world which séemeth to haue no ende shall vanish the heauens shall ware old as doth a garment but as the word of the Lord continueth for euer so are the praises of the feare of God euerlasting Wheresoeuer the Gospell is preached saith Christ throughout all the worlde there shal also this déed of Mary Magdaline which annointed his bodie with costly Oyle and wiped his féete with the haire of her head this déed which she hath done shall be spoken of for a memoriall of her meaning thereby not the déed so much as her heart and affection And such shall be the memoriall of them that feare God according as it is said The name of the godly shall flourish and the remembrance of the wicked shall rot As the whirlewind passeth so is the wicked no more but the righteous is an euerlasting foundation The wise man after he had intreated of diuers and waightie matters and drawing to an end of his booke as though he had for gotten one principal point Let vs now saith he commend the famous men who were honourable in their generations and were well reported of in their times There are of them that haue left a name behinde them so that their praise shall be spoken of There are some also that haue no memoriall and are perished as though they had neuer bin and are become as though they had neuer bin born and their children after them But the former were such men whose righteousnes and feare of God hath not bene forgotten and whose commendation shall endure throughout all ages Their seede shall remaine for euer and their praise shall neuer be taken away their bodies are buried in peace but their name liueth for euermore There is a seed of man which is an honourable seed the honourable seede are they that feare the Lord. Diuerse other goodly sentences the scripture dooth affoord in commendation of the feare of God but I thought the waight of reasons alleaged would more preuaile then the multitude of words which do delight but for the present time Much like pleasant musicke which is no longer of force to moue our mindes but while it soundeth But the waight of the reasons continue in our remembrance when as the multitude of words may soone be forgotten as if we had séene our face in a glasse and when we are gone we remember it no more 2. That delight which is next to the feare of God and an The next delight to the feare of God is the knowledge of gods word excellent delight aboue all worldly delights I thinke good at this present not to stand much vpon but to referre you to a more ample declaration thereof because I haue spent so much time in setting downe the commodities and commendations of the feare of God vnto the which no perswasions can be too tedious But because the studie and knowledge of the word of God is the onely meanes wherby the feare of God is taught maintained and increased therfore doth it seeme a matter as worthie to be considered and to be perswaded as the other And so much the rather because we cannot come so perfectly to the fear of God as by the knowledge of his word To the proofe whereof we haue an excellent sentence Prou. 2. The words be these My sonne if thou receiue my words and hide my commandements with thee to incline thine eares to wisedome and to bowe thy heart to vnderstanding if thou call for vnderstanding and vtter thy voyce for knowledge if thou seeke her as siluer and dig for her as for her treasures Then shalt thou vnderstand A light to our vnderstāding the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God All the life of man without the knowledge of the word of God is but a wildernesse and that is the onely path to bring vs out all our vnderstanding is but darknesse and that is the onely lanterne that giueth vs light Our parents that beget vs they beget vs after their owne image and that is sinfull so that as wée are borne in sinne so all our The seed of life delight by nature is in sinne Therefore this séede and this begetting may well bee tearmed a mortall séede and a begetting vnto death But that we may haue a reuerent care and a great delight in the word of God we are giuen to vnderstand that it is the immortall séede the séede that begets vs vnto life As saith Saint Peter Epistle I. He hath begotten vs againe not of mortall but of immortall seede which hee affirmeth to be the word of God that endureth for euer And this is the singular commoditie thereof I. Iohn 3. 9. That hee that is borne of God sinneth not vnto death but if he fall hée riseth againe by repentance The reason because he sinneth not nor delighteth héerein nor suffereth it to raigne within him is for that the séede of Gods word ioyned with his feare remaineth within him neither can he sinne because hée is borne of God and begotten vnto life by his holie spirite As they that are in the fleshe cannot please God for the wisedome of the fleshe is enmitie to God so the word of God doth make the power of his spirite more effectuall within vs and teacheth vs how to please God and to liue in his fauour Blessed is the man that feareth God for his great delight is in gods word and hée maketh more account thereof then of any treasure For all precious things in the world they can continue with vs but while we liue in the world but the séede of gods word as it is euerlasting s◠it accompanieth the soule euen when it is departed from the bodie We are troubled about many things in this life but as our Sauiour Christ saith there is but one thing necessary and that is the hearing reading learning and meditating on the word of God And as wisedome is one of the VVisedome greatest commendations that can be giuen to the feare of god so doth the word of god deserue the selfe same commendation By thy precepts and commandements that is by thy word saith the Prophet Dauid I am wiser then the aged and my elders By thy word I haue gotten vnderstanding therefore I hate all wicked wayes This is your wisedome saith that holy man Moses vnto the Israelites Deu. 4. And this is your vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shall say Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a great nation And this was the wisedome that god would should more preuaile with a King and highest gouernour in a realme then all the wisedome of his counsellours As we shall reade in the booke of Deutro 17. And when the King shall sit vppon the thorne of his kingdome he shall reade in this booke all the dayes of his life and it shall bee euer with him To what end and purpose Euen that he may go in and out wisely before his people That being taught and instructed
by Sanctifie the Lorde of hostes and let him be your feare and let him be your dread saith the Prophet Esay 8. For loe he that formeth the mountaines and createth the wind and declareth to man what is his thought which maketh the morning darkenesse and walketh vppon the high places of the earth the Lorde God of hostes is his name And therefore hée may iustly and that with a maiestie report himselfe vnto his people The Lord the Lord. Euen high and terrible and a great King ouer all the earth who is greatly to be exalted in the congregation of Princes For the Lorde is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods the Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth ouer all Greatnes and power and glorie and victorie are his hée excelleth and is most mightie he is the Lorde and his name is most glorious the earth is his footestoole and hee is higher then the Kinges of the earth who are but his vassalles And saith the King Nebuchandnezer vnto Daâ—iel Cap. 2. I knowe of a truth that your God is a God of Gods and the Lord of Kings Pharaoh also the King of Egypt who so gréeuously persecuted the Israelites was driuen so to confesse in that hée spake vnto Moses that he would pray vnto the Lord for him to take away those gréeuous plagues wherewith hée was iustly punished for his disobedience and hard heart against the Lorde By which his punishment of the highest in the earth and as it is in the Prouerbes of Salomon Although they be mightie on earth yet are there mightier then they by which his punishment he declareth himselfe to be the onely Prince the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Which thing the example of Sanehereib the King of Ashur can well testifie whom the Lord withdrew from the siege and slaughter of his people and put a hooke in his nostrils and turned him backe the same way he came and caused the Angel of his wrath to sley a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand of his souldiers Although Rabshakey his Ambassadour in his be halfe gaue forth these words Heare the words of the great King the King of Ashur Thus saith the King Let not your King Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord saying The Lord will surely deliuer vs for who are they among all the gods of the nations that haue deliuered their land out of mine hand that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand But as you heard his souldiers were slaine himselfe was driuen to flight and furthermore as he was worshipping his Idole god Nisroch Adramelech and Sharezer his own sonnes flew him with the sword and escaped they flew this great King the King of Ashur The Lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwéene the Cherubins let the earth bee moued I make a decrée saith King Darius that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and feare before the god of Daniel for he is the liuing god and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shal not perish and his dominion shall be euerlasting King Nebuchadnezar to iustisie the Lord in these words The Lord the Lord did extoll and magnifie the King of heauen praised and honoured him that liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power and his kingdome is from generation to generation And this did the King confesse after that he had felt the mightie hand of god and his power Let the spirit of Princes be subiect vnto the Lord that euen the chiefest with the lowest may acknowledge this soueraigntie that he is the onely Lord who is highly to be praised and greatly to be feared for glory and strength are before him Wherfore giue vnto the Lord ye families of the people the glory of his name giue vnto the Lord the power which is due vnto his maiestie When the lion roareth all the beasts of the forest tremble and when god commaundeth who will not obey If the Captaine that hath authoritie ouer his souldiers may say to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he commeth and to his seruant Do this and he doth it Shall not we be as ready when the great Captaine the Lord of hostes shall charge vs If the seruants shall be diligent to fulfill their maisters will to how at his beck and to make haste when he calleth shal not we yéeld our selues to the obedience of our Lord maister which dwelleth in the heauens who hath the Angels at commandement and whose creatures we are who hath more authoritie ouer vs in the wide compasse of his dominion then hath the maister ouer his seruant within the circuit of his house The seruants that are disobedient may flie from their maisters displeasure and escape but if we be rebellious we cannot auoid the anger of the Lord. His eies are in all the corners of the earth neither is there any place wherein we may be frée if it please God according to our deserts to strike vs. Looke what the Prince may do among his subiects much more in the highest degrée may the lord of the whole earth do among vs. Many lawlesse people may resist that which the King commandeth although it may not be resisted by the authoritie of his crowne and dignitie yea furthermore may put the king in hazard but the authoritie of the highest King is such that he maketh the stoutest heart to tremble wel may they murmure grudge and set them selues in defiance against him but they shal be able to do no more although they were as mightie as the diuels in hell they shal no whit preuaile A consuming fire shall go before him the mountains shal be al in a smoke the earth shal tremble at his presence and the wicked yâ— disobey his commandements resist his wil and are as far as they dare at defiance shal in their time hide themselues in the holes of the rockes and wish yâ— the mountains might fall vpon them And then shall they know how yâ— he onely is the lord that he hath authoritie to command and yâ— they were bound to obey In diuers places of the holy scriptures in the prophecies of his seruants and messengers by whom he declared his wil and whom hee gaue in commandement to deliuer his message vnto the people when they speake of any matter of waight they vse these words Thus saith the Lord. To put yâ— people alwaies in remembrance of his high soueraigntie and authoritie ouer them As in the Prophecie of Ieremy the Lord saith vnto Ieremiah thou shalt say vnto them Thus saith the Lord If ye wil not heare me to walk in my lawes which I haue set before you and to heare the words of my seruants the Prophets whom I sent vnto you both rising vp early and sending them and will not obey them Then wil I make this house like Shiloh meaning that his Temple and his Church shuld be forsaken and the priests deliuered vp to the sword
Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and godhead are séene by creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Acts. 14. 16. 17. God in times past suffered all the gentiles to walke in their owne waies Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without a witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and frutefull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse And Chap. 17. 27. That they should séeke the Lord if so be they might haue groped after him Through there owne default Ro. 1. 21. Because that when they knewe God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vaine in theire imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse Iohn 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for there sinne verse 24. If I had not done workes among them which none other man did they had not had sinne that is they had not bene so greatly in fault Ro. 2. 12. For as many as haue sinned without the law that is without the knowledge of the written lawe shall perish also without the lawe their conscience being a lawe vnto them Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknes rather then light because there déeds were euill And surely that which they can attaine vnto in knowing God by their light or rather naturall darkenesse albeit they neuer failed in the way but so cōtinued yet were it in no wise sufficient vnto saluation For it is necessary for vs that shall be saued that we know God not onely as God but as our father in Christ Iohn 17. 3. And this is life eternall that they know thée to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And chapter 3. 26. He that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he that obeieth not the sonne shall not sée life but the wrath of GOD abideth on him The which misterie flesh and blood doth not reueale but the sonne himselfe to them whom his father hath giuen him Matt. 11. 27. All things are giuen to me of my father and no man knoweth the same but the father neither knoweth any man the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne wll reueale him Mat. 16. 16. 17. Simon Peter answered and said Thou art that Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus said vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and blood hath not reuealed it to thée but my father which is in heauen Iohn 1. 10. He was in the world and the world knew him not But as many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen of thē that beléeue in his name Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And chap. 3. 5. 6. Iesus answered Nicodemus verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the spirit is spirit Secondly they are called by the preaching of the Gospell but because they are not of the number of the elect being called they heare not Luke 12. 47. That seruant which knewe his masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beate wiih many stripes Matt. 22. 14. For many are called but few are chosen Luke 13. 34. O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thée howe often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the henne gathereth her brood vnder her wings and ye would not Chap. 19. 44. They shall make thée euen with the ground because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Iere. 7. 27. Therefore shalt thou speake all these wordes vnto them but they will not heare thée Thou shalt also cry vnto them but they will not aunswere thée Pro. 1. 24. 26. 28. 26. Because when I called yée refused I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth They shall call vppon mée but I will not answere they shall séeke mée earely but they shall not finde mée Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. And forasmuche as they are not able to receiue the spirit of truth Iohn 14. 16. 17. And I will pray the father and he shall giue you an other comforter that hée may abide with you for euer Euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth it him but yée knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Chap. 12. 39. 40. Therefore could they not beléeue because that Esaias saieth againe hée hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not sée with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them 2. Thess 3. 2. All men haue not faith Mat. 13. 9. 11. He that hath eares to heare let him heare To you it is giuen to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know thē because they are spiritually discerned The word of life is folly vnto them and an offence 1. Cor. 1. 18. The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God Verse 23. 24. We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse But vnto them which are called both of Iewes and Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God And finally the sauour of death vnto death to their destruction 2. Cor. 2. 16. To the one wee are the sauour of death vnto death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life Thirdly their hearts are opened but they beleeue generally Iam. 2. 19. Thou beléeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels beléeue it and tremble Fourthly they are most miserable of all who climbe a degree higher that their fall may be the more greeuous For they are raised by some gift of grace and yet fall away Heb. 6 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. For it is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away should be renued againe by repentaunce séeing they crucifie
shall heare indéed but ye shall not vnderstand ye shall plainly sée and not perceiue o The Genena note vpon that place Whereby is declared that for the malice of man God will not immediately take away his word but he wil cause it to be preached to their condemnation when as they will not learne thereby to obey his will and be saued Hereby he exhorteth the Ministers to do their dutie and answereth to the wicked murmurers that through their owne malice their heart is hardened Mat. 13. 14. Act. 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. Verse 10. Make the heart of his people fat make their eares heauy and shut their eies lest they sée with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstande with their hearts and conuert and he heale them And to bring this to passe he vseth partly their owne vile concupiscences to the which hee hath giuen them vp to be ruled and led by Rom. 1. 26. For this cause God gaue them vp to vile affections c. Sée more in that chap. And Esay 64. 7. And partly also the spirit of lies who keepeth them wrapt in his snares 2. Thess 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Euen him whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they may be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beléeue lies That all they might be damned which beléeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light because their déedes were euill Ezay 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs erre from thy waies and hardned our heart from thy feare Ro. 11. 32. For God hath shut vp all in vnbeliefe Acts. 7. 42. Then God turned himselfe away and gaue them vp to serue the host of heauen 1. Kin. 22. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. The Lord said Who shal intice Ahab that he may go fall at Ramoth Gilead And one said on this maner and an other said on that manner Then there came foorth a spirit and stoode before the Lord and said I will entice him And the Lord said vnto him Wherewith And he said I will goe out and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he said thou shalt entice him and shalt also preuaile goe foorth and do so Nowe therefore behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lord hath appointed euill against thée 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. If our Gospell be then hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them By reason of their corruption from the which as out of a fountaine issueth a continuall flowing riuer of infidelitie ignorance and iniquitie 2. Tim. 2. 26. And that they may come to amendment out of the snares of the diuel which are taken of him at his will Whereby it followeth that hauing as it were made shipwracke of their faith 1. Tim. 1. 19. Hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke Can by no meanes escape the day which is appointed for their destruction that God may be glorified in their iust condemnation Prou. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euil Rom. 9. 21. 22. Hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other vnto dishonour What and if God would to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The sixt Chapter Of the last and full accomplishment of Gods eternall counsell as well towards the elect as the reprobate FOrasmuch as God is iustice it selfe it is necessary that The full execution of god counsaile he should saue the iust and condemne the vniust Now they among men are only iust who being by faith ioined to Christ grafted rooted in him and made one bodie with him are iustified sanctified in him by him Wherof it followeth that the glory to the which they are destinate to the glory of God appertaineth to them as by a certain right or title On the other part they which remaine in Adams pollution death are iustly hated of God and so condemned by him not excepting so much as thē which die before they sin as Adam did But both these manners of executing Gods iudgements as well in these as in the other which are elected are in thrée sorts whereof we haue already declared the first For the elect in that same moment that they In the elect haue receiued the gift of faith haue after a certaine sort passed from death to life whereof they haue a sure pledge But this their life is hid in Christ till this corporall death make them to steppe a degrée further and that the soule being loosed out of the band of the body enter into the ioy of the Lord Finally in the day appointed to iudge the quicke and the dead when that which is corruptible and mortall shall be clad with incorruption and immortalitie and God shall be all in all things then they shall sée his maiestie face to face and shall fully enioy that vnspeakable comfort and ioy which before all beginning was prepared for them which is also the reward that is due to the righteousnesse holinesse of Christ who was giuen for their sinnes and raised againe from death for their iustification By whose vertue and spirit they haue procéeded and gone forward from faith to faith as shall manifestly appeare by the whole In the Reprobate course of their life and good workes Whereas altogither contrary the reprobate conceaued and brought vp in sin death wrath of God when they depart out of this world they fall into an other gulfe of destruction and their soules are plunged in that endlesse paine vntill the day come that their bodies soules being ioyned againe they shall enter into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Then by these two waies which are The glory of God cleane contrarie one to an other the last issue and end of Gods iudgement shall set forth manifestly his glory to all men foramuch as in his elect he shall declare himselfe most iust and most mercifull Most iust I say for that he Perfectly iust and perfectly mereifull hath punished with extréeme rigour seueritie the sinnes of his elect in the person of his sonne neither did receiue them into the fellowship of his glory before
one commending vnto vs the feare of God the other exhorting vs to the studie and knowledge of the word of God And although the Prophet Dauid dâ—â— greatly commend the studie of the lawe of God in his first Psalme yet also throughout his Psalmes he maketh speciall exhortations vnto the Feare of God As amongst the rest principally in this hundreth and twelfth Psalme Blessed is the man hée saith not that floweth in riches For godlines is great riches if a man bee content with that hée hath Hée saith not that enioyeth his pleasures because they fight against the soule Hée saith not that is aduanced to honour and promotion for it is an easie matter with the Lorde to bring them downe that are exalted Hée saith not that haue the fauoure of Princes for that may bee daunted by tales of ill will and buried in displeasure Hée saith not that are strong and valiant For the Lorde hath no pleasure in the strength of a man but hée delights in them that feare him and put their trust in his mercy Hée saith not who are wise For the wisedome of man is but foolishnesse in the sight of God and hée that will bee wise indéed must denie his owne wisedome that God may endue him with true wisedome Hée saith not they are beautifull for they are but snares to catch fooles But aboue all others Blessed is the man that feareth the Lorde and delighteth greatly in his Commandements His seed shall be mightie vppon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed Riches and treasures shall be in his house Two great worldly blessings His seede shall be mightie and his generation blessed And againe Hee shall enioy plentie and abundance of riches and treasures Fully and sufficiently shall hée be satisfied to his contentment hée shall not néed to go farre as Merchants venture their liues vpon the seas to become wealthie Per mare pauperiem fugiens per saxa per ignes but it shall be in his house because God shall make all things prosper about him And this was the blessing that was promised to Abraham when God had tried him whether his feare were planted in his heart I will surely blesse thee and will greatly mâ—ltiply thy seede as the starres of heauen and as the sand which is vpon the sea shore And in thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed because thou hast obeyed my voyce because I haue perceiued my feare to bee within thée In stéed of wealth and treasures and worldly blessings this was Gods promise vnto him Gene. 15. 1. I am thy exceeding great reward Feare God and keepe his Commaundements For this is the whole dutie of man As if hée had said it is altogither and wholly the blessed estate of man According to which course and perfect rule wée ordering our liues wée shall doo those things which are pleasaunt and acceptable and so bee presented holie and blamelesse in the sight of God at that dreadfull day when we shall bee called to our accounts and when the secrets of all hearts shall be open and made manifest Somewhat I minde God willing to vtter vnto you concerning the feare of God in generall sort for the better lightning of that which I shall intreate off and so to passe purposely to the commodities and commendations thereof The feare of God is nothing else but a reuerent awe VVhat the true feare of God is and obedience due vnto him whereby we are loth to offend him not so much because he is able to punish vs as principally because his loue is shed abroad in our hearts and our mindes fully possessed therewith And that it may be the better knowne of vs we must seperate it from a false kind of feare For as the true feare of God bringeth life with it so the contrary feare betokeneth death Therefore the true feare of God is such as whereby we reuerence God and are most willing in all louely sort to do his Commaundements as childreÌ„ are obedient to their parents or if it may be said more tenderly But as for the other kinde of feare A false feare it is either seruile and â—lauish when we are driuen to this obedience for feare of punishment or else it is that wherewith the lawlesse and vnruly sort of people who haue not the true feare of God before their eyes are frighted and wonderously amazed do stand in horrible dread what shall become of them As they that are appointed to execution their feare is deadly so these considering how gréeuous the iudgements of God shall be against them for those heinous sinnes which they haue committed there is nothing before their eyes but the feare of death The which feare I must needs confesse the godly in a sort and for a time may be touched with and yet by the power of their reléeuing saâ—iour they are raised vp to comfort and the good spirit of God doth seale in their hearts the mercies of God the father through the forgiuenes of their sinnes in the blood of Christ But as for the wicked and vngodly who are voyd of the grace of God who spend their liues in all maner of leaudnesse and naughtinesse they are not onely ouertaken and inwrapped in this deadly dreadfull and desperate feare but they are ouercome thereof and as a ship in the sea that is suncke and past hope of recouery they are vtterly ouerwhelmed Three effects of the true feare for euer And yet there is a more certaine knowledge of the true feare of God consisting in these thrée effects First that 1. whereas corruption and naughtinesse lurketh in our harts and would faine haue a vent and issue the feare of God doth kéepe that euill backe and doth so restraine bridle and kéepe in our corrupt and euill inclinations that they shall not in any case breake foorth to the dishonour of God 2 and our owne shame and confusion The second effect note or marke of the true feare of God is by departing from euill For hée that feareth God truly departeth from euill and sinne vnfainedly deâ—esting and abhoring the same both in himselfe and others The third effect 3 and note whereby the feare of God is knowne to bee in vs is when we are purposely set to amend our former euil liues and stedsastly determined with the Prophet Dauid to kéepe the Commandements of our louing and gracious God Which matters would desire a longer discourse and hereafter God willing somwhat may be spoken but at this present they cannot be stood vpon Onely that which I promised that lieth vppon me to performe namely to set foorth the commodities and commendations of the true feare of God For nothing doth more perswade mens mindes theâ— the consideration of the high and great commodities and aduantages of that wherunto we would perswade them The feare of God is to kéepe our selues not so much The commodities of the feare of God within the order of the
