⧠A profitable Exposition of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers for most playnnes Together with many fruitfull applications to the life and Soule aswell for the terror of the dull and dead as for the sweet comfort of the tender harted By Geruase Babington With a Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Booke PSALME 119. O how sweete are thy words vnto my throte yea sweeter than honie vnto my mouth AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Charde 1588. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERY singular good Lord Henry Earle of Penbrooke Lord Harbert of Cardiff Marnion and S. Quintine Lord President of Wales and the Marches thereof and of the most Honorable Order of the Garter Knight and to the Right Honorable and vertuous Ladie the Countesse his wife G.B. wisheth all mercie and comfort in Christ Iesus both here now and for euer COnsider the olde generatiōs of mē ye children sayd that wise Sonne of Sirach Right Honorable and my very singular good Lord in his tyme marke them well VVas there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken Or whom did he euer despise that called vpon him Agreeably truely to all Scriptures and experiences euer if they were searched For such a thing is it to cleaue vnto the Lorde with a faithfull heart that the Bride may forget to trim her selfe the day she is maried and the mother her Jnfant she bare of her bodie and esteemeth full deere before the Lord of heauen can forget such The Lorde knoweth the daies of the vpright men their inheritance shalbe perpetual They shall not be confounded in the perillous tyme and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Though he fall he shall not bee cast of for the Lord putteth vnder his hand The Lord shall exalt them as themselues shall see and their ende sayth the Prophet shall bee peace Thousands of comforts hath the word mo yet these are both many and great ones if we marke thē Gayne is not godlinesse saith the Apostle but godlinesse is great gayne and hath the promise both of this life that to come VVherfore Right Honorable more ioye in this than in all the earth if it might be your owne For the earth must perish and all the glistring glorie of it passe away as a tale that is tolde burnt and consumed melted with heate but the feare of the Lord shall set her seruants before the highest for euer euer Now did the Apostle say to King Agrippa before so many O King Agrippa J knowe thou beleeuest Surely I may say it before as many I knowe Right Honorable your L. beleeueth both Prophets and Apostles and whatsoeuer the childe of God is bound to beleeue vnto saluatiō I say I know it and yet know I it not alone but others with me aswell as J attending your L. both in like and other places And if we should all denye it yet would the world steppe in and say it knewe what we denied God haue the glorie to whō it is due of his free election manifested both to your self and others by a true calling vnto sanctification And it remaineth Right H. that with a spirit flaming with thankefull loue to so gracious a God you let your light shine further further to a greater glory to the Lord a fuller cōfort to your owne soule Performe your selfe therefore in all truth of hart before the iudging eyes of a mightie God still more more as you do alreadie an honorable maintainer and furtherer of his truth A shield and defence to all the godly in their griefes and distresses Carefull to haue both your selfe and your familie gouerned by the precious and holy word of God maintayning and countenancing to that end as most honorably you do both at home and abroade the Lords poore seruants appoynted to that ministerie Be a rare example stil both worthy honoring and following of carefull bestowing of those liuings whereof God hath made your Lordship Patrone Multiplie as the Lord shall assist those your Honors zealous prayers which some can witnesse for the peace of Hierusalem that her rightuousnes may breake forth as the light saluation as a burning lampe And stil say with the Prophet Dauid we wish you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lord. Your Honorable seruices for a most gracious Soueraine as euer the earth had any and for your deere Countrey let them still as they are be most sweete and ioyful to you In your Honorable place and gouernment carie your zeale as your L. doth euen more more agaynst the incorrigible aduersaries of Judah and Beniamin to note their doings to obserue their drifts and to ouerthrowe their plots Cut off still with your sword of holy Iustice as with exceeding trauell your Lordship most honorably doth those contentions disorders and offences that corruption both breedeth and feedeth ouer much And finally as the Apostle sayth if there be any vertue if there be any praise to God or to Prince to Countrey or to any Right Ho. thinke of that For so shall your L. establish your selfe both in earth and in heauen both here and for euer Yea your self your seede as the former promises haue giuen assurance And so shall you to your God and your self as many as knowe your vertues stand approued euer whatsoeuer either ignorance or vnkindnesse may effect in some VVithout this course care in a measure as the Lord shall giue well may a worlde continue a while flattring fauning with many delights God being patient and forbearing long but the end is destruction death and confusion God being iust and paying at last Your self Madame still more and more as your Ladiship doth partake with your owne what your place permitteth in these Honorable actions make them also your owne Let it still be your honorable iust true praise that you feare the Lord that you loue his truth fauour his followers and abhorre his foes For there is no praise shall continue as this there is no wisedome that may bee compared to it The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that do thereafter the praise of it indureth for euer Againe let this be your wisedome sayd the Lorde of heauen to that people once euen to heare my wordes and to worke my will with a carefull hart For then shall all Nations say you only are wise and you onely haue knowledge of the best course Let it be your Posie Right Honorable as pleasant as euer it was And now Lorde what is my hope truely my hope is euen in thee Though the Lorde should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him And let that plaine Prophet strengthen your Ladiship still by his words to King Asa all Judah The Lord is with you while ye be with him
well together as of things contrary to themselues and therefore taking away one an other The willingnesse of God to graunt our desires taketh not away our Prayer but strengthneth our faith to aske chéerefully and therfore euen then when he saith you shal haue he saith also aske by Prayer then when he saith I will heare he saith also call vppon me and euen then when he promiseth to be néere yet he mentioneth to whom namely to such as pray vnto him And the eyes of the Lord are vpon the iust and his eares are open to their Prayers Therfore euen the Lord himselfe being iudge his purpose to graunt taketh not away our obedience to aske his readie willingnes to giue euen before we aske crosseth not at all his commaundement neuerthelesse to aske and so neither our bounden duetie to perfourme the same continually But by all those places of his fatherly readines and most mercifull willingnes to doe vs good as I haue alreadie saide our faith is strengthned our harts incouraged his goodnesse shewed and our obedience in 〈…〉 Prayer confirmed greatly not any way subuerted or taken away Well then see nowe an other deuise of Satan against this holy exercise If we cannot take it away out of the vse of mē by these conclusions let vs trie another way to make it vaine and not onely so to our selues but euen hatefull and abhominable to the Lorde Let vs ascribe vnto it merite of remission of sinnes iustification with God many marueilous vertues aboue the dignitie allowed in the word and finally to saluation And to this ende let vs alleage all the places of Scripture wherein Prayer is commended highly as if they meant thus highly Indeede you say very true such there are and thus Satan perswadeth But alas what should wee stande vpon it It is one thing to be a meanes and an other thing to be a cause of saluation and mercie Gods children acknowledge no cause of their life with God but Christ Iesus only in whom freely the Lord hath loued vs but meanes many as hearing reading fasting what we speake of praying Our prayers are acceptable to our GOD but neuer for them selues but for Christ They are auaileable also with God but by for faith in Christ whereof earnest Prayer ioyned with fasting is a token And therfore if we obtaine of God neuer so great matters by Prayer our Prayer yet is no cause of that but only a meanes So then a foolish and false argument it is to cut it off that thus reasoneth of a cause that is not a cause indeede I see well then the foundation of Prayer euen in nature I see the necessitie of it in respect of God our selues and our brethren I see the marueilous and exceeding profite of it and lastly the malice of Satan against it in both extremities either seeking to deface it as not required or if he cannot that do in ascribing vnto it aboue that which is lawfull thereby to make it fruitlesse with God Will you now adioyne any more It shall not bee amisse also for vs to consider those other poynts which bee vsually considered in these treatises and comprised for memorie in an olde verse to wit Affectus causae quis per quem quidque petendum That is With what affection we must pray For what causes To whome Through whome For what And concerning the first the Scripture teacheth vs that wee must pray with a zealous spirit with hart with soule and with all the power within vs not with colde affection and lippe labour The Apostles speach of the Spirit may giue this rule of Praier in it euer to be obserued be feruent in Praier The Lord himselfe by his Prophet complayneth that the people cried not in their hearts vnto him that is with this affection that we speake of And the auncient Ceremonies of lifting vp of handes remembreth vs thereof The spirit of God witnesseth it of his children as of Anna she prayed and wept sore troubled in her minde that her lippes shooke withall albeit she spake in her heart Of Moses that he cryed vnto the Lord and yet he spake neuer a word but so vehement was his spirite and so feruent his inwarde powers of Soule and heart that it was like a shrill shrike in the eares of the Lord. This heate of heart it is glorious before the Lord and profitable to vs but it is not at our commaundement we cannot haue it when wee will the Lord hath reserued it to himselfe to giue when and where and to whome and in what measure it pleaseth him As it is witnessed vnto vs by the Apostle saying The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed That is wee are not able of our selues to pray with that feruentnesse of spirite that heate of hart such motion of minde such trust such faith such sighes such power such affection in a word euery way as is conuenient to the Maiestie of God vnlesse we be inabled by his Spirite and therefore in mercie he supplieth with the same as pleaseth him Neuerthelesse meanes there are in the word noted vnto vs which worke vnder the blessing of this Spirite to this effect in measure in vs and therefore if this affection bée required in vs they be also necessary as helpers to y e same The first is a true consideration of our owne vnworthinesse and indignitie such and so great as that there is no mercie due vnto vs Such as maketh vs with the Publican not to will to lift vp our eyes to heauen but to knocke our breast and crye in humble sorte Good Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Such as maketh vs with the Centurion to say Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe and therefore say but the worde and my seruant shall bee well Such againe as maketh vs with Daniell to say in smarting woe O Lord wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies With Dauid O Lorde enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for no flesh liuing shall bee iustified in thy sight With Esay Wee haue all bene as an vncleane thing all our righteousnesse is as filthie cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the winde haue taken vs away With Ieremy O Lord though our iniquities testifie against vs deale with vs according to thy name for our rebellions are many and wee haue sinned against thee And finally such as may iustly make our soules vexed within vs when we thinke of it our bodies to bowe downe and goe crookedly and our eyes to faile as he speaketh This low conceipt but true conceipt of our selues marueilously quickneth vp our spirites and therefore is euer to
