minister vnto him so we so soone as Christ hath done any thing for vs should rise vp immediatly to serue him And as Annah when she had receiued a sonne from God did consecrate him to God againe so whatsoeuer wee receiue of God wee must giue it to God againe that is vse it to his glorie and make it one of our meanes to serue him for all things which wee receiue in this life are giuen vnto vs lest we should want any means to serue God Then because the Apostle requireth Thankes for all things I shewed you that hee is not thankfull before God which thankes him onely for his benefites but he is thankfull indeede which thankes him for his chastisement It may be while the Lord giueth many will say Blessed be the name of the Lord. But when the Lord taketh who wil say Blessed bee the name of the Lorde When the Lord did take Iob sayd Blessed be the name of the Lord. There is one example then of Pauls doctrine which in all things gaue thankes The Prophet Dauid saith Thy staffe and thy rodde haue comforted me there is another example of Paules doctrine which gaue thankes vnto God for his rod for an obedient childe doth not only kisse the hand which giueth but the rod which beateth After speaking of these wordes Quench not the Spirite I shewed you that Spirit doth signifie the giftes and the motions of the Spirite The Spirite in the third of Matthew is likened to fire and therefore Paul saith well Quench not the Spirite because fire may bee quenched Heere I tooke occasion to speake of zeale which is the fire of the spirit shewing you that God is pleased with zeale as men are pleased with loue but as Christ did baptize with fire so Iohn did baptize with water and as the holy Ghost descended with fire so he did descend with winde that cooleth fire shewing that our zeale should be a temperat zeale as our Maisters was Esaiah was commaunded to crie but not to roare the Iewes might not gather too much Manna no more than they might gather too little As there is a measure in knowledge so there is a measure in zeale that is Be zealous according to discretion as Paule saith Be wise according to sobrietie The Disciples were commended for their zeale when they left all to followe Christ but Christ reprooued them for their zeale when they would pray for fire from heauen to consume the Samaritanes Therefore zeale and discretion vnited together are like vnto the two lyons which supported the Throane of Salomon and hee which hath them both is like Moses for his mildnesse like Phineas for his feruencie therefore as wine is tempered with water so let discretion temper zeale But I neede not bring water to quēch that fire which is out alreadie I would rather I could say of you You are too zealous as Paule told the Athenians they were too superstitious But our sicknesse is not a hot sicknesse but a colde sicknesse the hot bodie is distempered but the colde bodie is dead Zeale was neuer infamous before our dayes the Papists are commended if they be zealous but the Protestant if he be zealous is held in derision Then I shewed you how the spirit is quenched as a man doth quench his reason with ouermuch wine and therefore we say when the wine is in the wit is out because before he seemes to haue reason and now he seemes to haue none so our zeale and our faith and our loue are quenched with sinne Euerie vaine thought and euery idle word and euery wicked deed is like so many drops to quench the Spirit of God Some quench it with the busines of this world some quench it with the lustes of the flesh some quench it with the cares of the minde some quench it with long delayes that is not plying the motion when it commeth but crossing the good thought with bad thoughts and doing a thing when the Spirite sayth Doo it not as Achab went to battell after he was forbidden Sometime a man shall feele him selfe stirred to a good worke as though hee were led to it by the hand and againe he shall be frighted from some euill thing as though he were reprooued in his eare then if hee resist hee shall straight feele the spirit going out of him and heare a voyce pronouncing him guiltie and hee shall hardly recouer his peace againe Therefore Paule saith Grieue not the Spirite shewing that the spirite is often grieued before it be quenched and that when a man begins to grieue and checke and persecute the spirit lightly he neuer ceasseth vntill he haue quenched it that is vntill he seeme to haue no spirit at all but walketh like a lumpe of flesh After Quench not the Spirite followeth Despise not prophecying In the ende of this Epistle Paule speaketh like a father which is come to the ende of his life who because he hath but a while to speake heapeth his Lessons together which he would haue his sons remember when he is gone so Paul as though he were set to giue good counsel and had not leasure to speake that he would sendeth the Thessalonians a briefe