A GODLY SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT Worshipfull EDVVARD COOKE Esquier Atturney Generall vnto the Queens most excellent Maiestie and others of Worship in Tittleshall in Norfolke by F. B. Babes it is the last time and as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now are there many Antichrists wherby we know that it is the last time Ioh. 1. Chap. 2. Vers 18. Babes keepe your selues from Idols Ioh. 1. Chap. 5. Vers 21. Imprinted at London by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man 1600. To the Right Worshipfull Edward Cooke Esquier Atturney Generall to the Queens most excellent Maiestie grace mercie and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ AMong the sinnes in generall Right Worshipfull possessing our peruersenature ingratitude chalengeth to hir selfe a speciall propertie in vs a thing repugnant to reason disagreeing to humanitie and contrarie to the expectation of man that it disagreeth with humanitie Nature her selfe may best be Iudge who hath not dealt so sparing in bestowing of her gifts but she will censure him as most vnkind whom shee taketh tardie in this sin of ingratitude Which sinne as it is common so it is contagious and hath infected many and yet for my own part I desire to be asmuch as may be free frō it which I should hardly be if I should burie so many fauours receiued from your worship in the graue of forgetfulnesse wherefore in token of my dutie I haue presumed to publish this my poore talent vnder your good acceptance desiring your fauourable pardon for the same I must confesse I stoode long in suspence with my selfe vnto whom I should commit this small trauell but your wonted affection and zeale towards the word soone stirred me vp to present it vnto you not being much dismaied hauing so many reasons to induce me thereunto among the rest this being one of the chiefest namely your patient and godly attention when it was preached of whom I may say as Paul saith to the Thessalonians you receiued it not as it was the word of man but as it was indeede the word of God 1. Thess chap. 2. vers 13. Thus with my heartie prayer vnto Almightie God that it will please his Maiestie to blesse you with many prosperous yeares and daies in this life and in the end eternall life with eternall ioyes I humbly take my leaue Your worships most bounden to commaund Francis Bradley 2. CHRON. 24. CHAP. 17.18 VERSES And after the death of Ichoiada came the Princes of Iudah and did reuerence to the King and the King harkened vnto them And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues and Idols and wrath came vpon Iudah and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse IN this portion of Scripture Right worshipfull and beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the spirit of God setteth downe the lamentable fall of King Ioash vnto Idolatrie which was by the malice of Sathan effected by his Princes but before we come to speake of the wordes set downe in this Text it shall not bee amisse to consider diuers circumstances going before which are verie pertinēt to this place In which circumstāces first we may obserue the prouidēce of God in preseruing this yong king Ioash from the cruell tyrannie of Athalia who after the death of Ahaziah his father caused all the kings lynage to be slaine to the ende that she might vsurpe the kingdome and so raigne as Queene ouer Iudah and Ierusalem Which thing she brought to passe for a time but the Lord who ouerthroweth the practises of the wicked whē it pleaseth him deliuered this yong infant out of her bloodie hands by the good policie of Iehosheba his fathers sister who did steale the child away that he might not be put to death according to the commandement of that blood thirstie woman and caused him to be kept secretly in the bedchamber of the house of the Lord All which time wicked Athalia raigned ouer the people But when the appointed time was come and that Ioash being of the age of seuen years that Grandcaptaine and holy high priest of the Lord Iehoiada brought forth this child with great solemnitie and caused him to be crowned king ouer the people and commaunded the vsurping Queene to be put to death which thing was performed accordingly by the iust iudgement of God she being troaden vnder the feete of horses And Iehoiada made a couenant betweene him and the people 2. Chro. 23.16 and the king that they should be the Lords people all which time the land inioyed her peace And Iehoiada was protector to the king from time to time teaching him the feare of the Lord insomuch that the young king grew to be more forward in the Law of God giuen by Moses as also in repairing of the Temple then any of the Priests or Leuites which zeale and forwardnes of his continued all the lifetime of Iehoiada which forwardnes of King Ioash in religion and repairing of the Temple as also the