eares and hand and heart to theirs when they are humbled fall thou downe when they are praying praie with them when they are hearing heare with them when they are singing sing with them and when they are mourning lamenth with them If they ioine in petition to God oh account it happinesse for thee to subscribe thy name for they are blessed that are ioyned to the fellowship of the saints Another vse if wee must seate our selues in most conuenient place to heare then let vs also frequent the places of praier and religion When the church was compelled to a riuers side in steede of a cathedrall church Act. 16. 15. Lydia the purple woman resorted thither and once she had her hart opened and conuerted to the Lord In like manner let vs resort to the churches for at one time or other we may boldly assure our selues that we shall receiue the pledge of life eternall But in our daies men are so affected to this doctrine that the diuell laugheth at it and good men lament it for either they come not at all as the ghestes which were bid to a wedding or else they come without conscience as he did without a wedding garment or else they are present without attention as Eutyches that fell on sleepe at Paules preaching or else they depart out of our assemblies as Iudas did from Christ when hee went to betray him Standing times of praier in the church some say are of Poperie and in the house they are of other condemned for puritanisme so that godly praiers being the sword of the spirite are now growen rustie and dull that few mens sins or liues or harts are parted therewith But my deere brethren come to the times of praier and binde your selues not onely publikely but also priuately with seuere vowes and pay them to the Lord for so shall the fire of the spirite be kindled in you the holy Ghost shall raigne in you the saints shall be comforted by you and you shall trie that all things are possible to a Christian Spare thy people Now we are come to the praier which the prophet teacheth the priestes to make for the people which is thus much in effect Wee haue no refuge but to flie to thee O Lord we are guiltie of the punishment but yet thou maist stay thy hand and spare our liues Giue vs not ouer wee pray thee that our enemies reioice not ouer vs and blaspheme thy blessed name we are the fields of thine owne inheritance reuenge our cause from the handes of strangers oh spare vs that we may serue thee First out of the beginning of this praier we may note that petitioners and those which are suiters to the throne of grace must alway pleade guiltie in the presence of God Luc. 18. 12 13. The example of the Publican prooueth this that the Lord loueth vs better when we tell him of our follies then when we shew him our vertues The Lord which will seldome helpe till there be no helpe but in his mercie biddeth vs alway to condemne our selues so that when wee thinke most basely of our natures and speake most vilely yet truly of our liues and confesse most bitterly against our selues then are we most nigh to the end of our praiers For this cause let vs meditate before praier that we may sufficiently waigh our miseries and more lamentably bewaile our wants and more ardently pray for his mercie that we may more comfortably enioy his fauour The reasons hereof because there is not one man liuing that can bee iustified before God Psal 143. 1 2. but euery man is an vnprofitable seruant for which cause we must alway accuse our sins and call for pardon at the Lords hand This reason being knowen of the baser and wickeder sort they imagine that they haue gained a sufficient charter to continue in their euill why say they the most righteous are guiltie in the Lords sight and what are we more Doe what wee can yet we shall sinne and we can but craue pardon of him for many as well as for few but this is a wicked and an accursed reason For although the best fall into many enormities yet ought not you to sinne good men fall into sinne but you dwell in sinne they are sorrie for them but you delight in them Dauid sinned was therefore Absolom or Achitophel vnpunished because Peter denied his maister might therefore Iudas betray him or because one man falleth into debt by sicknesse may you therefore fall into debt through riot if a sound body doe now and then fall into sicknesse then hee which hath a crazie body had neede to looke to himselfe so if men of sound soules doe fall into euils you which haue sicke soules must bee much more carefull of your health Another reason our Sauiour giueth Luc. 18. 14. for the Lord resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and meeke therefore ought wee to increase in the numbring of our sinnes that the Lord may aduance vs to the beholding of his mercie Let vs be assured if we pray without sorrow we doe but mocke the Lord but if we sorrow with earnest praier we prepare many ioyes for our soules First let vs learne that our praiers must bee ardent and continuall in the eares of the Lord as the Israelites were Iudg. 10. 