but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
vaine doctrine Wherefore we must not be euer learning and yet not come to the knowledge of the truth but the trueth must dwell plentifully in vs with all wisdome that wee may discerne the spiritâ— And when we haue waied and found any thing according to the word then must wee receiue it as the word of God with reuerence and if we finde any thing false in it wee must be so farre off from receiuing it that we must hold him accursed that shall bring it though he were an Angell from Heauen Foolish then is that phreneticall fansie of the Familie of Loue which will say we may not iudge we cannot condemne For euery Christian taught by the spirit may yea and ought in the libertie of the spirit to trie and condemne all that is not consonant with the holy word of God The third thing required of a Christian is that by his knowledge he be able to instruct and admonish others This doth Iude in his epistle require that we should doe wheÌ„ he exhorteth vs to edifie one another in our most holy faith This also is giuen in charge Hebr. 3. that we should admonish one another and Hebr. 5. it is said that in respect of the times we ought to be teachers Our Sauiour Christ also commaundeth vs if our brother offend that we should admonish him This dutie wee owe and this we must be able to discharge especially to them of our household of our towne of our kindred and so by degrees to all men as wee haue occasion to deale with them and as our calling shall suffer vs. The fourth thing is that wee should be able to giue an account of our hope euen vnto our enemies This Peter requireth in plaine wordes this doth our Sauiour Christ require that if we would hee should confesse vs before his Father that we should confesse him before men These things were fulfilled in the Apostles times in the primitiue Church and in Queene Maries daies and this euen among vs may be found in many places therefore this is the true and natural meaning of this place This was neuer found in the Anabaptists who the younger they were in heresie the better they were in honestie and if once they waxe old in their heresie they grow not so much in knowledge as in subtiltie to inuent mens phrâ—ses to delude and deceiue with new starched termes They will auouch nothing before a Magistrate if they bee taken they will recaâ—t if they die they will say it is for treason and not for heresie And although nowadaies there be found few Christians which be able to trie theÌ„selues their Teachers to teach theÌ„selues to admonish others to giue an account of their hope before the aduersarie yet we may lesse marueile at it though they be not ashamed of it when as some occupying the roomes of Ministers and many wise and politique Magistrates cannot examine themselues and much lesse trie others Examine them and deale with them in matters of a better life of doctrine or discipline and they can say nothing but by act of Parliament by iniunctions and the common proceedings If there were a contrarie blast of heresie blowne in their eares they could not tell what to say to it they would follow the Court and doe as most doe affirme as the superiours affirme and denie that they denie because all their religion hangs on the Councels determination and on the Kings proceedings So that euery one is not a Christian that carrieth the title and beareth the face of a Christian but they indeede are professors of Christ who are annointed with his Spirit wherewith hee was annointed whether in a dropping or more flowing measure We see then what we ought to doe and doe not wherein we may be the more ashamed that the Papist the Turke the Familie of loue delight so much in their studie They be so carefull to dishonour God we are carelesse to honour him which thing ought to moue vs and to make vs more carefull to seeke knowledge Many so farre exceede that they begin now to be ashamed and they bid away with exercises of religion they can leaue them for and post them to others I am no teacher but an husband man saith one I am not booke-learned but a poore artificer saith another I was neuer brought vp at schooles with these learned men but at home saith the third it is not for vs to be seene in these points it appertaineth rather to Doctors The words of God are here very flat I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh c. And surely if any man hath not receiued God his Spirit the Apostle pronounceth him to bee none of God his children and if wee haue the spirit wee shall sheew it in the fruites of the spirit Wherefore let vs cast away these vaine excuses farre from vs We are young men we must haue a fling youth is vnstable it will bee time for vs to be grauer hereafter when wee become old men Howbeit the Prophet Dauid saith Psal. 119.9 Wherewithall may a young man redresse his way c. And Eccles 12. 1. it is said Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c. If young men will appertaine to God they must haue God his spirit that is such gifts as they may doe these things Let none say wee are old our memorie failes vs if our wits were as fresh as they haue been we could doe something now we can remember nothing For men can remember things of vanitie done in their youth and in chronicling theÌ„ they will weare tongues and to fetch euidences of lands or mony which they haue hidden their memorie failes in no point Well as the Lord saith that yong men shall see visions so old men shall dreame dreames If wisedome and the feare of God be the crowne of old age and without these the aged man euen of an hundred yeeres old is accursed they had neede to labour for knowledge Old men will pleade for their priuiledge to goe before young men in worldly things and will they hope for plackards to excuse them if they come behind them in heauenly things None must say We are but seruants and vnder others wee must labour for our wages and no time can wee haue as others to learne such things it is well if wee may haue the Lord his day to rest on we must haue our recreation then wee cannot alwayes be toyling Well if ye be the seruants of God as well as the seruants of men men or maides ye must by God his spirit be able to prophecie Is your condition hard vnder the Gospell oh praise God it is nothing so hard as vnder the Law For in times past seruants were bondmen little better in condition than bruite beasts and yet men being at that time in such an estate vnder such heathen men did so carefully attend vpon the Lord in the word and in prayer that they would redeeme al times possible for to
the secret counsel of the Lord herein we must know that neither the promise of the Lord is so vniuersall that euery particular childe of a faithfull man should be within the couenant for if of many there be but one blessed the promise is performed Yea which more is though that a faithfull man haue neuer a good childe yet if vnto the thousand generation there be but one good the couenant is not broken Neither must wee tie the Lords worke so much to man that a good man may not haue an euil sonne seeing though the Lord visit not his sinnes yet hee may visit the sinnes of some of the forefathers to the third and fourth generation going before To the second I say that an euill father hauing a good child though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before And though that an euill man haue no cursed child yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation which we leaue onely to the Lord to make good or bad according to the good pleasure of his owne will I exhort parents to vse the ordinarie meanes to bring vp their childreÌ„ so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of the couenant or at the least be comforted in their owne consciences if the Lord refuse their children for some cause vnknowne in that to their abilitie they haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and offered them to God And if parents haue cause to be grieued when thus trauailing in good education they cannot see good in their children how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed no labour at all to bring them vp in the feare of the Lord and yet many will be grieued for the one that will not be grieued for the other Wherefore let vs learne if we will conueigh Gods blessings to our posterities to vse all holy duties thereunto and on the contrarie if we will be loath to conueigh Gods iudgements to our children let vs carefully auoide all meanes that leade vnto them And surely as it is a blessed thing in the houre of death with Simâ—on to depart in peace leauing our wife children and seruants spouses to Christ children to God and seruants to the Lord so in death no one thing will be more grieuous to a man than the Lords hauing giuen him the charge and dignitie of so many soules to be furthered to saluation that his owne tormented conscience shall presse him how in as much as he could he hath helped them forward to their damnation and so which is more fearefull he shall haue them spuing and foming out in his face continual curses in hell accusing him for euer to be the murtherer of their soules Howbeit I doe not exempt children from all blame so charging the parents as though the children were free from all guiltinesse herein for I am not ignorant that as in the time of Ezekiel so in our dayes youth is readie enough to take vp this Prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge But I affirme that though the occasion be offered of such wicked parents yet the cause of destruction is still in the children themselues And besides that it is sure that the soule which hath sinned shall die the death Seeing also there be some yong men who notwithstanding the great prophanenes of the most the manifold corruptions offered abroade the vngodly examples abounding at home are so mightily preserued by the seede of grace that they escape safely in an holy course of life lamenting when they see the least occasion of euill reioycing in the least occasion of good things the rest who please themselues and hope to shelter their sinnes vnder their parents defaults are plainely left without excuse and are iustly guiltie of the blood of their owne soules Labour therefore ye yong men to wipe away the teares of griefe from your fathers eyes and stay the sorrowfull spirits of your tender mothers and consider with your selues if you haue any good nature in you and haue not buried the vse of common reason what a shame it is to be a shame vnto your fathers to whom ye ought to be a glorie and thinke ye wanton wits that haue not cast off all naturall affections what a contempt it is to be a contempt vnto your mother to whom ye haue offered as it were a despightfull violence in that ye are as it were a corrosiue vnto her heart when as ye should haue bin a Crowne vnto her head The end of al this briefly is thus much that parents hauing children not walking either in knowledge or in a good conscience must make some vse of so iust a cause of griefe examining themselues and accusing their owne soules before the Lord either for that their meeting was prophane to so holy an estate or brutish because they desired rather a seede like vnto themselues in flesh and blood than such as might be like to Christ by grace and new birth or that they begat their of spring as meere naturall or very carnall men or because they either prophanely neglected al educatioÌ„ or monstrously misliked that in their children which they liked in themselues and punished in them their owne corrupt precepts or for that they suffered iniuriously their children to doe euill vnto others which they could not suffer them to doe vnto themselues or vntaught that at home which was taught abroad or in that they doe lie in some sinne vnrepented of or else because they neuer made conscience to bring their posteritie within the couenant of saluation but still loued their flesh in their children not their soules And children must here also learne that it is one speciall propertie of a liberall and ingenuous nature to be carefull so to liue that in time they may bee a glorie to their fathers and a ioy to their mothers which the Lord grant to vs all for his glorie and our euerlasting comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour FINIS OF REPENTANCE AND TRVE SORROVV FOR SIN THE SEVENTH SERMON Acts 2. vers 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and saide vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter saide vnto them Amend your liues and bee baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes c. IN this portion of the holy booke of God is set downe to vs an effect or rather a fruite of Peter his sermon which hee made for the answering of the slanderous reports of the Iewes at what time they sawe the wonderfull gifts of God sent downe vpon the Apostles In which Sermon the Apostle had pricked their consciences with shewing
many of his porters to awaken vs out of sinne and to stirre vs vp to the receiuing of the kingdome of God that so they seeking may finde and knocking it may be opened vnto them It followeth which when a man hath found c. To pursue euery particular farre in a parable is not the safest way except it agree with the analogie of the things wee must here know that parables doe not hold but in some things and not in all and therefore in this sense the word doth not agree with a treasure which when a man hath found he hideth to this end that none else should finde it and be partakers of it but himselfe but in the Word it ought not to be so but in this sense it agreeth with the analogie of our faith A man which hath found a great treasure it is so great ioy vnto him as that he suspecteth himselfe whether it be so or no hee is afeard least he hath not found it and therefore he searcheth more neerely into it againe least that his sudden ioy should be soone decaâ—ed or else hauing found it hee lose it and therefore hee hideth it and euen so it is with the spirituall kingdome of God for when it pleaseth God to worke in the heart of his people by the ministerie of his word to feele their saluation in Christ Iesus by by there ariseth a kind of feare in their hearts least they be missed by seeking the way to saluatioÌ„ or hauing found the way they are afraide least they should lose it againe they are full of doubts that they continually striue to come to a greater assurance therof For in the imbracing of this treafure they finde it to be so sweete and the tast thereof to be so precious as that they labour throughly to seek after it they desire not to haue a glimmering fight of our Sauiour Christ but euen a full taste of him and all his benefits And therefore there is neuer through peace in the hearts of the childreÌ„ of God so long as they reuerence the word til they haue hidden the word of God in their hearts and grow more and more in the assurance of their saluation in Christ Iesus And therefore Dauid in Psal. 119 the second and third vers saith I haue hid thy commaundements in my heart that I might not sinne against thee And in Prouerbs the second and first verse My sonne if thou wilt receiue my wordâ— and hide my commandements within thee and cause thine eare to hearken vnto wisedome and incline tâ—â—â—e heart to vnderstanding when wisedome entreth thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsaile preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee Where wee see that the holy Ghost giueth this precept vnto the children of God that they labour so for the word that it be hidden in their hearts they must labour to haue their hearts wholâ—e to prossesse the word for the minde of man it may be deceiued but the heart cannot if the heart bee once throughly possessed of the word it cannot easily be depriued of it Now as a treasure is found before it be sought so is the word of God Esai 65. 1. Rom. 10. 20. I was found of them that sought me not and haue been made manifest to them that asked not after me This sheweth that all goodnesse coÌ„meth of the free grace and mercie of God but to this end doth God manifest himselfe to them that sought him not that men when God hath once found them should then seeke after him and when hee hath once spoken vnto them then they should hearken vnto him And this no doubt the children of God who who when the Lord hath found them and they know that the Lord hath spokeÌ„ they haue heard him O then so glad would they heare him againe and fearefull they are least they should bee depriued of hearing him in his word neither doe they desire to haue Christ transfigured in the mount but themselues to bee transformed into new men that they might grow vp in righteousnesse from strength to strength and from faith to faith This I speake vnto the sonnes and daughters of God which languish in their sinnes and in the feeling of their infirmities and hunger and thirst after the graces of God O how ioyfull are they in hearing the word hauing felt comfort in it such feruencie of spirit is in them to heare the preaching of the word being so precious vnto them they delight in the Sacraments finding confirmation of faith and strength by them The companie of Gods children is most delightfull vnto them as Dauid saith All my delight O Lord is vpon thy Saints on earth Their consciences are comforted and they are ful of alacritie and cheerefulnesse These things may serue to stirre vs vp to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse the hearing of Gods word For by experience I haue knowne and tried some which in the beginning of their profession haue been zealous haue taken pleasure in the word of God haue felt some comfort in the word and for coÌ„firmation of their faith both the word and the Saints of God were deare vnto them They haue distributed to the poore and haue had many other graces yet when they looked for the vertue and power and effect which the word should haue wrought in their hearts it was not in them alas these things are now gone but although the children of God haue many seuerall temptations and that often without any feeling of this yet let them assure them of this that be they whosoeuer they are at one time or other they shall feele this mightie power of the spirit of God in them to quicken them vp It is requisite therefore for them to knowe how this commeth and what the remedie thereof is that so they might finde out the way to the attaining of it Truly the Lord was found of vs when we sought him not he made himselfe known vnto vs when we were ignorant of him he caused the light to shine on vs when we sate in darkenes and in the shadow of death It pleased him in the first shining of the Gospell to put the teate and the milke into our mouthes euen as a good mother dealeth with her yong childe and to put the cloathes vpon our backes and to prouide all things for vs without asking but after that the Lord hath thus nourished vs and regenerated vs by his word and spirit and found vs out euen then when we thought not of him and then we like vnto little children were readie to come vnto him behold here the great mercie and louing kindnesse of our God towards vs but when as yet notwithstanding these mercies are increased not in faith in repentance and godly obedience vnto the lawes of God he still vseth vs as children euen as Christ vsed his Apostles giuing vs to know and to see that surely there is good and that there is comfort and
the steadinesse stilnesse and mildnesse of our minde in that wee will not dispute with reason against any thing in our regeneration I see that many that wil not deliuer themselues and their reasons to be captiuated vnto the truth and refuse to beleeue the mysticall power of the Gospel are in time carried away by foule and effectuall illusions For there are many who hearing in the word of the wonderful creation redemption and preseruation of man and of the matter of the Sacramēts cannot beleeue them yet afterwards goe to witches and to be caught of the diuell which they cannot vnlesse they professe and practise an euill faith so that they which will no profit by the truth will suffer themselues to be deluded The other kinde of euill in my diuision was of things not apparantly euill As in times past we were carefull for nothing more then with libertie of minde to vse the creatures of God so now adayes nothing is lesse to be taught because loose libertie and licentiousnes serue so for the flesh and we do not by our libertie serue one another in loue We can say outward things are lawful euery man obiecteth outward things cannot desile a man I answere that when outward liberty bringeth inward bondage and the pretence of outward things lawfull hinder the necessary inward things they be made vnlawfull All things are vnlawfull saith Paul but I will not be brought vnder the bondage of any thing Well howsoeuer wee pretend this lawfull vse of outward things which in their owne natures are the good creatures to cloake our wantonnesse withal let vs know that the wickednesse beginneth in wantonnesse and wantonnesse endeth in wickednesse because it is the way of a dangerous downfall of our soules For either the Lord will punish it with present and temporall punishment or else will cast vs into some great sinnes hereafter And though I will not affirme that euery wanton young man is a meere wicked man yet I dare affirme that wantonnesse is the way to further euill Besides this am I sure of wantonnesse maketh vs vnapt to good workes it takes away the comfort of Gods spirit the ioye of the word the sweetnesse of prayer and of the Sacraments Againe as it is certaine that wantons pray not meditate not nor doe any good thing aright because that sinne desireth all euill and hindereth all good things so if the word would teach vs sinne we would learne it if it make for our good wee cannot learne it And that wee may see to how many euils youth and wantonnesse be subiect reade Galath 6. 1. Cor. 6. Eccl. 11. Psal. 25. Iob. 14. Ierem. 21. So now we know what is the meaning of the man of God in this word euill way that is that which is occasion of euill We can say in worldly things because the way is dangerous through ditches theeues pits or such like Oh that the same minde were in vs to preuent the perils of our soules Our Sauiour Christ taught vs that if our eye offend vs we should pull it out if our hand or foote offend vs we should cut them off the meaning whereof is that we should not indeed shred them off but resraine from the corrupt vsing of them and turne them to a better vse We haue shewed hitherto how carefully the man of God vsed the meanes to godlines and also how carefull hee was to auoide all occasions of euill Wee must not then thinke christianity to bee so small a thing if as lingerers wee make such friuolous excuses that it is hard to be a good man we shall surely neuer come to so high a dignitie We haue also shewed that vnles we labour to deny our selues we shall neuer buckle our selues after the graces of God Vers. 102. I haue not declined from thy iudgements for thou diddest teach me AS if he should say I haue seene and obserued that whosoeuer did resraine from euill they were wiser than their enemies they became more learned than their teachers and proued grauer than the ancient and that they which did not resraine were greatly punished plagued and trodden downe and as thou hast punished some so wilt thou also punish others wherefore I haue not declined from thy iudgements Was there euer towne people or person which truly beleeued in Iesus Christ in whose life and death did not appeare plentifully Gods mercy And contrarily how haue the vnbeleeuers bin giuen ouer to hardnes of heart and a reprobate minde many plagues wars and other iudgements of God to them incident Old Protestants are now become rustie because they made no account of Gods word in their youth Esau lost his Birth-right for a messe of pottage hee sought it afterwards with teares but could not haue it whose prophanesse grew by pleasures We see many wanton men to come to fearefull ends and silthie adulteries who beginning to condemne the word fell to spending from spending to rioting from riot to adulterie from that to theft and from stealing to death If we will obserue godly discipline we must first learne Gods doctrine if wee will learne his iudgements we must learne his mercie We attribute too much to fortune to fatall destinies to charmings and such like but no man doth looke vp to the hand of God wherein we take his name in vaine in not vsing aright his iudgements Thou hast taught me that is thou hast besides the ministeriall preaching giuen me an extraordinarie knowledge of thy iudgements Many knowe much who notwithstanding cannot profit by Gods iudgements So that the briefe and plaine meaning of the Prophet is thus much in effect O Lord I haue not had this knowledge in and of my selfe but I receiued it of thy Holy spirite it was thy mercie and thy grace that made mee knowe thy iudgements The man of God then sheweth vs in this verse that hee did alwayes set the iudgements of God before him what made him then so carefull to doe them the considering of them in his mind the occupying his eies to marke them the vsing of his eares to heare how God performed his promises to the obedient executed his fearefull threatnings on the wicked A thing than which nothing is worthie of greater meditation We heare often with our eares but with little profit the glorious promises and wonderfull vengeance of the Lord what is commaunded and what is forbidden but when we consider and see before our eyes how the Lord hath performed these things we are humbled from sinne comforted to obedience This is it that breeds triall proofe experience to see how the Lord hath in his mercy dealt with Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Dauid his faithful seruants and how he hath plagued the Egyptians the Sodomites the olde world and other of his enemies Thy iudgements of old O Lord saith Dauid haue I considered Wee shall neuer effectually obserue the iudgements of old vnlesse we obserue the iudgements of God of late For
THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVLL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST M. RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREACHER OF THE WORD of God collected into one Volume REVISED CORRECTED AND PVBLISHED FOR THE FVRTHER BVILDING OF ALL SVCH AS LOVE the truth and desire to know the power of godlinesse By H. H. THE FIFT AND LAST EDITION IN WHICH MATTERS DISPERSED BEFORE THROVGH the whole booke are methodically drawne to their seuerall places and the hundred and nineteenth Psalme perfected with a more exact Table annexed ECCLESIASTES 12. 21. The words of the wise are like goades and like nailes fastened by the Masters of the assemblies which are giuen by one Pastor GOD IS MY HELPER LONDON Printed for VVILLIAM VVELBY and are to be solde at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1612. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE MONARCH IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF Great Britaine France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. RIght gracious Soueraigne I doe here humbly present vnto your Highnesse the holy Labours of that worthy Seruant of Christ Mr. RICHARD GREENHAM painfullie collected corrected and published for the good of Gods Church by my late deere Husband Mr. HENRY HOLLAND a Preacher of the Gospell in your Highnesse Cittie of London VVhich I am bold to offer vnto your excellent Maiestie partly in respect of the Author a man renowned for his rare pietie and paines and for his singular dexteritie in comforting afflicted Consciences partly in regard of the worke it selfe so well accepted and approued in the Church that this is now the fift time it hath ben published But chiefly because my husband hauing a little before his death bestowed great care and paines in collecting and preparing for the presse the fourth and last part of these workes which in this edition is added to the rest straightly and many times charged mee vpon his death bed to present and dedicate the whole vnto your Highnesse as a pledge which he desired to leaue vnto the world of his most dutifull affection and earnest desire to doe your Maiestie all the honour and the Churches within your Highnesse dominions all the seruice that hee could VVherefore humbly praying that your excellent Maiestie would be pleased to accept the same at the hands of a poore widow from him that is now at rest in the Lord and hath in part receiued the crowne of his labours I doe earnestly beseech the God of heauen abundantly to heape all graces and blessings vpon your Highnesse and your royall posteritie in this life and finally to set vpon your heads the crowne of euerlasting life and glory in the world to come Your Maiesties most humble and dutifull subiect Elizabeth Holland widow TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS LADIES THE LADIE MARGARET COVNTESSE OF CVMBERLAND AND THE LADIE KATHERINE Countesse Dowager of Huntington H. H. wisheth the increase of all true honour and comforts in this life and after death a crowne of glory with Iesus Christ. I May seeme to passe the boundes of Christian modeslie so to presse into your presence Right Honorable and vertuous Ladies without due regard of your persons and places But such is your wisedome that you can and your honorable affection that you will heare with patience the meanest seruant of Iesus Christ. I come Right Honorable as in the name of the faithfull seruant of Christ M. R. Greenham a man well knowne vnto your honours and to those most religious patrons of all pietie and good learning the right Honourable Earles of blessed memorie of Huntington VVarwicke and of Bedford which now sleepe in the Lord. Of them much was hee reuerenced in his life time of your Honours much lamented after death for that you know the losse of such to be no small wracke vnto the Church and people of God Now so it is right Honorable and vertuous Ladies that pietie in this declining age waxeth daily very faint impiety doth much abound and God hath not only set before you those noble examples for imitation but also hath enriched your harts with his faith feare and loue as it well appeares to embrace his blessed truth and to be as nursing mothers to the holy religion of Christ. Now then this good seruant of the Lord God gaue him to recompence his want of naturall children many sonnes and daughters begotten by the Gospell to the faith of Christ and some orphanes hee left after him which being cherished and accepted with grace among men shall truely resemble the Fathers heart which begat them and stand vp for him to speake and preach pietie and the true faith of Christ to posteritie One of which after a yeeres trauell in the nurcing and education coated and attired in the best manner that I can and now able to speake distinctly and comfortably the fathers minde and meaning to all the spirituall Sonnes and Daughters of God in our Church here I doe in loue vnfained vnto him and in dutie to your Honours humbly present vnto your Honourable protection If the holy Ghost thought good to commend his great and most diuine Oracles which haue a singular kinde of spirit life and power in them knowne to all true beleeuers to the Church and people of God vnder the patronage as it were of honourable and vertuous Nobilitie for that Inferiours neglect euen the best things which their Superiours seeme lesse to account of and examples doe best preuaile with vnbeleeuers No maruell right Honourable Ladies if the seruants of God desire the like fauour and patronage for their labors euen of those whom the Lord hath set as bright shining starres among men Your Honours shall finde in this first portion of this worke a delectable and comfortable varietie of graue experienced counsels which may serue as precious remedyes wisely applyed for many euils and holy directions for the good gouernment of a Christian life and most diuine rules grounded vpon Scriptures and well approued by his long practise seruing well to appease the rage and to quench the scorching flame and fierie darts of the diuell which so torment all poore distressed consciences in this life Such experience and good liking haue your Honours had of this man of God of his godlines and grauitie and of the manifold gifts of God in him that I neede say no more as any way doubting of your Honourable acceptation I haue beene bould thus to knit your Honours together in this one Epistle because I am well assured the spirit of Grace hath knit your hearts together in his faith and feare and for that you were so knit together in loue vnfained to this holy seruant of Christ This worke then I commend vnto your Honours and your Honours and it to the good blessing and holy protection of the Almightie Your HH to commaund Henry Holland THE PREFACE TO THE READER THe lips of the righteous feede many The true diet of the soule is an Art most rare a very diuine facultie It must be graunted that
the one and reiect the other but most principally respecteth in the whole to edifie the heart and conscience being well assured that this part hath most neede in most Christians of direction and consolation and as we be in this part affected so be we in substance and veritie before God For this cause hee desireth and laboureth most in all these workes to stirre vp the heart and to quicken the affections to embrace true godlines that so being freed from sin by the blood of Christ made the seruants of God we might haue our fruit in holines and in the end eternall life In this Impression I haue carefully reuised and corrected in the whole worke all the faults which either by mine owne priuate reading or by the helpe of other louing friends I could obserue in word or matter Here I rest for a time requesting thy prayers good Christian Reader that now all these holy workes thus knit together may serue to Gods glorie and to the further building of the Church of God in our Land Thine in the Lord Iesus HENRY HOLLAND CHristian Reader thou hast here all Maister GREENHAMS workes as they haue beene heretofore gathered and published by the industrie of that worthy and painefull Preacher Maister Henry Holland In this edition thus much is performed viz. the 119. Psalme perfected a praier of Maister GREENHAMS in the end of his workes added and the whole Booke reduced into a more methodicall order which would haue beene dâ—â—e by Maister Holland if he had longer liued all which hath now beene thought fit to be published in this manner as may appeare in the contents following A SHORT AND GENERALL VIEVV OF ALL SVCH MATTERS AS ARE CONTAINED IN THE VVHOLE VVorkes of Mr. Greenham digested after a more Methodicall manner then heretofore The whole Booke is diuided into fiue seuerall parts as hereafter followeth with their particular Titles contained vnder euery one of the said Parts THE FIRST PART Wherein are contained these Titles hereunder following 1 THE first portion is of graue Counsels page 1 2 Another or second portion of an hundred and one and fifty graue Counsels or diuine Aphorismes page 44 3 A third portion likewise of an hundred graue counsels and diuine directions for the attaining and retaining of faith and a good conscience page 51 4 A short forme of catechising page 71 THE SECOND PART Wherein are contained these Treatises following 1 A Sweet comfort for an afflicted Conscience page 95 2 A second Treatise of the same argument page 112 3 The markes of a righteous man 118 4 Sweet and sure signes of Election to them that are brought low 122 5 A Treatise of Contract before marriage 122 6 A Treatise of the Sabaoth 128 7 Notes of saluation with the necessitie and notes of a true vpright hart 171. 172 8 A direction for the reading of the Scriptures page 173 9 A Treatise of the Resurrection 178 10 A Treatise of examination before and after the Lords Supper 187 11 A Treatise of Gods feare 194 12 A Treatise of Hypocrisie 200 13 A Treatise of Anger 204 14 A Treatise of Blessednesse 207 15 A Treatise of Fasting 210 16 A Treatise of sending the Holy Ghost 216 17 A short treatise of prayer vpon the words of the Prophet Ioel chap. 2. ver 32. alledged by Peter Acts 2. ver 21. 236 THE THIRD PART Wherein are contained these Sermons following 1 THE first Sermon of Quenching the the Spirit vpon 1 Thes. 5. ver 19. 241 2 Of murmuring on Exod. 16. v. 2. 249 3 Of Zeale Reue. 3. v. 19. 255 4 Of a Good name Prou. 22. v. 1. 259 5 Of Humilitie Prou. 18. v. 12. 268 6 Of the education of children Prou. 17. ver â—1 276 7 Of Repentance and true sorrow for sinne Acts 2. ver 37. 281 8. 9. 10. Of the heauenly purchase in three Sermons on Mat. 13. 44. 287 11 Of Christian warfare on Ephe. 6. ver 10. 11. 307 12 Of diuers Christian instructions on Psal. 16. 316 13 Of flying ill company Idolatry and Sweareing on Gen. 42. v. 9. 12. 14. 15. 21. 332 14 Of the mutuall duties betweene the Ministers and the people on Heb. 13. ver 17. 339 15 Of the Confession of sinnes how many kindes of Confession how truly to confesse and the necessary vse thereof on Pro. 28. 15. 359 16 Of the first effect of Christs crosse what is meant thereby how rightly to professe this Doctrine the loue that we should beare thereunto the ioy that ariseth therefrom on Gal. 6. ver 14. 15. 363 17 Of the latter or second effect of Christ his crosses which is the power of Christs Resurrection how and by what meanes men are made new creatures on Galat. 6. ver 15. 370 THE FOVRTH PART Wherein are contained certaine Meditations on diuers portions and parts of Scripture 1 MEditations on the. 119. Psal. 381 2 Meditations on Pro. 4. vers 13. to 23. 609 3 Meditations on Prou. 14. ver 5. 6. 7. 8. 622 4 The summe of the Epistle to the Hebrewes 627 5 A briefe summe of Ecclesiastes 628 THE FIFT PART Wherein are contained godly instructions for the due examination and direction of all men to the attayning and retayning of faith and a good conscience reduced into diuers Chapters and common places as followeth Chap. 1. OF Christian Admonition 629 Chap. 2. Of the Forme and Rules of Christian Admonition 631 Chap. 3. Of Adultery and youthfull affections 635 Chap. 4. Of Affection 638 Chap. 5. Of Affliction ibid. Chap. 6. Of Anger 641 Chap. 7. Of Angels ead Chap. 8. Of Baptisme 642 Chap. 9. Of Couetousnesse and the desire of Riches 643 Chap. 10. Of Care couetousnesse and Contentation 644 Chap. 11 Of our generall and speciall calling 645 Chap. 12. Of conference and godly wisedome in the gouernment of the tongue 647 Chap. 13. Of the Church ead Chap. 14. Of the confession of sinne 649 Chap. 15. Of Conscience 650 Chap. 16. Of censure and correstion 651 Chap. 17 Of ceremonies things indifferent and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse 652 Chap. 18. Godly Meditations concerning Christs power against Sathan loue to the faithfull and how hee is our wisedome righteousnesse holinesse and of our communion with him 654 Chap. 19 Of Death and Iudgement 656 Chap. 20. Of the shortnesse of our life and the Meditation of Death how profitable 659 Chap. 21. Of dulnesse of spirit and of feeling 662 Chap. 22. Of Catechizing and instruction of youth 662 Chap. 23. Of Examples and how wee must not sinne vpon Example 666 Chap. 24. Of Examination of our selues and of all things by their issues and how to gouerne the eyes 671 Chap. 25. Of the Exercises of Religion Fasting c. and of the carefull vse of the meanes at all times 673 Chap. 26. Of the Gouernment of the Eyes 675 Chap. 27. Of Faith Iustification by faith of Iustice and iust men and of Feeling 678 Chap. 28. Of Feare 682 Chap. 29. Of Friendship Familiaritie
is not so iust and mercifull as they say if there be no God there is neither heauen nor hell or if there be any the ioyes are not so eternall nor the paines so continuall as some haue taught Why then doe I sell my certaine pleasures in this world for vncertaine pleasures in the world to come This diuellish illusion so farre preuailed that he stole an horse for which he was apprehended imprisoned arraigned condemned but by the prouidence of God he conferring with a godly Minister confessed himselfe an Atheist whereupon suite was made and granted for his reprieuing vntill the next Assise in hope of his conuersion in which time he would willingly graunt all generall truths taught him with liking of his teachers but could not by any thing be brought from his Atheisme The Assise following drew neere he is to be executed the place is assigned the person needs must be executed who when he should be turned from the ladder cried thus For Christs sake stay my life whereupon he spake these or the like words Well let the world say what they will doubtlesse there is a God and the same God is iust for euer to his enemies and euerlastingly keepeth his mercies with his children now turne me ouer and so he made an end of his speech and of his daies 2 He feared rather Atheisme than Papisme in the Realme for many hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition are now too farre plunged and swallowed vp of prophanenesse thinking either that there is no God or else that he is not so fearefull and mercifull as his threatnings and promises commend him to be Calling 1 A Certaine man afflicted in minde began through the temptation of Sathan to mislike his calling and chaunged it afterward he thought this calling that calling to be vnlawfull and so was almost brought to mislike all He felt on a time a great paine in his legge and being desirous to goe from his bed to his table for a booke he could not his legge remaining sore Then remembring that it was said in the Scripture If thy foote offend thee cut it off he straight way laying his leâ—ge on a blocke and taking a hatchet in his hand stroake off his legge not feeling paine the veynes being so torne he could not but bleed to death how be it he dyed very penitently so dangerous a policie so perilous a temptation is it to leaue our callings as things vnlawfull 2 A godly Gentlewoman said that euen in her ordinarie labour she tasted oft of as heauenly meditations as if all things ordinarie laid aside she had giuen her whole minde to attend vpon the spirit of God in quietnes of studie She also said that we are like children who need not once to be bid to aske things necessarie but twice to be thankfull for mercies receiued 3 As in mariage though the parties met in the flesh without any sanctified meanes to assure themselues to be ioyned of the Lord yet if God afterward giue them grace to liue holily in their meeting he sheweth that not onely their corrupt meeting is pardoned but that now their meeting is blessed so if entring into a calling for want of gifts and affections we haue no assurance at the first of a warrantable calling yet if God afterwards furnish vs with able gifts and sanctifie vs with pure minds he doth not onely shew vs that our former sinne is pardoned but also that he is well pleased with our calling whereunto he hath so blessed vs. 4 No trouble should hinder vs in our calling vnlesse it be in a case of meere vngodlines for if for euery trouble or for many troubles a man may forsake his calling he should be out of all for euery calling hath both lets and troubles 5 To one that asked his aduice whether he might auoid the doing of a thing wherevnto he was called because he felt corruption in himselfe he said In auoiding societie you should couer but not cure your infirmities and though you depart from men yet you cannot goe out of your selfe 6 Vnto one that was willing to change his feate for the corruption of the place where he dwelt he said Wheresoeuer he purposed to liue as a Christian the crosse would follow him because that Christ would follow him and because on the earth are some good men and some euill but when we come to heauen all would be good and therefore there shall be no trouble 7 He said he neuer looked for a better estate than that wherein he was but often prepared himselfe for a worse 8 Whensoeuer we are out of our place and calling Sathan hath a fit occasion of temptation Care 1 VVHere there is an immoderate care of outward things there commonly is little care of inward good things for if one haue inward good things they so content the persons that haue them that they labour not much for outward things if they want them and desire them the carefull seeking of them bringeth a godly neglect of outward things 1. Cor. 7. 30. 31. Censures 1 IT is a marueilous thing that many will make more of a small infirmitie in another although that they see that the whole course of their life is truely to please God than they make of grosse sinnes in themselues notwithstanding they take no course at all in their life to please God Conference 1 BEing desirous to speake to the profit of others he said that he obserued such a silence in men as none could well breake into it often such a libertie of speech as none can take hold of to turne it to good he obserued the cause of such silence to be some great griefe or some deepe meditation occupying the mind or some deadnes of spirit or some worldly shame or some desire to speake and the Lord staying the speech or the carelesnes in them that should heare it in that they doe not desire it The remedie against this is either in humilitie to aske some question or to speake somewhat and not to giue place to such deadnes 2 In the most abrupt and disordered speeches of men he thought God disposed them for his profit though presently reason could prompt no reason why they should speak so yet long after it would He was much affected with the fact of Iosias who would not be moued with the speech of wicked Pharaoh but entring battell was slaine whereupon he would say that no man was so good but the Lord would sometime let him fall into some euill for his further humbling and no man so euill but the Lord did conuey goodnes into him at sometimes to make his condemnation the greater Conscience afflicted 1 A Certaine man some yeares afflicted in conscience said his continuall agonies were as great as the paines of a man readie to die and that he felt so small comfort in Gods countenance that he would willingly haue suffered his
