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A02793 Two godlie and learned sermons, preached at Manchester in Lancashire before a great audience, both of honor and vvoorship. The first, containeth a proofe of the subtill practises of dissembling neuters, and politique worldlings. The other, a charge and instruction, for all vnlearned, negligent, and dissolute ministers: and an exhortation to the common people, to seeke their amendment, by prayer, vnto God. By Simon Harward, preacher of the woord of God, and Maister of Arte, late of Newe Colledge in Oxfoord. Harward, Simon, fl. 1572-1614. 1582 (1582) STC 12924; ESTC S112568 108,746 262

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and chafing with him selfe and accoumpteth them but fooles dastardes ignoraunt beastes and men of no iudgement in the Lawe because they haue tolde him the trueth and foorthwith he séeketh other Aduocates and Procters which shall better satisfie his honour At the last be lyghteth vppon such a one as hath no conscience nor feare of God neither serueth any other God but golde and syluer He séeeth that the man is wilfullie bent to be reuenged of his neighbour whatsoeuer it cost him and to d● him a displeasure he followeth his affection and telleth him that his case is good although it be the shamefullest matter that can be deuised Then is he glad that he hath founde such a one as he woulde haue and he accoumpteth him the learnedst and the wisest man in the world But what commeth héereof in the ende when the matter is come to be tried the sentence of iudgement is giuen not by the aduocate nor by the Procter nor according to the affection and appetite of the plaintiffe but it is giuen by the Iudge him selfe according to equitie and lawe And when the man is ouerthrowne maister Procter goeth his waye and leaueth him in the myer he hath his desire he hath pluckt the goose he hath his money paide and then he hath no more care neither of the Client nor of the cause and so the man hath lost his will and also his paines and charges Euen so it fareth with this corrupte flesh of ours in matters of Faith and Religion If we heare any reasons which flatter vs in our sinnes we are straight way ready to embrace them and we accoumpt them forcible learned profound argumentes But if we heare any reason which tendeth to the beating downe of this flesh of ours then we let it passe by our eares as the winde we iudge it to be but a foolish argument and to no purpose and we make no accoumptes thereof not considering that the Lord the righteous iudge at the last day when the secretes of of all hearts shall be opened shall not pronounce the sentence of iudgement according to the reasons which we haue framed as procters to cloak and couer our sinnes nor according to the corrupt affections of our flesh but according to the equitie and iustice of his most holy blessed woord as Christe sheweth vs that the woord which he speaketh vnto vs Iohn 12.48 shall iudge vs in the last daye For if we would call to minde the iustice equity of the righteous iudge it could not be that we should so foolishlie set our affections vpon the flattering reasons of such wicked procters Let vs take héede then that we doo not cloake or couer our sinnes with the examples of Naaman the Sirian of Paule or of Nicodemus béeing wrasted against the trueth but let vs sée what is euidentlie and plainly commaunded vs by the woord of God and there we shall finde that a liuelie faith and open confession are vnseperable in a true Christian As the Soule and lyfe as fyre and heate as the Sunne and bryghtnesse can not be seperated so can wée not seperate a true Fayth from the confessing of the Lorde Iesus For if wée beléeue in the heart then Christe dooth dwell in our heartes by Faith Ephe. 3.17 and if Christe be there it is not without his holie spirite and therefore Paule sayeth That if any man haue not the spirite of Christe Rom. 8.9 he is not of Christe Nowe where the zeale of the spirite is there must néedes be confession For howe is it possible that God should be in the heart and the Deuill in the tongue the hands and the other parts of the body which take their life from the heart and are gouerned thereby Saint Iames speaking of the nature of the tōgue sayeth Iam. 3.9.10 That out of the same fountaine there can not come sweete water and bitter nor out of the same mouth blessing and cursing By the tongue we blesse God the Father and by the same we curse men which are made after the Image of God Howe can this be so Euen so may I say also by the tongue we confesse that we are redeemed by the blood of Christe and with the same we blaspheme his most holie and blessed name How can this be so It cannot be that faith in the heart should