3. to 13. for as we haue a continuall occasion of sinning so we must take continuall occasion of praying Who is he that hath beene but a little while in the practise of christianitie and hath not learned this lesson My sinnes are euer in my sight too heauie a burden for me to beare therefore as he which is vexed with a continuall want laboureth in a continuall worke and hee which hath a continuall sicknesse turneth on euery side to finde ease so must we which are euermore oppressed with sinne be euermore praying for helpe As the greatest burdens make the porters sweate the greatest drops so will our sinnes if we feele them make vs sweate drops of blood to be released of them therefore pray till thou be heard and take for thy example the poore widow which woulde neuer giue ouer till the iudge had righted her cause neither doe thou cease to pray til thy soule doe cease to sinne Many pray through want but not with want and for grace but not with grace they are cold and not continuall in their suites Who is so hard harted seeing a poore man with as many sores as his body can beare running after him a mile or twaine and begging but a penny that coulde denie him in like manner if wee shewe all our sores and sinnes and miseries vnto the Lord continually that when our voice is wearie our harts may speake and when our harts are sleepie our wounds may crie for mercie so that we may neither eate nor sleepe till we know our sinnes be pardoned Let vs neuer be afraide to come to the Lord notwithstanding we finde
tell them to our parents our wiues our children our seruants our friendes and our neighbours that they may bee signed by the same seale and saued by the same grace Thirdly God will haue none other to bee knowen in Israel but himselfe alone Whereby wee are taught not to stand in doubt whom where whē we ought to beleeue feare loue or worship but onely and perfectly to relie on the Lord. 1. King 18. 21. It is not good to halt betwixt two opinions but either we must bee constant professors or obstinate blasphemers I would they woulde consider this that say they know not whether to be papists or protestants for both liue alike and therefore both shall be saued alike But they must knowe that Cham escaped the flood as well as Sem but yet he escaped not damnation so easily and so wicked professors in this life doe many times as well as good but death and iudgement shall trie the cause The reasons first because the halting part is often turned out of the way Heb. 12 13. and indeede it is fearefull that alway euill doth surpasse goodnesse as weedes ouergrowe corne and sicknesse ouer commeth health Therefore let vs beware least when we doubt what is best we take the worst as Ieroboam did Moreouer while we doubt in religion wee are carried away by the craftie deceit of men Ephes 4. 14. For heretikes and euill men doe alway labour first to drawe vs into wauering and then to bring vs into condemnation Let vs then abide in that which we haue heard 1. Ioh. 2. 24. for that which is first is truth and that which is last is falshood Let vs not haue tickling and itching eares such as many in our daies haue which like not our doctrine our preachers our praiers our gouernment our sacraments our people and our prince and what will they doe shortly but fall in dislike with our God and all manner of religion Let vs also learne to bee constant 2. Tim. 3. 14. that we be not mooued from it but as Ioab would not come out of the temple but would die holding the altar by the hornes so let vs die holding fast by our altar Iesus Christ And that seeing we must die let vs die in his armes for his sake to his glorie and our owne saluation The xxx Sermon Vers. 28. And afterward I will powre out my spirite vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall see visions 29 And also vpon your seruants and your maidens in those daies will I powre our my spirite THese two verses containe the second part of the spirituall benefits to be powred on them namely the spirite and the graces thereof for when hee saith that he will powre foorth his spirite he meaneth not to diuide the holy Ghost into parcels but by a vsuall figure of the scripture hee putteth the spirite for the graces because wheresoeuer any one grace is there is the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 6 11. By this we may see that the olde fathers and the prophets had some knowledge of the Trinitie of persons in the Godhead for not onely here but in many other places is mention made of the Spirit and we knowe the name of sonne is and was very familiar in the scriptures Hee saith he will powre out his Spirite by a vsuall metaphor taken from water because the holy Ghost is resembled to water Heb. 10. 22. meaning also that hee woulde giue it abundantly in more plentifull manner then heeretofore so that all this pertaineth properly to the kingdome of Christ as Peter sheweth Act. 2. 