onely I put you in mind of a saying of Saint Augustine in his confessions Hoc me docuisti vt quemadmodum medicamentâ— sic alimenta sumpturum accedam c. Thou hast taught me O God that I should come with such a mind to receiue my meate as I come to take Physicke whereby he signified that as he tooke no Physicke but in case of necessity so he did not eate but when hunger did pricke him If it be meat why is it not eaten If Physicke why is it taken so often If Physicke be taken too often then will it not worke like Physicke as he that vseth strong wine for his ordinary drinke when he would haue his crude meates digested it will not serue the turne but he must haue some compound water to helpe So were Tobacco as wholesome a weede or herbe as is pretended yet if it be vsed too commonly nature will entertaine it as a friend not as a Physician But my duty is to tender you health of the soule not of the body If it doe no hurt to the soule let it be vsed for me and let it be vsed as it is vsed by some all the day long Hoc primus repetas opus hoc postremus omittas but how can it choose but hurt the soule when it causeth a man to spend so many precious houres in idlenesse in vnthriftinesse in sensuality If we must giue an account for euery idle word must we not giue an account for euery idle day nay moneth nay yeere if for euery idle penny must we not then for euery idle shilling nay I haue heard of diuers that haue sold their Patrimony for it This is not the way to bring men to that state that the Prophet Esay speaketh of Like buyer like seller but this is to cause men to write vnder the signe of them that haue purchased by selling Tobacco as Diogenes did vnder the golden statue that Phryne the strumpet dedicated at Delphi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is This was gotten by the intemperance of the Grecians And so I come to the third and last part of my diuision to wit the reason drawne from the danger attending drunkennâ—sse in these words Wherein is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth two things Excesse in expences opposite to frugality and excesse in delights whether it be in meates or drinkes or the like opposite vnto temperance neither doth it signifie these vices in any meane degree but in an extremity As for example Esau in selling away his birth-right was Asotus and in selling it away for a messe of potage was twice Asotus The like might be said of Vgaccio of Luca that ventured his Dukedome rather than he would lose a good supper of Lysimachus that did away a whole Kingdome for drinke the like of Wenceslaus that did consume his Empire after the same manner so the Prodigall sonne Luke 15. for dilapidating of his portion may be called Asotus and for dilapidating of it no man knoweth for what was twice Asotus To be shoâ—t they that walke as Saint Peter describeth them in lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings bankettings c. they are Asoti but in that they doe maruell and consequently be offended in that others doe not runne with them into the same excesse of riot they are twice yea thrice Asoti If Saint Paul were aliue and would phrase it according to the Idiome of these times he would call them roaring boyes and fellowes of the damned crue Should any of the children of light wilfully abandon himselfe to the fellowship of darkenesse adde sinne vnto sinne drunkennesse vnto thirst proceed from euill to worse truly it had beene good for such that they had neuer beene borne it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them It is a fearefull thing to receiue the grace of God in vaine and it is a desperat thing being warned of a rock wilfully to cast our selues vpon it You haue heard that drunkennesse occasioned by drinking of wine or strong drinks or strong heady fumes is a thing displeasing to God vnprofitable nay hurtfull to man to his soule to his body to his estate to his reputation for if it be followed it bringeth a man to a desperate estate that he shall be Asotus that is Perditus profligatus that he shall simul cum re animam etiam perdere make hauocke of his substance and soule together Thrax erit aut olitoris aget mercede caballum That when all is gone he shall be glad to be a Swine-heard like the Prodigall sonne and be weary of his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or make himselfe away like Peter the Cardinall the base sonne of Sixtus the the fourth that monstrous Epicure the shame of the later times or like Apitius the shame of the ancient age wherein he liued If you will haue the mischiefe that is done by drunkennesse or drinking of much wine or strong w ine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gathered into a short summe mâ— thinkes the old Schoole-man expresseth it significantly Drunâ—ennesse saith he taketh away naturall gifts vsque ad insensibilitatem till a man doe become void of sense spirituall gifts vsque ad fundamentum till he lose the very foundation of faith or vntill he be fleshly and haue no spirit left as Saint Iude speaketh Lastly temporall blessings vsque ad mendicitatem till he be left a very begger Thus he Touching beggerlinesse that drunkennesse bringeth men vnto I gaue you euen now two or three examples and he is a very young man and vnobseruant that cannot adde twenty or forty out of his owne experience And for the hurt that it doth to the spirituall graces or inward man let me tell you what Saint Basil and Saint Ambrose say As smoke chaseth away Bees so doth surfetting and drunkennesse spirituall graces So Basil more particularly Ambrose As continency is the mother of faithfulnesse so drunkennesse is the mother of perfidiousnesse Thus he Lastly for insensiblenesse I meane insufficiency either to iudge or conceiue A Story may be remembred out of Athenaeus which in short was this Certaine youths in a Town of Sicily called Agrigentum had beene a tippling and had applyed so hard that they knew not where they were but thought they were vpon the Sea and their Inne was a ship and tossed and in great danger by the surges and billowes which carried it to and fro when those surges were in their braines or in their bellies and no where else What doe they therefore imagining that the ship would sinke except it were lighted they bestirre themselues and open the dores and windowes and cast forth whatsoeuer they could come by stooles and pewter and braâ—se and beds and bedding and old scuffling there was in the streets for the things that were cast forth but
SERMONS OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MILES SMITH LATE LORD BISHOP OF GLOCESTER TRANSCRIBED OVT OF HIS ORIGINALL MANVSCRIPTS AND NOW PVBLISHED FOR THE COMMON GOOD PSALME 112.6 The Righteous shall be in euerlasting Remembrance PROVERBS 10.7 The memory of the Iust is blessed LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Allde for Robert Allot dwelling at the Blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1632. NOBILISSIMIS ACPIETATE ET PRVDENTIA SPECTATISSIMIS DOMINIS DN HENRICO COMITI DANBIENSI ET DN EDVARDO COMITI NORVICENSI HAS Reuerendi in Christo Patris doctissimi Praesulis Milonis SMITHI Gloucestrensis nuper Episcopi Conciones Humillimè dedicat qui D. V. plurimum debet I. S. THE PREFACE THESE Sermons following which grauely fell from the lips of this worthy Bishop some of them in the ordinary course of his Ministery other some at more speciall times are now by the Religious care and industry of certaine of his friends and neere-ones imprinted and sent forth into publicke view Pliny the great Naturalist taxeth some of the Greeke and Latin Writers in his time of folly at the least for sending abroad their empty and worthlesse Pamphlets with an ouer-praise in the Title promising much at the first sight but vtterly deceiuing the Reader in his further search like the Apple whereof Solinus writes that growes where Sodom and Gomorrha stood which hath a rind or out-side pleasing to the eye but being pressed though but lightly with the hand it euaporats and becomes vnprofitable And as former ages haue suffered in this kind so I would it were not the iust complaint and grieuance of the times wherein we liue Multitudes