such as do Gods wil both wittingly willingly Which perfect obedience of ours as oftē as the Scripture speaketh of it vseth to cal vs to that coeleste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that heauenly regimēt wherin perfectlie and faythfullie the Lorde is obeyed So doth our Sauiour teach vs and therefore addeth heere these wordes Sicut in coelo as it is in heauen You see then the reason of them and why they be added euē to teach vs the measure of obedience that wee are to desire and thirst after and praie for not halt not lame nor maymed but all full whole and perfect such as is in heauen That looke with what spirite measure affection and will with what readinesse and alacritie the heauenly Angels and blessed spirites Sunne Moone and Starres obey God euen with the same we may do it also that as in heauen so in earth there bee no rebellion nor repining agaynst his holie will The obedience of all those heauenlie creatures I need not to describe looke but at the Angelles and you shall see three properties of their obedience such as ought to be in ours They obey God lubentissime citissime and fidelissme most willingly most readilie or speedely and most faithfullie If they be sent to performe anie seruice they neuer murmure but doe it and therefore sée their willingnes If to execute iudgement vpon the enimies in one night one of them dispatcheth an hundred foure score and fiue thousand of them and then see their speede Yea they spare no creature neyther giue ouer euer till the Lorde saie it is sufficient staie thy hand and therefore faithful They are not lyke Saul to saue eyther king or fatlings no there is no meanes to corrupt them in their seruice such willingnes then such readie speede and such faithfull obedience wee are taught to desire and praie for by addition of these words As it is in heauen For these Angels we know are there And this obedience of theirs with the circumstances hath the Prophet Dauid layd downe if you marke it Psalme 103.20 Why but still I saie can we performe such obedience as this in this life No in deede Whilest here we liue both knowledge and obedience are in part And the most regenerate that euer was must praie Forgiue vs our trespasses It is Anabaptisticall to dreame of a perfection heere Yet for all that so perfect wee ought to be and so desirous of Gods greater and greater pleasure in vs and glorie by our seruice as that we should neuer stick down our staffe as hauing obtayned inough tyll this be brought to passe in vs. Therefore then praie wee for it not as accounting to get it in this world but as professing our desire to haue it and our discontent with our obedience whatsoeuer it bee till it bee such And if anie man will conclude anie thing vpon this forme of speech lette him conclude that such perfection wee shoulde performe not that such heere wee euer can performe And if we ought to performe it as dutie due from vs then may we pray for it that it may be such still stil till it be such and our prayer becommeth vs well What more then will you say touching this petition You must remember how we haue said that in euery petition are required of God as well the meanes ordayned of GOD to worke such things as the things thēselues that we aske For Expetito fine expetuntur etiā quae ad finē The end being desired those things are also desired which belong to the end Wherefore vnderstanding now what we aske in this petition euen abilitie to performe that reuealed will of our heauenly Father in his word wholy and fully after the example of his heauēly creatures we must consider the meanes wherby this is had and knowe that in these wordes we beseech his Maiestie likewise for them to be giuen to vs. And what are they They are chiefely two the knowledge of his will and the strength of his grace or direction of his spirit The first hath relation to his word for therehence onely is his will to bee learned and therefore it hath pleased him to giue it the name of his testament or last will and most straitely charged that nothing bee added to it or taken from it The second is that whereby the first is profitable and sanctified to our good For illumination without sanctification auayleth not but is euen in the reprobate And they that knowe their masters will and doe it not shall their knowledge saue them Had not Iudas knowledge there is no questiō but of Christ hee had learned many misteries had not the Scribes and the Pharisées the knowledge of the lawe Yes they were able to teach many trueths out of the same vnto others and whilest they sate in Moses chayre that is whilest they deliuered truely the doctrine of Moses they were to be heard by the commandemēt of our sauiour and to bee followed also in that they sayd But because this Spirit of the Lorde did not sanctifie their knowledge to them and make it powrefull in them to the death of sinne and the life of righteousnesse but that they knew and did not therefore for all their knowledge they perished a man may speake with the tongues of men Angels and not perish a man may haue the gift of Prophecie and knowe all secretes and all knowledge and yet bee no body in Gods eyes 1. Cor. 12.1 2. Spiritus est qui foecundat animos It is the spirit of the Lord that maketh our minds fruitefull Yea that maketh our heartes good earth to receiue the good séede of the worde to our comfort that blesseth our knowledge to vs to crucifie vs to the world and sinne and to renewe vs to the Lorde in dayly obedience more more This Spirit also inspireth our mindes to will and after giueth the effect and execution of that inspired will Deus enim ille est qui in nobis operatur velle perficere pro gratuita sua beneuolentia The Lorde is hee that worketh in vs both the wil and the deede to wit by his holy spirite euen of this good pleasure And it is the God of peace sayth the Apostle that brought againe from the dead our Lorde Iesus the great shephearde of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant that maketh mē perfect in all good workes to do his will working in them that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ Wherunto agreeth that of Cyprian Vt fiat a nobis dei voluntas opus est dei voluntate quia nemo suis viribus potens est That is to doe the will of God we haue neede of the will of God to wit his assistance and strength for by his owne power no man is able Wherefore since knowledge to vnderstand Gods will out of his word and the grace of his spirite to blesse that
and if you seeke him hee will bee found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you The like hath dying Dauid to his deere sonne to be left behinde him And thou Salomon my sonne know the God of thy father and serue him with a perfit hart and a willing minde For the Lord searcheth all harts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts Jf thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he wil cast thee away for euer But what spēd J speech where many giuen graces say spare thy speech J know it wel Then stay J so to you both Right H. J adde but this that as duetie bindeth and many great and honorable fauours both to me and mine require and charge me I rest before my God in praier that goeth out of vnfained lips that it may bee thus with your H. both thus stil I say and thus more thus more agayne and thus still and thus both still more continually during life That those wordes of endlesse comfort may reach vnto you in iudging day Come ye blessed of my father and possesse eternall ioy If this poore trauell of mine may auayle any thing to this effect it is your Honors own proceeded from your owne most deeply bound for euer to be your owne and therefore bold to present it in this sort because he is your owne It was begun in your Honors hearing being that part of the Catechisme that then fell to my course both the lawe and faith hauing bene expounded before the one by my selfe the other by my fellowe that followed because it could not at that time be gone forwarde withall J haue since as J could layd it downe in this sort if it please the Lord for the good of mo VVho all shall welcome it by thus much more as they did the other by how much it bringeth countenance from your Honors both vnto them and is a gift deriued euen from your selues vnto them The Christian Reader els whosoeuer I should wrong too much if I should not comfortably hope he will accept it well since alreadie he hath shewed his loue in the like respect Therefore most humbly beseeching you both Right Honorable to accept my dutie to weigh my hart and to pardon my boldnesse J beseech the Lord againe and againe to multiplie his mercies towardes you both giuing honor here and honor euer in his happie kingdome of eternal comfort VVilton the 11. of May. 1588. Your Honors most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington A PROFITABLE EXPOSITION of the Lords Prayer by way of Questions and Answers ¶ Of Prayer in generalitie MAny things are spoken by many men of Prayer in generalitie and gladly would I heare what you think conuenient of the same Yet would I not prescribe by any questions for feare my want of iudgement in asking might procure in you any needlesse answering Your care is very good yet spare not to speake if I omit any thing whereof you would willingly heare Trueth it is that much is spoken and much may bee spoken of this matter at large but a fewe things may suffice vs at this time hauing fuller discourses to goe to when we will First then let vs consider that Prayer hath a foundation euen in our nature as we are men and is so taught vs by the very instinct and testimonie of reason and conscience that looke what or whomsoeuer we acknowledge and thinke to bee God that and the same wee also willingly confesse ought to be prayed vnto For a perswasion of Godhead standeth not without a confession of Prayer done to the same So wee see in the 14. Psalme where with the deniall of God which the foole maketh in his hart is ioyned an vtter want of prayer and inuocation Contrariwise in the 139. Psal with the confession of God an earnest hartie and often calling vpon his name So that a necessarie consequence the Spirit of GOD maketh it vppon the confession of a God euen by the instinct of nature to vse prayer to the same And contrariwise if we should neuer pray then necessarily must we be euen in the number of those fooles which say in their harts there is no God Which if it were duely and effectually considered of vs it would rowze vs assuredly out of our dead and damnable negligence in this behalfe if there were any spirite of life and feeling in vs and cause vs to acquaint our soules more often and earnestly with this heauenly exercise Fearing euen with a great feare the vengeance of ingratitude towards God for innumerable benefites the plagues in hell due to Atheists and such as denie GOD and the same amongst men that of force must fall vppon vs when being men yet we abhorre from the very nature of man All which three greeuous conditions the want of Prayer forcibly prooueth vpon vs as now wee see Againe the Apostle Saint Paule in his Epistle to the Romanes teaching how the Gentils doing by nature the thinges contayned in the lawe shewe the effect of the lawe written in their harts is a witnesse in steade of many moe sufficient and strong that to pray to God being a thing comprised in the lawe was then is now and euer shall bee whilst man hath mans nature a thing ingrafted and planted of God in the same nature And many other reasons might be brought but these suffice Secondly let vs consider the necessitie of this Christian exercise of Prayer which wee shall euidently see if either we respect the Lord our selues or our brethren For vnto the Lord wee knowe is due euer and eternally here and in the worlde to come praise and thanksgiuing that is Prayer Praise the Lorde all ye people for it is a good thing to sing praises vnto our God O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gracious O thanke the Lord of all Lordes c. Yea let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lorde And as long as I haue any being I wil sing praises vnto my God In the world to come see the Scriptures Holy holy Lord God almightie which was and which is and which is to come Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glory and honor power for thou hast created al things and for thy will sake they are and haue bene created Beside many other places Vnto the Lorde is due worship and seruice of all them that looke for a place in his kingdom of which worship and seruice Prayer is a notable part and therefore necessary Vnto the Lorde is due obedience to his Commaundements if we bee the Lordes for they are holy and iust But this is one that we should pray vnto him and therfore in respect of God Prayer is necessary Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I wil heare thee thou shalt glorifie me saith the Lorde And in an other place