bloodie Tragedy of Athalia with the courage and boldnes of Iehoiada I will referre you to the chapter going before as also this out of which I haue chosen my Text with the 11. and 12. chapters of the 2. booke of the Kings where the holy Ghost hath most largely and amplie set downe this historie vnto vs. Now let vs come to the words as they lie in order to be handled and after the death of Iehoiada c. In these words I obserue fiue speciall circumstances the three first are contained in the 17. verse the other two in the 18. verse In the first there is offered vnto our considerations by the holy Ghost the time when these princes came to seduce Ioash and that is set down in these words After the death of Iehoiada came the princes of Iuda c. In the second we are to consider the manner of their comming in these words And they did reuerence vnto the King In the third the willing and readie consent of the King vnto their counsell in these words And the King hearkened vnto them In the fourth is set downe the matter wherein the king obeyed them in these words And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues Idols In the fift and last is set downe the iust iudgement of God against the king Princes and people for their rebellion and disobedience in these words And wrath came vpon Iuda and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse Concerning the first which is the time wherin Sathan stirred vp his instruments to wit these princes of Iuda to alienate and withdraw the heart of this yong king from the true feare and seruice of God wherin he was trained vp by Gods high Priest it is said to be after that death of Iehoiada By which practise of Satā we may see that to be verified in this king which Peter speaketh of in his first Epistle and last chapter The
for rebels and traytors The Prophet Dauid foreseeing the manifold dangers and mischiefes that men fall into by walking in the counsell of wicked men beginneth thus Psal 1. Blessed is that man that walketh not in the counsell of the vngodly which blessednes the Lord graunt vnto all them that feare him Now as we haue heard how dangerous outward enemies are vnto vs and how they labour by all wayes and meanes to ouerthrow religion both generally and particularly so we must also be very watchfull ouer our home-bred enemies which is our owne concupiscence and the vntowardnes of our corrupt nature which maketh continuall warre against the spirit and therefore it is very necessary that wee should labour to expell those traytors out of vs or els it will little boote vs to fight against the enemies abroad Gregorie in moral And therefore one saith it is in vaine to fight against the enemie in the field if we harbour a traytor within the wals There is no worse counseller then that which we carie about with vs which are as dangerous vnto vs as the counsellours of Ahab and Herod which is our corrupt affections which is well called of one a domesticall traytor and a seditious counseller for that it walketh standeth sitteth sleepeth and dwelleth with vs. The Apostle S. Gal. 5. Paul willeth the Galathians to walke in the spirite and then you shall not saith he fulfill the lustes of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But the holy Apostle in his Epistle to the Romaines doth most notablie handle at large this combate betweene the spirite and the flesh Rom. 7. where the Apostle bringeth in his owne deeds to be contrary to the will of the spirit Now if this blessed Apostle and elect seruant of God who was regenerate by the power of the spirite did find in himselfe this imbecillitie and weakenesse how much more may we behold in our selues our grosse impieties and manifold rebellions against our mercifull father and sweete Sauiour Christ whose sides and heart we newly pearce crucifying againe the Lord of life Let vs therefore not onely croppe the branches of sinne as to abstaine from the outward shew of euill but let vs labour rather to plucke vp sinne by the rootes in our selues so that we may wholy giue ouer our selues not as seruants to sinne but as seruants to righteousnesse praying vnto God continually for the assistance of his holy spirite so that all our thoughtes words works and wayes may be ordered by the rule and square of his blessed and reuealed word and let vs bring our actions to the touchstone which is the word of God Iob. 31. that we may trie them as gold is tryed in the furnace and let vs be like vnto Iob that as he made a couenant with his eyes so let vs make a couenant with our heartes that wee suffer them not to stray from the commandements of the Lord. For our heart is the fountaine from whence springeth all our actions whether they be good or euill And this is a generall disease among vs at this day the worser sort are not onely infected with it but many of the better sort can be content to beare a generall good