of Writers we haue and bookes without number euâ—n to excesse many of them such as notwitstanding their plausible Inscriptions giue iust occasion to the buyer after perusall to cry out with Him in the Comedy Polego oleum operam perdidi And to complaine in the Prophets phrase I haue spent my money for that which is not bread and my labour for that which satisfieth not But now he that shall with iudgement reade these ensuing labours will finde somewhat more than a naked Title to commend them And albeit diuers of them seeme to be the fruits of his younger yeeres and come not forth in that lustre and beauty as the Author had he purposed to haue made them publicke could and would haue sent them being transcribed from his Originall Manuscripts as they fell to hand without choice yet such they are as I perswade my selfe will passe the eyes of the Learned who are fittest ablest to iudge not without deserued approbation There is in them as well matter for the vnderstanding to worke vpon whereby the Reader may be made Eruditior the better Scholar as to moue the affections wherby he may become Melior the better Christian. Milke and strong meate both for men and babes the wise may thence be made more wise and the weake more strong Concerning the man himselfe whose memory in many respects is blessed how much might be spoken of him how many singular gracious parts he had deseruing commendation on his behalfe imitation on ours it cannot in a few words be expressed But for my part I purpose not here to vndertake a story of his life I was not so exactly learned therein neither haue I beene sufficiently instructed for so great a worke my intentions onely driue at this namely to let them know that knew him not what he was in the generall of his carriage confining my discourse within the compasse of a few particulars lest otherwise the Preface exceeding the proportion of the subsequent worke that witty scoffe might be applyed to me that somtime by the biting Cynicke was cast vpon the Citizens of Myndus Viri Myndij portas claudite ne vrbsvest ra egrediatur Briefely then For the manner of his life and the constant tenor thereof this I can affirme that therein he shewed forth the fruits of the spirit to wit such as whereof the Apostle speakes Galat. 5. Loue Ioy Peace Longsuffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance In all which graces he had so large a part that should I runne ouer and examine them particularly with Historicall relation and application to him I suppose that a few lines nay leaues would not containe the Commentary that might be written of him Adde hereunto that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sincerity and godly purenesse that appeared in all his actions striuing not so much to seeme as verily and indeed to be a patterne of gracious deportement and then it may be said of him as sometime of old Symeon that he was a iust and a religious man Luke 2. And as our Sauiour testifieth of Nathaniel Iohn 1. An Israelite in whom was no guile And see how nature and grace did cooperate in this godly Bishop in furnishing of him with an aptitude to euery good worke He alwayes shewed himselfe most ready to minister to the necessity of the indigent and needy hauing a tender touch euen naturally that way Yeerely pensions he allowed whilest he liued as his great charge would giue him leaue to be distributed to the poore as of the place where he was Bishop so in other places where he had meanes besides the daily reliefe they of the Citie found at his gates Exhibition of maintenance he continued to diuers poore Scholars in the Vniuersitie of Oxford whose Parents were not able to sustaine that charge and was euer forward in succouring and releeuing poore Strangers and Trauellers that came vnto him To be short the bread that he gaue it was not Panis lapidosus as Fabius Verrucosus in Seneca termed a hartlesse sowre gift but whether his Almes were great or small they were alwayes mixed with alacrity and cheerefulnesse which Plato so long agoe commended in Leptines and the Apostle Saint Paul notes to be a quality which God himselfe is much affected withall 2 Corin. 9. And as he was pitifull to the poore so very charitable towards all and apt to forgiue wrongs and iniuries done vnto him hardly to be digested in the stomach of a carnall man The vertuous and religious he alwayes praised and incouraged vsing instruction and rebuke to the contrary-minded not in the voyce of Thunder in an ouer-zealous straine and heate of Passion but in the still voyce in the sweet and soft words of meekenesse the most likely if not the onely way of winning in the course of discipline as learned Oecumenius sets it downe And that he was not so quick in the eare and so nimble in the eye as many are to spie after and catch at the weakenesses of other men cannot be attributed to any remissenesse in him but to charitie For t is certaine that he could not easily be brought to suspect euill in any where he did not see it or had some strong euidence of truth leading him on to beleeue it The byas of his good inclination still hanging
learning said the mother of the Gracchi Do you aske me where be my treasures My treasures be my friends said Constantius the father of Constantine Briefly doe you aske me where be my hands My hands are the poore the blind and the lame whom I keepe of almes said Amadeus Lastly doe you aske what is the Romanes their science or occupation I confesse saith the Prince of Latine Poets Others can paint and carue and play the Orators and play the Astronomers artificially but Tu regere Imperio populos Romane memento c. Hae tibi erunt Artes c. Thine Astronomy and thine Oratory and thy caruing and painting c. must be to keepe in obedience Nations and to be good to them that liue in obedience and as for the proud and refractary to keepe them downe this must be thy Art Euen thus you heare that our Sauiour is not singular in his phrase in this 6. of Iohn touching Eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood but that the same in Analogie is vsed else-where by himselfe and euery where by others And to say the truth why should our Sauiour be thought to speake more properly and naturally when hee saith to vs You must eate the Flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his Blood then when he saith of himselfe My meate is to doe the will of Him that sent me c Yet of the former speech our Aduersaries the Romanists take hold of as did also the Capernaites before them to the later they take no exception It is certaine that it was Scandalum acceptum non datum our Sauiour spake none otherwise then he might doe but these men tooke it otherwise then they ought to doe And who tooke it in ill fashion The Text saith Many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is an heardsaying who may abide it Yea further that Many went backe walked no more with him ver 66. If the vulgar Gnain Haarets had cauilled with a few of the better sort only or if they had kept their dislike to themselues or if they had contained themselues within words it had bin another matter Mortui non mordent so words be but wind Verba dum sunt and so Muti non mordent But now for his owne Disciples to doe it and not a few of them but many and not within themselues but to vtter it openly and to proceed from words to deeds and de facto to fall from him as it made their sinne the more sinfull so it might make Christs Passion the more passionate though all his passions were sanctified and alwayes without sin Well after much preparation ridding of the way all necessary for the clearing of the occasion we are come at the length to the Text it selfe Wherein note with me three things A question An answere A reply The Question and Reply are moued by our Sauiour the Answere by Peter The Question is tentatory Will â—ou also goe away I haue deserued better of you The Answere is partly indignatory Lord to whom shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life He seemed to take it ill that their fidelity was questioned pa rtly Protestatory Wee beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Lastly the Reply is Expostulatory Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a Deuill As if he said Ye are not all sound at the heart yee are not all the men that you would be taken for For the first namely the Question As all haue not faith 2. Thess. 