto they had been giuen they haue felt the terror of death hell and damnation and lapping vp their ioyes in finall desperation haue forced out cursings against their filthie pleasures Wherefore if we in the tempest of our temptations will saile a right course neither shrinking nor slipping into the gulfe of desperation neither battering our barke against the rocke of presumption let vs in a contrite spirit crie vnto the Lord Haue mercie vpon me heale my soule for I haue sinned against thee forgiue all mine iniquities and heale all mine infirmities Thou healest those that are broken in heart and bindest vp their soares why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted within me waite on God for I will yet giue him thankes he is my present helpe and my God Yet my soule keepe thou silence before God of him commeth my saluation he is my strength therefore I shall not much be moued His mightines is enough to giue me courage yea and shall be euen when I am forlorne I know that the diminishing of my body goods friends or any other thing is a calling of me to that which neuer shall diminish nor decay I beleeue that my Lord and my God allureth me daily thither that I might not doubt that when my body is laid in the graue and there consumed as it were to nothing yet notwithstanding my soule resting in the bosome of the Lord shall returne vnto me and shall rise to glory euen as it resting in this life in the mercies of Christ did rise to grace verily I see that with ioy that my flesh must goe to decay for looke what freshnes soeuer was in it it diminished day by day And I neede not goe farre to seeke for death for I feele not
of one other thing which I had forgotten before and that is this your loue must spring from that reuerence feare that you must yeeld vnto your husband for true loue is mixt as it were with these two and this is a speciall dutie often repeated in the Scripture that the wife must feare the Husband So that you see Sister that you must not looke to haue your Husband at your becke for your loue but you must render due beneuolence vnto each other For as the bodie of the Husband is not his owne but his wiues so is not the woman 's her owne but her husbands for they are both one flesh as the Scripture doth teach Now if anie doe object that this is the way to bring women into bondage and to be as drudges to their Husbands if they should in this manner be subject vnto them No no it is not so but the most readiest way to procure vnto themselues grace peace of conscience and more sweete libertie whilest they liue in obedience to God and his holy ordinances And therefore the spirit of God admonisheth all women that they be not afraide of any such vaine terror Now further my Brother and Sister that you may keepe your bodies pure and chaste one for the other I would counsell you to beware of being alone with anie when there is feare of temptation vnto euill but bee carefull that you may alwayes haue witnesse of your Christian behauiour and in keeping companie conuenient chuse vnto your selfe such as be most sober and faithfull Well although there bee manie more duties yet I will content my selfe to goe one thing further that is that as you seeke for continuance and increase of loue so you take heede of jealousie for although that true loue is very earnest and mixt with godlie jealousie yet there is a wicked jealousie and that causeth causelesse suspicions which worketh great woe vnto such as giue credit vnto them Take heede therefore my Brother and Sister of this yea though there should seeme iust cause yet giue not too speedy credit vnto them Now if you desire to know in your heart which are vngodly suspicions know them by this token for they will make you more negligent in praying one for another and more slacke in performing all other duties of loue one to another In the eight Commaundement you are charged Brother to vse all lawfull means to prouide for the maintenance of your wife in honest estate else were you worse then an Infidell But I charge you to take heede least through distrust in the prouidence of God you make shipshracke of a good conscience vsing any vniust or vnlawfull meanes And you Sister are commaunded to be a good houswife and to keepe those things together which you haue and so increase them as you may from time to time be helpfull vnto others For if you should consume and waste things vnprofitablie you should grieue and trouble the minde of your Husband who ought to be cased of that care by you And further if it should please God to call either of you to suffer persecution in time of triall the weaker must for the Lords cause giue place to the stronger and desire the Lorde to giue greater strength for we must labour for grace that we may be willing for the Gospell to forsake all things whatsoeuer we haue Out of the ninth Commaundement I will giue you this rule that neither of you blaze abroad the infirmities of each other it is a great enemie to pure loue But if there bee neede of counsell and helpe in any matter then chuse a faithfull friend with consent that may be an indifferent iudge betwixt you And againe in any case tell the truth one to an other for it is a thing diligently to be regarded in these our dayes when as men and women are so full of pollicies and subtil fetches that there is almost no simplicity to be found in anie In the last commandement which concerneth wicked motions and thoughts although there be no consent giuen vnto them you are to consider that your nature will neuer bee freed from them in this life therefore you must prepare to prayer and other heauenly exercises of Faith to striue continually against them Thus I will end beseeching God for Christ Iesus sake to giue you of his spirit that may teach you in these things and enable you to further duties agreeable to his helic wâ—ll to the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comfort O Lord God deare Father for thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiours sâ—ke make vs thankfull for this thy gracious prouidence towards vs. Oh Lord forgiue all our sins and keepe vs pure both in soule bodie for thine owne Names sake write these instructions in our hearts and giue vs grace to make practise of them in the whole course of our liuâ—s â—uide vs in all things deare Father by the grace of thy good spirit and let the mercifull eye of thy fatherly prouidence watch ouer vs continuallie that wee may be comforted in thy wayes and quickened alwayes to giue thee immortall praise and that through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After the exhortation and prayer hee asked the parties to be contracted these two questions 1 Of their consents of parents After their answere of their parents consent to make a faithfull promise of mariage one to another at such time as their parents could agree vpon it they were charged to keepe themselues chasle vntill the mariage bee sanctified by the publike prayers of the Church for otherwise many mariages haue been punished of the Lord for the vncleannes that hath been committed betwixt the contract and the mariage 2. Whether they euer were precontracted Then hee charged them saying I charge you as by authoritie from Iesus Christ in whom you looke to be saued that hauing the consent of your parents and receiued these precepts that I say yee labour to grow in knowledge and in the feare of God And now as in the sigâ—t of God with all such leâ—itie as of others is vsed you must make before the Lord a contract which is farre more then a promise and that on this manner their hands being ioyned â— R. doe promise to thee F. that I will bee thine husband which I will confirme by publike mariage in pledge whereof I giue thee mine hand In like manner doth the woman to the man Then after the prayer the parties are dismissed FINIS A TREATISE OF THE SABBATH IT is written Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it â—olie c Dearely belâ—ued in the Lord there is no Commandement of Gods part more vrged and of ouâ— parts lesse obserued then this one of the Sabbath wherefore with zeale to Gods glorie and loue vnfained vnto your selues I haue endeuoured in that measure and manner that God hath enabled mee to intreat of this argument The
from them be glad of such excuse Surely this estate bewraieth a proud heart blessing it selfe with a fulnes and cloyedenes of the meanes and either sheweth vs to lie in some sinne presently or that we are like to fall into some sinne hereafter and that shortly Howbeit being absent iâ— hauing these or like affections wee can mourne beate our owne hearts and iudge our selues enquiring of the things spoken at their hands that haue been at the congregation if being absent in bodie with an humble sight of our want wee are as present in spirit if euen in time of exercises we bestow the time in prayer in reading or in meditation the Lord will shield vs from sinne and the shame of sinne Againe if wee shall finde our selues subiect to peeuishnes concupiscence or couetousnesse with lesse power to preuaile against them that wee haue had let vs feare least some pride hath gone before If wee cannot recouer our selues out of these euils by prayer or mourning let vs suspect our owne hearts that some securitie in the meanes hath ouertaken vs the Lord for a time hath left vs the diuell hath foyled vs. It is a blessed thing to get the victory of our faults before they be ioyned with the offences of the world with the griefe of the godly with the reproch of our aduersaries with the trouble of our owne consciences with the hazard of Gods glorie And therefore if it be so the good will of God let vs earnestly desire him that our trials and temptations may bee inward that they may bee stayed and stenched when they beginne that they breake not out abroade to the greater dishonour of the Lord and our further discomfort which surely they will doe if by cherishing them and not checking them wee striue not for some safetie against them Let vs humblie therefore long before feare this reproch to come and pray with the Prophet Lorde keepe mee from the reproch which I feare least otherwise the Lord seeing vs make no conscience in these cases bee auenged of vs who surely will dishonour them that sticke not to dishonour him Cease then to gaze at the worke of God and labour to gage the pride of your owne hearts in affection which the Lorde is contrained to shame vs with for the abuse of his graces for the discredit of his word the contempt of his glorie and for the neglect of our owne saluation which being before purposed rather then it should bee vnaccomplished wee shall haue shamefull Sergeants sent vnto vs as fire on our houses warres to spoyle our goods sicknes to weaken our bodies and torment of minde to scourge our consciences which will draw vs out by the eares from the heauie slumber of sinne wherein wee snorted And thus fitlie though suddenly we are slipt into the second point and obseruation of this doctrine which is that wee should not be too hie to enter into the gates of aduersitie nor being entred to behaue our selues vnpatiently as though it would vndoe vs to sit in the house of mourning a while rather wee must reioyce in it and be thankfull for it saying with the Prophet It is good for mee ô Lord that thou hast afflicted me c. because the holy Ghost here telleth vs that lowlinesse goeth before honour and in the schoole of humilitie wee shall learne the way to true glorie and Nobilitie Neither doe I here meane that affliction in it selfe hath of it selfe such vertue as to humble vs truly vnder the hand of God but when the spirit of God worketh with it that then it will breede in vs the fruites of righteousnesse repentance faith and holinesse it will driue vs to seeke comfort in the world to aske comfort by praier to yeeld comfort by compassion on other mens euils And therefore it is necessarie against the