liking towards the word of God and his commandements but seldome or neuer do they labor to approue their hearts before God in the performance of their seuerall duties which they owe vnto God or vnto their brethren but they rather content themselues with the very name or title of Professors of the Gospell when as in the meane time they ought to haue considered that the very neglect of any one dutie commanded vs in the worde and knowne vnto vs redoundeth to the contempt of the Lorde himselfe who is the Law-giuer and therefore the right perusing of the seueral duties commanded vs in his Law will bring vs from our pretended profession to an approued practise of such duties as are commanded vs of the Lord for the Lord beholdeth not the outward obedience alone but he looketh to the obedience of the heart Pro. 23.26 Deut 6. and therefore Salomon saith in the person of God My sonne giue me thy heart and the Lord in Deut. commandeth the children of Israel to loue him with all their heart with all their soule and all their strength Thus we haue heard how king loash hearkened with consent vnto the counsell of his Princes also how the Lord hath punished many other for following of wicked counsell and againe how the godly haue refused to be led by it and againe how wee are to set our selues against home-bred counsellers namely our owne concupiscence and fleshly affections which like traytors and rebels haue conspired our ouerthrow and lastly how we are to approue our hearts before God in the practise of those seuerall duties which he hath commaunded vs in his word and so much for the third circumstance where it is said that he hearkened vnto them Now it followeth to be considered wherein the King is said to haue followed their counsell in these words They left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and serued groues and idols By which words it appeareth that as they left off to serue God according as they had bin instructed and taught by â—ehotadâ— in the lawes and commandements giuen by Moses so also they left the place of Gods worship namely the house of God and the holy temple built by Salomon and serued their Idols in other places of their own inuention But first let vs consider how God is said to be the God of their fathers God calleth himselfe The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob and bound himselfe by a conenant to be a God vnto them and to their seed for euer and therefore Iacob when he stood in seare of his brother Esau turneth himselfe by prayer vnto God saying Gen. 32. O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac c. As the Lorde would haue no other gods ioyned with him so he gaue commandement for the maner of his worship how it should be performed and also for the place where the Iewes should assemble themselues to offer their sacrifices and other rites and ceremonies commanded them in the Law by Moses Deut. 12.5 as appeareth in Deut. where Moses speaketh thus vnto them You shall seeke the place which the Lord your God shal chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there to dwell and thither thou shalt come And againe he saith Deut. 13. Take heede that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in euery place that thou seest but in the place which the Lord shal chuse in one of your tribes And therefore the Arke which was made did represent Gods presence and was placed in Shilo where some thinke it remayned more then three hundred yeeres and afterwards was remoued into other places till the appointed time that God
commanded Salomon to build the Temple after which time the Israelites were commaunded to resort thither for the performance of such sacrifices and other rites and ceremonies which were required of them by the Lord all which seruice and worship continued till the comming of Christ although it were altogether corrupted amongst the Iewes as also amongst the high Priests with the Scribes and Pharisees and after that Salomon had builded the Temple hee made his prayer vnto God that the Lord would haue his eares open vnto the prayers of his seruants which should pray vnto him in that place and that if any should be ledde into captiuitie and returne vnto the Lorde by repentance 2. Chro. 6 1. King 7. with their faces towards the Temple that hee would be ready to heare them the Lord answering his prayer in the next Chapter Thus they left off to serue God and became Idolaters and hasted Gods iudgements against themselues What should I speake of our Italian and Romish worshippers when as euery man that hath any sight at all may see their grosse and palpable dealing in absenting themselues from our assemblies and saigning vnto themselues a religion of their own braine So that as they haue forsaken the fellowship of Gods children in the congregation so haue they forsaken God himselfe and set vp Idols in God his stead casting downe