as it were out of ioynt then we cannot draw that full strength from the Lord for our defence and strength which we were wont to haue 3 When one asked him whether we first receiued the spirit or the word to the working of faith he said we first receiue the spirit howbeit to feele our faith we must necessarily receiue the word And although the smoke in respect of vs doe first shew that there is fire hidden vnder the ashes yet there was fire before the smoke came so though the word first make knowne vnto vs our faith yet sure it is that the spirit of God was giuen vs before our feeling wrought this mightily by the word As he that had but a dimme sight to behold the Serpent in the wildernes was healed as well as he that saw perfectly so he that hath but a weake faith in the sonne of God shall neuer haue his saluation denied him Zach. 12. 10. Familie 1 SO often as we be asked of the welfare of our people wife or family we ought to take it as an occasion whereby God stirreth vs vp to pray for them to giue thankes for them and to examine our owne heart what meanes both in presence and absence we haue vsed for their good 2 Care in superiours and feare in inferiours cause a godly gouernement both priuate and publike in familie Church and Common-wealth Feeling 1 THough a man haue knowledge yet he may want faith though he haue faith yet because many euils come betweene feeling immediatly doth not alwaies follow nor after feeling ioy nor after ioy practise 2 We can doe but little good to any body except we haue a feeling pitie and compassion of them 3 If any be afflicted in minde for want of feeling he must distinguish betweene Gods spirit and his graces in vs for his spirit may liue in vs when his graces are dead in vs Psal. 51. For as by some extreame sicknes life may be within one yet it cannot be felt of the sicke bodie so in some great temptation the holy Ghost may be in vs and yet we not feele nor finde his presence Howbeit as by breathing neuer so short we discerne life so by the actions of the spirit he it neuer so little we may iudge of the life of God in vs. 4 Such as for want of feeling be loth to pray must learne not to tarrie to pray till they finde feeling but offer themselues vp into the hands of Iesus Christ and so humbling themselues before him pray on and continue in prayer of faith though not of feeling 5 Though we feele not the spirituall ioy which we should feele yet let vs not be too much cast downe so that our conscience tell vs that we are readie to withdraw somewhat from our outward pleasures for want of this inward pleasure and that we haue not preuented or smothered out these spirituall ioyes but are grieued that we haue them not and waite for the time to feele them for of all things we must beware that we draw not into their steed carnall ioyes and so driue as it were into exile the working of Gods spirit in vs by them 6 A certaiâ—e man complaining that he was comfortlesse for want of feeling receiueth this answere Oh brother be of good comfort we hold Christ by faith and not by feeling Fruites of faith 1 ONe being curteously faluted and worthily commended of a Gentlewoman who said she heard a very good report of him he answered her the like haue I heard of you but God make our after fruits of his spirit more effectuall than the former or else we shall not answere the glorie of God and good opinion of his Saints conceiued of vs. 2 There are two workings of Gods spirit in vs the one inferiour which bringeth but some fruit of the spirit without any speciall fruits of grace the other superiour and more certaine when the spirit worketh an infallible sanctification the first may totally be darkened and fully quenched the other hath but a particular Eclipse and in measure may be dimmed as it was in Dauid Psalm 51. but this is not finally quenched As God made man so that hee might fall though afterwards hee had mercie vpon him so he regenerateth vs so that we may fall so as afterwards hee may raise vs againe and will And it is fearefull enough that there may be such particular decayes of grace in vs as after sinne to feele lesse comfort in the word lesse feare of sinne lesse care of well doing lesse zeale in praving lesse fruits in the meanes so that all our actions are turned to be bitter which were sweeter vnto vs then any worldly increase vnto the worldly man or honie can bee to them that loue it These are euident tokens of the sanctifying spirit to loue good because it is good and to hate sinne because it is sinne the more wee grow in gifts the more to hunger the more to complaine of our vnworthinesse the more being humbled in our selues the more meekly to iudge of others when we are most quiet with all things then to thinke our selues least quiet and then most to feare our selues so to feele the graces of God in vs as that yet our sense and feeling is not lessened and to feare and quake at the first degree and motions of sinne not least they fully quench but least they coole the heate of the spirit in vs. Here I say let vs not forget to feare for if it be so that thou being the childe of God canst not finally fall yet consider how will this grieue thee if thy sinne breake out to the dishonour of so louing a Redeemer or though he keepe thy sinne from flaming out yet that thou shalt feele such a burthen in thy selfe or such vile corruption or matter as shall coole the heate of all Gods graces in thee Falling into sinne 1 IF any doubt concerning this question whether the childe of God might fall often into one and the same sinne these cautions and distinctions are to be obserued First whether the partie bee generally called or specially touched if hee be but generally called as all common Christians professing the Gospell it were an easie matter to slippe in that state Secondly if the partie be effectually called it is to be enquired whether he be but a babe in Christ or no or whether he be come to some good growth in Christ for that if he be but a nouice he may twice fall so Thirdly we must obserue if he be now growne to some good age in Christ whether the sinne committed be a thing knowne vnto him or if hee know it not to be a sinne hee may doubtles slip into it 2 When wee consider how Noah Moses and others fell in their latter dayes and how the most excellent men haue fallen wee must earnestly pray rather that the Lord would take
vs out of the worlde than that our life should bring any offence to the Church or slander to the Gospell Feare 1 BEe neuer afraide of leauing good vndone least the Lord suffer you to fall into the contrarie euill 2 Hee thought when he had no feare nor griefe he could not profit 3 Beware of immoderate feare which rather hinder the certaintie of saith then beate downe the securitie of the flesh and which be the readiest meanes to pull Gods wrath vpon vs in that they be the fruites of vnbeliefe and such as would tye the grace of God promised to the present danger and deliuerance out of the same The meane and middle path is that wee should feare and forethinke of euils to come not as thinking that of necessitie they must fall vpon vs as though God could not or would not deliuer vs from them but as they who beeing guiltie in this one desire to submit themselues to the hand of God and acknowledge themselues heires of Gods iustice or wrath in this or that euill yet so as we meete with the Lords mercie who is both able and willing euen then most of all to assist and deliuer vs when wee most feare and through this godlie feare are reuerentlie humbled vnder the hand of his Maiestie For if naturall pareÌ„ts know then to mitigate the stripes of their correction to their children when they see in them a milde meeke submission of themselues vnder the hand of their authoritie and yet so fearing them as Gouernours but vpholding with mercie as fathers if they haue that wisedome by so much to make their hand in correction the heauier by howe much the Childe to bee beaten is the stubborner we must then thinke this mercifull wisdome and confideration to bee much more in the Lorde from whose brightnesse the parents haue receiued these sparkes 4 Hee said that to winne anie or to continue anie in the feare of God he would giue no such things which he loued not but such things as he loued most dearely that they might know it to be a gift of loue and not of fashion Feastings 1 IN our meetings and feastings we are to looke to our selues if good speeches be vsed wee must be thankefull if euill sorrowfull if things not meerely euill not greatly to torment our selues Friendship 1 THis aduise he gaue that it was good to discerne of them whom wee much receiue into our companie least we lose the credite of the Church conceiued of vs. For although many seeme and shewe themselues to bee well disposed yet because there be so many corruptions in our nature it is heauenly wisedome to discerne of men wherefore it is good for vs to consider with what soundnesse of iudgement and power of true knowledge they doe speake first looke what sight they haue of inward corruptions This humility teacheth true wisedome and the sight hereof would cause vs to seeke after Christ and him Crucified For manie who haue a little confused knowledge will much bee talking but for want of this knowledge they are not so sound Secondly we must see how ready they are by their soundnesse of knowledge and feeling of inward corruptions to doe good to others with cheerfulnes and to speake of the infirmities of others with compassion and griefe for manie for want of this sanctified knowledge will rather bitterlie and openly declaime against the infirmities of others then either wisely â—dmonish them or brotherly pittie them 2 Hee said the best way to haue comfort in any of our friendes was to pray for them and that hee neuer had more ioy in anie then from them whom hee most prayed for and in them most when he prayed the oftner and vehementer for them present or absent for this is a true token of true loue to pray for them whome we loue 3 Though he was most seuere to his friends and kindred so long as they were not reconciled to God yet once being wearyed with one hee shut vp the matter with this sentence It is wonderfull that diuers hearing the same word of God spoken one should belieue and another should not belieue but I am rather to thanke God that I belieue then to search oâ—t a reason why another doth not belieue and as I am to be thankfull for my selfe so I am to be pitifull to others 4 Like as naturall men doe well by naturall wisedome so wee ought much more to be stirred vp to doe well by spirituall wisedome It is commended â—or sâ—â—ciall wisedome in our Sauiâ—ur Christ Iohn 2. that hee did not committee himselfe vnto â—lâ—â—â—â—â— because hee knewe what was in their hearts So it is a speciall token of wâ—sedome in vs on the contrarie not to commit our selues vnto all men because wee know not what is in their hearts 5 Hee reioyced to see his friends but hee was humbled in tha hee rested so much in that ioy that hee forgate to doe them good to their saluation or to receiue good from them to his saluation which he thought he should doe and to be his dutie 6 His loue euer grewe to a man as he knew the man to grow in godlines he said that if hee had once seene any effectuall worke of Gods spirite in anie man hâ—e could neuer but hope well of him If graces decayed first hee was grieued and then his loue decreased in him Grace of God 1 HE feeling on a time the grace of God assisting him in a thing which of himselfe he despaired of said Oh how easie are the waies of man whilest the Lord doth gouerne him and how is he beset as with a hedge of thornes when the Lord doth not assist him 2 As we are carefull to vse the meanes of our saluation so must we wholy referre the blessing of the meanes to the grace of God neither as some doe thinke that we can obtaine or continue the graces of God in vs without vsing the meanes for that is but a dreame of fantasticall spirits neither as the manner of some is so to trust to the meanes as neglecting to pray for the grace of God in them which is but a preposterours zeale of such as are not rightly instructed in the way of their saluation 3 It is a profitable note to obserue when extraordinarie gifts of God be for our good and when for our hurt If our extraordinarie blessings driue vs more carefully to seeke to the ordinarie meanes then it is of Gods mercie but if they slaken our care in the ordinarie meanes and puffing vs vp with a spirituall pride cause vs to rest in them then they are for our further condemnation as if God blesse vs maruellously without prayer in any thing if we are driuen more to prayer by it then this is of God if it cause vs to leaue prayer it is perilous 4 There is nothing so precious as Gods grace which chaungeth the face of heauen and earth and nothing
so vile as sinne which openeth hell and staineth the earth and shutteth vp heauen 5 As of all gifts the gift of Gods spirit is the dearest so the losse of it is most daungerous for besides that wee know how few taste of it and with what paine they that haue gotten it keep it and with what hard brunts they that lose the graces of it recouer them againe we may coniecture the greatnesse of the losse by our experience in other things they that haue beene in reputation for their riches are become bankerouts are grieued and ashamed how much more then should their griefe be who by the riches of Gods graces haue beene comfortable to themselues and honourable among others and now by the decay of those gifts haue lost both the sweet ioy and peace in themselues and their credite with God and in the conscience of the godly 6 Some reioyce so much in the hearing of good things preached that they forget to be humbled for their wants againe others alwaies looking on their wants walke not thankfully for Gods graces receiued The meane way is the best so to reioyce in the grace of God that we be humbled for our wants and so to mourne for our wants that we praise God for his graces Good workes 1 AS it argueth great height and willingnes to sinne when men fearing to sinne in the day redeeme and steale time to sinne in the night so it sheweth a great height and willingnesse to godlinesse when men being not sufficiently contented to do good in the day stretch their wel-doing euen to the night also wherein they shew themselues to be free from vaineglory that none seeing them yet they doe good for the loue of God and not for outward things 2 A man may truely iudge himselfe to be truely willing to doe any good when he striues all that he can to do it although he cannot do it as he should Griefe for sinne 1 WE cannot heartily be grieued for that sinne in another whereof we haue not made great conscience in our selues 2 The things that are euill and grieue vs so farre as we see them with griefe hurt vs not 3 Seeing a woman lamenting for the sinnes of the people he said vnto her not purposing to cause her to cease from so good an action but admonishing her to looke to her affections you shall well trie your heart said he if this sorrow for sinne be first bred for your owne sinnes and from your selfe proceed to the sinnes of others Againe the measure of your mourning must be agreeable and proportionable to the sinne Lastly your griefe must so be for the person as you may be moued rather to pittie and pray for him than to hate and despise him 4 That is true sorrow and griefe for sinne which neither can by outward pleasures be stollen away nor by continuance of time be taken from vs but onely in Christ. 5 Because great naturall and worldly sorrow and ioy will cause a man to breake his sleepe at midnight he would trie himselfe whether sorrow for sinne or icy in saluation had caused him to doe the like 6 His greatest sorrow was when he spake of some good thing that was not in himselfe and the greatest ioy he had was in the contrary 7 As by nature we are long and hard to be brought to be grieued for sinne so being once downe we are hard to get vp and to rise out of griefe againe For two extremities attend vpon vs the one to be grieued and feared too little the other to â—e grieued and feared too much the one makes vs secure and the other dead and dull To meete with these two it is good in time of ioy to thinke what iudgements â—aue befallen vs heretofore what may befall vs hereafter In time of humbling we are to consider what mercies we haue receiued and what mercies are stored vp and â—â—rrie for vs againe and surely no one thing makes griefe more to waste vs than the forgetfulnes of Gods mercies past and doubtfulnes of Gods mercies to come and nothing doth more strengthen our new temptations than the forgetfulnes of Gods iudgements past and the carelesnesse of them that are to come Though mercies succeed mercies yet the sea of Gods mercies is neuer drawn drie if we claime hold of them by our faith and former experience Hardnes of heart 1 THe cause why mens hearts are hardened now adaies may be this in part because they see as great gifts of learning tongues and ciuill life in Papists and heretikes as in Gods true seruants Euen as the cause of Phaâ—â—â—hs obstinacie was this that being willing to be deceâ—ied he would not obey the Lord because other Sorcerers in Aegypt could doe as he thought as great matters as Moses and Aâ—ron 2 To one that complained of hardnes of heart he said You must waite for comfort and know that you can now no more iudge of your selfe than a man sleeping can iudge of things which he did waking or a man wandring in the darke can discerne of bright colours for as the one may while he waketh doe excellent things and yet now neither he himselfe knoweth of them nor any other can espie them in him and the other may be among flowers and for want of light can haue no vse of his eyes nor pleasure in the obiects so you haue done great good things whilest God gaue you a waking heart to put them in practise and the light of his spirit to discerne his graces in you though now you haue neither the sight nor sense of them and this is the thing which deceiueth and disquieteth many they looke for that discerning of themselues when in them Gods graces were more oppressed which they had when Gods spirit wrought in the sweetest and fullest measure in them and because there is some intermission of the worke of new birth they thinke it is a flat omission in them of the spirit of God But as it is a token of a minde too presumptuous and infatuated in time of dead securitie to perswade our selues still of that safetie for hauing those graces which sometime we had so it is a signe of a minde abiect and too much deâ—payring to thinke that because that we haue not euen present seeling of those ioyes glorious and vnspeakeable which we haue had therefore we neuer had â—â—â—m heretofore or that we shall neuer haue them againe hereafter 3 Admonisâ—ing one to preuent hardnes of heart in his childe by godly and discreete correction he said that because children incline often to the sinnes of their fathers parents correcting should in wisedome first consider if it were not a sinne before in themselues which they gaue them as it were which now they are about to correct and finding it so that they should be humbled in themselues and being humbled proceed to correction in prayer in the feare of God in wisedome in
one will follow wherefore as it is good wisedome not onely to auoide the plague but to eschewe euery little ragge that may seeme to carrie the plague so it is heauenly wisedome not onely to auoide grosse sinnes but all such shewes of sinnes as may draw on the other And as we count it pollicie not to go as neere the riuers banke as we can least suddenly or at vnawares we should slip in so it is a spirituall policie not to goe too neere sinne least we be ouertaken of it before we be aware of it 5 It is our corruption to be scrupulous in sinne in the beginning but when we are entred in a little wee runne ouer head and eares 6 This is a sure experience whether the sinne which hath often assailed vs shall get dominion ouer vs or not if the oftner we are tempted the more we are grieued the more we striue against it the more we labour for the contrary vertue we shall shortly be conquerors ouer it But if the first comming of sinne wrought some griefe in vs the often comming of it makes our griefe the lesse and causeth vs to cease to vse the meanes of with standing it and to be carelesse in the contrarie vertue then it were to bee feared that that sinne in time should preuaile against vs and that we should get no victory ouer it 7 Though it is hard to find out our speciall sinnes yet by often and diligent examining of our selues by earnest prayer that God would reueale vnto vs our sinnes by often hearing and reading the word by marking the most checks of our consciences and reproches of our enemies we might be led to the neerest sight thereof 8 If Gods children are readie to slip in a moment how much more dangerous is the estate of the wicked who are willing to fall continuallie It is wonderfull to see a poore sinner ready to swound and fall dead almost at euery sinne which a man would thinke to be nothing to feare him or driue him to this feare and yet when aduersities straunge iudgements persecutions and death doe come to bee exceeding patient comfortable couragious and valiant And againe it is strange to see others who maruell that men will suffer themselues to be feared with sinnes and aske what meane men to stand trembling at the word of God yet let sicknes come or if the hand of God be vpon them or let death come towards them they quake at the name of sicknes death or hell and either they proue very senslesse and blockish or else they be in a most desperate estate yea if God begin to recken with them euery countenance of a godly man euery chirping of a bird and drawing neere of the least and weakest creature towards them euery shaking of a leafe mouing of a shadow euery noyse of the aire appaleth their courage and maketh them most fearfull cowards They feare most when Gods iudgements are executed which feare least when they are threatned And they feare least when Gods iudgements are accomplished which tremble most when wrath is denounced Wherefore if wee long for courage and lothe cowardise against the euill day let vs labour for a good conscience which breedeth true boldnes and flie from sinne which bringeth a spirite of feare vpon vs as daily experience may teach vs. It is better to feare the euill to come when only feare and not euill is vpon vs than to feare then when besides the feare the affliction it selfe is come which so sorely besetteth vs that wee haue no libertie or leaue to breathe for any comfort or to hope for any deliuerance 9 They that will haue a true faith in Christ must belieue in him that he is our wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption Are then thy cogitations confounded Seest thou no knowledge not so much as a literall knowledge of Christ but all is doubtfulnes all is dulnes all is deadnes in thee as though thou neuer knewest heardest readest or learnedst any thing Now know and belieue that whatsoeuer knowledge experienced power of vnderstanding was in Iesus Christ the same is made thine hee is thine annoynting that will teach thee all Hast thou knowledge and yet thy life not brought agreeable or proportionable to thy knowledge Thou art troubled with thy sinnes thou feelest no goodnes thou thinkest thy selfe as an euill tree voide of all good fruite Now remember that as Christ being no sinner was made of God a sinner and punished of God as a sinner for thee thou hauing no righteousnesse art made through Christ righteous and shalt be rewarded of God as righteous through him It may be God hath enlightened thee with heauenly vnderstanding he hath hitherto strengthened thy desire in giuing thee to walke vprightly but now thou art afraid thou shalt not perseuere because of thy corruptions thou tremblest to remember how many excelling thee in gifts and graces haue fallen away and that all is but hypocrisie thine owne heart thou thinkest will one day beguâ—le thee now call to minde that Christ is made vnto thee holines not as a new Moses to follow but as a Messias to beleeue in as the author and finisher of thy holinesse so that to perseuere seemeth impossible to thee yet with him it is possible yea and more easie to continue thee in holinesse being begun than to conuert Zacheus Mathew and Mary Magdalen or to reconcile the Lambe and the Lion others which he hath surely done There is one thing yet troubles thee thou hast many things promised thee and thou thinkest they are not performed thou lookest for peace of thy minde and behold a wound of the spirit thou art the heire of the whole earth and yet pinched with pouertie thou art Lord of libertie and yet liest in prison it is so and yet in all this see Christ is thy redemption not suffring thee to be ouercome with any of these in this life freeing thee wholy from them in the life to come Admit thou werst cruelly persecuted caÌ„not he that made the fire not to burne at all the three children in the furnace make the fire so easily consume thee as thou shalt comfortablie beare it Will not he that made the Lions being hungrie not once to open their mouthes on Daniel crush thee so greedily that thou shalt willingly sustaine it Now the meanes are the word prayer and Sacraments the word carrieth the spirit of faith into thy heart prayer giueth thee a feeling of thy faith the Sacraments confirme both thy faith and feeling 10 We must not be proud in our gifts for God hath in iudgement giuen iudgement to many simple ones to spie vs out If we confesse to God we must frankly and freely bring our selues into the presence of God and lay our hearts naked and bâ—re before him we must not as harlots wipe our mouthes and say we haue offended and yet fall into sinne againe but
the remnants of corruptions defects of good things may easily be drawne of a malicious man to cut off himselfe from the Church not being able to discerne betweene essentiall and accidentall betweene the principall and inferiour points which make or destroy a Church that is which cannot iudge how the substantial ground workes remaining there is a Church though there be otherwise some accidentall things wanting If any man not so much intending this mans good as to feede his owne ambition pride stomacke or vaine glory shal carrie such a one to such superstitions or schismes he by his euill heart intending to hinder the truth and to destroy the temple of God the Lord shall destroy him and he shall either grow prophane or worldly or he shall be cut off by death or beare some other token of Gods wrath And because of a singularitie of spirit such men with an euill conscience disturbe the Church they may grow from error to heresies from precisenesse to prophannesse from strictnes to madnes not being content to be corrupted but seeking to corrupt Howbeit the man of infirmities and for want of iudgement going in an high path shall in the end inherit good things and be saued but as by fire The true suruay and examination of our selues 1 VVHen we examine ourselues we are to sit in iudgement ouer our selues and to keepe a solemne court in our owne consciences to suruay our manners our wits our senses our members and to see how we haue vsed them but yet least we should be too fauourable to our selues either in not espying out our sinnes or in not coÌ„demning our sinnes still we remember to make the law our iudge but Christ the answerer of the iudge The motions of the spirit of God in vs. 1 IT is a good thing to make much of a tender conscience and to nourish the motions of Gods spirit and not to offer any violence to that spirit of grace which rebuketh sinne iâ— vs for he that hath once crackt his credit will happily care for nothing she that hath once bruised her virginitie will by all likelihoods proue an old harlot It is daungerous to burie the checkes of our conscience to fight against Gods spirit or to â—mother the light of grace in vs for so we may grow to such a sottishnes in sinne that no admonition can forewarne vs nor punishment can affray vs the smallest meanes will prouoke vs to sinne the greatest meanes cannot reuoke vs from sinne For suffering our selues to be hardned by degrees the spirit is so quickly quenched the conscience so tender is so soone bruised that it is no maruell though we vse so great precisenesse and warinesse in so tender a matter by suspecting the retire of old sinnes and by foreseeing the assaults of new sinnes Euill spirits 1 HE obserued the difference of superstition and true religion in many things and namely how the diuell whilest he was made knowne to men onely by hornes by clawes or by an hollow voyce was wonderfully feared but now being reuealed to be a more secret aduersarie a spirituall tempter a priuie ouerthrower of the soule no man almost regards him and therefore as some haue feared him too superstitiously so now it is come to a more dangerous extremitie that he is not feared at all and which is more we cannot truly beleeue the gracious helpe of Gods holy Angels but seeke after Satans practises He marked that good men and learned did much omit this in their prayers that God would send his Angels to them to deliuer them from euill spirits Temptations 1 EVery man is that indeed that he is in temptation 2 The faithfull shall not be tempted aboue their strength but with the increase of temptation the Lord will increase our faith or with the decrease of our faith he will decrease our temptation 3 Gods children haue their faith so tried by the crosse as alwaies some drosse of sinne is purged away thereby As Iacob ceased not to wrestle though his thigh were â—â—â—â—â—d till he got the blessing so we must not faint in temptation though we be humbled til we get the victorie We must not despayre of victorie because in our striuing we had some infirmities but rather we must reioyce in this that God hath giuen vs a will and a desire to cleaue vnto him 4 It is a great fault in time of temptation not to resist those corruptions which after our temptation is ouer we are ashamed of and time it selfe resisteth them 5 Outward temptations doe not hurt till our inward corruption doth yeeld but rather they are as Surgeons to draw out our festered corruptions 6 Long and strange temptations may betoken long and strange sinnes 7 Gods seruants being tempted are not so much to looke at their state present as on their estate to come because they that presently sow in teares in time to come shall reape in ioy 8 He said that when a great temptation hangeth long vpon vs it were good to seeke for some speciall sinnes in vs because that we shall finde that for some priuie pride or vnthankfulnes or such like a teÌ„ptation remaineth long with vs. There is a a traine of corruption in vs and God often punisheth one sinne with another which if we espie not but looke onely to the grosser sinnes we shall hardly be brought to humble our soules vnderneath the hand of God or to profit by the admonition of others Againe we must auoide all occasions of drawing on sinne and vse ruery principall meanes at the least that helpeth against sinne For although we shunne all occasions and vse many meanes and omit but one of the chiefest God may correct that one omission in vs. 9 He thought it to be a Christian dâ—scretion neuer to vtter a temptation but when a man had no comfort in himselfe or when he stood in very great neede of comfort and then alwaies to discerne to whom he opened it 10 Subtiltie and violence are vsually attendant vpon the temptations of the diuell and the flesh the diuell especially vsing these two 11 Vnto one that was much tempted with vnbeleefe he gaue this counsell When the temptation commeth either fall downe in prayer and say Lord thou makest me to possesse the sinnes of my youth and this temptation is of very equitie howbeit oh Lord grant I may by wisedome herein make this temptation an holy instruction and suffer me to possesse my soule in patience oh turne this â—o thy glorie and my saluation I see and confesse what hath beene in me a long time by that which now sheweth it selfe in me and that thy grace â—ath altogether hitherto kept vnder this corruption yet Lord I beleeue and yet Lord I will beleeue helpe Lord my vnbeleefe thy name be praised for this seale of thy loue and pledge of thy spirit that in this vnbeleefe I am grieued as in my beleefe
meaâ—es but if any at any time shall haue more â—ffectuall feelings by priuate conference let him not neglect the publike reading but with all holy humble thankfulnes yeeld this soueraigntie to the Lord that he is to dispose his gifts to whom by whom where and when it pleasetâ— him 40 We are neuer the further from temptation for misliking it but the neerer vnlesse as in â—udgement we mislike it so in affection we humble our selues in feare and prayer as knowing that in time it may inuade vs. 41 Though oâ—ten we speake of things lawfull yet we want wisedome in examining the tiâ—â—â— plâ—â—e â—â—â— persons when where and with whom wee talke and so Sathan laboureth to mâ—ke vs silâ—nt when wee might speake to Gods glorie For the auoyding of this tempâ—ation wee must speake when GOD giueth vs occasion beeing thankfull for the good moâ—ioâ—s of Gods spirite and humbled for our weakenesse wherby both our speeches are most sâ—ained and we faile in many circumstances Then doing it in singlenes of hearâ— onely for the loue of Gods word and of his glorie let vs wholly commit the succâ—ssâ— whâ—â—h depends not on vs though wee obserue all circumstances to the blessing of God in Iâ—sus Christ. 42 In the regeneration and dying of sinne we come as it were to the best head and triall of our hearts when wee come to those sinnes wherein either nature or custome doth breede delight 43 The meditation of death doth so far moue vs from suffering our delights to dwell on earthly things as reason disswadeth vs from making any cost about a tabernacle where we know we shall dwell but a while 44 Our corruption is like to the wantonnesse of children who will doe either as they list or â—lâ—â— leaue all vndone 45 Wâ—en we thinke that our chiefest care is to glorifie God wee indeed doe seeke our owne glorie 46 It is a gracious thing to vse all our members to Gods worship for that will comfort our coâ—science when we cannot vse them 47 If we â—â— notorious in sinne we shall be notorious in an euill name Many would be loâ—h to be â—â—â—â—ed wicked who can be contented to be wicked but Gods children had rather be good then accounted good as the couetous man c. 48 Maâ—ie oft times desire that which when they haue gotten their conscience is afraid to vse 49 Lord giue me thy grace to remember the bead-row of my sinnes to humble me in prayer Lord teach me the catalogue of thy mercies truely to make me thankfull 50 As God doth rather oftentimes by heaping his benefites then powring his plagues vpon vs shew vs our sinnes so we must rather by courteous dealing then seuere handling shew others how they haue offended vs. 51 Ordinarily when God most comforteth he most humbleth before 52 If God watch ouer vs when we sleepe in vnbeliefe much more he will doe it when we wake in faith 53 The sinne of the master of a familie bringeth sinne ouer the whole familie as wee see in Abâ—melech 54 Wee can marke what men are spared and so flatter our selues but we marke not how they repent least we should disquiet our selues 55 We must not denie mercie to others least God denie mercie to vs. 56 Many meddle and stirre much about a new Church gouernment which are sensles and barren in the doctrine of new birth but alaâ— what though a man know many things and yet know not himselfe to be a new creature in Iesus Christ It is often the policie of Sathan to make vs trauell in some good thing to come when more fitly wee might be occupied in good things present 57 As the creatures were made for man so were they punished for man 58 If mercie must pleade for mercie Maâ—th 5 then mercie cannot pleade for merit 59 It is a mercie to let vs see that by Temptation which wee might feele by wofull action 60 If wee be tempted let vs first examine it by prayer whether it be contrarie to the word if it be a sinne then it bringeth the curse if it bring a curse then must we tremble if wee tremble not let vs suspect that our nature liketh the temptation and let vs applie prayer if wee tremble in truth we will neuer doe the thing whereunto we are tempted 61 The Dâ—uell when he cannot at the first corrupt the action he will begin to corrupt the iudgement and the affection 62 When wee must of necessitie vse inferiour things wee must vse them as readie to want them 63 As the hiding of our sinne with Adam hindreth mercie so to confesse our sinne greater then it is with Câ—ine displeaseth God highly 64 Manie will seeke the kingdome of heauen but not the righteousnes thereof 65 A good thing if it bee let alone it will decay but if an euill thing be let alone it will increase 66 The Prophets hauing regard not what ought to be first in knowledge but first in practise respected not the perfection of order but the corruption of our nature 67 Familiaritie with sinners bringeth the punishment of â—â—ne If the wicked that are without the tuition of God and stand onely vpon his â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 and euery minute of an houre lye open to Gods curse and vengeance if they bee our companions then when they are punished doubtles wee shall not escape 68 Sinne may easily be conquered of vs when it is young wee may easily be conquered of it when it is olde 69 Wee must not so much reioyce for that we haue done as we must be carefull what to doe hereafter For manâ—e are called but few are chosen many begin gloriously which ende ignomiâ—iously 70 When wee deferre to haue that in affection which we haue in iudgement it is the iust iudgement of God to depriue â—â—â—â— that which we had in iudgement 71 When wee haue oftentimes qâ—â—ked at a sinne and afterward although wee like it not yet if we mislike it not with as great indignation as we were woont to do but by little and little wee can well away with it it is to be feared that by degrees wee will fall to that sinne ourselues 72 We must be proud against Sathan in Christ and humble to all men in Christ. 73 The neerer Heresie commeth to the likenesse of the Trueth the more daungerous it is 74 Hee that will dissemble with God in his life will dissemble with him in his death 75 Many will take vp the sword to defend Christs cause with Peter who with Peter will shrinke when persecution commeth 76 Wee shall sometime feele by experience a terror suddenly come vpon vs when we are alone or vehemently to strike vs in the night which is sent to humble vs the Physition will say it is a melancholy passion