goe out againe The Lorde hath giuen and the Lord hath taken Blessed be the name of the Lord. Againe it is not without great cause that they are called Riches of iniquitie because for the most part they are gotten by wrong and oppression by fraude and deceit And therefore no maruell if the Apostle giue this counsell 1. Tim. 6. 8. Let vs saith hée alwaies carry contented mindes For they that will bee rich fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of mony is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pearced themselues through with many Lands purchased for a name sorrowes Some there are that heape vp riches to purchase lands to get themselues a name and to leaue the same to their posteritie which thing the Prophet Dauid noteth Psal 49. They trust in their goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches They thinke their houses and their habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their landes and houses by their owne names The chiefest delight they haue is to leaue these goodly possessions to their heires that they may kéepe their name and that they be not forgotten on the earth neuer séeking the Lordes fauour and mercy to direct and make strong their desires neither euer séeking to plant his feare in them that must enioy those things But their issue is thereafter and the Lord turneth all crosse in his iudgement so that they are dispearced and driuen often to forsake not onely the place but the verie land For being brought vp in all idlenesse loosenesse and libertie they soone ouerlash and run beyond their compasse and through leaudnesse and ryot they bring all to nothing and being pinched with scarcitie and penury they commit some mischiefe or other whereby they are enforced either to flie their natiue Country or to end their liues both lamentably and fearefully He that neuer knew the getting can kéepe no measure in spending as also euill gotten goods come neuer to the third generation as the wise man saith She begetteth a sonne and in his hand is nothing We thinke them best beloued of God who enioy most The blessing of God in heauenly gifts wealth and substance but if we haue eyes to sée the blessing of God consisteth in heauenly gifts and graces which the common sort doo not enioy albeit their wealth may bee without number What is it for him that had such store of goods to reioyce and say to his soule Soule liue at ease and take thy rest for thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares when that he could not enioy his life a night to an end yea further it may be feared that with his life he lost not only his goods but his soule too In respect wherof we may well say with the Prophet Dauid The greater sort craue worldly goods and riches do imbrace But Lord graunt vs thy countenance thy fauour and thy grace For thou thereby shalt make my heart more ioyfull and more glad Then they that of their corne and wine full great increase haue had When I saw that such delight had such heauinesse I turned aside to behold the excellencie of wisedom and there VVisedome I found but vanitie and vexation For he that séeks by learning to come by wisedome behold how he is incombred before he come to the goale and though all runne yet but one receiueth the prize that is fewe there be that do excell Yet by the way we must not therefore leaue off but run on with a good courage in hope that at last we may obtain The eye is neuer satisfied with reading and the mind searcheth till it be weary our spirits faint before they come to the depth and when they are nearest then are they far off Which maketh the holy man Iob say Cap. 28. Where is wisedome found and from whence commeth it and where is the place of vnderstanding Man knoweth it not and it is hid from the eyes of all the liuing Here is the vexation of the spirit For in the multitude of wisedom is much grief And he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow hée searcheth after it and cannot find it According to y◠saying Maxima pars eorum quae scimus est minima corum quae ignoramus Although we know much yet our ignorance is as great if not greater as if the vnderstanding of man were nothing else but couered ouer with darknesse Many there are who being too desirous to know more then is méete and conuenient for them to search after haue bene so bold as to clime into Gods secrets but with Lucifer they haue had their falles And yet because they cannot be partakers of their vnlawfull desires by lawfull meanes they enter into couenant with the diuel to shew them hidden matters and to helpe them to their desires damning thereby their soules for euer for a worldly delight which cannot long endure Againe some being as it were wrapt into the heauens with a foolish conceit of their owne wisedome thinking none so excellent as they exalted in their imaginations being ouer and aboue rauished with selfe loue rather then there should want any to praise them admire and extoll themselues But euen as it was said to King Nabuchodonozor O King to thée be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thée so in a manner as by experience we see the self same voice soundeth into their eares To thée that doest admire and exalt thy selfe in thy wisedom to thée be it spoken thou art bereft of thy wit and sences and thy vnderstanding and wisedome is departed from thée Whereby such become a gazing stocke and wonder to men and Angels and a wretched and wofull spectacle to themselues Being thus satisfied with the view of wisedomes vanitie I went along and followed my guide and he brought Honous me to the mount of honour and made me behold the vanitie of this high and mounting delight To sée what créeping and crowching what capping and knéeing and how as seruants and slaues men were sutors to honour and yet behold againe their slippery estate much adoo to come thither and yet soone throwne downe and dispossessed What is the estate of Kings and Princes in their thrones who although they haue many and sundry delights yet are they recompenced with infinit cares and troubles and still in daunger of treachery and treason The Magistrates Iudges and highest Officers in a realme although God hath vouchsafed them in his owne title and called them Gods yet shall they die like men nay for the most part they liue corrupted men Which thing if King Salomon had not séene in his dayes and foreséen what would haue falne out in time to come he would not so resolutely haue set it downe Eccle. 5. 7. If in a country saith he thou seest the oppression of the poore
earth should be vnder and the water aboue For the water is a lighter element then the earth neither could the earth auoyd the mastery of the sea were it not that other order were taken and that God had set the sea his boundes as if he had said Here shalt thou staie and breake thy proude and swelling waues They goe vp saith the Psalme as high as the hilles and would faine bee aboue the mountaines they goe downe to the vallies beneath euen vnto the place which thou hast appointed for them Thou hast set them their boundes which they shall not passe neither returne againe to couer the earth Aske them which venture vppon the sea who sée the workes of the Lord and his wonders in the deepe and they will tell thée that they are now carried vp so high that they thinke themselues in the heauens aboue and by and by they fall downe into the déepe as if the waters should be their graue and no maruell that their soule melteth away because of the trouble and that they are at their wittes endes The sea hath his boundes set that man might haue his dwelling and this is Gods fauourable appointment Who not onely abateth the force of the sea but also maketh it nauigable to giue him rest at home and to bring him treasures from farre Yet is there an other matter well neare as straunge as this to sée howe God ordereth all thinges fit and conuenient for the habitation and dwelling of man For as GOD gaue a decrée vnto the Sea and Waters to giue man roome and not to hinder his dwelling so also hath he laide his commaundement vppon the wilde beastes and inclosed them within the desartes and waste places as it were setting vnto them also their boundes which they shall not passe So that although they roare after their praie and goe raunging about to deuoure yet they shall roare and raunge and rage no further then their compasse and the desart vnlesse God for a punishment vnto men doo giue them further leaue as I haue shewed you before These cruell creatures they come not where man hath his dwelling but only such creatures as are for his vse and for the maintenance of his life The hornet is in the wood the bée in the garden the lion the bear are in the desart kine horses at thy doore and in thy stable wolues farre away and shéepe about thée wilde beasts are in desolate places that man may be at rest and in quiet A manifest proofe of Gods ordinaunce herein is set downe in the Psal 104. Thou makest darkenesse ô Lord that it may be night wherein all the beasts of the forrest do mone The sun ariseth and they get them away togither and lay them down in their dennes Then man goeth forth to his worke and to his labour vntill the euening The wilde beastes saith the Prophet do mone but he maketh no further mention but of the forrest And that we néed not feare their rage he speaketh of the night when man taketh his rest and his doores are shut vpon him And for a further assurance of Gods gracious care ouer man he saith that assoone as the Sun riseth they get them away which could not come to passe vnlesse God had so wrought it God hath ordeined the day that man might labour therein and the night to giue him rest he caused the foules of the aire the cattle on the earth and the fishes in the sea to multiply and increase that man might take thereof for his foode The bread to streng then him the wine to cheare his heart the shéepe to cloath him diuerse hearbes for medicine to cure him in his sicknes Quarres for stone trées for timber that men might make them houses and dwelling places to keep them from the feruent heat in sommer and in the winter from pinching colde from storms and tempests In a word all things to comfort him all things to cheare him all things to reioyce him When God had thus created all things for man the earth to walk in the beasts to feede and â—loath him all things else for his vse and profit yet was man as it were all in a wildernes he sawe no creatur fit and conuenient to kéep him company yea when God himself had taken a view of all his creatures he sawe no helpe méete for man The Lord brought all creatures vnto man to giue them names and as they were all before God we reade that God found not a helpe méete for Adam And then he said It is not good that the man should bee himselfe alone I will make him a helpe Therefore the Lord caused a heauie sléepe to fall vpon the man and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the flesh in stéed thereof And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he the woman and brought her to the man who before was like an vnperfect building Although God had speciall regard of the increase of mankind yet in the creation of the woman there is nothing so much spoken of as that she should bee a helpe But I would to God that men woulde more regarde Gods ordinaunce and consider there withall what for frailtie of men requireth If themselues bee able to refraine let them giue god thankes that hath so inabled them and if other haue not the same gift with them there is no cause why they should bee despised and disdained if they vse the remedie appointed and auoyd the extremitie Vnlesse they count whoredome more tollerable then marriage and that estate which the spirite of God dooth tearme honourable in all degrees of men to be contemptible in some Which matter neuerthelesse is so warily to bee handled that we runne not into contempt through want of wisedome and discretion It were to be wished saith the Apostle that all men were as I am but euery man hath his proper gift of God And the same Apostle foretelleth that in the latter dayes suche shall arise that shall forbid marriage Yet so to teach to forbid to scoffe or disdaine hath this marke to accuse their conscience in so doing that it is neither honest nor good nor laudable but only the doctrine of diuels Not onely hath God thus created all things to satisfie mans necessitie but also for his delight and pleasant contentation euen plentifully liberally and largely Yet so that we vse his creatures with moderation and not in excesie godly and soberly not wantonly and wickedly not wasifully and prodigally Either in thy diet by too much deiâ—catenâ—â—e or gluttony or in thy apparrell vnto pride or in thy gorgeous building farre more then néed is to be laughed to scorne for thy vanitie The plentifull goodnes of God should be applied to good vses but such is mans either wantonâ—sse or foolishnesse that such matters slippe out of his remembrance and vanitie is entertained as though all these thinges were created for vanitie Aboundance should procure thankfulnesse