of his minde which their meditation should after amplifie expound vnto them His first aduice is Quench not the Spirite that is when a good motion commeth welcome it like a frend and crosse it not with thy lusts The second admonition teacheth how the first should be kept Despise not prophecying and the spirite will not quench because prophesying doth kindle it The third admonition teacheth how to make fruite of the second Trie the doctrines of them which prophecie and thou shalt not beleeue errour for truth but hold the best The fourth admonition is the summe of all and it commeth last because it is longest in learning that is Abstaine from all appearance of euill This is the summe of all for he which can abstaine not onely from euill but from the appearance of euill is so perfect as a man can be in this sinfull life put all these together and it is as if Paule should say Quench not the spirite by despising of prophesying neither despise prophesying because all do no prophecie alike but rather when you heare some preach one way and some another when you see some follow him and others follow him do you trie the doctrines by the Scripture as the men of Beroea did and chuse that which is best and soundest and truest hauing alway such an eye to the truth that you abstaine from all appearance of error so iealous the holy ghost would haue vs of our faith that we set no article vpon our religion but that which is an vndoubted truth As Moses did nothing in the Tabernacle but that which was shewed in his patterne It seemes that there were some among the Thessalonians as there be among vs which did forsake all
our sinnes are washed with Christes bloud when our bodies are washed they are taken out of the water againe to signifie how we shall be raised from death to life by the resurrection of Christ and how we should rise from sinne to righteousnesse thus we begin our life with a solemne promise to God before the Church to serue him with our bodies and soules till death vs depart Now let vs remember how we haue kept this promise with the Lord or rather how we haue broken promise with him then we gaue our selues to GOD but since we haue giuen our selues to sinne then wee promised to renounce the world but euer since we haue embraced the world therefore now let vs begin to pay that which we ought so long and pray the Lord which hath instituted this Sacrament as a seale of his mercie to receiue this child into his fauour as we receiue it into his Church to baptize it with his spirit as wee baptize it with water and powre vpon it his grace as we giue it the signe of grace FINIS THE PILGRIMS WISH PHILIP 1. 23. I desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ. HEere is Pauls desire to be dissolued and the cause that he might be with Christ wherein first you shal see the difference betweene the faithfull and the wicked how one loatheth this life and the other longeth after it Secondly because the Apostle seemes to desire death you shall see whether any man may wish to die Thirdly because after his dissolution hee hopes to bee with Christ you shall see the diuersitie of iudgements betweene Paul and the Papists which think when they are dead that they shall goe on to Purgatorie Lastlie because the soules which are with Christ cannot walke as they did when they liued vpon the earth you shall heare a little of walking spirits which haue beene so much talked of in the time of poperie and were taken for the soules of them which were dead after wee will speake a little of the Sacrament which yee come to receiue and so commit you to God I desire to be dissolued Before Christes comming when the Kings or Patriarches died it is said that they went to their fathers as we read of Dauid and Salomon c. but after Christs comming when the faithfull die they are said to go to Christ as we read of the penitent thief Luke 23. 43. Not because the Patriarches went not to Christ as well as they but because yet Christ was not ascended to heauen therefore they are not to go to Christ although if they went to heauen they must needes go to Christ because Christ touching his Godhead was alwaies in heauen I desire to be dissolued As the wordly long for Christ to come to them so the faithful long to go to Christ for vnlesse we ascend to him as he descended to vs his descending is in vaine because he came downe that we might go vp he descended to take our flesh we ascende to take his kingdom he descended to be crucified we ascende to be glorified he descended to hell we ascend to heauen that is to ioy to glory to blisse to our father to our Sauiour to our comforter to Angels to Saints to eternall life therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be at rest for no doubt it was the sweetest voice that euer the theefe heard in this life when Christ said vnto him This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise Luke 23. chapt vers 45. Besides as Paul persecuâ—ed before so he was after persecuted himselfe as he tels the Corinthians 2. Cor. 11. 