3. So all haue not continuance in the faith You ranne well who did let you that you did not obey the truth Gal. 5. and chapter 3. Are you so foolish that after you haue begun in the spirit you will end in the flesh So it is No man is crowned except he striue lawfully that is except he hold out a conquerour to the end And No man putting his hand to the plough and looking backe is meete for the Kingdome of God Therefore the Grecians significantly call end and perfection by one and the same word And Cyprian speaketh sensibly Quicquid ante finem fuerit gradus est quo ad fastigium salutis ascenditur non terminus quo iam culminis summa teneatur That is Whatsoeuer is before the end it is a step whereby we clime to the top of saluation but it is not the vppermost griece whereby the highest point of the top maybe taken hold of A man may be tumbled downe from the ladder as well when hee is within a round or two of the top as when he is in the midst or below the midst and a man may make shipwracke when he is within a ken of land as well as when he is a thousand miles off What had it profited Peter to haue escaped the first and second watch if they had stucke at the Iron-gate and had not passed thorow that also And what did it benefit Samson to haue withstood and eluded Delilahs temptation three seuerall times when in the fourth he gaue ground and was ouer-come Who maketh account of land Oates that shead before the Haruest or of fruit be it Apple or Peare that falls from the tree before it be ripe If you heare these things happy are ye if ye doe them saith Christ and if you receiue the Word once with gladnesse happy are ye say I if you continue in liking of it It is not an ordinary or light sinne to fall from the Grace of Christ neither was it a small fault of these Disciples hauing beene once enlightned and tasted of the good gift of God to forsake Christ in the open field and to turne to him the backe and not the face No maruell therefore if Christ seeme so to wonder as he doth at their back-sliding if he be so carefull to admonish the twelue that they follow not their steps but be warned by their falls Will yee also gâ—e away As if he said Though Israel sinne yet let not Iudah transgresse You are they that I haue framed and fashioned for my seâ—fe the graffe of mine owne setting the shaft of mine owne Quiuer that I may bee glorified therefore though all should be offended because of mee yet be not you offended though all should goe backe yet be not you as they that withdraw themselues vnto perdition for surely your punishment should be so much the heauier by how much Gods mercies in so calling and trusting you haue been the greater To this effect our Sauiour Now here a couple of questions may be demanded the one touching our Sauiour himself the other touching his Elect. Christ demandeth of them what their minde was doth not this somewhat question his omniscience Againe he asketh them whether they would forsake him doth not this call in question the stablenes of Gods counsell touching the Elect These be the two questions which I will answere in a word or two Touching
to draw backe with Moses or to runne away with Ionah or to forsweare prophesying and preaching with Ieremy c. since we shall but speake in the aire we shall labour in vaine and for nothing Who will beleeue our report To whom will the Arme of the Lord be reuealed Shall horses runne vpon the rockes or will men plow there with Oxen Shall we goe about to teach them that doe glory in ignorance Amant ignorare cùm alij gaudeant cognouisse to informe them that stop their eares are ready to run vpon vs as they did vpon Stephen in a word to perswade them that protest they will not be perswaded What are wee that wee should hope to doe any good men compassed about with infirmities men of great imperfections of conceit of memory of vtterance of presence Therefore our instruments being but the instruments of a foolish Shepheard as the Prophet speaketh it were best for vs to put vp our Pipes and to hang our Harpes vpon the Willowes and to sit downe vnder our Gourds as good to sit still as to rise and fall To whom me thinkes I heare the Lord make answer as he did to Peter What God hath cleansed hath sanctified to a speciall vse doe not thou call common or as hee doth in Esay Let not the Eunuch say Behold I am a dry tree or as he doth in Ieremy Is not my Word euen like a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the stone As if he said Let them haue hearts as hard as a flint yet the hammer may breake them at the least the fire may consume them Finally as he doth by our Apostle in my Text The Gospell it is the power of God beleeue that doubt not of successe What weapon or instrument euer was too weake to effect Gods will if he tooke it in hand Was not Aarons rod sufficient to worke miracles in Egypt and to ouerthrow Pharaoh and his Host in the red Sea Did not the walles of Iericho fall downe at the blowing of Rammes hornes The Madianites murder euery one his fellow at the clinking of the Pitchers The great Gyant falls groueling to the ground by the pat of a sling-stone And surely though we haue this treasure in earthen vessels and the Gospell that we teach be as contemptible as Dauids sling-stone yet the Lord will doe his worke his strange worke And bring to passe his act his strange act He will doe I say what he hath appointed by the weakest meanes sometimes that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of man and that Israel may neuer say Mine owne hand hath saued me The same Confessor that vndertooke to dispute with the subtill Philosopher in Constantines time the Story is in Ruffinus and Sozomen was not the greatest Clerke nay he seemed to know nothing else but Iesus Christ and him crucified yet by reciting the summe of his faith being agreeable to the Gospell with great spirit and zeale he so foyled and grounded his Aduersary that he forced him to recant and become a Christian. So Simplicianus and whosoeuer else did perswade Victorinus to take Gods booke and by name the Gospell in hand were no body to him for learning and eloquence for he was most famous for the same yet in time they so preuailed with him that they gate him to Church and to be baptized in his old age So to come downe to these last times at one leape The men of Merindol and Cabrieres in Languedock Annas Burges in Paris in the dayes of Francis the first and Henry the second Walter Myll in Scotland that I trouble you with no more forraine examples and abstaine from domestique altogether were not the subtillest and acutest disputants in those times nay some of them are noted to haue bin but plaine men yet such was the goodnesse of the cause such was the power of Gods grace working with his Gospell that by these mens confessions of faith partly vttered by word of mouth partly read very many of those Doctors that were imployed against them were conuerted to the truth and by most that were in the assemblies the Lords Name was glorified Now I aske Brethren is God a God of the Iewes onely and not of the Gentiles also And he that was mighty through Peter may not he be mighty through Paul May not he giue a blessing to the Gospell preached now as well as he did in former times Truly as Saint Paul saith How knowest thou O man whether thou shalt saue thy wife and how knowest thou O woman whether thou shalt saue thy husband Nay as Dauid said to Saul I haue slaine a Lyon and a Beare already and truly this vncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them So we may perswade our selues probably nay be resolued and out of doubt that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. Finally but that the Lord will make manifest the power of the Gospell and adde vnto the Congregation daily such as shall be saued Therefore let vs of the Ministery comfort our selues with these words and bestirre our selues against the day of Haruest The people also are to learne somewhat by this That the