policie of Sathan who would discourage the Saints of God in their profession by dressing them with afflictions to stay our selues in this testimonie of the holy Ghost that before glorie goeth affliction and after lowlinesse commeth honor either in this life or in the life to come or in both This must further teach vs to profit by the threatnings of God publikely preached not to threaten them or to murmure against them that lay the iudgemeÌ„ts of God against vs in the law this must cause vs to make much of them that by sharpe censuring of vs will soonest draw vs out of sinne This must worke in vs a desire to reape some fruite by priuate admonitions yea and to call on others to admonish vs that we may still be kept in some good course of humilitie Further and besides this it is profitable for vs to frequent them that are sicke ready to diâ— perplexed in spirit imprisoned in chaines and oppressed with miserie that in them we may see our selues as in a mirrour and so with Moses to chuse rather to suffer afflictions then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time This acquainting our selues with the iudgements of God will both rubbe off securitie and stirre vs vp to greater thankfulnes for our selues and pitie towardes others Wherefore they are not in the way of humilitie to obtaine glorie who are so tender sighted that they cannot abide to see the iudgements of God they are too daintie eared that cannot or that will not heare the threatnings of the Lawe saying oh I cannot abide to heare one in desperation I cannot away to heare such fearfull speeches to heare the diuell speake in one I loue not to see one lie gasping and panting in death These things would depriue me of all mirth breede melancholy and stirre me vp to mâ—â—â—es Nay this delicatenes to flye from the Lord thus drawing neere vs will hasten these things vpon vs which we will not profit by in others Such eyes to see such eares to heare such hearts to be humbled it becommeth Gods people to haue that as they loue nothing more than glorie so they labour for nothing more than humilitie as they shun nothing more than coÌ„fusion so they auoid nothing more than pride of heart Which that we may doe let vs cast down our selues before the throne of mercie in the name and mediation of Iesus Christour Sauiour O eternall God and our most louing father behold vs in thine owne couenant c. FINIS OF THE GOOD EDVCATION OF CHILDREN THE SIXTH SERMON Prouerbs 17. 21. Hee that begetteth a foole getteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy THE holie Ghost speaking in the Scripture of foolish sonnes as that he that beâ—etteth such a one getteth himselfe sorrowe and that the father of a foole hath no ioy meaneth it not so much of naturall idiots and such as are destitute of common reason although it is true that this is a lamentable iudgement of God and a heauines to the parents of such a childe as of wicked children such as
and Church of God And thus we might goe through all points of religion for men before were altogether superstitious and now they are become wholy prophane Wherefore miserable was their estate before but now most miserable dangerous damnable I say is the estate of our age wherein those that serue God best and walk most carefully in their callings are accounted mad and franticke precise fooles on the other side they which are altogether dissolute secure in discharging their duties are taken for the wisest men and this commeth to passe because men doe not consider that saying of the Apostle 1. Thess 5. verse Brethren we beseech you that you know them which labour amongst you and are ouer you in the Lord that you haue them in singular loue for their workes sake This changing of sinne may also be seene in yong men of the Vniuersitie who in their youth did liue altogether dissolute in their behauiour but being strickē in yeeres they account gaine to be godlinesse and so farre foorth as religion may serue to inrich them so farre are they professors thereof These and such like haue not as yet made a sale of sinne but a change Sathan as yet goeth further moues some men to make a more dangerous exchange than this and bringeth them from one extremitie vnto another For many being before giuen to worke wickednes that with greedinesse and to commit most grosse sins now forsaking that outward wicked course are so puffed vp in the pride of their spirit that they are become such new men as it were thinking too well of themselues they runne on into the other extremitie in seeking after those things which are aboue their reach by whose wickednesse it commeth to passe that the good graces of God oftentimes fall to the ground and the children of God fare the worse for them and thus we see that many doe not so much fell as change their sinnes But it must be otherwise with vs if we meane to obtaine this treasure we must so part with corrupt religion that we admit no false sects and heresies we must so giue ouer wickednesse and corrupt manners that from hence forwards we returne not vnto them and we must as the Scripture requireth forsake a shew of profession of religion and come vnto a strict practise thereof Secondly all sinne and not some must be forsaken and sold of him who will enioy this treasure many can be content to relinquish some sinnes but not all Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly and was content to giue eare vnto him preaching repentance for when Iohn tol◠him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife then he would not heare him any longer but cast him into prison and caused him to be beheaded The yong man in the Gospell had sold many sins had many good thoughts in him insomuch as it is said Marke 10. and 24. verse that Iesus loued him but when Christ told him that if he would follow him he must leaue his riches then he chused rather to depart from Christ than from his riches Ananias and Saphira Acts. 5. had many good things in them