24. I was thrise beaten with rods I was once stoned I suffered thrise shipwrake c. Therefore good cause had Paul to desire to be with Christ that he might be out of trouble Yet he wil not dissolue himself but desireth to be dissolued that is that he which brought him into this world would take him out of the world neither doth he wish or pray or make any petitioÌ„ to God to take away his life but tels him his desire desiring to be dissolued to desire is not to pray but shewes what we approue neither doth he desire so to be dissolued as though he were weary of his labors would suffer no more for Christ but he is content to liue as he saith in the 24. vers Neuertheles for me to abide in the flesh were better for you as if he should say to do you good I am content to suffer euil and stay still from Christ whom I long to be with Seeing then that he wil not dissolue himself nor pray to be dissolued but is content to liue stil why doth he say I desire to be dissolued Onelie to shew what he preferreth in his desire if hee might choose life or death for his owne respect he could be content to leaue friends and riches and pleasures and life and all onely to bee with Christ This seemes to be a good lesson for sickemen when they can liue no longer then to be with Christ were better then to be with the glutton which neuer thought of heauen til he was in hell but Paul was not sicke nor sore when he desired to be dissolued therefore this is not onely for the sicke but for the whole If he had wished to liue stay still in the world no man need to be taught to say after him for yong old desire not to be dissolued but few are content to bee dissolued To a naturall man in this life nothing is so sweete as life it selfe and he which is in loue with this world seldome dyeth quietly vpon his bed but to a minde which misliketh this worlde nothing can come so welcome as death because it takes him out of the world This it is which Paul would haue vs learne that nothing in this world is so pretious or pleasant that for it we should desire to liue or stay from God one hower though all may not wish to die yet all must subscribe to this that death is better then life because it leads to Christ which when Paul had throughlie tasted he was satisfied for all things else and desired to liue no longer that he might bee with Christ heerein appeareth the end of mans life which when he hath obtayned he desireth to liue no longer how great riches and honours and friends soeuer he leaue behind him From the time he knoweth Christ crucified and begins like Enoch to walke with God he cryeth euer after with the Apostle I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ who shall deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne death weare to me aduantage Euen as Simeon reioiced that Christ came to him so the faithfull reioice that they shall go to Christ The necessitie of sinne is so irksome to him which knoweth the vilenesse of sinne that the faithfull man but to doe good would not liue
that day when Christ shall say vnto him as he said to the penitent theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thus you haue heard the difference betweene the faithfull and the wicked how the one lotheth this life and the other longeth after it Now wee come to our questions Simeon said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace so Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ they doubted not as the Papists doe what should become of them after death for one saith that he goes to Christ the other saith that he goes to peace therefore it seemes that Purgatorie was not yet found when the iust men went to peace This is one of the fruits of a godly life it hath hope saith Salomon in the end in death it warranteth a man of life when the flesh saith feare and the serpent despaire it makes the flesh crouch and the serpent flye the soule reioyce while death is opening the prison doore that she may flie to her countrey from whence she came Therefore what shall I say to Purgatorie if Paul go to Christ Simeon goe to peace Some say that it is in the ayre some say that it is in the earth some vnder the earth some a little aboue hell Thus Nabuchadnezzar cannot assoile his owne dreame You must vnderstand that Purgatorie is like your paynted Sepulchers which are framed more for the liuing then for the dead for you know that the locusts of Rome liue by Trentals and Dirges and Masses for the dead as the Siluersmiths in Ephesus liued by Images and therefore as they were loth that Images should goe downe so they are loth that their Purgatorie should bee quenched for it is the gainfullest lye in all Poperie for out of this lake issue their Masses and Dirges and Trentals for the dead They