25. 26. Instructing them with méekenesse that are contrary minded shewing their faults out of the lawe of God prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the trueth And that they may come to amendement out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their heart and said vnto Peter the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Not that they should remaine in feare but beholding their danger might flie to Christ 1. Ihon. 2. 1. 2. My babes these things write I vnto you that ye sinne not and if any man sinne we haue an aduocat with the father Iesus Christ the iust And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes Ihon. 2. 12. As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beléeue in his name Ihon. 3. 16. 17. 18. God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life For God sent not his sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued He that beléeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beléeueth not is condemned alreadie Mat. 9. 13. I came not to call the righteous but the sinners vnto repentannce Ro. 1. 16. The gospel is the power of saluation to euery one that beléeueth And so almost in euery leafe of the whole scripture Called they are to comfort by the preaching of faith Ro. 8. 17. Then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Ro. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Chap. 5. 1. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Chor. 5. 18. All things are of God which hath reconciled vs vnto himself by Iesus Christ and hath giuen vnto vs the ministery of reconciliation For God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now theÌ„ are we imbassadours for Christ although God did beséech you through vs we pray you in Christ his stéede that yée be reconciled to God For he hath made him to be in sinne for vs that knowe no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne anew not of mortall séede but of immortall by the worde of god who liueth and endureth for euer Coloss 1. 27. 28. God would make knowne which is the riches of his glorious ministerie among the Gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glorie Whome we preach admonishing euery man in all wisedome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus Gene. 3. 8. Adam and Eue heard the voice of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the coole of the day So God chooseth his best time to winne vs not in the time of our offence when indéede he might iustly destroie vs but after we haue committed sinne in mercy he calleth vs that we shall remember and haue remorse for that which we haue done Iohn 6. 47. Verely verely I say vnto yâ—â— He that beléeueth in me hath euerlasting life The outward preaching profiteth not vnlesse the inward working of Gods good spirit be ioyned vnto it Ihon. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me drawe him by the power of his spirit â—â—d v. 65. Iesus said no man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my father Mat. 13. 10. 11. His disciples said to him Why speakest thou to the people in parables And he said because it is giuen vnto you to know the secrets of the kingdome of god but to them it is not giuen Iohn 4 10 Iesus said vnto her If thou knowest the gift of god who it is that saieth to thée Giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thée water of life Iohn 3. 3. Iesus said vnto Nicodemus verely verely I say vnto thée except a man be borne againe he cannot sée the kingdome of god 1. Cor. 2. 11. 14. For what man knoweth the things of a man sauing the spirit of a man which is in him euen so the things of god knoweth no man but the spirit of god But the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of god For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he knowe them because they are spiritually discerned 2. Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of god Ezek. 11. 19. The spirit of god worketh in vs by altering our hearts And I will giue them one heart and I will put a new spirit within their bowels and I will take the stony heart out of their bodies and I will giue them a heart of flesh Chap. 36. 26. Iohn 16. 13. When the spirit of truth is come he will leade you into all truth Psal 119. 18. Open my heart that I may vnderstand the wondrous things of thy lawe Ephe. 1. 9. 16. 17. 18. Hee hath opened vnto vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which hee had purposed in him I make mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirit of wisedome and reuelation through the knowledge of him That the eyes of your vnderstanding may be lightened that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the saints And what is the excéeding greatnesse of his power toward vs which beléeue Esay 50. 5. The Lord God hath opened my eare and I was not rebellious neither turned I backe Psal 119. 73. Thine hanâ—s haue made me and fashioned me O giue me vnderstanding therefore that I may learne thy commandements Collo 1. 9. We cease net to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Iere. 31. 34. And they shall teach no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying Knowe the Lord For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I wil forgiue their iniquitie and will remember their sinnes no more 2. Tim. 2. 25. Prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance and open their hearts Luke 24. 16. 45. When our Sauiour Christ talked with the two disciples that went to Emaus their eyes were holden that they could not know him Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Acts. 16. 14. And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the citie of the Thyatirians which worshipped
God heard vs whose hart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things that Paul spake Our election is made sure vnto vs by the testimony of the spirit 1. Cor. 2. 12. Now we haue receiued not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Ihon. 3. 24. Hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. 1. Ihon. 5. 20. We knowe that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a mind to know him And by the testimony of our conscience Ro. 8. 15. 16. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Pal. 4. 6. And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your harts which crieth Abba Father Ko 8. 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God By the vertue of Gods spirit the elect are deliuered from the slauerie of sinne and it doth perswade and conduct them to will and worke the things which please God Phil. 2. 12. 13. Wherefore my beloued as ye haue alwaies obeied not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence so make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling For it is God which worketh in you both the will and the déed euen of his good pleasure Ihon. 8. 36. If the sonne therfore shall make you frée by his spirit ye shall be frée indéed Rom. 6. 18. Being then made frée from sin ye are made the seruants of righteousnesse But because this faith is but weake and only begun in in this life that we may not only perseuere in it but also profit by it it is sealed in our hearts by the vse of the Sacraments Mar. 16. 16. He that shall beléeue and be baptised shall be saued but he that will not beléeue shall be damned Act. 2. 38. Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptised euerie one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Rom. 6. 3. 4. Know ye not that all we which haue bene baptised into Iesus Christ haue bin baptized into his death We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life Gal. 3. 26. 27. Ye are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus For all ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ verse 29. And if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams séed and heires by promise Gal. 2. 11. 12. In whom also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinful bodie of the flesh through the circumcision of Christ In that ye are buried with him through baptisme in whom ye are also raised vp togither through the faith of the operation of God which raised him from the dead Ephe. 5. 26. 27. 28. Christ so loued the church that he gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word that he might make vnto himself a glorious church not hauing spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it shuld be holy without blame The note thereupon Baptisme is a token that God hath consecrated the church to himselfe and made it holy by his word that is his promise of frée righteousnesse and holinesse in Christ 1. Pet. 3. 21. Noahs flood To the which also the figure that now saueth vs euen Baptisme agreeth not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 10. 16. 17. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ For we that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Rom. 4. 11. After he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had For this occasion it is mentioned that we being iustified by faith haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ By whō also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of GOD. Neither do we so only but also we reioyce in tribulations Where faith is there is also perseuerance and a stedfast purpose to continue Phil. 1. 6. And I am perswaded of this same thing that he that hath begun this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Nomb. 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should repent Hath hée said and shall he not do it And hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Psal 23. 6. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord. Psal 27. 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde all the daies of my life to beholde the beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple Mat. 24. 24. And except those daies should bee shortened there should no flesh be saued but for the elects sake those daies shall be shortned Lest they should fall away as it is said of Enoch that he was taken away lest he shuld be deceiued by wickednesse and sinne Iohn 6. 37. All that the father giueth men shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away Iohn 17. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou kéepe them from euil Iohn 10. 27. 28 My shéepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand Iohn 13. 1. As he loued his owne which were in the world vnto the end he loued them Hebr. 10. 23. 24. c. Let vs kéep the profession of our hope without wauering For he is faithfull that promised And let vs cōsider one an other to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Not sorsaking the fellowship that we haue among our selues as the manner of some is but let vs exhort one an other and that so much the more because ye sée that the day draweth neare For if we sinne willingly there remaineth a fearefull
againe to themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him For the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes méete for them by whom it is dressed receiueth blessing of God But that which beareth thornes and briars is reprooued and is néere vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Yea for a time they seeme to haue receiued the seede and to be planted in the Church of God Mat. 13. 20. He that receiueth séede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it yet hath no roote in himselfe and dureth but a season And also shewe the way of saluation to others Acts. 1 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Ye men and brethren this scripture must néeds haue bene fulfilled which the holy Ghost by the mouth of Dauid spake of Iudas who was guide to them that tooke Iesus For he was numbred with vs and had obtained fellowship in the ministration He therefore hath purchased a field with the rewarde of iniquitie and when he had throwne downe himselfe headlong he brast asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out And it is knowne vnto all the inhabitants of Ierusalem insomuch that that field is called in their owne language Aceldama that is the field of blood For it is written in the booke of Psalmes Let his habitation be voyd and let no man dwell therein Also Let an other take his charge But this is plaine that the spirit of adoption which wee haue said to bee only proper vnto them which are neuer cast forth but are written in the secret of gods purpose is neuer communicate vnto them Ezech. 13. 9. And mine hand shall be vppon the Prophets that sée vanitie and diuine lies they shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shall they enter into the land of Israel Iohn 6. 37. All that the father giueth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away For if they were of the Elect they should remaine still with the Elect. 1. Iohn 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs For if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. 1. Cor. 15. 58. Therfore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmooueable aboundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Iude. 20. 21. Ye beloued edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost And kéepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life 2. Pet. 3. 17. 18. Beloued Beware lest ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked and fall from your owne stedfastnesse But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to him be glory both now and for euermore Amen All these therefore because of necessitie and yet willingly as they which are vnder the slauery of sinne returne to their vomit and fall away from faith are plucked vp by the rootes to be cast into the fire Iohn 8. 34. Verily verily I say vnto you he that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And the scruant abideth not in the house for euer Ephe. 4. 17. 1. Pet. 4. 3. 4. 5. Ro. 1. 28. As aboue looke in the margent for this marke ff Ro. 7. 14. For we know that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Ro. 8. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. They that are after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For the wisedome of the flesh is death but the wisedome of the spirit is life and peace Because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indéed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please god Because the workes of the flesh beare such swaie with them 2. Pet. 2. 19. Of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is he in bondage For if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ are yet intangled againe therein and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning For it had bene better for them not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowen it to turne froÌ„ the holie commandement giuen vnto them But it is come vnto them according to the true prouerbe The dog is returned to his owne vomit and the sowe that was washed to the wallowing in the mire And fall away from faith 1. Tim. 4. 1. Nowe the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue héede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of diuels Are plucked vp by the rootes Mt. 15. 13. Christ answered and said Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp Iohn 15. 2. Euery branch that beareth not fruite in me he taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite Mat. 3. 10. And now also is the axe put to the roote of the trée therefore euery trée which bringeth not foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Iohn 15. 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a braunch and withereth and men gather them cast them into the fire and they burne I meane â—hey are forsaken of God who according to his will the which no man can resist and also according to their owne corruption and wickednesse their hearts are hardned their eares stopped and their eyes blinded Rom. 1. 24. Wherefore also God gaue them vp to their hearts lusts and vnto vncleannesse Acts. 14. 16. Who in times past suffred all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Whose will no man can resist Rom. 9. 19. For who hath resisted his will Sée more in the notes of the first chapter Hardeneth them through their corruption and wickednesse Rom. 1. 27. 28. And likewise also the men left the naturall vse of the woman and burned in their lusts one toward an other and man and man wrought filthinesse and receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was méete For as they regarded not to know God euen so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate mind to do those things which are not conuenient Maketh their hearts fat stoppeth their eares and blindeth their eyes Esay 54. 7. There is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himself to take hold of thée for thou hast hid thy face from vs. And chapter 6. 9. And the Lord said Go and say vnto this people Ye