be constaunt vnlesse the tongue also do constauntlie continew in confessing praysing and glorifying the Lord Iesus For faith is not a dreame or an idle fancie or a lyght imagination conceyued in the braine but where soeuer it is it sheweth it selfe accordinglie as appeareth notably in the exsample of Ieremie who was wearie of forbearing and could not forbeare as he sayeth I am had in derision euerie daye and euerie one mocketh me Iere. 20.7.9 for since I spake and cryed out of wrong and proclaymed desolation the woorde of God was made a reproche vnto me and I was had in derision daylie then sayde I I will make no more mencion of him nor speake any more in his name but his woord was ●n mine heart as a burning fyre shut vp in my bones I was wearie of forbearing and ●ould not forbeare If then the woorde of God be as a burning fire shutte vp in our bones howe is ●t possible but that it should sende foorth ●he lyght and heate of open confession 〈◊〉 speake not this good brethren to fauour ●nd allowe a number of rash and enraged ●pirites which without wisedome and dis●retion will counterfeyt them selues to be ●ealous professours of the Gospell which will crie out against they can not tell what without kéeping any measure with●ut searching the occasions without con●dering the circumstaunces which doo ●nelie serue to trouble and offende the weake and to hazarde and put in daun●er those which truelie serue God And ●o cullour their phrensie and furour they alledge the zeale of Ieremie which was wearie of forbearing and coulde not forbeare But these are more like the glorious Elihu the Buzite then the zealous Ieremy the Anatothite for Elihu the Buzite one of the comforters or rather discomforters of Iob crieth out Beholde I am full of matter Iob. 32 18. and the spirite that is within me compelleth me beholde my bellie is as the wine that hath no vent and like the bottelles that burst therfore will I speake that I may take breath c. Euen so many nowe are lyke the newe wine which must breake the vessell vnlesse it haue issue But we must learne that as the spirite of God can not be idle in the heart of man so dooth it not compell any man to passe the lymittes and bondes of Christian modestie It dooth not allowe the zeale which is without knowledge and spirituall wisedome Rom. 10.2 And therefore the Apostle sayth That the spirites of the Prophets are subiect vnto the prophetes 1. Cor. 14.32 As he him selfe shewed by experience for although he was most excellent in the giftes of
how he dooth accompt you for his owne Haruest for his Trées planted with his owne hand for his owne Viniarde for his owne Husbandrie for his owne grounde sowen with his owne séede the worde of his euerlasting trueth to the end that if ye will be aunswerable to these vnspeakeable mercies shew your selues plentifull in all good works ye may at the last be also brought into his owne Barnes of euerlasting ioyes there to be heires of God fellow heires with Iesus Christ The Haruest saithe Christ is great The Haruest that is the Church of God may be called great either for the price and excellencie thereof because Christe dooth more estéeme one fafthfull member of his misticall body thē all the wicked reprobates in the world and make more accompt of his Church be it neuer so small béeing purchased with his owne most precious bloud then all the number of the Infidels and Atheists be they neuer so many and so glorious in the sight of the worlde or therefore may the Haruest now be called great because it is indéede dispersed farre and wide ouer the face of the whole earth It is not now tyed to the familie of Iacob as the Iewes would haue it nor to Affrica Iohn 4 23. Apoc. 21.12.13 as the Donatists would haue it nor to Rome as the Papists would haue it but God hath chosen for the seede of Abraham all which haue the faithe of Abraham and for the familie of Iacob all which worship the Lorde in spirit and trueth And therefore in the Apocalips the Church is called a Cittie hauing twelue Gates three into euery corner of the world Ephe. 2.14 And Saint Paule sheweth that Now the Wall of partition is broken downe so that all the world is equallie the Church of God all countries are Iuda all Citties are Ierusalem all are the seede of Abraham which haue the faithe of Abraham All the world is the Haruest the Field the inheritaunce of the Lorde all houses are the house of God where the Lorde is worshipped in spirit and trueth And thus is the Haruest great being now not bound to any particuler place but Catholique and extended ouer the face of the whole earth I must néedes confesse that if we compare the small number of the faithfull with the great multitude of the wicked the haruest will not appeare to be great