Gospell is called The power of God namely that they doe not resist this power lest they hale downe vpon themselues condemnation You know what Laban and Bethuel said in a farre meaner case then the case of Saluation This thing is proceeded of the Lord Wee cannot therefore say vnto yee either euill or good You know what Gamaliel said Act. 5. If this worke be of God yee cannot destroy it lest yee be found fighters against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is hard kicking against the pricke and if thou hast run with the footmen and they haue wearyed thee how canst thou match thy selfe with horses If thou smart for disobeying the Princes commandement thinkest thou to escape if thou stand out against God It was the saying of a worthy Learned man that the Orthodoxe Church is an Anuill that will rather breake the hammer that beateth vpon it then be broken by it And we may be bold to say of the Word of truth the Gospell of our Saluation that it is of such power as that same stone cut without hands Dan. 2. which brake the Image all to pieces so the siluer and the gold became like the chaffe of the Summer flowres c. And the same stone became a great mountaine and filled the earth Darkenesse may couer the earth for a time thicke darkenesse the people The true Professors also may be driuen to the wall for a season and lie among the pots as it is in the Psalme but yet in the end the day-starre will shine in mens heâ—rts yea the Sun of righteousnes will arise aboue our Horizon and then shall euery man haue praise of God yea then they shall be as the wings of the Doue
commendable duty and very necessary to stand in the wayes of godlinesse and truth and to hearken after the same yet to stand in the wayes of sinners of superstitious and seditious and Idolatrous persons which weaue Spiders webbes nay which sit vpon Cockatrice egges it is not safe Therefore our Prophet doth wisely and necessarily adde in the second place That wee See or looke about vs. For as the mother of the ouer-hardy doth neuer want woe no more doth the rash hasty The blind man swalloweth many a Fly taketh hold of a Scorpion in stead of a Fish yea falleth in the ditch groapeth and stumbleth at noone-day Our eyes are therefore compared to the Sentinell or Watch-men of a City or Campe that forewarneth the body of danger approaching and biddeth it beware Now the Eye is not more needfull to the body for the direction thereof against stumbling and falls then Prudence and circumspection is to the Soule against error in iudgement and crookednesse in will and affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vnderstanding that is the eye and the eare too as Clemens Alexandrinus citeth out of an old writer And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vnderstanding and a good mind and much fore-cast is the high-way to happinesse said Demosthenes against Aristogiton Therefore Saint Paul chargeth vs to walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise And our Sauiour Be wise as Serpents The Serpent is very quicke-sighted tam cernis acutum quà m aut Aquila aut Serpens Epidaurius and therefore he is called Draco of seeing So we must beware that we be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot see a farre off as Saint Peter speaketh but must anoint our eyes with eye-salue as Saint Iohn biddeth that so we may discerne things that differ light from darkenesse truth from error the sweet bread of sincerity and truth from the leauen of the old and new Pharises yea that we may be able to ken a farre off the sleights of Satan and his cogging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is one property that we must learne if we will be wise as Serpents we must espy the frauds of deceiuers a farre off Praesens sit longè insidias praesaga mali mens Secondly the Serpent stoppeth his eare against the charmer and will not be gotten out of his hole And so if many among vs had turned the deafe eare vnto Inchanters who laboured first to withdraw them from loue to the truth and then from loyalty to the Prince many worshipfull houses had continued vntill this day which now wee see ouerthrowne Demosthenes would needs be gazing vpon Harpalus his plate was he not corrupted thereby The sonnes of God would needs be staring vpon the daughters of men did they not beget Gyants vpon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by looking comes liking you know the Prouerb This I speake onely for the simpler sort that they cast not their eyes vpon euery pelting Pedlers ware lest they be coozened by them lest they lay out their money and not for meat and their siluer for that which will not profit as the Prophet Esay speakes They that haue knowne the Scriptures from their youth as Timothy did and are rooted and grounded in the truth there is no danger for them to conferre with deceiuers for greater is He that is in them then he that is in the world Therefore I speake not to such as haue their Antidot or preseruatiue in their bosome A third property of the Serpent is remembred by Augustine and Ambrose too and that is this That he is wont Totum corpus pâ—o capite fertentibus obijcere To seeke to saue his head whatsoeuer becommeth of the rest of his body so wee must be sure to hold the Head Christ his Gospell to be our Loadestone his merits to be the Anker of our hope his obedience to be our satisfaction his death to be our life howsoeuer for other matters they seeke to carry vs about with euery blast of vaine doctrine This is one thing that we are admonished of in that we are called vpon to See Another thing we are put in mind of and that is this namely that we stirre vp the holy Ghost that is in vs and that we doe not despaire by the helpe thereof to distinguish betweene a right course and a wrong For surely if there were not some thing in vs I doe not say of vs that are enlightned by Gods grace haue tasted of the good gifts of God some ability of discerning I say the Prophet would neuer haue commanded vs to lift vp our eyes or to cast our eyes about to See For is a blind man called to iudge of colours or a lame man to try masteries I know I know that without Christ we can doe nothing nâ— man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God But these places are not against my purpose Bel. for I speake not a word for pride that any man should say as Nabuchadnezzar said Is not this great Babel that I haue built by the might of my power and for the honâ—ur of my Maiesty Are not we wise are not we intelligent are not we sharp-sighted No but against heedlesnes imprudence that we be not wanting to our selues that we quench not the Spirit Know ye not that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you except you be Reprobates Now where the Spirit of God is there is light there is the searching of Gods secrets there the secret of the Lord is made knowne to them that feare him Who euer was enlightned by him slept in death Who euer sought him in humility and faith and was denyed him He that commeth to be cleansed God will ioyne himselfe vnto him the Iewish Doctors haue such a speech When the Eunuch vsed his eyes in reading the Prophet Isaiah Philip was commanded by the Spirit of the Lord to ioyne himselfe vnto his Chariot For albeit God worketh in vs both the will and the deed of his good pleasure as Saint Paul saith yet he will not saue a man against his will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by force as Nazianzen speakes And sure it is that hee that hath giuen vs reason and vnderstanding and the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not giuen vs these Talents in vaine but that we should labour by all meanes by ardent inuocating of the Name of God by crauing the assistance of his Spirit by Spirituall exercises and meditations to increase them to sharpen them to direct them For to him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance and God will not be weary of giuing till thou be weary of asking A graine of mustard-seed at the first is the least of all seeds but what groweth it vnto afterwards Into so great branches that the fowles
