minister vnto him so we so soone as Christ hath done any thing for vs should rise vp immediatly to serue him And as Annah when she had receiued a sonne from God did consecrate him to God againe so whatsoeuer wee receiue of God wee must giue it to God againe that is vse it to his glorie and make it one of our meanes to serue him for all things which wee receiue in this life are giuen vnto vs lest we should want any means to serue God Then because the Apostle requireth Thankes for all things I shewed you that hee is not thankfull before God which thankes him onely for his benefites but he is thankfull indeede which thankes him for his chastisement It may be while the Lord giueth many will say Blessed be the name of the Lord. But when the Lord taketh who wil say Blessed bee the name of the Lorde When the Lord did take Iob sayd Blessed be the name of the Lord. There is one example then of Pauls doctrine which in all things gaue thankes The Prophet Dauid saith Thy staffe and thy rodde haue comforted me there is another example of Paules doctrine which gaue thankes vnto God for his rod for an obedient childe doth not only kisse the hand which giueth but the rod which beateth After speaking of these wordes Quench not the Spirite I shewed you that Spirit doth signifie the giftes and the motions of the Spirite The Spirite in the third of Matthew is likened to fire and therefore Paul saith well Quench not the Spirite because fire may bee quenched Heere I tooke occasion to speake of zeale which is the fire of the spirit shewing you that God is pleased with zeale as men are pleased with loue but as Christ did baptize with fire so Iohn did baptize with water and as the holy Ghost descended with fire so he did descend with winde that cooleth fire shewing that our zeale should be a temperat zeale as our Maisters was Esaiah was commaunded to crie but not to roare the Iewes might not gather too much Manna no more than they might gather too little As there is a measure in knowledge so there is a measure in zeale that is Be zealous according to discretion as Paule saith Be wise according to sobrietie The Disciples were commended for their zeale when they left all to followe Christ but Christ reprooued them for their zeale when they would pray for fire from heauen to consume the Samaritanes Therefore zeale and discretion vnited together are like vnto the two lyons which supported the Throane of Salomon and hee which hath them both is like Moses for his mildnesse like Phineas for his feruencie therefore as wine is tempered with water so let discretion temper zeale But I neede not bring water to quēch that fire which is out alreadie I would rather I could say of you You are too zealous as Paule told the Athenians they were too superstitious But our sicknesse is not a hot sicknesse but a colde sicknesse the hot bodie is distempered but the colde bodie is dead Zeale was neuer infamous before our dayes the Papists are commended if they be zealous but the Protestant if he be zealous is held in derision Then I shewed you how the spirit is quenched as a man doth quench his reason with ouermuch wine and therefore we say when the wine is in the wit is out because before he seemes to haue reason and now he seemes to haue none so our zeale and our faith and our loue are quenched with sinne Euerie vaine thought and euery idle word and euery wicked deed is like so many drops to quench the Spirit of God Some quench it with the busines of this world some quench it with the lustes of the flesh some quench it with the cares of the minde some quench it with long delayes that is not plying the motion when it commeth but crossing the good thought with bad thoughts and doing a thing when the Spirite sayth Doo it not as Achab went to battell after he was forbidden Sometime a man shall feele him selfe stirred to a good worke as though hee were led to it by the hand and againe he shall be frighted from some euill thing as though he were reprooued in his eare then if hee resist hee shall straight feele the spirit going out of him and heare a voyce pronouncing him guiltie and hee shall hardly recouer his peace againe Therefore Paule saith Grieue not the Spirite shewing that the spirite is often grieued before it be quenched and that when a man begins to grieue and checke and persecute the spirit lightly he neuer ceasseth vntill he haue quenched it that is vntill he seeme to haue no spirit at all but walketh like a lumpe of flesh After Quench not the Spirite followeth Despise not prophecying In the ende of this Epistle Paule speaketh like a father which is come to the ende of his life who because he hath but a while to speake heapeth his Lessons together which he would haue his sons remember when he is gone so Paul as though he were set to giue good counsel and had not leasure to speake that he would sendeth the Thessalonians a briefe