so that they sold their possessions and laid part of the price thereof at the Apostles feete but dissembling with the Apostles distrusting the prouidence of God they kept back some part of the price of their possessions wherfore through the ministerie of Peter they both were presently depriued of their liues Iudas also no doubt had many good things in him otherwise Christ would not haue made him an Apostle neither could it be but that hearing Christ so long he should reape some commoditie thereby but yet he did secretly inueigle the goods of the Church and did purchase vnto himselfe not this field wherein the treasure was but as it is said of him a field of blood And thus we see that there is a partiall and not a totall forsaking of sinnes in men But such men must know that they haue not done enough to obtaine this treasure in leauing some faults and holding some For it is true which the Apostle Iames saith 2. and 10 verse Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all This the Apostle prooueth by an example as if a man haue respect of persons then he is vnmercifull towards him whom he regardeth not Now vnmercifulnesse is referred vnto murther and he that said Thou shalt not commit adulterie said also Thou shalt not kill now though thou doest not commit adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the law They therfore which make an outward shew of Religion but still keepe sinne in their hearts such must know that if they keepe sinne in part they shall leese grace in whole wherefore our sinnes must be left not some but all not partially but totally Thirdly men must sell sinne at once and for euer and not for a moment or a short time And herein we may easily see that many men haue rather left sinne for a season than throughly repented them thereof and therefore it commeth to passe with them that they doe returne with the dogge vnto the vomit and with the sow which was washed vnto the wallowing in the mire Now if any man aske what the reason is that some men after that they haue escaped the filthinesse of the world are yet againe entangled therein I answere because such men neuer came vnto a sound griefe for their sinnes And hence it is that many being renewed and endued with some gifts of grace yet being defiled with inward pride and lust of the heart and not labouring with might and maine to be deliuered thereof become much worse than they were before The repentance of many who haue beene Papists Atheists and whose liues haue beene stained with fornication hurts of their brethren or some other grosse faults is onely that they haue left those sinnes but such men neuer attaining vnto true remorse for their sins fall therefore into them againe or into worse if it be possible to whom the Apostle Iames chapt 4. saith Clense your hands you sinners and purge your hearts you wauering minded suffer afflictions and sorrow and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Where the Apostle sheweth that it is not enough for man hauing offended with the harlots hauing done amisse to wipe their mouthes to come vnto the Church but they hauing displeased the Lord must weepe mourne vntill they come to sound griefe and such as is answerable to the measure of their sinnes For grieuous sinnes must be repented of with great griefe euen as sore diseases must be cured with sharpe medicines And as it is in Zacharie the twelfth Men must mourne for their sinnes as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be sorie for them as one is sorie for the death of his first borne There must be
thou forsaken me this was the complaint of Gedeon Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egipt but now the Lord hath forsakeÌ„ vs deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Iudg. 6. 13. M. Robert Glouer martyr at Couentrie after hee was condeÌ„ned by the Bishop was now at point to be deliuered out of the world it so happened that two or three dayes before his death his heart beeing lumpish and desolate of all spirituall consolation felt in himselfe no aptnesse nor willingnesse but rather a heauinesse and dulnesse of spirit full of much discomfort to beare the bitter crosse of Martyrdome readie now to bee laide vpon him wherevpon hee fearing in himselfe least the Lord had withdrawn his wonted fauour from him made his moane to one Austine his deere friend signifying vnto him how earnestly he had prayed day and night vnto the LORD GOD and yet could receiue no motion nor sense of any comfort from him vnto whome they saide Austine answered againe willing him patiently to waite the Lords pleasure howsoeuer his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was iust and true he exhorted him constaÌ„ntly to sticke to the same to play the maÌ„ nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visite him and satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation c. The next day when the time came of the Martyrdome as he was going to the place and was now come to the sight of the stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feele none suddainly he was so replenished with the holy Ghost that he cryed out clapping with his hands to Austine and saying with these words Austine he is come he is come c. and that with such ioy and alacritie as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to liberty of life then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death Desertion in sinne is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sinne And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the authour of sinne but onely man that falleth and Sathan A resemblance of this truth we may see in a staffe which if a man shall take and set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his hand though he neuer push it downe it fals of it selfe In this desertion was the good King Hezekiah of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus Hezekiah prospered in all his waies therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which sent to him to inquire of the wonder which was done in the Land God left him namely to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe in tempting him that he might trie out all that was in his heart To this place appertaine Noahs drunkennesse Dauids adulterie Peters deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this If a patient shall be grieuously sicke the Physition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to recouer him and if he once come to a desperate case the physition rather then he will not restore him will imploy all his skill he will take poyson and so temper it and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health The elect children of God are diseased with an inward hidden and spirituall pride whereby they affect themselues and desire to be something in themselueâ— foâ—â—h of Christ and this sinne is very dangerous first because when other sinnes die in a man this secret pride gets strength for Gods grace is the matter of pride in such wise that a man will be proud because he is not proude for example if any shall be tempted of the diuell to some proud behauiour and by Gods grace get the victorie then the heart thus thinketh Oh thou hast done well thou hast foiled the enemie neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee such and such could neuer haue done so and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kind of motions in this life Secondly there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is for it poysoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace so long as it beareth any sway for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated that is he must be brused and battered to a flat nothing in regard of any liking or affection to himselfe that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father and as it were with both the hands of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits that he may be wisedome righteousnesse sanctification redemption life good workes and whatsoeuer good thing he is neither in nor by nor for himselfe but euery way forth of himselfe in Christ. Now this blessed condition of a beleeuing heart by naturall selfe-loue selfe-liking is greatly hindered God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption lets his elect seruants fal into trouble of minde conscience if they happily be of greater hardnesse of heart into some actuall sin so declaring his wonderfull mercy in sauing them he is faine against his mercy to bring them to his mercy and by sin to saue them from sin By this means the Lord who can bring light out of darknesse makes a remedy of sin to slay pride that inuisible moÌ„ster of many heads which would slay the soule Though this be so yet none must hereupon venter to coÌ„mit any sin against Gods commandemeÌ„ts least in so doing they cast away their soules For the godly man though he fal into sin yet it is against his purpose and it makes his hart to bleed the course of his life shall be alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God because he is led by the spirit of God The ends for which God vseth desertions are three the first is the chastisement of sins past in the former part of mans life that he may search them out coÌ„sider them he hearâ—ily sorrowfull for them for this end was Iobs triall Thou writest saith he bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the sinnes of my youth The second end is that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants not that he is ignorant what is in man but because he would haue all men know themselues To this effect saith Moses And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God lead thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee and to prooue thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to prooue and trie what was in his heart The triall by desertion serueth for two purposes for other whiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sinne that the godly may
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
readie to deceiue themselues they are in daÌ„ger of being hardned because the maÌ„ of God here so ioyneth both together that he should haue â—is steps directed least that iniquitie should haue the dominion ouer him for I take the whole verse to be but one request The sooner we meete with temptation the better we shall ouer match it the longer wee continue and let it alâ—ne the longer will be our conflict If we begin betimes we shall easily conquer it if we let it alone we shall easily be conquered For it will either get ground of vs ouerreach vs and get the vantage or else we must get ground and vantage of it if it ouercome vs wee shall hardly recouer our paces This is then the wisedome of God his spirit in his children which men call precisenes to set a warie and heedy watch ouer euery affection that we thinke ouer euery word which we speake ouer euery deede we doe least wee be deceiued and through deceite bee hardened and so iniquitie get the dominion ouer vs. Thus we see the Prophet desireth the gift of perseuerance acknowledging that to continue is Gods gift as well as to begin And in that he desireth speciall mercy to perseuere he declareth that many begin well but afterward iniquitie getteth the vpper hand and they fall away so that it is a peculiâ—r mercy of God to preserue his to the end And in praying as well here for the 〈…〉 affections as he did before for the direction of his iudgmeÌ„t he giueth vs to vnderstand that if we purpose to perseuere we must no lesse looke to our affections than to our iudgement This then is a double grace of God on whomsoeuer first to haue our iudgement enlightened and then to haue our affections touched Direct my feete c. As our feete carie our bodies so our affections support our actions It is a good thing to stay our affections when our outward actions are rightly ordered and for this cause mention is