come in Christs Vicars name so he calleth himselfe and would be called by others but indeed he is an Aduersary and you will receiue them and aduenture your neckes for them And wee come in Christs name with his message and reconcilement vnto God whom you haue offended without any working of you to offend the State and will you refuse vs Shall they be welcome with their Traditions that is with their Tales and we odious with the Gospell which was preached vnto you which ye also receiued and which you must returne to if you meane to be saued What is strong illusion what is the working of Satan what is the power of darkenesse if this be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. You forsake the right and straight way and goe that which is full of thornes and stakes what arrogancy and phrensie are you possessed with saith Clemens Alexandrinus out of Sibylla So Cyprian Christ promiseth euerlasting life if we will follow him and he is forsaken The Deuill promiseth Gu-gawes and lyeth too in his promise and he is adored O foedam defectionem ô iniquam permutationem O filthy defection O absurd exchange saith Cyprian The like may we say to those bewitched Countrey-men of ours that preferre Rome before Sion and the doctrine thereof before the liuely Oracles of God that like children or women that haue the disease called Pica preferre Lime or dirt before white bread yea like vnwise Marchants glasse before pearle lead before gold cotton before silke that is error before truth Belial before Christ Baal before Iehouah more particularly ignorance before knowledge dumbe Images before effectuall Teachers Saints before Christ doubtfulnesse before Faith seruile feare before filiall loue horror of conscience before tranquillity of spirit There is no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. And truely there is no rest to the soule in Popery What rest can there be when they make Saints mediation the onely anker of their hope mens books the foundation of their faith mans Absolution the remission of their guilt here and mens pardons the relaxation of their punishment hence This they doe an hundred things as bad in Popery therefore it is impossible that they should be at peace with God or haue peace within themselues that thus make flesh their arme and in their heart depart from God And therfore if you desire to find rest for your soules or to haue your Election saluation made sure vnto you you must haue nothing to do with the vnfruitfull vncoÌ„fortable opinions of Popery but rather abhor them reproue them The Lord in mercy vouchsafe to bring them home that goe astray to confirme them that stand to grant vs true peace true rest through Iesus Christ our blessed Sauiour To whom with the Father the holy Ghost be praise thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE FIRST OF PETER THE NINTH SERMON 1. PETER 5. verse 6. Humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time THE word therefore hath reference to that which went before namely to the last words of the former verse God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble and inferreth strongly vpon the force of them For if God resisteth the proud if contrariwise he giueth grace to the humble then there is no cause in the world why any man should be proud and there is great cause why euery one should be humble For doe wee prouoke the Lord are we stronger then he If we walke crosse against God or hardly stifly the Chaldee hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hardly he will walke so against vs. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Iacob I grant wrastled with God preuailed but how he did not make head against God neither did he thinke himselfe an equall match for God by no meanes but God vouchsafing to take him vp in his armes and bearing him in his armes that he should not dash his foot against a stone he might doe all things by him that strengthned him he might swimme easily the Lord holding him vp by the chin he might fight valiantly the Lord teaching his hands to warre and his fingers to fight But tell me how they sped against whom God bent himselfe Pharaoh and his Hoast whom the Lord looked vpon out of the fiery and cloudy Pillar for euill and not for good were they not drowned in the red Sea Those stiffe-necked and rebellious Israelites which prouoked the Lord ten times that is many and many a time against whom the Lord swore in his wrath If they shall enter into my rest that is Neuer beleeue me if they enter did not their carkasses fall in the Wildernesse and were they not vtterly consumed there till not one of them was left This before they came into the Land of promise When they were there did not the Lord take the Kingdome from Saul and his Stocke because he was angry with him and gaue it to Dauid From Dauids sonne Salomon because of his Idolatry did he not rend the Kingdome and câ—nferre tenne parts thereof vpon Ieroboam From Ieroboams Line yea from all the Kings of Israel succeeding him and caused them to be carryed away captiues into Assyria There remained the Tribes of Iudah and Beniamin for a while in honorable estate but when these also defied the Lord and prouoked the Holy one of Israel when they said that they should be deliuered because of the righteousnesse of their Fathers and the holinesse of the Temple though they hated to be reformed and had cast Gods Commandements behind them Then did the Lord cast Iudah out of his sight as he had done Israel he plowed Sion as a field as he had done Samaria he made Hierusalem the beloued City in former times which also hee called a greene Oliue-tree faire and of goodly fruite a breeding of Nettles and Salt pits and a perpetuall desolation For it is a righteous thing with God as to shew mercy to them that feare him and stoupe vnto him so also to render tribulation and anguish and shame and confusion to euery one that exalteth himselfe before him to the Iewe first and also to the Greeke Lysander a great man in Lacedemon and one that had deserued well of King Agesilaus being disgraced many wayes and suffering many indignities by the Kings conniuence falleth into expostulation with the King because he suffered him so to be contemned and abused To whom the King made answer So they deserue to be vsed that take so much vpon them as thou doest and will not reuerence and awe the King Precedent merits and good seruice will not tie Princes of a gâ—nerous spirit to such subiects of theirs as shew themselues ouer-lusty and crancke with them And can we thinke that God who is of pure eyes and incomprehensiâ—le Maiesty to whom the greatest men are as nothing and the
best merits lighter then vanity that he I say will iustifie those that say in the pride of their heart Is not this great Babel that I haue built for my selfe and for the glory of my Maiesty am I not rich and righteous and haue need of nothing He shall find none iniquity in me that were wickednesse Seest thou a man that is thus proud in his owne eyes There is as much hope of a Publican as of such a one For euery one that exalteth himselfe shall be brought low and euâ—ry one that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted So it is as God resisteth the proud or as the Originall speaketh more emphatically setteth himselfe in battell array against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So he giueth grace to the humble he is many wayes gracious to him First in forgiuing him much as in the Gospell that seruant that hauing nothing to pay fell downe before his Lord and besought him to be good vnto him had the whole debt forgiuen him Math. 18. Then by giuing him much namely the spirit of Regeneration the spirit of Sanctification the spirit of wisedome of Counsell of Faith of Adoption of Iustification c. All these graces that I speake nothing of worldly or temporall blessings are imparted to such as are lowly in their owne eyes and condemneâ— themselues that they may be acquitted by God according to that which is written I dwell in the high heauens with him also that is lowly These therefore are speciall motiues to humility And iustly might our Apostle vpon the consideration of them inferre as he doth in my Text. Therefore But now that we haue considered of the