he said vnto them Ye are from beneath I am from aboue Ye are of this world I am not of this world I said therefore vnto you that ye shall die in your sinnes Phil. 3. 2. Beware of dogs beware of euil workers beware of the concision Iohn 6. 64. But there are some of you that beléeue not for Iesus knew from the beginning which they were that beléeued not and who should betraie him Although men must be vsed after diuers sorts some by gentlenesse and some by sharpnesse 2. Tim. 2. 24. But the seruant of the Lorde must not striue but must be gentle toward all men apt to teach suffering the euil men patiently Instructing them with méeknesse that are contrary minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance Mat. 3. 7. O generations of vipers c. Esay 1. 10. O Princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrha The eight Chapter How euery man may with profit apply this vniuersall doctrine to himselfe IT is most euident that they which teach that mans saluation Iustification by faith is vnprofitable if it be seperate from election either in part or wholly dependeth or is grounded in works destroy the foundation of the Gospel of God And contrariwise they that teach Iustification fréely by faith ground on a sure foundation but so that they build vppon that eternall counsell of God whereupon Christ himselfe and the Apostle Paul folowing Christ his steps groundeth his doctrine For séeing perseuerance in faith is requisite to saluation to what purpose shall faith serue me except I be sure of the gift of perseuerance Nor we néed not feare lest Peace of conscience depēdeth on Predestination this doctrine make vs negligent or dissolute For this peace of conscience whereof we speake ought to be distinct and seperate from foolish securitie and he that is the son of god séeing he is moued and gouerned by the spirit of God will neuer through the consideration of Gods benefit take occasion of negligence and dissolution Then if by this doctrine we had but this one commoditie that we might learne to assure and confirme our faith against all brunts that might happen it is manifest that they which speake against and resist this artickle of religion either through their wickednesse or else through ignorance or some foolish blind zeale which happeneth when men will measure God according to the capacitie of their owne wits subuert and destroy the principall ground and foundation of our saluation And in very déed although some as I must confesse do it not purposely yet do they open notwithstanding the doore to all superstition and impietie As for them which now adaies maliciously oppugne the truth I beséech the Lord euen frō the heart either to turne their mindes if so be they appertain to the elect or else to send them a most spéedy destruction that by their owne example they may confirme and establish that doctrine which so maliciously they resist These other I will desire most instantly and require them in the name of GOD that they would better aduise themselues what they do Now to touch bréefely how this doctrine may be applied let vs marke that all the workes of GOD euen the least of all are such that men cannot iudge of them but in two sorts That is either when they are done or else by foreséeing them to come to passe by the disposition of the second and manifest causes whose effects haue bin diligently and by long vse obserued As men accustome in naturall things to do wherein notwithstanding men are wonderfully blind In this matter then which is most obscure of all others it is no maruell if mans witte be driuen into this strait what is determined as touching himselfe in this secret counsell of God But because these are most high misteries and therefore stand in the obseruation of those causes which passe all naturall things wée mnst néedes séeke further and come to Gods word which forasmuch as without all comparison it is more certaine then mans coniectures so it can best direct vs herein and assure vs. The scripture then witnesseth that all those that God How a man may haue assurance of his election hath according to his counsell predestinate to be adopted his children through Iesus Christ are also called in their time appointed yea and so effectually that they heare the voice of him that calleth and beléeue it so that being iustified and sanctified in Iesus Christ they are also glorified Wilt thou then whosoeuer thou art bee assured of thy predestination and so in order of thy saluation which thou lookest for against all the assaultes of Sathan Assured I say not by doubtfull coniectures or our owne fancie but by arguments and conclusions no lesse true and certaine then if thou were ascended into heauen and had heard of Gods owne mouth his eternall decrée and purpose Beware thou beginne not at that most high degrée for so thou shouldst not be able to sustaine the most shining light of Gods maiestie Begin therefore beneath at the lowest order and when thou shalt heare the voice of god sound in thine eares and in thy heart which calleth thée to Christ the onely Mediator consider by litle litle and trie By what signs faith is known diligently if thou be iustified sanctified in Christ through faith For these two be the effects or frutes whereby the faith is knowne which is their cause As for this thou shalt partly know by the spirit of adoption which crieth within thée Abba father and partly by the vertue effect of the same spirit which is wrought in thée As if thou fal and so declare indéed that although sin dwell in thée yet it doth no more raigne in thée For is not the holy Ghost he that causeth vs not to let slippe the bridle and giue libertie willingly to our naughtie and vile concupiscences as they are accustomed whose eyes the prince of this world blindeth or else who moueth vs to pray when we are cold dull and slothfull Who stirreth vp in vs those vnspeakeable gronings Who is he that when we haue sinned yea and sometimes wittingly and willingly ingendereth in vs an hate of the sinne committed and not for the feare of punishment which we haue therefore deserued but because we haue offended our most mercifull father Who is he I say that testifieth vnto vs that our sighings are heard and also moueth vs to call daily God our God and our father euen at that time when we haue trespassed against him Is it The assurance of the vocation is knowen by faith and so by the vocation the election not that spirit which is fréely giuen to vs as a gift for a sure and certaine pledge of our adoption Wherefore if wée can gather by these effects that we haue faith it followeth that we are called and drawen effecttually And againe by this vocation which we haue declared properly to belong to the
God for if righteousnesse be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Rom. 10. 4. For Christ is the end of the lawe for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beléeueth And chapter 11. 5. 6. Euen so then at this present time is there a remnant through the election of grace And if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Ephe. 2. 4. 5. 8. 9. 10. But God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickened vs togither in Christ by whose grace ye are saued For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of god Not of woorkes least any man should boast himselfe But that we should be carefull to shewe foorth good workes therefore hée speaketh in the next verse Verse 10. For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them 1. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his own purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was 1. Pet. 2. 12. And haue your conuersation honest among the gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifle god in the day of the visitation Perseuerance in faith is requisite vnto saluation Mat. 10. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name But hee that endureth to to the ende shall be saued Mat. 24. 45. Blessed is that seruant whom his maister shall finde so doing Now we need not feare lest this doctrine make vs negligent or dissolute For this peace of conscience whereof we speake ought to be distinct and seperate from foolish securitie and he that is the sonne of God seeing he is moued and gouerned by the spirit of God wil neuer through the consideration of Gods benefit take occasion of negligence and dissolution Rom. 5. 1. 2. Then being iustified by faith we haue peace toward god through our Lord Iesus Christ By whom also we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherin we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of god Rom. 8. 12. 13. 14. 15. Therfore brethren we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh For if ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the déeds of the body by the spirit ye shall liue For as many as are ledde by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Ephe. 1 4. Aâ— he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue 2. Tim. 1. 7. For God hath not giuen to vs the spirit of feare but of power and of loue and of a sound mind 1. Iohn 3. 20. 21. 24. If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue wée boldnesse towards God For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby wée know that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which hée hath giuen vs. This matter of Predestination is obscure aboue all others vnto the wit of man but opened and reuealed vnto vs by the word of God The Scripture therfore witnesseth that they that are predestinate vnto saluation are first called and that so effectually that they heare and beleeue and fructifie then also are they iustified and sanctified and in the life to come glorified Iohn 6. 44 45. No man can come vnto me except the father which hath sent me drawe him by the force of gods word and by the secret working of his spirit And I will raise him vp at the last day As it is written in the Prophets And they shall be taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me Acts. 2. 47. And the Lord added to the Church by the Apostles preaching from day to day such as should be saued Iohn 10. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. â—ée beléeue not for ye are not of my shéepe as I said vnto you My shéepe heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall ueuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand My father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand Acts. 13. 48. And when the Gentiles heard it they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained vnto eternall life beléeued And chap. 16. 14. And a certaine woman named Lidia a celler of purple of the city of the Thyatirians which worshipped God heard vs whose heart the Lord opened that she attended vnto the things that Paul spake Hebr. 3. 7. 8. Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith To day if ye shall heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation according to the day of temptation in the wildernesse And. chapt 42. For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Consider by litle and litle and try diligenly if thou be iustified and sanctified in Christ through faith For these two be the effects or ftuites whereby the faith is knowne which is their cause 2. Cor. 13. 5. Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith examine your selues knowe ye not your owne selues except ye be reprobates Rom. 8. 30. Moreouer whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified As for this thou shalt partly knowe by the spirit of Adopion which crieth within thee Abba father Gal. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. That hée might redéeme them which were vnder the lawe that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent foorth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts which crieth Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne Nowe if thou be a sonne thou art also the heire of GOD through Christ Rom. 8. 15. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father And partly by the vertue and effect of the same spirit which is wrought in thee Rom. 16. 17. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God If we be children we are also heires euen the heires of god and heires annexed with Christ 1. Iohn 3. 24. For he that kéepeth his commandements dwelleth in him and he