made so often in the booke of God of lifting vp our eyes of holding vp our hands of walking with our feete As then we will haue our affections truly touched for we must not contemne this outward gouernment Now whereas he prayeth that the secret masse of corruption which lieth in him may not breake out in him he noteth that they who are carelesse of their finall perseuerance make little conscience of their former corruptions But such are greatly to feare least that in the latter end of their regeneration they bee cast our of Paradise with Adam and throwne out of the Church with Cain For if Adam sinned in Paradise whilest as yet he was perfect how easily may we fall which are in the dayes wherein iniquitie doth raigne and are full of imperfections Againe as we touched briefly before God his children doe not tarrie so long as to labour for life and striue for breath in temptations but in the beginning they espie their errours whereby they see how they might sail further were it not that Gods spirit mightily did preserue them And surely euery man by experieÌ„ce shal find that the sooner we begin to 〈…〉 the more speedily and easily we shall preuaile against it whether it be that we are tempted to leaue good things vndone or to doe things not to be done For let a man once leaue the searching of his heart vpon some great necessitie cease from the ransacking and rifling of his conscieÌ„ce when he hath not happily slipt notoriously we may see we may find our recouery to our exercises againe But if we haue omitted these exercises a long time and often when we should come to practise them and put them in vre againe what a strange thing will this seeme to vs how hardly shall wee get our hearts to yeeld to it our flesh is vnwilling this thing is so vncome vnto vs that we are faine to sweate againe for those practises of prayer and priuate examination which by vsing we had with ease and by not vsing we had almost lost Wherefore as proofe maketh euident like as in a tree though the rootes be somewhat mangled yet there will sprout buds which with a small instrument by daily resorting to them and keeping vnder may be kept from much growing and yet afterward by negligence and permission as with a hatchet they will hardly be hewen down And as in a great concourse of waters though the fountaine be stopped yet the riuers remaine open which being taken in time with a floud-gate may bee staied and leesing long oportunitie by great bankes from ouerflowing caÌ„not be restrained euen so a man in the beginning of his temptation whilest as yet it is but in the sprout and hauing a little course is vnable to make any great breach by prayer and the spirit of God may bee kept vnder and stayed but if it be left alone not looked to as before the extraordinarie spirit of the Preacher or the extraordinarie trauell of a man in prayer and fasting will not be able to remedie it Well many there be that charme the charmer neuer so wisely they will not heare that they might preuent the rage of sinne If when we shall vse all meanes to subdue sinne all is too little if we giue it any libertie how great is the daunger If a man in vsing a sparing dyet moderate apparell and little sleepe shall still finde in himselfe a selfe-loue and liking of sinne how much more when hee frameth himselfe to all the guises and fashions of the world shall he see selfe-loue preuaile against him when wee are iustified in Christ and ingraffed into him by faith and yet haue not the rootes of sinne throughly pulled out not the riuers of iniquitie dried vp but onely the spring head is staied I know there be many who thinke it a precisenesse to be so much afraid of our owne weakenes and to be watchfull and warie of our owne affections yea and oftentimes in those things which to iudgement are lawfull yet abstaineth in life and in our practise but blessed be that feare and happie is that precisenesse which is so carefull ouer our owne infirmities and so much suspecteth our owne wants and weakenesse Wherefore the man of God still prayeth for perseuerance In thy word In that he maketh the word of God his meanes of perseuering he teacheth vs that though we haue profited neuer so much yet vnlesse the word of God enlighten our iudgements and reforme our affections we may easily erre out of the way We knowe but in part our heart is reformed but in part our knowledge is bettered but in part and that which we haue is giuen of God by the preaching of the word and working of his spirit and that we may yet be deliuered from those affections which in vs remaine corrupt wee had neede to pray for the vse of the word Againe in that he would be grieued by the word the man of God sheweth
thee that thou hauing no righteousnesse mightest be accounted righteous and rewarded as righteous through him Well it may be God hath giuen thee to walke so vprightly as the world can in nothing charge thee but thou fearest thy naturall corruption that thou shalt not perseuere thou tremblest to remember how many excelling thee in gifts and graces of the Spirit haue fallen away from the truth and thinkest all is but hypocrisie and that thy hypocrisie will one day beguile thee now call to minde that CHRIST is made to thee holinesse not as newe Moses to follow but as a true Messiah to belieue in the worker author and finisher of thy holines So that albeit in respect of thy selfe to perseuere it seemes impossible yet with him it is both possible and easie What if thou hadst a multitude of sinnes that thy corruption did swell till it burst Mary Magdalen had seuen Spirits and yet of all women she was most deuout most louing most honourd to haue the first sight of Christs resurrection What if thou hast bin a brawned and infamous sinner so that the name of sinne hath bene notoriously written in thy forehead the Lord Iesus called and crowned Matthew the Publican with the dignitie of an Euangelist What if thy sin had taken a purple die and crimson colour