all ioy so God would not haue vs to murther all griefes but that the remembrance of our bodies turned to moules and of soules called to the booke should correct our vnruly hearts remembring in our deepest ioyes the lamentable cries of Syon and accompting our delight to be but as the ruines of Babell 12 Oh that men would feare and follow the Lorde Well follow they must one way or other If wee will not follow the shepheard to the folde we must follow the butcher to the shambles if we chuse rather to goe to the shambles then to the fold we are sheepe indeede and worse then sheepe too But men haue gotten an old distinction when they are not able to turne their sicke bones on their beds they then will bring a dish of sinnes and dryed skinnes to the Lorde but how vnacceptable a sacrifice such refuses are Malachit doth tell them and they shall one day trie it 13 If yee aske whether a man may not lawfully desire to be in the Ministerie or no I answere that in the Ministery are two things a worke and a worship a dutie and a dignitie the worke or dutie to the glorie of God and good of his Church a man may desire but the worship and dignitie to serue our owne loose mindes is not to be desired 14 It is the wisedome of God in his holie word not onely to instruct vs in things concerning our saluation but also to teach vs in things of this life For although all things be good in the ordinance of God yet they are not good to vs vnlesse by knowledge and faith we be able to vse them according to the ordinance of God with prayer and thanksgiuing And as it is not sufficient to be a good man onely but a good man must vse good things So it is not enough to vse good things alone but he that must vse them must see himselfe to be a good man that is to haue his heart clensed by faith and by prayer whereby he is assured that he hath fetched the interest from Christ who hath and giueth title to all being himselfe the heire of the world 15 When we examine our selues we are to sit in iudgement on our selues and to keepe a solemne court in our owne consciences to suâ—uay our memorie our wit our senses our members and to see how we haue vsed them but yet so as least we should be too faâ—ourable to our selues either in not espying out our sinnes or in not condemning our sinnes still we remember to make the law the Iudge but Christ the answerer of tâ—e Iudge 16 If God his children are readie to slip in a moment how much more dangerous is the estate of the wicked who are willing to fall continually 17 It is wonderfull to see a poore sinner readie to swound and fall dead almost at euery little sinne when nothing in the world doth feare him or driue him to this feare and yet when aduersitie strange iudgements of God persecution death come to be exceeding patient and comfortable couragious and valiant and againe it is straunge to see others who maruell that men will suffer themselues to be feared with sinne and aske what men meane to stand trembling at the word yet let sicknes come or if the hand of God be vpon them or let death come towards theÌ„ they quaile at the name of sicknes hell or death and either they proue very senselesse blocks or else they be in a most desperate estate Yea if God begin to reckon with them euery stirring of a mouse shaking of a leafe mouing of a shadow euery noise of the eare euery countenance of a godly man euery chirping of a bird or drawing neere of the least and weakest creature towards them appalles their courage and makes them most fearefull cowards They most feare when God his iudgements are executed which feare least when they are threatned and they feare least when God his iudgements are accomplished which tremble most when his wrath is denounced Wherefore as we most long for courage and most lothe cowardlines when the euill day approcheth so let vs labour for a good conscience which breedeth tâ—ue boldnes flie far from sinne which bringeth a spirit of feare on vs. And surely experimentall wisdome may teach vs that it is better to feare the euill to come when onely feare and no euill is vpon vs than to feare then when besides the feare the affliction itselfe so sorely presseth vs that we haue no libertie or leaue to breathe for any comforts or to hope for any deliuerance 18 We are wont to ascribe the afflictions of the Church or Common-wealth the defect of right discipline and gouernment to the sinnes of the Magistrates when rather if we consider things with a single eye our owne sinnes haue begot such fruites For that God who rather loueth many than one that God who for tenne good men would haue spared whole Sodom who rather taketh away Saul a sinful gouernour than punisheth his louing Israel being humbled subiects knoweth rather to take away the King if the subiects be good than he desireth to alter the whole estate for the sin of one vnlesse it be when both Prince and people agree together in sin That God which euen in the time of the Church remaining but in a few families would rebuke Kings as Pharaâ—h and Abimelech that they should doe his Prophets Abraham and Isaac no harme â—oubtlesse the sinnes of the people doe breede defects of well doing in Princes When Israel began to sinne the Lord withdrawing his grace from Dauid left him to the numbring of his people The Altars were not taken away and why in the time of Iosiah The holy Ghost saith the people had not prepared their hearts to walke with the Lord their God 19 It is farre otherwise in our Christian profession than in the profession of other Arts. Physitians loue to haue some secret experiments wherein they haue a singularitie and which in their life they will communicate to none Lawyers haue some points which they will not make common but keepe for present and priuate gaine But this is rather a note of pride and of a conceited minde in heauenly things than of godlinesse For as true godlinesse forewarneth others of that sinne the sting torment filthinesse whereof we haue found so it traineth vp others to that fruit of holinesse whose beautie glorie and excellencie we haue both tasted and proued 20 It euer hath beene and is that prayer or comming to the diuine Seruice as they call it and resorting to the Sacraments haue beene more accompted of than the word hearing of it preached Many of superstition may thus come to prayer and of custome resort to the Sacrament who either doe not at all heare the word or else they heare it at their leisure or else they doe it but in ceremonie without vnderstanding or if they vnderstand it
they doe not practise it or if they practise it it is done coldly and not in power And yet their owne practise in some things is somewhat strange they will graunt that to come to the Sacrament requireth a moâ—e solemne preparation yet they dare bolâ—ly venture on prayer and on the hearing of the word oftentimes without any preparation at all But certainly as the abuse of the Sacrament bringeth iudgement so the abuse of prayer of the word will procure it For as the prayer of faith is a sweet oblation to the Lord so the prayer of the vnbeleeuer is an abomination to the Lord. We must not only bring the eare of vnderstanding but we must also bring the eare of remembrance and of practise and beware that by little and little the word waxe not lesse pretious vnto vs as honey to the mouth that is satisfied And this is sure when and how much the word preached doth preuâ—ile so much our prayers and our sacrifices doe preuaile looke how much the word doth profit so much doe we profit in prayer and in the Sacraments and whensoeuer our delight in the word waxeth faint our prayers and all good exercises are like shortly to decay Prayer bringeth a feeling and the Sacraments a more continuing of that which we heare in the word We must beware therefore that we be not too quâ—â—â—â—â— sinne that we please not our selues in a generall good course in a perswasion we haue heard enough but still let vs labour for the word for I dare say that all our power in prayer commeth from the word 21 Euen as the life that is in a tree is a thing inuisible and yet by the fruites comming out in due season is discerned of all howsoeuer it may be greene yet wanting fruite or as the life in a childe is a thing not seene but by mouing going and feeling easily perceiued so the life of faith is a thing very secret and yet by the effects of it at one time or at another is discerned of good men Howsoeuer there may be workes and yet no faith howsoeuer there may be faith and yet not by and by workes following Many men thinke the word now preached not to be the right word because no moe are brought to the obedience of God by so long preaching of it but we must rather reason to the contrarie this is a sure note it is the true word because it is so much refused and men are made the worse by abusing the word which as it would make them better and doth make better all that doe obey it so it maketh worse all that doe not obey it 22 Of all the Commandements we shall neuer be brought hungerly to seeke Christ vntill we can in the last precept see and feele our naturall corruption whereof we must not onely haue a knowledge but experience also as Paul had Rom 7. Now where the Papists say that this corruption is a sinne in the vnregenerate but not in the regenerate we say it is a sinne in both that which is sinne in one is sinne in another without respect of persons but yet we affirme that there is a diuers qualitie in this sinne in those diuers subiects because that sinne is imputed to the one and not to the other The not diligent obseruing and vnderstanding of this corruption doth hurt euen some of the godly bending to that other opinion whiles they thinke too little of the first motions of sinne for which if they were humbled truly it is sure that they should not only not breake foorth into any corrupt life but also they should haue lesse corrupted lips I say a bare knowledge hereof also is not sufficieÌ„t for euen the knowledge of our corruption is not without the corruption of priuie pride but we must ioyne therewith faith in the iudgements of God which the Niniuites hauing escaped the wrath of God which the old world not hauing fell into the wrath of God 23 Seeing prophanenes is not so much in grosser sinnes as in the vnreuerent and irreligious handling of most holy exercises we must more warily watch ouer our selues but especially that we beare sanctified mindes in our vsing of outward things which in themselues haue no great holinesse because we may easily be corrupted euen in prayer in hearing of the word in keeping of our Sabbath which in themselues do carrie a kind of holinesse which being not rightly vsed are said to be prophaned This sinne is so perilous and infatuateth vs so farre that it bringeth vs to make away not onely our maintenance on earth but also our inheritance in heauen for most vile and contemptible things as Esâ—â— did who though he did to supplie his neede vse vnlawfull meanes yet if he be set head by head with a great many not hauing any such neede he for his need in respect of theÌ„ might be lesse condemnable but they in respect of him most iustly reproueable Now if there be any Esau who will not sticke to sell heauen his soule and the kingdome of God vnder pretence of necessitie let vs beware we follow not Iacob in taking this aduantage for this was a particular thing permitted of God and Iacob will doe so no more but let vs exhort him to waite vpon God his prouidence to take a better course for the safetie of his conscience and contribute to his necessitie that Esau may not haue by our vncharitable dealing a cloake for his prophanenes but that if he will needes be prophane he may be prophane and guiltie in and of himselfe alone 24 We must not be proud in our owne gifts for God hath in iudgement giuen iudgement to many simple ones to spie vs out 25 If we confesse our sinnes to God we must frankly and freely bring our selues into the presence of God and lay our hearts naked and bare before him We must not as harlots wipe our mouthes and say we offended and yet fall into sinne againe but with remorse of conscience acknowledge them and in feare and reuerence leaue them 26 Satan is not discouraged at the first though he lose his possession yet he will keep his title and will lay claime to vs as to his mansion place and yet though Sathan thinks vs to be sties for himselfe Christ makes vs of the sties of Sathan palaces of his spirit 27 Though when Satan findeth vs waste and voide he may enter into vs yet if we haue any store of good yea if we haue a sparke of goodnesse it shall fire out the diuell the least groune pronounceth a iudgement against him euery teare is as a pearcing sword to him but wholy to quench the spirit to be waste to be swept of all the graces of God yea and not onely to offer violence to God his spirit but to build and labour for the diuell is a very fearefull thing for that maketh the diuell to looke better to his possession
much into the affection or manner of doing in the speaker as to his prefiting by the wisdome and prouidence of God this is a marke of a sincere and sanctified heart 40 Iudgement being corrupted wee can make reasons for our selues but not for others 41 As God giueth worship vnto vs so we must aduaunce the worship of God otherwise all our goodly gifts will be but as the gourd of 〈◊〉 is the locks of Absolom For as the gourd of Ionah did suddenly wither not beeing able to keepe him from the parching Sunne so our gifts shall suddenly rotte not being able to keepe vs from the heate of the wrath of God and the beautifull things wherein we were more proud in our selues then profitable to others shall rather be a way to bring vs to our destruction than a meanes to helpe vs to our saluation 42 Whensoeuer we come to a generall promise of outward things wee must not take it so vniuersally as admitting no exception but know that outward promises doe so farre extend as they stand with God his glorie and our good as also that either some sinne or some failing in obedience or the want of saith or triall of faith may suspend the performance of them 43 Wee must learne by oâ—r outward senses to espie our inward corruptions For why doth my sense lâ—ade me to this sinne but because mine heart hath ledde my sense and my corruption hath stolne away mine heart or why doth my sense helpe me in this good but that my heart hath gouerned my senses and God his Spirit hath guided mine heart our outward senses will bewâ—ay our inward affections For looke what I loue I am ready to heare of it I am willing to see it looke what I loue not I care not to see it I esteeme not to heare of it 44 It is the sâ—upour of this age not to regard a good name not to bee touched with reproches not to care for the prayers of men not to feare the curses of men In times past they were superstitious in hauing men pray for them euen being dead now they are prophane not esteeming the prayers of men whilest they be aliue Sinne bringeth alwayes it owne punishment with it it neuer wants a tormentor it is a snare an assise a bench a Iudge a Iailor an hangman to it selfe Though all Quest-men could be intreated and the Iudge himselfe be corrupted yet iudgement and inquirie iâ— at hand It intangleth our consciences it bindeth and pinnioneth vs with cordes but righteousnes is it owne reward and carrieth an whole court with it it carryeth a sword to reuenge a crowne before it selfe to reward it selfe For as manie in the middest of merrie cups haue their grieuous gripes so manie in the gripes of desperation are refreshed with their cup of consolation And as the wicked howsoeuer he hideth himselfe for a while is gotten at the length of the Sergeant of his owne conscience so howsoeuer the godly for a time content themselues to mourne in sorrow yet in the ende they are found and refreshed with the Sauiour of their soules 45 There is no faith but by the word no experience of faith but in temptation and yet we must not tarrie vntill our faith be proued by great triall but be content to be wrought vpon by smaller things For it is the goodnes of God to giue them faith in greater matters who would haue faith in lesser things and it is the wisedome of God first to giue little trials and then to giue greater 46 The politike Atheists and disciples of Philosophers of our time thinke that raine must come by a coniunction of Planets of necessitie We graunt the Lord vseth meanes but so as he intendeth and remitteth them by his owne limitation and power Man in want sueth to the creatures the creatures not able to supplie it complaine to the earth the earth seeketh to the heauens the heauens craue helpe from God as the last refuge whereunto we flie immediately God as the author from whom our helpe commeth heareth the heauens the heauens answere the earth the earth relieueth the creatures the creatures minister vnto man 47 The Arke had cleane and vncleane beasts Abraham had Ishmael and Isaac the Common-wealth true and false subiects an house hath thriftie and vnthriftie seruants the body members and excrements the Church good and bad 48 As he that hath tenne graines of Pepper bruised hath no more in quantitie than the man that hath tenne graines vnbruised howsoeuer he hath a more odoriferous qualitie than hath the other so in substance the Fathers had no other faith than we haue in Christ Iesus howsoeuer it being more vnfolded vnto vs is more comfortable than to our Fathers 49 It is a worne controuersie whether the Gospell or the Law is to be preached We answere both the Law is to prepare the Gospell is to follow after So likewise whether it is better to gouerne by clemencie or by seueritie We answere by both But if in comparison ye aske whether the Law or the Gospell is most to be preached the lenitie or rigour of the iudge most to be vsed we say consideration must be had of the persons preaching and preached to The person preaching may be of this or that gift more inclinable to doe good this or that way True it is Iohn did no doubt sometime pipe and Christ sometime mourne but for the most part Iohn did mourne and Christ did pipe being ordained of God thereunto The persons preached to if they be alreadie humbled must haue the promises if they be in their sinne and ignorance or are fallen by securitie the Law rather than the Gospell is to be vrged This holy mixture and wise order we may obserue both in the Prophecies and in the Epistles of the Apostles 50 Many say they can profit by some and not by others It is their infirmitie and they must be humbled Yet thus much for our comfort it is God his mercie if we profit any way howbeit stay not here for either thou must at the least desire to profit by both or els in the end it will come thou wilt profit by none It is vnnaturall for an old man in Christ to be fed againe with the dugge of the first doctrine as it is vnseemely to offer the strong mysteries of faith to a childe and nouice in Christ. We must learne not onely to discerne good from euill but better from good Some can dance when Christ doth pipe some can sorrow when Iohn doth mourne some can tremble when Paul preacheth of iudgement some can reioyce to heare him preach the promises some can entertaine him when he commeth with a kisse some can profit more when he commeth with a rod. Some will say if doctrine be much vsed we cannot vnderstand he is too profound some if perswasion be vrged we can learne little he is alwaies about one matter
his mercies are most wonderfull there if they bee contemned the iudgements of God ensue most feareful The serpent of all beasts the wisest abusing that wisedome became of all the cursedst Sodome the beautifull valley being puft vp with pride became the filthiest pit The church of the Iewes the valley of vision not vsing it dignitie was as a scattered wildernes Ierusalem is an heape of stones Sion as a thicket the Temple as a vast vessell The Church of Rome refusing Christ is become the seate of Antichrist The churches of Asia lost their candlesticke because light comming to them they loued darknes more than light 66 Vntill a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinnes determineth to arise goe to his father the word doth say he is not come to himselfe as Luk 15. in the lost child contrariwise when a man by feeling the sorrowes of sinne saith he will arise and goe to the father the world crieth with Festus he is besides himselfe too much learning hath made him mad So farre differ the iudgements of the word and of the world 67 As the Serpent was the first instrument of sinne â—o sinne retayneth still a qualitie of the Serpent For first it windeth round about vs as though it would imbrace vs but in the end it playeth the Serpent and with the tayle it doth sting vs. For the sorrowes which belong vnto sinne do not commonly accompanie the fact to be committed but the fault already committed and doggeth the conscience to sting it to death at the time of most aduantage for sinne taketh occasion by the law and deceiueth and therefore sâ—ayeth vs. And let not him thinke that findeth not a present controlement of conscience for euery sinne committed that therefore he hath not offended God for we are oâ—t suffered to haue the spirit of slumber for a while that the spirit of Christ Iesus might more perfitly awake vs. 68 God his children are to reioyce for the day of their Resurrection is their day of Redemption Their iudgement day was when Christ was iudged at what time all that are in Christ were iudged And as the wicked are now damned but then shall haue the sentence of damnation so now the godly are saued but then they shall haue the full testimonie of their saluation by Christ yea with Christ they shall be assistants in iudgâ—â—â—â—â— to condemne others so farre they shall be from comming into iudgement to be condemned 69 Bersillai hauing done a great benefit to Dauid the King could no◠〈◊〉 estimation how sufficiently to recompence it but referred him and his children to â—eat Salomons table Bersillai thought in himselfe this to be so great a recompence that he reâ—use 〈…〉 If it were both in Dauids estimation and in Bersillaieâ— opinion so great a 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Salomons table how much more glorious a benefit is it to sit at Christ his table 〈…〉 Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present 70 It is our corruption that we are more grieued when we suffer as â—el-doers than when we suffer for euil-doing For this is the logicke of the world I am grieued that I am thus dealt with because I neuer deserued it had I done any thing worthy of punishment it would not haue grieued me though I had beene punished Thou speakest like a foolish man thou knowest not when to be grieued and when â—ot to be grieued For whether is it better to suffer when thy conscience is free and suffereth not or when with thy outward affliction thou art afflicted also of thine owne heart And is it not a glorious thing to suffer for well doing wherein thy cause of griefe is the lesse and an ignominious thing to suffer for euill doing wherein the cause of griefe is the more For if rather the cause of affliction than affliction itselfe should grieueâ— hee then affliction without cause of affliction being for God his cause should rather comfort thee 71 Companie is the best thing and worst thing in the world how much and how 〈◊〉 are men beholding to it it maketh and marreth whatsoeuer commeth neere it 〈◊〉 as wormes do easily breede in the softest wood so doth it commonly spoyle the best â—â—â—â—sition 72 When we haue any crosse it is hard lucke say we Well that luck as you call it and prouidence as I iudge it is often more worth vnto vs than all our substance And why so the reason seemeth simple and yet is most forcible for then we begin to be in necessitie That is as you thinke a cold comfort and I should hardly perswade you that this argument is good For if I shall say that if ye did beleeue ye should see this as sure as your life I know that you would smile at it Notwithstanding it is sure that the sense of our necessitie causeth vs to looke for a remedie the asking of it by prayer doth assure vs to obtaine because of the promise 73 Herein is a difference betweene children and bastards that originall sinne in the refused hath the roote as rottennes the branch as dust the bud as blasphemie the fruite as despaire in the elect being ouerturned with the power of affliction then ariseth in stead of it both the blossoms of rising from sinne and the sweete smelling fruite of conuersion vnto God 74 There is nothing so good but priuie pride will corrupt it nothing so euill but a lye will couer it For priuie pride cast the Angels from heauen exiled Adam out of Paradise ouerthrew the deerest of God his children when they were most full of the spirit and was the last but most fierie temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ was assaulted It is seene of others before it is espied of our selues it commeth with greatest graces of God whereas other sinnes come with sinne it was the first sinne in God his childe and it will be last For euen when all sinnes seeme to bleede and all graces seeme to stand herein we can be proude that sinne is so dead and godlinesse so abundant in vs. 75 It is good still to attend vpon hearing the word although we feele not that inward ioy and working of God his Spirit which either we haue felt or desire to feele The preaching of the word is God his ordinance if it hath noâ— wrought heretofore though it worke not presently it may worke hereafter And because we know not who is the man what is the time where is the place which is the sermon that God hath appointed to work on vs let vs in all obedience attend on the ministerie of euery man watch at all times be diligent in euery place and runne to euery sermon which we can conueniently because though the Lord touch vs not by this man in this place at this time through such a sermon yet he may touch vs by another Let euery one therefore thus meditate with himselfe Though I hearing am as dead as a stone and
himselfe whether hee be in the Faith or no 2. Cor 13. 5. Why else 2. Secondly because euery one must be able to proue and examine mens doctrines and doings by the Scriptures that they be not in their saluation by them deceiued 3. Thirdly because euery one must be able as his calling requireth to teach admonish exhort and comfort one another 4. Fourthly because euery one must be able to make an account of the faith and hope that is in him What if men cannot reade Then they must vse the helpe of others that can reade Is it enough to reade the Scriptures priuately or with others No for God hath also commaunded to heare them read publikely in the Church And is it enough to heare them read publikely in the Church No for hee also hath ordained preaching to be vsed Why must preaching be ioyned with â—eading Because it is the most principall and proper meanes to beget Faith in vs. Why must Faith be mixed with the Word read and preached Because otherwise the word profiteth vs nothing How many things are requisite to bee in euery one that will come to heare the Word read and preached Amongst others foure are necessarie What is the first 1. First a reuerend feare of the Maiestie of God 2. Secondly an assured faith in Christ. 3. Thirdly an earnest endeuour to frame our liues thereafter 4. Fourthly they must pray for the holie Ghost to bee giuen them to enlighten their mindes and to write all these things in their hearts Which be the principall parts of Gods word The Law and the Gospell What call you the Law It is that part of the Word that commaundeth all good and forbiddeth all euill What if wee could keepe the Law Then wee should be blessed What if wee breake the Law Then we are subiect to the curse of God and so to death and damnation What call you the Gospell It is that part of the word which containeth the free promises of God made vnto vs in Iesus Christ without any respect of our deseruings What doth that worke in vs It worketh in vs a true and liuely faith in Iesus Christ whereby wee lay holde of the free remission of our sinnes in him and the true repentance of them What must wee learne by the whole word of God Two things 1. First to make a right and sound entrance to our saluation 2. Secondlie how to encrease and continue in the same vnto the ende What is required for our right and sound entrance to our saluation Three things are required 1. First to know and to be perswaded of the greatnes of our sinnes and the miserie due to the same 2. Secondly to know and be perswaded how we may be deliuered from them 3. Thirdly to know and bee perswaded what thankes wee owe to God for our deliuerance How shall wee come to the right sight of our sinnes and a sound perswasion of the greatnesse of them By the spirit of God leading vs into the true vnderstanding of the Law and a due examination of our selues thereby Where is the Law set downe It is written in many places of the Scriptures but the summe thereof is contained in the ten Commandements Rehearse them I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other gods but me How are they deuided Into two principall heads or tables as they be called What doth the first table teach vs It teacheth vs our dutie towards God and is contained in the foure first Commaundements What doth the second teach vs Our dutie towards our neighbour and is contained in the sixe last Commandements Why are the duties towards God set downe before the duties towards our neighbour 1 Because the loue of God is the ground of the loue of our neighbour What followeth hereof 2 That none can rightly loue his neighbour except he first loue God Why are the duties towards our neighbour ioyned to our duties towards God 3 Because the loue of our neighbour is the proofe of our loue towards God What ensueth hereof 4 That none can loue God aright except he also loue his neighbour Why are the Commandements set downe in ten parts and not in generall 5 Because God is not pleased with doing our duties in generall or in some part but he will be wholy serued in all and euery one of his Commandements Why are they set downe singularly or to euery one 6 Because euery one must doe his owne dutie though none goe before him What followeth of this That euery one must beare his owne burthen and none shall haue excuse by the example of others Are there not some rules which serue for the better vnderstanding of euery one of the Commandements Yea there be foure which haue speciall vses 1 First in euery commandement where euill is forbidden there the contrarie good is commanded 2 Secondly many moe euils are forbidden and many moe good things are commanded in euery commandement than in words are expressed 3 Thirdly because God is a spirit therefore his commaundements are spirituall and require spirituall obedience 4 Fourthly in euery commaundement where euill is forbidden there the occasions of the euill are forbidden and where good is commanded there also the occasions of good are commanded Rehearse the first Commandement Thou shalt haue none other gods but me What euill is here generally forbidden Euen that which the words doe import What good is commaunded To haue God to be my onely God and to be alwaies in his presence What is it to haue God to be our onely God To giue him all things which be proper and peculiar to his Maiesty Which be those that properly concerne God and therefore be the speciall things commanded They be very many Rehearse the summe of them wherâ— bâ— the rest may be vnderstood I am bound to beleeue in God to loue God to feare and obey him to pray vnto him and praise him After what sort mâ—st you performe these duties of faith loue feare obedience prayer and thankesgiuing With my whole mind and vnderstanding with my whole heart and my whole strength Which bee the peculiar sinnes herein forbidden To faile in giuing to God any of these or the like forenamed good things in any part or in any respect What else is particularly forbidden To giue any of the forenamed good things to any creature or any other thing whatsoeuer whereby my heart may be withdrawne from God in any part or in any respect Which be the occasions of the breach of this Commandement 1. First the vaine desire of the pleasures riches and glorie of this world 2. Secondly a negligent and carelesse vse of the meanes to serue God his prouidence Are not the contrarie good things to these commaunded Yea. Which are they 1. First a heart contented with any estate and vsing things of this world as though we vsed them not 2. Secondly a reuerend and diligent vse of the meanes to
serue Gods prouidence Rehearse the second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the likenesse c. What euill is expressely forbidden in this Commaundement I am forbidden to make any Image either to represent God or to worship him by What euill is generally forbidden I must auoide all inuentions and deuices of men in the outward worship of God which be contrarie or besides the written word of God Which be the speciall euills forbidden Chiefly all corruption in the substance of doctrine prayer Sacraments and discipline of the Church What occasions of euill be forbidden There be some which wee must necessarily auoyd vnlesse wee will fall into superstition and idolatrie and they be these 1. First to ioyne the false parts of worship with the true worship of God 2. Secondly to be present in bodie at idolatrous and superstitious seruice 3. Thirdly the reseruation of some speciall monument of superstition and idolatrie Which bee the lesser occasions forbidden and yet so wee haue the speciall groundes of Gods worship we must and may tolerate them when we cannot helpe them 1. First all vaine idle and superstitious Ceremonies 2. Secondly all keeping companie with false worshippers Is not the euill in heart also forbidden Yea so farre forth as I lust in my heart to haue any of them preuaile or be established What good is generally commaunded All the outward meanes of Gods worship which be agreeable to his written word What is specially commaunded I must vse such doctrine prayers Sacraments and discipline of the Church as bee agreeable to Gods word in the substance What occasions of good be here commaunded 1. First to haue and vse good bookes of the doctrine and history of the Church written according to Gods word 2. Secondly erecting and maintaining schooles of learning as nurseries of the ministerie 3. Thirdly sufficient prouision to be made for the Ministers of Gods word 4. Fourthly building and maintaining Churches and all things belonging thereunto 5. Fiâ—ly I must vâ—â—â—ll good ceremonies and orders agreeable to the word of God 6. Sixtly 〈◊〉 famiâ—â—â— company with the true worshippers of God What good in heart is commaunded I am commaunded to vse the meanes of Gods worship not onely outwardly but also in spirit and truth What is meâ—â—â— by these words For I the Lord thy God am a iealous God c That God will punish false worship in the false worshippers and in their posteritie vnto the â—â—â—rth generation What is meant by these wordâ— And will shew mercie vnto thousands c Thâ— God will blesse his true worship in the true worshippers and their posteritie vnto the thousand desâ—ent Wâ—â—t is â—â—â—â—â—â—â—f these The vse is to make false worshippe more vile and his true worship more pretious in our eyes 〈…〉 third Commaundement Thou â—â—â—â— not takethâ— Name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. What 〈…〉 forbidden 1. First 〈…〉 â—â—â—ning or â—ursing enchanting or coniuring 2. Secondly all 〈…〉 by false Gods or naming them with reuerence 3. Thirdly 〈…〉 swearing or speaking of GOD without reuerence 4. Fourthly to câ—use Gods Name to bee dishonoured by false Doctrine or vngodlie life 〈◊〉 in my â—â—â—â—â—r in others Wâ—at good is herein commaunded 1. First in matters concerning Gods glorie I must sweare by GOD onely in Iustice. Iudgement Truth 2. Secondly I must endeuour from my heart to growe vp in true knowledge and a godly life that so Gods Name may bee praised in my selfe and by mine example in others What is meant by these words For the Lord will not holde him guiltlesse c That God will certainely punish the dishonoring of his Name in any sort What is the vse of this The vse of this is to make vs more fearefull to dishonour him and more carefull to glorifie his Name Rekâ—â—â—â—â— the fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holie c. What is here generally commaunded I am commanded to make it my whole delight to sanctifie the holie Sabbath of the Lord from morning to night What is 〈…〉 commaunded 1 First to vse â—ll the publike meanes of Gods worship in the congregation of Gods people 2. Secondlie to reioyce to vse all such priuate exercises as may make the publike meanes â—â—â—â—â—table to my selfe and to others W 〈…〉 bee those priuate exercises 1. First the examining of my sinnes and wants priuate prayer reading of the Scriptures singing of Psalmes conference with others and applying all things to my selfe with a care to profite others 2. Secondly relieuing the needle visiting the sicke and them that be in prison comforting them that bee in any miserie reconciling them that be at variance admonishing the vnruly and such like What is especially commanded The spirituall beholding of the Creatures of God thereby to prouoke my selfe and others to praise him What else is A diligent searching of my heart with a like care to finde it out and to reape some profite of the forenamed meanes so that I may be the better for and through them What is then particularly forbidden 2. All such labours and pleasures in thought worde and deede are forbidden as may hinder mee and others for vsing of or profiting by the same meanes 2. Secondly the leauing 〈…〉 of those publike meanes or priuate exercises What is here generally forbidden The vsing either of those publike or priuate meanes in ceremonie without some good fruite in my selfe or care of fruite in others Rehearse the fift Commaundement Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land c. Whom doe you vnderstand by father and mother By father and mother I doe not vnderstand onely my naturall parents but also those whom God hath set ouer me for my good as Magistrates Ministers Masters such like What duties doe children owe vnto their naturall parents Children ought reuerently and obediently to receiue the instructions commaundements and corrections of their parents to succour them and to pray for them What are they forbidden to doe To refuse or murmure at the instructions commandements and corrections of their parents or to neglect any dutie belonging to them How may they trie their loue by these duties They may trie whether their loue be right three wayes 1. First if they bee as desirous to doe all these duties to their parents as they would haue their parents to doe all duties vnto them What is the second 2. Secondly if they be as desirous to doe all duties to their parents as they would haue their children hereafter to honour them What is the third 3. Thirdly if they bee as willing to doe all these duties to their parents as they would receiue long life or any other blessing at the hands of God What duties doe parents owe to their children Parents ought to teach correct pray and prouide for their children How may they trie their loue by these duties They may
our selues to GOD whereby wee crucifie and kill the corruption of our nature and reforme our selues in the inward man according to Gods will What is it to crucifie the corruption of our nature It is truely and with all my heart to be sorie that I haue angred God with it and with my other sinnes and euery day more and more to hate it and them and to flie from them How is this sorrow wrought It is wrought in mee partly by the threatnings of the Law and the feare of Gods iudgements but especiallie increased by feeling of the fruit of Christ his death whereby I haue power to hate sinne and to leaue it How is this reformation of our selues wrought in vs Onely by the promises of the Gospell whereby we feele the fruit of the rising againe of Christ. What doth insue hereof Hereby wee are raised vp into a new life hauing a law written in our hearts and so reforme our selues Hereby it appeareth that none can repent of themselues or when they will Yea for it was saide before that it is the gift of GOD giuen vnto them that are borne againe By this it is also euident that Gods Children stand in neede of Repentance so long as they liue Yea for there is none of Gods Saints but alwayes carrying this corruption about them they sometime fall and are farre from that perfection of goodnes which the Lord requireth Seâ—ing it was said before that good workes did proceede from Repâ—ntance what properties are required of workes 1. First that they be such as God hath commanded in his Law 2. Secondlie that they that doe them bee such as be ingrafted into CHRIST and continue in him What say you then of the good workes of them that be not in Christ They doe no good workes because they neither are as yet members of Christ nor doe offer them to GOD in the Name of Christ. 3. The third propertie of workes is that they may bee to glorifie God and to assure our saluation Is it not lawfull to seeke our owne praise and merit by our owne good woorkes No For all our good workes are imperfect and saluation is onely merited by the death of Christ as was saide before We haue heard that the Law worketh the knowledge of our sinnes and feeling of our miseriâ— What meanes hath God ordained to worke and increase Faith in vs Hee hath ordained 1. The Gospell to beget and breede it in vs. 2. Prayer 3. Sacraments 4. Discipline 5. Affliction to confirme it in vs. What is the Gospell It is that part of Gods word whereby the holie Ghost worketh in vs a liuely Faith to apprehend the free remission of sinnes in Iesus Christ. How many kindes of Faith be there Two a Generall Faith whereby I belieue God to be true in all his workes Speciall and this is either whereby I belieue God to be iust in his threatnings and so am made penitent Or whereby I belieue him to bee made mercifull in his promises and so come to repentance What difference is there betweene Penitence and Repentance Penitence is a sorrow for sinne wrought by the Law Repentance is a recouering our selues from sinne wrought by the Gospell Is there such difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Yea for the Law differeth from the Gospell in foure things 1 First the Law reuealeth sinne rebuketh vs for it and leaueth vs in it but the Gospell doth reueale vnto vs Remission of sinnes bringeth vs to CHRIST and â—reeth vâ— from the punishment belonging vnto sinne 2. The Law commandeth to do good and giueth no strength but the Gospell inableâ—â— vs to do good the holy Ghost writing the law in our hearts assuring vs of the promise 3. The Law is the ministerie of wrath condemnation and death but the Gospell is tâ—e ministerie of grace iustification and life 4. In many points the Law may be conceiued by reason but the Gospell in all poinâ—â— is farre aboue the reach of mans reason Wherein doe they agree They agree in this that they bee both of God and declare one kinde of righteousnesse though they differ in offering it vnto vs. What is that one kinde of righteousnesse It is the perfect loue of God and of our neighbour What thing doth follow vpon this That the seuere law pronounceth all the faithfull righteous How doth the Law pronounce them righteous Because that they hauâ— in Christ all that the Law doth aske But yet they remaine transgressors of the Law They are transgressors in themselues and yet righteous in Christ and in their inward man they loue righteousnes and hate sinne What then is the state of the faithfull in this life They are pure in Christ and yet fight against sin What battell haue they They haue battell both within the battell of the flesh against the Spirit and without the temptation of Sathan the world How shall they ouercome By a liuely Faith in Iesus Christ. 1. Ioh. 5. 4. What call you thâ— flesh The corruption of our nature wherein wee were borne and conceiued Doth that remaine after regeneration Yea it dwelleth in vs and cleaueth fast vnto vs so long as wee carie the outward flesh about vs. How doth the flesh fight against the spirit By continuall lusting against the spirit What is that 1. By hindering or corrupting vs in the good motions words and deeds of the spirit 2. By continuall moouing vs to euill-motions words deeds What call you the spirit The holie Spirit which God in Christ hath giuen vs whereby wee are begotten againe Dâ—â— wee not receiue the spirit in full measure and in perfection at the first No but first we receiue the first fruits and afterward the daily increase of the same vnto the end if the fault be not in our selues How doth the Spirit fight in vs By lusting against the flesh How doth it lust against the flesh 1. First partly by rebuking and partly by restraining in vs the euill motions and deeds of the flesh 2. By continuall inlightning and affecting vs with-thoughts words deedes agreeable to Gods wil. What call you the world The corrupt state and condition of men and the rest of the creatures How doth the world fight against vs By alluring and withdrawing vs to the corruptions thereof What meanes doth it vse 1. It allureth vs by false 1. Pleasures 2. Profit 3. Glorie of this world from our obedience to God 2. It allureth vs other-paines losses and reproches to distrust Gods promises whiles by How shall wee ouercome the pleasures profit and glorie of this world 1. By a true Faith in IESVS CHRIST who despised all these things to worke our saluation and to make vs ouercome them 2. By Faith in Gods word that feareth vs from doing any thing against his will How shall wee ouercome the Paines losses and reproches of the World 1 By aliuely Faith in Iesus Christ who suffered all those things to worke our