are sayd for the dead but they make for the liuing For the dead haue no portion of al that is done vnder the sun doe what you will say what you can Masses Dirges or Trentals they haue no portion in it for they haue receiued their reward alreadie and the tree lieth where it fell yet these foolish virgins hope for oyle of the wise virgins and thinke they shall be paied for other mens labours and almes and trentals pilgrimages and Masses as though they neuer read that the iust shall liue by his owne faith that he which beleeueth shal not go to iudgement but passe from death to life that they that die in the Lord rest from their labours how doe they goe presently into Paradise if they stay at Purgatorie and fire torments Hath Christ satisfied for vs must wee now make satisfaction for our selues Whither the glutton and the beggar are gone thither must we all that is to Abrahams bosome or hell fire there are but two kindes of men and therefore but two waies and where then is Purgatorie which the best of the fathers confesseth that he could neuer finde in Scripture Therefore take heed of hell for Purgatorie is but a scarre babe Furthermore when Paul sayth that he shall goe to Christ this seemes to resolue the old question often debated among the simple people once deluded whether the soules of men departed walke after death and appeare vnto men exhorting them to this or that as Gregorie or some counterfeit reporteth in his Dialogues The Apostles before their full groweth might seeme to bee incumbred with this errour because when they saw Christ walking vpon the waters they sayd It is a spirite and when Peter knocked at the doore in the night they sayd to Rhode a Damsell It is his Angel Act. 12. 15. Which errour was drawen from the elusion of Sathan and vulgar opinion receiued from Pythagoras which taught that the soules of men departed did returne into the bodies of other men after death either for correction or for reward if they were good soules then they were preferred to better men if they had been badde soules then they were cast into worse bodies then they had before a fine Philosophicall dreame This deluded Herod when hee heard of Christ he supposed that Iohn Baptist was risen againe whom he had beheaded and the better sort of the people as we reade in Mat. 16. 14. dreamed that Christ was Elias or Iohn Baptist or Ieremie or some of the Prophets risen againe But touching the soule once departed from the body that it returnes not nor can returne into the world many examples and testimonies and reasons the order of our resurrection declareth The soules of the righteous are in the hands of the Lord no man or diuell can take them out of his hands the soules of the wicked are in the hands of the diuell and God will not take them out of his hands and therefore Abraham sayth He which is here cannot come from hence and they which be there cannot come frō thence for then the paines of hell were not euerlasting paynes not the ioyes of heauen euerlasting ioyes but temporal like the paynes and ioyes of this world Therefore it is no soule which walks about How then What is this which I see in the night like such a man and such a man The Diuell which chaungeth himselfe into an Angell of light to deceiue can change himself into the likenes of a man much more that is it which thou seest as Saul sawe Samuel 1. Sam. 28. 8. not Samuel himselfe For could the Witch raise Samuel out of the graue which could not keepe her selfe out of the graue or could the diuell disturbe the Prophet after death Then he should neuer be quiet if the diuell could disturbe him because hee disquieteth the godlie so much while they liue If this apparation bee called Samuel how doth he call it Samuell if it be not Samuel As the Bookes of Caluine are called Caluine as the picture of Beza is called Beza as he which playeth the King vpon a stage is called a King as the golden Myce and Hemerodes which the Philistines layd in the Arke were called Myce and Hemerodes although they were but meere shapes and figures of them so this likenesse of Samuel is called Samuell though it was not Samuel in deede but a counterfeit shape of Samuel For GOD would not answere Saul before by Oracle nor by Priest nor by Prophet and would hee aunswere him by the dead which dooth forbid to aske counsell of the dead No sayth Abraham they haue Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. As if hee should say let them learne of the bookes of the dead for the dead shall not returne vnto them Againe if it had been Samuel himselfe which had taught Saul to worship GOD woulde that holie Prophet haue receiued worship himselfe as this spirit did Againe If it had been Samuel Sauls Schoolemaster which taught him alwayes to repent while hee liued hee would rather haue exhorted him to repentance now