Illatiue and of that which went before my Text immediatly let vs looke a little more narrowly into the Text it selfe euen to that which is inferred vpon this terme Therefore humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God Two things are contained in this verse The former an Exhortation the other a Reason The Exhortation or Precept in these words Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God The Reason or Promise in these That hee may exalt you in good time or in fit time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching the first It is strange to recount how many Exhortations there be deliuered in the Scriptures perswading to humility by Moses by the Prophets by the Apostles by Christ himselfe What may this meane Peter thought himselfe much disgraced that he was called vpon the third time to feed Christs flocke So Iehu spake but halfe a word against â—esabel and straightwayes a couple of Chamberlains or Courtiers Sarisim threw her downe So once bidding did serue Zacheus and presently he came downe from the tree So Math. the 4. The two brethren that were called by our Sauiour presently forsooke thier nets and followed him But now to humility wee are exhorted in the Scriptures not three or foure times or seuen times but I thinke seâ—â—nty times seuen times Vniuâ—rsa facies ac vt ita dixerim vultus sanctarum Scripturaâ—um bene intuenâ—cs id admonere videtur vt qui gloriatur in Domino glorietur The whole face and countenance of the holy Scriptures so to speake seemeth to admonish those that looke well into them thus much That hee that reioyceth should reioyce in the Lord. Thus Austin He must reioyce or boast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Lord therefore he must be farre from boasting of himselfe except it be of his infirmities as the Apostle speaketh then he must not be high-minded he must haue no proud lookes as the Prophet hath it but hee must be as one that is weaned yea he must be in himselfe as one that is weaned Indeed that is true humility that is not so much in shew and in outward appearance as in deed and in truth There was a great Rabblement or Order of Fryers called Humiliati professing great humility who but they and crouching low and stooping low what else and yet their stomackes did so swell and were so bloody that they were intolerable to Rome it selfe and therefore cashiered and abandoned So Paul the fourth pretended so great mortification and neglect of the world and worldly things that it was a speciall motiue to the Cardinals to chuse him Pope in hope to rule him as they lusted but when this humble Fellow had found Peters Keyes then he did no longer looke downe towards the dust as it were seeking them but held vp his head as high as lofty as euer did any in that Chayre Antipater as Plutarch writeth went very meanely apparelled more like a priuat man then a Prince yet he was noted censured by them that knew him well to be intus purpureus all purple within Aut loquendum nobis est vt vestiti sumus aut vestiendum vt loquimur Quid aliud pollicemur aliud ostendimus Either we must speake sutably to our apparell or else wee must be apparelled sutably to our speech Why doe we promise one thing and shew another A Hood doth not make a Monke You know the Prouerbe Neither doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ragged coate make an humble Philosopher said Hero by the report of Nazianzen Diogenes trampled vpon Platoes pride but with greater pride And the Gibeonites for all their humble speech and old apparell were notwithstanding very coozeners So then if humility consist neither in word nor in apparell wherein is the vertue thereof to be found and how may it be discerned Truely Beloued the heart is deceitfull aboue all who can know it The Lord he searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines to giue to euery man according to his wayes c. Ieremy 17. So our Sauiour Iohn 1. was able to giue a true verdict of Nathaniel as soone as he sawe him Behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile How this Because he was God But now man hath but a shallâ—w sound and a short reach and dealeth onely by probabilities and likely-hoods and according to outward appearance and therefore may be deceiued in that respect is not to pronounce lightly concerning other mens humility or pride Yet for all that as Christ saith of false prophets By their fruites you shall know them So the sonne of Sirach speaketh not in vaine A mans garment grenning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a man sheweth his teeth and gate or paceing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declare after a sort what he is and which way he doth incline The British Clergy being sent vnto by Augustine not the learned Bishop of Hippo whom you heare so often cited out of this place but an vnlearned and vnsauory Monke whom Gregory sent ouer hither reade but his questions moued to the said Gregory as they be registred by Beda and you will say he was no better to make their appearance before him consulted a graue man famous for his wisedome in those dayes what they were best to doe He aduised them to be ruled by him if he were a
aduise the high Estates of all ages to strike sayle to our Sauiour and to yeeld obedience to his Law To put the matter out of doubt the Apostles themselues who could not be deceiued hauing receiued the first fruits of Gods Spirit and would not deceiue being indued with grace and sincerity from aboue they I say Acts 4. doe plainely apply this Psalme to our Sauiour that we should no longer be doubtfull in the matter but beleeuing yea as Saint Augustin saith out of Moses Deuter. 32. Inimiâ—us meus testis mâ—us that is My Enemy is my witnesse some of the chiefe of the Iewes doe grant that it may be vnderstood of our Sauiour either in their owne iudgement or in the iudgement of their Fathers or ancient Rabbins The former point is affirmed by Aben-Ezra surnamed the wise the other by Shelomoh somewhat more ancient then he So then the Kingdome that is here spoken of being chiefely to be vnderstood of the Kingdome of Christ and the opposition that is here signified to be chiefely directed against it we may without offring any violence to the Text hence exhort all Kings and Princes vpon whom the ends of the world are come to looke vnto themselues and to the station wherein God hath placed them and to esteeme it the greatest policy to be wise according to godlinesse and the highest Soueraignety to be subiect to Christ. Especially it being granted by all that the Scriptures were not made to serue one age or two onely No for then there must haue beene many Bibles made from the beginning of the world and then there must haue beene a continuall sending downe of the holy Ghost and a continuall sending forth of Apostles Prophets but to be the rule for faith the direction for manners to all posterity Therefore Irenaeus saith well That which the Apostles first taught they afterwards committed to writing to be the ground and pillar of our faith He speaketh indefinitely without limitation of time and therefore would be vnderstood to meane of all times And Tertullian not long after him is bold and saith Latè semper Scriptura diuina diuiditur vbicunque secundùm praesentis reisensum disciplina munietur The Scripture is of a large extent and wide circumference as oft as any thing from it is to be deduced that pertaineth either to information or reformation Hitherto I haue proued both that this whole second Psalme is chiefely to be vnderstood of our Sauiour and that my Text out of the tenth verse may rightly be applyed to the Kings and Princes of these dayes Now I come to the words themselues Now therefore be wise O Kings be instructed O Iudges of the earth Two kinds of persons are here called vpon Kings and Iudges Kings as the chiefe Iudges as they that are appointed by them for the punishment of them that doe iâ—l the praise of them that doe well Two kinds of duties are here vrged to be wise and intelligent this is required of Kings to be instructed and disciplined this of inferior Magistrates I at this time shall speake onely of the first kind of persons