of his minde which their meditation should after amplifie expound vnto them His first aduice is Quench not the Spirite that is when a good motion commeth welcome it like a frend and crosse it not with thy lusts The second admonition teacheth how the first should be kept Despise not prophecying and the spirite will not quench because prophesying doth kindle it The third admonition teacheth how to make fruite of the second Trie the doctrines of them which prophecie and thou shalt not beleeue errour for truth but hold the best The fourth admonition is the summe of all and it commeth last because it is longest in learning that is Abstaine from all appearance of euill This is the summe of all for he which can abstaine not onely from euill but from the appearance of euill is so perfect as a man can be in this sinfull life put all these together and it is as if Paule should say Quench not the spirite by despising of prophesying neither despise prophesying because all do no prophecie alike but rather when you heare some preach one way and some another when you see some follow him and others follow him do you trie the doctrines by the Scripture as the men of Beroea did and chuse that which is best and soundest and truest hauing alway such an eye to the truth that you abstaine from all appearance of error so iealous the holy ghost would haue vs of our faith that we set no article vpon our religion but that which is an vndoubted truth As Moses did nothing in the Tabernacle but that which was shewed in his patterne It seemes that there were some among the Thessalonians as there be among vs which did forsake all
then before seeing the daye of his death was so neere But you will say Whatsoeuer it was it seemes that he could prophecie of things to come for hee foretold Sauls death Can the diuell prophecie This was an easie matter for the diuell to prophecie because he knew that Dauid was annoynted before and therefore Saul must be remooued that he might reigne as he was annoynted Secondly he knew that Samuel had prophecied his confusion and therefore hee must bee degraded that the Prophecie might bee fulfilled Thirdly hee did see the Philistins comming against him and therefore no meruaile if he did aime that his death was neere at hand seeing a man might prophecie the same If any man bee not satisfied with this to beleeue that the soules of the dead doe not walke after their dissolution let mee reason with him thus Is it a soule which thou seest Why a soule is a spirit and cannot bee scene no more then a voyce or an Eccho diddest thou euer see thine own soule though it hath been euer with thee since thou was borne Doest thou thinke it is a bodie Why a bodie cannot walke without a soule for the soule is the life which mooueth the bodie If thou say it is a bodie and soule too then why doth Paul call death a dissolution It is a separation of the soule from the bodie if the bodie and soule bee not dissolued then the man is not dead but liuing still If thou say the soule is come to the bodie and the bodie is risen to the soule for that time then I can say no more to thee but beleeue thine owne eyes If thou thinkest that it is such a mans bodie which thou seest looke in the graue and open the ground and there thou shalt see the bodie where it was laide euen while this vizard walkes in thy sight therefore apparitions are no other then that which appeared to Saul Thus the Diuel hath many wayes to deceiue and this is one a dangerous one to draw vs from the word of God to visions dreames and apparitions vpon which many of the doctrines of the Papists are grounded They had neuer heard of Purgatorie but for these spirites which walked in the night and tolde them they were the soules of such and such which suffered in fire till their masses and almes and pilgrimages did raunsome them out So these night spirits begate Purgatorie and Purgatorie begate trentalles as one Serpent hatcheth another Yet a third question riseth out of these wordes and that is this Whether a Christian may wish for death As Paul desired so may wee desire if wee haue Pauls spirit As Christ told his Disciples when they asked him whether they should pray for fire from heauen as Elias did Christ answered that they knewe not of what spirit they were as if he should say If you were of Elias spirit and did praye with the same mind and to the same end that he did then you might pray as he prayed The wicked wish to die because they would bee rid of the crosse and suffer no more for God as Cain so soone as he was cursed and knew that his life should be a torment he sought to dye to preuent the iust iudgement of God spight him as it were which shuld punish sinnes So doe the people oftentimes which haue not to satisfie hunger the sicke which saint of an incurable disease and the wearie captiues in prison galleis and bonds As for the faithfull if they