17. and not to their returne from Babylon By the cohaerence of this verse with the former where is promised knowledge as is heere the holy Ghost wee may note that after God hath giuen vs knowledge hee also will giue vs the holy Ghost Act. 15. 8. so that there is not any one that can assure himselfe that he knoweth God by the word preached but he may also be assured that he is made the temple and dwelling house of the holy Ghost Ioh. 1. 12. this is the onely rewarde in this world of the obedience to the Gospell that we haue the spirit dwelling in vs and opening vnto vs the things of God If the affaires of Potiphar were blessed because he had Ioseph in his house much more blessed are the workes of a christian because he hath the holy Ghost in his hart Oh learne I beseech you to know the Lord by the scriptures for then shall you haue the Lord dwelling in you for then shall not sinne hurt you nor the diuell annoy you you shall not feare any danger nor any death for the spirit shal still comfort you and carrie your spirits into heauen The reasons First because we should euermore haue him in our soules Ioh. 14. 16. the Lord knoweth that wee haue a great deale of sorrow to suffer in the world and therefore he hath prouided for vs a comforter that may helpe vs to beare it and they which care not for their profession care not for the spirit and they which care not for the spirit care not for the Lord. By which we may see how fearefull a thing it is to forsake the profession of the Gospel for then the Lord forsaketh vs seeing vs giue ouer his spirit also the Spirit of the Lord is fire and if it purge vs not it will burne vs. Another reason bicause it may perswade vs that we are in the truth Ioh. 15. 26. for if our profession were but barely gathered out of the scriptures by men then might it be altered as the ministers thereof haue beene altered but the spirit abideth for euer and doth assure our hearts that this Gospell this faith this hope this obedience and this kingdome is the same that Christ taught the saints beleeued good men receiued the disciples liued and all the faithfull haue obtained So that if thou stand in faith and dost peaceably enioy the profession of religion and knowest by the infallible word of God thou art in the way of saluation then reioyce boldly because the holy Ghost is in thy heart as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes But yet many haue peace in their harts thorough the diuel which are in errour in Poperie in Mahometisme and Idolatrie being perswaded they are in the truth but this perswasion is but counterfaite like as the miracles of the Magitians in Egypt were but counterfaite to the miracles of Moses and therefore not euerie one that is perswaded he is in the truth is to bee thought to haue the holy Ghost but onely they that are perswaded by the scriptures and relye vpon nothing in the world besides Let vs then trie whether as yet we haue had the holy Ghost giuen vnto vs or not for the Lord teacheth Iohn 16. 8. when the holy Ghost is come he will reprooue the
world of sinne of righteousnes and of iudgement of sinne because they abound in it of righteousnes because they want it and of iudgement because they feare it Now search thy soule whether thou haue beene reprooued for these things or not for it wil speake to thee when thou art alone and it wil follow thee whither soeuer thou goest and it will not suffer thee to rest in any sinnes but at the first it will admonish thee gently afterward it will call vpon thee with diligence earely and late if thou amend not It will make thy meate vnsauorie and turne thy sleepe into many feares and then if thou repent not either it will vtterly forsake thee or else lay loade on thee of most fearfull iudgements and terrible wrath of God which will either turne thee into lamentation and great distresse of minde or else into desperation and vtter losse of soule Oh feare my deere brethren for the conscience of these things for it will worke most terribly in you if you haue it you liue in subiection if you offend it you liue in danger and if you lose it you die in trouble Therefore thou art happie when thou art reprooued for sinne thou art more happie when thou art inwardly scourged for thy faults but thou art most happie when thou art repentant in teares and ashes sackcloth and an infinite number of sorrowes so that hereby we see why God exempteth vs from the feare of hell because he keepeth vs vnder continuall correction of sinne Another vse let vs aske for the holy Ghost when wee feele the want thereof Luke 11. 