themselues before them and worshipping them but if they will say they worship not the Idoll or image but God in them or by them this is grosse idolatrie befofore God But blessed be God for that it hath pleased his Maiesty to stir vp our gracious Queene to tread in the steps of good Ezechtas and Iosias to destroy the Idoll groues and temples with those high places or rather high Altars which were erected for the sacrifices of their Masse and other their superstition Another sort there are that haue left our publike assemblies Brownists saying we haue neither Church nor lawfull ministery and yet haue some of them confessed that the knowledge which they haue they first came vnto it by the hearing of the word of God in our congregations preached by those whom now they do condemne they pretend purity in the profession of the Gospel and see not that their proceeding cannot be warranted by the word nay some of them haue confessed that since that they left of to heare the word preached they haue found themselues very colde in religion These with others are puffed vp with a certaine proud conceit of themselues and doe beare themselues very stubbornly towards their superiours eyther forgetting or else not hauing learned the lesson of meeknes and humility of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 11. I will not speake of the idle life of some of them how they haue neglected their calling wandring from place to place and liuing by the labours of others but it were well if we could approue our humility in some measure before God and men with holy Dauid who saith My bea rt is not haughty neither are my eyes lofty Psal 13. neither haue I walked in great matters and hid from me by which words the Prophet approoueth himselfe before God as one of his and purgeth himfelse from this sin of pride There are also some which although they leaue not of altogether to heare the word yet how much time do they spend in reading bookes vnprofitable and prophane which tendeth much to the hurt of a good mind being stuffed with many lies and tales as the booke of King Arthur Sir Tristram Sir Lancclet the booke of Skogging Beuis of Southhampton the hundreth vnsauory tales filled with ribaldry I say nothing of amorous bookes yea rather venemous bookes flowing with lasciuiousnes and vncleannes and such other dregs of the like stamp which were sitter for the fire then the presse in these toyes while many do spend their time in reading of them they neuer complaine of wearines although they spend diuers houres in the forenoone and also in the afternoone but the hearing of the word of God is irksome vnto them yet they can be content to driue away the time as they say which I haue shewed before should be better imployed yea the long winter nights must by that meanes be shortned and as the eares of many are very attentiue so their hearts are carried away with a certain delight of such stuffe as they heare out of such prophane bookes but as for the sacred book of God the holy Bible it lieth in a corner being seldome vsed if there be any And these although they do not altogether refuse to heare the word of God yet it hath not wrought such a relish in them Act. 17.11 that with the noblemen of Berea they search the scripture and therefore as the Lord saith Why takest thou my wordin thy mouth and hatest to be reformed So it may be said to those why hearest thou my word and hatest to be reformed Wel for as much as it is the work of God his spirit both to will and to doe the thing that is good we must haue our recourse vnto God by praier to work those things in vs which nature will not afford that we hearing the word may reape such profit as that we may relish and taste it to the building of vs vp in Christ Now as it is the part of all men to labour for a sauing knowledge so also must this knowledge beget a practise in all those that professe the Gospel following the example of the godly in the scripture who after they had the tree of saith planted in them they brought forth fruit accordingly as appeareth by Zacheus Luk. 19. Luke 19 and that we may be the better stirred vp to vse the means for faith let vs consider the example of some whom the holy Ghost hath set out vnto vs and our sauiour Christ himselfe vpbraiding the stubborne Iewes bringeth in that exāple worthy of memory to wit the Queene of the south who is said to come from the vttermost part of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and behold saith he a greater then Salomon is here she is said to haue left for a time her fruitful country Arabia called Saba when as she might haue had sufficient excuses for her stay at home Chro. 2. ch 9 Mat 12 first the weaknes of her sex with the longues of the iourney the perill of her owne person insurrections and commotions in her absence many things of moment might haue stayed her but she laying aside all excuses whatsoeuer came with a resolute purpose to heare the wisedome of Salomon We haue heard how the noble men of Berea searched the scripture after they had heard the Doctrine of the Apostles Also I remember that famous Ladie of Herods court accompanied with other godly women being the wife of Herods steward whom the Euangelist reporteth that they went to heare our Sauiour preach out of a ship they standing by the Sea side