then before seeing the daye of his death was so neere But you will say Whatsoeuer it was it seemes that he could prophecie of things to come for hee foretold Sauls death Can the diuell prophecie This was an easie matter for the diuell to prophecie because he knew that Dauid was annoynted before and therefore Saul must be remooued that he might reigne as he was annoynted Secondly he knew that Samuel had prophecied his confusion and therefore hee must bee degraded that the Prophecie might bee fulfilled Thirdly hee did see the Philistins comming against him and therefore no meruaile if he did aime that his death was neere at hand seeing a man might prophecie the same If any man bee not satisfied with this to beleeue that the soules of the dead doe not walke after their dissolution let mee reason with him thus Is it a soule which thou seest Why a soule is a spirit and cannot bee scene no more then a voyce or an Eccho diddest thou euer see thine own soule though it hath been euer with thee since thou was borne Doest thou thinke it is a bodie Why a bodie cannot walke without a soule for the soule is the life which mooueth the bodie If thou say it is a bodie and soule too then why doth Paul call death a dissolution It is a separation of the soule from the bodie if the bodie and soule bee not dissolued then the man is not dead but liuing still If thou say the soule is come to the bodie and the bodie is risen to the soule for that time then I can say no more to thee but beleeue thine owne eyes If thou thinkest that it is such a mans bodie which thou seest looke in the graue and open the ground and there thou shalt see the bodie where it was laide euen while this vizard walkes in thy sight therefore apparitions are no other then that which appeared to Saul Thus the Diuel hath many wayes to deceiue and this is one a dangerous one to draw vs from the word of God to visions dreames and apparitions vpon which many of the doctrines of the Papists are grounded They had neuer heard of Purgatorie but for these spirites which walked in the night and tolde them they were the soules of such and such which suffered in fire till their masses and almes and pilgrimages did raunsome them out So these night spirits begate Purgatorie and Purgatorie begate trentalles as one Serpent hatcheth another Yet a third question riseth out of these wordes and that is this Whether a Christian may wish for death As Paul desired so may wee desire if wee haue Pauls spirit As Christ told his Disciples when they asked him whether they should pray for fire from heauen as Elias did Christ answered that they knewe not of what spirit they were as if he should say If you were of Elias spirit and did praye with the same mind and to the same end that he did then you might pray as he prayed The wicked wish to die because they would bee rid of the crosse and suffer no more for God as Cain so soone as he was cursed and knew that his life should be a torment he sought to dye to preuent the iust iudgement of God spight him as it were which shuld punish sinnes So doe the people oftentimes which haue not to satisfie hunger the sicke which saint of an incurable disease and the wearie captiues in prison galleis and bonds As for the faithfull if they at any time wish to die they pray for death as the last remedy against sinne and Sathan euen as they pray in the Reuelation for the hastening of Christs comming to iudgement Come Lord Iesus come quickly for the shortening of the daies of sinne least all flesh should perish But they which wish for death in this sorte would dye as the will of God hath ordained and mortifie their flesh to abide these troubles and still by fayth suppresse the doloruos griefe of sin by frequent meditation of inward ioy receiued by grace in Christ and therein reuiue themselues as with the earnest pennie of their inheritance which they shall receiue at the fit time when it shall comfort them much to haue suffered so long Much therefore haue they to answere which are not contented to die in peace and stay till they bee dissolued but as though themselues were the authors of life death from cruell heart giue wrongfull commission to the bloodie hand to cut asunder that which God hath ioyned the louing soule and their body as Iudas Achitophel Saul and Pilate did not one of these was good in life or death Yet the Author of the Macchabees commendeth Raz is most of all for that which was the greatest sinne that euer he did for killing himselfe Man was not borne of his owne pleasure neither must hee die at his owne lust or else it had been good for Iob which suffered more than any Saint except Christ to make away himselfe as Iudas did But why is it commanded then thou shall nor kill If thou maist not kill another much lesse maist thou kill thy selfe As for the example of Sampson Iud. 16. 