in the blood of the Saints Paul of a most grieuour persecuter of Christ was made a most glorious preacher of Christ. It may be thou fearest the corruption drawne from thy natiue countrey the Cretians were conuerts and the Corinthians became Christians It may be yet thine hereditarie and naturall corruptions cause thee to despaire of comfort consider the Lord can change the nature of a Wolfe into the nature of a Lambe the course of a corrupt nature in thee to the power of a supernaturall grace Oh there is one thing that troubles thee many promises fewe performed Thou lookest for peace of minde and behold a wound of the Spirit thou art the Lord of the whole earth and the heire of heauen and yet hast not wherwith to helpe thy necessitie thou art a Lord of libertie and yet put in prison All this I graunt yet in all this Christ is thy redemption not suffering thee to be ouercome of any of these in thy life and who lie freeing thee from them in the life to come Admit that thou werst cruelly persecuted cannot he that made the fire not to burne at all the children in the furnace make the fire so easily to consume thee as thou shalt comfortably beare it Will not he that made the Lyons being hungry not once to open their mouthes on Daniel to crush thee so gently that thou shalt willingly sustaine it Now the meanes are the Word Prayer the Sacraments and discipline of the Church The Word euen crucifieth Christ a new in thine hart Prayer giueth thee a feeling of thy faith the Sacraments confirme both thy faith and feeling and discipline continueth vs in the obedience both of the Word and of Prayer and of the Sacraments and consequently is a meanes to continue vs in all those comforts which by the other meanes are to be found in Christ. 3 Thou must euer beware of two extremities The one that thou labour not so for righteousnes that thou forget CHRIST to be thy holinesse the other that thou so trauell not for holinesse as that thou shouldest not remember him also to be thy righteousnes And so behaue thy selfe in both that thou beest most righteous in Christ yet thou must endeuour also to be holy and though thou beest neuer so holy yet know thou standest in neede of the righteousnes of Christ. Now to come to these things thou must diligently attend on the word whereby Christ Iesus is crucified a fresh in thine heart on prayer which worketh a feeling of thy Faith on the Saints which confirme thy Faith and increase thy feeling 4 CHRIST hath made vs inheriters of his kingdome which he holdeth by two titles first by inheritance then by purchase As he obtained by inheritance hee reserueth that title to himselfe alone but whatsoeuer he hath had by purchase hee hath giuen vs the title of it And not only this doth he giue vs but also the graces of the spirit though not to one all nor to all in one measure An afflicted minde seeing one of the children of God haue this another that gift is grieued that he hath not all It is an error Christ giueth not to one all but deuideth all among many But there is one speciall grace which I cannot haue and that is feeling Hast thou faith blessed art thou that belieuest and that without feeling Doe you belieue you haue a rich gift you must not haue all If you haue any gifts it is well the gifts are diuided Be content with thy portion and I say vnto thee that thy Faith without feeling is more precious to God thē thy faith with feeling If by thy faith thou hast made the diuell a drone that he cannot sting and a toothles dog that he cannot bite it is sufficient Content thy selfe with thy portion vntill the Lord come from heauen vntill hee be all in all and then thou shalt haue all ioy in all perfection 5 Two things are necessarie truely to espouse vs to CHRIST the one is to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart CHAP. XIX of Death and Iudgement MAnie make no account of the death of the soule because they feele it not as they doe the death of the bodie Euery man feareth a Palsie an Epilepsie and an Apoplexie because they strike dead but if a man be in a consumption where hee shall be decaying seuen yeares he thinks nothing of it Likewise if an house fall suddenly we say it perisheth but if it moulder away we little regard it In Hosh. 5 vers 7. 12. The Lord threatneth to be a Lyon to Israel and a moath to Iudah Surely when the wrath of God as a moathe hath secretly fed on vs ere we know it our soules doe as it were bleede to death For as hee that bleedeth to death feeleth little vntill suddenly his strength faileth so in the death of the soule a man doth not perceiue how his strength is gone or euer he be aware It may be the Lord will not be vnto vs as a Lyon but as a moath we shall not happily die of an Apoplexie but of a consumption and CHRIST the Sauiour shall laugh at our destruction 2 We can better away to meditate on Death which Sathan couereth with eternitie following then on the day of Iudgement where wee must all make our account 3 The bare meditation of Death doth so farre moue vs from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things as that Reason disswadeth vs not to make any cost about a Tenement where wee