13. for God will send him to those that want him Barren women aske for children sicke men for health olde men for life weake men for strength blinde men for sight and therefore let Christians aske for the holy Ghost For God will be as easily entreated for him as for the other and he will giue vs more ioy then children more comfort then health more good then life more benefite then strength more profit then sight and therefore let vs pray for him more earnestly then for any other of these If you aske how you shall pray for the holy Ghost I answere by the holy Ghost But you will say if you haue him already you neede not pray for him to which I answere you must pray as sicke men doe for life when they haue life so when you haue a little feeling of the holy Ghost pray that it may bee more and that euery little sparkle may be a flame and all our weaknesse turned into strength The persons vpon whom this spirite is to bee powred are sonnes and daughters olde and yoong men and women free and bond for of all these doth the church consist Whereby wee may obserue that there is not any sexe or any man but he is capable of the holy Ghost and so of saluation Isa 44. 3. The reasons are first because they haue receiued the hope of eternall life Tit. 3. 7. secondly the promises are general and there is not any excluded Therefore let vs learne not to greeue the holy Ghost Ephe. 4. 30. nor to quench any motions of the spirit within vs for the beginning of religion is like the blading of the corne if it then bee bitten it neuer groweth more Againe let vs fight against the lustes of the flesh Gal. 5. 17. for the spirite lusteth against the flesh There must bee a pitched field in euery mans soule the soule is one fighter and sinnes are the other the soule is aided by the spirite and our sinnes are aided by the flesh the weapons of the soule are spirituall the word the promises faith hope loue patience and constancie the weapons of sinne are ignorance lustes pleasures ease profite gaine pride selfeloue and prosperitie The meanes wherby they strike are temptations if the soule conquere the sinnes bleede abundance of teares if sinne conquere the soule is quiet and bound in a soft bed of delight that she may liue in perpetuall imprisonment fed with all lothing of goodnesse and starued with vaine shewes of foode stuffed with sweete poisons of many wofull sinnes and so in the end breaketh in peeces and falleth to eternall miserie This is a Christians combate one must needes die the enemies cannot liue in league the battell must needes be fought out and therefore come prepared the lesse thou eatest the better thou shalt endure the more thou watchest in praier the more shall be thy aduantage This battell is like the battell betwixt Dauid and Absolon for our owne sinnes which wee haue begotten doe conspire against vs and as Dauid wept for Absolon when he had gotten the field so wee shall weepe for our sinnes when we haue conquered them and wish that either they had not beene or else that wee had not beene therefore let vs haue the spirite on our sides that we may haue peace in our soules Now follow the effects of the spirite and the first is that they shall prophesie the next that they shoulde dreame dreames and see visions for these were accounted the most honourable works of the spirite before the comming of Christ because herein did the Lorde answere the demaunds of men as we may see in Ioseph Matt. 1. 21. and in Zacharie Luc. 1. And vnder these olde types doth the prophet signifie the abundant graces in the church when euery one shoulde prophesie that is shoulde bee able to speake the worde for the comfort and edification of his brother and euery one should see the counsels of God day and night by dreames and visions and not bee afraide First we may obserue here that none can prophesie but by the spirite of God 1. Cor. 14. 29. It is not possible that any shoulde open the worde of God and speake to the comfort of them that heare him but by inspiration of the holy Ghost therefore those which speake in the congregation and are not able to edifie them that heare them doe nothing lesse then speake by the holy Ghost opening their barren wits to the woonder of the worlde The reasons first because prophesie is an opening of the counsell of God which none can doe but those which haue the spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 11. Againe it is the spirit of God that openeth our harts and maketh vs able to answere the aduersarie of our profession much more doth it helpe vs when we are to comfort the people of God in the congregation Luke 21. 15. Let vs therefore in our preaching or prophesying learne to prophesie according to the proportion of faith Rom. 12. 6. for as it is a damnable thing before God vnder an oath to couer falshood so is it alike damnable thing vnder pretence of the spirit to teach heresie and impietie Againe let vs learne to trie the spirits 1. Iohn 5. 1. whether they be of God or not for many false spirits are come into the world bringing in againe popery heresie