30. which may seeme to oppose against this in that he killed himselfe when as he pulled the house vpon his owne head and all that were with him vnderstand that hee was a figure of Christ which vanquished moe in his death than in all his life and it appeareth that he had warrant from God in that his strength being taken from him was for the acte in a moment restored to him vpon his prayer And the Epistle to the Hebr. 11. 13. to cleere that fact saith that he did it of faith that is knowing that he had deserued to die and that by these meanes the enemies of God should bee destroyed he submitted himselfe to the good will of GGD like a good Captaine which ventured his life to kill his enemies therefore we must not looke to particultr examples but to the generall law Wherfore let no man doe this euill that any good may come of it but rather follow the aduise of the holy Apostle as it becommeth vs with patience let vs runne out the race which is set before vs. Here I might shew you that they are guiltie of their owne death that kill themselues with surfetting intemperance drunkennesse c. although they loue their life too deare yet they take all meanes to hasten their deaths Thus much of Purgatorie night spirits and praying for death Nowe it remaneth that as the Leuites sanctified their brethren before they did eate the Passeouer so I would prepare you before yee eate this holy Sacrament of which the passeouer was but a signe The Iewes were taught of God before they did eate the Passeouer to put away leauen out of their houses the daie before Exod. 12. 15. Hath God care of leauen No this is it which the Apostle teacheth 1. Corinth 5.
deliuer them to other like an experienst medicine which himselfe hath proued Thus much of preaching nowe to you which heare Thinke that you are gathering Manna and that it is God which speakes vnto you and that you shall giue account for euery lesson which ye heare and therefore record like Marie whē you are gone and the seede which wee sowe shall grow faster then the seed which you sow FINIS THE HEAVENLY THRIFT Whosoeuer hath to him shall bee giuen and whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken euen that which it seemeth that hee hath Luke 8. 18. THe next wordes before are take heede howe you heare the reason followes to make vs take heede howe we heare hee saith Whosoeuer hath c. This sentence hath two hands as it were one giueth and the other taketh therfore one calleth it a comfortable saying and a dreadfull saying for it blesseth some and curseth other like Moses which saued the Israelite and slewe the Egyptian Whosoeuer hath to him shalbe giuen there goeth the blessing Whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken there runneth the curse Thus looking backe to the words before viz. Take heede how you heare This doctrine commeth vnto vs that he which taketh heed how he heareth sprouteth and flourisheth like a twigge which hath life in it till it come to a tree but hee which taketh no heede how he heareth fadeth and withereth like a stocke which is dead vntill hee hath not onely lost the giftes which hee had but till the spirite doe leaue him too and he seeme as naked to men as Adam did to GOD. The like sentence in the twentie one of Mathew where it is said The kingdom of heauen shall bee taken from you and shall bee giuen to a Nation which will bring foorth the fruites thereof there is a taking from them which bring no fruites and a giuing to them which bring fruites The like is in the 22. of the Reuelat. where it is said Let him which is iust be iust still and let him which is filthie bee filthy still whereby it is meant that the iust shall bee more iust and the filthy shall bee more filthie The like is in the 15. of Iohn 2. where it is saide Euery branch which bringeth no fruite he taketh away but euery branch which bringeth foorth fruite he purgeth that it may bring foorth more fruite The likeis in the 25. of Matthew where this sentence is repeated agayne after the Parable of the Talents as to one seruaunt were committed fiue Talents and to another two and to another one to increase and multiplie and hee which vsed his Talent doubled it and hee which hid his Talent lost it euen so to euery man GOD hath giuen some gifte of Iudgement or tongues or interpretation or counsell to employ and doe good and hee which vseth that gift which God hath giuen him to the profite of others and Gods glorie shall receiue moe giftes of GOD as the seruant which vsed two Talents receiued two more but he which vseth it not but abuseth it as many doe that gifte which he hath shal be taken from him as the odde Talent was from the seruant which had but one shewing that one gifte is too much for the wicked and therefore it shal not stay with him One would thinke it should be sayd Whosoeuer hath not to him shall be giuen and whosoeuer hath from him shall bee taken for God biddeth vs giue to them which want But this is contrarie for he taketh from them which want giueth