saluation and of an vpright heart 8. Necessarie rules for the profitable reading of holy Scriptures 9. A treatise of the Resurrection 10. A treatise of Examination both before and after the Lords Supper 11. A treatise of Gods feare 12. A treatise of hypocrisie 13. A treatise of Anger 14. A treatise of blessednes 15. A treatise of Fasting 16. A treatise of sending the holy Ghost 17. A short treatise of Prayer vpon the wordes of the Prophet Ioel chapt 2. vers 32. alleadged by Saint Peter Acts 2. vers 21. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR DRV DRVRIE KNIGHT GENTLE-MAN-VSHER OF HER MAIESTIES PRIVIE CHAMBER AND MAISTER THOMAS FANSHAW Esquire the Queenes Remembrancer in her Highnesse Court of Exchequer H. H. wisheth the increase of all mercies and comforts in Iesus Christ for euer SOme of these Treatises Right Worshipfull serue well to teach vs both the daunger and the cure of the greatest wound a man can haue on earth the rest differ in argument yet haue one generall scope as namely the building of Gods people in the faith and obedience of Christ. Herein first I request your worships patience to take some view of a short representation of the whole booke by speciall branches couching the authors owne very words and matter in this compendious forme following The first treatise is of a wounded spirit wherein this faithfull seruant of Christ teacheth vs 1. How great an euill the wound of the spirit is for that the very Pagans and Papists can beare great afflictions till their spirits be wounded but if their minds be deiected they will dispâ—tch themselues with any violent death and the faithfull also cast downe with Gods arrowes and sight of their sinnes and the feeling of Gods hand vpon their mindes Iob Dauid Ezekiah Ieremiah mourned heauily for the wound of the spirit 2. What comfort the true peace of conscience carries with it able to free vs from all discomforts of this life and contrarily how the minde appalled no blessing can long cheere vs in this present life 3. How mad they be which by violent death seeke to end their afflictions of minde for that this is the onely way to increase their torments for if their burthen be great here it is intollerable in hell 4. How most men seeme actiue painfull and prudent to preuent and foresee other troubles and euils but few regard with any care aâ— all to preuent the troubles of minde How many trauell with great skill for riches and honour c. but few take any paines for the precious treasure of the peace of a good conscience 5. Preseruatiues against afflictions of minde are the searching of our sinnes past and present great and small and the examination of our faith 6. In examination for sinne we may not content our selues to haue left them We must also heartily sorrow for them euen the sinnes of our youth for if we doe not truly repent vs of them they may againe rebound vpon vs saith he after many yeeres to the great affliction and tormenting of our minds 7. Examination of sinnes must be as well of sinnes committed after our calling as before for these sinnes of all other bite sorest and pearce deepest Couer them not but confesse them to God in time least thou be constrained to blaze them abroad to thine exceeding griefe and torment 8. After knowledge and light receiued from God note euer what sinnes sway most in thee by the often checks of thy conscience and so labour to auoide them being grieued for them which if thou doe not thou canst not escape either hardnes of heart or afflictions of minde 9. Sinnes of omission haue much distempered Gods good children the negligent vse of the meanes of saluation and for the not putting of their gifts in practise many haue beene whipoed afterwards in their naked consciences and the Lord hath euen pearced them in their secret bowels 10. Some are troubled for their priuate pride and this is a good preparatiue to receiue Christ Some for doing more in shew than in truth abusing their knowledge in that they make it but a maske to iuggle in and for that they make but theâ—r affections to fight with their owne iudgement Some righteous men are troubled when they offend not for they are their owne greatest accusers for some secret corruptions in other matters so that there is nothing more difficult than to search our hearts to the bottome for sinnes past and present for priuie pride hidden wants and secret corruptions 11. That we must carefully auoide too scrupulous a feare as well as carnall securitie If the aiuell finde vs voide of all feare he thinkes his assaults must be stronger because our resistance is the weaker but if he finde in vs a cowardly feare and fainting of heart before we strike one stroke against him he will suddenly stab vs to the heart and make a spoile of vs. 12. If we see the godly afflicted in their consciences either before or in the issues of death we may not conclude therefore they are hypocrites or great sinners before God for that the Lord may as well make triall of their faith as take punishment of their sinnes as we see in Iob and others for saith he if such affliâ—tion come principally for sinne then the greatest sinners should haue the greatest afflections 13. When any shall come to the cure of soules afflicted they must not begin with words of compassion onely God is mercifull c. but first with a gentle searching of their sores labouring to draw out of them the confession of some speciall and secret sinnes 14. All griefes are either confused or distinct â—rising of knowne or vnknowne causes The spirituall Physition must wisely consider of the originall of the euill whether it be in soule or bodie or both for this cause he warneth that in this distemper the Physitions counsell be neuer seuered nor the godly ministers labour neglected 15. The persons ministring in this affliction must be men learned of sound iudgement wise and of good experience meeke and of most louing spirits I counsell thee saith he if thou canst not come to the particular sight of sinne iâ— and by thy selfe vse the helpe of such men vnto whom thou must offer freely thine heart to be gâ—ged anâ— searched and the whole course of thy life to be examined by the bright shining glasse of the law of God 16 A certaine cause or knowne sinne is either alreadie committed and not repented or a sinnâ— not committed but whereunto we be tempted If troubles come for some speciall sinne committed say thus Doth this one sinne so displease thee and deserue I thus to be punished and farre more grieuously for this one how great then should my punishment be if thou shouldest so deale with me for all my other sinnes If the heart be terrified with feare of the commission of sinne for temptations and motions vnto siâ—ne we are not so much to dispute with our motions as to
his worship The morall law and the naturall law differ for alâ—eit the morall law be the explaining of the naturalâ— lâ—w yet it doth not follow that thâ—t which is in the morall law is no more than that which is in the law of nature 10. Hauing shewed the morall vse of the Sabbath to concerne the Gentiles as well as Iewes and answered all obiections to the contrarie In the next place he teacheth the obseruation of iâ— how it is to be kept and how it is broken what are the publike exercises of the Sabbath with what care and conscience we should prepare our selues to meete the Lord on the Sabbath how we must attend vpon him for the time present in the congregation and lastly what our priuate exercises must be after our departure from the publike assemblie 11 In the second part or negatiue â—e sheweth vs in this law what workes are forbidden and them all he referreth to these two heads First all workes of our ordinarie calling Secondly all lawfull recreations Concerning the first kind be they more vsuall or lesse vsuall â—â— question would be made if men were as wise to serue God in diâ—iâ—ing the times and seasons for the â—asements of their bodies and refreshing their soules on the Sabbath as they bâ— politike for the increase of their worldly substance And as concerning lawfull recreation on the Sabbath day If labour be forâ—iâ—den in seede time and haruest much more pleasuâ—â— all the yeere long iâ— things more needfull for the preseruation of lifâ— to the glorie of God be disallowed then assuredly these lesse needfull cannot be allowed Againe saith he the zeale of worldlings may shame vs in our securitie for so long as any profit drops on them they giue no place to pleasure Behold the policie and painfulnes of the world may teach vs what we ought to doe for our seules And thus farre of the compendious summe of the treatise of the Sabbath Of this argument I found three very good copies after due examination and conference had I haue here published the best in my iudgement both for matter and forme in the best manner that I can This worke hath beene in many hands for many yeeres and hath giuen light to some and I trust shall giue further occasion to others to trauaile yet more herein for the good of posteritie And whereas so many in all Churches in these daies passe by this argument of the Sabbath and that other of Titâ—e is meere shadowes and ceremonies it were to be wished that as this reuerend man of God and Maister D. B. haue painfully trauailed in the one so the learned and faithfull seruants of Christ would communicate their knowledge and iudgement of the other vnto the Church and people of God The seuenth portion is short but containeth very good notes of saluation and of an vpright heart The eighth and last part oâ— treatise teacheth vs very profitable and necessarie rules for the reading and vnderstanding of the holy Scripture which be these 1. That Gods people which will profit by prâ—â—â—â—ing must 〈…〉 the reading of the holy Scriptures for that none saith he â—ar so wâ—ll profit by preaching as they that hâ—â—e beene iâ—â—iâ—â—d vp in reading the Scriptures or hearing thâ—m râ—â—d 2 Next to profit by reading of the Scripture â—e requireth â—â—â—â—â— speciall things to be obserued 1. Diligence 2. Wisedome 3. Preparation 4. Meditation 5. Conference 6. Faith 7. Practise 8. Prayer 1. Diligence maketh a rough way plaine and easie here keepe an euen course and perseuere without wearines or starting from it 2. With diligence desire to ioyne wisedome for choise of matter what of order how of time when to reade For matter search things reuealed and hunt not after things not reuealed In things reuealed seeke after things most necessarie and then things lesse necessarie For order first desire to lay the foundation of Christian religion then build vpon it as God giues thee increase of faith and knowledge For time we must not reade alwaies but keepe our appointed times The Sabbath day we may spâ—â—d a great part of it in reading the nâ—â—â—â— daies in the morning at noone and euening when we may redeem the day from the workes of our calling 3. Againe a due preparation is required whereunto appertaine first the feare of Gods maiâ—sâ—â—â— wâ—ich serues well to correct the pride of reason and to subdue our â—ffâ—ctions â—nd so to fit vs for the châ—le of Christ Secondly faith in Christ for that he alone opâ—â—â—th â—ur vnderstanding that we may vnderstand the Scriptures Thirdly great desire in the heart 〈◊〉 vpon the good word of God 4. The fourth propertie is meditation which is the life of all good learning and makes that we haue heard to be our owne and this is two-fold first of the minde or vnderstanding discoursing of things read or heard Secondly of the affection when liking any thing in iudgement we labour that it may worke also vpon our affections Here this rule is to be noted that meditation without reading â—â— câ—râ—neous and reading without meditation barren 5. The fifth helpe here is conference For if in naturall things and in all things appertaining to this life man standeth in neede of the helpe of other men much more in spirituall things 6. The sixt propertie after reading meditation and conference is faith which he requires as an increase of that aforegoing preparation We must beleeue in Iesus Christ by a generall faith going before but we must vse saith he all the meanes before named to increase our knowledge and faith in all particulars after 7. The seuenth is practise for this is a good way to increase our store to put to good vse that mediocritie of knowledge and gifts we haue receiued And assuredly according to Christs words we see by daily experience their gifts decay which put them not in practise 8. The eight rule or propertie is prayer and thankesgiuing With this he wilâ— vs to begin to continue and to end this whole worke Like as we haue no title to meate and drinke without our prayer so saith he they be impudent that doe touch Gods booke without prayer And here he requires also a spirituall thank sgiuing for saith he if this be needfull for corporall foode how much more for spirituall be thankefull for any light and for euery good motion which proceedeth from Gods spirit And thus farre the compendious summe of all these treatises Now Right Worshipfull this holy worke I recommend to your protection first because I knew not any in heart more affected towards that reuerend man Maister R. Greenham who was the author of them all Againe this worke in part appertaines to one of your Worships by a former dedication And therefore I am the more bold to recommend it thus amplified and inlarged vnto you both And the rather for that Gods good spirit hauing so knit your hearts together in the holy faith of Christ I may not doubt
yet when they selâ— this wound pearcing them with griâ—fe of heart they were as Sparrowes mourning as Cranes chattering as Pellicans casting out fearfull cries they thought themselues as in the gâ—aue they wished to haue dwelt solitarie they were as bottles parched in the smoke they were as Doues mourning not able without sighes and groanes to vtter their words their harts claue to the dust and their tongues to the rooâ—e of their mouthes But aboue all if these were not sufficient to perswade vs in this doctrine there remaineth one example whom we affirme to be the perfect anatomie of an afflicted minde This is the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ the image of the Father the head of the body the mirrour-of all graces the wisedome righteousnes holinesse and redemption of all the Saints who sustained the crosse euen from his youth vpward and besides pouertie basenesse hunger did willingly goe vnder the great trouble of contempt and reproach and that among them where he should haue had a right deserued honour in respect of the doctrine he taught them in regard of the manifold miracles he wrought among them as the healing of the sicke the giuing of sight to the blinde the restoring of life to the dead this vnkindnesse neuerthelesse did not so much strike into him But at what time he was set as a sacrifice for all when he was to beare our infirmities and carie our sorrowes at what time he was plagued and smitten of God humbled and wounded for our transgressions when he should be broken for our iniquities and the chasticement of our peace was vpon him then he cryed out My soule is heauie euen vnto the death Then he prayeth Lord if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me But how prayeth he euen with sweating how sweateth hâ— euen droppes of bloud How long prayeth he three times When endes his agonie not vntill hee was dead What saide hee being readie to departe My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Was this for his humane death as some haue imagined No no wicked men haue dyed without complaint whose patience then might seeme to exceede his it was his suffering in his humane spirit which incountred with the wrath of God his God-head suppressing it selfe for a while he suffered indeed many torments in bodie but much more heauily did the wrath of God lie vpon his soule If this consideration of an afflicted spirit in these examples doe not sufficiently shew what a grieuous thing it is to sustaine a wounded conscience let vs proceed to the comparing of this with other euils which fall into the nature of man There is no sicknesse but Physicke prouideth for it a remedie there is no sore but Chirurgerie will affoord it a salue friendship helpeth pouertie there is no imprisonment but there is hope of libertie Suite and fauour recouer a man from banishment authoritie and time weare away reproch But what Physicke cureth what Chirurgerie salueth what riches ransometh what countenance beareth out what authoritie asswageth what fauour relieueth a troubled conscience all these banded together in league though they would conspire a confederacie cannot helpe this one distresse of a troubled minde and yet this one comfort of a quiet minde doth wonderfully cure and comfortably asswage all other griefes whatsoeuer For if our assistance were as an host of armed souldiers if our friends were the Princes and the Gouernours of the earth â—f our possessions were as large as betweene the East and the West if our meate were as Manna from heauen if our apparell were as costly as the Ephod of Aaron if euery day were as glorious as the day of Christs resurrection yet if our mindes be appalled with the iudgements of God these things would little comfort vs. Let experience speake If a troubled minde impaireth not health drieth not vp the blood wasteth not the marrow pineth not away the flesh consumeth not the bones if it maketh not all pleasures painefull and shortneth not this life sure no wisedome can counsell it no counsell can aduise it no aduice can asswage it no asswagement can cure it no eloquence can perswade it no power can ouercome it no scepter will affray it no inchanter can harme it And yet on the contrary if a man languish in sicknesse so his heart be whole and is perswaded of the health of his soule his sicknesse doth not grieue him If a man be reproched so he be precious in the sight of God and his Angels what losse hath he If a man be banished and yet doubteth not that heauen is his countrie and that he is a cittizen among the Saints it doth not appall him If a man be in trouble and findeth peace of conscience he will quietly digest his trouble But if the minde be troubled who dare meete with the wrath of the Lord of hostes who can put to silence the voyce of desperation who will steppe out and make agreement with the helles to spare vs who dare make a couenant with the diuell that hee would lay no claime vnto vs if then a good conscience helpeth all euils and all other benefites in this life in themselues cannot helpe a troubled conscience we see it true in proofe which here is in prouerbe The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare it Againe in all other afflictions we may haue some comfort against sinne this is euer accompanied with the accusation of sinne A man may be sicke reproched impouerished imprisoned and banished and yet in all these haue a cleere conscience his owne heart telling him that there is no special cause of these croâ—â—es in him but that he may â—uffer them for the tryall of his faith or for righteousnesse sake and well doing But when the spirit is wounded there is still a guiltinesse of sinne and when a mans spirit is trouâ—led he suspecteth all his waies he feareth all his sinnes he knowes not what sinne to begin with it breedes such hurlyburlies in him that when it is day he wisheth for night when it is night he would haue it day his meate doth not nourish him his dreames are fearefull to him his sleepe oft times forsaketh him if he speaketh he is little eased if he keepeth silence he boyleth in disquietnesse of heart the light doth not comfort him the darknesse doth terrifie him To prosecute our comparisons where all other euils are the more tolerable because they be temporall and pursue vs but to death this not being cured endeth not in death but becommeth eternall For euen the heathen men thought that death was the end of all miserie the perswasâ—ion whereof made them being in some miserie to make an ende of themselues and hasten their owne death as Sathan doth make many now adaies to doe who are ignorant of the hels which is a place of farre greater paines than any they can suffer in this world whatsoeuer for a tormented conscience
partly of those which were done after our calling Euery man especially hauing his reason reformed by the word of God will graunt an examination of the life before our true knowledge of God in Christ to be most needfull But it may be some will thinke that we neede not to be so precise in the searching of those sinnes which were after our knowledge But seeing of all other sinnes these bite forest and pierce deepest for that they are aggrauated with all the mercies of God going before and sinne is then most sinfull when after we know the trueth after we haue beene deliuered from sinne after we haue beene inlightened with the grace of God we haue fallen into it I thinke that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sinnes Wherfore to iterate our former examples in a new matter as we may see the former kinde of examining of our sinnes before our calling in the sonnes of Iacob so we haue a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid who at the hearing of his sinnes was so troubled in his spirit that he could not rest in the Prophets speech telling him that his sinne was forgiuen him but still was disquieted as one vtterly forsaken of God and could finde no comfort of Gods spirit in him For as it fareth often with sores it commeth to passe in sinnes we are loath to haue our wounds often grated vpon we cannot so well away to haue our sores rifled feared and lanced but fedde with healing salues so we are hardly brought to haue our consciences ground or our sinnes ransacked sifted searched and ripped vp but would still haue them plaistered with sweet promises and bathed in the mercies of God whereas it is farre safer before incarnatiue and healing medicines to vse corrosiue and mundifying waters without which though some sores may seeme to close and skin vp apace yet they proue worse and being rotten still at the core they haue aboue a thin skin and vnderneath dead flesh In like manner we would cloake we would hide and couer our sinnes as it were with a curtaine but it is more sound Chirurgerie to pricke pearce our consciences with the burning iron of the Law and to cleanse the wound of the soule by sharpe threatnings least that a skin pulled ouer the conscience for a while we leaue the rotten corruption vncured vnderneath and so we be constrained to cry out of our sinnes openly As it is a folly then to dissemble our sores whilest they be curable and after to make them known when they be growne vncurable so it is as great folly to dissemble our sinnes whilest they may be remedied so after be constrained with shame to blaze them abroad when thou maist think them remediles But of this by the way because we shall more largely touch it in the last part to come It is sufficient to commit sinne before knowledge but after some good light of the spirit to sinne breedeth either hardnesse of heart or a troubled spirit both which we shall auoid if in trueth we be carefull to watch ouer our affections and beware that after our deliuerie we fall not into sinne againe Seuerall men subiect to seuerall sinnes haue their seuerall checkes in their consciences some are ouercome with wrath and yet after the moodie fit they can tell that the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God some are subiect to lust and afterwards they say it profiteth them nothing some are giuen to a continuall course of vanitie who notwithstanding can say that mans life hath another ende some slippe deepely into worldlinesse yet they be often weakened with most terrible checks of conscience Well blessed are they whose hearts be truely grieued and let them beware that make daliance with sinne for either hardnesse of heart will ouertake them or a troubled conscience will confound them Wherefore it comes to passe that many spending their bodies on lust lament that euer they so abused their strength many giuen too much to the pleasure of this life had griefe come vpon them to remember how they haue spent Gods graces lauished his good gifts and mispent their time or else if they haue not this griefe they fall into voluptuousnesse and draw such a thicke skin vpon their hearts as will cause the strongest denouncings of Gods iudgements to rebound be they driuen on neuer so hard And sure it is the sinne of this world that men being controlled in their consciences whilest they are a praying and feele a secret charge laide against them to beware of guile in buying and selling either haue these checks lesse and lesse and so they grow to be prophane or else afterward they are wonderfully wounded that they haue beene â—o worldly so greedily pursuing earthly things so coldly procuring heauenly things Thus euen our priuie thoughts not profited by are breeders of farther trouble Now the remedie against this trouble is willingly and wiâ—tingly not to cherish sinne to wish that the Minister should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes to be glad priuatly to be admonished to profit by our enemies when they do reproch vs and rather to desire in such a case to be humbled than to suffer our selues to be flattered This trying of ourselues must yet stretch it selfe further not onely to the committing of euill but also to the omitting of good As when after some good working and feeling of the spirit we begin to fight and conflict with our owne consciences saying though I must pray I must haue time also to prouide for my familie if I goe to heare the word of God surely I shall be in danger to loose this profit if I thus attend vpon the exercises of religion I shall be cut short in the vse of my pleasures Wherefore it shall be good to search our harts not onely in the carelesse not vsing of the meanes but also in the negligent watching ouer the fruites of the meanes saying to ourselues in this maner I haue heard a Sermon but alas without any feeling or working vpon my affections I haue beene praying but with no power of the spirit I haue receiued the sacrament but without those ioyes glorious and vnspeakable which I was wont to taste of I saw the discipline of the Church executed but without any feare of sinne at all in my selfe or compassion to the member censured And here I dare for my owne obseruation assuredly affirme that outward sinnes haue not beene at sometime so grieuous to Gods children as that they haue some times vsed the meanes with little reuerence and with lesse fruite And no maruell we shall see many men at some times not so much grieued for their sicknesse it selfe as for that they haue either willingly neglected the means which might haue preserued their health or that they haue abused the Physicke that might haue restored their health to them
all to be vsed when we would breed comfort in one I demaund whether if it be necessarie to maintaine the righteousnes of Christ it be not also as necessarie to preserue the righteousnes of the law Seeing the righteousnes of the law of vs not fulfilled will draw vs vnto the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed sith the righteousnes of Christ to vs imputed is neuer throughly and truly esteemed vntill we see the righteousnes of the law of vs to be vnperformed Againe if our Sauiour Christ did foreshew his Disciples that the first work of the holy Ghost at his comming should be to conuict the world of sinne to make men know that without Iesus Christ there is nothing but sinne then that he should rebuke the world of righteousnes that they might see how Christ died not for his own sins but for the sins of others I see not why it should not be very coÌ„uenient first to lay open the righteousnes of the law that men may see their sinnes and then the righteousnes of Christ that men may see their sins discharged in him Besides where the Lord saith by his Prophet At what time soeuâ—r a sinner doth repent of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance it may well be gathered that there must be first a sound sorrow for sinne and then a true ioy of sins pardoned may more freely by vertue of his promise be both hoped for and looked for afterward Moreouer seeing all the promises of God in the Gospell are commended vnto vs vnder the title tenour of restoring sight to the blinde hearing to the deafe strength to the lame health to the sicke and life to the dead it is manifest not onely that there is no disease of the soule which Christ cannot heale but also that we must first finde our selues blind deafe dumbe lame sick dead before he will meddle with vs because they that are whole neede not the Physition and he came to call sinners not the righteous to repentance Now to doe this in wisedome by neither pressing the conscience too seuerely nor releasing the conscience more vnaduisedly it shall be a safe way to vse the well tempered speech of the Apostle to the sorcerer Repent that if it be possible thy sinne may be forgiuen thee Where he doth not wholy discourage him because it may be his sinne may be pardoned neither yet too boldly incourage him in that without repentance he sheweth it to be altogether impossible to be pardoned And that we be not too preposterous in our consolation let vs be warned by the blasphemous speech of that detestable ArriaÌ„ who of late yeeres was put to death at Norwich This hellish heretike a little before he should be executed affoorded a few whorish teares asking whether he might be saued in Christ or no When one told him that if he truly repented he should surely not perish he brake out most monstrously into this speech Nay is your Christ so easily to be intreated indeed as you say then I defie him and care not for him Oh how good a thing had it bin not to haue cast this precious stone to this swine Oh how safe had it been to haue dealt more bitterly and to haue dwelt more vehemently on the conscience of this caiâ—ife Now to attaine some discretion in curing this wounded spirit we must learne wisely to iudge both of the person afflicted and of the nature of his affliction First we may note whether it be a man or a woman because we may vrge more fearfully the vse of the law to a man as being the stronger vessell And as Sathan knew the woman to be most easie and framable to be wrought vpon at his first temptation so is he not ignorant that she is the weaker partie to sustaine any temptation now Then let vs consider whether they that are thus humbled haue knowledge or no Because if they haue no knowledge they thinke trouble of minde to be so strange a thing as neuer any before had it if they haue knowledge then Sathan is readie to accuse them of the sinne against the holy Ghost as though euery sinne done against knowledge were a sinne of presumption Further we are to enquire how strong or weake they are that if they be sorely striken we cease to humble them any further if they be not sufficiently wounded then to touch them with some deeper sense of sinne Also we must be circumspect to finde out whether by nature they are fearefull and melancholike or no as also whether they be vsuall sinners or haue fallen once of infirmitie that so vpon their disposition and inclination we may build our speeches the better To these it is good to adde the consideration of the persons age estate and abilitie as if the partie be troubled for worldlines whether he be not a great house holder if he complaine of vncleannes whether he be not a yong man vnmaried if he be humbled with couetousnes whether he be not old because diuers couÌ„tries callings ages conditions and estates of men haue their diuers and peculiar sinnes which we must rightly discerne Howbeit of what sex soeuer they are men or women of what complexion soeuer they are of what knowledge to discerne sin of what degree of committing sin of what age authoritie wealth estate or coÌ„dition soeuer they are it is good to marke that there be many who are more troubled for the vexation and disquietnes of their minde being distempered than for the vilenes and horriblenes of their sin coÌ„mitted who are wounded more with the feare of shame with the feare of being mad or with the feare of running out of their wits than with the conscience of sinne Which thing if we finde in them it is our part to trauell with them that they make a lesse matter of the outward shame and more conscience of the inward sinne Neither must we here forget to make a distinction betweene our speeches vsed to the humbled in the very time of their extreme agony burning ague of their troubles and those speeches which we vse to them the fit being past because the one and former requireth more consolation and lesse exhortation the other and latter would haue vs more abundant in admonishing and more sparing in comforting when we may wisely admonish them to beware of sinne which so procured their owne woe In this breathing time it is also expedient to exhort them that for some season vntill they shall finde greater power of regeneration they would tye themselues to some holy orders and godly vowes whereby they may either be furthered in mortifying some speciall sinne which for that they could finde no power against it did most grieue them or strengthened in some speciall grace the want where of did also wound them But before we launch deeper into this sea of particular temptations and begin to sound the
dangerous passages of naturall corruption and originall sinne the troublesome froth whereof doth almost ouerwhelme many poore pilgrims it shall be good to giue this caution that both in these and in the former troubles men would be still againe admonished patiently to beare with a wounded spirit albeit it fall out so that they be somewhat pettish seeing the holy Ghost speaketh so fauourably of them saying A wounded spirit who can beare And surely our practise in other things by the law of equitie may vrge this at our hands For if men by the light of reason can see it to be a dutie conuenient not furiously to controll but meekly to suffer and wisely to put vp the vnaduised speeches of a man distempered in braine by reason of some burning ague or such like violent and vehement sicknes we may easily gather euen by the same rule of reason not so seuerely to ceÌ„sure the impatieÌ„t speeches of him who by reason of some parching feuer of the spirit is disquieted in all parts of his mind hath all the veines of his heart as it were in a spirituall agonie vexed Wherefore both vnsauourie for want of godly wisedome vncharitable for want of Christian loue are their murmuring obtrectations which say what Is this the godly man Is this he that is so troubled for his sinnes Why see how pettish he is nothing can please him no bodie can satisfie him Consider O man if thou canst beare with a â—raile bodie that thou must much more beare with a fraile mind Consider O man that this his pettishnes doth more wound him to the hart than any iniurie thou couldest presse him with And therfore seeing he afflicteth his owne soule for it thou needest not adde any thing to his affliction and to exasperate his grieuous smart Consider that it is a blessed thing mercifully to bethinke vs of the estate of the needie and that to rub a fresh wound and to straine a bleeding sore is nothing else but with Iobs friends to bring a new torment where there is no need of it As the wise father doth rather pitie thaÌ„ rebuke his child wheÌ„by reason of sicknes the appetite is not easily pleased so if we purpose to doe any good with an afflicted minde we must not be austere in repreheÌ„ding euery infirmitie but pâ—tiful in considering of the tender frailtie of it Neither doe I speake this to nourish peâ—â—â—shnes in any but would haue them to labour for patience and to seeke for peace which though they finde not at the first yet by prayer they must waite on the Lord and say Lord because there is mercy that thou maist be feared I will waite vpon thee as the eye of the seruant waiâ—â—â—â— vpon the hand of his maister I will condemne my selfe of folly and say Oh my soule why art thoâ—o so hâ—aâ—â—e Why art thou so cast downe within me Still trust in the Lord for he is thy health and thy saluation FINIS THE SECOND TREATISE BELONGING TO THE COMFORT OF AN AFFLICTED CONSCIENCE IN all afflictions Gods children must looke vnto the end they are to desire to profit by them and in them to seeke â—he way of sound comfort and consolation which that they may finde they must know that the afflictions of the godly last but a while they serue them but for salues and medicines the end of them is alwaies happie In them they are not onely preserued and purified from many sinnes but also much beautified with the image of Iesus Christ who is the eldest sonne in the house of God Againe the crosse of true Christians is the sweete and amiable call of God vnto repentance in that he putteth vs in minde therby to bethinke vs of our debts because we are giuen to thinke the day of payment is yet farre off yea we fall asleepe vntill our turne be ended and whilest God lengtheneth our daies waiting for our repentance we neuer thinke of our sinnes vntill the houre come wherein we perish with shame The best meeting then with the Lords visitation is without delay and in sinceritie to pray for our sinnes to be pardoned For therefore doth the Lord oftentimes shackle vs the more with the chaines of his chastisements because we are more carefull to be vnburthened of our sicknesse than to be freed from our sin which we the rather are loath to confesse because we would not be espied to be in the wrath of God Others there be that hearing of their sinnes in the time of their afflictions will acknowledge indeed their infirmities to be the mother of such a broode yet they haue no true remorse to restraine themselues from sinne because they haue but a confused conceite thereof and though their ship be neuer so much tossed and turmoyled yet thinke they not that God holdeth the sterne These men if God beare with them doe as it were settle in their lees and are as it were soked in their sinnes For prosperitie is a drunkennesse to cast our selues into a dead sleepe and when the Lord letteth vs alone we cease not to soothe vp ourselues bearing our selues in hand that we are in Gods fauour and that he loueth vs because he scourgeth vs not And thus retchles we are whilest we measure Gods loue according to our sense and humour Wherein we bewray our ignorance of the exercise of the crosse in that affliction is the mother of humilitie humilitie breedeth repentance and repentance obtaineth mercie Some also there are who vsually whilest the fearefull iudgement of God is before their eyes either in themselues or in others haue a few glancing motions and starting cogitations of their sinnes and of Christ his passion yet at all other times their minds are so clasped vp from thinking of temptations and their hearts so locked vp from foreseeing or forethinking of iudgements that they feele no godly sorrow They mocke the mourning dayes of the elect as of them that be of melancholy nature they make a sport of sinne as little remembring the sting which will either pricke them to the heart blood most fearefully in the houre of death or meete them with griping agonies in the day of their visitation more speedily But happily they think they haue giuen good testimony word of their repentance and remembrance of God when they giue one deepe sigh and away and passe ouer Gods heauie indignatioÌ„ as ouer burning coals So that whilest the Lord in prosperitie affoordeth large peniworths of his loue vnto them they dally with his Maiestie make a sport of his mercy Al which imperfections may be better corrected if in our deepest rest with a reuerent humble feare of Gods iudgements we did waite for the day of our trial and prepare our selues to the Lords visitations for the feeling of Gods mercie must come from the sight of our miserie by sinne which being pardoned we shall soone haue our infirmities healed Wherefore let vs first learne to cleanse our soules from
of one other thing which I had forgotten before and that is this your loue must spring from that reuerence feare that you must yeeld vnto your husband for true loue is mixt as it were with these two and this is a speciall dutie often repeated in the Scripture that the wife must feare the Husband So that you see Sister that you must not looke to haue your Husband at your becke for your loue but you must render due beneuolence vnto each other For as the bodie of the Husband is not his owne but his wiues so is not the woman 's her owne but her husbands for they are both one flesh as the Scripture doth teach Now if anie doe object that this is the way to bring women into bondage and to be as drudges to their Husbands if they should in this manner be subject vnto them No no it is not so but the most readiest way to procure vnto themselues grace peace of conscience and more sweete libertie whilest they liue in obedience to God and his holy ordinances And therefore the spirit of God admonisheth all women that they be not afraide of any such vaine terror Now further my Brother and Sister that you may keepe your bodies pure and chaste one for the other I would counsell you to beware of being alone with anie when there is feare of temptation vnto euill but bee carefull that you may alwayes haue witnesse of your Christian behauiour and in keeping companie conuenient chuse vnto your selfe such as be most sober and faithfull Well although there bee manie more duties yet I will content my selfe to goe one thing further that is that as you seeke for continuance and increase of loue so you take heede of jealousie for although that true loue is very earnest and mixt with godlie jealousie yet there is a wicked jealousie and that causeth causelesse suspicions which worketh great woe vnto such as giue credit vnto them Take heede therefore my Brother and Sister of this yea though there should seeme iust cause yet giue not too speedy credit vnto them Now if you desire to know in your heart which are vngodly suspicions know them by this token for they will make you more negligent in praying one for another and more slacke in performing all other duties of loue one to another In the eight Commaundement you are charged Brother to vse all lawfull means to prouide for the maintenance of your wife in honest estate else were you worse then an Infidell But I charge you to take heede least through distrust in the prouidence of God you make shipshracke of a good conscience vsing any vniust or vnlawfull meanes And you Sister are commaunded to be a good houswife and to keepe those things together which you haue and so increase them as you may from time to time be helpfull vnto others For if you should consume and waste things vnprofitablie you should grieue and trouble the minde of your Husband who ought to be cased of that care by you And further if it should please God to call either of you to suffer persecution in time of triall the weaker must for the Lords cause giue place to the stronger and desire the Lorde to giue greater strength for we must labour for grace that we may be willing for the Gospell to forsake all things whatsoeuer we haue Out of the ninth Commaundement I will giue you this rule that neither of you blaze abroad the infirmities of each other it is a great enemie to pure loue But if there bee neede of counsell and helpe in any matter then chuse a faithfull friend with consent that may be an indifferent iudge betwixt you And againe in any case tell the truth one to an other for it is a thing diligently to be regarded in these our dayes when as men and women are so full of pollicies and subtil fetches that there is almost no simplicity to be found in anie In the last commandement which concerneth wicked motions and thoughts although there be no consent giuen vnto them you are to consider that your nature will neuer bee freed from them in this life therefore you must prepare to prayer and other heauenly exercises of Faith to striue continually against them Thus I will end beseeching God for Christ Iesus sake to giue you of his spirit that may teach you in these things and enable you to further duties agreeable to his helic wâ—ll to the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comfort O Lord God deare Father for thy welbeloued Sonne our Sauiours sâ—ke make vs thankfull for this thy gracious prouidence towards vs. Oh Lord forgiue all our sins and keepe vs pure both in soule bodie for thine owne Names sake write these instructions in our hearts and giue vs grace to make practise of them in the whole course of our liuâ—s â—uide vs in all things deare Father by the grace of thy good spirit and let the mercifull eye of thy fatherly prouidence watch ouer vs continuallie that wee may be comforted in thy wayes and quickened alwayes to giue thee immortall praise and that through thy deare Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After the exhortation and prayer hee asked the parties to be contracted these two questions 1 Of their consents of parents After their answere of their parents consent to make a faithfull promise of mariage one to another at such time as their parents could agree vpon it they were charged to keepe themselues chasle vntill the mariage bee sanctified by the publike prayers of the Church for otherwise many mariages haue been punished of the Lord for the vncleannes that hath been committed betwixt the contract and the mariage 2. Whether they euer were precontracted Then hee charged them saying I charge you as by authoritie from Iesus Christ in whom you looke to be saued that hauing the consent of your parents and receiued these precepts that I say yee labour to grow in knowledge and in the feare of God And now as in the sigâ—t of God with all such leâ—itie as of others is vsed you must make before the Lord a contract which is farre more then a promise and that on this manner their hands being ioyned â— R. doe promise to thee F. that I will bee thine husband which I will confirme by publike mariage in pledge whereof I giue thee mine hand In like manner doth the woman to the man Then after the prayer the parties are dismissed FINIS A TREATISE OF THE SABBATH IT is written Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it â—olie c Dearely belâ—ued in the Lord there is no Commandement of Gods part more vrged and of ouâ— parts lesse obserued then this one of the Sabbath wherefore with zeale to Gods glorie and loue vnfained vnto your selues I haue endeuoured in that measure and manner that God hath enabled mee to intreat of this argument The