but the aboundaunce of wéedes will be more then of the good Corne. And in this respect Christ dooth call his flock a little flock Feare not my little flock Luke 12 3● it is your Fathers pleasure to giue a kingdome Gen. 8.16 There will be for Noah and his familie béeing but eight persons all the world drowned and ouerwhelmed in wickednesse For Lot and his two daughters all Sodom and Gomorrha Gen. 19.24 with the Citties round about destroyed with fier and Brimstone from heauen For one thankefull Samaritane there will be nine Leapers vnthankefull Luke 17.17 so that of ten scarce one will acknowledge Gods benefits and fall downe at the féete of Iesu and glorifie God 1. Reg. 18.19 For one Elias there will be foure hundred and fiftie Prophets of Baal and foure hundred Prophets of the Groues which eate at Iezabels Table For one Prophet of God Micheas 1. Reg. 22. ● there will be foure hundred false Prophets to prophecie lyes vnto Achab. There will be but one of a Cittie and two of a Tribe which shall enter into Sion the true Church of God Ierem. 3.14 in stéede of the two legges or the péece of the eare Amos. 3.12 which the Shéepeheard shall saue from the mouthe of the Lion the whole body shall be deuoured Apoc. 3.4 there will be but a few names founde in Sardis which haue not defiled their garments For wide is the Gate and brode is the way Math. 7.13 that leadeth to destruction and many enter into it but straight is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth to life and few there be that finde it and therefore if we compare the nūber of the faithfull with the wicked we shall finde more Chaffe then Graine more Tares then good Corne so that the Haruest of the pure Wheate shall be found to be very small Isa 24.13 and therefore the Prophet Esay dooth compare the Church to the shaking of an Oliue Trée and to the Grapes when the vintage is ended that euen as when the fruite of the Oliues and the Grapes of the Vines are gathered there remaine but a few hanging héere and there vpon the branches euen so is the Church of God as it were the glening of the Corne when the Haruest is ended And yet déerely belooued howsoeuer the Haruest of the godly being compared with the aboundance of the Tares is but as Christ saith a little flock yet surely it is farre greater then can be perceaued with the eyes of man Aug. in Ioh. Hom. 45. cap. 20. For as Augustine saithe there are very many Sheepe without and very many Wolues within Where we accompt all to be Shéepe there are many Wolues and where we accompt all to be wolues there hath Christe his Shéepe and chosen people and therefore we must not take vpon vs to iudge our bretheren but to commit iudgement vnto the Lorde For as Saint Paule saith 2. Tim. 2.13 The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this Seale Dominus nouit qui sunt sui the Lord knoweth who be his Let euery one that calleth vpon the name of Christe depart from iniquitie there is no place no Region in the worlde no state of people no degrée of men wherein the Lorde hath not some of his chosen people Gen. 41.42 The Courte of Pharao was very wicked yet therein did floorish a godly Ioseph Achab was a bloudy Tyrant and his wife Iezabell sought by all meanes she could vtterly to destroye the Prophets of God 1. Reg. 18.4 yet Obadiah the Ruler of their house feared God and hid an hundred Prophets by fiftie in a Caue and fed them with bread water The King of Aram serued strange Gods and committed Idolatrie in the house of Rimmon 2. Reg. 5.18 2. Reg. 5.15.17 yet Naaman the Captaine of his Hoste serued onely the Lord God of Israel Who was there a more deadly enemie to our Sauiour Christ then Herode yet was there Manahem his companion Actes 13.1 Luke 8.3 Ioanna the wife of Cura Herodes Stewarde and the Ruler at Capernaam vnder him which all feared God Who was there a more bloudie persecutor of all the godly then Nero yet were there in his house many saints as Paule saith Phil. 4.22 all the Saintes salute you but especially they which are of Caesars house Who are more giuen to iniurie violence Actes 10.3 and oppression then Souldiers yet Cornelius a Captaine of a band feared God and all his Household and gaue much almes to the people and prayed to