to them which haue It is sayd that our thoughts are not like Gods thoughtes and so our giftes are not like Gods giftes for he giueth spirituall things and we giue temporall things Temporall things are to be giuen to them which haue not but spirituall things to them which haue Therefore Christ calleth none to receiue his worde and spirite and grace but them which hunger and thirst which is the first possession of heauen When it is saide It shall be giuen GOD sheweth himselfe rich and bountifull because he giueth to them which haue that is hee giueth after he hath giuen for What hath any which hee hath not receiued Therefore none can saie as Esau sayd to Isaac Hast thou but one blessing my Father For he blesseth when he hath blessed as a spring runneth when it hath runne First marke the growthe of Gods giftes in them which vse them how he watereth his seede like a Gardener vntill it spring in the earth and then he watereth it agayne vntill it spring aboue the earth and after hee watereth it agayne vntill it bring foorth fruit vpon the earth therefore GOD is called The Lord of the Haruest because the seede and the blade and the eare and the corne and all doe come from him After you shall see the wan◠and the Eclipse of their giftes which vse them not howe their learning and knowledge and iudgement dooth betray them as strength went from Sampson when hee had lost his hayre till at last they may say like Zedechiah When did the spirite departe from mee When did loue departe from me When did knowledge depart from mee When did my zeale departe from mee The first part of this sentence is like the gratulation to him which vseth this talent in the twēty fiue of Mathew Good and faithfull seruaunt I will make thee Lord ouer much The second part is like the Obiurgation to him which hidde his Talent Naughtie and sloathfull seruant take his Talent from him So GOD beginneth here to separate betweene the sheep and the Goats Iacob shall not be cursed because Esau is cursed Neither shall Esau bee blessed because Iacob is blessed But the Lord Knoweth who are his and who are not and therefore he saith wosoeuer hath and whosoeuer hath not as though he knew them all whosoeuer they bee This Scripture was performed before it was written For when Adam serued GOD God serued him he consulted for a Mansion for him he consulted for meat for him hee consulted for a companion for him vntill Adam rebelled against God wee read of nothing that God did but his workes for Adam sixe dayes together as though he had beene hired to labour for him But when hee left his innocencie then God began to take againe that which he had giuen he lost his wisdome he lost his quietnesse hee lost his libertie hee his glorie hee lost his dwelling like the man which fell amongst theeues Thus while Adam had righteousnesse it might bee sayde of him Whosoeuer hath to him shall bee giuen And when he had not righteousnes it might be sayd of him too From him which hath not shall be taken God is called a Father because he is like a Father which taketh a pleasure to see his sonne thriue and grieueth to see him an vnthrist First he giueth vs a stock to prooue our husbandrie and then if wee thriue with that hee dooth adde more vnto it now a little
when you heare that saying then remember these examples how he hath fulfilled it before After come the apostles and they shew some hardened some bewitched some blinded Paule tels how Demas fel away and Iohn sheweth how many fel away Thus the Prophets and Apostles on either side and Christ in the mids hold vp this threatning as if it were a pit which all are falling into The soule of man is called the temple of the holy Ghost As God pulled downe his temple when it became a den of theeues so he forsaketh the temple of the soule taketh his graces with him as frō a diuorsed spouse when it lusteth after other loues With any Talent he giueth this charge Vse increase it vntill I come being left at last the commeth againe to see what we haue done The seede was sowen this yeere the Lord cals for fruite none will come the next yeere the next after and none comes at last the curse goeth foorth Neuer fruit grow vpon thee more Then as the figtree began to wither so his giftes begin to paire as if a worme were still gnawing at them his knowledge leeseth his relish like the Iewes Manna his iudgement rustes like a sworde which is not vsed his zeale trembleth as though it were in a Palsie his faith withereth as though it were blasted and the image of death is vpon all his religion After this he thinketh like Sampson to pray as he did and speake as he did and hath no power but wondereth like zedekias how the spirit is gone from him Now when the good spirit is gone then commeth the spirit of blindenesse and the spirit of errour and the spirite of feare and all to seduce the spirite of man After this by little and little first he