that is of Kings and their duties and therein I meane not to speake of Kings by themselues and of wisedome by it selfe that were not to deuide the Text aright but to breake it but of both together as God shall giue grace But first I obserue and it is worâ—hy to be obserued how the Psalmist begins with Kings surely great cause for it not onely for their place eminent and supereminent Imperator homo à Deo secundus soloque Deo minor Tertullian Supra Imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus Optatus Nor onely for their Titles Shepheards Leaders Fathers Sonnes of the Highest the liuely Images of God Gods Vicegerents Gods vpon earth Sine dubio Imperator non est nisi Deus terrenus saith the Gothe to Theodosius witnesse Paulus Diaconus but for two other more maine reasons first for the great dependency vpon their safety for that they neither stand nor fall to themselues Secondly for the great power of their example either to good or euill Touching the first they doe not stand or fall to themselues as I said but are the standing or falling of most in Israel They may be compared to the two Pillars vpon the which the great house of the Philistins did rely which while they stood did beare vp the whole building euen when there were many hundreds vpon the roofe but when they fell they pulled downe all with them and the fall of that house was great Also to the Sun in the Firmament which while it is ouer our Horizon and scatters abroad its glorious beames it giueth light vnto the world and reneweth the face of the earth but when it is whirled from vs or eclipsed by the interposition of the Moone then it causeth or occasioneth darkenesse and filleth all things liuing with horror and amazement Briefely to the head and heart of a man not to the head onely nor to the heart onely but to the head and heart vpon whose liuelinesse and soundnesse the life and motion of the whole body doth depend Smite the Shepheard and the sheepe shall be scattered it is said in Zachary Let me smite Saul King Saul but once and the Kingdome shall be thine and the victory thine said Abishai in effect Let me smite Dauid King Dauid and all Israel shall be gathered to thee said that wicked Counsellor Achitophel 2. Sam. 17. When Alexander was dead the Army was not lessened but by one man euery man knew but yet it was compared by the wise to the Cyclops which had his eye and the same his onely eye boared out In like manner fared it with the great forces that Cyrus the younger led against Artaxerxes when he through his forwardnesse was slaine all went to wracke and of vanquishers they became vanquished So with the Christians at Varna when their King Vladislaus was lost So with the French at Rauenna when their Foisee was ouer-throwne Therefore be wise O ye Kings ye carry about in your bodies not your owne liues alone but the liues of thousands you haue vpon the stake not your owne safety alone but the safety of thousands Thou shalt not goe forth with vs any more to battell lest thou quench the light of Israel for thou art worth tenne thousand When one exhorted Cleomenes to hold his life vile vnto him and to powre it out like water vpon the ground he answered I will not sticke for that if I had none to care for but my selfe but now I must make much of my life to doe my Countrey good When Cesar had giuen forth in speech that he had liued long enough and cared not though he dyed on the morrow Thou speakest reason said Tully if thou liuedst onely for thy selfe but thy Countrey cannot spare thee Sertorius his Souldiers were not wont to
any man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust c. So it is Bap litmop pathechin lo that is When a man offers himselfe to be defiled they open vnto him that is the Diuill openeth vnto him a Prouerb among the Rabbins as is to be seene in Ab. Ezr. vpon Exod. 10. When the Oyster openeth himselfe to the Sun being tickled with the warmth thereof then his enemy the Crab-fish stealeth behind him and thrusteth in his claw will not suffer him to shut againe and so deuoureth him the resemblance is in Basil. The like is written of the Crocodile that being so strong a Serpent as he is and impregnable yet when he is gaping to haue his teeth picked by the little bird called Trochil his enemy the Ichneumon creepeth into his body and ceaseth not to gnaw vpon his intrails till he doth destroy him We need not goe farre for more examples to this purpose Think vpon the Vrchin and the Snaile while the Vrchin keeps himselfe close in the bottome of an hedge hee is either not espied or contemned but when he creepes forth to sucke the Cowe he is dogged and chopped in so the Snaile when he lies close with his house vpon his head is esteemed for a dead thing and not looked after but when in liquorishnesse to feed vpon the dew that lies vpon the herbes or vpon the sweetnesse of the Rose-bush he will be pearking and peeping abroad then the Gardiner findeth him and pasheth him The lesson is We must not yeeld to the sweet baites of the flesh but we must rather mortifie our members vpon the earth and euer beware that we seeke not our death in the error of our life otherwise if we wilfully offer our selues to be led as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a Sheepe to the shambles what maruell if we haue our throats cut or be led away captiue of Satan at his will Facile est vincere non repugnantem that is It is an easie matter to ouercome him that maketh no resistance But Resist the Deuill and he will flie from you I told you somewhat euen now of the Crocodyle and this I am to tell you farther and it is remarkable that though he be most terrible and fierce against one that shewes himselfe to be afraid of him yet if any dares looke vpon him and stand against him from him he will runne away most cowardly Therefore men and brethren Bee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the euill day and specially against the strong wiles and wily strength of the Deuill For after concupiscence that raigneth in our members the same Crocodyle who haunteth both dry places and wet places he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is so written of him the old Serpent and Satanas is the greatest tempter the greatest enemy He was a tempter from the beginning as appeareth Gen. 3. A murtherer from the beginning Iohn 8. A lyer and the father of lyes in the same place the deceiuer of the whole world Reuelation the 12. The accuser of the Brethren which accuseth them before God day and night in the same place Briefely he is called the spirit that ruleth in the ayre Ephes. 2. And the god of this world 2 Cor. 4. The god of this world because he corrupteth it not because he made it Alas he cannot make one legge of a Pigge nor enter into the body of a Pigge before God giue him leaue Possem dicere porcorum setas c. I can be bold to say saith Tertullian that the very bristles of a Swine are numbred how much more then mans haire how much more then mans life Therefore the Manichees must looke for another Creator then Satan and they and all ought to be content with one and the true liuing God euen the Father of whom are all things and we of him and the Sonne in whom are all things and wee in him and the holy Ghost through whom are all things and we through him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is If any will say I am God let him maâ—e such a world as this and then bragge and say This is mine this is of my making A good speech for such a one as Pythagoras was an Heathen man and with that I end against the Manichees Now for the confirmation of our faith against the Mahometans limmes of Satan in the East and Traditioners Romanists limmes of Satan in the West me thinkes our Text doth minister vnto vs strong Arguments For if the Doctrine of Christ that is the Gospell be deliuered to vs by the Sonne of God who receiued the Spirit with out measure Iohn 3. Whom the Father sealed Iohn 6. Whom he commandeth vs to heare Math. 17. Then we are bound to hearken vnto it yea then we are bound to be content with it They will reuerence my Sonne said the House-holder in the Gospell The Father loueth the Sonne and sheweth him all things