the spirits of men 1. Ioh. 4. to make souÌ„der confession of our faith to stop the mouthes of our aduersaries and to answere the temptations of Sathan and the wicked But because men sinne not onely in neglect of hearing and reading but also in hearing and reading amisse therefore the properties of reuerent faithfull reading and hearing are to be set downe which are these that follow they be eight in number 1. Diligence 2. Wisedome 3. Preparation 4. Meditation 5. Conference 6. Faith 7. Practise 8. Prayer The three first goe before reading and preaching The foure next come after them The last must goe before and be with them and come after them 1 If diligence be necessarie in reading prophane authors then much more in reading the Scriptures Diligence maketh a rough way plaine and easie and of good taste which otherwise is hard and vnfauourie In our diligence we must keepe an euen course and not to be like those who vpon some sudden good motion or by reason of some good companie or by reason of some good action draw neere or for feare of danger c. reade for a time and soone after giue ouer againe Reade Prou. 2. 12. Matth. 13. 54. 2 With diligence must be ioyned wisedome which is in choise of Matter Order Time For want of wisedome in the matter they reade many sinne in studying other bookes before the Scriptures and in the Scriptures in searching things not reuealed and pretermitting things reuealed as Iohn and Iames sought who should sit at Christs right hand and left hand but they sought not to come thither And the Disciples said Act. 1. Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel not asking the meanes to come to the kingdome of heauen And in things reuealed many will curiously and busily search for things not profitable as genealogies and caresly neglect the things that are to be searched And some ignorant how to reforme themselues will be talking of reforming the Church And if the Preacher must giue milke to the weake and stronger meate to the stronger Christians if he must thus applie his doctrine to the hearers then much more the hearers themselues must applie their owne reading to their owne capacities Wisedome is in order as that men must be first grounded in the principall points of doctrine first we must lay the foundation and build vpon the same also we must keep an order in our readings and not be now in this place now in another for order is the best helpe for memorie and vnderstanding he that readeth little after a good manner profiteth more than he that readeth much otherwise as he that â—impeth in the way doth better than he that runneth in another way or out of the way Therefore for want of order many reade much but profit little Wisedome must be vsed in discerning the times for we must not reade alwaies and doe nothing else as some offending in the one extreame are after driuen by Sathan to the other The Sabbath is wholy to be spent in such exercises on other daies in the morning at noone and in the euening that is when we may redeeme the day from the workes of our calling as Dauid and Daniel did pray at these three times vnder which is contained all the worship of God Wee must doe as much as we can euery day and no day must passe without a line God hath made euery thing beautifull in his time Ecclesiast 3. vers 11. 3 Preparation followeth If any man goe away without any profit and either vnderstandeth not or vnderstandeth amisse want of preparation is the cause Preparation is 1 In feare of God his Maiestie 2 In faith in Iesus Christ. 3 In a good and honest heart with a greedie desire to eate vp Gods word In all apparitions God alwaies sent feare before as his apparitor it ingendreth teachablenesse and meekenesse of minde as we see in Isaac who as it is said feared and then he said I haue blessed Iacob and he shall be blessed We see it also in the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 7. and in the men Act. 2. From want of this reuerent feare commeth all checking of God his word and that men dare be so bold with it but they that feare will be swift to heare and slow to speake Iames. 1. 19. and will lay vp his word in their heart with the Virgin Mary Though they vnderstand it not though they kicke at the word and spurne against it yet if God once teach them with his feare then will they acknowledge it to be the blessed word of God Feare commeth vpon men sometime they know not how and if then they go to God they shall finde some excellent blessing either in hauing their vnderstanding inlightened or some good affections put into them This feare is in respect of God his Maiestie and our owne corruption to correct the pride of reason and to controll our affections and experience will shew that when our reason and affections are tamed by miserie calamitie sicknes and inward griefe then we are very teachable And when men erre then the pride of their reason is punished as in heretikes and prophane persons Contrarily God his good spirit resteth vpon the humble to cleere their vnderstandings but they first crucifie their vnderstanding and affections and offer them vp in a sacrifice to God Faith in Christ is the second thing in this preparation we must bring that with vs when we come to read looking on him as on the Messiah that must teach vs all things he is the Lion of the tribe of Iuda to whom it is giuen to open the booke of God He opened the hearts of the Disciples going to Emaus Preachers build hay and stubble because they doe not onely glory in him but doe seeke credit and preferment by preaching themselues All heretikes differ among themselues yet they all agree in this that they eâ—â—e from Iesus Christ. A heart prepared to learne is required Pro. 17. 16. Wherefore is there a price in the heart of a foole to get wisedome and he hath no heart Our Lord Iesus Christ saith that those that brought forth fruit when they had heard some thirtie some sixtie some an hundred fold they were such as receiued the word with a good and honest heart Luc. 8. Here saith a godly and learned man men are shut out because they come without a heart Now follow the properties that must follow our readings Whereof the first is meditation the want of which makes men depart without fruit though they reade or heate diligently Meditation makes that which we haue read to be our owne He is blessed which meaitates in the law day and night Psal. 1. 2. Meditation is either of the Minde and vnderstanding Heart and affections Meditation of the vnderstanding is when reason discourseth of things read or heard which the wise of the Heathen call the refining of iudgement the life
to accelerate their death or to reade mee as some haue read Plato that thereby they should hasten the time of their deliuerance but that wee should learne when God doth becke for vs wee should bee readie to remoue and that for none other causes but for faith and in hope of Gods promises a full feeling of our sinnes discharged a sure confidence of God his power in raising vs vp againe and a stedfast hope of a more glorious possession after this life By these meanes wee shall so rest in the hands of God that when nature decaieth wee shall haue our departure with calmnes and in a good time shall through a naturall ripenes rather voluntarily fall of than violently bee pulled off Wherefore wee see that this rash and vndiscreete desire off death is either in mindes that are abiect or in men in whose flesh their spirits are alreadie buried as also that the triumph of the godly proceedeth from hence euen a full assurance that he which raised them vp euery morning will raise them in the last day and that hee which raised Christ their head will also raise them his members This is that which will stay all quiuering of the flesh wherewith many are so benummed that they cannot with gladnes drinke of that cup whereunto the Lord allotted them If euer this doctrine of the resurrectioÌ„ was needfull it is now adaies most needfull wherein wicked Heretikes would depriue vs of the comfort of it It will not serue in the time of temptation whether it come immediatly from the diuell or medâ—â—tly by his instruments to rest in our infolded faith with the Papists or to say wee beleeue as it is in the Creede wee beleeue as the Church beleeueth But to leaue the diuell himselfe hee hath suborned such priuie and treacherous aduersaries of this doctrine as with impudent faces will agree with vs in matter and in word will graunt the resurrection and yet shift away in their manner and in sense and truth blasphemously denie the power of the same Thus Hymineus and Philetus would not flatly denie the resurrection nay they would graunt it but how they saide it was past Thus cunningly Satan would ouerthrow the manner of the resurrection by permitting them to dally in the matter Againe shall wee thinke that the Sadduces did generally resist it no they had their false glosses and their forced interpretations with whom Satan in policie would pretend a maintaining of that which in purpose hee sought to mangle and marre The Philosophers had many glancing and glorious speeches of the immortalitie of the soule but when they came to this point concerning the rising againe of the flesh nothing was more ridiculous and incredible vnto them In so much that many of them of the Epicures and Stoikes mocked Paul disputing of this matter and said What will this babbler say as wee may reade Act. 17. verse 18. And when hee spake of the resurrection from the dead some mocked and others said we will heare thee againe â—f this matter Surely if the rising againe had been nothing but the renewing of the minde as some fondly dreame and falsely affirme it may bee thought that the Academicks would haue conceiued this doctrine and Platoesidaea hath as great secrets But here is the point which they sticke at and can by no meanes digest it that the naturall bodie after it is consumed into the ayre fire water or earth should afterward reuiue and receiue supernaturall qualities and as Philosophers and Heretikes cannot brooke this kinde of teaching so sure it is that few of the common professors receiue it in truth as their liues doe manifestly proue Besides there is another euill more perillous than these Through the close subtiltie of Satan this mysterie of iniquitie is cunningly conueyed into the heads of the more learned sort to discourse of certane places of the old Testament which godly learned and ancient Fathers haue construed of the resurrection and are denied of these men As these places Iob. 19. 25. 26. 27. and Esaj 26 19. and Daniel 12. 2. It may be and I do thinke their intent and purpose was not to misconstrue the places Howbeit it was Sathans policie to abuse the truth and vndermine our faith it was the secret iudgement of God to suffer Sathan so farre to buffet them Wherefore that we may the better be armed against the day of triall and that we may stand strongly in the day of temptation in our possession we will by God his assistance first set downe those expresse testimonies in the word of God whereby this doctrine is confirmed Secondly we will alleage those reasons out of the Scriptures which implie this thing though they doe not plainely affirme it Afterward wee will vnâ—ase the shifting visard of Heretikes whereby they would counsell men to some liking of their opinions Wherefore that wee may the better answere the diuell and his limmes let vs first consider of that translation of Enoch Genes 5. 24. wherin the Fathers haue obserued a manifest testimonie of the resurrection with whome I agree in part but not in generall because I dare not affirme with them that the body of Enoch is in heauen seeing as yet Christ alone is risen from the dead and was made the first fruites of them that slept And albeit that Enoch and Eliah did not fall asleepe as did the other Fathers yet because it is saide Hebr. 11. 39. that the Fathers in old time among whom Enoch is mentioned receiued not the promise that is the fulnes of the promise it cannot bee that Enoch his flesh is yet in heauen And howsoeuer hee was taken away by vnknowne meanes neuerthelesse that GOD that could so hide the bodie of Moses that euen the diuell looking for it could not finde it hath also laid vp the bodies of Enoch and Eliah in such meanes aâ— are hid from vs. And as the Lord hath infinit meanes of hiding so hath he incomprehensible means of finding as well of the bodie of Enoch as of the bodie of Moses Now whereas it is saide Heb 11. 33. that they suffered that they may receiue a better resurrection it must needes be that there is a rising againe of the flesh Againe we read Exod. 3 6. that the Lord said vnto Moses I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob In which place it may seeme not a sufficient proofe to confirme so great a matter Howbeit our Sauiour CHRIST vseth it as a bulwarke against the Sadduces Matth 22 32. where our Sauiour Christ to prooue the resurrection inferreth the same words adding to them thus much God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing where wee see how Abraham Isaac and Iacob being aliue haue their bodies in the Lord his hands in keeeping as well as their soules Wherefore seeing both the Prophets and Christ himselfe haue vsed this place to that ende wee also
to leade such a strict life they will haue other men liue like Angels and they themselues like Deuils Some more effectuall notes and of more common vse than these are set downe Matth. 23. But some may say and gather hereupon If it be a grosse hypocrisie to reprehend I will not deale with it at all and these are either fearfull or wickedly subtile and they are worse than the other Wee must not mislike the doing of an hypocrite further than God misliketh his misliking must bee our rule and hee blameth him not for the outside but for the inside A reprehension is good but in him it is ill accidentally as the best things in the Gospell may be The Pharisies were reprehenders and our righteousnesse must exceede theirs that is comprehend theirs and more Augustine saith well Sheepe may not therefore cast away their skinnes because wolues sometimes are coated with them Euery outward thing in their hypocrisie was good making of Proselytes keeping Saints memories and hee that hateth them for their abuse shall prooue himselfe a foole in the end Another kinde of men may conclude and thinke that those that are such open offenders and riotous not to be hypocrites and it is all they can boast of I am no hypocrite But we know that he is a singular hypocrite by Christs owne testimony that hath a beame in his eye Surely they are of the brotherhood of hypocrites Esay chap. 9. speaking of young men of wilde youths saith they are all hypocrites Iustine saith Euery euill man is an hypocrite more or lesse none is worse than such And yet if a man should see him in a mantle and heare him to pronounce Iehouah in sixe lines seuen times hee would thinke well of him he being darknesse turneth himselfe into an Angell of light and as hee is an hypocrite himselfe so is his crue The flesh shee complaines she is very weake and cannot rise and the spirits are dull they cannot studie But Dauid omitting his spirituall watch fell seuen times worse than hee did before The world is an hypocrite you may see by the tares which all good writers expound hypocrites that there be bundles of hypocrites though few beare the name Christ saith in the Gospell Hypocrites Esay prophecied well of you you come neere me with your lips c. Of these there be many bundles such are all they as will not goe one inch further in doing their duties thaÌ„ the precepts of men A man might marueile at Saint Paul that he called some the circumcised of God and the Israel of God as though there were any other Israel or circumcision there are indeed the circumcised of Parliaments and the Israelites of Princes Many there are who if Iosias his statutes were abrogated would bee readie to take the statutes of Omry There is another kinde of hypocrites called Heretikes as the Nouatians Anabaptists Familists The worst kind are those in the Church which open well vntil they haue a morsell cast into their mouthes Diuers colour their hypocrisie vnder the cloake of affected popularitie as Absolom The cast of hypocrites is to ioyne to great men that if they make a scape they may not bee medled withall Secondly they will ioyne themselues to good men and if that cloake will not serue they flie to statutes as in Daniel and last of all to the cloake of religion as Pilate to Christ I adiure thee by the liuing God and as the sonnes of Iacob did to the Sichemites they gate them to circumcise them that they might kill them There is a kinde of dissemblers that thinke it but hypocrisie to take vpon one the dutie of admonishing and they say of themselues that they are not cleane fingred but cleane hearted and that they are glorious within for all that the world seeth But Iames saith they must be cleane fingred too One saith to Augustine It sufficeth mee that I haue a pure conscience or that I haue a good conscience Augustine answereth Let not that content thee but remember the words of Christ also Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your heauenly father Matth. 5. This is certaine saith hee if there be a beame in thine eye there is a whole stacke in thine heart How comes it to passe then that they that are more carefull than the rest are called hypocrites Christ indeede might call the Pharisies so for hee knew their thoughts but no Prophet euer called any hypocrite that had not a beame in his eye But this is the pestilent practise of the Diuell to vexe the children of God with that sinne which they cannot with any outward witnesses or compurgators so wel discharge themselues of being a sinne in the heart If a man be accused of adulterie hee might shew the contrarie by circumstance of time and place and so acquite himselfe but for this sinne no oth will serue for then hee is thought to be greater hypocrite Giue me all the Saints saith Augustine and say to them and see how they can discharge themselues Then the matter is this two things are required in a Christian which God giueth Iob that we be both straight without and sound within FINIS A TREATISE OF ANGER MOses in the twelfth of Numbers is coÌ„mended for the meekest man vpon the earth yet Exod 32. 19. he is said to be angrie and also is commended for it and his anger is allowed where wee learne that euery anger is not forbidden in the word of God but that only which is either without or not for a â—ust cause and which is not measured by the word For anger is in vs as other qualities of the minde are that is if it be ruled by our corruption it is euill and is forbidden in the word as a worke of the flesh but if by Gods good Spirit it be sanctified and ruled by Gods word it is a dutie commanded and we ought to bring it â—oorth as a fruit of the Spirit And many of Gods seruants in the Scriptures being angry for good causes and obseruing measure are commended for it whose examples in the like causes we ought to follow That we may therefore know spirituall and Christian anger from fleshly carnall anger and that we may discerne the workes of Gods Spirit in vs from the corrupted workes of our flesh it shall be profitable by some notes to make a difference betweene them that so they may both be knowne The first note or difference betweene these two kindes of anger is this If wee can patiently swallow vp and ouercome iniuries and faults committed against our selues yet in the cause of the Lord we can be very hot earnest and iealous this is a good signe that our anger proceedeth from the Spirit of God within vs. But contrariwise men in their owne causes and quarrels and when the iniurie is done to them will be very hot and angry and marueilously
we doe more accuse and condemne our selues than any other doth or can doe and againe if a sinne be not in vs yet we be afraid least it may bee and therefore wee vse meanes against it then if wee bee angrie with the sinne of others we haue this good warrant that our anger is good yea if we be accused or thought to be corruptly angrie either with our own causes or with our enemies insomuch that meÌ„ condemne our anger yet we haue the testimonie of our hearts and consciences to tell that it is not so and therefore herein may we take sound comfort Fiftly some men there are who when they are angrie with one they will bee angrie with all and their anger doth so chafe and ouercome them as it were that they are vnfit for duties either to God or their brethren This anger is altogether fleshly to be condemned That anger then which maketh vs vnfit to heare Gods word to goe to prayer which disquieteth our minds and troubleth vs that anger I say is to be misliked though it were for a good cause and in Gods behalfe for the workes of Gods spirit do not one let or hinder another but rather do further one another insomuch that if we were cold in prayer before yet this earnestnesse in Gods cause doth quicken vs vp and maketh vs very readie vnto prayer if wee were dull in hearing the word before wee are now better affected and this true zeale and anger in the Lords cause and for his glorie will put an edge to euery good thing we goe about True anger doth not let vs from doing our duties vnto God nor diminish our loue towards our brethreÌ„ but rather stirreth vp in vs a compassion ouer them for the wrath of God which wee see hang ouer their heads And for that cause we are in puâ—â— moued to pray for them more earnestly than before so farre are we from taking reuenge yea there is a greater care in vs how we may helpe them out of their sinne than to punish them for their sinne So that heere anger for the sinne is ioyned with a louing compassion ouer the partie and the one doth not so much moue vs to take reuenge of them as the oher doth moue them to pitie their case Here then is a speciall difference betweeâ—â— them for Christian anger hath euer a griefe ioyned with it both for the dishonour of God the hurt of our brother but carnall and fleshly anger hath a ioy and pleasure in it and â—eedeth it selfe therewith and is puffed vp Such godly anger was in Christ against the Pharisies where it is said that hee was angrie and sorrowfull and in another place when hee saw the destruction of Ierusalem for their sinnes for which he had bin angrie with them it is said of him that he wept Likewise Paul threatning the Corinthians that for their sins he would come to them with a rod saith after I am afraid that when I come the Lord doe humble me and I shall bewaile many that haue sinned contrariwise hee describeth fleshly anger to be such as puffeth men vp when they see the sinnes of their brethren Now that we may come to haue an holy anger wrought in vs for sin it is needfull that we labour for that affection which was in the Prophet Dauid when he saith The rebukes of them that rebuke thee haue fallen vpon me Where the Prophet sheweth that euery sin which was committed against God he thought that it was committed against himselfe and was as grieued and angrie therewith because the glorie of God which was committed to his care was stained and God himselfe dishonoured and this did make him angrie and zealous in the cause of the Lord and this zeale must be also in vs. Which that it may be tempered and not too rigorous we ought also to consider how the Apostle Paul appheth the same place when he would exhort them to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to deale ouer sharply with them he bringeth the example of Christ who suffered for the sins of the people as for his owne and so accounted of them So then we ought to thinke that the sinnes which by our brethren are committed are coÌ„mitted of vs and are ours which if wee can doe it will much abate rigour and sharpe dealing in admonition as also in the punishment of sinne The Apostle in another place saith Beare yâ— one anothers burthen and so fulfill the measure of Christ. Now if wee shall ioyne these two affections together in vs first to thinke that euery sinne committed against Gods maiestie is coÌ„mitted against vs and againe that euery sinne which our brother doth we in our own persons do the same the first will breede in vs an anger and zeale for the glorie of God the other will worke in vs patience and compassion because of our owne flesh and of the Image of God which our brother beareth and thereof will come a zealous anger ioyned with loue and compassion of the partie By these notes may true Christian and spirituall anger be tried and discerned from that which is fleshly and carnall that wee may follow the one as commanded in the law and wrought in our hearts by the spirit of God and that we may auoid the other as forbidden in the law and proceeding from the corruption of our flesh that we may neither be fooles which are alwaies angry for euery thing neither of the damnable and blasphemous family of fleshly loue which will not in their perfection be angry at all other differences there bee but if a man doe well consider of these and practise them hee shall easily discerne the rest FINIS A TREATISE OF BLESSEDNES HE may bee saide to haue tasted true blessednesse whom the Lorde before all beginnings hath chosen to saluation whose saluation purposed by God the father is performed by God the sonne to whom the election by God the father and redemption by God the sonne is ratified by God the holy Ghost in whome this assurance of faith is wrought by the word preached faith breeding peace of minde this peace causeth ioy ioy being accompanied with securitie securitie working in loue loue labouring with a care to please God with a feare to displease God from whence issueth a desire of weldoing to others indeuouring to bring them to the peace with God and man which he tasteth of himselfe Lastly he is truely blessed who besides all the former things knoweth how to vse prosperitie moderately and aduersitie patiently wayting and looking for the accomplishment of God his promise in the kingdome of heauen More particularly we will intreate of true happinesse by the causes and by the effects of it The originall cause is the loue of God in ordaining vs to bee heires of life eternall Ephes. 1. 4. Matth. 25 34. Wherein is laide open the bountifull riches of the mercie of God to vs ward in
that before the foundation of the world was laide the foundation of our saluation was made before we sinned the remedie against sinne was found before the maladie the Lord had prepared a medicine before wee were damned he had purposed a way how wee should be saued In respect whereof seeing we are rather to reioyce in this that our names are written in heauen than if wee had power without hurt to treade on Scorpions or had spirites subdued vnto vs Luke 10. 19. 20. wee conclude with the Prophet Psalm 65. 4. Blessed is the man O God whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee The substance of this blessednes is our redemptiō in Christ Iesus which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 29 by whose blood we haue the forgiuenes of our sinnes Ephes. 1. 7 and by whose Spirit when we haue beleeued the Gospel wee haue the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 4. 14. The excellent price whereof is set out vnto vs herein in that being filthy in the blood of our sinnes he washed vs with his owne blood Heb. 9. 14. in that hee being iust suffered for vs being vniust 1. Pet. 3. 18. in that we being of no strength vngodly he died for vs Rom. 5. 6. in that we being enemies through sinne were reconciled by him to God the Father Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore seeing he is Blessed whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Psalm 32. 2. let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome as though it made him happie nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither let the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that hee knoweth the mercie of the Lord wherein consisteth our saluation Ier. 9. 23 24. And let vs all learne the meaning of the salutation of Elizabeth to the virgin Marie Luk. 42. Blessed art thou because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed The formal cause is the illumination of God his spirit making vs capable of the former mysteries sealing them to vs with such assurance in our hearts that wee dare boldly crye Abbafather that wee dare boldly say If God bee on our side who can stand against vs Such blindnesse folly and incredulitie possesseth vs by nature that of our selues we can neither see into these mysteries of our saluatiō nor beleeue the thing we see concerning our comfort vntill we haue receiued of this Spirit which cōmeth from aboue For none commeth to Christ vnlesse the father draw him and how draweth he but by inlightening the hearts of his elect by the holy Ghost Ioh. 6. 44 Wherefore seeing these things are not reuealed vnto vs but by the Spirit 1. Corinth 2. 14. we end with that blessing of the Lord Iesus to Peter Matth. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon thou sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen The instrumentall cause is partly within vs as faith partly without vs as the word and the appurtenances accompanying the same as Prayer the Sacramēts the discipline of the Church Faith being the ground of things which are hoped for the euidence of things which are not seene Heb 11. 1. doth so applie the promises of God to our proper and peculiar comforts that it sealeth vs vp to the Lord affoording a certaine testimonie to our hearts that we haue not in vaine receiued of the good spirit of God Now because there is a certaine kind of faith which Satan himselfe doth broach in his schoole and propounds as a principle to all his schollers seeing the Papists vrge faith in their vnwritten verities the Familists will haue it in their foolish reuelations The Turke requireth it in his dry speculations of Mahomet and the wizzard will seeme to demaund it in his deuillish incantations we must not beleeue euery spirit but trust to the word onely which is our sure load-starre and touch-stone and being it selfe firme doth make our faith in it most firme sure and vnchangeable This blessednesse to haue the Lord communicate himselfe to vs by his word is priuiledged aboue that praise which the woman gaue our Sauiour Christ Luk. 11. 27. as may appeare by his sharpe answer Yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wee conclude then with the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord they will euer praise him Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord and in whose heart are his waies Psal. 84. 4. 5. If the Queene of Saba coūted those men happy that might stand before Salomon and heare his wisedome 2. Chron 9. 7. if Dauid thought it a high recompence and princelike benefit to preferre the sonne of Barzillai to sit at the table of Salomon how great is our happines to heare the wisedome of Christ how high is our blessednes to sit at the table of the Lord where not Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present where not Salomon but a wiser than Salomon speaketh vnto vs Behold then the causes of true blessednes which are our election redemption illumination sanctification all which are sealed vnto vs by the holy Ghost the spirit working faith through the word preached Christ Iesus so sending his Spirit to renue vs God the Father sending his Sonne to redeeme vs redeeming vs to call vs calling vs to iustifie vs iustifying vs to sanctifie vs sanctifying vs hee sealeth vs by his spirit and so by all these doth hee lay the sure ground-worke of our saluation and eternall blessednes Concerning the effects of blessednesse some are inward and some are outward the effects inward are partly in respect of our selues only partly in regard both of our selues and of others those in our selues are either concerning mortification or about our sanctification The first of these is both truly orderly couched in that sermon of the Lord Iesus Marth 5. where those men are set in the first ranke who are emptied both of the opinion of their owne wisedome and of all perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and of those it is said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Now because many haue lost their hold in iudgement who haue not so throughly giuen ouer in affection in the next degree happines is promised to such who are so farre descended into the sight of their owne vilenes and sense of their naturall coruptions that they are not onely conuinced of an vnrighteousnesse inherent in their iudgements but also are much humbled for it in their affections of whom the Lord of comfort hath thus determined Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Further for that Sathan laboureth and preuaileth much in ouer comming exercised mindes with pettie shames a thing oft incident to afflicted consciences the next be atitude is allotted to them that are meeke in spirit
who mourne rather in themselues possessing their soules in patience thā murmur against others as labouring in a secret disdaine of them and of this sort of mourners the Lord Iesus hath pronounced this iudgement Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Neither must we be of too abiect a spirit as they that will patiently suffer all things because they would be troubled with nothing for that were rather a stoicall and vnchristian sottishnes than an heroicall and Christian meekenes but willingly submitting our necks to the yoke by the Lord his appoyntment imposed vpon vs we are rather patiently to waite for the time of our deliuerance and by labouring to keepe a good conscience we are to hunger and thirst after righteousnes where with vpon the credite of the Lord his owne word we shall in his good time be satisfied Now that wee may continue sanctification with mortification as wee ioyne together Christ his passion and resurrection let vs adde somewhat of those quickening graces of the spirit wherin some effects of Blessednesse doe appeare most euidētly the first is peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 2. wherby we finde both truce with God and are at league with his creatures so as both for our comfort in the promises of God we haue accesse to him to reioyce vnder the hope of his glorie and for our confidence in the promises of God we can lie downe and sleepe in many perils because God hath either meanes to deliuer vs out of them or else is readie to sustaine vs in them Psal. 3. 6. and 4. 8. Of this thus speaketh the Prophet Blessed is the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walke in the light of thy countenance O Lord Psal 89. 13. Now least we should deceiue our selues with some false peace and illuding ioy we put vnto this peace of minde sinceritie which the holy Ghost hath linked together Psal. 32. 2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile And Psal. 119. Blessed are those that are vpright in the way and walke in the way of the Lord. Beware least this vprightnes of minde be boysterous and voide of loue without which all is as nothing but a swelling pride so with this we make knowne our faith by fruites and our feeling by sweete effects For loue the enemie of securitie is carefull to please God and fearefull to displease him and blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Prou. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies Psalm 128 1. Lastly this feare is ioyned with a care to please God in the obedience of his word Luk. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Those effects which concerne not onely our selues but others are of two sorts and comprehended Matth. 5. The first a Christian care to worke in others a taste of that sweete reconciliation which is from God to man or from man to man whereof it is said Matth. 5 9. Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God Many may vndertake this dutie but vpon some sinister affection and therfore we require a fellow-feeling of the euils of others mourning both for their inward defects outward necessities of whom Christ hath said Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Of the other the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 40. 2. Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore c. And when wisedome ioyned with compassion pitie mixed with policie doth worke such a moderation in our affections as that wee may vse such a mercifull seueritie where it is needefull and a seuere lenitie where the matter so requireth it this causeth vs to auoide on the one side taking of offence for Blessed are they saith the Lord Iesus that are not offended at me and on the other side it teacheth vs to reach out our hand to the needie for it is a blessed thing to giue rather than to receiue Act. 20. 35. The outward effects are prosperitie as a signe of God his loue and aduersitie as a thing sanctified vnto vs in the crosse of Christ Psal. 128. Many temporal blessings are propounded not vniuersally but as restrained to them that feare the Lord because indeed they haue the surest interest in them right vnto them The like felicitie falleth out Psal. 144. but to such as haue God for their Lord. And much more is a certain gain and handsell of happines ariseth euen out of the bitternes of affliction to them that feare God in that thereby the Lord strippeth them from some sin wherewith they might haue rotted or whetteth them vp to some actions of godlinesse wherein their zeale began to freeze for cold or to trie their faith which else would haue beene drosse or for the good of others that might make their profit thereby The Prophet his testimonie of this is Psal. 99. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest O Lord and teachest him in thy law Herevnto may be ioyned that beatitude of the Lord of all blessings Matth. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen To draw at the last to the consummation of all this we make the full heape of all happines after this life to be filled with the Lord of life and with the sweetnes of his presence who is happie aboue all that can be thought and counted happie This is foreshewed Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you And Reuel 14. Blessed are they that die in the Lord c. For thus shall we be ioyned to God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost then shall all teares be wiped from our eyes then shal our infirmities be taken from vs then shall we dwell with the Angels with all the hostes of heauen in most happines and blessednes it self We see now by this chaine not forged by our own braine but framed out of Gods his word that he is indeed blessed whom God chuseth whom Christ redeemeth whom the Spirit renueth whom faith staieth whom the Word Prayer Sacraments and discipline build vp in the Lord in whom faith breedeth peace peace sinceritie sinceritie loue loue a feare of displeasing and a care of pleasing God in whom this care striueth to a mortification in pouertie of minde this pouertie comming from a mourning heart possessed in a meeke spirit which hungreth after righteousnes all these things being ioyned with that sanctification which lamenteth the sinne of others and relieueth the wants of others knowing to vse prosperitie and aduersitie as pledges of God his fauour and vndoubtingly looking for the kingdome of heauen in the life to come If any of these linkes be missing the chaine is broken if any of these members be wanting the bodie of blessednesse is vnperfit FINIS