the prayse of men more then the prayse of God Thou art peraduēture ashamed to séeme holy before a cōpany and great assemblie but the holie Scripture sayth Mark 8.38 that Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of Christe and of his woords among this adulterous sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed also when he commeth in the glorie of his Father with his holie Angelles Thou art afeard least thou shalt be mocked and scorned of wicked worldlinges I aunswer with the Apostle that If thou seeke to please men Gal. 1.10 thou canst neuer be the seruaunt of Christe And therefore whosoeuer for feare of man doth hold his peace in such offences the woorde of God dooth testifie against the thoughts of his heart that he looueth the prayse of mā more then the glorie of God and who soeuer for feare of daunger ensuing dooth refuse to confesse the Lord Iesus with his mouth he hath his damnation pronounced that the sonne of God shall neuer confesse him before his father and before his holie Angelles in Heauen And therfore 1. Tim. 6.12 ●f euer we looke to fight the good fight of faith or to lay holde on eternall life we must also professe a good profession before many witnesses A carnall man may thinke it a small offence to dissemble with the mouth that a man may so dissemble with the tongue that notwithstanding the heart maye be kept faithfull vnto God But we must take héede that we deceiue not our selues nor suffer our selues to be deceyued with such fonde imaginations There are many sinnes which séeme vnto vs to be of ●mall waight because eyther we haue no faith to beléeue the woord of God or else we iudge of them according to the corrupt affection of our flesh but if we could iudge according to the iudgement of the spirite of God we should finde that those sinnes which we estéeme light are most gréeuous ●nd abhominable in the sight of God We must take héede least the subtill Serpent ●eceyue vs as he did Adam and Eue 2. Cor. 11.3 who ●hought it could be but a small offence to ●ste of the fruite of a Trée but in the end ●hey prooued the contrarie for they were ●r this their disobedience cast out of Pa●dize a place of all pleasures into all miserie and mischéefe which they we and all posterity may for euer rue and lament We must especiallie take héede of the beginning and first entraunce of sinne for if we doo a little giue place vnto it it will shortlie after take further possession of vs. We must take heede of giuing the bridle vnto the fleshe for if it once catch the bit into the teethe and feele the bridle loose vpon the necke it will carie vs headlong into all sinne and wickednesse Deut. 5.32.33 We must take héede of going out of the way although it be neuer so little for if we once misse our way goe astray the further we goe forewarde the further we goe out of our way and the more hardly shal we returne into the way againe We must retyre from the Riuers of sinne for if we goe vp and downe careleslie in the streame of wickednesse we are likelie at the last to fall into such a whirlepoole and bottomlesse pitte of mischéefe as whosoeuer is plunged therein can not be recouered We must take héede not onelie of touching sinne but also of approching néere vnto it for it is a plague so infectious and a venim so pestilent and a disease so daungerous that although we flie from it as farre as we can it can not be but that ●e shall be some thing infected therwith Eph. 5.7.11 ●e must drawe no acquaintaunce with ●ne For if we once ioyne our selues in ●itie and fréendship with sinne it will 〈◊〉 come so familliar vnto vs that we shall ●rdlie dispatch our handes of it and ther●e if with our tongues spéech we con●nt vnto Idolatry wickednes and so af●r a sort draw acquaintaūce with it it cā●ot be but that we shall afterward grow ●to greater familiaritie with it so run ●eadlong into greater mischéefe Isa 1.21 Iere 3 1. Eze. 15.15 But that 〈◊〉 may shew you an ensample to teach you 〈◊〉 giue neither your tongue nor any part ●f your body to Idolatry to cōmit spiritu●ll fornicatiō against God cōsider I pray ●ou by what meanes an harlot dooth come 〈◊〉 the vttermost degrée of her infamie and ●bhomination She dooth not become a cōmon strūpet at ●he first day 1. Tim. 2.9 but first she beginneth to pas ●he limits bonds of that shamefastnes modesty which ought to be in a vertuous ●oman the feareth God 1. Cor. 15.33 then she delighteth ●o heare and to vtter lewde and vnchaste ●alke and to sing filthy Rimes of ribau●rie Afterwarde she taketh pleasure in ●auncing and to be conuersaūt with lusty ●onkars Eccl. 9.4.5 to féede bothe her eies with their iestures countenaunces and her eares with their lasciuious amorous spéeches And when she hath thus abandoned her tongue her eyes and her eares she is no more chaste nor holie Math. 5.28 For true chastitie must consist in the heart in the soule yea and in euerie part and member of the body After that the tongue eyes and eares are thus possessed of Satan then there follow touchinges and contractions which doo more defile her body and more inflame her vnto wickednesse And when her chastitie is thus crackt and violated hitherto then shortlie after it dooth perish altogether by most abhominable filthy fornication Notwithstanding at the