at any time wish to die they pray for death as the last remedy against sinne and Sathan euen as they pray in the Reuelation for the hastening of Christs comming to iudgement Come Lord Iesus come quickly for the shortening of the daies of sinne least all flesh should perish But they which wish for death in this sorte would dye as the will of God hath ordained and mortifie their flesh to abide these troubles and still by fayth suppresse the doloruos griefe of sin by frequent meditation of inward ioy receiued by grace in Christ and therein reuiue themselues as with the earnest pennie of their inheritance which they shall receiue at the fit time when it shall comfort them much to haue suffered so long Much therefore haue they to answere which are not contented to die in peace and stay till they bee dissolued but as though themselues were the authors of life death from cruell heart giue wrongfull commission to the bloodie hand to cut asunder that which God hath ioyned the louing soule and their body as Iudas Achitophel Saul and Pilate did not one of these was good in life or death Yet the Author of the Macchabees commendeth Raz is most of all for that which was the greatest sinne that euer he did for killing himselfe Man was not borne of his owne pleasure neither must hee die at his owne lust or else it had been good for Iob which suffered more than any Saint except Christ to make away himselfe as Iudas did But why is it commanded then thou shall nor kill If thou maist not kill another much lesse maist thou kill thy selfe As for the example of Sampson Iud. 16. 30. which may seeme to oppose against this in that he killed himselfe when as he pulled the house vpon his owne head and all that were with him vnderstand that hee was a figure of Christ which vanquished moe in his death than in all his life and it appeareth that he had warrant from God in that his strength being taken from him was for the acte in a moment restored to him vpon his prayer And the Epistle to the Hebr. 11. 13. to cleere that fact saith that he did it of faith that is knowing that he had deserued to die and that by these meanes the enemies of God should bee destroyed he submitted himselfe to the good will of GGD like a good Captaine which ventured his life to kill his enemies therefore we must not looke to particultr examples but to the generall law Wherfore let no man doe this euill that any good may come of it but rather follow the aduise of the holy Apostle as it becommeth vs with patience let vs runne out the race which is set before vs. Here I might shew you that they are guiltie of their owne death that kill themselues with surfetting intemperance drunkennesse c. although they loue their life too deare yet they take all meanes to hasten their deaths Thus much of Purgatorie night spirits and praying for death Nowe it remaneth that as the Leuites sanctified their brethren before they did eate the Passeouer so I would prepare you before yee eate this holy Sacrament of which the passeouer was but a signe The Iewes were taught of God before they did eate the Passeouer to put away leauen out of their houses the daie before Exod. 12. 15. Hath God care of leauen No this is it which the Apostle teacheth 1. Corinth 5.
when you heare that saying then remember these examples how he hath fulfilled it before After come the apostles and they shew some hardened some bewitched some blinded Paule tels how Demas fel away and Iohn sheweth how many fel away Thus the Prophets and Apostles on either side and Christ in the mids hold vp this threatning as if it were a pit which all are falling into The soule of man is called the temple of the holy Ghost As God pulled downe his temple when it became a den of theeues so he forsaketh the temple of the soule taketh his graces with him as frō a diuorsed spouse when it lusteth after other loues With any Talent he giueth this charge Vse increase it vntill I come being left at last the commeth againe to see what we haue done The seede was sowen this yeere the Lord cals for fruite none will come the next yeere the next after and none comes at last the curse goeth foorth Neuer fruit grow vpon thee more Then as the figtree began to wither so his giftes begin to paire as if a worme were still gnawing at them his knowledge leeseth his relish like the Iewes Manna his iudgement rustes like a sworde which is not vsed his zeale trembleth as though it were in a Palsie his faith withereth as though it were blasted and the image of death is vpon all his religion After this he thinketh like Sampson to pray as he did and speake as he did and hath no power but wondereth like zedekias how the spirit is gone from him Now when the good spirit is gone then commeth the spirit of blindenesse and the spirit of errour and the spirite of feare and all to seduce the spirite of man After this by little and little first he falles into error then he comes vnto heresie at last hee plungeth into dispaire after this if he enquire God will not suffer him to learne if he read God will not suffer him to vnderstand if he heare God will not suffer him to remember if hee pray God seemeth vnto him like Baal which could not heare at last hee beholdeth his wretchednes as Adam looked vpon his nakednes and mourneth for his gifts as Rachel wept for her children because they were not All this commeth to passe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Whosoeuer hath not from him shall be taken that which he seemeth to haue As the ship sinketh vpon the Sea while the merchant sporteth vpon the Land and makes him a banquerout when he thinketh that his goods are comming in so while wee are secure and the heart spendeth and the eare bringeth not in by little and little the stocke decaieth and moe become banquerouts in Religion than in all trades beside When a man sinneth he thinketh with himselfe I will doe this no more after another sinne promiseth as much profite as that and hee saith againe I will doe this no more presently another sinne promiseth as much profite as that and hee saith againe I will doe this and no more There goeth strength and there commeth a wound so the soule bleedeth to death and knoweth not her sicknesse till she be at the last gaspe Euen as a man vndresseth himselfe to bed first hee casteth off his cloake and then his coate and then his dublet so when GOD rifleth our hearts he pulleth away one feather after another first he wounds his faith after he strikes his loue then he blindeth his knowledge thē he shall haue no delight to heare the word after he shall growe to hate the Preachers of the word at last he shall euen hate the word it selfe This is the bleeding of the soule or the spiritual consumption when graces drop away as the haires fall from an hoarie head before death Let Achitophel be a spectacle for all to feare he was counted a wise man and a deepe Councellor yet because it was the wisedome of the flesh the storie saith that GOD turned his wisedome into follie and that he might seeme foolish as he was in deede God made him to hang himselfe whereby his follie was more notorious then his wisedome But most notable is the example of persecuting Saul when he began to fall he ran headlong First he fell in hatred of Dauid then he fell in hatred of GOD after God fell in hatred of him Anon the spirit departed from him At last hee sought for helpe at Witches which he had condemned before This is the propertie of sin to spurre a man forward vntill he commit that which he condemneth himselfe that he may be tormented of his owne conscience Now if I might applie this scripture as Christ sayth are there no mo sinners but they vpon whom the Tower of Shilo fell So I may say is the Talent taken from none but from him which hid it in the ground Nay Saul was but a type of many which should loose the spirit Sampson was but a type of manie which should lose their strength Demas was but a type of many which shoulde imbrace the world as Dauid cryeth How are the mightie ouerthrowne So wee may mourne and say how are the zealous cooled how are the diligent tired They which should season others are become like the white of an egge which hath no taste once they seemed to haue fruite but now they are not hanged with leaues As God cryed vnto Adam Adam where art thou so they may cry Zeale where art thou Learning where art thou Conscience where art thou Loue where art thou They which shined like the Sun when they rose seeme now to be eclipsed of their light The world hath won the flesh the flesh hath won the spirit and Iordaine is turned backe As God tooke heat from the fire when it would burne his Children so he taketh knowledge from the learned when they turne it to euill Now when they see such ruines of their gifts with what heart can they thinke I am the tree whom Christ accurseth or I am the seruant of whom it is sayd Take his Talent from him Therefore I say to you as Christ sayd remember Lots wife as her bodie was turned into salt so your wisedome may turne into follie your knowledge may turne into ignorance your vnderstanding may turne into blindnesse your zeale may turne into coldnes therefore let al which haue a Talent take heede how they vse it Three thinges I note in these words then end First Christ saith not It shall be taken from them which haue but from them which seeme to haue Lest they which stande should feare to fall Paul saith not Let him which standeth take heed lest he fall but let him which thinketh he standeth so lest they which haue the Spirit shuld feare Christ saith It shall bee taken from them which seeme to haue Marke how warilie the Scripture speaketh for this speech doth shew that many shall fall and yet it doth shew that none shall fall but they which seem to stand that none shall lose