and performeth nothing but that which is wondrous wise and also in respect of vs who cannot enter into the depth of Gods counsailes nor any way of our selues can we attane vnto the knowledge of his workes it may also well be termed a misterie For flesh and blood cannot conceaue the things which are of God which onely are knowen and perceiued by the spirit of God We speake wisdome among them that are perfect not the wisdome of this world neither of the princes of this world which come to naught But we speake the wisdom of God in a mistery euen the hid wisdome which God had determined before the world vnto our glory Which none of the princes of this world hath knowne For had they knowne it they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory When our first parents had offended thy hid themselues from God because this grace and mercy was hid from theÌ„ vntil God reuealed it vnto them saying The séed of the woman should breake the serpents head This grace of God is hid froÌ„ the wise who maketh account to be saued by their workes and who also are puffed vp with the same conceipt of their owne wisdome For the Scribes and the Pharisées and the Doctors of the lawe refused yea and condemned the grace of God to them offered From whom the grace of God was hid who had eyes to sée would not sée it According as we read in the 9. tha of the gospel after S. Ioh. V. 41. If ye were blind saith our Sauiour Christ to the Pharises ye should not haue sinne but now ye say we sée therefore your sinne remaineth Which is the iust iudgment of God vpon those the are wilfully blind wil not be partaker either of the grace of god or of their owne saluatioÌ„ Ioh. 9. 39. I am come saith Christ vnto iudgement into this world the they which sée not might sée that they which sée might be made blind Indeed this grace of god is offered vnto al but few there be yâ— do receiue it therefore few shall be saued Yet so the this matter commeth to passe through their owne fault and the whole world is left without excuse they especially who haue eies to see and sée not or rather wil not sée whose damnation in time to come wil be most iust But how hath this grace of God appeared It hath appeared not only wheÌ„ men least looked for it but also in such a time when it might doo most good wheÌ„ it might best be accepted As if Christians being vnder the Turkish slauery might be set frée when as they looked for nothing but perpetuall misery in the time of most cruel extremitie or as if one lying in a dangerous sicknes looking for nothing but death should haue remedie eueÌ„ then wheÌ„ al hope were past or as one being taken of the enemy preseÌ„tly to be slain yet shuld be rescued set frée And what greater slauery then the thraldom of the diuill and what greater death then the death of yâ— soule and what greaenemy then he whose hatred neuer endeth Yet such is the mercy of god yâ— when we haue deserued death damnation he commeth with these glad tidings Repent amend for the kingdom of God is at hand The Angels sing it Luk. 2. 14. Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and toward men good will Hereunto do all the prophets witnesse as saith the Apostle S. Peter preaching vnto Cornelius Act. 10. That through the name of Christ all that beleeue in him shuld receiue forgiuenesse of sins Yea our sauior Christ appeared vnto the Apostle S Paul from heauen as we reade Act. 26. Sending hun forth to open the eies of the people yâ— they might return froÌ„ darknes to light and from yâ— power of satan vnto god yâ— they might receiue forgiuenes of sins inheritance amoÌ„g them yâ— are sanctified by faith Which thing he witnessed most earnestly vnto the Ephesians Act. 20. 18. Ye know saith he from the first day that I came into Asia after what maner I haue bin with you at all seasons seruing the Lord with all modesty and with many teares tentations which came vnto me by the laying await of the Iewes And how I kept back nothing that was profitable but haue shewed you taught you openly throughout euery house Witnessing both to the Iewes to the Grecians meaning therby all sorts of people repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ Yea he is very carefull yâ— this grace of God might bee preached vnto all to their bettering and to their profit in that he warneth Timothie and by him all other ministers preachers and teachers counsailing him and them to instruct with méekenesse them that are contrary minded prouing if at any time they may receiue this grace And that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the deuill which are taken of him at his will Tit 3. 3. We our selues also saith the Apostle were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuie hatefull hating one an other But when the bountifulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour toward man apreared not by the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the newe birth aâ—d the renuing of the holy Ghost Which he shead on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our sauiour that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life Without controuersie greate is the misterie of godlinesse which is God is manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit séene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beléeued on in the world and receiued vp in glory Which misterie although it lay in the beginning of the world as hid and vnknowne yet nowe is reuealed hath appeared and this sauing health hath nowe shewed it selfe the grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all hath bene made manifest vnto all That which was foretold by the prophets and holy men and was reuealed but to a fewe hath appeared as glorious as the sunne in his brightnesse whose beames are spread ouer the world this great grace hath béene and must be preached to all nations and to the end of the world is like to be offered vnto all It appeareth vnto all yet all â—â— not receiue it Christ came to saue sinners and his merâ—â—â—â— preached vnto them they are negligent wilfull and 〈◊〉 they make litle or no account and onely the repentent they are partakers of this grace For this is the condemnation of the world that light being come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light because in the workes of darkenesse all their delight was set And howe can this grace being offered take any place in our hearts before we haue remorce of our wicked waies before we féele and
hath appeinted vs in the fourth commandement to kéepe holy the Sabboth day and therein Prophane to heare and meditate in his word But fewe there are that haue this care as they ought to haue nay are there not many that say in their hearts Let God depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of his waies Iob. 21. Who is the Almightie that we should serue him and what profit shall we haue if we pray vnto him They that haue no inward taste and féeling of Gods benefits and from whence all goodnesse commeth but are puffed vp with the conceit of their wealth and worldly helpes they carry this vngodly minde as though they had it not from Gods hand Haus not I built this house for the honour of my maiestie saith Nabuchodonosor Who is the Lord saith King Pharao Exod. 5. 2. that I should heare his voice I know not the Lord. Againe some perceiuing that their praiers are not presently heard grow to this vngodlinesse as to say What profit shall we haue if we pray vnto him Certain it is that God doth not heare all requestes but those that are agréeable to his will And therefore the Apostle S. Iames dooth well take them vp Ye aske saith he and receiue not because ye aske amisse that ye might coÌ„sume it on your lusts The Prophet Dauid also putteth in this eaueat That the Lord doth only heare the praier â— and requests of them that feare him Some thinking yâ— there is no resurrection giue ouer the mselues to all vngodlinesse and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—nesse VVisd 2. As the wise man vttereth their spéechâ—â— The 〈◊〉 godly say as they falsly imagine with themselues Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recouery neither was any knowne that hath returned froÌ„ the graue For we are borne at all aduenture and we shall be hereafter as though wee had neuer bene The breath is a smoake in our nosthrils and the wordes as a sparke raised out of our heart which béeing extinguished the bodie is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the softe aire Our life shall passe away like the trace of a cloude and come to naught as the mist that is driuen away with the beames of the Sunne Our name also shall be forgotten in time and no man shall haue our workes in remembrance Our time passeth away as a shaddowe Come therefore and let vs enioy the pleasures that are present Let vs fill our selues with costly wine and oyntment and let not the floure of life and youth passe by vs. Let vs crowne our selues with rose buddes afore they be withered Let vs be partakers of our wantonnesse and let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in euerie place For that is our portion and this is our lot Let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous Let vs not spare the widdow nor reuerence the white haires of the aged that haue liued many yeares Let our strength be the lawe of vnrighteousnesse Concerning the latter day of iudgement this vngodlinesse shall be in the minde of many that they shall thinke there is no such day nor no such time 2. Pet. 3. 3. This first vnderstand that there shall come in the last daies mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the heauens and earth are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men No god no heauen no iudgement no hell This is the mind of many If any thing fall out amisse with vs if any crosse or affliction come vppon vs wee are readie with Iobes wife to murmure against God If the world go well with vs and if we be in prosperitie we attribute all our welfare not to Gods good blessing but to blinde fortune and chaunce If our enemies doo hurt vs and doo vs any wrong and iniury we are stirred vp and inflamed as it were in a rage to reuenge it to the vtmost This vngodlinesse is rife in the world and ruleth in our corrupt nature But the grace of God doth teach vs and perswade our harts to deny this and all other kind of vngodlinesse and to haue a reuerent opinion of all matters which concerne God and godlinesse The grace of God it teacheth that there is no heauenly gift where with we are indued but commeth of God who is the fountaine from whence godlinesse learning wisedome and all other excellent gifts doo flow When Gods outward blessings be in aboundance with vs by his grace we know that his prouidence doth enrich vs and not our labour our wisedome or wealth but the bountifull hand of God which is all in all Whereby we are perswaded to loue and feare God to haue a reuerent regard of him to make our praiers vnto him séeing all our welfare and good estate dependeth on his blessings Whereas being voyd of Gods grace and wanting his holy spirit to direct vs and our thoughts with king Pharao we aske who is God and with the wicked sort we say What profit shall we haue if we serue him and pray vnto him because our vnlawfull and vngodly requests be not granted vs. Being throughly instructed by Gods spirit we then learne that there is no meane so effectuall to make God our friend as praier is especially if it be well and rightly vsed as it ought to be And when the feare of God by his grace is planted in our hearts then begin we to know that there is a heauen and the ioyes of heauen reserued for those that doo well and hell and gréeuous torments prepared for them that follow euill waies and are delighted with doing euill And when we knowe and are taught by Gods spirit that all both heauenly and worldly benefits come to vs from God so also we learne that when any crosse or any affliction and trouble and losse and casualtie dooth befall vs that it is gods hand and his pleasure to strike and to punish vs for our sinnes It is the powerfull effect of gods grace to bréede in vs a charitable minde euen towardes our enemies and which teacheth vs that it is Gods will and commaundement that we should forgiue others as we our selues would bee forgiuen But if this alteration and sanctification be not bred in vs by Gods grace that teacheth vs to denie vngodlinesse howe were it possible but that with the world we should be most prophanely minded and as a people without God in this present world This word vngodlinesse toucheth not only the prophanesse of our mindes and our heathenish imaginations but hath respect also vnto superstition and all heresies in religion For the darkenesse of our deceiued mindes doth herein go farre astray and are so mightily ouercome by it that diuers nay insinite multitudes are vtterly ouerthrowne hereby As we reade in the
the blessed hope c. Faith must giue vs assurance of greater glory froÌ„ god ere we can let go the hold we haue here beneath Therfore it is made a speciall note of gods childreÌ„ and necessarily toyned vnto his worship to be in expectation of the latter day and the glorie and of Christ his comming who shall bestow this benefite vpon the godly as to deliuer them from the wrath to come The Apostle going about to perswade the Thessalonians taketh his effectuall reason from that which was in most reuerence and regard with them and likewise to bring them into the earnest consideration of his words framing his speach thus 2. Thes 2. I beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering togither and vniting vnto him So that the looking for of the last day séemeth to him to be in great reuerence regard and assured expectation among them And when hee laboureth to lift them off the earth commonly he reareth them vp with no other instrument then this that is the waiting for the glorie and hope of another life And in the third to the Phil. opening the meane of their stay from hunting after worldly and transitorie matters with the false Apostles which minded earthly thinges he saith thus But our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a sauiour euen the Lord Iesus who shall change our vile bodie that it may be like his glorious bodie In the 11. to the Heb. the obedience of Abraham in leauing his own countrey not knowing whither he should go nor what should become of him is ascribed to this that he waited for a citie that had a foundation whose builder and maker is God For all thinges in the world are subiect to corruption and alteration The great thinges that are spoken of Moyses in accompâ—ing the rebuke of Christ to be of more value than the treasures of Egypt and his not fearing the furie of the king is onely imputed to this that he was as if he had séene him that is inuisible The comming of the glory of the great God was alwaies before his eies The greatnesse of the thing and the excellency of it is noted in these wordes The glory of the great God our sauior Christ The same glory which the great God our sauior Christ inheriteth is that which we waite for and hepe in due time according to our measure to be partakers of Most worthie it is the waiting for and great cause there is why we should be moued to sanctification and holinesse of life hauing so great things in expectation We beséech you saith S. Paul 1. Thes 2. 