beginning she hath some shame left and she dealeth as secretlie as she can to kéepe it close from the sight of men but in processe of time and by long custome of sinning this shame also falleth away by little and little so that at the last the secrete strumpet becōmeth a knowen common strumpet and hath no regarde reuerence nor feare either of God in heauen or of men in earth or of the deuilles in hell Euen so it is also in spirituall fornication A man dooth not become an open idolatours at the first but by little and little ●irst ● Tim. 3.3 4.3.4 he delighteth to heare the blasphe●ies of wicked men wherewith they ●aspheme the trueth of God and layeth ●s eares open to their lyes and forgeries ●en he giueth his tongue to slaundering ●nd giuing at the profession of the Gospel ●nd to maintaine grosse errours for dispu●ations sake Afterward he delighteth his eyes with ●he glorious shew of gylded Crosses pain●ed Images goodly Tapers precious Or●aments Coapes and Vestments and all ●he superstitious iestures vsed at the Masse ●s masking and mumming turning and ●alfe turning some times at the right side ●f the Aultar some times at the lefte some ●imes crying out some times whispering ●oftlie some times looking vp some times ●owking downe besides all their other ●oyes and foolishe iestures as twinck●ing
with the vnbeléeuers thou shalt be cast as an vnprofitable seruaunt Mark 9.44 Ezech. 34.1 1. Cor. 9.16 Luk. 16.26 Apoc. 14.11 into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping gnashing of teeth where the worme neuer dyeth and the flame neuer goeth out where woes thou shalt finde on euery side and nothing but woes and of all woes this is the greatest that there shal be no ende of thy woes Where thou shalt alwaies consume and yet neuer be consumed alwayes burne and yet neuer be burnt away alwayes die and yet neuer giue ouer to death but haue paines vnquencheable intollerable easelesse endlesse and hopelesse from the which the Lord of his infinite mercy for his sonne Christ his sake deliuer vs all and giue vs grace so to vse our Talents in this vale of miserie that when our accompts shal be made we may be founde acceptable in his sight and héere that ioyfull saying O ye good and faithfull seruaunts Math. 25.21.23.34 yee haue beene faithfull in little I wil make you Maysters of much enter into the ioyes of your Lorde come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the world Thus deerely belooued ye see the thyrde propertie which is required in him that shall labour in the Lords Haruest that Luk. 12.46.45 he must be dilligent and that if he let any perish for want of foode then doth he smite his fellow seruaunts and murder them with a murder which before God is of all others most horrible and therefore if when we haue murdered a man although it be but by chaunce medley yet the remembraunce of it dooth gréeue vs vexe vs terrifie vs torment vs and make our flesh to quiuer shake and tremble how much more ought ye to auoyde the wilfull murder of so many thousand soules which perishing by your wilful negligence and ignoraunce 2. Thes 1.8.9 because they know not God are thrown headlong into euerlasting perdition and if the bloud of mē that are slaine béeing behoulden with the eies of the body dooth moue pitty and compassion howe much more ought it to gréeue the eyes of your hearts and spirits to sée the bloudshed of the soules 2. Sam. 22.15 which bringeth death eternall When Dauid in the Haruest time being in the Caue of Adullam did greatly longe to drinke of the water of Bethlehem sayd O that some man would giue me to drinke of the waters of Bethlehem there could not well any water be fetched because the Garrison of the Philistines which were Dauids enemies were then in Bethlehem Notwithstanding when thrée of Dauids mighty Captaines saw how greatly their King lōged for that water they valiauntly brake thorough the Hoaste of the Philistines and drew water out of the Wel of Bethlehem and brought it vnto Dauid when Dauid sawe what they had done he refused to drinke of it and sayde O Lord be it farre from me that I should doo this Is not this the bloud of the men which went in daunger of their liues And so he would not drinke of it but powred it out for an offering vnto the Lorde Now if Dauid would not drinke once of the water of Bethlehem because it was brought vnto him with the ieopardie of thrée mens liues how much lesse ought ye not onely to eate and drinke but also to cloathe your selues yea and delight your selues in pastimes and plesures not once but euery day not with the daūger of thrée mens liues but with the manifest murder of so many hundred soules And therefore as in the Solemnization of Matrimonie in this Church of Englande the Minister dooth