should we be burthened with the traditions of Esaues Heremites and Heretikes It is said of Basil the great and Nazianzene the learned that they vse thus to macerate their bodies with very often abstinence but what followes after they were made as a great learned Censurer saith vnprofitable to the Church lying sicke sometimes halfe a yeere sometimes an whole yeere Why then should wee tempt God to lay an yoke vpon the disciples necks which neuer our fathers were able to beare Seeing wee are dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world why as though wee were in the world should wee bee burthened with traditions as touch not tâ—ste not handle not which all perish with vsing and are after the commandement and doctrine of men which things indeede haue a shâ—we of wisedome in voluntarie religion and humilitie of minde and nâ—t sparing the bodie but are of no value saue for the fulfilling of the flesh Moreouer wee must learne to make a difference betweene a temperate moderate vse of Gods creatures which we call sobrietie and ought alwaies to appeare in the life of Christians and an vtter abstinence from the vse of the creatures called Fasting which neither by Gods word ought nor yet by naturall reason can be continually or daily And here let vs learne to auoide the extremities to keepe the meane in fasting which master Bucer hath taught vs who saith that if we â—schue not fasting at all or fasting too much wee shall fast aright Call they this a fast for a man to abstaine euery day from a meales meate to vse prayer at morning and at night although that hee spend the most part of the day and the whole night in the commodities refreshings and pleasures of this life this is no sound Diuinitie The blessed Baptists course and rusticall diet of locusts and wilde hony which he vsed according to the nature of the barren and wilde soile wherein hee liued maketh nothing for this purpose vnlesse those that will haue it vsed put on also the Camels hayteâ— His disciples which foolishly followed him without a warrant of that which he did vpon good ground are said to fast not euery day but oftentimes The hyperbolicall phrases of praying and fasting and of the continuall abode day and night in the Temple of the ancient Anna a widowe of fourescore and foure yeeres liuing in contemplation will not serue to proue that a daily exercise of fasting should bee vsed of married folkes and others that leade a life actiue either ciuill or ecclesiâ—sticall who for their yeeres may endure the traueiles of their minde and bodie and by their calling are bound sixe dayes in the weeke without some speciall occasion to follow the workes of the same and on the seuenth day to celebrate a feast vnto the Lord and not a fast with the Manicheâ—s Thus the most excellent seruants of God Dauid Daniel and Paul are most notably commended vnto vs for their holy exercises of prayer and fasting whereof one as we read they vsed daily and according to their ordinarie wants the other vpon speciall and extraordinarie needes which God did presse them with These examples are wee bound to followe so farre forth as they followed Christ who although hee fasted no doubt verie manie times yet notwithstanding his life was so farre from a daily fast that it was thought a continuall feaste Indeede the Popish fast may well enough and without danger to the bodie bee continually and daily vsed and yet many wayes dangerous and hurtfull to the soule but other fasting being daily vsed would bee both hurtfull to the bodie in puffing it vp with windes and filling it vp with corrupt humours and also to the soule in that pride would bee ingendred and noisome opinions also nourished in it A true fast requireth not an emptinesse of the bellie onelie because the kingdome of heauen is neither in meate nor drinke and that if wee eate wee are not the worse and if we eate not we are not the better and seeing the bodily exercise profiteth little yea oftentimes hurteth much more in puffing vp the minde than it can doe good in pulling it downe wee must as much and as carefully vse the word and prayer and other holy exercises publike and priuate for the increase of spirituall things as we vse abstinence from naturall adding so many meanes to the inward man as we take from the outward that wee may not onely humble our selues in body but in both together that we waite on Gods good time to receiue from him coÌ„fort to our spirites as wee looke and make account shortly to take sustenance for our bodies Besides the true fast requireth vs to rest from our ordinarie profits and pleasures and if it be publike to heare also two three or foure Sermons in one day with long and feruent prayer and serious meditation before in the midst and after these exercises reuerent reading of the Scriptures of singing of Psalmes ioyned with fasting as it is perfectly taught in the perfect vse and true ende of this exercise The Prophets Isaiah and Ioel thought it not enough to exhort the people to true repeÌ„tance but called also for the publike exercise of the same which doctrine of the Prophets is sealed by Nehemiah and Ezrah and the rest of the people who notwithstanding had their notable profiting in the knowledge of the lawe yet seeing the secret threatnings of the Lord against their spirituall euils added this meane of a fast beyond the ordinarie vse of the word leauing an example to the Church for her instruction in all ages Were we as sharpe sighted as tender conscienced as they we might discerne greater iudgements threatned of the Lord against vs and feele more spiritual euils in our selues than euer they did for to let passe that great plague of the Lord vpon our times as the Ministerie so ignorant and dissolute such sacriledge by impropriations and irreligious Patrons which are not all this while amended the carnall life of Protestants the stifnesse of Papists which cannot thus long be conuerted the dangerous dissembling of Atheists and Machiauelists in the Church and coÌ„monwealth the long bitter contentions of the true professours besides many moe euils not to be spoken and many knowne and professed euils in these dayes against which hitherto neither lawe hath been established nor the preaching preuailed and wee forget our brethrens calamitie in the persecuted Churches with whom we haue thus long and still doe forget to mourne Hath not the Lord himselfe blowne a Trumpet to our Fasts let then those which are the Ministers of the Lord be continually exhorting hereunto God graunt them to rebuke sinne to threaten the law moue Repentance and to vrge Fasting OF THE SENDING OF THE HOLY GHOST Acts. 2. 14 15 16 17 c. 14 But Peter standing with the eleuen lift vp his voyce and saide vnto them Yee men of Iudea and yee all that inhabite in Hierusalem bee this knowne vnto
serue the world if all our minde heart and affections bee giuen to the world wee cannot serue God They then that are filled with wine are drunken cannot haue the holy Ghost I say drunken because otherwise there were no reason For one may drinke wine moderatly and yet speake wonderfully of the workes of God and a man may after eating and drinking vtter the graces and praises of God to shewe that he hath not immoderatly abused God his creatures For it is a flat argument whereby we may proue our selues that if after our repast receiued wee can discreetly reuerently and humbly speake of things to God his praise and glorie we haue not been immoderate or intemperate deuourers of his gifts This is a profitable argument and worthie our meditation In what worldly thing soeuer we exceede we cannot applie our selues to God his kingdome For if the kingdom of God be our chiefest delight we shall vse this world as though wee vsed it not Wee are wont to marueile much that after the word preached our prayers made the Sacraments receiued there yet appeareth no change nor alteratiō in vs our affections are as they were our life is the same that it was before but we doe not consider that before we came to the word prayer and Sacraments our hearts were fraught and ballaced with worldly cares so that there was no place left voide in our affections for the word and that our hearts were so pestred and thronged with vaine pleasures that there was no roome for God his spirit to keepe residence in and for religion to dwell among vs. The due consideration whereof must waine vs from the world and surfeting pleasures which locke vp our hearts that the Lord cannot enter in We cannot well runne with the Hare and hold with the Hound wee cannot hold fire and water together we cannot reconcile Christ and Belial light darkenesse God and the diuell If one be vp the other must downe if one be downe the other will vp Againe we marueile that after the word preached we are so ouertaken with our accustomed pleasures and profits seeing that whilest we did heare we had a secret and sweete disliking of sinne and an irking of our selues for the same so long as these after-thoughts correct the former Surely I answere out of Paul 2. Cor. 3. 3. because we are yet carnall we are more carnall than spirituall we are babes in Christ we haue but young beginnings in Christ but old proceedings in the world Why then doe we come to God so halting and limping euen because we are not come to any good growth in new birth Howbeit let vs beware that we continue not still to be staruelings least it breedeth in vs a sickne vnto death both of body and soule If we were more spirituall than carnall had the Spirit powred vpon vs in some plentifull measure were fully perswaded of God his prouidēce watching ouer vs of the ministerie of his holy Angels waiting vpon vs assured of the glorie of the life to come feeling the mightie power of the word of the law to humble vs of the Gospell to breede faith in vs of the Sacraments to seale vs of Christ to liue in vs oh how should we liue in this world Whilest Christ liued in Paul he vsed this world as though he vsed it not he felt such ioy in the fruites of the Spirit that all other things were vile vnto him So the cause why good motions die in vs so soone and the suggestions of the flesh preuaile so strongly against vs is because we are more carnall than spirituall Many rules may be giuen how a man may vse himselfe but to set downe all either we shall come short or else in reaching some good measure of them we may swell in priuie pride but learne this well and learne all which after a long part of a sermon our Sauiour Christ concludeth with Matth. 6 33. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and his righteousnes c. This is hard but if we come to any meane growth in holines and taste how sweete the Lord is to vs then we shall surely feele our flesh not to be so masterfull neither shall it be so laborious to doe the good we desire to doe The argument of the Apostle we see is this It is so farre from these men that they are drunken that it is God his spirit in them than which two what can be more contrarie and it is written euen by one of your owne Prophets In the last daies I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh c. This is now come to passe and therefore Christ his kingdome is now For whensoeuer God his Spirit shall come vpon all then is the kingdome of Christ come but now God his Spirit is come vpon all therefore now is the kingdome of Christ come Thus the Apostle reacheth vs how we may know when and where Christ his kingdome is euen where as well the young as the old the women as the men the seruants as the maisters can shew forth the workes of the Lord. In Poperie men and women old and young maisters and seruants could not talke of the mysteries of God therefore in Poperie there is not Christ his kingdome And though our compound Anabaptists haue great things in their mouthes yet because their men and women speake nothing but dreames forsaking the word of God they haue not the kingdome of Christ. In many places in the daies of Queene Mary both old and yong were not afraid to shew the praise of God as well women as men boldly professed the truth not only maisters but seruants gaue testimonie to the Gospell with their bloud and therefore then in such places appeared this kingdome And we may safely at this day reason so in euery congregation where old and young men and women can speake the praise of God there is the Spirit of God there is the kingdome of Christ otherwise if these things are not there there is not his kingdome what meanes so euer are vsed And now to braunch out these words more particularly first we are to note that God bestoweth such an excellent thing as his Spirit secondly that so excellent a thing is sent to so vile a thing as flesh thirdly this grace is not leased out to a few here and there but is freely offered to all sorts ages sexes and conditions of men fourthly it is not distilled by thinne drops but powred out in full measure and plentifull abundance What more vile than flesh what more pretious than the Spirit of God the excellencie whereof we shall see more euidently Ioel. 2. where after the Prophet had seuerely threatned the Iewes and exhorted them to conuert he comforteth them againe by promising vnto them the renewing of God his mercies and not staying in telling them how the Lord would send them againe corne wine and oyle he commeth at the last and putteth them in minde of that which
counteruaileth all the rest and saith that the Lord will giue them his Spirit to be powred out vpon all flesh which may seale and season all other his benefits and which neuer should leaue them vntill they were come to life euerlasting Aboue all gifts then in the world this is the gift of gifts the Spirit of God in which one the Lord preferres vs not onely aboue all other earthly creatures but also aboue many men like to ourselues whilest he maketh vs Kings Priests Prophets by powring the same spirit vpon vs. The excelleÌ„cie of this benefit Christ himselfe teacheth vs where he teacheth the people to pray saying Which of you iâ— your childe shall aske you a peâ—ce of bread will insteâ—d of bread giue him a stone c if you that be euill doe know how to giue vnto your children good things when they aske them how much more shall your heauenly father giue you good things saith Matthew his Spirit saith Luke This is the top this is the head this is the height this is the depth of all good things euen the Spirit Now if this is life eternall Ioh. 17 3. to know the Father to be the only very God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and no man can euer doe this but by the spirit of God whereby we know and beleeue this according to the word and so liue for euer who will denie this gift of all gifts to be most principall If this be the dignitie of dignities that we are the children of God and heires of a better life how precious a thing is it to haue the priuiledge of God his owne spirit which giueth vs the full title interest and assurance of all these things vnto vs Againe if this be the â—ulnes of our reioycing in the day of Christ that he is made of God vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and that through him we are as fully more assuredly perfect as euer Adam was in his creation and we cannot haue this wisedome vnlesse the Spirit telleth vs how we are cleered thereby from our ignorance we cannot reioyce in this righteousnes vnlesse the spirit assureth vs that by it we are acquited from our guiltines we can haue no comfort in that holines vntill we know by God his spirit it answereth for our impurenes and prophanenes and so seuereth vs and putteth vs apart to the works of sanctification we cannot triumph in our redemption vntill the comfortable spirit of God stay our impatient spirits by an vndoubted expectation for the glorious appearing thereof without this spirit all things are death but with this all things are life This bringeth knowledge in the things whereof we are ignorant this brings to our remembrance the things which we haue knowne and forgotten this assures vs of things wherein we haue been wauering this ioyneth vs to God and vniteth vs to Christ when we goe astray we come home by the spirit when by it we are renewed and by the same we are established come life come death come honour come dishonour prosperitie aduersitie wealth or woe the one shall not too much lift vs vp the other shall not too much cast vs downe If the Lord giueth vs an healthfull bodie credit riches and authoritie we are hereby resolued to glorifie God by these things to redeeme the time and so to possesse them as though we possessed them not if the Lord denieth vs these things and sendeth sicknes discredit pouertie and obscuritie the Lord will send a recompence of inward things and wanting bodily health he will giue the saluation of our soules in stead of outward credit we shall haue credit with God and be well thought of among his children and if wanting worldly riches we be enriched with heauenly things we haue lost nothing hauing changed drosse and dung for gold Without this wit becommeth subtiltie wisedome worldly policie authoritie is armed to tyraÌ„nie dignitie breedes ambition riches engeÌ„ders couetousnes Physicke is made vnfaithfulnes Law proueth craftines Diuinitie degenerates into heresie to be briefe without this heauenly gift of God sanctifying all gifts the wiser man the fairer man the stroÌ„ger man the fitter pray for the diuell the meeter subiect for him to work vpon But to haue wit and therewith the spirit of God sanctifying it what a thing is this To haue riches and the spirit of God to vse them is a double blessing to haue authoritie and in it to be guided by God his spirit what good may one hauing this benefit doe either in Church or Common-wealth If the spirit be absent all turneth to our hurt to God his dishonour to the establishing of Satans kingdome and with this all things are seasoned with their vse seruice and ministerie vnto vs. Oh how are we to pray that Ministers that Magistrates that euery one of vs may haue so great a good The Ministers that they may purely boldly preach Iesus Christ that they may be Ministers of the quenching spirit not Ministers of the bare and killing letter that they may preach the crosse of Christ sincerely and not themselues vain gloriously Magistrates that they may prouoke obedience by good gouernment that we our selues might liue holily both before God and men This then is that which keepeth a tenour in all things this giueth the pith and marrow of goodnes to euery thing If religion come once but to serue for fashion all wil be confounded Among many rules this is a notable rule to haue our hearts filled with heauenly and spirituall delights which fenceth out as at the doore and first entrie many idle discourses and vaine platformes of worldly deuises and causeth vs to vse this life as though we vsed it not And as they that are giuen to the world are not fit for God his kingdome so they that are replenished with good things haue such an inward and sufficient working in them as they seeke not after earthly things with those greedie affections wherwith others doe The Papists and Anabaptists rather babling than prophecying shew they haue no true reuelations how soeuer they bragge of them because they haue not the spirit and yet in that they are so painfull by their illuding spirit wherewith they were deluded to delude others this must make vs ashamed either of our ignorance or that hauing knowledge and the holy Ghost teaching vs we trauell no more to winne others vnto Christ. For whosoeuer is so ignorant that he cannot giue an account of his faith to God his glorie and the edifying of others he cannot say that he hath the spirit of God If any haue Christ his spirit he is Christs if he be Christs he must be a Prophetable to giue an account of his faith being required and so he is Gods if he be Gods then come life come death come health come sicknes come what will all comes well if a man hath outward things he is not too much puft vp with them if he hath them not
he is not too much grieued But if we haue not God his spirit surely we belong not to God For haue we wit wisedome health power wealth authoritie credit friends or any such thing and yet haue not receiued the spirit of God what are we but a more fit substance or subiect whereupon Sathan may frame the worke of sinne It is not the poore sillie or simple people that be the maine instruments which the diuell doth vse in his greatest affaires to doe hurt but the wise politique rich and mightie men of the world Contrariwise if with these good gifts we haue the spirit of God what great good may we doe in Church or Common-wealth If besides the beautie of God his spirit we haue the flowers of outward things what a singular ornament is this to our garland What shall I say more In affliction the spirit sheweth vs the hand of God both humbling and comforting vs reuealeth our sinnes worketh in vs the contempt of this life the desire of the life to come and so sanctifieth our crosse by wisedome repentance and patience Seeing then these are the effects of God his spirit that it feoffeth vs by faith into euerlasting inheritance it assureth vs of all our rich treasures in Iesus Christ seeing it sanctifieth all inward gifts seasoneth the vse of all outward things briefly seeing with it all things seeming miserable are most blessed and without it all things seeming happie are most miserable it followeth that of all gifts the holy Ghost is the most excellēt Howbeit one thing here is to be added that we may wholy separate our selues from the Anabaptists we speake of the Spirit as he sheweth his force in vs and worketh in vs by the ministerie of the word which two worke together and therefore it is said Ioh. 6. My words are spirit and life For without the Spirit the word is as the bright Sunne to a blind man who not for fault of a pure obiect but for want of sense is not able to discerne the cleerest thing in the world and therfore the Prophet Dauid Psal. 119 saith Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law True it is the Sunne is bright but what is that to a blinde man True it is the word is glorious but what is that to a man without the spirit of God For so farre we profit by the word as we receiue the power of it by the inward ministerie of the Spirit we must trie the spirits by the word and we shall then know that we haue receiued the spirit of God when he giueth vs the pure vnderstanding the carefull receiuing and zealous practising of the same Carnall men and our late Anabaptists be but boasters of themselues in terming themselues spiritual men we are not taught so to bragge of the Spirit or any worke thereof but as it is warranted vnto vs by the written word we confesse that blinde is our minde and that we cannot profit by the word but by God his spirit we looke not for the spirit in our phantasie but for the spirit which worketh by the word which spirit spake by Abraham by the Patriarches by Moses and the Prophets by Paul and the Apostles and by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Seeing the spirit of God is so high a thing we are here to complaine why we hunt after life profit and pleasure and haue so small care to obtaine God his good spirit which is so pretious It is a great fault to fansie so much the things of this world and so little to esteeme this And here not of a set treatise but by the way we will speake of the last part of our diuision that is of the meane how to attaine to these graces of the Spirit We know rich men can for their increase frequent faires ambitious men can get preferment carnall men will watch their opportunities and euery man in his kinde knoweth how to prouide best for his profit and pleasure Our way goeth on the other hand and heth in the carefull hearing of the word the feruent vse of prayer the reuerent fruitfull resorting to the Sacraments and most holy submitting of ourselues to the discipline of the Lord in frequenting the companie of God his children and in waining our selues from the world by all which meanes the spirit may haue a more voluntarie free and perfect worke in and vpon vs. And although all these things are not particularly here set downe yet marke here is named the most proper meane pointing at all the rest and this as ye see is prayer by the which the Lord conueigheth his spirit into vs to make all the other meanes more pleasant profitable to vs. Why then are not so many sermons now adaies more effectuall when one or two sermons touched these people so powerfully Surely God his spirit worketh not in vs as he wrought in them Why when any be conuerted doe so few turne to the Lord when as the Lord drew so many of these men at once to himselfe Because we are drawne away too much of our owne flesh and taste not the sweetnes of God his spirit as they did But can a man pray for faith and God his spirit which as yet hath neither faith nor the spirit of God Whatsoeuer good gift we haue it is certaine we haue it by faith and God his spirit in some measure in vs and then we may pray for the increase of them in vs. For it is God his spirit that prayeth in vs Rom 8 True it is that many haue receiued God his Spirit before they feele it and faith before they see it and by this meanes they pray to receiue faith and the spirit of God as they thinke or rather the increase of both thinke I because they haue receiued them before for els could they neuer truly haue prayed But they then that are called owe this dutie to Ministers that they must pray for thē euen as Preachers must pray for them Thus we shall see the prayers of the Church Psalm 67. The Pastor for the people the people for the Pastor must make prayers supplications Generally all must so let their light shine before men so watch in prayer that others seeing our godly life may say oh what a people in wisedome true godlines is this it is a good and an happie thing to ioyne our selues to them what zeale what humilitie what plentifull fruits of faith are here blessed are the people that haue such a Pastor blessed is the Pastor that hath such a people And here let vs remember how the Apostles did not onely pray for the increase of God his spirit in themselues but for the beginnings of it in others which as yet had not receiued it teaching vs thereby what is our dutie to wit that we rest not in our owne priuate feelings or in praying for the increase of them but that we pray that others may taste of the like ioyes as we
feele that the seede of God his Spirit may bud foorth that both we and they ioyning together in deuout prayer and Christian practise of our profession may call and allure others as yet further from vs to come neerer to vs. But some will say vnto me I was wont to haue better dispositions and to feele sweeter motions than I haue done of late I profit little or nothing nay I feare rather I goe backe Why I pray you is this I say surely God his spirit worketh not in me as he hath done before because I cannot haue such delight in the word such sweetnes in feruent prayer such ioy in the Sacraments I haue not such a plentifull measure of God his spirit in me Now followeth the second thing in these words Vpon flesh Here are two things in nature opposite one against another the one most pretious the other most vile What more pretious than the Spirit of God what more vile than flesh that is than a man meerely vnregenerate That this word flesh so signifieth it appeareth Genes 6. 3. where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with men because he is but flesh that is such as in whom my image is blotted out And Rom 7. 18. the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing In which place the Apostle speaketh of himselfe as of a man meerely naturall and vnregenerate And Ioh. 3. 6. it is said That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Where the antithesis and contrarietie doth shewe the meaning of this word flesh Here then is the depth height length and breadth of God his mercie commended vnto vs in giuing his holie spirit to sinful flesh and therefore we may iustly crie out with the Prophet Psal. 8. 4. what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Oh what is man that the Lord should giue him his Spirit If the man of God cried out thus for the benefit of outward things how much rather are we to crie for the benefit of God his Spirit If Iob in his booke reasoneth that it is a great mercie of God that he will take paines to chastice man how much more mercie is it when he will vouchsafe his Spirit to be giuen vnto him If then flesh is so contemptible a thing that it lieth without all honour vntil God doth send his blessed Spirit here is confuted the doting opinion of the Papists who think that there is some good thing in man which moueth the Lord through a liking and louing of him to bestow these inestimable graces of the spirit on him when as of it selfe it is wholy alwaies and in al things corrupt and onely euill continually Wherein these blinde Diuines shew and bewray themselues not to haue tasted truly at any time of the spirit of God but to glance at it with some glimmering sight to their further condemnatiō as the foolish Philosophers For God his people doe plainly feele and to the glorie of God boldly confesse that there is no first degree or preparation in themselues whereby they might moue the Lord once to cast his fauourable countenance towards them but that it is onely the merit and the vndeserued mercy of God that his spirit which worketh any good proceedings in them doth also begin in them and the same spirit both continueth the worke and maketh a way for the worke which he himselfe must worke vpon afterward It is said Esay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon the thirstie and flouds vpon the drie ground where our nature for barrennes is compared to drie ground and the Spirit to a fountaine of water The Lord moreouer by his Prophet sheweth that vntill by his good spirit he doth soften vs wee haue stonie hearts And can a stone bleede though you bruise cut and breake it in peeces Surely no more can wee bee bruised humbled and broken in heart for sinne be the iudgements of God neuer so sorely vrged vpon vs vntill God by his good spirit touch vs. If it bee then a great worke to turne a stone into flesh to make a thing most insensible most sensible then surely to make a stonie heart fleshie and our hearts that are hardened to melt bleede and to be resolued into teares is a more excellent worke and this is the onely worke of God his spirit And as thus much wee haue spoken for doctrine so also it may make for our consolation and for the comfort of al them that are broken in minde and feele the burthen of their naturall corruption True it is that all generally and naturally are flesh drie ground and hard hearts but all doe not feele this all see not this all lament not this and therefore all that haue not the beginnings of faith and haue not tasted the first fruites of the spirit because they are but flesh how can they feele any thing in themselues But when the spirit commeth that hardnes is taken away the vale is rent and then wee begin to complaine of our deadnes and dulnes then wee will crie out of our selues as of men vnworthie of any grace or fauour of God Then remember to thy comfort the couenant of God made vnto vs that is that God will powre out his spirit on flesh and thou shalt receiue of the power thereof if thou complaine in truth and not as a Parrat counterfeiting the worke of reason For as some birds can counterfeite mens wordes so some men can counterfeite God his words If then thou art not truly moued and purely affected neither feelest such gratious working in thee as thou desirest remember that God will powre his spirit on flesh God will powre waters on drie ground God will soften the hard hearts and though in our selues wee finde no towardnes the Lord will send flouds of water in steed of drinesse and fleshinesse in stead of hardnes and comfort in stead of heauines Now followeth the third thing that is that this benefit shall vniuersally be powred out vpon all And this setteth out the goodnesse of God that doth giue it in that he doth it without respect of persons as well on children as on fathers as well on seruants as on masters as well on women as on men as well on young as on olde together with the fourth thing in that this heauenly gift shall in plentifull measure bee powred out in that the ions and daughters shall prophecie the young men shall see visions and the olde men shall dreame dreames Wherein we obserue first the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell betweene the Fathers vnder the Law and those that are vnder the Gospell We grant that we al had one substance of faith and repentance only they looked for Christ to come we to Christ alreadie come And here are to be noted two other differences the one that then the spirit was giuen to
For come to the younger sort of them then nouices and learners they will say openly somewhat and will giue some reason of their doctrine but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seene they flie the light and goe into corners Are these men full of the spirit who so cowardly forsake the triall of their doctrine and leaue the poore people to stand to it who are not so deepe in their reuelations nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquitie Vndoubtedly they are not yea rather the elder heretike the ranker knaue and he is called most notable not which is most wise but which is most subtile to denie a truth and to set a face on a lie Wherefore this is not fulfilled euen among the Anabaptists and Familie of loue themselues This thing then cannot literally be vnderstood they must needs confesse that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following where mention is made of blood fire and vapours of smoake whereby is meant that there shall be great troubles heresies and such like And here the Heretikes will graunt a trope though in the former they will not God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament because that was best knowne to the Iewes This deceiued them in that when they heard of the new Temple they were zealous of the old Temple and reioyced in that Temple which Herod made though it was nothing like that which Salomon made and this deceiueth the Iewes vnto this day The like error are the Papists in For where the Scriptures say that in the time of Christ there should be sweete incense offered in all places then say they behold the daily sacrifice the sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead Neither of these doe consider that the Lord in the old Testament doth adumbrate foretell these things to come and that vnder those termes and phrases which were best knowne to the Iewes and vsed of the old Prophets This folly of theirs doe the Anabaptists see and yet they runne as farre on the other side as also doth the Familie of loue One of them reproueth another and yet neither of them will confesse his fault to the glorie of God nor returne and receiue the truth There may be also another argument why this place should not be literally vnderstood and that is drawne from the interpretation of the like places of Scripture Exod. 19. Moses telleth the people that the Lord hath called them to bee Kings Priests and Prophets This is repeated by the Apostle Peter in the new Testament by Iohn in the Apocalyps and is applied as in this place generally to all Christians Now the Iewes did neuer thinke that euery man was a King sitting in a throne thereby ouerthrowing the politicall estate they thought not that euery man was a Priest taking that office of the Priest vpoÌ„ him but that they had the liberty of their consciences were freed from the bondage of men of sin as also that now through Christ they might offer vp first their prayers theÌ„ their soules and bodies to be an holy and acceptable sacrifice to him Neither doe we at this day think any otherwise of the kingly Priesthood of Christians And why then should wee thinke grossely and literally that indeede wee are become Prophets hauing that speciall calling and so take away that order of Teachers and learners which God hath ordained For as we be Priests so are we Prophets if the speech must be qualified in the one why ought it not so to be in the other Againe we say of prophecies as we say of miracles Before the word was written the Lord taught his people by visions and by dreames and that hee might prepare them to receiue his doctrine and confirme them in it hee both wrought miracles himselfe and gaue power to others likewise to worke as wee may see in Moseâ— Eâ—iah and Elisha yea he gaue power to doe miracles when the Law was written because the Gospel was not yet reuealed and when the Gospell was reuealed hee continued his gift because the holy Spirit was not yet giuen yea and when the Spirit was powred out vpon the Apostles yet this gift was in the Church that as yet the Spirit had not gotten credit But when the Gospell was reuealed the spirit sent downe and confirmed by signes and wonders then the vse of miracles ceased not that there are no miracles at all now for wee doe not shorten the hands of the Lord but yet they be but few and those extraordinarie Now the rules whereby we shall trie them whether they be of God or no bee these If they doe either conuert and winne men to the word or confirme them in the word who are alreadie wonne if they be agreeable to the word and beare the same maiestie in them as doth the word then may they be receiued as from God But when they agree not with these rules though the thing wrought be miraculous yet they are much to be suspected as the miracles of olde time were with reuerence to bee receiued For God in his secret iudgement doth suffer some times such to be wrought that the wicked and vnbeleeuers may the more effectually be deluded Againe we know that Antichrist commeth with signes yea and the same so effectuall that euen the very elect if it were possible should therewith bee deceiued In like manner doe wee say of dreames and visions vntill the Gospell came and had gotten credit in the hearts of men there were visions and prophecies of things to come but these being now ceased it is not ordinarie that the Lord should make all Prophets or teach by visions and dreames But what doe we stand longer to proue that this place cannot be so taken and vnderstood as the words at the first shew might seeme to giue especially seeing that the deuillish ouerthwarters both of Papists and of the Familie of loue are so grosse and papable in this point For such is the spirit of these men and so contrary to the good spirit of God that where the Scripture ought simply and without any trope or allegorie to be interpreted they will there turne it into allegories as wee see many places peruerted by the Papists and almost the whole Scriptures by the Familie of loue and whereas the Scripture by conference of places doth shewe that it ought tropically to bee vnderstood they sticke bluntly to the bare letter as in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum The Papists here would haue no trope yet the whole course of the Scriptures doth inforce the same The Familie of loue will in no place almost admit the naturall sense as it floweth of the words and yet here they doe bitingly abide by the word notwithstanding all the former reasons And this surely commeth to passe by the righteous iudgement of God that seeing they would neither acknowledge nor yeelde to the naturall sense when they might
therefore they cannot see where a trope should haue his place Thus it went with their great Master and father of allegories Origen who giuing himselfe to follow his deuised allegories could not through God his righteous and iust iudgement see those places that will admir a trope For comming to that saying of Christ our Sauiour where he intreateth oâ— three kindes of chast persons whereof one maketh himselfe chast for the kingdome of God sake hee taking it too literally did cut off his owne members and so grossely did misunderstand it The true vnderstanding of this place then is this that in the Apostles times and in the ages following there should bee riper knowledge than was in the ages before But if it be here obiected that the men of our daies are not like the great men and Prophets of God as Eâ—â—y Dauid Ieremiah or Daniel to this wee answere that comparisons must be alwaies in the like Then if we compare the Apostles with the Prophets that were before them we know the Apostles in cleerenes and excellencie of knowledge did surpasse them And our Sauiour Christ testifieth of Iohn Baptist that he was the greatest among the Prophets and yet that the Apostles and Ministers of the Gospell were greater than he Then compare our Euangelists with the Patriarches and they saw a cleerer light than these did For Abraham sawe Christ but a farre off and to come they sawe him euidently and already come Proceede to compare the common sort of people then with the common sort in these dayes and euen we doe see Christ more liuâ—ly painted out before vs than they did they had assurance that these things should come to passe wee knowe that they are alreadie come to passe seeing plainly the effects and issues of them And thus wee see that God his graces are moe and more excellent than they were in the time of the Law Compare Christ with Mose and hee did as farre exceed him as the Master builder doth the hired seruant Compare their common Ministers the Priests and Leuites with our ordinarie Doctors and Pastors and they goe beyond them in the euidence of knowledge All these notable men of the Law knew that Christ should come and that the holy Ghost should come but the maner of their comming they saw but very darkly but we see it and reioyce therein The plaine meaning then of this place is that whereas God did in the old time reueale his will vnto some by visions and by dreames now al sorts of men young and old man and maide shall be instructed in the knowledge of God more plentifully and more perfitly For it is to be vnderstood as that Exod 19 Ye shall be a kingly Priâ—sthood c. and 1 Pet. 2. it must be interpreted as often in Esay as chap. 11. in Ieremy and in the Gospell aâ—ter Iohn it is saide They shâ—ll all bee taught of God and that which is in his Epistle the annointing shall teach you all things These doe not take away the ordinarie ministerie of the word but doe shew that men shall not onely haue the outward meanes but shall also haue the teaching of the Spirit And all of these are so begun in this life that they be not performed to the full vntill wee be vnclothed of this flesh and haue our full part with Christ in the life to come This is the meaning of the place and herein doe wee goe beyond the men of the old ages And besides this in the very manner of deliuerie there is farre more cleernes and euidence now than was in the times of the Law For the Prophets and holy men of God indeede laboured but the fruite for the most part was little and the Apostles as Christ saith Ioh. 4. entred into their labours Yâ—a the Apostle Peter goeth further and saith that they were a light shining in a darke place but wee haue a surer light of prophecie Further hee addeth in the same place that they serued not so much their owne ages and times as vs that are come after them Now hauing the right vnderstanding of this place we are to be greatly thankfull to God for that he hath not left vs to doubtfull dreames but hath giuen vs the certaintie of the word written whereunto serued all the former visions dreames and prophecies and it is confirmed vnto vs by euery one of them Thus wee haue the sense of this place wherein it was fulfilled in the Apostles times as Peter here witnesseth and in this sense it was fulfilled in the Primitiue Church as all good stories doe record Let vs further see what it is that men shall prophecie that is they shall be taught by the spirit of God in the word to trie themselues to trie the spirits of their teachers to teach others and to be able to giue a reason of their hope before their enemies for as the holy Ghost came vpon Christ so must be come vpon euery one of his members and as he was annointed a Prophet so must his members also be Prophets This sound knowledge consisteth in foure things The first thing required in a Christian is that he be able to trie himselfe and his estate â—efore God whether he be in the faith or no whether he be God his childe or no contrarie to the doctrine of the Papists and cold Protestants that rest onely on common iniunctions and accustomed proceedings Thus Paul giueth charge to the whole Church of Corinth 2. Cor. 12. Examine your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no and hereunto he addeth a fearfull speech vnlesse you be refuses Who so is not in the faith is a refuse and if a man knoweth not whether he be in the faith or no then he doth not know whether he be in Christ or no. This examination must be according to the Scriptures for so saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ search the Scriptures for they testifie of me and in another place he saith ye erre because ye know not the Scripture Then we must not hang on the Preacher nor on this nor on that man but we must beleeue because wee haue found it in the Scripture and haue been taught it by the Spirit according as the men of Samaria saide to the woman when she told them of Christ. Againe we must not simply and barely knowe the Scriptures but applie them to our owne vse and make our owne faith sure by them if we be not reprobates and this is the first thing required of Christians The second thing is that we be able to trie our Teachers not in euery thing that they speak but in things pertinent to saluation Thus we are commaunded to doe 1. Corinth 5. Ephes. 4. and in the Epistle of Saint Iohn Trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and in the epistles of Peter and Iude it is said that those were peruerted with heresies that neuer came to knowe the truth but were vnstable and carried away with euery winde of