12. that ye would walk worthie of God who vouchsafeth to call you vnto his owne kingdome and glory The glory of this world dazeleth our cies and therefore must we be drawne vp by meditation of greater things before we shal be able to let these be of smal reckning and account with vs. The greatnesse of the glorie once throughly digested would set these in a base and lowe place it would make the things of this life vanish as smoake from our presence While in minde and inwarde thought we behold and looke not on the things which are séene but on the things which are not séene For the things which are séene are temporall but the things which are not séene are eternall If it be but the expectation of a transitorie kingdome when it is once deuoured and digested by hope we sée it maketh men neglect liues goods landes friends wife and children and so to hazard all The Merchant that is in expectation of some great gaine we sée into what vnknowne countries into what dangers by sea he wil commit himselfe The great regard and care that is had euery where to the things here belowe the gréedie following after them the carefull pursuing of pleasures profits and honors doo plainly speake that the hope of another life is not yet setled in the hearts of a number and that is the cause that godlinesse and a holy life is so litle practised and performed Let vs call to remembrance how that in this life is our day to wait and this is our time to serue and we must assure our selues with the holy Apostle S. Paul 2. Tim. 4. that we haue fought a good fight against our ghostly enemies sinne the world and the diuel and that we haue led our liues in the feare of God before we can or shal truly say and our conscience witnesse vnto vs that from hencefoorth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse And if our consciences and the good spirite of God can warrant our hearts herein without all doubt and feare then when Christ which is our life shall appeare shall be glorious and appeare with him in glory There is no pleasure in this world which the Lord hath not matched with some griefe and paine to take away and remoue if it might be our delight and to place it in thinges of greater estimation and which shal be more sure vnto vs. If the glorie of God cannot preuaile against vs â—â— it cannot change our taste and that the pleasures of this life be more swéete vnto vs this sweete shal not alwaies 〈◊〉 but as after a faire day commeth a foule and after a calme a tempest and so miserie in the world to come shall follow earthly delightes and this our transitorie worldly happinesse If so great hire as is Gods owne glory cannot allure vs brutish and sencelesse must then our nature néedes be what a greater argument and proofe can we haue of our blockishnesse then that so great thinges can get no more attendance of vs The truth is that we are too much perswaded of the excellencie of these worldly matters as pleasures honours riches and such like And therefore in all places that are alleadged and which speak of the waiting for of Christ his comming there the benefite is set sorth with it and the greatnesse thereof remembred which pointeth at our darknesse and vnbelief herein and telleth vs that the glory of this world standeth as a cloud betweene the great glory which is to come and our blinded sight Wherefore let ve inlarge our hope and by meditation and praier enter into some serious and waightie consideration of the length bredth depth of that glory So shall we sée such a portion of it as will comfort vs euen in our great afflictions and deepest extremities counting â—â— a great honour that we are vouchsafed his seruice as the Apostles heretofore haue reioyced herein And if the waiting for of that glory be so great as shall swallow vp all griefe and sorrow which afflictions may bring with them how much more shall the same incourage vs to a holie and sanctified life and to all duties of godlinesse And now am I come to the last part of my text which I purpose God willing in a few words to end least ye should be 〈◊〉 much wearied and too
anie other comfort in the world And thus hauing signified my good wil and testified my dutie praying your worship to vouchsafe the reading of that wherein I haue taken some paines although it bee not so much worth I commit you to the tuition of the Almightie and humbly take my leaue Your VVorships in his praiers to God for you and yours S. I. ⧠The Comforte of ADOPTION Rom. 8. 15. 16. 17. For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption wherby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God If we bee children wee are also heires euen the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. This Text standeth on three parts 1 The greatnesse of this benefit by comparison of contrarietie Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage but of adoption 2 The assurance of adoption The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit 3 The worthinesse of adoption If wee be children we are also heires THe Methode that the Apostle vseth in this Epistle to the Romanes is first concerning Iustification and Righteousnesse Secondly concerning Sanctification Holinesse And after that according to his order he intreateth of Adoption which is a gift a priuiledge and dignitie added to the former Through repentance and a liuely faith taking hold of the promises of God we are made righteous and so taken and so accounted before God by the means of Christ and being made righteous we are also indued with a measure of Gods spirit grace to holinesse of life So the hauing receiued these two excellent gifts we haue a ful assurāce of Gods fauour towards vs and that is performed by adoption Which is a seale certain token vnto vs that we deliuered from the curse of the law which is the ministration of death and condemnation Whereas the assurance and full perswasion of our adoption is the ministerie and doctrine of all comfort and consolation The text which I haue reade vnto you may be deuided into thrée seuerall parts Whereof the first conteineth the greatnesse of the benifit of adoption in consideration of the fréedom we reap therby being deliuered from the slauery and feare of the lawe in these words Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba father The second part containeth the assurance of our adoption in these words The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God The third part sheweth the worthinesse of our adoption in these words If we be childrē we are also heires euen the heires of God heires annexed with Christ The greatnesse of the benefit of adoption in consideration of the fréedome we reape therby being deliuered from the slauerie and feare of the lawe is verie well expressed by that place of scripture set downe in the Epistle to the Heb. 12 agréeing with this For ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption ye are not come saith the Apostle to the mount that might be touched nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse and darknes and tempest Neither vnto the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which they that heard excused themselues that the word should not be spoken to them any more for they were not able to abide that which was commanded And so terrible was the sight which appeared that Moses said I feare and quake But ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men They that are vnder the lawe are also vnder the curse of the law and where the curse is there is nothing to be looked for but death condemnatiō which bringeth foorth trembling feare And so much the more are we in feare in bondage and slauery subiect to the curse condemnation of the lawe to death and gods dreadfull iudgement because we are borne the children of wrath Wherefore God sent his natural sonne Christ into the world that through his grace he might adopt vnto himselfe many childrē of vs which otherwise were but miserable castawaies Who by the grace frée fauour of God being adopted haue not only their sinnes pardoned and forgiuen but also are cladde with the innocencie and righteousnesse of Christ whereby they are brought into fauoure and are made of fearefull captiues being vnder the bondage of sinne and Sathan the ioyfull sonnes and children of God set at libertie to doo the workes of God and to liue in his holie obedience What greater feare can there be to our consciences then when this is pronounced against vs Cursed is hee that continueth not in all the workes of the lawe to doo them And he that offendeth in one point of the lawe is guiltie of all Who is it amongst vs all that can say my heart is cleane And who is it that cannot iustly condemne himselfe in the breach of euery particular point of Gods lawe and of his commandements And if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all Here hence therfore can nothing arise but feare and such a feare which is beyond measure leading vs vnto desperation making vs to thinke no better of our selues then as miserable wretches forlorne destitute of all comfort as Cain was who in fearful sort went alwaies mourning and crying out saying My sin is heauier then I can beare The punishment of God is stil vpon me and my conscience is neuer at rest So is the sinfull and fearful conscience alwaies in the estate of a seruant stil fearing the whip and the scourge and as a gally-slaue vnder Turkish thraldom whose life is no better then a torment And if the deliuery of the law were so fearful that he that had least cause to feare and was beloned of God did tremble quake how much more fearefull and terrible shal the execution of that law be Moses the blessed seruant of God in a fright the onely beloued son of God in déep agonies the one trembleth the other for anguish sweateth bloud And how should not the children of wrath be ouerwhelmed with horror considering our heauy burden of sin which bréedeth within vs especially them that are truely touched as it were a sea of sorrow whose waues as they cannot be numbred so are our sorrowes neuer at an end vntil God send fréedome one waue still ouertaking another one feare in the necke of another Being possessed with the spirite of bondage how may it be that we may auoid our dolefull dumpes So is it with them that haue any féeling of that fearefull estate y◠hangeth ouer their heads Whereas by nature we are all of vs
of God and taking scorne of all good counsaile and friendly admonition Worke forth your saluation with feare and trembling still standing in doubt that thou hast not performed thy dutie as thou â—ughtest Fearing also least we should fall into such foule faults as in the time of our ignorance and sinfull course of 〈◊〉 we did please our selues highly offended god And so much the more because we shal be void of all excuse knowing what is well pleasing to God and also what is detestable in his sight and yet forsaking the right hand and taking the left I meane refusing that which is good and taking the way which leadeth to destruction We which by nature were the grafts of the wilde oliue trée I meane the children of Gods wrath are by a supernaturall working and most wonderfull fauour grafted into the right and true oliue and by adoption and grace made and accounted the children of God And séeing by grace and fauour thou standest art accepted be not high minded but feare boast not thy self of Gods gift which is giuen vnto thée through faith in Iesus Christ but rather shewe thy selfe mindfull carefull for his benefit hauing the feare of God alwaies before thy eies to kéep thée froÌ„ all euil waies Why thou wilt say if God hath made me his childe and adopted me through faith in Christ I shall neuer do amisse But know that our life in this world is but a triall and that it is as a castle beset besieged with many enemies and if in this life al thy life thou do not hold on a good course and perseuere continue therin vnto thy end thy great perswasion of the dignitie as to be called accounted the child of God may faile and all thy safetie and all thy reioycing may be nothing else but as the prouerbe is A â—astle come downe For if God spared not the Angels which kept not their first estate but hath reserued them in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day how shall we think to be spared if we abuse Gods blessing of adoption turning the grace of God into wantonnesse and instéed of obedient children making our selues wilfull wantons for whome there is nothing so fit as is the rod and correction and punishment But if we wil néeds boast that we are the adopted children of God let our boasting and reioycing be séene in this as to reioice of our infirmities and to reioice that by Gods grace we are rid from many foule faultes whereunto in former times we were inclined and before we were the adopted children of God and that by the force and effect and power of Gods good spirit such matters are ouercome in vs. If we will reioyce of our adoption let vs reioyce that through the meanes of our redéemer we are deliuered and freed from Gods displeasure from damnation and from the diuel from hell and from hell torments According to that we reade Hebr. 2. 14. 15. Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the diuell And that hee might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage But now by Gods grace hauing receiued so great a priuiledge as to be his adopted children although it be good for vs to feare yet our feare is not such as may procéed from the spirit of bondage Neither let vs be dismaid séeing that our consciences are quieted and we throughly perswaded of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes but rather let vs reioyce with the excéeding comfort of the holie Ghost which powreth foorth swéet ioyes into the hearts of Gods children and filleth them with ioy let vs I say reioyce that we may with boldnesse approach to the throne of grace and with méekenesse and chéerfulnesse of spirit call God our louing and mercifull father For we haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but we haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba that is to say Father Where by the way it may not séeme impertinent or beside How we are adopted the purpose to know the order and maner how we are made and adopted the children of God to put a difference betwixt that adoption which is vsed in this world and the heauenly adoption which commeth from God That adoption which is vsed among vs is in respect of alliance and kindred as hauing no children of our owne we take their children to be ours which are next of kindred or sometimes if we fancie any of our friends children or peraduenture straungers we endowe them with goods and landes and call them by our names Againe for some consideration which we sée to be in them whom we adopt and make our childreÌ„ whereby we think them in some sort worthie of fauour as beautie comely personage wisdom courage and manlinesse eloquence sobrietie decent ciuil behauior and such like which matters are admired highly estéemed among men which win their harts and make them shew fauor But in this our heauenly adoptioÌ„ there is no such matter it is not flesh blood which God respecteth no although they procéed from the loines and linage of Abraham and his posteritie vnto whom the promises were made but they onely that are of the faith of Abraham For as the circumcisition of the heart is estéemed of God then that which is outward so are they the sonnes and children of God not which appeare to the world for the world knoweth them not but who by the mercie and fauour of God are drawen from the filth of the world and are purified and clensed by the bloud of Iesus Christ Which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God who by the preaching of his word are begotten vnto him and who by a liuely faith haue receiued him to such hath God giuen power to be his adopted children euen to them which beléeue in his name Among vs lightly we make our kindred or friendes or peraduenture strangers our adopted children but who is it that will make that choice of his enemies But such is the pitie and compassion of our mercifull God who maketh vs his children who by nature would be none of his children and who are giuen rather to hate then to loue God What is it therefore that God can sée in vs wherefore he should adopt vs surely nothing but that which may make a seperation but that God is so carefull of vs that he sendeth vs his word euen the word of reconciliation that we might be partakers of his adoption It is not our good works which are too light in the ballance it is not any desert of ours whereby we should be receiued into fauour Inough there is in vs and rather too much to make vs