falles into error then he comes vnto heresie at last hee plungeth into dispaire after this if he enquire God will not suffer him to learne if he read God will not suffer him to vnderstand if he heare God will not suffer him to remember if hee pray God seemeth vnto him like Baal which could not heare at last hee beholdeth his wretchednes as Adam looked vpon his nakednes and mourneth for his gifts as Rachel wept for her children because they were not All this commeth to passe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Whosoeuer hath not from him shall be taken that which he seemeth to haue As the ship sinketh vpon the Sea while the merchant sporteth vpon the Land and makes him a banquerout when he thinketh that his goods are comming in so while wee are secure and the heart spendeth and the eare bringeth not in by little and little the stocke decaieth and moe become banquerouts in Religion than in all trades beside When a man sinneth he thinketh with himselfe I will doe this no more after another sinne promiseth as much profite as that and hee saith againe I will doe this no more presently another sinne promiseth as much profite as that and hee saith againe I will doe this and no more There goeth strength and there commeth a wound so the soule bleedeth to death and knoweth not her sicknesse till she be at the last gaspe Euen as a man vndresseth himselfe to bed first hee casteth off his cloake and then his coate and then his dublet so when GOD rifleth our hearts he pulleth away one feather after another first he wounds his faith after he strikes his loue then he blindeth his knowledge thē he shall haue no delight to heare the word after he shall growe to hate the Preachers of the word at last he shall euen hate the word it selfe This is the bleeding of the soule or the spiritual consumption when graces drop away as the haires fall from an hoarie head before death Let Achitophel be a spectacle for all to feare he was counted a wise man and a deepe Councellor yet because it was the wisedome of the flesh the storie saith that GOD turned his wisedome into follie and that he might seeme foolish as he was in deede God made him to hang himselfe whereby his follie was more notorious then his wisedome But most notable is the example of persecuting Saul when he began to fall he ran headlong First he fell in hatred of Dauid then he fell in hatred of GOD after God fell in hatred of him Anon the spirit departed from him At last hee sought for helpe at Witches which he had condemned before This is the propertie of sin to spurre a man forward vntill he commit that which he condemneth himselfe that he may be tormented of his owne conscience Now if I might applie this scripture as Christ sayth are there no mo sinners but they vpon whom the Tower of Shilo fell So I may say is the Talent taken from none but from him which hid it in the ground Nay Saul was but a type of many which should loose the spirit Sampson was but a type of manie which should lose their strength Demas was but a type of many which shoulde imbrace the world as Dauid cryeth How are the mightie ouerthrowne So wee may mourne and say how are the zealous cooled how are the diligent tired They which should season others are become like the white of an egge which hath no taste once they seemed to haue fruite but now they are not hanged with leaues As God cryed vnto Adam Adam where art thou so they may cry Zeale where art thou Learning where art thou Conscience where art thou Loue where art thou They which shined like the Sun when they rose seeme now to be eclipsed of their light The world hath won the flesh the flesh hath won the spirit and Iordaine is turned backe As God tooke heat from the fire when it would burne his Children so he taketh knowledge from the learned when they turne it to euill Now when they see such ruines of their gifts with what heart can they thinke I am the tree whom Christ accurseth or I am the seruant of whom it is sayd Take his Talent from him Therefore I say to you as Christ sayd remember Lots wife as her bodie was turned into salt so your wisedome may turne into follie your knowledge may turne into ignorance your vnderstanding may turne into blindnesse your zeale may turne into coldnes therefore let al which haue a Talent take heede how they vse it Three thinges I note in these words then end First Christ saith not It shall be taken from them which haue but from them which seeme to haue Lest they which stande should feare to fall Paul saith not Let him which standeth take heed lest he fall but let him which thinketh he standeth so lest they which haue the Spirit shuld feare Christ saith It shall bee taken from them which seeme to haue Marke how warilie the Scripture speaketh for this speech doth shew that many shall fall and yet it doth shew that none shall fall but they which seem to stand that none shall lose