old Eli it is the Lord let him do what he wil let him take my goods for he gaue them let him haue my children for hee made them let him remooue my health for he sent it let him chaunge my friends for he wonne them let him trouble my conscience for he can giue it peace and let him take away my soule for he can giue it saluation The vses that we may make hereof are these First that we waite patiently vpon the Lord Psal 37. 7. we shal see in the end our harts desire cōmit our whole care to his protection who is able wil be willing to effect the same Waite patiently for there is no master so kinde but hee hath some attendance of his seruant and therefore how canst thou be the seruant of God if thou neuer attend vpon him A good seruant of a willing minde doth obey his maister euen in those things that are hard to be perfourmed and so although it be hard for thee yet endure the calamitie that somewhat presseth and oppresseth thee Naamans seruants said to him that the Prophet bid him but a small thing that was wash and be cleane and then he washed and was cleansed and so I say vnto you it is but a small thing I exhorte you waite and you shall be eased Oh that I might perswade any sicke man to waite for health or any poore man to waite for reliefe or any old man to waite for death or any yoong man to waite for Christ happie were I but more happie were they that so could be taught to be so cured Waite in the morning for a blessing and in the day for a comfort and in the night for a light in the morning that thou maist worke in the day that thou maist continue and in the night that thou maist receiue thy reward oh tarrie but a little while and thou shalt see an end of all miserie Another vse of this doctrine is this that we take heede how we by our wrath prouoke the wrath of the holy Ghost against vs and so grieue the spirit by whom we are sealed We were farre better let our soules goe foorth of our bodies then let the Spirit goe foorth of our soules I meane it were better for vs to die then to liue without the holy Ghost Yea let vs eate sorrow as we eate meate and grieue our consciences rather then grieue the holy Ghost Dauids seruants were afraid to tell him of the death of his childe because it would grieue him oh therefore let vs be more afraid to grieue the Spirit of God then they were to grieue the king of Israell Now if thy sinnes be reprooued amend them if thy life be threatned abide it if thy goods be wasted fret not at it if thy enimies reioice at thee bee not desperate if thou be offended sweare not rashly if thou be punished curse not outwardly and if thou be accused yet answer not bitterly grieue not the spirit of promise For ye haue taken my siluer and my gold This is the fifth cause specified in their enditement for the which the Lord calleth them to iudgement for that they ransacked his temple and tooke away all his golde and siluer which was appointed for his seruice and carried into their idoll-temples whatsoeuer was ordained for the performing of his worship And first of all we may obserue in this place that whatsoeuer hath been lawfully giuen and appointed vnto the maintenance of religion can neuer bee taken away againe or else in vaine had the Lord blamed these infidels for that in their lawfull conquest they had spoiled his temple also and this selfesame thing doe the godly complaine of Psal 74. 6 7. So that if any lands haue beene giuen or any houses haue beene builded or any priuileges haue beene graunted or any money haue beene deliuered for the furtherance of the Lordes worship it is sacrilege to transferre them violently or couetously or craftily to any other vses Oh how shall they be iudged that liue vpon the spoile of the church and share the Lords portion so neere and so narrow that they haue made it too little to fit his glorie Doe they not knowe that the Lorde shall call them to a reckoning for his siluer and his golde and then oh then how deere wil their daintie fare their silken suites their veluet slippers their french-hoods their golden borders and their blew-coate-hirelings cost them that they haue gained and maintained by the robberie of churches The reasons of this doctrine are these first because the goods of the church are holy things 2. Chron. 20. 19. and therefore not to be prophaned which is then done when they are withdrawen from the Lords seruice For certainly although in substance the golde and treasure of the church be the same that all other is of as the water and the bread and wine in the sacraments in substance bee all one with other water wine and bread yet in regarde of the vse there is a difference for they are made holy by dedication and therefore as it were horrible villanie to abuse the elements in the sacraments so is it execrable robberie to prophane the treasure of the church Another reason is this because if it were not lawfull for Ananias and Saphira vnder pretence of religion to sell their land as if they would haue giuen it to the church and yet kept away part thereof Act. 5. 