none there it is good to make many doubts and hence commeth conference all these meanes are to be vsed for God sometime blesseth one and not another we must vse all least we should tempt God some heare and not reade some reade and not meditate some keepe their studie and neuer conferre Faith is a knowledge it is called a demonstration it hath alwaies relation vnto the word as the schollers learning is the Maisters doctrine Wicked men know the Scriptures as it is a knowledge but they cannot applie it and haue the true vse men of God speake as if they were moued therfore the interpretation of the scripture must be of the same spirit no man knoweth the minde of God but Gods spirit CHAP. XII Daemonis appellationes or the diuers names giuen to the Diuell in scripture THE Diuell is called Daimôn of his great knowledge and great experience Diábolos of his slaundering and false accusing peir ázan of sifting boring and broching the faithfull to see what is in them skoloposarkòs of making vs subiect to the rebellion of the flesh the Diuell of doing euill or à diuellendo or else as in the old english monuments the diuels fetched from the Greeke Diábolos for his authoritie the Prince of this world that is of the corrupt estate of the world for his forme and vgly shape the Prince of darkenes for his vntruth a lying spirit for his filthines an vncleane spirit for his hurting a serpent for his experience in hurting an old serpent for his strength a Lion for his greedines a ramping or roaring Lion for his poyson a Dragon for his alluring a tempter for his constraining an armed man hauing store of darts sometimes he ramps and roares in one sharpe with hornes and clawes full of terrour in a Lions skinne which is especially in the euill day at the houre of death Sometimes he transformes himselfe into an Angels shape in bright apparell full of compassion in the mantle of Samuel in a religious habit full of scripture euery other word is scriptum est setting an ambush of Diuels to inuade vs holding the crosse and this is his craft If he be able to change himselfe into an Angell of light much more is he into a shadow of the night for he setteth his nets and diggeth his pits in euery thing to take vs in our flesh by ease or pleasure or pride of the eyes suis mimis by death and the feare of it In our soule he hath his forge and bellowes euill motions lusts suggestions to kindle the fire of concupiscence in our affections bending our feare and our loue and such like to that which they should not be imployed vnto in our reason by casting doubts and planting the roote of bitternes in vs which is infidelitie in the creatures by abusing of them or by vnthankfull receiuing of them in the world by hauing his nets in riches preferments euill examples customes and euill companie in melancholie humors perswading despaire to be true sorrow in cholericke bodies perswading wrath to be good zeale in ciuill wisedome by mingling policie with Christianitie in our best motions by mingling with repentance distrust in Gods mercies with faith securitie in making vs measure Gods loue or hatred by blessings or afflictions of this life in preuenting vs of good by breeding in our hearts a loathsomnes of the word and wearines in the meaner in stripping Christ of his high Priests garments and true office of mediatorship vrging sometime these sayings Except ye also repent ye shall all likewise perish which kinde of sentences are not so properly his as belonging to his office which is a Mediator and true Sauiour 2 Sathan is inuisible changeth himselfe into an Angell of light that he cannot be discerned by the eye no nor by reason he windeth himselfe into our reason Peter thought Christ should not dye what reason was it that the sonne of man should dye CHAP. XIII Of the contempt of the Ministerie 1 IEhu being threatned called the Prophet a madbraine for so they iudged of them that digressed any whit from the set composition of words and orderly precepts of their arte which no doubt therefore hath and will come to passe because men can no longer either lend eye or eare than either they can see by reason or discerne by arte or whiles the speaker keepeth himselfe within this ordinarie course of stile or carieth himselfe euen in an orderly and oratorious period so long as wittie inuention comely compassing of matter proportionable measure of words are afforded but if a man come to cut vp the conscience and in some vehemencie of spirit dealeth more roughly and lesse orderly with their speciall sinnes then he is brainesicke and runneth as they say besides the text Neither are these complainers sillie soules but learned Parthians and wise Arabians men elaborate in arte skilfull in precepts and proud Babylonians who cannot discerne betweene a godly vehemencie of spirit for the Lord of hosts sake and a rayling austeritie of speech for malice or vaine glorie sake If then Paul be misconstrued wrongfully he must recompence such sinnes with meekenes patiently whereby often the Lord hath brought to passe that the proudest heart of most obstinate gainesayers haue beene more broken seeing the mild sufferance of the Ministers of Christ than if they had beene pursued with most hote reuengement which then especially experience hath proued true when the Lord with some crosse and humilation sealing the truth of his faithfull and zealous seruants hath caused many to thinke themselues to haue resisted the graces of God and persecuted the gifts of God in them whom they thought before to be curious precise and seekers of singularitie 2 Grieuous enough it is when our corne our cattell our goods and treasure shall come to the tables of our enemies but what though we be yet freed from such Chaldaeans yet is there a great famine in the land which they little thinke of that are the Church-robbers whom we falsely call Patrons of the Church Little thinke they of it who in stead of feeding to saluation starue many thousands to destruction in whom if there were any loue of God from their hearts I dare say and say it boldly that for all the promotions vnder heauen they would not offer that iniurie to one soule that now they offer to many hundred soules But Lord how do they thinke to giue vp their reckning to thee who in most strict account wilt take the answere of euery soule committed vnto them one by one Or with what eares doe they often heare that vehement speech of our Sauiour Christ feede feede feede With what eyes doe they so often reade that pearcing speech of the Apostles feede the flocke whereof you are ouerseers looke vnto the flock committed vnto you But if none of this will mooue them then the Lord open their eares to heare the grieuous grones of many soules lying vnder the grislie altars of destruction