his compassion towardes vs then is he sayd to be farre of Thus is it meant in the Prophet Call vppon him while hee is neere that is I haue nowe shewed whilest his arme is stretched out to you and his mercie offered in such sorte as it is This also considered teacheth vs how God may bee sayd to bee more in one man than another and more in one place than in another namely still not in respect of essence which is equally in all places and wholy in all places but in respecte of more or lesse after the gifte of his grace to one person than another or to one place than another Of which it may bee true that Gregorie sayd Deus qui omnia tangit non aequaliter omnia tangit God that toucheth all things yet toucheth not all things alike By this may the third thing partly be vnderstood to wit how GOD is sayde in Scripture to come and goe awaie and yet no breach made of his vbiquitie namely because such speeches are neuer to bee meant of his essence or mutation of place for so departeth hee from none but of inward or outward effects of his holie spirit according to which giuen or taken awaie the Lord is said to come or to go from men and places as hee departed from Dauid when hee lefte him iustly for his grieuous sinnes destitute of the peace of his conscience of the chéerefulnesse of his minde the cleannesse of his heart the quietnesse of his affections and other giftes of his holy spirite which before Dauid had in great measure Wherevpon he was forced to crie O Lord create a cleane heart within mee and renue a right spirit O Lord giue me the comfort of thy spirite againe let the bones which thou hast broken reioyce On the other side hee is sayde to come when againe he beginneth to worke by his holy spirit and to stirre vp faith repentance loue hatred of sinne such like Thus meant our Sauiour when he sayde I and my Father will come vnto him dwell with him And this of inward graces Outwardly also the Lord is sayde to come ergo when either by outward crosses he so humbleth vs as though he had forsaken vs and departed in anger from vs so that we are constrained with Dauid to say My God why hast thou forsaken me or when hee so defendeth vs comforteth vs and blesseth vs that the world that seeth it is driuen to saie and see as Saul did of Dauid that the Lord is with vs. So his absence is the absence of his effects in vs and for vs and his presence or comming is the presence and gift of them either inward or outward Wherefore to goe no further I hope it is playne inough now that though we saie our Father is in heauen yet wee are farre from denying therein or therby his diuine vbiquitie and presence euerie wher But euen as the soule of man which is wholie in the whole and in euerie parte yet is sayde to be in the head or heart more than else where because there more than elswhere it exerciseth his power effects So God though by essence euery where in all places wholy yet by action operation communication of grace gifts not equally in all partes but in heauen more than in earth in the godly more than the wicked and in one of his childrē more than an other in the Saincts in heauen more than in the Saints in earth and in the humane nature of Christe more than in anie creature eyther in heauen or earth as in whome the fulnesse of grace spirite without measure was Howbeit yet in a more excellent maner God dwelt in Christ than by fulnesse of grace and giftes or by manifestation of his vertue and power as might be shewed if the place required it But thus much of this matter Now if you thinke good to the petitions themselues WIth a good will And herein for more plainnes of spéech let vs generally obserue the diuision or number of these petitiōs the order of them and the matter and meaning of them Touching the diuision of thē I will not curiously stand vpon it S. Austen and many after him by his example make 7. diuiding the last into two but their reasons are very insufficient as may bee seene And Austen himself contrary to him selfe confesseth that those words But deliuer vs from euill are an explication of the former Leade vs not into temptation And therfore by consequence vnfitly made a petition of it selfe for in so short a summe of so fewe petitions one to be confounded with an other to be all one is not probable Others make sixe and they rather are to be followed For the order of them this is to be obserued that 3. of them respecting immediatly and chiefly Gods glorie other 3. our necessities wants those that cōcerne the Lord are placed before the other euen as in the lawe of God those 4. commandements that containe mans dutie to God are set before the other 6. that containe his duetie to his neighbour Which being done of purpose in the depth of his vnsearchable wisedome that layd this forme downe for vs Christ Iesus contayneth in it a lesson of great regard to a minde possessed with the feare of God and care of bounden duetie Namely that the honor of God ought to be more deere vnto vs than either bodie or goods or any benefite of ours whatsoeuer in this world yea which is farre more then the very soules within vs the saluation of them in the world to come For so both the Lord God himself the composer of this Prayer and the giuer of bodie goods and soule and all teacheth in the sixt of Mathew And the power of his holy spirite in the practise of his seruants confirmeth and sheweth euidently For principally and aboue all sayth the Lord Iesus seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these other things shalbe cast vpon you Which wordes if a man would demaunde a reason of the order of these 3. petitions before the other of our Sauiour contayned as you see euen a full aunswer to wit Gods glorie is more chiefe therfore ought to be first but these 3. petitions immediatly respect that and therfore ought to be first The power then of Gods spirite in the practise of the godly wee see also in Moses the great seruant of almightie God and in Paule his elect vessell to beare his name vnto the Gentiles who both of them in the flaming heate of a burning zeale to the glorie of the name of God wished the same w t the rasing of them selues out of the booke of life curse of his wrath to y e wo eternal of their owne soules for euer in y e place of perditiō death as is laid doune vnto vs. A fruit in thē of a mightie working
of flesh And I wil put my spirit within you cause you to walke in my statutes you shall keepe my iudgements and do them So that then is the greate name of the Lord sanctified you see and hallowed when we doe not onely knowe but doe the things that redound vnto his praise For then they that see our good workes are thereby caused to glorifie God in the daie of the visitation And euen contrariwise agayne if we do not we pollute the name of the Lorde in causing it to sounde euill amongst the wicked and the sinne is grieuous Of which complayneth the Lord by his Prophet Esaie when he saith his name all the daie continuallie is blasphemed and by his Apostle to y e Romanes in diuers other places And the same Apostle charging seruaunts that are vnder the yoake to account their maisters worthy of all honor maketh this the reason why Least the name of God and his doctrine bee euill spoken of And therefore thirdly as wee seeke the one so wee desire to bee able to shun the other in this petition beseeching him in the sense of these wordes that all those things may be remoued ouerturned and taken awaie which prophane blemish or blot that glorie of his either in himselfe or in his workes or in his worde and doctrine Such as are these damnable Atheists of these latter dayes which with theyr ieasts scoffes and mockes deriding all goodnesse do not onely discouer the name of God but to their euerlasting woe in the flames of the burning bottomelesse pit affirming it flatlie in their hearts that there is no God at all Such are they that with their censures will correcte the workes of God and speake euill of them complayne of his prouidence murmure at his iudgmentes carpe and cauill at his worde allure vnto loosenesse and dayly worke disdaine of commaunded obedience which al if they be not reformed are prayed agaynst throughout the world by all the children of God dayly in this petition to the vnspeakable terrour of them if they had grace to thinke of it For how certayne is that vengeaunce which hee that sendeth it biddeth aske and how dreadfull must it needes be and euen importable when it commeth which is so often so earnestlie and by such a number as the whole Church of God on earth is in so many places asked begged and cried for O woe not once thought vpon and yet to be trembled at shall it not be remembred in deede Shall these painted dayes so poyson vs quite with the loue of this world and the fading follyes of a most vncertayne estate that all grace and goodnesse shall be contemned of vs. And whereas the Prophet of God sayde One daie in the courtes of the Lordes house is better than a thousand Wee saie the contrarie that but one houre there is too much though it be but once a weeke nay once in many weekes and one daie in the course of this worlde to the which yet the Apostle sayth Fashion not your selues is better and sweeter and more beseeming a man especiallie a greate man than a thousand in the other Is it likely that euer we wil wish our selues with that Prophet rather doore kéepers in this house of GOD than to dwel in great renowm in the tents of the vngodlie when wee either loure or laugh to be tolde we should come in Can it be hoped that eyther now we doe thinke God often punishing such great contempt with lasting blindnes that they are blessed that dwell in the house of the Lord beeing euer praising of God yea that the verie Swallowes and Sparows that are there are as it were happie and blessed O it is to be feared no. And therefore not Dauids prayer not Dauids spirite neither consequently that election to life whereof that spirit is a certaine pledge Which is terririble inough if God were in vs. Thinke of it and thinke of this agayne with it that al the Church of God through the worlde as I haue sayd praie against vs when wee are thus irreligious and prophane saying Halowed be thy name that is O Lord confound with speedie curse of death and woe eternal all those that not liuing in the laws of thy will cause thy name to heare euil and to be blasphemed in this world Let them perish O Lord let them perish in the lusts of their own hearts and giue thy name his glorie Which if hell haue not alreadie taken possession of vs will pearce vs and make vs think of reformatiō of our selues the Lord in mercy grant it Amen Amen And if it do not tyme passeth and tyme commeth the which two times shal differ as mercy iudgement differ fauour and fury loue and loathing And the worde of the Lorde shall not deceiue vs saying vengeaunce is myne and J wil repay but how soone that knowe not we But well we knowe the Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slackenes but he is patient toward vs and would haue all men come to repentance and one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeres as one day and this day will come But now I pray you let me moue a doubt or two vnto you And first why the Church of God should pray that the Lords name may bee halowed which is already euer was and shalbe most holy pure and glorious Because we do not pray it in respect of him but of our selues and others such as we are for the Lord in deed is holy neither can any thing be added to that holines or glory of him to make it more but wee doe not know it so much as we should do neither speak of it and imitate it as we ought and therfore we pray that as he is in déede so more and more it may appeare and shine out to the world all lettes and hinderances being taken away that his due prayse may bee giuen vnto him of vs that is wee pray not in this petition that any holynes may bee added to his name that already it hath not but that as it is in it selfe in deede and euer so we may haue grace to see and confesse and more and more dayly may be reueiled and manifested to this worlde For the Lord is sayde to sanctifie vs either inwardly or outwardly Inwardly by his spirit outwardly by his word and this againe either by seperating vs from our sinnes quickning vs by his holy Spirit or continuance of them both An other doubt is why it shoulde be sayd in that place And he that is vniust let him be vniust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still Seeing here we are taught to pray and all men that our liues may be holy and pure euer to the end his glorious name may haue prayse thereby That place you meane is not so
vs. How came it to passe that the Iewish people so seeing dayly the wonderfull workes of God for them the proofes of his power mercie and goodnesse aboue all the nations of the world yet persisted vnfaithfull stubburne and wayward to so good a God O sayth Moses these things being done for you yet hath the Lorde giuen you an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this daie teaching vs playnly that such hart such eyes and eares are onely the Lords to giue and without such gift we profite nothing no not by the verie euident extraordinarie mercies of God In another place agayne The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart the heart of thy seede that thou mayest loue the Lord thy GOD with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest liue As if hee shoulde saie neuer thinke of anie loue of GOD faythfull and true as possible to be within thee and consequently no obedience loue being the root of all excepte the Lorde circumcise thine heart that is purge all thy wicked affections giue hearing reading a blessing which thing is not in thine owne power to doe It is I sayth the Lord by the prophet Esaie that receiue the spirite of the humble and giue lyfe to them that are of a contrite heart If the Lorde worke in one he worketh in all the spirites of men are ruled and gouerned vnto good onelie by him If he touch vs we are touched if hee turne vs wee are turned and if hee reuiue not and giue life we sinke in all our sinnes as vnfeeling wretches and abide in death How playnly sayth it agayne the Prophet Ezekiel I wil giue you a newe heart and I will put a newe Spirit within you and will take away the stony heart out of your body giue you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and and cause you to walke in my statutes c. O see and marke howe all lets bee remooued and all grace giuen by the Lorde alone in mercy seeking our saluation And therefore knowe it true as the truth is true that neither hearing nor reading preaching or priuat speaking auaileth euer to doe vs good except the guiding grace of the Lorde direct vs to it by a blessing giuen to them all or any when they are vsed And therefore as for the word so for the blessing of it by the Spirit of God do we euer pray when we say these words Thy kingdom come Then opened he their vnderstanding sayth the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ that they might vnderstand the Scripture And Lydia attended to those thinges which Paul spake because the Lord opened her heart So that neither one nor other Lydia nor the disciples of Christ see heare or vnderstand except the Lorde giue the eye the eare and the heart It is the holy Spirit that teacheth teacheth into all trueth and without whome still still all meanes remaine vnprofitable There is an oyntment sayth Saint Iohn from him that is holy and that anoynting teacheth you all things that is the grace of the holy ghost Wherefore I cease not to make mencion of you in my prayers sayth the holy Apostle and to bowe my knees vnto the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ that he would giue vnto you the Spirit of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eyes of your vnderstanding may bee lightned that we may knowe what the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritaunce is in the Saints c. And that yee may bee strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by fayth and yee may bee able to comprehend with all Saynts what is the bredth and length and depth and height c. See Pauls refuge for profitte to his preaching for life and light for these Ephesians euen to the Lorde for his holy Spirite to soften and supple their stony heartes to illuminate and lighten their darke mindes and to make that sweete to them that is sower to many and fruitefull to them by his mightie power that is neuer so to any without the same Wherefore to goe no further knowe it for conclusion that wee praying for Gods kingdome to come vnto vs in this petition by the hearing and preaching of his worde the meanes appoynted of him to erect the same and seeing well by all this that hath bene said that neither one nor other of these meanes cā preuaile with vs any thing vnlesse the Lorde also with them giue the power of his Spirit and the blessing of his grace in our hearts by them therefore there is included herein also euen praier for this grace and the petition being vnderstoode of vs is thus much with the Lord as we should in playne termes say O Lord giue vs not onely thy worde to reade and heare but the heauenly grace of thy holy Spirit also to sanctifie blesse and make fruitefull to vs both our reading and hearing that so reading and so hearing thy kingdome may come vnto vs and thou ruling and wee ruled wee may liue for euer with thee according to thy promise See then still further matter of this petition And since the Lord hath taught vs thus to pray for the helpe of his hande and the blessing of his grace to all the meanes of good vnto vs and so guided the tongues of his children euer before this forme was layde downe vnto them though in other wordes Let vs brethren looke vpon this occasion into our corruption for truely the Lorde reueileth a secret vnto vs of our natures that thousands sée not when hee thus teacheth vs that without his Spirite no meanes profite vs. We trust to our witts to our skill to our yeres and youth and I know not what and wee thinke wee haue wings of nature aboue our fellowes many of vs to flye aloft and to sée the secretes of the Lord but truely it is not so we haue all sinned and sinne hath cut our wings that wee cannot flye aboue wee haue all in our first parentes transgressed and that transgression hath dazeled and darkened our eyes closed our eares and benummed our heartes that we can neither see heare nor feele except it bee giuen vs from aboue as wee haue now fully bene taught As naturall men we perceyue not the thinges that are of GOD we are not able to thinke a thought that is good but all our sufficiencie is of God and by his grace only we are what we are that good is if any trueth bee opened to vs the Lord hath done it and cōcerning life eternall flesh and blood reueileth nothing to vs but the father in heauen reade without this spirit and the booke is sealed to vs heare without this Spirite and it is a pleasant song that sinketh not but passeth with the time pray without this
soules but that thankfull to thy maiestie for the thing they may hate the persons in singular loue for their work sake obeying them and submitting themselues to them as their appointed ouerseers of them that they may giue their accountes with ioy and not with griefe If it fall out otherwise thy iust purpose being to slay those disobedient scorners O Lord O Lorde make strong thy seruants to indure this griefe and not fearing the face of anie whose harts feare nothing nor weighing the godlesse loue of them that loue not the cheerfulnesse to go on through all pikes of worldly vnthankfulnesse through good report and ill report and all snubbes knowing in a sweet feeling that they are vnto thee a sweete sauour of Christ in them that perish as well as in them that are saued And let it neuer be said of vs O heauenly Father as once it was of others that these things beeing done for vs and we professors of thy great mercyes yet thou hast not giuen vs an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this daie but giue vs heart eyes eares for thy mercie sake Circumcise our hearts and the harts of our seed that we may loue thee much our Lord and God and liue with thee for euer Reuiue the spirites of the humble and giue lyfe to them that are of a contrite hart Take awaie our stony harts out of our bodies giue vs harts of flesh Open our vnderstāding as thou didst thy disciples that wee may vnderstand both by reading and preaching to our cōfort Giue vs merciful father that heauēly spirit that leadeth into al truth that happy annointing that teacheth al things that spirit of wisdōe reuelatiō that the eies of our minds may be lightned that wee may know what y e hope of our calling is the riches of that glorious inheritāce prepared for thy Saints That wee may bee strengthened by thy Spirite in the inner man that Christ thy sonne may dwell in our hearts by fayth we able in some measure to comprehend thy louing kindnesse to all penitent weeping and wayling sinners For O Father we haue sinned and darknesse hath entred to rule both bodie and soule if thou helpe not Lord in that mercie that hath no measure looke vppon vs let not his malice destroy the workes that thy mercie hath made His kingdom is death thy kingdom is life ioy for euermore O heauenly God thē let thy kingdome come that wee ruled here by that sauing hand of thine may tast and feele inioy and haue for euer the reward that foloweth such subiectiō in thy glorious kingdome not for our sakes but for Iesus Christ his sake with thee and the holy spirite one maiestie mightie and glorious euer blessed and praised from generation to generation eternally Amen The third Petition Thy will be done c. why followeth this next THE order if we marke it is most fit and good for in the former we prayed that the Lord might rule in vs but that cannot he do if we euer remaine vnwilling stirring and wresting against him and his will inter inuitos enim reluctantes nemo commodè regnare potest therefore very rightly doe wee pray now in the next place that his will may be done And truely very duetie bindeth al children to frame their life according to the will of their fathers and not contrariwise the parents to conforme themselues to the will of their children In the volume of thy booke sayth Dauid it is written of me that I should doe thy will So is it of vs all for this is a matter that concerneth not Dauid only but euery man that hopeth and looketh for the place that Dauid now hath and therefore with Dauid we must all and euery one say most hartely O my God I am content to doe it yea thy law is within my hart that is not ordinarily or superficially thought vpon by me but it is euen my earnest and vehement meditation and desire continually I seeke not mine owne will sayth our Sauiour Christ but the will of the father who hath sent me And let vs thinke that if he did thus that was subiect to no sinne but had receiued all power of God and himselfe was Lord of all what excuse may we haue before his gloriouse face in that high Court of his at the latter day if called into the Kingdom of God and receiued into the adoption of the Sonnes of God we doe not as good children the will of our father but as rebellious wretches euery one his owne will Agayne I came downe from heauen not to doe mine owne will but his will which hath sent me Thus did he as a sonne to his father and thus must we doe if we be sonnes with him And therfore pray we euer and pray we hartely to our heauenly father as here wee are taught Thy will be done For not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Why pray wee that Gods will may bee done and not ours may be done Because our wickednesse is still great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of our harts by nature are onely euill continually And because the natural man as saith the Apostle perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee knowe them because they are spiritually discerned That is because in truth we are so fallen by our first sinne and our will so corrupted thereby that of our selues wee cannot will the thing that is good no not thinke it but both the will and deede if it be good yea and all our sufficiencie is of him But on the other side the Lords will is all holie and euer holie yea holinesse it selfe and the rule of right for euer Wherfore by good reason we pray as we do Thy will bee done And this being the true ground in deede of our doing let vs by the way consider whether euen this petition assureth not our consciences of their error that say it and of our truth that deny it that in vs or any is left by nature a free will to doe good For are wee not there taught to pray that his will may bee done and not ours We see it And may we contrary to this order pray that our will may bee done that is our owne proper and naturall will Who will say it But I will say it that if I were by nature and of my selfe able to will the thing that is good then might I lawfully and rightly pray that my will might be done Wherefore we see and the world may see how euen this prayer if there were no further proofe yet satisfieth the consciences of men as touching this losse in vs namely of freewill to do or wish good of our selues till the Lord
renew vs and then is it not I but the grace of God in me sayth the Apostle but this doctrine hath bene sufficiently touched before What will of God is here meant for I haue heard that it is diuersly propouÌ„ded vnto vs though one and the same simple vnto him or in respect of him You haue heard right and to make this speech as plaine as I can you must vnderstand that the will of God is sayd to bee of two sorts to wit hidden and reueiled The first for that it is so is in Scripture resembled to a depth and it is vnsearchable of man Wee cry out of it with the Apostle O the deepnes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements his waies past finding out And with the Prophet Dauid Thy rightuousnesse is like the mightie mountaines Thy iudgments are like the great deepe We say of it That no man presume herein to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that he vnderstand according to sobrietie For curiositie in this behalfe the Lord misliketh we plainly see When his Apostles asked him of the restoring of the kingdome of Israel when he would doe it then or no wée know he smot them for this entring into the hidden will of God and tolde them that it was not for them to know the times and seasons which the father hath put in his owne power When Peter asked the Lord of that other disciple hic autem quid Lord what shall this man doe Remember how the Lord answered this curiositie of defence to know this hidden will and tolde him that if hee would haue him tarie till he came what was that to him let him doe that which he knew to be done So that this will of God is not to bee pried into in a busie and curious impietie of minde as many wicked ones doe that by most horrible meanes euen by spirits and deuilles seeking to pull out of heauen and wrest from the Lord as they thinke his secretes before the time Forgetting quite what the great seruant of the Lorde Moses sayde touching this thing namely that the secret matters belong to the Lorde our GOD but the things reueiled belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may do them This wil of God is called secret or hidden for two causes First because it is so in déed to all men till such time as God manifest by euents what he hath appoynted to euery one In respect whereof S. Iames willeth euery man to put in this condition if the Lord will and if wee liue to doe this or that Secondly because the reason of the Lords will thus or thus when it is manifested for the most part is not comprehended of man but hidden in himself As why he chose Iacob refused Esau why he put Saule away from the kingdome for one offence and not Dauid for many with such like Onely this we knowe with the Apostle that he hath mercie on whom hee will haue mercie and whom he will he hardeneth And this his will is our stay What then is mans duetie in respect of this will Surely as hath bene sayd non est curiosè inuestiganda sed adoranda it is not to bee sifted but highly reuerenced and tâ—ll the tyme come that y e Lord reueile it by effects in generall thus to be disposed in my selfe that whatsoeuer this hidden will of the Lord be concerning me whether to liue or dye to be poore or rich to bee high or lowe in this worlde in the same I rest and am contented let the Lord that made mee doe with me and dispose of me at his pleasure And then afterwarde when the Lorde shall reueile it by effects much more to rest in it and giue him thankes howesoeuer it is taking with good Iob euen euill thinges at the Lords hands aswell as good that is sowre as well as sweete and lowring lots as well as smiling dayes Blessing the name of