Iohn 5. Quiâ— impossibile erat sine Deo discere Deum per Verbum suum fecit homines scire Deum that is Because it was impossible without God to learne God therefore by his Word the Sonne of God is called the Word of God he made men to know God This was the Prophet which was to come into the world Iohn 6. The Messias touching whom the very woman of Samaria was resolued that when he should come he should teach vs all things Iohn 4. who not onely himselfe wrought great miracles in the dayes of his flesh by the testimony not onely of the Euangelists whom we ought not to iudge but by them iudge all other mens writings as Augustine wisely and soundly saith but also of Iosephus the Iew and many Gentiles whom I coulâ— produce if it were needfull but moreouer enabled his Disciples and Apostles to confirme the Word with miracles following see Marke 16. verse last and Hebr. 2. verse 4. to speake of no more places As for Mahomet though he were impudent and a blasphemer yet he was neuer so impudent in his blaspheming as to take vpon him to be the Sonne of God neither was he heard of nor borne in the world before it was almost sixe hundred yeeres after Christ neither could he say as Christ and the Apostles did that hee taught no other thing but that which is written in Moses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes but hee did plainely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is broach another doctrine nay a contrary doctrine to that which holy men of God being moued by the holy Ghost as it is out of controuersie wrote and left vnto vs to be the ground and pillar of our faith as Irenaeus speaketh as might be shewed by an hundred particulars neither lastly did he once goe about to make
it was cruell but added moreouer Into their secret let not my soule come my glory be not thou ioyned with their assembly he meant that by his good will he would haue no commerce with them but would shunne and abhorre them as noysome beasts or serpents And so Brethren doe not ye thinke that ye haue done your duty when ye haue cryed out vpon Saul saying What a cankered wretch was he c But be you ware that you doe not imitate his euill deeds lest ye be made partakers of his plagues He was very enuious as ye heard euen now he was very vnthankefull as you partly heard before for both these he is girded at by Abigail in my Text as I thinke good now further to declare vnto you Yet a man is risen to pursue thee c. As if he said Notwithstanding thou wast his Musician and delightedst him with thy Harpy nay his Physician and easedst him in his mad fits when an euill spirit sent of God vexed him Yet he is risen vp to persecute thee c. Notwithstanding thou didst put thy life in thine hand and encountredst the Philistine and destroyedst him deliuering thereby Saul from a great deale of feare and Israel from a great deale of shame yet hee is risen vp againe against thee c. notwithstanding thou didst marry his owne daughter and instead of receiuing Dowry from him didst pay him as it were for a Dowry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two hundred fore-skinnes of the Philistines yet he is risen vp against thee c. Lastly Notwithstanding thou didst that that few others would haue done namely to spare him when thou hadst him at an aduantage and mightest haue nayled him to the ground and so gotten present possession of a Kingdome yet he is risen vp against thee c. Thus she amplifieth or aggrauateth the offence by the worthinesse of the person against whom it was committed so doth she also by the vnworthinesse of the person offending A man is risen vp She doth not say Geber for that may signifie a strange man nor yet Ish for that may signifie a worthy man Benei-Ish worthy men extraordinary men but Adam an ordinary man a naturall man one that is of the earth that is earthly-minded and appointed and wilt thou feare such a one But why did she not say that the King was risen vp against him did she not take Saul for King any longer now he was become a Tyrant and persecuted the faithfull Yes no doubt for the Iesuites were not then borne nor their doctrine broached to wit that subiects may lawfully take armes against their Prince as soone as they become Tyrants and enemies to the faith in the language of the man of Rome This is not that fire that Christ saith he came to cast vpon the earth the fire of teaching the truth the fire of rebuking sinne the fire of conuicting errors the fire of the Spirit that worketh all in all but this is that fire that Saint Iames speaketh of that inflameth the course or wheele of Nature and it selfe is inflamed of hell Therefore as God saith to Adam Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne so we say of that diuellish doctrine From hell it came and to hell let it returne But yet why did not Abigail call him King was it of contempt No but of caution for she was very wise she lay at the mercy of Dauid and knew that it was as easie for him to kill her as to speake the word therefore she keepeth her selfe in clouds generalities for feare of offending before the time A man is risen You know him as well as I I need not name him and your enemies shall be slinged out whether they be of high degree or low degree I will not meddle This is not to equiuocate as the Iesuites practise yea teach be it spoken to their shame But this is to order ones words with discretion as the Psalmist speaketh For though it be neuer lawfull for a man to lie as Augustine proueth soundly wittily learnedly in his bookes to Consentius yet it is lawfull to conceale a truth so farre forth and so long that Gods glory be not impeached thereby nor charity towards our neighbour violated vpon these two points hang all the Law and the Prophets Well we haue seene against whom the offence of enuious ingratitude was committed namely against Dauid and by whom namely by Saul now if we looke vpon the Text againe we shall finde the extent or grieuousnesse of it A man is risen vp to persecute thee and to seeke thy life Marke Saul was not content to hate Dauid inwardly but he proceeds to action he persecutes him also he is not content to persecute him or driue him out of the Country but he seekes his life Thirdly neither will he trust others to execute his malice but he followes the chase himselfe This is vnlimited malice deepe malice bloody malice the like we read of him aboue in this holy Story that when word was brought him that Dauid was sicke he commanded him to be brought bed and all No question but because he would make sure worke and see the killing of him himselfe The like we reade of a great man in France that when the noble Admirall was cast out of a Garret and his braines dasht out vpon the pauement he would not beleeue that the Admirall was slaine before he had with his handkerchiefe wip'd away the blood from his face and perfectly discerned him then he shouted 'T is he indeed a happy beginning But the eye of Iealousie that saw this vrged the arme of reuenge to cry quittance for it But what had the righteous done what had Dauid done to returne to him againe that he should be tossed from post to pillar nay that his life should be sought out for a prey Truly no other thing but that that Abel did vnto Caine of whom it is said that he slewe his brother because his deedes were good and his owne naught The like is written of Caligula that he hated his brother and quarrelled with him deadly because he tooke counterpoyson lest he should be poysoned by him Briefely the like is written of Fymbria that he indited Scaeuola a good man for that by wrenching aside he auoyded the fatall blow of the dagge So except it were for this one fault that Dauid was not willing that Saul should kill him being vncondemned other fault or offence there could be found none But now what is become of Dauids good deeds so many and so many why be they not remembred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Old good turnes sleepe and men be vnmindfull if a man doe twenty good turnes they are written in the dust but if he crosse vs once or doe vs a displeasure the same is grauen in marble and in great letters that one may runne and reade them Yet well-fare the