4. then is it much more vnlawfull to keepe away any part from the church which we neuer gaue but it was rightly the churches possession before wee were borne And the vses which may be made hereof may bee these first that these church-robbers and sacrilegious persons knowe that the iudgement of God doth continually hang ouer their head as often as euer they abuse and take any of these hallowed and sanctified treasures as it did ouer Belshazzar Dan. 5. 3 5. who was then sentenced to destruction when he was drinking wine in the cups of the temple And surely we were better weare camels haire for our garments as Iohn Baptist did and haue not a house to rest our heads vpon as Christ had not and lappe vp our drinke as Gedeons soldiers did out of the running streame then so to be clothed and lodged and delicately nourished with the goods of the church and the curse of the Lorde What though some kings of Iudah did buy peace with them and Dauid did eate of the shew-bread yet they did it for necessitie to maintaine the common-wealth and to preserue life and so verily I thinke may be done nowe But blessed be God we neuer yet tasted of the like necessitie and so long as there shall be one penny of money or one foote of land in the possessions of priuate men so long must the treasurie of the church be left vntouched O yee gentlemen and rich men and vnhappie men which haue filled your priuate cofers with the Apostles
againe If euer it be needfull that the congregation should be great then it is most requisite to be enlarged when occasion of lamentation is offered that as many mens voices made the Lord to spare the Niniuites so many may cause him to reuerse his iudgements from vs. For truely as in war against an enimie hauing muaded our countrey we are ingenerall to lift vp our handes against him to driue him from vs so ought we being endangered by the hande of God to put on euerie one his complete armour of righteousnes that euery mans heart and voice may be lifted vp to stay his heauy hand from vs. How do men neglect this thing which thinke it in vaine to serue God and therefore though they know other men to be most busie in lamenting for their calamities yet they forsake not their tauerns their shops their counting houses their husbandries their marriages and other their paltries when as the sworde is as neere them as their garments yet they dread not the same and so as before they neglected the graces of God so now they abuse the long suffering of God making their latter ende woorse then their beginning like the old world which would not beleeue though they saw Noah enter into the arke and so the flood came and destroyed them all and so shall it doe with those except God enlarge his mercies and they cast away their stubburnnes Alas alas for the day of the Lord is at hand and it commeth as a destruction from the Almightie Now are we come to the praier which by the mercifull assistance of God his heauenly spirit we will most briefly and effectually handle First therefore the method which the holy prophet vseth is to be obserued wherein he lamenteth generally vers 15. and then particularly the meanes or causes of their destruction In this verse he generally toucheth all the calamitie when he calleth it the day of the Lord the dread and conscience whereof maketh him most yearnefully and pitifully to crie out Alas alas Where first of all commeth to our consideration this doctrine that good men do sorrow and mourne for the Lords iudgement before it commeth as this Prophet which sayeth the cause of his teares to bee this because the day of the Lord is at hand so we may read did Elishah 2. King 8. 10. when Hazael came vnto him and he had annointed him king of Syria it is said that he wept and Hazael asked him why he wept to whom he answered bicause it grieued him to thinke what he should do to Israell for hee should set their strong cities on fire and slay their yoong men with the sword and dash their infants against the stones and rende in peeces their women with childe Was not this a sufficient medicine to looke on and to make a heart of brasse to burst foorth into many teares For I thinke none considering such a destruction in his countrey but he will weepe for it bitterly It is enough many thinke to sigh when they be sore and then to weepe when they bee in paine and why should they torment themselues before they feele the miserie Yea rather why dost thou reason thus against thy God Thinke on the daies of miserie that are comming and doe as these prophets breake foorth into abundance of lamentation to thinke how our towres shall be plough lands our treasures shall be in other mens coffers our coastly buildings be razed in an instant our riuers shall runne with blood our children shall be the pray of souldiers and our wiues bee most cruelly murthered Oh that men before these daies could lament for the same yea although their eies should neuer see it yet let them weepe for them that shal feele it The reasons of this doctrine are these first because they reape this profit by the forewarning of God Iere. 4. 