the Lord that hath taken what before hee gaue and yet dealeth with vs but in mercy euer Doe wee pray that this will may bee done No. For this is euer done and shall bee whilest the world indureth neither can any creature or power resist it So sayth the Prophet My counsell shall stande and I will do what I will doe So confessed Iehosophat King of Iudah When he sayde O Lorde GOD of our Fathers art not thou God in heauen and reignest not thou ouer al the kingdomes of the heathen and in thy hande is power and might and none is able to withstande thee And so notably confessed that wretched Balam when he sayd If Balac would giue me his house ful of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commaundement of the Lorde to doe either good or bad of myne owne mind c. So confessed the deuill when he asked leaue to touch Iob not able else of himselfe to goe against Gods will and all those deuils that could not enter into the swyne sent by the will of God and all the actions of man and beast euer bridled and ruled and disposed by the power of his will No resistaunce therefore can there be against this will and therefore no neede that we shoulde pray that it may bee done No Annas nor Caiphas no Herod nor Pilat no Iewes nor deuils coulde haue wrought the death of our Sauiour Christ except the hand of the Lord his counsell had determined before that it shoulde bee done But do not you nowe say that GOD willeth euill to be done and so make him the author of euill God forbid we should make God an author of euill Yet say we in deede that God willeth many things that in some respects are euill and to some persons as this death of his own sonne named last and such like But as he willeth theÌ„ they are neuer euill neither to such as he directeth a good to by them being not done by them as in the example named appeareth But surely some larger speech to drawe vs to a right knowledge herein is not amisse and therefore a litle I pray you heare Will therfore hath two obiects to witte good and euill sometime it willing the one sometimes the other And good thinges beside the Lorde which is the chiefe good of all are sayde to be of 3. sortes naturall morall and diuine The first belong ad vitaÌ„ animatam the sesond ad humanam the third ad coelestem diuinam All these the Lorde willeth there is no controuersie and not onely so but is also euen the fountaine and giuer as S. Iames saith for euery good giuing euery perfect gift is froÌ„ aboue and commeth froÌ„ the father of lights with whoÌ„ is no variablenes neither shadowing by turning So hath euil also his distinction whilest some is the euill some the punishmeÌ„t of the euil The
cursed speakings are euen fearefull when wee reade them So that we sée now in these how aduersitie bewrayed corruption incredulitie impatiencie and many foule faults hidden before from men and happely euen from their owne eyes The like might be shewed in many moe Euen the Apostles themselues declared their weaknesse when they were thus tried by the apprehēsion of their maister and they fled away Peter more than all the rest when a poore mayde made him denye and euery question redenye and forsweare Euery way therefore aduersitie is a tell tale And being sent in the wisedome of the mightie GOD to any man or woman with commission to examine them and to discouer them it doth in deede effectually and quickly shewe what is within If faith patience hope humilitie loue of God and such like vertues bee there so he sheweth by and by and if not so he sheweth also without partialitie and maketh euen a world often witnesse of it Truely therefore sayth Iesus Syrach The fornace trieth the potters vessell and affliction trieth the iust and godly And Salomon as siluer and golde is tried by fire so doth God proue and trie the harts of men Your fathers saith Iudith were tempted that they might bee tried and proued whether they truely from their heart worshipped GOD. The want of the true knowledge hereof maketh many hastie Iudges iudgements in the worlde men by and by entring into some euill conceipt of their estate with GOD whom they see in this case Truely it is too true For euen as the Prophet sayth of the head so is it found in the members they are iudged as plagued and smitten of God wee hide as it were our faces from them they are despised and wee esteeme them not A very greeuous fault in whosoeuer doe so and checked with the practise euer of the liuing God vppon his children and many sweete and true comforts out of the worde For what sonne is it sayth he whom the father chasteneth not As if hee should say there is none neither euer was or euer shalbe But euen all and euery one lesse or more is thus tempted tried and proued of God in time And therefore if ye bee without correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes Whosoeuer will be my disciple let him take vp his crosse and followe me For through many tribulatiōs must the entrance into Gods kingdome be Wherefore forget not saith the Apostle the consolation which speaketh vnto you as children My sonne despise not the chastining of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whome the Lord loueth he chastineth and hee scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth And Iames againe most comfortably Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him But my purpose is not to enter into this common place now I haue done it elswhere and there is scarce a leafe of the whole scripture that stayeth not our harts against this hellish conceipt that aduersitie affliction and these crossing tryalles or trying crosses should import an angrie God towards vs euer God forbid The truth is otherwise as I say And I also very willingly confesse it But yet giue mee leaue I pray you a little This generalitie in my opiniō contenteth not euery man for oftentimes when a man confesseth the generall namely that the Lorde by aduersitie proueth his children yet fayleth he in the particular looking at his owne estate entreth into some feare y t yet not in such such a sort hee dealeth with any but whō he hath cast off And therfore in my opinion it should not bee amisse to deriue the generall into particulars and to shewe some seuerall tryalls of this kinde with their comfortes or examples out of the word of God Let it be so since that contenteth you And then taking this course let vs remember that these things are eyther inward in the soule and conscience or outward in bodie goods children friendes fame such like Of the inward speaketh with no litle vehemencie Iob when hee sayth The arrows of the almightie are in me the venome whereof doth drinke vp my spirite and the terrours of God fight against me For heereby hee declareth that hee was not onely afflicted in bodie but wounded in conscience which is the greatest battaile the faithful can haue Now of inward conflicts the greate maine one is when a man or woman falleth into feare and faintings concerning election doubting in themselues after some sorte least they belong not thervnto and therefore let vs make this our beginning yet speaking but briefly of it because many haue handled the point right well Knowe wee then our comfort herein if the Lorde euer please to trie vs thus Election is a thing reuealed by steps and whosoeuer wil surely and safely find it out must keepe the same For as it were a madnesse if I desired to climb a ladder to seeke to set my foote at first vppon the highest step so shall it be if I seeke out my election first before I looke vnto other things And as there the highest step is truly troad vppon at the last if I begin at the lowest and so goe vpward so is election certainly found if we keepe the like order This spirituall ladder then standeth thus Whome the Lord electeth before all time them doth he euer call in time either at the morning at the ninth houre or eleuenth houre or some houre Then Whom he calleth them doth he iustifie that is whome hee effectually calleth Whome he iustifieth them doth he sanctifie and whome hee sanctifieth them doth he glorifie So now then I would come to my election and consequently my glorification which is the highest step and is in heauen with GOD then must I begin at the lowest steppe to wit Sanctification which is in my self and ascend thus If I be sanctified then iustified if iustified then called if called thē elected and so sure to be glorified Our sanctification euerie one of vs knoweth feeleth and findeth how truly it carieth with it a note of Gods childe chosen in time to inherite heauen Marke the Scriptures As the braunch saith our Sauiour Christ cannot beare fruit of it selfe excepte it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruite for without me ye can doe nothing Heere you see a coniunction comfortable namely of holy fruites and Christ of fruitfull braunches and the vine so that if the Lord haue wrought this blessed worke in vs that we are dead to sinne and aliue to righteousnes then are we in him and he in vs yea euen so surely as it is certaine that the bearing bough is not
thing against our true sanctification Yea this is the true perfection of of them that are borne anewe to confesse with the Apostle that they are imperfect And to our great comfort let vs note it that this Apostle sanctified thus imperfectly groning vnder the griefe of sundry wants and weakenesses yet so assured himselfe of his election by so much as hee had that in the next chapter he is not afrayd to breake out thus I am perswaded that neither death nor life Angels nor principalities nor powers nor thinges present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. See then and neuer forget it that sanctification though but in part and with much want yet is accepted with God man and ought yeld that man and woman that hath it such a comfortable perswasion as this namely that nothing shall be able to separate them from their God So that they be not negligent in harty hungring still after more Which euer is to be searched for carefully in our selues For euen so did this Apostle if you marke it I delight sayth he in the lawe of God concerning the inner man And as long as he found some measure of grace and an heart that still wished more and sighed for more and delighted in good so long was hee cheerefull touching his estate with God albeit till his dying day he sawe another lawe in his members rebelling against the lawe of his minde and leading him captiue to the law of sinne which was in his members This example then is notable to this end and let vs not forget it Would God also the contrarie were more earnestly considered than it is namely that if some measure of holy conuersation together with a mind most feruently wishing more and euen grieued for want of more yeld mēs soules comfort that neyther lyfe nor death nor anie thing shall separate thē from the Lord what will neither any measure at all neyther any desire of any nor anie griefe for want of any or for huge flouds of vngodlynesse that ouerflowe vs both bodie and soule our words our works our thoughts or lookes and all things wee doe I saie what will this yeelde to the conscience one daie but euen a dreadfull blow that as the other neuer so we euer are appoynted and red to be separate from Christ Iesus O then take heede betimes and cutting off euery day by the swoorde of Gods giuen grace iniquitie and sinne lette vs hunger and thirst to serue GOD in holynesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lyfe and by fruites of a true new birth to make as Saint Peter hath tolde vs our election sure Another proofe to your question that imperfections in our newe birth and sanctificatiō may not discourage vs is the same Apostle againe troubled in another place so grieuously with his owne concupiscence that pricked in the fleshe the messenger of Satan that he besought the Lorde thrice that it might departe from him The Lordes aunswere as we know was this that his grace was sufficient for him For through weaknesse his power was made perfect Playnly teaching vs graciously chéering vs that for our imperfections he will not reiect vs. It is one thing to haue sinne raigning in vs and an other thing to haue it dwelling in vs. The one we are forbidden the other we shall be subiect to whilest wee liue For I knowe that in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing confessing with griefe that sinne dwelleth in him though to his comfort through grace it raigned not in him Full is the Scripture of strength agaynst this feare of imperfections but I trust this sufficeth O but the children of God are subiect many times to such a dulnesse and deadnesse in comparison of sweete rauishing motions that they haue felt that Satan catching and watching his opportunities is readie to perswade that surely nowe they are fallen away and GOD hath giuen them ouer Most true it is and yet all for the best For surely if we had not such alterations and chaunges we should thinke that grace were nature in vs wee should not estéeme of that sweete power of the spirite as wee doe when after a dulnesse it returneth agayne neyther any way bee thankfull as now we are But to be too much cast down with such tumblings to enter into such desperate feares truly the Lord woulde it not For what change thinke you felt Dauid when hee cryed O let mee feele the comfort of thy spirite agayne and when so often he cryeth O quicken me as thou wast wont quicken mee quicken me Yet was not Dauid cast awaie though for his sinne or tryall or Gods glorie or others example hee was thus many times troubled by a grieuous dulnesse many tempting feares Alasse it is the course we must euer account of for our better wakening and which Gods chosen haue euer tasted yet without reiection The mother after she hath felte her childe moue hopeth the best though euer it moue not and when weakly it stirreth shee cheerefully hopeth of greater strength in time so must wee This sweete spirite is not alwayes alike that difference may teach vs it is greate mercie to haue much and make vs thankfull The Sunne shining so fayre is often couered with mistie cloudes from vs yea and euerie daie setteth and as it were taketh his leaue But wee sée those cloudes vanish awaie in time and the cheerefull rising followeth after his heauie setting It is not euer Winter nor euer Summer but after a fayre daie commeth a foule and backe agayne The tree is not alwayes greene and flourishing with his cheerefull leaues Yet liueth it in the root when outward shew is gone And truly so doe wee let vs in comfort knowe it in our Christ rooted remayne aliue safe and sure when blustering stormes of shrewd temptations haue shaken off our leaues that is our cheerefull thoughtes wordes and countenaunces and for our better schooling the Lord a litle hath left vs to our selues The foundation of our hope standeth fast whō he loueth to the end he loueth them And I am perswaded that hee that hath begun this good worke in you will perfourme it vntil the daie of Iesus Christ For the giftes and calling of GOD are without repentaunce with a number of such So that though the sadnesse of soule come vpon vs and great disquietnesse bee within our breast yet must we lyke faythfull children as the Lorde shall inable saie Still trust in God my soule for I will yet giue him thankes c. O tarrie thou the Lordes leasure bee strong and hee shall comfort thy heart and put thou thy trust in the Lord. Many times reade that 77. Psalme see the downe falls of Gods children and how agayne they catch hold and scramble vp