should thereby profit in repentance Sinne vnrepented what are the effects following it Amongst many good meanes to draw men to vnfaigned repentance of their sinnes before God and in their owne heart this me thinketh should not be of the least force wel and deepely to weigh the feareful effects that finne vnrepented of bringeth foorth in the sight of God and men and in their owne minds that liue so impenitently 1. First it quencheth yea driueth away the power and working of Gods spirit in vs which being most holy and pure of it selfe cannot abide to dwel in much lesse to worke effectually in an vncleane soule and impenitent heart 2 Secondly it hindereth vs from the right and holy profit that we might receiue by the worde of God which is not profitable nor powerfull in any but those that tremble thereat as God speaketh in Esay 3 Thirdly it shutteth our mouthes from inuocation prayer and calling vpon Gods name for how can wee call vpon him in whom we beleeue not or how can we be said to beleeue whilest we continue in our sinnes 4 Fourthly it causeth God to stop his eares from hearing our prayers or graunting our requests for God heareth not sinners and againe the prayers of the wicked are abominable as the Scripture saith 5 Lastly it prouoketh God that of his owne nature is most inclinable vnto all mercie through our sinnes to let in vpon vs all the floods of his eternall Iustice to our fearefull confusion our sinnes and nothing els making a separation betwixt vs and God as the Prophet affirmeth Isay 17. Amongst many things Sinne to be repressed because it bringeth iudgement vpon all estates and persons that should represse the rage of sinne before we fall or els should moue vs to vnfeigned repentance after sinne is committed this me thinketh should be one of great force and power namely that euen some particular mens sinnes vnrepented of or wincked at and not punished may and do iustly prouoke Gods heauie indignation against all estates and persons 1 As first for example against the Magistrates because that God hauing put the sword of holy authoritie into their hands for the punishment of euill and maintenance of good they haue not according to Gods word their duties and the haynousnesse of the offence punished the same 2 Against Ministers Malac. 22. because God hauing put into their mouthes the worde of trueth and appointing them thereby to cut downe sinne they contrary vnto Gods expresse commandement and their owne conscience and calling haue bin tongue-tied and durst not speake 3 Against the people because that they keeping themselues notwithstanding in the compasse of their Christiācalling haue not by sharpe reproofe either shewed their dislikes of the sinnes committed or their loue labouring the conuersion of the offending partie 4 And against the parties committing it because they through impenitencie and hard heartednesse continuing in sinne and hauing few or no meanes for their reclaiming can not but looke for fearefull indignation and wrath from the Lord for the same But the wicked do deferre their repentance not thinking Gods iudgementes to be at hand when as indeed the Lorde hath stretched out his arme already to strike But it is otherwise with the children of God who are not drawne by a slauish feare of punishment vnto obedience but rather of a childlike loue they beare vnto God their father through and by which loue they perfourme willingly that which the Lord hath commaunded according to that measure of grace which God hath giuen them omitting also the contrary through loue which obedience is no doubt acceptable to God The Lord for his Christs sake touch our hearts with such loue to his Maiestie that all our wayes may please him and that as wee haue inioyed many yeeres of peace and plentie of temporary blessings with the preaching of his glorious Gospell vnder the raigne of our most dread Soueraigne so let vs call vpon his name for the continuance of all his mercies with the preseruation of our gracious Queene that although our sinnes haue prouoked the contrary yet that hee would graunt vs these things for his Christ his sake our onely Lorde and Sauiour to whom with God the Father and the holy Ghost we acknowledge to be due and desire in our hearts to yeeld all praise glory and honor both now and euermore Amen What ere thou be pray God alwayes To blesse our Queene with happie dayes Whose wisdome vnder God so long Hath kept this Realme from forreine wrong FINIS