firste charge the parties that are to be maried as they will aunswer at the dreadfull day of iudgement when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened that if either of them doo knowe in themselues any impediment why they may not lawfully be joyned together in Matrimonie that they confesse it Euen so I am to charge you before the Lord Iesus Christ and as you will aunswer at his appearaunce that if any of you doo know in your selues any secret impechment that either ye want the inward calling not to respect the liuing but to doo good in the Church of God or els that ye haue not the giftes of Nature fitte for that function or that yee feele not your selues so mortified with the spirite of sanctification that ye haue good hope to liue according to your profession to despise the worlde and painefully to discharge your duties that ye vtter it or at the least wise withdrawe your selues from rashelye entring into so high a calling Otherwise assure your selues that ye doo nothing els but plucke the vengeaunce of God vpon your owne heads But some of you say that ye haue no other way to liue and therefore vnlesse ye ●e nows made Ministers ye must néedes he brought to extreame beggerie I aunswer Ps 33 19. 34 8. 112.1 ● 3 that if the Lord be willing to deliuer you from pouertie he is able to deliuer you and he will deliuer you by a farre more lawfull meanes if ye will serue him and feare him 1 Tim. 1.5 1. Pet. 3.16.21 Tit. 1.15 and although he should neuer bring you out of it yet how much better were if for you to liue here in perpetuall begger is with a quiet conscience then with the best benefice in this Realme to haue a hell in your consciences in this worlde and euerlasting death in the worlde to come for then Mar. 8.36.37 what will it profit a man to win the whole world and loose his own soule or what shall a man giue for his soule ye must remember the counsell which Paul giueth to Timothie 1. Tim. 5.22 Psalm 38.4 not to be partakers of other mens sinnes our own sinnes are a burthen too heauie for vs to beare and altogether intollerable then what a desperate case are we in if we doo also charge and loade our selues with a heape of sinnes committed by other men Ezech. 3.18 whose bloud must be required at our hands if they be not dilligently lye warned and reclaymed from their wickednes that they may repent liue The fourth propertie which must be in the labourer is that he labour with bothe hands that is both with life and doctrine for otherwise if he be painfull in teaching and haue no care to expresse the same in life and conuersation then dooth he but build with the one hand and pluck downe with the other with the one hand he gathereth together and with the other hand he scattereth abroade and then he is no good labourer in the Haruest of the Lorde and therefore Saint Paul biddeth Timothy 1. Tim. 4.15 Act. 20.28 take heede vnto himselfe and to his doctrine and continue therein for in so dooing he should saue himselfe and thē that heard him And he willeth Titus Tit. ● 7 abooue all things to shew himselfe an ensample
to be in all the Ministers of Christ to haue a zealous and a tender care of the Church of God which Christ hath purchased with his moste precious bloud and therefore our Sauiour dooth héere commaund his seuentie Disciples that in all their prayers they should not haue so much respect vnto themselues as vnto the Haruest of the Lorde and biddeth them pray the Lord of the Haruest to sende foorth labourers into his Haruest And this is the dutie not onely of the Minister but generally of all men Psal 137.5.6 to pray for the peace of Ierusalem and the prosperous estate of the Church of God Ephe. 6.19 to pray for the Ministers that vtteraunce may be giuen vnto them that they may opē their mouthes bouldly to publish the secret of the Gospell to pray 2 Thes 3.1 that the word of God may haue free passage and be glorifyed among them to pray for their Pastors Colos 4.3.4 that God wyll open vnto them the doore of vtteraunce that they may so speake the Misteries of Christ as it becommeth them to speake to pray with Dauid that the Lord will be fauourable vnto Sion Psa 51.18 and build vp the walles of Ierusalem And finally to praye heere with the seuentie Disciples that the Lord of the Haruest will send foorth labourers into his Haruest and this shall euery one of you performe a great deale more carefully if ye will call to minde either the great comfort which commeth vnto you by the paines of faithfull Labourers or els the miserable estate that ye stande in if ye want these Labourers For first what greater comfort can there be to a trauayler béeing in a straunge place and among his enemyes then to be well armed and to haue a good weapen to defēd