18 19. if God of his great goodnes open the destruction of any people or citie to any of his welbeloued sonnes they are presently astonished men and swallowed vp in many sorrowes but wicked men although they bee neuer so often admonished yet they remaine wicked and obstinate still Oh what a blessing is a soft and beleeuing heart which doth not onely receiue the wordes of God for truth but is presently affected as if they felt the iudgements When Elijah had told Ahab of God his vengeance against him then Ahab wept and fasted and the Lord spared him his time so I doubt not but there be many which hauing heard the trumpe of God his iudgement in the mouthes of the Lords preachers they haue wept bitterly and I thinke the Lord will spare vs for their time but take heed least the godly be deminished and no man consider it least our destruction be the more sudden and lift vp more voices of weepings at the voices of preachers that more time may bee graunted vs to be freed from vengeance Another reason is because good men although they bee assured of themselues yet it grieueth them to thinke how the wicked shal be destroyed Luke 19. 41. Our Sauiour there weepeth for Ierusalem which should be laide euen with the ground A good man is euer mercifull euen to the most vile and wretchedst creatures in the world and therefore it goeth to their harts to heare and see consider and thinke vpon how heapes and multitudes of men shall go to confusion Some would thinke that it is no reason to sorrowe for other men but rather let other men sorow for themselues But Samuel whose teares and praiers came many times before the Lorde for Saule will answere them and instruct them to be carefull for other mens saluation as Ioab appointed his armie that if he were too weake Abishai should helpe him and if Abishai were too weake Ioab woulde helpe him so must we labour to helpe one another which seeme weake although we know some shall go to wracke The vses that offer thēselues to our consideration out of this doctrine are these First seeing that it is the part of a good man to sorrow at the foreknowledge of any calamity let vs receiue that exhortation of the Lord Ier. 6. 8. that we be instructed whē the Lord threateneth vs or else as he there saith His soule shal depart from vs leaue vs desolate as a land that none inhabiteth And I would to God my countrey men of England would learne this instructiō at the mouth of God that whereas there is none of graue or greene yeeres but they haue had many tokens and heard many thunderbolts of wrath drawn from the neuer vncertaine word of God and from the extraordinarie course of manifolde iudgements which we haue felt these late yeres that now we being inuited to this mourning feast we al com not one stay behind Oh therfore receiue this instructiō before the lords soule go away from our nation I bid you not leaue of your callings nor cast away your garments nor put away your
congregation secondly for the remouing of the campe and lastly when they went foorth to warre because the people might bee had in remembrance before God Although it be hard to shew whether in this discourse following the prophet meaneth the comming of the beastes before named or the comming of the Assyrians their enimies yet the matter is not so necessarie as that we should spende much time therein nor so difficult but it may bee decided and therefore I thinke that here is onely meant the comming of the noysome beastes because the description following is set foorth by similitudes taken from warre and not by flat and euident propositions the which course the Lorde doth take in other places when he noteth an inuasion as in Ierem. 50. In this place wee must first of all handle the blowing of the trumpet which was the priestes office and the cause thereof was to put them in minde of a danger for the people were now assembled and had neede to be terrified to the vttermost to make them humble as we may see the effect Amos. 3. 6. for the trumpet might bee hearde farre and neere as an alarme among vs. Wherefore wee may gather from hence that it is the ministers dutie to shewe the people of the Lordes wrath and the danger which they are subiect vnto for the same Ezech. 33. 