and that is thus not to meditate of sinne but still with an eye to the salue of sinne Christ Iesus and then though it be neuer so terrible by his foule shape seeme neuer so strong to giue vs a fearefull fall yet shall it bee founde too weake and wee receiue after a mazing feare true comfort agaynst it and the deadly sting thereof If a man were vppon the top of a high tower without battlements it would seeme fearefull vnto him to looke downe but if he haue high strong battlements that he may take holde on not so Euen so it is with sinne looke vppon it without our strength agaynst it and it astonisheth to death but with him it vanisheth as too weake to condemne Gods chosen Dauids adulterie and murder were great sinnes yet repentance found mercie and they were pardoned Peters denyals were great sinnes yet in Christ rased out when he wept bitterly for them Paules persecuting and making hauocke of the congregation was no smal offence yet a wounded hart found a forgiuing God when opened eyes sawe what was done Those murmuring Iewes after so many strange workes and wonders wrought of the Lord for their deliuerance making a question whether he were amongst them or no did they lightly offend Or doth not the Scripture euery where speake of it as a most horrible and dreadfull offence Yet was there mercie with God and pardon to repentance But this course might bee long if I should note all particulars Let vs stay therefore with those murdring Iewes not of a malefactor but of a iust one not of the sonne of a man but of the sonne of God Christ Iesus and consider well whether the earth hath yeelded since her first creation a greater indignitie or whether the heauens haue behelde a more vggly transgression Surely no neither any whit comparable yet in Christ was this pardonable and euen then when their handes were red with the innocent bloud of Christ Iesus the speare scarse washed that pearced his holy heart euen then I say preached Peter pardon to repentance and as many as repented had mercie To the greatnesse of their sinne adde the vnfeelingnesse of their heart that had no remorse for any thing they had done And then consider will the Lord offer mercie before it be sought and shut vp mercie when it is sought Will he so graciously seeke to drawe men to repentance and shewe no pitie when we repent Will the Lorde forgiue the death of his deere sonne to the bloudie murderers of him and neuer be intreated for sinnes though greeuous yet not comparable O God forbid that after this example of mercie to these crucifiers of the Sonne of GOD Satan should euer shake our faith by feare of any sinne to be vnpardonable which with waiâ—ing harts wee lament that euer wee committed agaynst our deare God Therefore take fast holde of it and print it deepely in your memorie I omit Iacobs children I omit Manasses I omit many that might be named peruse their sinnes and beholde with ioye in a gracious God their full remission When the Spirit of truth sayth were thy sinnes as red as scarlet doth he meane to comfort agaynst small and fewe offences or against great and many Truly euen against all must you needes confesse And if you will not S. Iohn will reprooue you who sayth that bloud shall cleanse vs from all sinne making no distinction of fewe or many great or little Some not all And if the Lord distinguish not that must shewe mee mercie I defie a distinguishing deuill of whom I seeke no mercie Consider it often that the same Apostle saith If we acknowledge our sinne God is faithfull to forgiue vs. Making the assurance of pardon to a confessing sinner no lesse sure than it is that GOD is faithfull O beloued can God bee vnfaithfull if he can then feare if not be of good comfort for so certaine is mercie to a bleeding hart as he is faithfull that can bee no other O sweete foundation of our wished ioy the essence of our God Agayne is it not an article of our faith that our sinnes shalbe pardoned Will you say little sins God forbid restrayne not Gods mercie deny not your faith and then must you bée comfortable Remember agayne what the Lord Iesus sayth All that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away What a speech is this if wee marke it And what a comfort and ioy is there in it if wee haue but euen a peece of an heart to receiue it For to let passe the former part so plainly taking away distinction of Iewe or Gentill of bond or free in affirming that al that the father giueth him shall come to Christ what nation or language soeuer they bée of how sweet is the second part to a sinfull soule groaning and sighing vnder the burden of iniquitie sore laden and euen pressed downe with thoughts words and deedes in the sight of the Lorde damnable For what might be your case looke at your self Haue you read in the lawe that if God enter into iudgement with you sinne is so great that you are but gone Doe your transgressions pricke you and loose course of life begin to sting you What then are you dead and wil you not liue are you ill and will you be no better Smarteth your soule within through the deepe wounde of sinne and will you haue no ease O yes full faine say you but my sinnes my sinnes are so out of measure great and horrible that I feare the Lord hath cast me off and hath no mercie for me Ah deuell auant Doth my Sauiour say here he that commeth to me and is not a very great sinner I cast not away No no Satan my God and Lord my Christ and ioy speaketh indefinitely of any man of any woman in any case he that commeth vnto mee bee he Iewe be he Gentill be he bond be he frée Greeke or Barbarian and what sinne or sinnes so euer hee bee troubled for how weake and fraile so euer how poore vile so euer yea be his sinnes mo than y e heares of his head mo than the sand of the sea so that his heart fayle him with Dauid for them yet if he come to him he is welcome he is accepted and hee will not cast him away O soule awake then be of good cheare within me cast away the mourning wéede and hearken to thy most gracious GOD may you say Sorrowing and sighing for that which is past as my duetie is to him will I go knowing that he is the same yesterday to day and for euer His pitie decreaseth not his mercie fadeth not others haue found it and why should I doubt of it Neuer came sinner with sorrowe and faith but hee was accepted and his owne mouth in this place sayth it No man that commeth to me will I cast away Nay see further comfort here
angeli non audiuerunt prophaeta non sensit filius ipse non edidit The Archangels knowe it not the Angels haue not heard it the prophet hath not felt it the sonne of God himselfe hath reueiled no such thing to vs. For was not Iudas a wicked theefe in the company of the Apostles and yet they for all that the flocke of Christ Hath not the Lorde described the estate of this true Church militant here on earth by the similitudes of a drawe net cast into the sea that incloseth compasseth fish of al sorts yea stickes stones slime and mudde without any separation till it come to the shore Of a field wherin with the good wheate sowen by the husbandman come vp tares sowen by the enuious man and so intermingled that no cleere seperation can bee made but with daunger of plucking vp the wheate also till the haruest come Of a floore whereon lyeth much good wheate but couered almost and hid in an heape of chaffe intermingled with it till the fanner come with his fanne in his hande to purge the same and make cleane his flowre Of a great wedding whereunto as good and bad are bidden so come there some and take their places that yet haue no wedding garments sitting with the best till the King come in to sée the guestes displace them And are not these plaine proofes what maner of Church we must content our selues withall here on earth till the day of perfection come namely euen with such an one as though considered in Christ it be cleane and without spot and wrincle yet considered in it selfe it is not so before it come to the marke it shooteth at but in this life runneth in a race and after two sortes is stayned and impure First with the manifolde imperfections frailties and wants which her very best children are burdened withall euer feeling with the Apostle that in their flesh dwelleth no good thing that they are yoked as he was and farre worse that when they would do good euill is present with them and secondly with a greeuous mixture of many false hipocrites and counterfet pratlers amongst her true children whom though she sigh to be deliuered of and doe by her authoritie as she may disburden her selfe of them yet can she neuer doe it so cleane but that many vilde weedes will remayne till the haruest to be then plucked vp and till then in patience to be indured Let vs consider the Church from her very cradle and wee shall finde the state of it after this sorte Adam in his familie had Caine with his wicked behauiour and yet a Church Noah had Cham and yet a Church Abraham had Ismael a mocker and derider of Gods promises a maÌ„ borne after the flesh that is after the common course of nature and persecuting him that was borne after the Spirit that is by the vertue of Gods promise and after a spirituall maner and yet a Church Isaac had Esau and yet a Church Iacob had great misdemeanours committed still in his faâ—milie by all his sonnes enuying and malicing and most vnbrotherly vsing Ioseph By Ruben defiling his bed by Simeon and Leui brethren in euill instruments of crueltie and in their wrath staying so many by Dinah his daughter by Rachel his wife stealing her fathers Idols and but ouer much deceiued with them and by many other meanes if we fully peruse the storie and yet a Church Neither did euer either Adam or Noah or Abraham or the rest forsake these Churches in their seuerall families or refuse to pray and to doe all other dueties inioyned theÌ„ of the Lord for any vnworthie ones among them TheÌ„ when it came into Egipt was it without wrincles When it was deliuered therehence remember wee not what falles and faults what blots and blemishes still still and euer appeared in that chosen companie out of all the Nations of the world Néede I to repeate their murmurings their reuilings their faintings their many and great impieties mentioned in the storie vnder Moses vnder Iosua vnder Iudges Step to the Kings and to the Prophets what a state is mentioned of this Church militant vnder them also euer Were all things holy and perfect then Let Esay Ieremy Ioel Abacuc and the rest speake In the Priestes in the Magistrates in the people al things were then so corrupt that the Prophet Esay is not afraid to compare Hierusalem to Sodome and Gomorrha Religion was theÌ„ partly contemned partly defiled and many greeuous enormities in manners abounded so that from the sole of the foote to the top of the head there was nothing whole but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruptions sayth the Prophet Yet for all this neuer did the Prophets all or any of them erect newe Churches for themselues wherein they might haue their seperated sacrifices from the rest offred vpon any newe Altars builded to that ende as more holy But what maner of men soeuer they were because the word was there and a course of seruice warranted in the thicke of the wicked and in the middest of misdoers they lifted vp pure hands to the Lord and came together euen with the wicked to pray to sacrifice to heare the word and to doe their dueties in the place appoynted Truely wee must thinke this of those holy Prophets that if they had iudged other mens sinnes could haue defiled their holy dueties or that any infection and contagion might haue come to theÌ„ by meeting in those places of Gods seruice with the wicked they would haue dyed an hundred times rather than haue suffered themselues to bée drawne thether But they knewe it could not and hauing a singular care of peace and vnitie in the Church they therefore abhorred to make any schisme in the same by seperating them selues from the Church Now if those worthies of the Lorde for so many and so great euilles not of one or two men but euen almost of the whole people made a conscience yet not to estraunge themselues from the Church shall not you and I arrogate too much to our selues if wee presume to doe it in these daies Will not that saying of S. Austen be layd vpon vs spoken to the Donatistes vpon like occasion Finxerunt se nimis iustos cùm totum vellent perturbare They made themselues too holy when they would thus trouble all Therefore a sweéee moderation of all good desires according to these true presidents and holy examples assuredly would bee most acceptable to the Lord himselfe as it was in these Come wee from the Prophets to our Sauiour Christ himselfe that if any man make lesse accompt of the former than hee should this later may moue him and satisfie him further What maner of Church was then the Gospell teacheth at large and wee are not ignorant when Christ liued and preached among the Iewes A most corrupt estate it was and ful of sores that Christ sharply reproued in