him Neither can there be any greater comfort to vs that Psalm 39.12 are straungers and Pilgrimes in this vale of misery and continually assaulted with most cruell enemies the world the flesh and the Deuill then to be well weaponed with the sworde of the spirite Ephe. 6.17 Hebru 4.12 the word of God which shall cut downe sinne in vs and enter thorough euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and of the spirite of the ioyntes and of the marrowe Then we ought alwayes to pray with Dauid I am a straunger vpon earth Psal 119.19 O hide not thy commaundement from me What greater comfort to a man which walketh in darkenesse and in a daingerous place Ephe. 5.8 Psa 119.105 2. Pet. 1.19 Ephe. 5.8 then to haue a light to be brought vnto him Neither can there be anye greater comforte to vs which of our selues are nothing but darkenesse as Paule saythe then to haue the worde of God a Lanterne to our feete and a Candle shining in a darke place whereby we may be made light in the Lorde and walke as the children of light What greater ioye vnto a poore man then to shrowde himselfe vnder the winges of some Nobleman or Gentleman and to weare his Liuerie and Cognisance neyther can there be any greater ioye to a true Christian then to weare the Badge of a Christian which is a zeale to heare the worde of God Iohn 8.47 1. Ioh. 4.6 Iohn 10.27 that hearing Gods worde he may be knowne to be of God and hearing the voyce of Christ may be knowne thereby to be one of the Sheep of Christ and therefore such a one as cā neuer perrish There is no man but he would willingly be reconciled to his Landlorde or any other which is able to hurt either his body or goods The Gospell of Christ is called 2. Cor. 5.19 Math. 10.28 the worde of reconciliation whereby we are reconciled to him which is able to destroy bothe body and soule and cast bothe into Hell lier No man but he would willingly be saued Iam. 1.21 Rom. 1.16 Isa 12.3 it is called the worde of saluation which is able to saue our soules and therfore we ought with ioy to draw water out of the Wels of saluation as the Prophet speaketh ther is no mā but he would willingly be preserued frō errours falshood it is called 2. Cor. 6.7 Iohn 17.17 the word of truth No mā but if he haue any sparkle of grace he would willingly be deliuered frō the bondage of sinne iniquitie It is the Law of God Psal 19.7.11 119.9 which is perfect conuerteth the soule the Testimony of the Lord is sure giueth wisdom vnto the simple by thē is the seruāt of God made circūspect by teaching improouing 2. Tim. 3.16 correcting instructing they make the mā of god absolute perfect in al good works There is no mā but if he haue enemies suing him at Lawe for a péece of Land he would gladly haue the aduise of good and learned Counsellers our enemyes séeke to pluck from vs the kingdome of Heauen and therefore our delight ought to be in the statues of God for they are our Counsellers Psal 119.24 saith Dauid if we haue any suite we are desirous to know the end how that iudgement shall passe Christ saithe If any man receiue not my woords Ioh. 12.48 Sermo quem loquutus sum iudicabit eum in nouissimo Die the word which I haue spoaken shall iudge him the last day There is no man but if his Father haue made a Will and Testament and therein bequeathed vnto him any worldly goods or possessions he wyll read the Will ouer and ouer againe to see what his father hath bequeathed vnto him But the Minister dooth bring vnto you not the Testament of any mortal man but the Will and Testament of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 11 27. 2. Cor. 3.6 Hebru 8.8 9.15 1. Pet. 1.18 wherein he hath bequeathed vnto you not temporall riches but the euerlasting ioyes of Heauen purchased not with Siluer nor Gould but with his owne precious bloud How much more then ought ye to héere marke and commit vnto me morie this Will and Testament of our Lorde and redéemer When the Market day commeth that we must prouide for foode and rayement for our bodyes we wyll applye it dilligently to our great costes and charges Behoulde the Lorde hath appointed many dayes especially the Sabbaoth dayes to be the Market dayes of our soules wherein we may fréely prouide for some thing to the nourishment and comforte of our soules What a great care then ought wee to haue to resort vnto the Church Apoc. 3.18 Isa 55. ● to buy Gould tryed by the fier that we may be riche and white rayment that we may be cloathed and as the Prophet saythe to buie Wyne and Mylke without Siluer and not so to care for the body which shortly shall be Wormes meate that we haue no care of the soule which shortly shall be in the companye of Angels There is none of vs but he would willingly conceaue some hope of eternall life and