to be refused and hated but that which should procure Gods fauour toward vs there is nothing but that which is his and none of ours Which is his mercy and louing kindnesse whereby he calleth vs imbraceth vs closeth and adopteth vs as those for whom he reserueth a kingdome So much for the first part of this text that as touching the greatnesse of of the benefite of adoption in consideration of the fréedome we reape therby being deliuered from the slauerie and feare of the lawe and being altogither eased of the burden which commeth by the spirit of bondage Where also you haue heard howe and in what order and manner we are made and adopted the children of God 2. The second part sheweth the assurance of our adoption The assurance of adoption in these words The same spirit meaning the spirit of adoption beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God And verie necessarie is it that the weake spirits and doubting minds of Gods children should thus be strengthned and confirmed who haue many a thousand thought to cast them beside the stedfastnesse of their hope still giuen to wauering still giuen to distrusting For how can it be otherwise séeing the diuell hath diuers pollicies to cast vs into feares which vnlesse we were mightily susteined by the spirite of God were inough vtterly to ouerthrow vs our mindes and consciences being most easie to be cast downe Because as the Apostle witnesseth to the Heb. cap. 2. 15. All their life time they were subiect to bondage for feare of death sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death looking rather for their destruction then for their saluation Carnall Gospellers wordly professors can perswade themselues any thing but they that are truly touched and humbled in so ioyful a change as from the feare of destruction to be made partakers of adoption liue as it were betwixt feare and hope wondring howe they should be made partakers of so excellent an estate as from the children of captiuitie to be made the children of freedome from the the children of wrath to be mads the children of mercy Weake minds faint harts vntill the assurednesse of faith hath banished all distrust The testimonie of their adoption may bee somewhat setled in them and although not in all yet in most of them it is but weake and can scarcely be perceiued by reason that they find in themselues a great strength of sinne and féeling also the grace of God to be in a smal measure as it were a fewe sparkes vnder a great heape of ashes and which as yet is more the continuall accusations of the diuell mouing our consciences to dispaire The strength of sinne was so great in that elect vessell of God S. Paule who had such an euident token of Gods adoption that he was wrapt into the heauens and sawe those thinges which were not to be vttered so that the loue of God was confirmed toward him in miraculous sort the strength of sinne was so great in him that he was in a manner violently drawne to do that which he hated What I would saith he that doo I not but that which I hate that doo I. And I finde such motions in my sinfull flesh rebelling against the lawe of my minde which preuaile so farre with me that they leade me captiue vnto the law of sinne The reward and wages wherof wee knowe is death By which reason it séemeth we should be greatly daunted and dismaied in respect of our adoption vnto life Againe the want of the féeling of the graces of God dooth worke such a coldnesse of spirit and such a dulnesse in our sences which may well bréede a doubfulnesse in our mindes and to make a wauering conscience to pleade against it selfe Which made the Prophet Dauid who was so highly in fauour with God greatly to faint because the graces of God in respect of his gréeuous sinnes laie as it were buried within him So that with griefe of minde he cried out for so great a want O Lord create in me a cleane heart and renue thy graces within me Restore me to the ioy of thy saluation hide thy face from my sinnes and put away all mine iniquities make mee to heare of ioy and gladnesse and let the certaintie of thy adoption and of my comfort be established in my heart Finally the diuell mouing our consciences to dispaire may bréed the greatest doubt in our harts and make vs beléeue that though we are adopted yet that we are not Gods children but rather that we are forsaken of him Wherein we must alwaies remember the propertie of the diuell which is that he goeth about like a roaring lion séeking whom he may deuour Whom saith the Apostle Resist being stedfast in faith and hold fast the hope of your adoptioÌ„ It is sathans desire to wiâ—â—ow vs as wheat but he that hath procured vs to be adopted and by whose means we are made the sonnes and children of God praieth for vs yâ— we might be strengthned and also sendeth his spirit into our harts to help vs in our praiers and maketh requests for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Wherefore although the accusations of of the diuell be of great force to throw vs downe yet are the helpes which it pleaseth God to graunt vs more auailable to raise vs vp againe Whereby it commeth to passe that our hearts and consciences being setled in the assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and we being sanctified by the blood of Christ are inwardly and fully perswaded of our adoption in such sort that all doubting is remoued away and all distrust banished Yet neuerthelesse because by the meanes aforesaid that is by the strength of sinne which dwelleth within vs the weakenesse of gods graces the troublesome accusations of the diuell the stedfastnesse of our adoption may sometime or other be called in question therefore God of his goodnesse to support our féeble spirites and weake thoughts hath giuen vs his owne spirit to be a fellow witnesse with our spirit fully to perswade and assure vs. For the elect chosen childreÌ„ of God haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them and perswading them that they are the adopted children of god The same spirit of god his fatherly goodnesse and that he wil be a father vnto vs and that he would haue vs so to account of him beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of god For this cause amongst diuerse other names wherewith the holy ghost is intituled this is one especiall name and title that it is called the spirite of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption Also it is called a pawne or earnest as we may reade 2. Corinth 1. 22. It is God who hath sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Thus by two most effectuall parables â— similitudes are the children of god confirmed in the certaintie of
The other is concerning praier A good conscience maketh request vnto God and when we haue an euill conscience with what heart shall we offer vp our praiers to God or how shal they be accepted at gods hand According to that we reade Iob. 11. 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand toward him if iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away And therefore Mardocheus is bold to come into Gods presence vnder the warrant of a good conscience Hester 13. 12. Thou knowest saith he all things and thou knowest Lord that it was neither of mallice nor presumption nor for any desire of glorie that I did this and not bowe downe to proud Haman For I would haue bene content with a good will for the saluation of Israel to haue kist the sole of his feete But I did it because I would not preferre the honor of a man aboue the glory of God and would not worship any but onely thee my Lord. And this haue I not done of pride Séeing therefore the ioy of a good conscience is so great well might the wise man say Pro. 15. 15. A good conscience is a continuall feast and the greatest comfort in the greatest trouble and such a comfort that the world cannot giue The ioy and comfort whereof may appeare by the contrary in the wicked For where the want of a good conscience is there is neither ioy nor comfort but feare and sorrow As we reade Prou. 15. 13. A ioyfull heart maketh a cheerfull countenance but by the sorrow of the heart the mind is heauie And Iob. 11. 20. The eies of the wicked shall faile and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of minde An ill conscience bringeth great dumpes and the heart of the people is filled therewith And this is one of the chiefest iudgements that God doth lay vpon the wicked as we may reade Wisd 17. That they were sick and died for feare and they swounded when a sodaine feare not looked for came vpon them For it is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her owne testimonie and a conscience that is touched doth euer forecast cruell thinges By the which feare the succours which reason offereth are betraied for indéede no reason can allay the force therof but only the grace and good spirite of God which is farre from the obstinate and vnrepentant sinner Whose hope the lesse it is within the greater doe the tormentes to come séeme vnto them Wickednesse is full of feare and giueth testimonie of damnation against it selfe and a troubled conscience alway suspecteth cruell matters to be imminent and to hang ouer it selfe as it maketh account to haue descrued The miserable estate of a wicked mans conscience is also liuely described Iob. 15 in these wordes A wicked man is prooued all the daies of his life though time be vncertain how long he shall play the tyrant The sound of terror and feare is alwaies in his eares and although it be in time of peace yet he alway suspecteth some treason against him expecting on euery side the sword to come vpon him When hee sitteth downe to eate he remembreth that the day of darknesse is ready at hand for him tribulation terrifieth him and anguish enuironeth him euen as a king is enuironed with souldiers when he goeth to war What can be more miserable then that man that hath such a butchery and slaughterhouse within his own heart What are his fearee how great are his anguishes Suspecting all things doubting their own shadowes fearing euery little noise thinking euery one to come against them that come toward them and others that talke togither to talke of them and their sins Such a thing sin is that it bewraieth it selfe though no man accuse it it condemneth it selfe though no man beare witnesse against it Pro. 28. The wicked man flieth thogh no man pursue him And why doth he flie Because that he hath within his conscience an accuser pursuing him whom alwaies he carrieth about him And as he cannot flie from himselfe so cannot he flie from his accuser but wheresoeuer he goeth he is pursued and whipped by the same his wonnd incurable And wherehence groweth all this feare but only because our consciences shal be our greatest accusers at the day of iudgement as we reade Reuel 20. 12 And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes of their consciences were opened and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in those bookes according to their workes Now therfore it appeareth that one of the chiefest ioyes of the godly is the testimonie of a good conscience which is only proper to the godly and vnto the which the wicked can in no sort attaine Without the which there is nothing but the feare of death and damnation Wherefore let euerie one haue care to make a good conscience his only ioy and let all our works be ruled thereby without the which all things no doubt shall go farre out of square The ioy also of the godly consisteth in this that they The glorie of God turne all their ioy to the setting forth of Gods glory According to the example Hamah the mother of Samuel who being in great sorrowe of minde because she was barren and wanted the ioy of children she made her humble and earnest request vnto god to make her a ioyful mother Promising therewithall that if God would vouchsafe to graunt her a child that she would him to the Lord and consecrate him to his seruice Contrary to the course of the wirked and the fashion of the world which perisheth who réferre and apply all their ioy to the fulfilling of their pleasures and the saisfying of their lustes Which thing the Apostle Saint Iames doth worthily reproue in them Chap. 4. 3. 4. Yee aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse that yee might consume it on your lustes Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the amitie of the world is the enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore will be a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemy of God Looke what ye sowe ye shall reape if ye séeke Gods glory ye shall reape honour and if your ioy bee setled in worldly and sinfull matters your ioy shall be turned into shame And herehence ariseth another kind of ioy of the godly Heauenly blessings who counting worldly ioyes but sinne and shame or at lestwise but friuolous vaine haue resolued with themselues to settle all their delight in heauenly blessings and inward comforts and in such things wherin the wicked hath no delight As in praier to God in singing Psalmes in hearing his word in reading his lawe Blessed is the man whose delight is in the lawe of the Lord and who meditateth therein day and night And séeing they are risen with Christ they séeke those things which are aboue their treasure is in heauen where their heart is As for the earth they