his times Yet neither that desperate impietie of the Pharisies nor that loose libertie that ouerflowed as it were the Church then could hinder Christ either from vsing the same forme of seruing God with the people or from comming into the same temple with the multitude to the publique exercises of Religion there appoynted But he would bee circumcised with the rest and presented in the temple as others were when the time came and doe all things with them appoynted by the lawe for him to doe If any man doubt of it let him consider the Scripture well that sayth When the fulnes of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that hee might redeeme theÌ„ which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes Hee speaketh of the Ceremoniall lawe by name and therfore no question but he performed whatsoeuer therein was commanded and of man whom he was to redéeme ought to be performed Let him consider also Christes owne wordes when he sayd Wee worship what wee knowe ioyning himselfe not with a fewe picked and choyse Christians but with the whole multitude of the people of the Iewes and adding a reason that proueth so much for saluation commeth from the Iewes Which is as much as if he should haue sayd for the Religion not of some certaine but of the whole people or bodie of the Iewes is a seruice that pleaseth God for his owne appoyntment of it and therefore I communicate with them therein my selfe and we worship what we knowe together Musculus considering asmuch therefore noteth by our Sauiours example what care and conscience ought to bee in euery Christian to obserue the forme of his owne nation in seruing God if it may be warranted And it is not vnnoted of many others that our Sauiour notwithstanding the great corruptions of that Church communicated with it in all holy exercises and made not an other Church by himselfe of some certayne better people and yet there wanted not such euen in those euil daies diuers as Zachary Elizabeth Mary Simeon and others besides his disciples So that our Sauiours example is playne against this deceiuing error that we speake of namely that any man communicating in the publique exercises of religion according to the word of God appoynted with the wicked should by their companie there bee polluted he himselfe hauing a good conscience and doing his duetie as he ought From our Sauiour Christ let vs next come to his disciples tyme and see if they followed not the very same course and trod not in the very same steps of their masters practise Let vs remember the Church of Corinth which the Apostle in the Spirite of trueth calleth the Church of God sanctified beloued and abounding with the gifts of God And yet in it were many imperfections and sundry great and foule enormities There was enuying and strife and diuisions one holding of Paul an other of Apollos an other of Cephas in so much that the Apostle telleth them they are carnall and he could not speake vnto them as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall There was puffing and swelling pride in such order that the Apostle asketh shall I come vnto you with a rod or in loue There was fornication and euen such as is not named among the Gentiles one had his Fathers wife and they that sawe it and knewe it were puffed vp and sorowed not neither punished as they ought so foule a wickednes There was quarelling brabling and busie going to lawe one with an other and that vnder infidels Men and women that were maried together made separations and diuorses of themselues one from an other of their owne authorities and when themselues listed without word and warrant without right and conscience which the Apostle rebuketh and telleth them might not be so There was going to the prophane bankets of the Gentiles and eating of thinges sacrificed to Idols with great offence to the weake The vâ—ry Sacrament of the Lords Supper was greatly prophaned Those Spirituall giftes which the Lorde gaue them they abused bragging ambitiously of them and so robbing God of his prayse for them hauing no consideration of their brethren to edifie theÌ„ by an humble mind submitting it selfe to the capacitie of the weakest On the other side they that were inferiors in gifts enuyed the superiors and went about to make a departure so that all that body was as it were skattered and rent in pieces That notable gift of tongues and languages they greatly abused neglecting prophecie And what should I say the very resurrection that great Article of a christians faith was called in question in that Church and yet for all that and al these that I haue thus named it ceased not to bee a Church and the Church of God and Sanctified and beloued and blessed and made rich with many graces neither for these blots might any man haue bene iustified then to haue giuen it the blacke stone of condemnation and to haue separated himselfe from it as from no Church Let vs remember the GalathiaÌ„s of whom the Apostle complaineth that they were so soone remoued away vnto an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ that they were bewitched not to obey the trueth but to turne againe vnto impotent and beggerly rudiments seeking to be in bondage to them againe as at the beginning that they obserued dayes moneths tymes and yeres and so foorth euery of which was a great blot and spot and all together a very great declyning from a right course yet neuerthelesse doth the Apostle in the Spirit of trueth salute them as the Church of God and so nameth them and so taketh them To the playne prouing of this truth that imperfections in a Church where the worde is preached truely and the Sacraments administred according to the institution of Christ taketh not away the name of a Church And marke it in Paul because we seeke not nowe other examples howe notwithstanding these great blemishes in Corinth Galatia and other places that he came to yet he euer without any scruple â—ntered into their Churches into y e Iewes Synagogues and into all places to pray and to interpret the Scriptures Yea hee made no doubt to exhibite himselfe in the Temple to call vpon God and to vse other lawfull ceremonies together with others that vsed them although the wickednes impietie of the Scribes Pharises which were there then was exceeding foule and great Neither doth he euer perswade any of the better sort when hee speaketh of the faults either in Corinth or Galatia or other Churches to forbeare all communion with those Churches till thinges were better reformed but onely exhorteth them to beware the vices and euils he speaketh of and neuer mencioneth any separation Which assuredly he would haue done if it had bene as satan
by this temptation that now we handle seeketh to perswade Therfore I pray you let vs all note it and thinke of it And as hee did not forbid others such communion so himself did not breake that felowship as already hath appeared and more may if wee marke his practise For hee sayth to the Philippians that he had no body like Timotheus but al did séeke their own and not that which is Iesus Christs Yet neuer do we find that he separated him selfe from their company for feare of partaking with their sinnes And diuers such other places there are What might be added of those famous Churches in the Reuelation Ephesus Pergamus Thyatira and others Doth not the Spirit of God lay downe their blemishes and sheweth what he had against them and those no litle things some of them and yet yeldeth them the names and titles of Churches and calleth their ministers angels What then if a man in those dayes shoulde haue taken offence at these wants of these Churches weakenesses of men and haue sayde they haue preaching but they are not reformed as they should be and therefore I will cut my selfe from them and communicate no longer with them would it haue bene alowed Consider the Lord Iesus his preaching with more holynes and power than euer any else could or shall Were all reformed that heard him nay were his owne disciples reformed wholy How then were they so often rebuked of the Lorde and that iustly Consider the Prophets that were hidden prophesie and did it carefully and yet were told that the people would not obey them Consider the Apostle that sayth we are a sweete sauour to God in some that perish Consider that hee which willeth Paul to plant and Apollo to water reserueth the gift of increase to himselfe and giueth it where when and so farre as he pleaseth So that if the Lords ministers in very great heauines and continuall sorow of heart would wish themselues euen separated from Christ for their brethrens winning yet shall no moe come to the father than Christ will drawe and this happy change must bee at his good pleasure not at their desire How then may we safely fall out with the preaching and preacher and with the Church and her children for want of that which onely GOD must giue and the best preachers haue fayled to obtaine though faithfully doing their dueties namely a full reformation as wee would Shall that holy worde not reforme me because it reformeth not others shall it not be a sauour to me of life to life because to others it is a sauour of death to death If hee offer mee a penny shall I bid him keepe it except hee will giue others as much at my direction May not the Lorde doe with his owne as it pleaseth him for mee or shall I grudge to the Spirite his blowing where he listeth O fearefull falling out with the Lord and his offred goodnes if it bee considered earnestly Wee should remember againe when wee looke so after the fruites of amendment in a Church and stumble so dangerously for wāt of what we wish that Pharisees make greater shewes to some mens eyes than poore Publicanes doe and yet the one iustified more than the other with a righteous God We should remember that Elias was deceyued when hee thought that there were no mo that were reformed but himselfe Our eyes cannot see all men neither can we euer know the worke of the worde preached Inward graces are often where we thought not and outwarde carie more then we know Some iudged lead proues fined golde and glistring gold that seemed to bee proues drossie lead A tender conscience sweete feeling an hope in Christ and his promises inward cryings by faythfull prayer holy thoughtes and meditations sweete prickes and melting motions remorse for sinne and spirituall fights humilitie of heart and peace of mind patience ioy and a number such they bee secret graces not alwayes knowne and discerned of euery man where in truth they are at least not in such measure as in deede they are And therefore since we cannot knowe all either people or graces wrought by the worde preached and there may bee a want aswell in our not seeing all with Elias as in mens misdoings greatly should we feare to condemne and iudge the Churches of GOD for not answering their teaching with any reformation It is an earnest charge and of a mightie God See that ye despise not one of these litle ones For I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heauen What greater contempt than to thinke that Publicane is not like me I am reformed I am sanctified I haue receyued the holy Ghost others haue not and these by name haue not so O take heede Iudge not thus rashly an other mans seruant All is not gold that glistereth neither all bowers of their knees to Baal that are yet so thought to be euen of a Prophet Lastly wee should lift vp our heads and open our eyes in a louing heart a little wider that we may see the profites of the worde and the gracious mercies of the Lorde to any Church euer and with as hungrie a heart delight to discerne the graces of men as the faults of men Yea much more And if wee see many superstitions banished many abuses amended many snared consciences and fettered soules inlarged true loue of diuers good things and true hatred of diuers euil things wrought Ougly and often othes in many decayed knowledge both in youth and age increased the hearing of the word with Prayers and Sacraments diligently frequented priuate regarde of families in the gouernours of them greatly amended diet and apparell tempred the poore reléeued Princes obeyed peace maintayned c. to confesse then to the due glorie of a gracious God that this is something and this measure some although not all Loue spieth any good wher it loueth loue couereth many things that are not well Surely it doth not for wants denie the good neither for some condemne all And thus if we would looke at Churches children of the Churches no doubt no doubt Satans combe would be cut touching this temptation If any man will say shewe me these reformed ones and good ones in a Church what answereth a learned father Quid hac re opus est Annon satis est eos in ecclesia esse Quāobrem cùm ipsa communionem habetote manete in ecclesia ad sacros coetus sacramenta quemadmodum oportet accedite Etiamsi enim multi impuri publici peccatores non mundati in ea sint tamen vos ab illis non polluemini non magis quam Apostolos Iudaei polluerunt Quin potiùs videte ne à vobis ipsis polluamini propterea quòd multum vobis tribuitis iudicatis omnes plurimum vobis placetis Itaque spiritualis superbia contemptus nimium vestris animis insidet