2 3 4. if they sound not the trumpet the people cannot be prepared and then shall they endure a double condemnation they beare the Lords arke when they stand al must stand and when they goe all must goe and if they sound the trumpet and tell the dangers onely the disobedient come to destruction And thus wee may see how the hardest burthens and most dangerous are laide on the ministers backes for if they preach men will not beleeue them and then they are persecuted if they preach not God will forsake them and then they are damned being also subiect to all those dangers which themselues doe threaten the which thing might discourage men from that holy function but that the Lorde commandeth vs and enforceth vs thereunto And I woulde God that all the crosses and dangers which waite like pages or rather like iailers vpon the ministers office coulde bee sufficient to denie a passage or entrance vnto the vnlearned and vaine headed persons whereby for euer they might bee excluded from our callings but of this matter sufficient hath beene saide alreadie The reasons are these First bicause God openeth to them either ordinarily or extraordinarilie his purpose which hee will doe in his church for there hath not beene any great calamitie in the worlde but the Lord giueth knowledge thereof before it commeth so that his preachers might bee beleeued and destruction auoided Secondly they are the mouth of God to the church and of the church to God Matth. 18. 20. and therefore what they sounde God soundeth what they binde God bindeth and what they discharge God setteth at libertie yet so as their actions must bee guided by the Scriptures if they will haue God to confirme them The vses which wee are to make of this doctrine are these First that wee doe not onely teach the iudgements but ioyne with our doctrine an outwarde testimonie of their feare and a practise that may serue as a patterne for the people to repent by so the Lorde teacheth Ezech. 21. 6. 7. where the prophet is commanded to mourne bitterly as a man that mourneth for the paine of the raines And the cause followeth that when the people shoulde aske him hee might tell them that he mourned bicause euery heart shoulde melt and euery minde shoulde fainte and euery hande shoulde bee weake and euery knee shoulde fall away like water and what heart of stone or desperate minde coulde see his teares and heare his wordes and yet refraine from weeping It hath beene alreadie shewed that the example of the pastour is the best way to perswade the people and wee knowe by lamentable experience that where the preacher liueth ill his life doth more hurt then his preaching doth good Therefore my deere brethren when wee haue cause to threaten any iudgement of God let vs so temper our bodies as if wee felt it within vs as Ieremie did when hee cried out My bellie my bellie as if the calamitie had alreadie seised vpon vs. Let vs preach earnestlie let vs liue zealouslie and let our wordes and teares be heard in the pulpet and our praiers and feare in priuate communication and full often let vs vrge and constraine our affections that by manie passions as it were by many water drops the hardest heart of stone may be pierced thorough But it greeueth our hart that many preachers in many places when they haue taught most singularly on the Sabbaoth day so soone as the doore is shut some goe to tabling some to carding some to shooting some to bowling and some to banquetting which maketh the people thinke they did but mocke them in the pulpit Another vse which commeth by this doctrine is this that when wee haue so preached and so liued then may wee assure our soules of most excellent comfort as the Apostle doth Act. 18. 6. saie nowe are wee free from the bloud of all men so that a good conscience is the reward of a good preacher which is a greater benefite then any Bishopricke or preferment of the worlde when a man may reioice of his labours So that let euery preacher keepe this ioy and defile not his conscience for the conscience of a learned man once stained and corrupted seldome or neuer is quieted againe Looke vpon Eli his conscience and vpon the prophet which came to Ieroboam who was slaine by a lyon and vpon Ionah when hee was cast into the sea and vpon Iudas the most wretch that euer was borne when hee had betraied innocent bloude I coulde bring manie examples out of other writers if I shoulde not be tedious but of my owne knowledge I speake that I haue seene some in the ministerie endued with rare giftes and excellent learning vsing great diligence in their places yet being giuen ouer through naturall infirmitie their daies haue beene very fewe and very bitter therefore maintaine thy conscience with losse of life and liuing for it is an easier matter to beare all the reproches of the worlde then one of thy owne heart for it will turne the sworde of God in thy owne hande and cause it to wounde thy selfe neither shalt thou bee able to auoide it I grant that men of other callings haue no such dangerous slips therfore looke to thy soule for the diuell in dazeling thy light darkneth al thy people and by making thy owne conscience to accuse thee he will make good men to forsake thee the worlde to wonder at thee the spirit of God to depart from thee Sion my holy mountaine Sion was the hill whereupon the temple was builded for the which cause it is called the Holy mountaine
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs