of hell such a louer is Belial and such is his loue In a word true Christians are vnder Christs law they draw his yoke they mortifie the lusts of their flesh they trauell in paine to bring foorth the fruites of Gods spirite but Belial is lawlesse dissolute and carelesse and shamelesse therefore there can be no concord betwixt Christ and Belial The vse of this doctrine is twofold first it bewrayeth the blasphemous slaunder of Poperie that chargeth vs with preaching libertie to sinne because we preach iustification by faith in Christ onely Wheras we are so farre from that slaunder that we affirme cleane contrarie that no Libertine Protestant or dissolute professor of the Gospell hath fellowship with Christ more then the Diuell hath But indeede they know not what faith is except the diuels faith for the diuels do know and beleeue that Christ dyed for sinners and they beleeue all the articles of the Creede and tremble thereat but yet are they Diuels still Looke to their liues which liue vnder the Popes yoke and we shall see that they are the children of Belial for what sinne is there that they are not sold vnto like Achab And what sinne can be named almost that is not bought and sold in the market of the Romish church And the Pope may pardon all as they say for a thousand yeares yea if they will pay well for his pardon for euer And what are their Popes themselues who beare the glorious title of holy Fathers Haue not some of them bene Necromancers sorcerers and coniurers and some of them Sodomits buggerers and most of them common whoremongerers Was not one of thē a harlot did she not trauell of a child in going their Procession And is it not recorded by Platina and other Writers of their owne to their euerlasting shame What should be thought of those sixe thousand skulles of children which were found in another Popes Mote What need they care what they do so they may be forgiuen for giuing of a litle Apostolicall gold They are not ashamed nor afraid when they take a solemne oth to murder Princes yea Christian Princes yea their owne most Christian Soueraignes for they are pardoned aforehand as he was that poisoned King Iohn and the Prince of Orange and that cursed Frier that trecherously stabbed the late French King and therefore they are Belials and not we their religion giueth libertie to sinne and not ours they may do what they list and not they which are iustified by faith in Christ onely The second vse of this doctrine is to teach those that are entred into the bodie of Christs Church and are called by that excellent glorious name of Christians to put on the yoke of Christ and neuer while they liue to put it off againe for though Christ saith Come vnto me and ye shall haue ease yet it is vpon this condition that we labour and feele our selues heauie laden yea though he promiseth to refresh vs yet it is vpon condition that we put his yoke vpon vs and beare his burden Whosoeuer then will haue ease by Christ must not be like the man of Belial without the yoke of Christ but must put on his yoke and carie his burden that is to say he must submit himselfe to the censures of Christ his Church and to the doctrine of the Gospell and to the reproofe of the word and in all things yeeld obedience vnto the truth yea he must labour by all good meanes to mortifie all carnall lustes to ouerrule all his vnruly affections But this is as hard a saying to flesh and bloud as can be yea who can endure it The mother of Zebedeus children thought for the asking she might haue a place in Christes kingdome for her children but Christ told her of two hard things which she dreamed not of and that was drinking of his cup and to be baptized with his baptisme before they could come into heauen so we thinke many of vs to haue heauen for the asking but there belongeth more to the matter then so And as the Papistes thinke to earne heauen with a Kerelyson a Pater noster and a Creede so many Protestants thinke that a sigh and a little lip-labour and eare-seruice will bring them to heauen But when they heare of mortifying their beloued sinnes which bring them in pleasure and profite and of yeelding obedience vnto the Gospell it fareth with them as it did with that young man who went away from Christ with a heauie heart and a sorrowfull countenance He would follow Christ but he would not part from his goods so many will heare Christ preached and looke to be saued by him too but they will not leaue their sinnes If they may be Gospellers and vsurers too and gamesters too and adulterers too and swearers too then so it is otherwise Christ shall go alone for al them These are yet but men of Belial and without the yoke content they are to trauell toward Canaan so they may meete with the commodities of Egypt by the way Manna without the fleshpots of Egypt was lothsome to the Israelites so the Gospell without goodfellowship and carnall delights is irkesome to the man of Belial Lots wife was content to leaue Sodome and go to Zoar as she was bidden but yet she must looke backe though she were forbidden so many are content to leaue Poperie and embrace the Gospell yet not without some looking backe like those which once openly gaue account of their profiting in religion with comfort and commendation but now because their backsliding friends like it not and prophane persons scorne them for it they will shew their faces no more in that conflict The carnall Capernaits would heare Christ till he spake of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud and then because they vnderstood it not they said that saying was a hard saying and taking offence thereat came no more So many now a dayes as carnally minded as they will heare the Preacher till they heare something that doth offend them either for want of good vnderstanding or good affection and then they say that either the preacher found not that in his text or it might haue bene spared or in such a thing he went too farre all which in effect is no lesse then as the Capernaits said this is a hard saying who can abide it And so like bleare-eyed men which are offended at the brightnesse of the Sunne will walke no more by the light thereof except it be once a moneth or vpon a sabbath day for feare of law or for shame of the world And many that do keepe the sabbath day do vse it as the vnnaturall harlot would haue vsed the child for which there was such pleading before Salomon Let it be neither hers nor mine but let it be deuided So they deuide the Sabbath in the forenoone they are at the Temple in the afternoone at home The one halfe shall
be giuen to God and after the homeliest fashion too without any holy reuerence or due preparation the other halfe to the world or the flesh or the diuell or al and that with all deuotion and earnestnesse of affection These may well be likened to the idoll of Achab to whom Baals Priests cryed O Baal heare vs. But what said Elias Crie lowder for it may be that your God sleepeth or pursueth his enemies or else he talketh with some bodie or is in his iourney So if the Minister of Christ would haue Belial to heare him he must crye lowder O Belial heare vs for it may be that the men of Belial are a sleepe and must be awaked or pursuing their enemies or setting their rackes or casting ouer their vsurie bookes or selling their wares or viewing their grounds as Nebuchadnezzar did his pallace or running after their bowles or playing at cardes or pursuing of their vanities And that see others of the inferiour sort and they become as deafe too as their betters If a man cry neuer so lowd to these Belials it will not boote for they are as deafe as Baal and if there be no lawe to compell them to sanctifie the sabbath in better sort we do but loose our labour Herod would heare Iohn Baptist so Iohn would let him alone with his brothers wife so would many also now be hearers of the word and reuerence as much the Preacher as euer Herod did Iohn so they may haue a dispensation for some speciall sinne of theirs which doth yeeld them some filthy gaine or beastly pleasure But Herod was a man of Belial for all his deuout hearing of Iohn and so are these kind of hearers too for he cast off the yoke of mortification and so do they Well if we will be Christians indeede as well as in name we must put on the yoke of obedience to Christs lawes What he saith we must beleeue what he commaundeth we must obey what he promiseth we must desire what he threatneth we must feare what he suffereth we must partake what we vnderstand not we must reuerence what we like not we must at the least affect it what we brooke not we must yet hunger after and what cup he hath drunke to vs in we must desire to pledge him in the same with all our heart and count ourselues not worthie of such an honour when we haue obtained of God so great a fauour We must then deny our selues willingly and for his sake take vp the crosse chearefully for this is Christs lawe we must heare his voice and follow him for this is Christs lawe we must often remember him by worthie receiuing his holy supper for this is Christs lawe we must do to the poore what we would do to him for this is Christs lawe we must loue one another as he hath loued vs for this is Christs law we must suffer reproches and rebukes for his sake for this is Christs lawe we must learne to forgiue our enemies as he hath forgiuen vs for this is Christs law In a word we must mortifie all our euill lusts and affections and make our members weapons of righteousnesse for this also is the law of Christ. For this cause the word is called a candle to light vs in darkenesse a sharpe sword to cut and deuide vs a hard hammer to driue and breake vs and a burning fire to purge consume vs by ruling our liues wherby both yong in yeres and yong in knowledge are to redresse their wayes Psal. 119.9 And the obedience of a Christian is nothing else but a following of that light a suffering of that sword to hew and cut him of that hammer to breake and batter him of that fire to purge and consume him of that fanne to winnow and cleanse him and of that plough to breake and till him and all this with patience gladnesse and thankfulnesse A dutie this is very painefull for flesh and bloud to performe and therefore is called in the scriptures a cutting off the hand a pulling out of the eie Mat. 5.29.30 A cutting of the throat Pro. 23.2 a weaning of the soule Psal. 131.2 and a crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts therof Gal. 5.24 To shew that is is as hard a matter by nature to forgo our sinnes as our eyes or our hands or our liues Yet because grace doth go beyond nature and goodnesse is stronger then euill and the spirit doth ouercome the flesh and faith beginneth where reason endeth therefore Christs yoke is called easie and his burden light Mat. 11.26 For he hath borne it for vs and doth beare it in vs and beareth vs too and therfore it is light to him that would beare it as Salomon saith All the words of God are plaine to him that will vnderstand and straight to them that would find knowledge Prou. 8.9 Nay more as the birds fethers are a benefit vnto her and not a burden because they carrie her vp from the snare of the fowler so the seruice of Christ it no burthen vnto vs but a benefite because it freeth vs from the bondage of the Diuell Therefore let vs go on my good brethren without fainting Let xs resolue to put on the yoke of Christ to be obedient vnto the Gospell to cast off our lazinesse in the seruice of God and to cast away our sins of profite and pleasure though we go through honour and dishonour as we must like the yoked oxe that haleth his burthen after him through thicke and thinne Many defie the Pope and thinke then that they are good Christians and yet are lawlesse in their affections The Turke the Iew the Saracene and the infidell can say so much but except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen saith Christ so except our righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Turkes and Saracens we cannot be saued Therefore as we defie Poperie so we must be carefull to imitate Christ and to glorifie him by the subduing of our carnall lustes and desires The commendation that Saint Paul gaue vnto the Thessalonians was for that they turned from their idols vnto the liuing God 1. Thes. 1.9 But what commendation shall we deserue if we forsake Poperie and serue other sinnes if we leaue the Papistes and ioyne with Atheists Machiauels and Libertines The yoking of a Christian Dauid calleth a waining of the soule to shew that we long after libertie as the child doth after the breast that is to cry for it when we cannot get it Now in waining of the soule we must do as nurses do in waining of children they first annoint their breastes with some sower things to bring the child out of loue withall then they prouide some other wholesome foode for the child so we must haue before our eyes the discommodities of the world and the miseries of vanitie
honoured and rewarded of God then all the world beside Oh happie man and woman that professing Christianitie or faith in Christ or repentance for sinne or patience in affliction or contempt of the world or zeale to Gods glorie or deuotion in Gods worship or liberalitie to the Saints or mercie to the miserable can in all these haue the company of sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart then may they say thus nay our suretie the Lord Iesus wil pleade for vs in this manner Father despise not these little ones they are my friends and though their faith and repentance be weake and imperfect and other graces of thy Spirit be but small and feeble and for want of nourshing and good looking vnto be not so well growne nor so well ordered as they should haue bene yet forasmuch as they come before thee and haue called vpon my name in sinceritie and truth which thou louest without counterfeiting dissembling and hypocrisie which thou abhorrest thou wilt not despise them Their fruit though they be but little in quantitie like a graine of musterd seed yet it is right fruite of the Spirit true faith though little faith true loue though litle and small loue not like the fruites of hypocrites which are like the apples of Sodome faire in shew and ashes in substance What hath soundly comforted all the Saines of God here on earth but the testimonie of an vpright heart And is not sound comfort a good reward What hath encouraged and emboldned them to come before God in prayer but the testimoniall of a sincere heart and holy affection And is not boldnesse in Gods presence a good reward What hath made the prayers of the faithfull auaileable with God for other but the sinceritie and vpright affection of them that haue craued their prayers and are not these sweet odours that is the prayers of the Saints a good reward What made Iacob to be honoured with the new name of Israel that is preuailing with God for a blessing but that his wrestling was not in shew but in good earnest in sinceritie and truth of heart with a constant purpose of perseuering till he had gotten that which he stroue for And is not preuailing with God a good reward All the daies of the afflicted are euill saith Salomon that is troublesome grieuous and bitter to flesh and bloud but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is he that hath an vpright heart and sincere affection before God feeleth no want Now such a feast as it is continuall so is it prouided by God himselfe serued in with the Spirit of God where the Angels do waite and reioyce and the worst dishes are the assurance of Gods loue forgiuenesse of sinnes peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost There all the communication is secret and heauenly between Christ and the soule the Musitians are the faithfull and their musicke is praising of God and their harmonie is the communion of Saints and all are of one heart and mind and is not such a feast a good reward Nay more then this if this be not inough whosoeuer will earnestly hegge this gift of God by prayer and louingly embrace and keepe her as his deare spouse shall haue with her a large dowrie a great reward in heauen in heauen saith Christ. For such gifts come not without crauing and of our selues we cannot haue it for if a good wife be the gift of God much more is a good heart which God in creating doth giue in giuing doth create therfore Dauid saith Create in me ô Lord a cleane heart to shew that we can no more make the hart sincere then we can create a hart But whē such a hart is created by God he giueth thee a singular gift a great portion belongeth vnto it Part of it shall be payd thee in this life but the greatest part in the life to come In this life thou shalt be loued of Christs friends and moned of good men when thou art wronged the more thou dost seek to honor God the more he will honor thee as he told Samuel The more thou fliest the vainglorie of the world for sinceritie sake the more wil true glorie follow thee according to the Prouerb Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit It followeth those that flye from her like friends which enforce gifts and other curtesies vpon modest persons which refuse them but flyeth them that follow her as men do impudent beggers But besides al this when death comes thy deare friend sincerity shall more comfort thee then all the Phisitions in the world And after death thy name shall liue and walke vp downe in the world to warne some to comfort some to admonish some and to shame some and to condemne many But yet here is not all for then shalt thou first receiue commendation of God whom thou hast serued and secondly enter into full and euerlasting possession of thy maisters ioy which is no lesse then a weightie crowne of glorie immortall then a kingdome and inheritance of eternall blessednesse with the Saints and Angels and God himselfe where all teares shall be wiped from thy eyes and thou shalt reioyce for euermore Where thou shalt enioy for euer and euer such things as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard nor heart to man can conceiue and nothing shall euer obscure or eclipse the same nor crosse nor diminish the same And what is all this or whatsoeuer else can be sayd of it but scarce a shadow of sincerities reward Alas a drop taken out of the sea and a moate out of the mountaines like the hem of Christs garment which did comfort the woman that touched it but she found more comfort in him then in the hem So the description of sincerity is delightsome the picture is pleasing but whosoeuer hath sincerity it selfe shall find at his left hand the fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasure for euermore Whosoeuer after this Sermon shall find so much fauour with God as to meete with sinceritie and vprightnesse of heart in all his actions and such an affection that preferreth Gods glorie before his owne and seeketh praise of God and not of man shall say as the Queene of the South sayd when she came to King Salomon That which I heard of thee I did hardly beleeue it but now I perceiue that the report which went of thee is nothing answerable to that which thou art indeed And though no man deserueth such a reward at Gods hand no nor any reward at all but shame and confusion which is our due desert yet both for his promise sake as also for his honour sake he will so reward his children If mortall men will keepe their promise one towards another as all that haue but common ciuility and honestie will them much more will Almightie God who is all truth and righteousnesse it selfe and can no more breake his promise then he can denie himselfe
the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
II. SERMON NOW we are to see which way or by what meanes it may be auoyded and the way to auoide vaineglorie in giuing of almes or in any other action is to take heed of it So sayth the text Take heede that you giue not to be seen of men that is watch ouer your affections narrowly and examine euery affection and euery cogitation euery affection what it chiefly desireth and euery cogitation what it museth vpon and deuiseth to effect Take heed saith our Sauior Christ in another place watch and pray lest ye fall into tentation to shew that there is no true heedfulnesse without watching and prayer and without such kind of heede taking we soone fall into tentation This watchfull heedinesse and heedie watchfulnesse is that which S. Paul calleth circumspect walking Ephe. 5. and the prophane persons of the world by a nickename call precisenesse and Puritanisme Well whatsoeuer the world doth call it or account of it it sufficeth the godly wise that wisedom it selfe hath both commended and commanded it It is the thing that in euery place of the Scripture is vrged vnto vs for our good One Scripture calleth to those that go to the holy assemblies and saith Looke to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God Another Scripture crieth to men when they are set at a sermon Take heed how ye heare Another Scripture calleth to those that go to the Communion Let euery man examine himselfe before he eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. Another Scripture crieth out to the whole campe of Israel saying Take heede lest there be in any of you an euill heart to depart away from the liuing God that is from your soueraigne Lord and Captaine to a Forraigner to a Rebell to the Diuell Another Scripture crieth out to those that are planting and setting and weeding in the Lordes garden Take heede and beware of couetousnesse for that is the root of all euill Another giueth warning to those that are at their deuotions and seruing God Take heede of the leauen of the Scribes and Pharises which is hypocrisie And euery Sripture almost commeth to vs with a friendly watchword whatsoeuer we are about biddeth vs take heed and they stand like Sea marks whereby Mariners are both warned of rockes and sandes and directed rightly and safely into their desired hauen And surely if we would well consider that we are alwayes in danger of enemies both visible and inuisible and those not a few but many not weake but mightie not simple but subtile and that our owne false hearts within vs are the readiest to betray vs we we would easily confesse that this is a friendly watchword and no more then is needfull Take heed vnto your affections watch ouer your cogitations and pray against tentations The ground that we go vpon is slipperie as yee our knees are weake we are soone downe and being downe do hardly recouer our selues and therefore we had neede take heede Sinne is subtill and impudent it will easily deceiue vs with false colours as Drapers do with false lights and it will not be said nay but with often and resolute resisting the Diuell is driuen away I am manhood saith malice and for thy credit thou needest not feare me I am good husbandry saith Couetousnesse and for thy profite thou needest not feare me I am good fellowship saith Prophanenesse and Filthinesse and for thy pleasure thou needest not feare me I am handsome cleanelinesse saith Pride and will make thee to be admired thou needest not feare me Gloria calcar habet saith Vaineglorie glorie and praise is a spurre to encourage men in well doing true saith another of the same humour Virtus laudata crescit and the maisters euge is the seruants auge in vertue and good seruice the praise of vertue is the increase of vertue And this is true but now a friend with a friendly caueat were very necessarie and Take heede will serue for all if they be wise Take heede ô man that thy manhood be not malice that thy good husbandry be not greedy couetousnesse that thy goodfellowship be not beastlinesse that thy vnitie be not conspiracie that thy loue be not wanton lust that thy cleanelinesse be not Sodomiticall excesse that thy glorious spurres of vaineglorie and praise be not poisoned by thy desiring of them Oh master how shall we know these things wilt thou say I can giue thee no better counsell then God hath giuen thee that is Take heede But how shall I take heede Surely by watching and praying Alas sir three things hinder my watching and that is drowsines and darknesse and fearefulnesse I would watch saith one but sleepe oppresseth me and I would watch saith another but darknesse troubleth me that is I am an ignorant simple man not knowing the right way from the wrong nor vice from vertue nor a subiect from a rebell nor truth from errour And I would watch saith another but I see the enemies so many and so terrible that I dare not set my selfe against them I will put out my light that I may see no more such fearefull sights and lay downe my weapon and let them do as they will and fall asleepe in my sinne as men do in their beds when it thundreth but to be safe against all daungers they will first blesse themselues and say their Auie Marie and so commit themselues to the weather This is good plausible counsell to flesh and bloud that sauoureth any thing sauing the things of Gods spirite but how lothsome soeuer you take it to be for certaine it is not very wholesome therefore my brethren let it alone and take better aduice and that is this If you be in darknes and ignorance get you lights both within you and without you and that good store too For the enemie cannot abide the light but will put out as many as he can come handsomely by these lights that thou must set vp without thee must be first the holy word of God diligently read orderly preached and duly frequented that shall be a lanterne vnto thy feete and a light vnto thy pathes that shall descrie vnto thee the right way that thou must walke in by that thou shalt discouer all false and counterfeit colours and by that touchstone thou shalt trie all drosse from gold Hauing that as the great Sunne-light of the Church neglect not to reade if thou canst or at least to heare the good workes and writings of godly and learned men especially haue conference with them both soberly and with a holy purpose to be reformed by them for they are lights too not to be neglected nor despised no more then the Moone is whose light is nothing in comparison of the Sunne light and is altogether borrowed too of the Sunne but it is borrowed for thy good With these lights set vp also before thy eyes the good works and godly examples of humilitie of patience and
euery one that praieth in publike assemblies and heareth the word diligently and turne ouer their Bibles and sing reuerently the holy Psalmes and praises of God confer of that which they heard and call their families to account for that which they haue heard at the Sermon c. all most holy actions but take heed now when thou doest all these or any of these that the messenger of Sathan come not like a cunning companion and poison all these Take heed I say euen then when thou art about these seruices for euen as cut-purses and pilfering rogues watch their times till they see men busie in buying and selling or come in a preasse so do these vagrant affections watch our harts when we are about holy businesse and in deuout conference with our God to rob God of his honour and to poison that which we offer him and if it be poisoned he will none of it A strange thing and a hidden mysterie this is that a man should then rob the Lord of his honour when he is honoring and seruing him that we should take from him that which we giue vnto him Verily so we do if we take not heed and nothing is more common then that euil Thou art deuout in thy prayer in hearing in sighing in singing in eleuating eyes and hands to heauen it is well done but then take heede of the theefe with the poison that thou seest not and that is that affection that maketh thee to cast thy eye aside perhaps to looke whether such a man seeth thee or no and that affection that tickleth thy heart and saith now I am a good man I shall be counted a zealous professor for this I shall be well esteemed for this I shall by this meanes get familiaritie and so commoditie with him her and a thousand such odde conceits that come wharting and crossing of thy heart in the best things that thou canst do All which if thou take not heede of them euen then at that instant and pray against them they will get within thee and plucke off the garment of puritie and holinesse which in Christ Iesus should commend thy action vnto God And thus thou seest how God is robbed when he is serued and therefore euen then without any further delay or dallying take heed and watch ouer thy heart and pray against these vile and vaine affections desiring God to reforme and correct them that so thou maiest giue him his due clad in such holy and pure affections as are desirous that all the glorie should be giuen vnto him from whom and for whom all things are and shall be And in so doing thou maiest safely shew what God hath done for thee Take for example in the old Testament Iacob and in the new Testament the Virgin Mary and Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist. Iacob he sheweth his brother how God had blessed him since his comming ouer Iordan with onely a poore staffe in his hand and now had giuen him troupes or bands of children and seruants and blessed him with flockes of sheepe beeues and camels but in all these things his desire was that God might he glorified and therefore he said I am not worthy of the least of these mercies that is all that I haue set forth the great and vndeserued fauour of God vnto me So farre was he from seeking thereby to be counted a great man as the maner of the world is So when Elizabeth reioyced with her cosin for the great fauour and goodnesse of the most high in chusing her to be the mother of the Lord Iesus and sayd Blessed art thou amongst women she was not proud thereof but presently gaue the glorie vnto God and sayd My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite reioyceth in God my Sauiour I shall be magnified indeede but he that is mightie hath magnified me and holy is his name and so made that whole song to set forth the glorious praises of God in that singular worke which he had done to her In like sort when Zachary knew that Iohn was borne to be the forerunner of Christ he presently gaue the glorie to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people c. And thou ô child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him to giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people for the forgiuenesse of their sinnes But then commeth forth the holy affection wherein God is delighted and saith Through the tender mercy of our God c. And this shall we do if we take heed and still watch ouer our hearts in euerie action by secret prayer vnto God that his name may be hallowed This wise course being taken we shall be able by the grace of God in a short time to discerne a false harted affection from a true and a holy affection a double heart from a single and sincere heart for in euery man that is regenerate there is a double motion the one of the flesh the other of the Spirite the one of God the other of Sathan and in euerie action if he watch narrowly he shall find and feele a striuing betweene them Now here is wisedome to discerne how much is of God and how much of Sathan that we may cherish the one and crush the other in the head before he grow to any strength There will be two fires kindled and both burning together in one heart the one must be quenched and not maintained the other must not be quēched but be maintained for so saith the Scripture quench and quench not quench the firie darts of the diuell but quench not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption Now then seeing the glory of God is set vp for one marke to aime at and the good of the Church of God for another let vs learne by our leuelling and aiming at them or besides them to iudge of our affections and cogitations If thy cogitations be studying and deuising how to auoide vaineglorie and how to get glorie to God by casting about to make others to praise God in thy graces and to loue and feare him for the same then is that cogitation kindled by Gods Spirite quench it not but cherish it If thy affections be longing and desiring to bring the same to passe which thy minde by Gods Spirite hath deuised then is that a holy affection of God quench it not but maintaine it reioyce in God for it But if one the contrarie thy mind be deuising what to do and what to say and how to bring things to passe to please men and not God and to win credit and estimation amongst men Gods glory being cast behind thy backe know that those thoughts and affections are fierie darts of Sathans kindling quench them and cherish them not take heede of them in time In taking this
as he did though not in that degree and measure of iniquitie We are professours of the Gospell say some and we like our Preachers doctrine well but our honest neighbours please vs better and our beloued vanities best of all We liue by them and we are sory that we cannot do for him as we would for we haue passed our word against him so was Herod sory too for that he had passed his promise And to keepe credite with those that haue pleased and pleasured vs we must not call backe our words so sayd Herod too but vncase the hypocrite a little and view him well First if thou wilt be counted a true Christian and a sincere professor of the truth why doest thou lodge any one sinne with delight in thy heart tell me that If thou saiest there is no such matter then tell me why doest thou frequent the companie and take such excessiue pleasure in the bewitching vanities of such persons as will snare thee and deceiue thee Then why art thou so rash as to promise thou knowest not what Then when thou seest that thou art in danger of committing wickednesse who can compell thee to keepe such a wicked promise Oh I must keepe my credite with men Oh but hypocrite first keepe credite with God and remember thy former promise that thou madest and vowedst to him in thy Baptisme if all this will not serue then rush on like an hypocrite vncased to thy owne destruction Many in the world are content they say to heare the Preacher so long as he preacheth Christ crucified or else not and surely no reason But open this case and see if a counterfeit may not be vnder it For many are content to sinne freely and set all vpon Christs score saying he shall pay for all If any man meaneth so when he biddeth the preacher preach Christ crucified then there is an hypocrite vncased Many are content to heare that Christ liued in pouertie to enrich them that he was abased to aduance them that he was punished to acquite them that he was mocked to grace them that he was naked to clothe them that he was hungrie to fill them that he was cursed to blesse them that he died to saue them but to heare that they must be poore for his sake and be abased for his sake and to be mocked for his sake and to be crucified for his sake and crucifie their sinnes which crucified him they cannot abide this is not to preach Christ crucified Christ crucified must dispense with some sinnes of theirs or else they haue done with him nay if Christ come now to crucifie their beloued sinne and their sweete sinne and their profitable sinne let Christ take heed that he be not crucified againe by them What is Christ crucified for vs and must we haue our sinnes crucified too nay we will none of that we are content to take a place in his kingdom at his right hand and his left hand but to baptized with his baptisme and to drinke of his cup we will not endure We will do any thing he will haue vs to do sauing that which goeth about to restraine vs of our libertie we will follow him heare him eate and drinke with him giue him leaue to pay all and to dye for vs and commend him for his kindnesse but to be so kind to him as for his loue to part with one sinne that we are in loue withall to leaue following the fashions of the world or to part with a locke of haire is a hard saying who can abide it To forgiue our enemies to lend freely to releeue the poore cheerfully to keepe the Sabbath wholy and entirely to leaue our pleasures at his call to heare his doctrine more then ordinarie is a hard saying who can abide it To leaue our false weights and false lights and false oathes and false friendship and to deale simply and plainely without fraud and deceit is a hard saying who can abide it To leaue our engrossing our forestalling our cogging and dissembling our back-biting and slandering our rash iudging and condemning of our brethren is a hard saying who can abide it To forsake the filthy fellowship of profane persons to cast off the company of scoffers and deriders of religion to embrace the truth sincerely and to make much of those that feare God be they neuer so poore or simple is a hard saying who can abide it To be checked for our swearing and blaspheming of Gods name to be called vppon for Catechizing our houshold and to vse thanksgiuing at the table and singing of Psalmes for our spirituall recreation and to conferre soberly and friendly of the Sermon is plaine Puritanisme as they call it who can abide it No no Sir we can no skill of this geare preach Christ crucified and we will heare you otherwise not we cannot away with this doctrine Well but let the hypocrites know that if Christ crucified be preached rightly and applied truly to the conscience he will make all the veines in the hypocrites heart to ake he will suffer him to haue but small rest in his bed and little list to his meate and lesse pleasure in the world and least of all in the word of God for that in the end is the iudgement of God vpon hypocrites to loath the word because it goeth about to make sinne loathsome vnto them Christ crucified hath wrought a double worke he hath both destroyed the Diuell and also the worke of the Diuell And so is Christ to be preached both crucified and crucifying crucified for our sinnes and also by his vertue and Spirite crucifying sinne in vs or else we cannot be saued Now let vs pray THE VI. SERMON MATH 6.2 As the hypocrites do THE next sort of hypocrites to be vncased are secret vnderminers of the truth in shew defenders but in deed destroyers of the Church such are called in Cant. 2.15 foxes which destroy the Vine that is the Church who by their grating at the roote of the Vine do cause the same to bring forth but small grapes that is the Church cannot thriue in religion and good workes because of them these are called foxes for their craftinesse and their cruelty Such a one was Herod who craftily sent for the wise men to enquire where Christ was borne pretending a mind to worship him when his purpose was to kill him Such are all close Church-papists and time-seruers who to please men do as the most do but in the meane time by all crafty deuises do vndermine the Church the Preachers and cause them to be troubled for toyes trifles in comparison to stop the course of the Gospell in the meane time pretend a care of the obseruation of lawes which thēselues break as freely as any other and regard as much as the horse or mule whose mouthes must be holden in with bit and bridle Such also are those that come to the Sermon in shew very deuoutly and to be edified but
done as if we had done nothing but euill or else in doing of good we offend God and hazard his heauenly reward which in Christ is layed vp for vs. The contrary to this is it as I take it which the Prophet Habakuk condemneth in the wicked when he sayth They sacrifice vnto their net and burne incense vnto their yarne because by them their portion is fat their meate plenteous Meaning that they imputed all their wealth vnto their owne industry only and to the meanes whereby they compassed the same And surely it is neither good nor safe but very vngodly and dangerous in doing of good workes to make our selues priuie thereunto if we could chuse or once to keepe account with our selues of the good that we do I deny not but that a Christian soule truly humbled in the feeling of his owne vnworthinesse and inability may with some comfort call to remembrance what duties he hath performed the day or weeke that is past through the grace and fauour of God who hath wrought both in him and by him so that withall he be as I say truly humbled and prepared thereunto calling to mind withall to that end what graces he wanteth what sinnes he hath committed what dangers he hath incurred and with what weaknesse and imperfection the good hath bene performed which is a rare thing But surely otherwise it is very dangerous to keepe account vnto our selues of any good deed that we do For by reason of our naturall corruption which cleaueth too fast to euery one and hangeth on if not presseth downe the very regenerate themselues we are so prone and apt to the study affectation of vainglory which is indeed plaine robbing God of his glory that it is a very hard matter to do good and not to be proud of it It fareth with vs as it doth with wanton women who when they vnderstand how faire they are casting away all modesty waxe proud like the Peacocke that alwayes strouteth it when his taile is spred Take for example the Pharisee spoken of in the 18. of Luke whose prayer was proud boasting of his owne righteousnesse First he keepeth a note to himselfe of what grosse sinnes he was free that other men were ouertaken withall then he scoreth vp his good deedes and namely his integrity and vprightnesse in tithing and then his due and constant course of weekely fasting And hauing thus made his left hand priuy to that which his right hand did that is recounting with a wrong affection to himselfe what he had well done he spreadeth his taile and falleth to crowing ouer his poore brother in this sort I thanke God I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publican I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithe of all that I possesse as if the proud Peacocke should haue sayd behold my feathers are not of that colour that other birds are of but his feete were which he then remembred not In like manner do many keepe a score of their good deedes and register in their note-bookes what they bestow weekely or monethly or yearly vpon the poore c. I warrant you say some it costs me euery weeke so much and so much ordinarily besides that I spend extraordinarily It were good for them and others the like to regard the admonition of Christ here Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth Do good and make no bodie priuy vnto it if thou canst no not thy owne soule take no notice of any good thou doest thy selfe least thou be proud of it It was the wisedome of God in creating of the woman not to create her vntill he had first cast Adam into a sleepe and while Adam slept he tooke a rib out of his side whereof he made woman least if he had bene awake when this was done he might haue thought that he had had a stroke in it if it had bene no more but suffering or consenting to haue one of his ribs taken from him which yet had bene great folly in him so to haue done So should it be the wisedome of Christians in doing of good deeds to cast their carnall affections in a sleepe least they seeing and knowing what is done should imagine that they had a stroke therein and so should begin to filch and steale some glory to themselues which belonged not vnto them The horse doth employ his strēgth to carry draw but yet he knoweth not so much if he did peraduenture he would not be so subiect vnto man as he is The sheepe doth yeeld vs her fleece to cloth vs and her flesh to feede vs and her lambe for increase but yet she knoweth not so much if she did perhaps she would if she could vpbraid vs by her benefits and not be so beneficial vnto vs as she is The birds with their variety of notes do delight our eare but God saw it not good that they should know so much for if they should perhaps they would be as mute as nonresidents scorning to affoord their musicke vnto such fantasticall and vaine maisters as they now do serue The flowers with their varietie of orient and beautifull colours and fragant and pleasant smels do delight our eyes and refresh our spirits but God saw it not good that they should know so much for if they did perhaps they would disdaine to be abused so much and so little regarded to the praise of their maker as they are In like maner if we could do good workes to the glorie of our God and profit of our brethren and not let our left hand know thereof that is not consult with our carnall and crooked affections about them we should not be so loth to go about them nor so lazie in doing them not so lustie when we haue done them as we are If the Peacocke were hatched blind or could shut his eyes when he spreadeth his taile surely his pride would abate for it is not the hauing of such colours but the knowing them and viewing of them that breedeth conceitednes and causeth his nature to swell So if Christians when they take any blessing from Gods hand or enioy the graces of Gods Spirite or bring foorth the fruites of the same Spirite had not their minds and affections so much bent vpon them and set to vew the beauty of them but could set them to looke narrowly downward vpon their blacke feete that is vppon their sinne and sinfull affections it would be a meanes greatly to humble them Therefore the Apostle sayth Let them that weepe be as though they wept not and them that marry be as though they maried not So sayth the Scripture too Let him that giueth almes be as though he gaue not And in another place he saith of himself his brethrē thus We are as men sorrowing but yet reioycing and as men reioycing yet sorrowing as poore and yet making many rich as dying yet liuing
c. So on the other side as making many rich and yet as it were poore giuing nothing To shew what manner of men Christians must be But how can that be will some say that a man should giue almes or do any other good deed and not make himselfe priuy to the matter and count it nothing which he doth Surely very well or else truly do many dissemble and speake against their owne consciences for come vnto them and thanke them for such and such kindnesse bestowed c. they will say Alas sir for nothing I know no such matter it is not so much worth c. as if he should say If I did any such thing it is with me as if I did it not at al I am to begin it againe I keepe no reckning of it my heart was not set vpon it when it went from me I weigh it not c. Againe euery true Christian is in part regenerate and in part vnregenerate the one part is called in Scripture by the name of flesh and the other by the name of spirite the flesh rebelleth against the spirite that is the part regenerate against the part vnregenerate Now this part that is regenerate by the spirite of sanctification and grace may well be called also the right hand of the soule and the other part which is still fleshly carnall and sensuall and not sauouring the things of God may well be called the soules left hand for the vntowardnesse therof to any goodnesse in which sense it may truly be said whē thou doest any good deed let the spirite that is the part regenerate as the right hand of thy soule do it but let not the other part which is so vntoward and not regenerate and fitted for it haue any thing to do in the matter more then if it knew nothing at all of it We must do as men that trauell in company together and are so earnest in talke that they forget the length of their iourney and to such ten miles seeme but as one mile but if a man go alone and thinketh of nothing but his iourney then his left foote shall know what paines his right foote taketh and will keepe account of all his sleps as it were and thinke his iourney long and his paines exceeding great So we in trauelling towards heauen which we must do so long as we liue by walking in such good workes as God hath appointed for vs Ephes. 2.10 must count all things but losse and dung for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus our Lord to win him and to be found in him not hauing our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ forgetting that which is past and endeuouring our selues vnto that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And no maruell though the Apostle made so light account of his owne workes or righteousnesse for he knew they were too light to endure the triall of Gods iustice too vncleane to appeare in his most pure presence Our good deedes are like a faire garment with a filthy lining or as the Prophet Esay speaketh like a menstruous cloth The beauty and goodnesse of them is from God the deformity and vncleannesse is of our selues Shal the one part lift vs vp to any proud conceipt of our selues No it is of God giue him all the glory and let the other humble vs. All the gifts and graces of God do beare some part of his image and stampe though giuen to diuerse persons and in diuerse measure and maner like the Princes coine which hath the Princes image and stampe vpō it to put the subiects in mind of their loyaltie and dutie which they owe to their Prince that as Christ said when we see Caesars image and superscription we should remember to giue vnto Caesar that that is Caesars so when we see any thing with Gods image vpon it we may also giue to God that that is Gods The Princes coine commeth out of the Mint faire and bright but when it cometh into our hands it taketh soile and looseth beautie So the good graces of God come to vs with a most heauenly beautie but we cannot returne them so againe for with vs they take soile and loose their beautie As euery peece of coine hath on the one side the Princes image and title certaine so haue all the graces of God Gods image and Christes title to admonish vs of that holy dutie and absolute praise which we must returne vnto him for the same Look vpon thy faith and thou shalt see this superscription vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the worke of God to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Looke vpon thy patience and thou shalt find this grauen vpon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to you it is giuen for Christs sake not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake Looke vpon thy loue thy knowledge and iudgement and euery one beareth the same stampe that thy faith doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worke of God and therefore saith Saint Paul this I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in al knowledge iudgement to shew that they come from God and not from our selues Art thou filled with the fruites of righteousnes thou shalt find this Poesie sent with them They are by Iesus Christ vnto the glorie and praise of God Art thou conuerted vnto God looke vpon the worke of thy conuersion and thou shalt find this withall The worke of God and therfore saith Ioel Turne vs ô Lord and we shall be turned Hast thou a new heart looke vpon it and thou shalt find Gods stampe vpon it and that is this Created of God And ouer all one generall Poesie for all and that is this What hast thou that thou hast not receiued 1. Cor. 4.7 If there be any thing besides this that commeth from God that is of Sathan or else of our selues We commonly looke on the one side of the garment but not on the other Now if we thinke vpon our defectes and staines nay filthie and rebellious pollutions we would neuer take notice to ourselues of any good we do but say whē we haue done neuer so wel as Nehemiah did when he had most zealously reformed the Lords sabbath and set euery thing in very good order Remember me ô God in this and pardon me in thy great mercie and as Christ commaundeth vs When ye haue done all that ye can do saith he say that you are vnprofitable seruants and haue done but that which was commaunded you Further it is to be obserued that Christ saith the right hand must do the worke and the left hand must not know of it He appointeth the right hand to the worke because that is readiest and quickest and handsomest in working The left
shall he not see and he that made the eare shall he not heare And againe by Ieremie the Lord saith I the Lord search the hearts and trie the reines A point this is very necessarie to be vrged For first the wicked either beleeue it not or they regard it not Many will confesse that there is a God which yet are not ashamed to say with the wicked in the 10. Psalme Tush the Lord seeth vs not or if he seeth what we do he doth not regard and thereupon they make themselues bold to commit all wickednesse with greedinesse for would so many so desperately else giue ouer themselues some to theft some to whoredome some to drunkennesse some to practising of murther and some to the contriuing of treason if they were perswaded that the Lord of heauen and earth did looke vpon them in secret and take a note of that which they do in secret and heape vp vengeance as they heape vp sinne Would the foule mouthed blasphemer sweare againe when he is reproued for his swearing in despite of God whose most holy and fearefull name he doth abuse and of him that in the name of God doth reproue him if he were perswaded that the Lord did heare him marke how he doth abuse his name would so many beate their braines and studie so hard as they do in secret to practise all kind of wrong and oppression and how to couer it with flatterie and deceipt if they beleeued that God did see them or regard In a word would so many come to the Church and make a shew of great deuotion and play the hypocrits hardening their hearts against the word of God and imagining euill and descanting vpon euery word at their pleasure if they did beleeue that God did see them in secret And what is this but plaine Atheisme to say there is a God and not to beleeue that this God seeth in secret What is this but to make an idoll of the true God If this be Atheisme as doubtlesse it is though not in the highest degree then how many Atheists are there which liue so as if God did not see them in secret for in secret they conceiue their wickednesse and in publike they bring foorth vngodlinesse for why they thinke themselues cocke sure so long as God as they imagine doth not see their secret deuises or not regard them They thinke that because they see not the Lord therefore the Lord seeth not them like Balaam who feared not the Angell because he saw not the Angell but it is said that his beast feared him and stayed so soone as he saw him to shew that those which know that God doth see them and yet go on still in their wickednesse are worse then the beast and that asse shall condemne them This doctrine is also to be vrged in regard of the godly themselues who though they know and confesse it to be most true and can alleadge many Texts of the Scripture to proue that God hath all knowledge and seeth all things that are done in secret yet they haue not so powerfull vse of this doctrine as they should Then is it powerfull vnto vs when by the Spirite of God our hearts are kept in awe and made afraid to do those things that will offend his Maiestie as Ioseph who knowing this point well feared therefore to yeeld to the lewd motion of his light mistresse How many sinnes do of a sudden steale vpon vs and slippe from vs when we thinke not of this that God seeth in secret How many againe are arrested as it were and taken in the manner yea and staid from going forward when once this meditation commeth to mind God seeth in secret We are alwaies conuersant in his eyesight neither can we possibly do or conceiue any thing be it neuer so secret but that he seeth it It is a signe of great rashnesse and impudent audacitie if a sonne without feare of his fathers displeasure dareth do a fault in the sight and presence of his father Nay what strumpet so impudent that in her husbands sight dareth prostitute herselfe before another yea would she not be ashamed and afraid too if but a little child were in presence What then shall we thinke of our selues that dare boldly without feare confidently without doubting impudently without blush ing and continually without ceassing do those things in the sight of Almightie God our heauenly Father which we feare and shame to doe in the presence of a mortall man or a little child The breath of man is in his nosthrils but the least glimpse of Gods diuine imperiall and immortall Maiestie is able to confound and crush in peeces tenne thousand worlds at once As God doth see his children in secret so he doth looke vpon them as a heauenly Father and not as a cruell enemie or rigorous Iudge when they do well and being well pleased with Christ Iesus his naturall sonne doth also take great delights in the indeuours of his adopted children which are in Christ Iesus and therefore doth he delight in them because they are in Christ Iesus and else not Therefore whatsoeuer deuotion or seruice we offer vnto God in secret or otherwise it must be offered in and through Christ for whose sake alone it is acceptable or else it being without Christ is vnto God most abhominable Secondly it is said that our heauenly Father will reward his childrē for that they giue in secret And this is a good encouragement to the godly For flesh and bloud vnlesse it hath some hope of reward thinks it altogether lost which is giuen to the poore It is not lost saith Christ it shall be rewarded of your heauenly Father Therefore well saith a learned man Eleemosina non est dispendium sed negotiatio Almes giuing is no losse or damage but a kind of traffique or merchandise from heauen For whatsoeuer we lay out here vpon Christs poore needie members it shall be payed againe with aduantage Cast thy bread vpon the waters saith Salomon for after many dayes thou shalt find it that is feare not to bestow thy liberalitie vpon the poore which can giue thee nothing againe and though it seeme to be lost as that which is cast into the sea yet after many daies that is when thou doest least looke for it and thinkest that it is forgotten and worne out with time thou shalt find it againe thy heauenly Father with whom a thousand yeares are but as one day will reward thee for it if thou giue of faith in his sonne Christ. Lastly because we naturally affect popular praise and desire to be famous Christ saith that our heauenly Father will not onely reward vs but it shall also be openly This our Sauiour Christ plainly sheweth in Luk. 14.13.14 When thou makest a feast call not thy friends nor thy brethren nor thy acquaintance nor thy rich neighbours least they also bid thee againe and a recompence be made thee but call
some to Noblemen some to Gentlemen some to Lawyers some to Bishops and some to their officers and all retaining to great men in the world that they should be spared for their maisters sake which partiall dealing may well befound in the world but in the word it cannot be for the word of God is of that largenesse that it compasseth all of that brightnesse that it discouereth all of that maiesty that it astonisheth all of that power that it apprehendeth all and of that authority that it commandeth all Neither can any sinne or sinnes withall the shiftes and deuises in the world escape the power and censure of that word which hath once spoken the word and proclaimed it to all the world that whatsoeuer is done in secret shall be preached on the house top that is shall be made knowne to all the world Therefore thinke it not strange good brethren if you find your selues touched and rifled too when you heare a Sermon for the word of the Lord being deuided aright will do both Say not as Achab sayd to Eliah Hast thou found me ô my enemy when your secret and deare sinnes are by the power of the word rightly handled and applied by your Pastour or whosoeuer else for God hath found you out as he did find out Adam hidden amongst the trees of the garden or else we should haue lost our selues for euer and therefore let vs be thankfull to his Maiesty for so great a mercy for it is great indeed and not be angry with his ministers who do but hold vs the glasse while we see therein our spots Neither say you as the proud Iewes did to Ieremy This is not the word of the Lord which Ieremy speaketh but he speaketh as Baruch the sonne of Neriah prouoketh him For it is the nature of the word to tell you all that you haue done as Christ told the woman of Samaria Againe here we may further obserue how great sins and small sins are knit together as great theeues and little theeues lye all in one prison go all in one line stand all at one barre and haue all one maner of triall where we are to note that Gods Spirit is not so carefull to sift out the lesser offences of men but the greater also For as he is the Iudge of all men so he dealeth vprightly in equity with all men and not as the Scribes and Pharisees nor as their Apes the Papistes who straine gnattes and swallow camels while they vrge the tithing of mint and cummin and rew and let the weightier matters of the law go by who make the breaking of a Popish ceremony or dirty traditions of men a mortall sinne but neuer vrge matters of substaunce either in matters of faith or manners Neither are Gods lawes like the Spiders webbe that catcheth onely little flies but like the net that taketh the Lion as well as the Hare which straightnesse and vprightnesse bewraieth the crookednes of men For first how contrarie to Gods course is the practise of Antichrist and Papists For how precise are they in the searching out of toyes and trifles ceremoniall and circumstantiall things and punishing men for the omission of them But for the profaning of the Sabboth for the insufficiency of vnpreaching Ministers for the contempt of Gods word and such like things they are not so precise nay scarse do they account of them as of sinnes This also reproueth many professours of the Gospell which will seeme to make a conscience of many matters of lesse moment in others and dispence with very foule abuses as of swearing gaming c. both in themselues and in their families Whereby all of vs are to be admonished to take that course that Gods Spirite taketh here and that is to be as zealous agaynst one sinne as against another and to bend our force against the greatest as well as against the least and to pull out as well the beames as the motes out of our owne eyes as well as out of other mens And so much for the doctrine that ariseth of the coherence or ioyning of this text with the rest of the Chapter Now let vs pray THE II. SERMON PROV 6.12 The vnthrifty man or the man of Belijal and the wicked man or the man of vanity IN the former Sermon we haue heard to what end this description of a wicked man is made and how far we may go in iudging him Now let vs cōsider of his marks by which he is known as the Leopard by his spots and the blacke Moore by his skin And first of his names and they be two The first is Adam Belijahall the second is Ish-auen which in our English Bibles are translated the vnthrifty man and the wicked man the wordes in the originall text are more significant Adam Belijahall is a phrase whereby the Hebrewes do vse to note out a dissolute and loose man a lawlesse person without a yoake that giueth himselfe to do what he list and is not vnfitly translated an vnthrifty man ab effectis from the effects of lawlesnesse because such commonly neuer thriue nor come to any good end So is this word Belial taken in diuerse other places of the Scripture as in Deut. 13.13 Wicked men are gone out from among you meaning children of Belial as they are called in the originall These like lawlesse persons haue drawne away saith the text the inhabitants of their city vnto other Gods So likewise is it taken in the 19. of Iudges verse 22. where it is sayd That as the Leuite and his wife were making merry at an old mans house who gaue them entertainment in their iourney the men of the city euen men of Belial sayth the text meaning dissolute and lewd persons giuen to all wickednesse beset the house round about and smote at the doore and enforced the old man the maister of the house to bring foorth his guest vnto them where most villanously they abused the Leuites concubine all night vnto death In like sort it is taken in the first of Samuel 2. Chapter 12. vers where it is sayd that the sonnes of Ely were men of Belial that is giuen to all wickednesse In this sence it is vsed also or abused rather in the 2. of Samuel chap. 16. ver 7. where that cursed Shimei being a man of Belial himselfe doth most vndutifully raile vpon King Dauid his Lord and Soueraigne saying Come foorth thou man of bloud and man of Belial And in the new Testament it is also so taken in the 2. to the Corin. the 6. Chap. and 15. vers where the Apostle saith What fellowship is there betwixt Christ and Belial That is there is no fellowship betwixt Christ and lawlesse persons that are giuen to wickednesse And thus were dissolute persons called among the Iewes The Lord calleth such a kind of persons A stiffe necked people in Exod. 32.9 Alluding to vntamed oxen which will not vnlesse
and the paines that follow sinfull pleasures and then let our soules be fed and nourished with the sweet foode of the heauenly word of God And then feare not for as Abraham found a sacrifice where he looked for none euen so if we be as readie to sacrifice our sinnes as he was to sacrifice his sonne at Gods bidding we shall find new comforts and pleasures where we looked for none And as Sampson first slue the lion and afterward found a sweet hony combe in the dead lions belly so if we wil arme our selues to slay our sinnes which like ramping lions do meete vs in the way we shall by the power of Gods spirit ouercome them and after that find a most sweet hony comb of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus by whom we haue ouercome sinne and Sathan to our euerlasting peace and consolation He that can truely say with Dauid vnto God Thou shalt guide me by thy counsell shall follow with Dauid and say assuredly Afterward thou wilt receiue me to glorie And he that is not come to that point is as yet at a miserable passe for the Lord in the first of Prouer. sheweth that because he hath called to the foolish to make them vnderstand his words and they haue refused to be instructed or to be guided by his counsell he will laugh at their destruction and mocke when their feare cometh vpon them yea when their feare shall come vpon them like desolation and their destruction like a whirle wind When affliction and anguish shall come vpon them then shall they call vpon the Lord and he will not heare them they shall seeke him early but they shall not find him Thus saith the holy Ghost they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuises To which the Apostle agreeth and telleth the men of Belial that as they regard not to know God euen so God wil deliuer thē vp to a reprobate mind to do things that are not conuenient And moreouer saith Christ Those mine enemies which would not that I should raigne ouer them bring hither and slay them before me A fearefull thing therfore the children of God pray heartily Thy will be done in earth ô heauenly Father as it is in heauen and with the Church in the Psalme Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the praise fighting continually against their affections because they fight against their soules And as the oxe is not readie to worke vntill he be vnder the yoke so Gods children thinke not themselues readie to serue God vntill they haue put on the yoke of Christ and then they say as Dauid said I am readie ô Lord to do thy will And this shall be a singular comfort vnto vs at the houre of death to remember that we haue striuen against our affections and earnestly laboured and prayed to obey God which the man of Belial or lawlesse dissolute person neuer did And so much of the wicked mans first name The second tearme or name that is here giuen to the wicked man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish auén vir nihili saith Tremelius that is a man of no worth Auen signifieth both iniquitie and vanitie therfore the house of idols is called Beth-auen because idols are vaine things and idolaters are vaine wicked persons therefore lawlesse loose men are called Ishim auen because such are both vaine and wicked yea more full of vanitie and iniquitie First they are vnprofitable pursuing as it were the wind and the smoke secondly they are practisers of mischiefe and wrong This is profanenesse from which the Apostle dehorteth vs in the twelfth to the Hebrewes and 16. verse where Esau is propounded as a most liuely image of such prophane persons as preferre earth before heauen the world before the word gold before godlinesse the bodie before the soule and the shadow before the bodie as Esau did a messe of pottage before his birthright and as the Israelites preferred onions before Manna and as the Iewes did Barrabas before Christ. Such were they that said in Ier. 43. It was well with vs when we made cakes for the Queene of heauen as many say now adaies It was neuer merry world since we had so much preaching it was a good world when we could go to the Abbeys and other religious houses and haue our bellies full of good cheare for nothing Ieremie is a babler said they and preaching is babling say these But what were they and these too Surely but Ishimauen prophane persons This vaine profanenesse and prophane vanitie is called finenesse of wit now adaies whereby many prophane and vaine persons get their liuing which is nothing else but plaine and lewd shifting This is a matter that men make no reckening of but such a one is viler then the earth Yet the custome of the wicked is to commend such saying such a one is a good honest man and doth no bodie any harme which is vntrue For Ish-auen the vaine man is also a wicked man that is hurtful vnto others And if it were granted that he did no man harme yet is he no good man but a prophane beast and most wicked to Godward An honest man they say he is but of what religion is he what religious exercise doth he frequent How doth he serue God with his familie what striuing hath he against his imperfections When doth he enter into priuate prayer for strength against his speciall sinnes and temptations What care hath he to bring vp his children in the feare of God He may be an honest man and yet a prophane man for honestie is two fold ciuill and religious Some are ciuill honest men and not religious some are religious honest men and scarce ciuill some are neither ciuill nor religious and some are both ciuill and religious Examples we haue in the Scriptures of all these The Barbarians in Miletum were ciuill honest men whose ciuill courtesie and courteous ciuility appeared in that kind entertainment which they gaue and that abundance of necessaries which they ministred vnto Paul and his weather beaten company But religious honest men they were not that is to say such as giue God his due for they had not so much as the knowledge of the true God amongst them as doth appeare by those extremities that they ran into at the sight of Paul For one while they rashly iudged him to be a murderer and that was when the Viper leaped vpon his hand another while they did superstitiously suppose him to be a God and that was when he shooke off the Viper and had no harme In the first of Kings the 14. chapter and thirteenth verse it is said of Abijah the sonne of Ieroboam that when he dyed all Israel mourned for him because there was found in him some goodnesse toward the Lord God of Israel that is he was a man carefull to giue
lawlesse behauiour This shall be a great comfort to the godly to remember how they haue striuen against their headstrong affections and being foiled and cast downe somtime haue risen againe by Gods renewing grace and walked afterward more circumspectly when the wicked shall find nothing but horrour and horrible desperation because they haue made a continual practise art as it were of swimming giuing themselues ouer wholy like slaues vnto sinne as vnto a cruell tyrant whose crueltie neuer appeareth vntill the day of reckning cometh to pay men their wages The fruit of this tree is faire in shew but in tast most bitter for what else is it but feare shame and death eternall Rom. 6. And indeede the custome of any sinne is very dangerous the continuall driuing at the wedges at length driue them home to the head and so the great oke is spoiled and broken in peeces by continuall dropping of raine the hard flint is worne hollow by continuall blowing the fire is made to flame out by continuall going great iournies are gone and a great way is to be gone backe againe by continuall leaking the shippe is sunke at the length by continuall wooing the suter speedeth at length by continuall walking in the Sunne the face is Sun-burnt at the length by continuall digging Castles are vndermined great pits are made and high mountaines are cast vp Yea what should I say more nothing but vse and custome doth make men perfect and expert in any thing they go about Custome and vse hath made euen those fashions which at the first seemed very vgly and abhominable to become in account very good and commendable And if a man doth accustome himselfe to any thing which is hard and against the mind at the first at last by long vse and custome he shall find a certaine easinesse yea a felicity and dexterity in it how much more shall we find the like in any sinne which we do accustome our selues vnto the pleasures and allurements whereof be so fitting vnto our natures and dispositions yea doubtlesse he that hath accustomed himselfe vnto any sinne whether it be of swearing or whoredome or drunkennesse or hastinesse or whatsoeuer else he shall in time find it as easie a matter to be perswaded to cut his throate or to cut off his right hand or to pull out his eyes or to be nailed vnto a post or to haue his bowels pulled out of his belly as to be perswaded to leaue that sinne whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe as soone shall he cease to desire drinke when he is in extremity of thirst as to cease from that sinne and sinfull path wherein he hath vsed to walke Can a blacke Moore change his skin or a Leapord his spots saith Ieremy No more can this people do well which haue accustomed themselues all dayes of their life to do euill The former is a thing impossible in nature and so is the latter too and therefore let no man accustome himselfe to do euill nor to walke in any lewd path but returne betimes or else at last the way will seeme so long and the iourney so tedious that must be gone backe againe that he will rather sit downe or go on still desperatly then go backe againe yea custome is another nature and taketh away the very sence and feeling of sinne But if any man hath walked in any dangerous custome and would be rid of such a haunting spirite and dangerous customer let him resolue with himself to endure much striuing and fighting and much paine and many blowes and buffetings of Sathan and therefore must be very earnest with God by continuall prayer for the creating of a new heart and renewing of a right spirite within him But most wretched are those fooles and monstrous is the folly of them who instead of fearing the custome of sinne and praying vnto God for grace against it do take it as a sufficient plea and defence for themselues being admonished to leaue their sin to say Sir it is my custome you must beare with me yea accompt it a grace vnto them to do as the custome hath beene of their forefathers though it be neuer so wicked Againe further we are to note that euen in outward shew there is great difference between the wicked and the godly least we condemne the iust and the innocent causelesse The godly seem sometime to speak frowardly when it is indeede earnestly and zealously for Gods glorie The wicked for the most part are crosse when they speak most faire and vtter words most smooth which formally they can do at their pleasure per artem adulandi by the art of flattering then are they most dangerous like Ioab who in saluting and embracing slue his brother Abner and like Iudas the traitour who with a kind kisse in shew betraied his Maister Christ. The godly are most moued for the glorie of God the wicked are most moued for their owne glorie like Naman who was in a chafe because the Prophet came not out vnto him And as touching the Minister of the word who many times hath iust occasion to thunder out the iudgements of God against obstinate sinners he seemeth vnto men of peruerse and froward conditions who list not to see others otherwise then they are themselues nor to muse but as they vse to such I say the Minister of Gods word seemeth to speake of malice and bitternesse and by way of reuenge for some old grudge as they say and to deale frowardly with his people when in zeale and earnestnesse he crieth aloud to awake men out of their dead sleepe and cutteth and launceth them to cut out their festered corruption but surely they are deceiued Reprehension indeed hath a sting as the saying is which is not very toothsome but it is very wholesome and it is not doctrine but wholesome doctrine saith Paule to Timothy which men cannot endure The father seemeth to be out of patience with his child when he seuerely rebuketh and correcteth him but then is he most tender ouer him and carefull for his good So the fathers of our soules seeme to be our enemies when they sharply rebuke vs for our sinnes but then they loue vs most and are most desirous or at least should be that we might be saued Am I Paule become your enemie because I tell you the truth saith the Apostle to the Galathians to shew that if we tell men the truth without flattery we shall be counted their enemies The more I loue saith the same Apostle to the same people the lesse am I loued to shew that true spirituall loue will procure vs hatred And what other account will the world make of vs if we deale plainly with them for their soules health but as of babling fooles and mad men Ieremy was counted a contentious person Ezechiâ—ls Sermons we reckned of but as of a fidlers song What will this babler say sayd some of
be merry These and such like speeches are rife in the world but it is onely amongst the men of Belial and Ishim auen lawlesse and dissolute persons vaine and foolish people such as haue cast off Gods yoke from them and like them that sayd of Christ. We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs come let vs breake their bands asunder and cast their cords from vs our tongues are our owne we may speake what we list who shall controule vs and so are our eyes too and our fingers too and our feete too we will looke and go and gesture it as we list and what hath any man to do with our gestures These are right men of Belial indeed whom the Lord that sitteth in the heauens doth laugh to scorne and shall haue in great derision when destruction shall come suddenly vppon them in his wrath yea he shall vexe them in his sore displeasure and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell if they be not wise vnto repentance in time euen before his wrath be kindled yea but a little This precisenesse that the profane Belials of the world haue in so much contempt is nothing else but that circumspect walking which is commended and commanded vnto vs by the Apostle from the Lord in Ephs. 6. Walke circumspectly saith he like wise men as if our life were a iourney to be walked vpon a narrow bridge ouer a deepe water ouer which there is no safe passage if a man go leaping and skipping and gazing about him as those that wander and roue at scope in the wide fields but we must looke to our feete and to euerie step that we set or else we are quickly gone and being downe very hardly recouered againe without Gods great mercy and grace So much for the first point Now the second thing that we haue to obserue is the tyranny of sinne hauing once gotten possession in the hart If lewd things lodge in the heart surely they will take vp all the outward parts of the body to serue at their pleasure and from one member to another will leudnesse fetch his continual walke Therefore saith the blessed Apostle Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lustes thereof neither giue you your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse and vncleannesse To shew what a tyrant sinne is who when he hath gotten hold in the heart of a wicked man will domineere ouer his whole bodie and euery member shall serue as a weapon to fight withall in the defence of sinne and to the offence of vertue When a tyrant raigneth no man that is vnder him is his owne man no man can say what is his owne so where sinne raigneth the most cruell subtill and vnsatiable tyrant that euer was is or can be euery member of the body and euery cogitation and affection of the soule is held in most miserable bondage and slauery nothing is free to serue the Lord but all are at Sathans becke and ready to obey his suggestions This tyrant wil not be closed vp in the heart but will looke out at the eyes as at a window will walke abroad nay rather be caried abroad like a Pope vpon mens shoulders the hand must feele and reach him that which he liketh and giue what he will bestow and where he will bestow it and strike whom he liketh not The eye must seeke out such pleasures as he delighteth in and the tongue must call for them Yea of such bewitching power is this tyrant sinne that he poysoneth like the Crocodile with his very sight and countenance he hath greater power ouer his seruants the members of the body nay his seruants the members haue greater power ouer others then the Centerion in the Gospell had ouer his souldiers I say to one come and he commeth to another go and he goeth saith the Centurion but this tyrant doth but looke vppon men and they feare him he doth not fawne vpon men and they affect him he doth but make a signe with his eyes and signifie with his going and instruct by holding vp of his finger and it is inough to make men go and come at his pleasure And all his fawning flattering terrifying of mē is for nothing else in the world but to get in to a man and to raigne ouer a man which he can easily do He can by little and little yea with a little intreating where Gods grace is not to make resistance enter in at the eye or at the eare or by touching the body and tickling the senses and so from thence into the heart and there he sitteth like a commander and a cruell tyrant euen ouer al those members and affections by which he was first let in and which first gaue him any entertainement Adonijah begged onely Abishag the Shunamite to wife when Dauid had done with her a small request in shew but he had a further reach his mind was to the kingdome which wise Salomon perceiued well inough So Sathan will request but a little dalliance with the fingers and will but borrow they feete to carry him to such a place such a place to heare or see a play or the like vanity and thy countenance to braue or beard such such or thy eye to looke out at as theeues that will craue a standing in a mans shop to see some straunge sight when they meane to rob and steale a small request in shew But sinne is deceitfull and Sathan is an old subtill serpent trust him not he hath a mind to a kingdome and that is to rule like a hellish tyrant in thee to get all the members of thy body and all the affections of thy soule from out of Gods seruice into his slauery and subiection and this can none espie but those that haue heauenly wisdome as Salomon had And therefore as Adonijah made his subtill request against his owne life when wise Salomon had espied his treachery so let all wise harted Christians who by the light of this doctrine haue receiued any inckling of the subtill pollicy of sinne and Sathan in entring and of their tyranny being entred into the heart desire of God by continuall and earnest prayer that through the gracious assistance of his blessed Spirit his feare keeping the passage all these fawning treacherous motions solicited in the vnsanctified gestures and behauiour of the body may be made against their owne life that is that they may be so crushed and checked at the first that neither eye nor eare nor hand nor foote nor tongue nor looke may euer haue any list or ioy to serue sinne or Sathan or the man of Belial any more And so much briefly for the tyranny of sinne which hath all the parts of the body at commandement Now come we to the third point and let vs see how the sinne of hypocrisie in particular doth breake foorth and appeare in the very
thou hast sought his loue and canst not find it therefore thou wilt seeke no longer oh do not so but heare what the bodie sayth to thee a member of the same In my bed by night I sought him whom my soule loueth but I found him not What then did she giue ouer seeking No verily I will rise sayth the Church and go about in the Citie by the streetes and by the open places I will seeke him whom my soule loueth I sought him but I found him not The watchmen that went about the Citie found me meaning that she went to the Ministers of the word for comfort to whom I said haue you seen him whom my soule loueth When I had passed a little from them I found him whom my soule loueth I tooke hold on him and left him not c. Meaning that she hauing long vsed all meanes both priuate and publike then found him when she was out of all hope to find him and so do thou that art troubled in thy soule because thou canst not yet find that alteration of thy heart and that inward obedience and that truth of heart and that comfort and ioy by hearing the word and prayer c. which thou desirest and lookedst for vse all means continue stil seeking asking and knocking seeke priuatly at home in thy bed by priuate examination and meditation then conferre with thy Christian neighbors about the state of thy soule then go to the Ministers of the word and frequent the publike holy assemblies with an earnest desire of finding and doubtlesse at last when thou art out of al hope thou shalt find comfort And as in taking of bodily phisicke many through the weakenesse of their stomackes do cast vp that which they take and yet take the same thing stil though their stomake loath it so in taking of spirituall phisicke though yet thou doest in a manner loath it and distaste it yet take it still and at the length strength and delight will grow The second enemie that will hinder the reformation of the heart if it be not auoided is vnbeleefe which like armour of proofe Sathan commonly putteth vpon the hearts of the wicked that no perswasion counsell nor threatning will enter where the soule is armed with that therfore it is said in the Gospel that Christ could do no great work in his own country because of their vnbeleef to shew that vnbeleef doth as much as lieth in vs bind the hands of the Lord and hinder his gracious worke vpon vs. Therefore commonly Christ asked this question of those which came to be healed of him Canst thou beleeue And to those that did beleeue he would say in commendation of faith Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace O woman sayth he to one that would haue no nay great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou beleeuest and her daughter was healed the same houre this was the Cananite a Gentile Another suing to Christ for his sonne that was possessed with a dumbe spirite and being asked of Christ if he did beleeue that Christ was able and willing to dispossesse that spirite cried out with teares and sayd I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe to shew that we are to pray against vnbeleefe of heart euen with teares The best Christians are subiect vnto it as appeareth in that Christ reproued his Disciples for their vnbeleefe and hardnes of heart because they would not beleeue them that had seene him after he was risen again Mar. 16.14 Where we are also to note that vnbeleefe and hardnesse of heart do go together And the Apostle Paul confesseth freely against himselfe that he was sometime a blasphemer and a persecutor but he did it ignorantly he sayth through vnbeleefe to shew that vnbeleefe doth not onely hold men in ignorance and blindnesse longer then otherwise they should be but also doth nourish in them many grosse sinnes Therefore whosoeuer would haue a better heart then Belial hath let him pray against vnbeleefe The third enemie which hindreth our sanctification is custome of any one sinne whatsoeuer S. Augustine sayth Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati the custome of sinne taketh away all sense and feeling of sinne It is a despising of the long suffering and patience of God which should leade vs to repentance and it breedeth two dangerous diseases hardnesse of hart and impenitencie for as that way must needs be hard which is drie and much trampled vpon so that hart must needs be hardned in sinne which is voide of the softning grace of Gods Spirite and is accustomed to sinne therefore such a hearer is compared to the high way Luke 8.5 that in three respects first because it is crooked and winding this way and that way like the high way Secondly because it is common for all that come men and beasts God and the diuel for good company for bad like the high way And thirdly because it is hardned by oftē sinning as the high way is by oftē treading therfore he that goeth about to reforme his hart and yet accustometh to lodge any sin therein with loue and delight doth but deceiue himselfe Now further to withstand these enemies and to put them to flight the Apostles counsel is to be folowed in Heb. 3.12 Take heed saith he lest there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God but exhort one another dayly while it is said to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnes of sin The summe of his counsel is this First that euery man by himself must looke vnto himselfe that he hath not resident in him a filthy standing puddle a wicked vngodly heart or a heart that makes a practise of sinne that is wauering and inconstant in the seruice of God Secondly that euery Christian be carefull one for another and by mutuall and dayly exhortations stirre vp one another vnto godlinesse for which he giueth a double reason the first is from the nature of sinne which is deceitfull and at a blush like vertue secondly from the effects of sinne which are hardnesse of heart and impenitencie Though the profane person with Esau seeke the blessing with teares yet shall he find no place for repentance so doth this cursed guest reward this wretched hoast who giueth him welcome and entertainement And because brotherly loue can see the deceit of sin better then self-loue as another mans eye shall see how a mans garment sitteth better then he that weareth it therefore the Apostle willeth euery man in brotherly loue to note and to notifie vnto others such things as they see amisse in thē And this holy course who soeuer doeth wisely speedily carefully continually obserue shall do good both to his owne heart and to other mens and shall find in the end that the gaine will answer the paine the fruite will defray the charges and that will be this
he shall find that his heart is not like the heart of Belial who is still fraught with leud things and consequently that he shall not neede to stand in feare of that destruction which so speedily so suddenly and so irrecouerably shall fall vpon lawles Belial and Ish auen the man of vanitie and so much for the phisick or means restoratiue preseruatiue to purge preserue the hart from leudnes But here it will be obiected by some that I speake of things impossible Who can do all this will they say Can any man so serue God that there shall be no leudnes nor euill in his heart The heart is deceitfull aboue all things saith Ieremy who can know it if not know it much lesse reforme it And who can say my heart is cleane saith Salomon And although Dauid that man of God wished that his wayes were so directed that he might keepe the statutes of the Lord alwayes and protesteth that with his whole heart he hath sought the Lord yet by his grieuous falles it is euident that there was much leudnesse in his heart and therefore he prayeth that God would create in him a cleane heart and deliuer him from bloud-guiltinesse Was Dauid then a man of Belial or is euery one to take himselfe for a man of Belial and Ish auen a vaine person that hath any wicked imagination or purpose at any time in his heart All this is true and yet betweene the heart of Belial and of a true seruant of God there is great difference For first God speaking of Belial saith not simply leud things haue bene or may be in his heart or go and come by stealth at vnawares or annoy or haunt his hart but leud things are in his heart speaking in the time present take him when you will he hath alwayes a leud heart to shew that there is a continuall residence of leudnesse and diuels in him No man can say his heart is cleane as touching perfection of puritie No man can say but that leud things haue bin in his heart haue haunted his heart through the deceitfulnes of sin haue stolen in and gotten a lodging there awhile like the counterfeit Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua with their old shooes bottels c. may steale vpon him vnawares as theeues do when a man sleepeth but yet the child of God regenerate may say sometimes truly through the grace of Christ I thanke God these leud motions and perswasions be now gone and put to flight sinne dwelleth not in me like a freeholder much lesse raigneth like a tyrant these leud things haue no quiet rest nor residence in me Gods Spirite keepeth the hold and Iesus Christ with his bloud and Spirite doth cleanse me from all my sinne and doth make vp the breach againe which Sathan made And comfortable is the note that Dauid giueth of himselfe in Psal. 66.18 If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me to shew that though wickednesse get into the heart so we regard it not nor like it not but thinke the time long til he be gone againe all is well so cannot the man of Belial say for he is glad of such a guest he regardeth leud things delighteth in them as in those that he liueth by and is angry with euery man with euery Sermon with euery sentence with euery word yea with euery looke that seemeth to dislike of his waies or that go about to disquiet or disturb his hart or once to speake of it or to meddle withal yea for feare that any man should come neare him and touch any thing that is in his hart he will either sit far inough off from the Preacher that he shall not heare him or haue his armor of vnbeleefe vpon him that whatsoeuer is said shal not enter or wil shape him a short answer that shall seeme to meddle with him or to iudge of his heart how vile soeuer his life be saying O you must not iudge who made you a iudge my heart is knowne to God looke to your owne I thanke God I haue as good a heart to God as any of you all I loue not this pricisenes or this purenesse a man may be too holy and serue God too much what a man that wil liue must dissemble a little and play the good fellow and must haue some deuises in his head that all the world know not of c. And this is Belials reckoning cast it ouer who list set euery speech in his place and the Summa totalis wil be a compound summe like that which standeth vpon pounds shillings and pence and this is the summe of all it amounteth iust to Atheisme Epicurisme Libertinisme a Christian in name a Protestant at large and the summe of this point for an answer final to the former obiection is this He that in truth and vnfainedly studieth to please God in the part regenerate may be said to haue a good heart and a heart reformed Paul professed that in a good conscience he serued God and yet in Rom. 7. sayth I do not the good that I would I find that when I would serue God euill is present with me c. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of sinne Then he answereth himselfe I thank God through Iesus Christ my Lord. Yet this followeth as a heauy burden of his song while he liued Euill is present with me I am led captiue to the law of sinne that is vnwillingly enough therefore to end let none thinke that no body serueth God with a good hart but he that hath no corruption in his hart as Anabaptists and Puritanes indeed say so was it not with Dauid nor Paul nor any of Gods children in this life And happie is he that now can go home and find by this Sermon leud things chased out of his heart with a stedfast purpose to serue the Lord with all his heart Now let vs pray THE VII SERMON PRO. 6.14 He imagineth euill continually Fabricatur malum saith Tremelius that is he forgeth or frameth euill IN this part of Belials Anatomie the holy Ghost alludeth to Carpenters or Smiths which do by art and skill contriue their worke and of rude stuffe shape out what they list shewing hereby that the man of Belial in like sort like an artificer doth of the rude stuffe of his heart frame and forge vnto himselfe in the shop of his owne braine what he listeth but yet this difference is betweene this artificer other artificers they of that which was bad do make something that will be good he of that which is good doth forge out matter that is naught they of that which was deformed and without shape do frame something of good forme and fashion he of that which was of forme good inough doth by his art and skill make a deformed thing they do somtime through ignorance or want of experience
no scholler if he please their humor he is the onely man and no man may come neare him If he vse to repeat his doctrine then he is tedious and wanteth matter if his deliuerie be mild then he is afraid to displease if it be bold and seuere then he is peremptorie and proud If a man vrge the law then he driueth men to desperation if mortification he driueth men into melancholy dumpes and frayeth them out of their wits If we vrge iustification before God by faith in Christ onely then they imagine that we denie good workes If we preach good workes then we are Popish if we teach that men must not pray to Saints nor for the dead then they imagine we deny prayer if we say that the salutation of the Angell to Mary is no prayer then we deny part of the new Testament if we say the Creede is no prayer then we deny the Creede if we preach against common vaine and needlesse swearing then they imagine vs to be Anabaptistes and deny both the vse of an oath and magistracie if we speak against gaming dancing other prophanations of the Lords day then they imagine that we allow Christians no manner of recreation If we preach against any sin that they vse then we preach of malice and against them if we teach doctrine which they conceiue not then there is no edifying in our sermons if they like it not then they imagine that no body else doth regard it if they come to heare vs then we are beholding to them for their presence if they wil not heare vs yet they imagine that we must speake though it be to the wals If they let their children or seruants be catechized by the Minister then they imagine that they do their Minister a great part of friendship in gracing of him if they say ouer their stint of prayers then God is beholding to them and heauen they must haue of merit If they heare sermons then they imagine all is well as though God were pleased with eare-seruice onely and alwayes they imagine grossely of spirituall things like Nicodemus who when Christ spake of being borne againe imagined that he must go againe into his mothers belly And as these Belials are themselues such do they imagine all others to be for as to him that hath an ague all things seeme vnsauourie so to him that hath an euill heart of his owne all mens doings seeme to be euill to verifie the saying of the Apostle in Titus 2.5 To the pure all things are pure but to the vncleane and impure nothing is pure but euen their minds and consciences are defiled and that is the cause why all things seeme euill vnto them because their minds and consciences are defiled But who are pure wil some say are not all men sinners and doth not sinne defile euery mans minde It is true that all men naturally are defiled with euill imaginations Gen. 6.5 but by faith which is through the grace of God in Christ the hearts of the elect are regenerated and purified because it apprehendeth the bloud and spirit of Christ to cleanse vs from sinne past and to preserue vs afterward from the dominion at the least of sinne to come like physicke restoratiue and preseruatiue For where a iustifying faith is there is a fanctifying grace And where faith is Mistresse there is charity handmaid which is of that excellent nature and disposition through the education and instruction of Gods Spirit who begate her that she iudgeth the best of euery thing that may be well interpreted 1. Cor. 13. And so much for the qualitie of Belials imaginations which is euill for so saith my Text and experience confirmeth no lesse but that he imagineth euill Now let vs consider of the other adiunct of Belials imaginations and that is adiunctum quantitatis an adiunct or circumstance of quantitie the euill of his imaginations is of an exceeding great quantitie for he doth not onely imagine euill and make the worst or euery thing but he imagineth euill continually Continually saith the holy Ghost to shew that the man of Belial is alwayes at worke This word noteth in the wicked man two things First diligence Secondly perseuerance in euill Great is the diligence of wicked men in sinne for they lose no time They cannot sleepe saith Salomon except they haue done some euill No Sleepe departeth from their eyes vntill they haue caused some to fall Like gamesters who cannot find the way to bed vntill either they haue lost all their money or caused others to lose all They continue day and night they are as diligent in the seruice of the diuell as the diuell himselfe is is hunting after mens soules for he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure and so do his men of Belial seeke whome to deface and deuoure This note of continuance cometh in like a barre in the armes of the wicked to put a difference betweene them and the godly For though the godly or regenerate do sometime fall into euill surmises and bad imaginations through naturall weakenesse and corruption of heart yet they continue not in it Shall we continue still in sinnes saith the Apostle that grace may abound God forbid No they dare not continue in a sinne they are euer checking and controlling their wayes and confessing their sinnes and condemning themselues and forsaking their euill imaginations And if they fall againe into the same sinne as oftentimes they do it is with a greater detestation and lothing of the same sinne and with a greater and more earnest striuing against it afterward And yet the godly are not so simple and foolishly credulous as to beleeue euery faire tale or to be in league with euery flattering face or to shake hands presently with euery new acquaintance nor to trust euery promise and protestation without any maner of trial nor to make the best of that which is of it selfe naught and apparantly euill nor to be free from all suspition where there is iust cause to suspect and in so doing they are not to be condemned but rather to be commended for as charitie is not suspitious without cause so is it not foolish and blockish when there is cause And seeing as our Sauior Christ himself hath ioyned the innocency of the Doue and the prudency of the Serpent together simplicitie and discretion as a most fit match and well beseeming a Christian soule let no man separate them asunder but be simple wise too And hereof we haue diuers examples in the Scriptures Abraham imagined that in Gerar his wife might be abused and he slaine for his wifes sake and not without iust cause for he saw that the feare of God was not in that place to shew that when good men haue to deale with those that feare not God they may very iustly imagine that they shall not be well dealt withall Iacob suspected that al