vt semper quoad licet refugiant Tantam ministerij ac sacramentorum reuerentiam esse oportere vt vbicunque extare haec cernant ecclesiam esse censeant c. That there ought to be in Christians such a detestation of Schisme that as neere as they may they euer flye it Again that there ought to bee such a reuerence of the ministerie and of the sacraments that where so euer they see these extant there they acknowledge the Church to bee For as much therefore as by Gods permission the Church is gouerned by these men what manner of persons soeuer they bee if they see the notes of the Church there it shall bee better not to separate themselues from the communion Neither hurteth it that some vntrue doctrine is there deliuered For there is hardly any Church that hath not some reliques of ignorance It sufficeth vs if the doctrine wheron the Church is founded haue his place and be kept Neither stoppe wee at this that hee cannot bee accompted a lawefull Pastour which hath not onely crept but most wickedly broken into the place of a true minister For it is not fit that euery priuate man should trouble himselfe with these scruples Sacramenta cum ecclesia communicant The Sacraments they receiue with the Church Per eorum manus sibi dispensari sustinent Only by their handes they indure them to be deliuered For whō they see to haue the places whether lawfully or vnlawfully they haue them although the matter somwhat appertayne to them yet may they suspend their iudgement thereof till a full knowledge bee had Therefore if they vse their ministerie yet is there no daunger least they shoulde seeme either to acknowledge or allowe or confirme the same for good But by this meanes they giue a testimonie of their patience whilst they are content to indure those whom they iudge worthy of condemnation euen by a solemne iudgement Thus farre master Caluin Somewhat long but truely very materiall to the poynt wee nowe speake of if humilitie woorke a reuerence of other mens iudgments especially that haue abounded with the great graces of God to the profiting of the Church and puffing pride doth not dangerously perswade vs that no man seeth the trueth of GOD but our selues which God forbid Bullinger agayne deliuered it boldly to the people of God in his time and after that qui saepe admonitus dolo vtitur non ecclesiam Dominum aut ministrum decipit sed se ipsum ipsi iudicium manducat Whosoeuer admonished often yet dissembleth and vseth guile hee deceyueth not the Church hee deceyueth not the Lorde nor the minister but hee deceyueth himselfe and to his owne damnation hee eateth Meaning that none could bee hurt by the company of any that communicate with them themselues being right And therefore meaning to prosecute this question no further in a comfortable hope I neede not I conclude both with the iudgement and very wordes of Master Caluin in his institutions remembred before Fixum igitur vtrumque istorum maneat Therfore let both these thinges remaine firmely fixed first that he hath no excuse that of his owne will forsaketh the outward communion of the Church where the worde of God is preached and the Sacraments administred then that the faultes of a few or many are no hinderance but that we may therein rightly professe our fayth by the ceremonies instituted by God Because a godly conscience is not hurt by the vnworthynes of any other either Pastor or priuat man and the mysteries are to a holy vpright man neuertheles pure and holesome though they bee together handled of vncleane men The fourth temptation concerning compulsion to good LAstly there haue bin and to this day are that thinke men shoulde not bee compelled to fayth and religion The Donatistes Pelagians and Anabaptistes in their seuerall times the Papists still dayly in their printed pamphlets But as the rest so is this also a subtile sleight of a tempting deuill to animate men vnto euill boldly An vntrueth in the word plainly refelled and of the Church and Children of God truely instructed euer abhorred The noble kings Asa and Iosia did constrayne and compell the people by seueritie of their Lawes punishments to serue the Lorde For whosoeuer will not seeke the God of Israel shall be slain whether he be smal or great man or woman saith the text Nebuchadnezzar made a decree that euery people nation and language which spake any blasphemy against the God of Sydrach Mysach and Abednago should be drawne in peeces and their houses put to the most base vse that might be A very sharpe law I trowe we will confesse to compell men to a dutie iust and godly And if this heathen king moued by Gods spirite did this and might doe it may not they that professe religion do it Nay shall they not as their knowledge and charge is greater so suffer double punishment if they do it not Surely the trueth is playne they shall King Darius did the like in the same Prophet And I make a decree sayth he that in all the dominion of my kingdome men tremble and feare before the God of Daniel For hee is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shall not perish c. The King of Niniueh againe forced by his authoritie all men in the City to humble them selues before God yea sayth he Let man and beast put on sackcloth and cry mightely vnto God Which example Austen vrged in his time against the Donatists and sayth the King of Niniuie did God good seruice by compelling the whole Citie to serue God In the Gospel the master sayd to the seruant Go out into the high wayes and hedges compell thē to come in that my house may be filled Neque absque causa sic loquitur Dominus Quia enim diuersi hominum mores ingenia item diuersa sunt non eadem docendi aut praedicandi ratio omnibus conuenit Sunt enim quibus simplicem institutionem doctrinam adhibuisse sufficit aliis admonitione seueriore multis adhortatione imo correptione obiurgatione acriore opus est Et ideo suprà verbi ministros exactorum similes dixit Neither did the Lord without good cause sayth a learned interpreter speake after this sort For diuers men being of diuers manners and dispositions one and the same way of preaching agreeeth not to them all Some it sufficeth to haue doctrine plainely deliuered to them others must haue earnest admonition also many must haue exhortation yea sharpe rebukes and chidinges or else they profite not And therefore the Ministers of God were compared before to Stewardes or Baylifes that sharply and roughly require their masters rent for his Vineyarde if it be wanting Fit etiam saepenumero vt magistratus suam authoritatem interponere oporteat quando multorum peruicacia tanta est vt aliter vinci non possit And many times it commeth to passe
profit of preaching 187 Spirite what it worketh in vs. 195 Some may pray for more then others 285 Shrift where found and where lost 323 Sufferance in God howe great 325. Satisfaction to God for sinne confuted 32â— 331 Sinnes why called debâ—s 339 Sinnes all mortall 341 Sinnes greater and lesse 343 Shiftes to mock our selues 358 Socrates teacheth Christians patience and to forgiue 361 Sinnes after baptisme pardoned 376 Sanctification prooueth election 435 Sanctificatâ—on must be true not in â—â—ew onely ibid. Sanctifiâ—â—tioÌ„ true how known 442 Slaunâ—er a great temptation how helped 483 Siâ—â—nesse a triall 487 Sâ—ruants euill to good Master 488 Sacraments depend not of the Ministers holinesse 519 T THree good Mothers bring three bad children 289 Thanks for our meat 303 Temptation what it is 401 Temptations of two sorts ibid. Temptations of three sorts 402 To tempt what it signifieth wheÌ„ it is attributed to God 402 Tempting by men how 406 Temptation from God Satan 〈◊〉 the matter one yet diuerse in a diuerse respect 494 Temptation touching the Church militant here ibid. The Godly communicate in prayer with the wicked 500 Temptation touching bad ministers 519 Temptation touching Communicants admitted to the Lords Table 533 Temptations in life and behauiour aswell as in iudgement 564 V VNitie taught 98 Vbiquitie 114 Vse of thinges from God onely 326 Veniall sinnes 341 W WHat wâ—e may pray for 68 Will of God carefully done of all his children 217 Will of God hidden and reueiled 220 Will hath two obiects 225 Wil of God in this praier what it compriseth 233 Works of supererogation 259 World how worthy to be loathed 262 Wealth dangerous 286 Wrongfull imprisonmeÌ„t a triall of the Godly 488 FINIS Corrections of the faultes escaped PAgina 2. line 13. Reade due 17. l. 5. crauing 25. l. last lading 32. l. 14. should 41. l. last loaueâ— 45. l. 18. loked of 47. l. 9. two 73. l. 3. is not 76. l. 6. and contract any 88 l. 18. his 91. l. 11. vnto 105. l. 16. wee pray for 126. l. 14 euen l. 17. thereby 134. l. 3. this 137. l 5. dishonor l. 8. affirme 152. l. 13. was 160. l. 2. see 176. l. 23. in a. 178. l. 18. Harding 181. l. 19. the one to 187. l. 10. beginning 189. l. 22. for 195. l. 2. is this 208. l. 23 anarchie 214. l. 2. haue the. l. 12 not the. l. 14. cheerefully 216. l. 23. wrestling 221. l. 5. hee snubbed them 227. l. 8. punisheth 230. l. 8. them l. 9. because he 231. l. 7. is it 246. l. 1. and you here 253. l. 10. yet 266. l. 15 ouerflowe 267. l. 21. multis 295. l. 21. God in deed 296. l. 19. considered 297. l. 1. proprietie 303. l. 4. yet 321. l. 27. that notable 324. l. 2. of a. 325. l. 12. sore ones 336. l. 15. trafiqued 342. l. 14. can not purge 352. l. 22. condemned with 361. l. 22. either wisdome 378. l. 9. first we 383. l. 25. how the. 385. l. 24. both shake 387. l. 27. our lode 389. l. 7. so growen vp euen 391. l. 16. careful not 400. l. 16. hartely 415. l. 27. heap of 435. l. 3. if l. 437. l. 27. premises 439. l. 27. hampered 445. l. 22. stones 468. l. 6. against it 469. l. 2. shall not 492. l. 18. obtained 531. l. 9. a good 553. l. 15. if god 576. l. 5. author 602. l. 17. vnitatis IF thou findest any other faultes either in words or distinctions troubling a perfect sence Gentle Reader helpe them by thine owne iudgment and excuse the presse by the Authors absence who best was acquainted to reade his owne hand Ecclesiast 2.11 Psal 37. 1. Timoth. 6.4.5 chap. 4.8 Deutro 4. Psal 39. Iob. 13.15 2. Chron. 15.2 1. Chron. 28.9 Praier natural but to pray rightly of God Rom. 16. Vers 1. Vers 9. Vers 13. Ingratitude to God Atheisme Declination from nature Rom 2.14.15 Prayer is necessary In respect of the Lord here Psal 147.148 c. Psal 136.1.2.3 Psal 150.6 Psal 146.1 Apoc. 4.8 ver 11. In the world to come Luke 1.74.75 Ose 14.3 Psal 50.15 Prayer necessary in respect of our selues Psal 42. Chap. 6. 1. Kings 19. Ionas 2. Mat. 7.7 Praier necessary in respect of our brethren Prayer is profitable Luc. 21.36 vers 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27· 28. 34. Iam. 5.13 1. Tim. 4.5 Psal 4.8 Gen. 28.20 Psal 140.7 Mar 9.25 Math. 15.28 Math. 8.13 Act. 10. 1. Sam. 1.10 Homil. 1. of praying to God It is no small commendation of prayer that the Spirit teacheth it Rom. 8.26 Math. 7.7 Iohn 4.2 Psal 139. Math. 6.11 Vers 32. 1. Kings 18.42 Esa 65.24 Psal 21.4 Math. 7. Psal 50. Psal 145. Ioel. 2.32 Psal 34.16 Mark 9.29 Psal 55.17 c. 1. Cor. 1.31 2. Cor. 5.18 Affection required in prayer Rom. 12. Hose 7.14 1. Sam. 1.10.13 Exo. 14.15 Rom. 8 26. Helpes of affection Luc. 18.13 Math. 8.8 Dan. 9.18 Psal 133.2 Esay 64.6 Iere. 14.7 Baruch 2.18 Math. 7. Io. 16.23 Psal 5â— Math. 11.28 Ioel. 2.32 Psal 5.7 Psal 156.10 Psal 142.1 vers 6. 1. Cor. 14. Vers 2. vers 9. vers 11. vers 14. vers 15. Vers 16. Vers 10. vers 8. vers 26. The practise of the godly against this error Their iudgements against it Cap. 13. ad finem De catechizâ—dis rudibus Cap. 9. ad finem De Magistro in principio Aug. de doctrina Christiana lib. 4. cap. 16. Aug. in Genes ad literam lib. 11. cap. 8. In Psal 99. In Leuit. cap. 7 De orat Dom. Diuisio 28. Diuisio 31. Lyra in 1. Cor. 14. Aug. prefat in Psal De doctrinae Christiana lib. 4. cap. 11. In Psal 18. Exposu 2. Syrac 5. vers 6. Psal 50. Iohn 14.14 Psal 14. Luke 17.5 Math 6.13 vers 11. Psal 18.1 Deutro 6.13 Chap. 10.20 Math. 4.10 Esay 42.8 Psal 50. Exod. 20. Psal 97.7 Psal 115.3 Iere. 2.28 Act. 7.42 Deut. 4. Philip. 2.10 Gen. 1.26 Psal 8. Hebru 1.7 Rom. 10.14 Ihon. 14.6 1. Tim. 2.5 Heb. 9.6.9.14.19 1. Timoth. 2.3 Ihon. 19.13 Ihon 16.4 c. 1. Sam. 2. 3. 1. Ihon. 2.1 1. Ihon. 2.1 Contra parmenian lib. 2. cap. 8. Aug. Confess lib. 10. cap. 42.43 Coloss 2.18 a For these angell worshippers blamed such of pride as would goe streight to God and vse no other vndermeanes beside Christ and sayd the other was humblenes of mind But such humilitie the Apostle condemneth Ambrose de Isaac anima lib. Psal 51. Math. 3. 1. Timoth 2.5 Ro. 8.32 1. Ihon. 2. Ephes 3.12 Hebre. 7. 9. Chap. 7.25 Hebre. 9.24 Hebre. 7.28 Ihon. 16. Ihon. 10. Ihon. 14. 1. Tim. 2. vers 1. 5. Apoc. 19.10 1. Timo. 2.1 Iam. 5.13.16 Math. 5.44 Ro. 12.14 Iustinus Tertul. Clemens Augustin c. 1. Tim. 4.8 Math. 6.5 1. Tim. 2.8 Psal 14.1 Exod. 29.38 Ioel. 2. Esay 56.7 Ihon. 2.16 Chrysost de in incomprehensibli Dei natura Homil. 3. Chrysost in 2.