make conscience of sinne being knowne the Lord visiteth vs with priuate and publike meanes that as the wicked shall be without all hope ease or end tormented in hell so these in mercie and measure should haue their hearts broken which because they would not doe by the louing inuocating and inuiting of them by the Lord therfore it is done by some crosses Secondly it respecteth the regenerate either to continue them in their good estate or to keepe them from some grosse sins For God his children doe sometime fall and alwaies may fall if God keep them not Because Dauid and Manasses had sinned God sent them the crosse that they might not forget him Now because the same may be in vs if the Lord will powre out his wrath vpon the wicked surely he will not suffer his owne children to be vncontrolled We must not then as some are wont to doe say Did not Dauid sinne make ye so much at me was not Dauid a great sinner and yet saued It were well indeed if we would binde Dauids sinne with Dauid his repentance or if we consider how the Sunne was turned into darkenes the Moone into blood in his kingdome if we shall see the pillars of Gods iudgements and vapours of God his wrath against him among his owne how his sonnes rebelled they that would be Counsellers became traitors and how the wicked caitifes insulted ouer him we would surely know that it did little helpe vs to reckon vp Dauid his sinning This doth God to sow the lips of the wicked that they should not say that God doth spare and punisheth not sinne in his and that they should not dreame of escape when his owne seruants are so punished And although God his children presently fall not but are readie to fall he wrappeth them often in the crosses of the wicked not so much to punish any sinne present but to preuent in them some sinne to come that thereby taking away the occasion of sinning he might humble them before they fall Againe albeit they be not subiect to grosse sins yet because they are oft puft vp with priuie pride dead vnmercifull dull forsaking their first loue sometime neither hot nor cold luke warme without zeale briefly in that they are not as God his children should be or as they themselues sometimes and before haue been the Lord in wisedome correcteth these wants and infirmities that from infirmities they should not burst out into enormities from sinning of ignorance they should not sin against conscience and from secret sinnes that they commit not presumptuous sinnes For this cause Reuel 3. the Lord sent plagues on the Church of Laodicea not so much for grosse and notorious sinnes but because they were not humbled and zealous enough but such as might more easily haue fallen into deeper enormities hereafter If men vse to trie gold seuē times in the furnace not for any masse of drosse in it but to proue it how much more had the Lord neede to trie our faith although we be not giuen to any great and notable crime For as there may be two vses in the trying of gold the one to purge it from drosse the other to fine it the more so there are two vses of corrections the one to punish sinne the other to trie their faith And although the Lord more principally doth not punish sinne but rather secondarily chiefly trying the patience of his children yet when men cannot accuse vs neither we can accuse our selues yet the Lord will purge vs from some secret corruption which may breede a sinne in time to come And hereupon it commeth that priuie pride secret selfe-loue close couetousnes hidden hypocrisie and such like are counted sinnes of God his children though of worldlings they be thought good vertues But some will say Is this the truth ye sticke to Is this the Gospell which ye professe See what hurliburlies see how many opinions there are what a companie of religions are start vp see what denying of the faith what grosse sinnes are sprung vp see what deaths plagues and warres are accompanied with it Surely it seemeth that this is not the Gospel Before all things were in better case no such disturbance in religion no such noise of notorious sinnes no such turmoilings on euery side all things were at good quiet but now we haue more troubles than euer in former times were heard of The wicked do not onely breake their neckes at this blocke but God his owne children haue daungerously stumbled at it For when Iob Dauid Ieremiah without God his spirit beheld the prosperitie of the wicked and the aduersitie of the godly they confessed their feete had almost slipped sauing that they durst not condemne the generation of God his children To remedy this the holy Ghost saith that when the graces of God doe most appeare then will the Lord send greatest iudgements for the contempt of his Gospell in the wicked and for the neglect of it in the godly Now this is foretold that we might not be offended when it commeth this vse doth Christ teach vs to make of it These things haue I told you before that when they come to passe c. For to God his children being but babes in Christ this is a great temptation And to come to our daies Doth it not trouble men much that there be so many vnlearned Ministers of learned Ministers that there be so many vngodly men that they see such oppressing Magistrates such rebellious people such carelesse gouernours that there is such an height of subtiltie in couering and cloaking sin where is most knowledge such running to sinne where is most preaching and where the Gospell is receiued that there should be such sects and heresies when they shall see the Papists readie to outface the Gospell what may a man do now or how may he stay himselfe if the Lord should leaue him Surely God hath foretold it Euen as the Sunne then shining bright the Moone giuing light the cleere aire are tokens of God his loue so much more the word and as these being darkened obscured shew God his wrath so the word obscured doth testifie his wrath much more Yea if dearths plagues famine or such like come we must be forewarned of them And our Sauiour Christ when men asked him signes he told them of many and Mat. 24. that there should be such wonders in the heauens in the earth and in the seas that euen the very elect should be confounded almost Now if Christ had not forewarned these things in the equitie of his iudgement we might indeed haue had some occasion of offence And for this cause our Sauiour Christ saith Matth. 11. Blessed are they that are not offended in me because such confusions shall be that men will be readie to lay the cause of these things on the Gospell and on the word and therefore blessed are they that are forewarned of these things and know why they come If the Iewes would not
or in others we shall be so gouerned that wee shall not onely auoide euill but coldnesse in well doing and looke what is detracted through the iniuries of times it shall be added in inward graces and recompenced in the kingdome of heauen When we shall then in extremitie of offences say Good Lord what shall we doe whither shall wee goe to heare a good Preacher what may wee doe to goe to some good man and zealous professor Remember then if thou wilt stay on the Lord and fall to Prayer thogh thou art troubled with Papists or Heretikes or monstrous liuers then leane to God trust in his word and vse prayer When thou shalt see no good neither in Church nor in Common wealth then haue recourse to prayers and thou shalt not onely bee preserued from daungers but also thou shalt enioy God his spirit with his graces Thus wee shall see in the volume of God his booke not onely what deliuerances the godly haue had by prayer but also by what meanes they were deliuered Noah calling on the name of GOD was saued in the Arke from perishing in the waters Lot was deliuered out of Sodome the Israelites obtained meate from heauen water out of the rocke passage through the Seas and many other righteous persons were not onely deliuered but greatlie ioyed But if we should passe them and looke to the daies of persecution vnder Queene Mary when the Sun seemed to be changed into darknes the Moone to lose her light then Christians were not onely many deliuered but also in the prisons in cabbins in bushes in flame and in fire they euer had sweete dreames heauenly visions and wonderfull consolation so as they were not onely comforted but at the stake they would prophecie of the restoring of the Gospell and they presently would reioyce as foreseeing the truth should come vnto their posteritie And it shall come to passe This importeth the time of the Gospell and here is shewed a difference betweene the time of the Law and of the Gospell If our fathers were heard vnder the Law if they receiued not the repulse in the dawning of the day what may we hope for vnder the Gospell what boldnes may wee receiue now when the sunne shineth out at the fulnes Looke what proofe they had we may haue more see what experience they had we may haue it in greater measure because what they had confirmed we haue confirmed The Lord requireth of vs now to trust in him the more we must remeÌ„ber that saying of our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 16. 24. Hitherto haue yee asked nothing in my Name aske and yee shall receiue that your ioy may be full If our fathers prayed feruently why doe not wee haue not wee mo deedes of God his fauour haue not we mo promises haue not wee mo examples all which accuse vs of want of zeale in prayer In the old Testament they named not Christ we are bold to looke vpon God in Christ his Sonne Woe then be to vs if these things do not moue vs seeing Christ standeth on the right hand of God the Father who is not now in the loynes of Abraham or in the wombe of the Virgin or in the bowels of the earth buâ—â—o as â—â—â—â—â—â—euen we may see him sitting in heauen on the right hand of GOD. The circumstance remaining is in this word whosoeuer which sheweth that whether it bee man or woman master or seruant young or old Iew or Gentil no age no sexe no estate no coÌ„dition is excluded True it is that there be priuiledges of the man aboue the woman of the master aboue his seruant of the elders aboue the yongeâ— but this is in some things not in all For in the worship of God in the matter of God his glory and our saluation there is no respect of persons with God but whosâ—euer calleth vpon the name of the Lord he shall be saued In respect whereof we are to be exhorted that if we will reioyce in this priuiledge we must vse the means due to them that are within the precincts of it we must not excuse our selues and say I am a woman and the weaker vessell I am a young man and rechlesse I am an old man forgetfull I am a seruant and am not at mine owne libertie For if wee looke for the grace offered wee must vse the meanes proposed But yet here is a further thing than this that not only the righteous shal be saued but also the poore sinner if now he will repent and hauing a pure purpose to please God call on the name of the Lord. Behold ô repenting sinner the Theese on the Crosse the Sunne was darkened the vale of the Temple rent earthquakes and troubles confusion was an ong men terrors were in himselfe and yet hee calling on the name of the Lord and saying Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome receiued this comfortable answere This day shalt thou be with mee in Paradise Peter seeing Christ was pardoned If we behold Dauids miserie in the troublesome estate both of Church and Common-wealth when he had not one of his owne children to comfort him but to the increase of his griefe one brother murthered another one of his sonnes being a traytor was through God his iudgement hanged by the haire of the head his chiefe friends rebelled against him hee was not onely in all this mightily preserued of God but also receiued plentifull graces of the Spirit When Manasses had caused Ierusalem to swimme with blood when the Citie was neere destruction and hee himselfe in chaines what hope was there either of the Kingdome or Prophecie to continue and yet calling on God his name hee was heard and helped If such great things were for poore sinners before Christ what comfort is there for them since Christ is come If the wretched man was so helped of CHRIST euen when he was on the crosse what comfort may afflicted consciences hope for in him being aduanced to the Throne Kingdome Nay I will adde more euen very hypocrites by Prayer haue escaped outward perils as Aâ—ab and such like Yea and marke them that are in warres or in some great distresse how praying to the LORD they are helped The same we shall obserue sometimes either in worldlings or in God his children vnregenerate All which will graunt that after they haue prayed but in their manner the Lord hath strangely deliuered them If wicked men haue had this benefite how much more shall the godly haue it If God his children haue found such grace before they knewe God what grace shall they haue when they know him beleeue in him and call vpon him Here then is all doubting to be taken away and we must cease to say Oh I am a sinner I cannot be helped mine vnworthines makes me ashamed Consider the tenour of this runneth in an vniuersall point to all thou caâ—st not be excluded if thou exclude not thy selfe And why It is said that all shall be
saued which point is necessarily to be noted For the diuell will tell vs Christ died for others but not for vs True it is that all repentant sinners compared with the number of the vnrepentant are but few Howbeit if I truely abhorre my sinnes and my selfe for my sinnes sake if I purpose to leaue sinnâ— and trauell in the wayes of righteousnes if I loue GOD and hate â—niquitie and depart from it although I want all these solen ne preparations yet I am perswaded I shall be saued And yet remember that here is no such libertie for hard-hearted sinners neither is the Sea of mercie denied to sorrowfull sinners For as no sinner shall be damned that will repent and it truth desireth to be saued so the Lord will not iustifie the wicked and obstinate sinner Whosoeuer therefore hath eares let him heare who so hath eyes let him see who so hath an heart let him consider of this bountifull mercie of God whether hee be in miserie outward or trouble inward and know from the Lord his owne mouth that Whosoeuer calleth on the Name of the LORD hee shall be saued FINIS THE THIRDE PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREAcher of the Word of GOD containing seuenteene Sermons the Titles and Texts whereof appeare in the next Page following PROV 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall bee blessed but the name of the wicked shall rotte VERS 11. The mouth of the righteous is as a welspring of life VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE SERMONS FOLLOVVING ARE THESE 1 OF quenching the spirit 1. THES 5. 19. 2 Of murmuring EXOD. 16. 2. 3 Of zeale REVEL 3. 19. 4 Of a good name PROV 22. 1. 5 Of humilitie PROV 18. 12. 6 Of the education of children PROV 17. 21. 7 Of repentance and true sorrow for sinne ACT. 2. 37. 38. 8. 9. Three Sermons of the heauenly purchase on the 13. of 10. Matthew and the 44 verse 11 Of Christian warfare on EPHES. 6. vers 10. 11. 12. 12 Of diuers Christian instructions PSAL. 16. 13 Of flying euill company Idolatrie c. on GEN. 42. vers 9. 12. 14. 15. 21. 14 Of the mutuall duties betweene the Ministers and people on HEB. 13. vers 17. 15 Of the confession of sinne and the necessarie vse thereof on PROV 28. 15. 16 Of the effects of Christ his Crosse c. in two sermons 17 on GALAT. 6. vers 14. 15. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR IVLIVS CAESAR KNIGHT AND TO THE RIGHT VERtuous Lady his wife HENRY HOLLAND wisheth an increase of all prosperitie and the rich grace of Gods spirit vnto life euerlasting THese Sermons right Worshipfull are full of good instruction and consolation I haue endeuoured to giue some view of theâ— al by some short aphorismes on this manner I. The first Sermon is of the quenching of the spirit where hee teacheth vs 1. That albeit those be worthily condemned that nâ—vâ—r tâ—sted nor desire to taste of the spirit of God yet a more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come on them that hauing once receiued it doâ— after lose the same 2. To knowe whether we haue the spirit he saith like as hee knoweth best that hee hath lâ—fe which feeleth it in himselfe so hee best knoweth whether hee haue the spirit that feâ—eth thâ— spirit working in himselfe Againe he that hath the spirit of Christ hath some thing in him giuen him of God by his word aboue all that can be attained by any naturall gift or humane industrie 3. Tâ—e spirit often in regeneration causeth in the spirituall man a great and generall astonishment for great â—â—d enormous sinnes committed and then it dealeth more particularly smitâ—â—g vs with a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes 4. Then the spirit teacheth how the faculties of the soâ—le are all bent to rebellion against God and specially how reason fighteth against faith and is a great patronâ— of vnbeliefe 5 After all this the spirit saith he bringeth vs to seâ— the vnsâ—â—rchable riches of Christ and worketh in vs that precious faith whereby â—â— apprehend our free iustification in Christ. And then followes the feeling of ioy vnspeakable and that blessed peace of conscience which passetâ— vnderstanding iudgement is reformed affections are cleane altered and there wil appeare in â—ll faculties great forwardnes and readines to performe things acceptable vnto God 6. After some falies of frailtie â—f we continue our former hatred of sinne the oftner wâ— fal conceiue the more dâ—â—dly hatred against sinne if our sorrow for sinne increase if our care continue to preuent and cut off all occasions of sinne albeit we slip and fall often yet wee may not say the spirit is quenched 7. Such as haue the greater and more certaine graces of the spirit of regeneration their knowledge is well grounded and they labour euermore for a good measure of knowledge to direct them in their particular duties the knowledge of the wicked is but coÌ„fused general vncertaine 8. Albeit the spirit can neuer be vtterly taken from the beleeuers yet if they waxe proud secure and fall to sin the graces of the spirit the cleere vnderstanding the feeling the affection and ioy in the holy Ghost may so die decay in them that they may well seeme to themselues and others to haue quenched the spirit These and the like singular doctrines concerning this matter are contained in this Sermon This argument was further inlarged and amplified in other Sermons by him which as yet I cannot finde For he taught also by what degrees the spirit is quenched and they were these 1. By neglecting the meanes of cherishing the grace of the spirit 2. From neglecting the meanes to proceede to the grieuing of the spirit 3. From grieuing to come to vexing and prouoking the spirit 4. Lastly how some after long prouocations haue quenched the spirit and lost all the good light graces of God which they seemed before to haue had These be most dangerous degrees of sinne and steps to perdition And thus farre of the first Sermon II. The second sermon is against murmuring a sinne no lesse dangerous than common in all degrees and conditions of men We be here taught 1. What the nature is of impatiencie for outward things what dishonour it brings to God what a torment to vnbeleeuers in whom â—â—e want of one small thing breedâ— such â—isâ—â—ntâ—ntment â—â— the possâ—ssiâ—on of mâ—â— rich blessâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ot quâ—â—t them 2. What remedies best sâ—rue to make our hearts calme in aâ—â— such distempred affections and they bee these first most highly to esteeme of Gods fauour and to prâ—ferre that one benefit of the â—ardon of our sinnes before all the riches of this life Secondly to labour for that precious faith iâ— Christ
of Gods iudgement 3. That we must wisely discerne betweene the true sorrow for sinne which causeth repentance not to be repented of and that worldly sorrow which causeth death For godly sorrow softneth the hart to the obedience of the word but that worldly sorrow causeth men to kicke and spurne against the word to the further hardning of their hearts 4. That many are galled and pricked with pouertie sicknes and other afflictions but few with their sinnes which is the cause of their afflictions But let men be well assured of this saith he that if a man be not troubled for sinne here he is in the way to hell if he be troubled in this life for sinne he is in the way to heauen 5. Lastly that in true repentance the pricking of the heart and sorrowing for sinne must be continued and daily renewed we must be humbled with continuall sorrow that we may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. And thus farre the compendious and short view of all these Sermons This graue and reuerend Father who hath left vs these holy instructions hauing continued for many yeeres with good successe and a comfortable experience of Gods blessing on his holy ministery in preaching the Gospell of Christ his Sermons were many in number and how effectuall let the godly iudge by these fewe which Gods good prouidence hath reserued for posteritie Now right Worshipfull I offer them vnto your good patronage and protection because I am well assured you loue and what you may you further the preaching of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Much am I bound to remember your Worship and that vertuous Lady your wife for your great loue to me and mine I can no way require your loue yet by some poore testimonie I desire to make mine affection knowne in the performance of any Christian duty what I may The Lord Iesus Christ that hath knit both your harts by one spirit in one holy faith vnto himselfe and in loue vnfained one to another graunt you the true peace which passeth vnderstanding to keepe your hearts and mindes in his faith loue and feare vnto the end And thus I humbly take my leaue recommending you and all yours to the protection of the Almightie Your Worships euer to command in Iesus Christ HENRY HOLLAND A SERMON PREACHED BY MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM VPON THESE WORDS THE FIRST SERMON Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads First how wee may be prepared to receiue the spirit of God Secondly how the spirit may be retained when as wee haue once receiued it And therefore Saint Paul hauing laboured to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirit doth here teach them how to keepe and continue this spirit vnto the end And this the Apostle doth by giuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they doe Quench the spirit thereby doubtles teaching that as the shunning of euill is the first step vnto goodnes so the readie way to continue the spirit of God in our hearts is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon great waightie cōsideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though al those be worthily and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirit of God yet as our Sauiour Christ saith A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vpon them that hauing once receiued it doe afterward lose the same againe Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect for the word worketh not where the spirit of God is wanting prayers haue no power to pearce into the presence of God the Sacraments seeme small and sillie things in our eyes and all other orders and exercises which God hath graunted ordained for man they are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to cōuey them into our hearts there to seale vp the fruit of them Last of all we are fit to receiue no good grace at Gods hand nay we doe not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price vpon them for speake of the Law or of the Gospel of sinne or of righteousnesse speake of Christ or of our redemption and iustification by him yea speake of that huge and heauie waight of glorie wherewith the elect of God shall be crowned all this moueth not we are little affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of his good spirit to profit by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many great causes are to listen vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs so we depriue our selues of all these fruits Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit it may appeare that he speaketh to those that had alreadie receiued the spirit For as the fire cannot be said to be quenched where it is not so they cānot be said to quench or lose the spirit which haue not as yet receiued it Then know that this precept doth properly belong to thē that haue receiued the spirit of God and they especilly are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it cannot profit them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the ground a long time doth afterward budde and become fruitfull so this continue in their mindes till they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breed in them some carefulnes that they doe not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and found the spirit of God in them to them saith S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirit Of this if we doe somewhat seriously consider these two questions will offer themselues and soone arise in our minde First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost againe or no which if they bee well and sufficiently answered they will doubtlesse giue great force vnto this precept For the first then if we will knowe whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth best that he hath life which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him And if wee will further know this by the peculiar working and effects of the spirit then let vs marke these First of all if there bee nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be attained by the art and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the world when he saith We haue
therefore it is the spirit of God that must certifie our hearts and spirits of the same And hereof there doth arise that which we take as the fourth note when we finde it in our selues to wit the life and nimblenes that is in vs to doe good for when a man doth finde fauour from God for the forgiuenes of sinnes then the loue of God constraineth him that ioy which he conceiueth inforceth him putteth life into him for the performance of those things which are pleasing vnto God then he beginneth to finde himselfe not onely reclaimed from euill but also applied and framed to that which is good then is his vnderstanding inlightened to see into the mysteries of godlinesse and into that great worke of his redemption and into whatsoeuer concerneth the sauing health of his soule then is his iudgement reformed and he is made able to iudge betweene false religion and true betweene the workes of the flesh and of the spirit betweene that which is good and that which is euill displeasing in the sight of God Then are his affections in some good measure altered his desire is set not vpon earthly but vpon heauenly things his ioyes are not in the earth but in the heauens his anger is wasted and spent not vpon his owne priuate cause and quarrels but vpon his owne sinnes and vpon whatsoeuer hindreth the glorie of his God This is the life of God in him thus he liueth that hath receiued the spirit and thus he leadeth his life continually for they that haue receiued the spirit are led by the spirit do liue accordingly bringing forth the fruits of the spirit But this hath weaknes ioyned with it and men through frailtie may soone fall and therefore their life is said to be hid in Christ because in full perfect manner it doth not appeare Therefore if notwithstanding these frailties and falles wee will know whether we still retaine the spirit of God we must search our selues and trie our hearts by these rules First if through frailtie we haue fallen for who is he that falleth not we will then know whether by our fall we haue lost the spirit of God or no let vs see what liking or misliking we haue of sinne for if after our fall we doe hold our former hatred of sinne and the oftner we fall the more thorough deadly hatred we conceiue against sinne vndoubtedly that frailtie hath not as yet depriued vs of the spirit Secondly come and see how it standeth with thy sorrow for so long as thy sorrow encreaseth for thy sinnes it cannot be thought that sinne and the flesh haue ouercome vtterly quenched the spirit in thee Thirdly trie thy care and if thou growe in a godly care both how thou maist be able to wage battell against sinne in the plaine field how thou maist preuent sinne in all his policies then thou hast a further assurance that sinne although it be as great as Goliah yet it hath not hitherto preuailed against thy poore and little Dauid I say against those few and small graces which the good spirit of God hath bestowed vpon thee But the last is most certaine and that is this When thou art carefull to redeeme that which by the fall thou hast lost and hast a care to runne so much faster forward by how much more thou hast been letted by thy fall then it doth appeare that the spirit is in thee yea it is liuely and mightie in operation and such as shall neuer be taken from thee vntill the day of Christ. Thus may we in some good and competent measure trie and proue whether we haue the spirit of God or no for where these fruites are to be found there is also the spirit of God For further confirmation whereof we may note the manner of speech where he saith Quench not the spirit We doe commonly vse to say the fire is quenched when the light and heate thereof is taken away and indeed nothing can properly be said to be quenched but the fire Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit he giueth vs to vnderstand that the spirit is in some respect like vnto fire therefore if we doe but a little consider of the nature of fire we shall a great deale better iudge of the spirit And among others these properties we finde to be in the fire First of all it will burne vp consume things that may be burned and consumed and therefore lighting vpon straw stubble stickes or such like it bringeth them to ashes and doth make them as though they had not beene at all Secondly it doth purge and purifie those things that can abide to be purged and this it doth first by taking away the superfluitie of drosse that hath ouercouered the thing to be purged Then by fining the thing it selfe and by making it purer purer Thirdly it giueth light euen in the most dimme and darkest places And last of all it giueth heate and withall doth as it were put life into those things which are capable of life for whilest a man is frozen and starued for cold he is numbed and as it were without life but being brought to the fire he is heat he is reuiued he is cheered then becommeth actiue nimble These are the properties of fire and these do in some manner resemble and shadow out vnto vs the workes and effects of the spirit For first of all when the spirit of God seazeth vpon a man and entreth into his soule then it beginneth to burne to waste and consume in him those things that will be wasted after this sort euill affections noysome lusts and other stubble which is in man by the spirit of God are consumed and burned Secondly it doth purge vs from grosse sins and daily more and more doth purifie vs that we may be a cleane and holy vessell and temple for him to rest and dwell in Thirdly it is a shining lampe euer burning continually giuing light vnto vs in that way which we haue to walke And lastly it doth set vs on heate inflameth vs with a zeale of Gods glorie with a care of our dutie and with a loue of all mankinde yea withall it putteth life and lust into vs to walke in that good way which leadeth vnto life and to doe all those good workes which may glorifie God or be commodious vnto men Thus we see what likelihood there is betweene the spirit and fire for which cause the spirit in the Scripture is compared vnto fire nay it is sometimes called fire for Iohn saith That our Sauiour should baptize with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is like vnto the fire Therefore as truly and as certainly as we may say that there is fire where we see straw and such like things consumed or gold and siluer finely purged
or great light in darke places or great heate in bodies that were nummed before euen so truly we may say and so certainly we may perswade our selues that the spirit of God is in vs when we see our corruption consumed our soules purged from the drosse of sinne our hearts inlightened and made hot in walking and working according to that light The second question to be cōsidered is whether that man which once throughly tasted of the spirit may lose it and haue it quenched in him To this it may be said that because the spirit of God commeth to and worketh in diuers men diuersly in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the diuers working of the spirit then frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lighter lesser worke of the spirit which may be quenched in them that haue it and that this inferiour or lesser kinde of working may be taken away appeareth plainly by the parable of the seede which our Sauiour Christ propoundeth for that besides them that receiue the word into good ground and bring foorth fruites some an hundreth some thirtie some sixtie folde he doth also make mention of some others that receiued the word and yet continued not And what had not these the spirit of God in them Yes doubtlesse for they receiued the word yea they receiued it gladly and that which is more they beleeued that which they had receiued Behold then three fruites of Gods spirit in these men and yet they continued not for they beleeued indeed but their faith was temporarie it lasted but for a time and after a time it vanished away and the spirit departed from them for either the pleasures and profits of this life did driue out the graces of God and drie them vp or else the fierie heate of persecution did quite consume them More plaine and notable for this purpose is that in the sixt to the Hebrues for there the Apostle saith That some may taste of the holy Ghost and thereby be made to taste of the good word of God to be inlightened to receiue heauenly gifts yea and to taste of the power of the life to come And what then surely the Apostle saith That if such fall it is impossible they should be renewed giuing vs to vnderstand that euen they which haue receiued the holy Ghost that haue been inlightened that haue receiued heauenly gifts and haue tasted of the power of the life to come euen such may fall away and the spirit may be quenched in such There is a second kinde of working of the spirit which is a more thorough effectuall working which can neuer be taken away frō them that haue receiued it This the Apostle Peter describeth when he saith That the chosen of God are begotten againe of the immortall seede of the word This is not a bare receiuing or a light tasting of the word but it is a deepe taste of the same whereby we are begotten and borne againe The Apostle S. Iohn setteth downe another note of it saying That they that are thus borne againe cannot sin that is they cannot make an occupation of sinne they cannot fall flat away by sinne and why Euen because the seede of God abideth in them euen that seede wherewith they were begotten to a liuely hope of life euen that seede doth abide and will abide vnto the end Who so is begotten againe by this seede and hath this seede abiding in him the spirit hath wrought that in him which shall not be taken from him and therefore our Sauiour Christ saith The word that I speake is spirit and life And in another place he saith That none shall take his sheepe from him for the father is mightier than all and therefore in another place he saith That it is impossible that the elect should be seduced Thus then we see the question answered namely that there is an inferiour working which may be lost and a more effectuall working of the spirit which can neuer be taken away from them that haue it And this must not seeme strange to vs neither must we be offended that the Lord should take some and leaue others or that he should begin in some and not bring his worke to perfection for so he dealeth with other things in the world Some corne is sowen and neuer riseth some springeth and yet shortly withereth some groweth vp to an eare yet then is stricken or blasted and othersome at his good pleasure doth come to a timely ripenes In like manner some trees are planted and neuer take roote some take roote but yet not blossome some blossome yet neuer bring forth fruite and othersome through his goodnesse doe bring forth fruit in good season If the Lord deale so with the plant and hearbe of the field why may he not deale so with vs the sonnes of men If we cannot conceiue the reason of this we must holde our peace for all the workes of God are done in righteousnesse and all our knowledge is vnperfect therefore we must herein rather accuse our selues of ignorance than the Lord of vnrighousnesse nay we our selues doe deale in like sort with those things which be vnder our hand In Colledges Fellowes are first chosen to be Probationers and if they be then approoued they be made full fellowes otherwise they are not If a man being childles doe take some friends childe to make him heire of all his goods he will keepe him vpon liking if his manners be honest he shall be preferred yea it may be set ouer all his house and yet afterwards for some fault committed quite cast off Some other man taketh another childe to the same end and maketh him heire indeed so then wee must thinke it righteous in the Lord to deale thus with vs seeing we are in his hand and we must not be offended though he call some and do not inlighten them and although he inlighten some and doe not continue them and doe of his great mercie continue some euen vnto the end let vs rather see what vse we must make of this doctrine First we must take heede that we neuer quench any grace or gift that God bestoweth vpon vs. Secondly we must still labour to haue greater measure of gifts for the wicked may come to haue some small gifts such as may be quite taken away from them Lastly it doth put a plaine difference betweene the godly and the godlesse betweene them that beare a shew of holinesse and them that are indeed the holy ones of the Lord for the one endureth but for a time and the other lasteth for euer Now if we require a further triall whereby we may know whether we haue receiued that spirit which lasteth but for a time or that which will abide for euer with vs then let vs marke these rules which put a plaine difference betweene them First we must marke that inlightning and insight we
puffed vp with pride that they reioyce when their pride may be pulled downe or their haughtinesse abated either by some sharpe rebuke or by some fearefull threatning or by some moderate correction from the Lord. For they know that if it were needefull for S. Paul to be buffeted and that by the minister of Satan to the intent that his pride might be beaten down then it is much more needful for them after sundrie waies to be humbled Besides they doe not only desire the word but they also waite vpoÌ„ the Lord vntill it please him to worke further in them thereby and this waiting is as earnest as is theirs who hauing watched all the night doe waite and looke for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wants so also they see that grace they haue receiued and are for that time well appayed and contented therewith and therefore as their wants doe humble them so the graces of God receiued doe comfort them and as their wants doe call vpon them cause them to seeke more so that they haue doth prouoke them to be thankefull for that they haue receiued See then a quite contrarie course of the wicked and those that of sinceritie doe worship God see I say how contrarily the graces and gifts of God doe worke in them And therefore from the consideration hereof wee may well draw a fourth rule whereby to make triall and examination of our selues So to conclude this point in a word when a man by the spirit of God hath been inlightned vnto a certaine and sufficient knowledge of Gods will when he findeth his affection chiefly and aboue all other things set vpon God when he findeth a pure and sincere loue of God in his heart not for wages but for the worke of grace which after an vnspeakeable manner doth moue him thereunto when he doth thankfully acknowledge mercies receiued as he doth carefully attend and waite vpon the Lord til he bestow some greater measure of graces vpon him then may he bee vndoubedly perswaded that hee hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectuall manner and that therefore it shall neuer be taken from him But what then may such men cast off all care No for vnto them doth S. Paul giue this charge That they doe not quench the spirit And notwithout cause doth he giue them this charge for though the spirit it selfe can neuer be taken vtterly from them yet doubtlesse if they waxe proud if they grow secure if they fall into sinne then the graces and gifts of the spirit may decay and dye in them their cleere vnderstanding their feeling their affection and all may be gone so that in their own iudgement and in the iudgement of others it may seeme that they haue quite quenched put out the spirit Neither must this seeme so strange for if the image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam than it is now in vs If I say this image might quite be lost and blotted out as we see it was then no marueile if the graces of the spirit of God be for a time as it were dead and drowned in vs. And that we may be the lesse offended herewith the Scriptures doe offer vnto vs such examples of men as hauing been once effectually called and truly borne againe haue yet afterward through some sinnes lost the graces of the spirit such were the Galathians for they were truly called and effectually regenerate by the spirit and Gospell of God as may appeare by this that for the words sake they reuerenced the Apostle as the Angell of God yet they were snared with false doctrine and fel very dangerously to the choking and quenching of the graces of Gods spirit in them The spirit it selfe was not takâ—n from them nay Christ did still continue in their hearts but yet for want of godly graces hee was as it were without fashion or forme so that the Apostle did as it were trauell againe vntill Christ was fashioned anew in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought into the like â—ase therefore in the 51. Psalme he prayeth That God will create in him a new spirit What was the spirit quite gone No for by and by in the same Psalme he prayeth That the Lord would not take away his holy spirit from him How can these two stand together first to pray that a new spirit may bee created in him and then that the spirit of God may not be taken from him Surely the spirit it selfe was still in him and therfore he prayeth that it may not be taken from him but the graces and gracious working of the spirit they were dead and gone and therefore he praieth that they may be renewed in him By this then we see that the very chiefe graces of the spirit may be quenched euen in the most godly when they fall into sinne But yet that no libertie may be taken hereby let vs a little consider what griefe and punishment they procure to themselues that do by any meanes lose the graces of the spirit First of all we must know that though the spirit of God caÌ„not be gotten by our labour yet it costeth vs much labour and wee must vndergoe much trauell and suffer much trouble before the spirit of God doe take possession of vs now when the graces of the spirit are lost all this our labour seemeth to be lost and what griefe is it to see the whole labour and trauell of a man to vanish and come to nothing Secondly when a man receiueth the spirit of God and by the same spirit is assured that his sinne is forgiuen him that he is in the fauour of God there doth arise in his heart a great ioy in the holy Ghost a ioy I say that is vnspeakeable and glorious and this ioy is lost and gone when the graces of Gods spirit are gone with how great griefe and woe they knowe that in any measure haue tasted of it Againe when the graces of the spirit are choked in men then they haue no heart to doe good they haue no affection to goodnesse but all is gone and they are made for the time as it were an vnprofitable burthen of the earth What griefe can be greater than this what sorrow can sinke more deepe than that a good man should bee cleane withholden from doing good Moreouer it is sure that wheÌ„ the gifts of the spirit are in this sort gone then he that was most righteous before may soone fall into great sinnes yea and which is more they shall also suffer the reproch of their sinnes For this is a part of the couenant that God made with his That though he will not take his mercies vtterly from them yet hee will visite their sinnes with the rodde and their iniquities with scourges and what griefe this is the example of Gods children may shew vs. What griefe was it to
Noah to become a laughing stocke to his owne son What heart-breaking to Dauid by his owne sonne to bee thrust from his kingdome So grieuous were those punishments laid vpon them that if without any respect of hell or heauen we could consider of them we had rather want all the pleasures of sinne which they enioyed then wee could beare the reproch and feele the paine which they suffered Last of all when the graces of the spirit of God are once decayed they can neuer bee repayred and recouered but with much sorrowe and great danger for it cannot but breede much sorrow of heart to remember his former sinnes to examine and see the greatnes of them to apply Gods iudgements to them and to prouoke himselfe to sorrow for them This is as it were to goe through the pikes and through a purgatorie in this present life and yet this must be done before wee can recouer Gods graces againe Againe it is a very dangerous thing for in such cases men are brought as it were with Ionas into the bottome of the sea and as Dauid saith into the deepe waters so that all the surges and waues doe passe and flow ouer him Now we know what danger it is for a man to be thrust ouer head and eares into the deepe waters and therefore they that are in such a case are in great danger Wherefore all these things considered the losse of all our labour the losse of all true ioy the vnfitnes to doe good the readines to sinne the griefe and daunger that insueth thereof will or at the least wise may cause vs to beware how weâ— quench the spirit And this is the vse of the doctrine in humbling of vs which also doth furthermore serue to comfort vs knowing that we may suffer a great decay of Gods graces yet by the rod or by the word of God or by both they shall be renewed in vs againe And thus much of this commaundement that the Apostle giueth here that we should not quench the spirit OF MVRMVRING THE SECOND SERMON Exodus 16. 2. And all the congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron MANY men nowadayes hearing the often murmurings of the children of Israel doe euen spit at them and account them as the worst people vnder the Sunne which would so often and so obstinately rebell against the Lord. But these men doe little consider either the temptations wherewith the Israelites were prouoked to murmur or the corruption of their owne hearts which will as bitterly murmur vpon lesse occasion For albeit they were an obstinate and stiffe necked people as Moses witnesseth of them euer since they came out of Egypt vntill now yet here no doubt they were vehemently tempted when they from the plentie of all things which in Egypt they enioyed were brought into a rough desert wildernes being sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children great store of cattel hauing neither meate nor drinke wherwith they might be nourished Wherefore let vs cease to wonder at this people and let vs in them see our owne corruption we shall finde it to be as great as euer theirs was For doe not many men I pray you euen among vs beholding the riches of others or the plentie of things which the Lord bestoweth vpon his Magistrates or ministers for the faithful discharge of their duties doe they not I say murmur against Gods seruants set ouer them And are they not more grieued for the waÌ„t of such things than thankful for that the Lord hath freed them from such troubles which others haue or giuen them sufficient to liue vpon True it is notwithstanding the greatnes of this peoples temptation yet their sinne was wicked in them and great and hainous in the sight of God because that whereas they had often times manifold waies after a wonderfull manner felt and tasted of the goodnesse of the Lord in so much that the very vnthankfullest of them all had been driuen to confesse it for wonderfull was their deliuerance out of Egypt so miraculous was their preseruation at the red sea and infinite mercies more aboue hope and expectation bestowed vpon them yet now forgetting all his former benefits would so gradge and murmur for the want of meate that rather than they would continue still they would wish againe to returne to bondage And indeede such is the nature of murmuring that it will cause a man not only to forget Gods benefits but to forget that he is a man It preuailed so much with this people that they wished themselues againe in Egypt although they knew that there they were most miserably afflicted that the Lord in carrying them thither at the first did in iustice punish them for their sinne And this wish of theirs is as much as if they should haue said would the Lord had at once cut vs off and destroyed vs rather than left vs in this case Thus they were contented to doe so that they might haue their bellies full and rather than they would depart from their flesh-pots and other pleasures which in Egypt they inioyed Many are like minded to these people nowadaies for wee see diuers vpon their death-beds very senseles and secure who can be conteâ—ted with open mouth to record the goodnesse of God towards him in things concerning this present life but in the meane time being without hope sense or feeling of the sweete ioyes to come doe die thus by their fleshpots Othersome if they bee brought to any miserie as pouertie sicknes or such like doe beare it so impatiently that in their hearts and oftentimes in open speeches they wish they neuer had been borne shewing thereby that their flesh-pors doe more like them and their health doth better please them than the goodnes and louing countenance of the Lord. None of all these doe euer consider what they haue receiued of the Lord but their eyes are still vpon their wants and the want of one thing that they doe desire though it be but small is more disquietnesse vnto them maketh them to murmure more than the enioying of many benefits which they haue can quiet their hearts in the trust of Gods prouidence or make them thankfull Now if any of vs shall be brought to wish our death by the griefe of any affliction let vs shake it off and put it farre from vs the desire is euill for it is better as Salomon saith to be a liuing dogge than a dead lyon For bee wee neuer so miserable whilest we liue there is a time left for repentaÌ„ce but after death there is none therfore in thy life time labour to feele Gods mercie in Iesus Christ and then no miserie shall euer hurt thee till thou be gathered into his kingdome This shalt thou learne to doe if thou canst receiue the fauour of God for it selfe though it come alone yea though trouble doe come therewith knowing and perswading thine owne
or raiment or any such other thing For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father which knoweth perfectly what things we stand in neede of and for his power is able euen in greatest extremities to helpe vs and for his loue and good will towards vs will helpe vs and thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed For though a mother should forget her children yet will the Lord neuer forsake those that loue him and in faith call vpon him To this free forgiuenes of sinnes the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs there must be added the sanctification of the spirit as the second part of our redemption which iâ— we be once throughly perswaded of it it shall be a speciall help vnto vs against all impatience and murmuring against the Lord for it is a greater thing to turne a sinner than to worke wonders in nature And therfore if in our hearts we can beleeue that God hath made vs of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of vile wretches the vessels of righteousnesse of the mansions of the diuell fit temples of his holy spirit if we doe beleeue that he can make of couetous men liberall men of whoremongers chaste persons of oppressors vpright dealing men yea if we can beleeue that the Lord both is able and willing also to deliuer vs from any sinne that is within vs be it neuer so strong either by nature or by euill custome and last of all if we can beleeue that he is able to make the wolfe and the lambe to lie together the leopard and the kid shall we euer doubt that he will once faile vs or suffer vs to want the thing that is meete for vs seeme it neuer so vnpossible to be attained vnto Thirdly if we beleeue that with Christ we shall be raised vp at the last day we shall as stedfastly beleeue that he will preserue vs for it is a greater matter to raise vp our bodies being dead and consumed to dust than to preserue them whilest they are aliue if he can doe the greater he can doe also the lesse Moreouer if we be perswaded that our heauenly father hath prepared a kingdome for vs in the heauens we must needs beleeue that in this life he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but will mercifully prouide for our necessities for if he will giue vs the greater benefits he will also giue vs the lesse if he in wisedome see it fit for his glorie and profitable for vs. The fift thing we must stay our selues vpon when murmuring doth assaile tempt vs is faith in Gods prouidence This prouidence is generall or particular in both which we must be throughly grounded if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring and not breake out in temptations into impatience The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in creation of all things secondly in preseruing them Doe we then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall wee not beleeue that he will preserue them Now seeing they are made doe we beleeue that God made all men and shall we then stand in feare of men When God created light before the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and when hee made grasse to growe vpon the earth before thâ—re was either raine or dewe to water them he did thereby teach vs first that wee should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke we should neither haue grasse nor corne nor any fruit of the earth but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can as easily helpe vs but for our weakenes which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnes Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all as well as he created them yea the small sparrow doth not fall vpon the earth without his prouidence and he hath a great care ouer the very beasts of the field doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not also prouide for man Hath he care of beasts yea indeede hee hath because they were made for man and shall hee not much rather haue care ouer man for whom things were made Men say they doe beleeue all this but whilest there is such doubting of Gods prouidence and such repining against God they doe plainly shewe they doe not beleeue this first article of their faith neither in creation nor in the vniuersal gouernment and preseruation of all things Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God which if wee can bee once throughly perswaded of then shall wee easily ouercome the griefe of all our wants Hath the Lord made any thing in vaine hath he not made all things for his glorie Then if we beleeue that hee hath made our bodies shall wee not also beleeue that he will prouide for them seeing the creation thereof is more wonderfull than the preseruation is as appeareth Psalm 29. 139. Hath he care ouer the wicked to doe them good and will he not much more reioyce ouer his children to doe them good If the Lord loued vs when we were his enemies will he not prouide for vs being redeemed by the blood of his sonne Did hee good vnto vs when we sought him not and will he not much more when we seeke him by prayer in the blood of his Sonne as he hath coÌ„manded If he hath done vs good when he might haue punished vs for our sinnes wil he not be much more fauourable vnto vs now seeing he hath by his holy spirit sanctified vs O that men had hearts to beleeue this they would then giue glorie vnto God in their distresses putting their trust in him looking for helpe at his hands in his conuenient time This prouidence of God must be confirmed vnto vs by the examples of Gods children in all ages whose examples are set downe in the Scriptures that we by them might learne patience If the fathers before the flood eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some 700. yeeres some 800. some 900. yeeres and some more shall wee not learne thereby that man liueth not by these meanes And againe if he nourished them 900. yeeres and that with heaâ—â—es we may be sure he will feede vs 90. yeers with flesh and fish and other greater meanes When he fed the Israelites fortie yeeres with Manna from heauen which after such a sort was neuer seene before whereof if they reserued any without the Lords commandement if straightway putrified and was corrupted but when by the commandement of God it was kept before the testimonie it was not corrupted
deuisest euill against thy neighbour though it be neuer so secretly yet besides all the former the Lord hath another meanes whereby he will bring thee to discredit for it And this is a very vehemeÌ„t suspition raised vp in the heart of him of whom thou deuisest this euill for as it oftentimes comes to passe that good motions which arise secretly in thy minde for the good of another doe cause the other man to thinke well of thee though he did neuer heare of them so doubtlesse doth it oâ—ten come to passe in euill motions Thou deuisest euill against another hee in some strange manner hath a heart-burning in ielousie ouer thee thou thinkest hardly of another man and he also is hardly perswaded of thee Thus the Lord doth cause thee to bee discredited in the hearts of others as thou imaginest some euil against others in thine heart True it is that the partie may sinne and doe very ill if he suspect without iust cause in as much as he doth thus suspect through an immoderate loue of himselfe yet the worke of the Lord is here to be considered who seeing the cause to be so iust doth stirre vp such suspitions in his minde Then to returne to our purpose if we will auoide an euill name we must auoide all euil surmises and deuises against others And this the Scripture doth also forbid vs for the Wiseman from the mouth of God doth forbid vs to thinke euill of the King in our bed-chambers because birds and other dumbe creatures shall disclose the thing rather than it shall be kept close This then must make vs afraid to do euil or to imagine ill in our beds or to declare our deepe counsailes euen to them that lie in our bosomes And this as it is a good meanes to prouide for a good name so it is a speciall rule of all godlines not when we be afraide of open sinnes alone but of secret euils not of acts alone but euen of the secret cogitations and thoughts of our hearts Thus we haue heard the first step that leadeth to a good name The second remaineth to be declared and that is a godly ielousie ouer a mans owne doings that they may not breede suspition of euill For it doth often come to passe that albeit a man doe not that which is simply euill he may iustly be suspected and suffer some blemish in his good name And for this cause doth the Apostle charge vs to procure honest things in the sight of God and man For this cause he commandeth vs that if there be any thing honest or of good report that we must follow and that we must embrace It is not enough therefore that men did say I did thinke no euill I did meane no harme for if through want of care or discretion thou hast ventured vpon the occasion thou hast giuen great matter of euill speeches to thy great discredit If then we will auoide this euill name as our prouerbe is wee must auoide all things that bring it For when men will care little to giue occasion then the Lord causeth an euill name to be raised vpon them that those which indeede are desperate may suffer iust discredit and they that are otherwise may bee reclaimed from the same And surely such is the crookednes of mans nature that if the Lord should not take this course euen his children would fall into many sinnes Therefore it is most requisite that men bee mindfull to auoide occasions and so much the rather because it is commonly saide either God or the diuell standeth at their elbow to worke vpon them Let vs see this in some example of our common life Thou art accustomed to walke abroade at inconuenient times at that time some thing is stollen and thou art burdened and charged with it Againe thou vsest to deale too familiarly and lightly with a maide she is gotten with child the fault is laid on thee Hereof thou hast giuen suspition because thou hast been a night goer and such an one as hath dealt want only with the maide albeit thou be free from the very act Now if thou be the childe of God and if thou be guided by his holy spirit then will hee teach thee to take profit by this false report and to say with thy selfe Lord thou knowest that I am free from this vâ—ry act yet it was my sinne to giue any such occasion whereby men might suspect me this sinne O Lord I am guiltie of and I know thou for this sinne hast iustly afflicted me Yet deare father I see thy mercie in this that whereas indeede I haue committed many sinnes thou hast passed ouer them and taken this whereof I am not so much guiltie so that now most mercifull father I doe rather suffer for righteousnesse then for my transgression and sinne yea deare Father I doe beholde thy tender mercie in this towards mee that by this euill report thou goest about to stay me from that sinne and to preuent meâ— that I may neuer fall into the same Wherefore seeing it hath been thy good pleasure to deale thus with me behold Lord I doe repent me of my former sinnes and promise before thee euen in thy feare neuer to doe this or the like sinne euer hereafter See here I beseech you the good profit which a good child of God through Gods spirit will take of this slanderous reproch after he had receiued some godly sorrow for giuing the occasion of that report But behold the contrary worke of Satan in the heart of vnbelieuers for hee will soone teach them this lesson and cause them to say thus What doth the churle accuse me without a cause doth he father such a villanous act vpon mee who neuer deserued it at his hands surely he shall not say so for nought I will make his sayings true and will doe the thing indeede Consider then this yee that feare the Lord and see in how fickle a state they doe stand which haue giuen occasion and in what great danger they be to be brought to commit the same or the like sinne afterward Therefore if any will be sure to keepe his good name then must he be sure to auoide all such occasions as might in any wise impaire and hinder it And thus much for the second step whereby we arise to a good name Thus we haue heard of two degrees toward a good name in the auoiding of euill and the occasions thereof And these indeed haue a great force to stay an euill name but sure they be not able to build vp a good name and credit among men To these therefore there must be added a third thing which hath most speciall force for this purpose and that is that wee be plentifull in good workes This doth our Sauiour Christ charge vs to be carefull of when hee saith Let your light so shine before mâ—n that they may see your good workes Manie repine at the good
most full of Gods spirit he was then led to be tempted in the wildernesse when he was most furnished he was most tried On like manner when wee haue receiued some great gifts wee must looke both that the Lord for his part will take some triall of them and that Satan also watching for the richest pray and gaping for a man when he hopes to haue the best spoyle will for his part there vse the most force and cunning where he findeth the rarest and most notable seruants of God partly because he most enuieth them and partly for that by pride he thinketh soonest to inueigle them Wherefore if Gods children shall truly examine their owne hearts in this sinne they shall haue some testimonie and triall in themselues whether they bee thankfull for Gods mercies in truth or no if hauing receiued much they feare much and by how much the more they increase in gifts by so much they grow the more iealous ouer their thoughts wordes and deedes and sit as it were in the watch-tower of their hearts viewing to espie euen their least declinings Which thing if we could doe in trueth hee should not so haue the graces of God and feeling of the spirit by fits but both in greater measure and longer continuance the want of which heede taking to our selues constraineth the Lord to punish vs as I sayd with dulnes and deadnes of spirit thereby to preserue vs from viler sinnes which otherwise our pride and securitie would carrie vs headlong into And were it so that in reuerence and feare wee could attend more on the Lord we should not haue his good spirit so rare a guest vnto vs wee should finde the increase and returne of greater consolations than we haue Why doe men then so much marueile at the dulnes of minde comming on them after some rare feelings of the spirit and when they haue tasted ioyes glorious and vnspeakable and thinke that now all the fruites of Gods grace are as cleane gone away in them as if they neuer had tasted of the power of regeneration seeing vnthankfulnes is so ordinary and vsuall a sinne with vs But admit we haue some good witnesse of conscience and our heart telleth vs that we haue been thankfull then must we thinke that the Lord doth trie vs and will bring vs to acknowledge that the thing we had was his onely gift to giue and take away at his pleasure and that it came not from our selues as a thing to command at our becke Howbeit vsually and for the most part our vnthankfulnes is the cause of this dulnes Now albeit this kind of buffeting be grieuous vnto vs yet wee must not desire vtterly to be freed from it because by it our pride is cured For if that chosen vessell and seruant of the Lord Paul so abounding in graces of the spirit so frequent in fasting so often in prayer watchings and temptations could not preuaile against this sinne seeing by all these former waies hee could not subdue this corruption in the flesh we must not dreame and delude our selues that wee vsing nothing so many helpes of mortification should vtterly be rid from the same When the Lord then shall exercise vs with this pricke in the flesh although it is the messenger of Satan to buffet vs yet we must take hold on this to our comfort that the Lord disposeth and moderateth it and though wee be often and long assaulted with it yet still wee must mislike it we must still be grieued for it and pray in Christ against it we must tremble and hee humbled in our selues that wee should haue such strange and doubting thoughts of Gods wisedome power maiestie and prouidence c. and yet in such manner and measure as knowing it to be Gods mercie that by these meanes the Lord would keepe vs from more vile and enormous crimes Further and besides this the Lord giueth vs to see such monsters of the minde to forewarne vs and to make vs more afraid of falling into the outward action of sinne Thus wee haue often temptations of vnbeleefe to make vs to feare the falling from the faith we haue priuie discourses of Poperie to shew what a dangerous thing it were to be giuen ouer vnto Poperie wee haue often vile thoughts of adulterie murder and theft to driue vs more earnestly to pray that we neuer fall into thâ—â—e sinnes in action And for this cause they that will not make some holesome instruction of their inward temptations nor suspect their falling into the action of sinne by the affection of sin often fall for their pride suddenly into adulteries murthers thefts heresies poperie and such like Thus the Lord coÌ„meth by the messenger of Satan the pricke of the flesh to try vs whether wee will sticke to the word preached or to such suggestions ministred to tri our faith to confirme vs in the fauour of God when wee shall obtaine the fauour of God who often assisteth his children being humbled euen in most dangerous assaults and leaueth them being puft vp in the least temptations so as they fall that thereby they may know what helpe is of God and not of man And howsoeuer flesh and blood counteth this but a paradoxe yet sure it is that our case is worse when the Lord ceaseth by such meanes to â—â—ft fanne vs than when he holdeth vs from some profitable temptation for our exercise For we shall see many who desiring rather to â—e freed from the crosse than to reape the fruite of it although for the time wherein they endured their temptations at the first they were cleere and innocent yet afterward haue fallen most grieuously because they would not profit by those temptations which the Lord sent either to punish some sinne past not throughly repented of or to correct some sinne present not espied or to forewarne vs of sinne to come not suspected of vs â—ome haue been tempted to heresie some to pride some to worldlines who disdainfully looking at such thoughts as matters of no importance though they were before vnattainted of these euils yet now haue come to be heretikes proude persons worldlings This ought to teach vs then most to suspect our selues when wee thinke our estate safest And blessed is the mâ—n that fâ—â—reth alâ—â—â—es This numbnes of the soule striueth and striketh deeply euen against the ordinance of God for our saluation I meane the word the Sacraments and praier so that oftentimes our case standeth thus we thus say iâ—â— our selues If I heare the word so it is I feele no great want of it in receiuing the Sacraments I haue no pleasure in not receiuing them I haue no griefe If the exercises of religion priuate and publike bee vsed there is noâ— much good done if they bee omitted there is no great hurt done if I haue spare time I can goe vnto them if I haue neuer so little businesse I can keepe me away
from them be glad of such excuse Surely this estate bewraieth a proud heart blessing it selfe with a fulnes and cloyedenes of the meanes and either sheweth vs to lie in some sinne presently or that we are like to fall into some sinne hereafter and that shortly Howbeit being absent iâ— hauing these or like affections wee can mourne beate our owne hearts and iudge our selues enquiring of the things spoken at their hands that haue been at the congregation if being absent in bodie with an humble sight of our want wee are as present in spirit if euen in time of exercises we bestow the time in prayer in reading or in meditation the Lord will shield vs from sinne and the shame of sinne Againe if wee shall finde our selues subiect to peeuishnes concupiscence or couetousnesse with lesse power to preuaile against them that wee haue had let vs feare least some pride hath gone before If wee cannot recouer our selues out of these euils by prayer or mourning let vs suspect our owne hearts that some securitie in the meanes hath ouertaken vs the Lord for a time hath left vs the diuell hath foyled vs. It is a blessed thing to get the victory of our faults before they be ioyned with the offences of the world with the griefe of the godly with the reproch of our aduersaries with the trouble of our owne consciences with the hazard of Gods glorie And therefore if it be so the good will of God let vs earnestly desire him that our trials and temptations may bee inward that they may bee stayed and stenched when they beginne that they breake not out abroade to the greater dishonour of the Lord and our further discomfort which surely they will doe if by cherishing them and not checking them wee striue not for some safetie against them Let vs humblie therefore long before feare this reproch to come and pray with the Prophet Lorde keepe mee from the reproch which I feare least otherwise the Lord seeing vs make no conscience in these cases bee auenged of vs who surely will dishonour them that sticke not to dishonour him Cease then to gaze at the worke of God and labour to gage the pride of your owne hearts in affection which the Lorde is contrained to shame vs with for the abuse of his graces for the discredit of his word the contempt of his glorie and for the neglect of our owne saluation which being before purposed rather then it should bee vnaccomplished wee shall haue shamefull Sergeants sent vnto vs as fire on our houses warres to spoyle our goods sicknes to weaken our bodies and torment of minde to scourge our consciences which will draw vs out by the eares from the heauie slumber of sinne wherein wee snorted And thus fitlie though suddenly we are slipt into the second point and obseruation of this doctrine which is that wee should not be too hie to enter into the gates of aduersitie nor being entred to behaue our selues vnpatiently as though it would vndoe vs to sit in the house of mourning a while rather wee must reioyce in it and be thankfull for it saying with the Prophet It is good for mee ô Lord that thou hast afflicted me c. because the holy Ghost here telleth vs that lowlinesse goeth before honour and in the schoole of humilitie wee shall learne the way to true glorie and Nobilitie Neither doe I here meane that affliction in it selfe hath of it selfe such vertue as to humble vs truly vnder the hand of God but when the spirit of God worketh with it that then it will breede in vs the fruites of righteousnesse repentance faith and holinesse it will driue vs to seeke comfort in the world to aske comfort by praier to yeeld comfort by compassion on other mens euils And therefore it is necessarie against the policie of Sathan who would discourage the Saints of God in their profession by dressing them with afflictions to stay our selues in this testimonie of the holy Ghost that before glorie goeth affliction and after lowlinesse commeth honor either in this life or in the life to come or in both This must further teach vs to profit by the threatnings of God publikely preached not to threaten them or to murmure against them that lay the iudgemeÌ„ts of God against vs in the law this must cause vs to make much of them that by sharpe censuring of vs will soonest draw vs out of sinne This must worke in vs a desire to reape some fruite by priuate admonitions yea and to call on others to admonish vs that we may still be kept in some good course of humilitie Further and besides this it is profitable for vs to frequent them that are sicke ready to diâ— perplexed in spirit imprisoned in chaines and oppressed with miserie that in them we may see our selues as in a mirrour and so with Moses to chuse rather to suffer afflictions then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time This acquainting our selues with the iudgements of God will both rubbe off securitie and stirre vs vp to greater thankfulnes for our selues and pitie towardes others Wherefore they are not in the way of humilitie to obtaine glorie who are so tender sighted that they cannot abide to see the iudgements of God they are too daintie eared that cannot or that will not heare the threatnings of the Lawe saying oh I cannot abide to heare one in desperation I cannot away to heare such fearfull speeches to heare the diuell speake in one I loue not to see one lie gasping and panting in death These things would depriue me of all mirth breede melancholy and stirre me vp to mâ—â—â—es Nay this delicatenes to flye from the Lord thus drawing neere vs will hasten these things vpon vs which we will not profit by in others Such eyes to see such eares to heare such hearts to be humbled it becommeth Gods people to haue that as they loue nothing more than glorie so they labour for nothing more than humilitie as they shun nothing more than coÌ„fusion so they auoid nothing more than pride of heart Which that we may doe let vs cast down our selues before the throne of mercie in the name and mediation of Iesus Christour Sauiour O eternall God and our most louing father behold vs in thine owne couenant c. FINIS OF THE GOOD EDVCATION OF CHILDREN THE SIXTH SERMON Prouerbs 17. 21. Hee that begetteth a foole getteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy THE holie Ghost speaking in the Scripture of foolish sonnes as that he that beâ—etteth such a one getteth himselfe sorrowe and that the father of a foole hath no ioy meaneth it not so much of naturall idiots and such as are destitute of common reason although it is true that this is a lamentable iudgement of God and a heauines to the parents of such a childe as of wicked children such as
saluation vntothe children of God thus God by little and little conueigheth his graces into vs. But now whether for remission of our sinnes whether for omission of certaine duties whether for our barrennesse in spirituall graces whether for our humbling or triall of our faith or neglecting of the inward meanes or for the setting foorth of the glorie of God it hath pleased him a little to frowne vpon vs and to withdrawe his smiling countenance from vs He which found vs when we sought not him euen hee doth now leaue vs to the intent that we might now learne to seeke after him God hee gaue vs those things which were profitable for vs before we knocked to the intent that receiuing them at his hand we might hereafter learne to knocke for them for we must know that our cloathes must not alwaies be put vpon our backes the teares must not be alwaies put into our mouthes wee must not alwaies be fed with milke and be young children wherefore seeing that there is an infancie and a nonage and a time of discretion as it is in Hebr. 5 and seeing the Lord hath a long time fed vs with milke as babes we must not now murmure if he feed vs with stronger meate as men Fathers will nurture their children and giue them corrections wheÌ„ they abuse their louing kindnesse and will make their children to seeke vnto them and craue of them those things which they want And shall the fathers of our fleshe doe thus shall they nurture their children and by discipline correct their sinnes and offences and shall not wee suffer the father of our spirits to deale thus with vs Seeing that we haue offeÌ„ded the Lord not glorified him as we should seeing we haue been barren in goodnesse haue not brought foorth fruites of repentance worthie the Gospell is it not now good for vs that the Lord should deale somewhat sharply with vs is it not meete that now the Lord should take his blessing from vs when we abuse them is it not meete that the Lord should with hold his goodnesse when wee are not thankfull for it and when the beholding of it doth doevs much harme If God shall now deale somewhat more strictly with vs it is to the intent that wee might the better learne to doe our duties for surely now wee are not in our nonage but euen come to yeeres of discretion wee must not therefore looke still to bee dealt withall as yong children but we must fast and we must pray and vse those good meanes which God hath appointed We must knocke and we shall finde wee must bee important with the widow and we shall obtaine we must seeke earnestly and then I dare bee bold to say that the graces of God which now seeme in some sort to be withdrawne from vs shall be restored vnto vs in as great measure as euer they were before Wherefore seeing the Lord heretofore hath bestowed his graces and blessings vpon vs in more amplesort than euer wee could haue looked for and that now hee seemeth as it were to be absent from vs let vs bewaile and mourne for his absence and then he will returne otherwise let vs neuer looke for his presence againe wherefore let euery man beware that he make precious account of the word of God and let euery one consider and examine himselfe whether he hath in him a readinesse to seeke this treasure or no yea let euery one prouoke himselfe to this for the kingdome of heauen from the time of Iohn Baptist vnto Christ suffered violence and must suffer violence vntill the end of the world And none euer did or shall enter into it to haue fruitioÌ„ thereof but those who with all feruencie violence and zeale haue sought after it Wherefore if we haue not cleerenesse in knowledge purenesse in affections if we finde not in vs ioy in the holy Ghost zeale and boldnesse in good things loue meekenesse patience and such like fruites of the spirit wee are to know that this is for want of fasting praying knocking seeking and due estimation of the Word and Sacraments Wherefore if wee finde in our selues the want of these things wee must haue recourse to the vse of the meanes It followeth And for ioy thereof departeth c. It is a thing incident to treasures when they are found to worke ioy and great is their ioy which haue found pleasures but greater is the ioy of him that findeth the treasure of saluation then his ioy is that findeth earthly treasures Shew vs saith the Prophet Psal. the 4. the light of thy countenance thy fauour and thy grace and thou shalt make our hearts more cheerefull and ioyfull than rich men are when their Corne Oyle and Wine increaseth Great is the ioy that ariseth of abundance of riches but greater is the ioy which ariseth of the loue and fauourable countenance of God The man of God saith in Psalme 1â—9 the ninth part and the 72. verse of the Psalme The law of thy mouth O Lord is better than thousands of gold or siluer That man which loueth gold hee taketh great pleasure and delight therein but yet saith the Prophet Thy word is sweeter and better esteemed and liked of by me than thousands of gold and siluer And in the sixteenth part of the same Psalme verse the â— I loue thy commandements saith he aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold And in the 21. part of the same Psalme and 2. verse of that part he saith I reioyce at thy word as one that findeth a great spoyle Pleasures breede ioy profits breede ioy honour and glorie breede ioy by a good haruest with increase of Wine and Oyle commeth pleasure by riches as gold and siluer ariseth profit by victorie conquest and spoyle of the enemie honour and glorie is gotten Now all these things being laide ioyntly together must needes bring a great ioy to a man but the man of God preferreth the ioy which proceedeth from the Word before all these and that not without good cause for greater is the ioy of the kingdome of heauen and of eternall saluation in heauen than the ioy which ariseth of all these things And what is the ioy of Wine and Oyle to this that mens hearts are refreshed with the refreshed Wine and Oyle of the countenance of God is it not more than to possesse much gold and siluer What greater ioy can be than to be perswaded of the loue of God in Christ Iesus the eye hath not seene neither hath the eare heard neither can the heart of man conceiue of this vnspeakable ioy of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ To liue and remaine for euer with God the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit in eternall glorie is not this better than thousands of gold siluer To subdue Satan sin the world the Diuell and the torments of hel is not this a great victorie and a great ioy yea is it not greater than the triumph ouer our
from sinne for who so will bee made partaker of the kingdome of heauen must here wholie addict himselfe to seeke the kingdome of heauen euerie one therefore is to make great account of the word of God which is the meanes to leade vs to this kingdome that so he may be assured that he hath alreadie departed from death vnto life and so he may haue the assurance of the kingdome of heauen The word of God and the graces offered by it are called a treasure because that without this all things else are nothing and this of it selfe is sufficient to our saluation Many there are which will confesse that this is the onely treasure which a man ought to seeke for but few there are which doe agree thereunto in their liues and labour to expresse the same in their conuersation But blessed are they that can so thinke of it and labour to haue a testimonie in their consciences that they doe thus seeke after it for where euery mans treasure is there is his heart also So that if the word of God and the graces of the Spirit and eternall life bee our treasure then our hearts must bee set on them and then must wee wholie seeke after them but this treasure is a hidden treasure and therefore not so esteemed and reuerenced for whether wee doe consider the meanes which haue no outward power or shew in them or whether wee consider the graces of the Spirit offered by the meanes it is a treasure altogether hidden but yet though it be hidden yet it is not any whit lesse esteemed of the godly This must teach vs not to be offended with any when wee shall see them make no account of receiuing the truth for it is no new thing but hath been a thing prophecied of old Lord saith the Prophet Esay who will beleeue our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed Wee shewed that treasures are found before they bee sought for and so God he hath offered vnto vs the treasure of his word before wee sought it and therefore we must acknowledge that this is onely of the free mercie and fauour of God that wee doe enioy the treasure of his word Now for as much as God hath once vouchsafed to call vs wee must obey and hauing once spoken vnto vs we must hearken vnto him for it hath pleased the Lord to deale with vs as parents deale with their young children who when their children be tender they put the teate into their mouthes put on their cloaths vpon their backes and feede them with milke but when they waxe elder and grow to some yeeres of discretion then if they offend they are rebuked and scourged And euen so the Lord at the first beginning of our regeneration he offered his graces most plentifully vnto vs he sent his watchmen to call vs vnto him but now whether for omission of duties correction of our sinnes or triall of our patience it pleaseth him to withdraw his merciful countenance from vs and as it were to be gone from vs to the intent that now we might seeke him now wee must fast and mourne or he will not returne vnto vs againe Euery one must therefore examine his owne heart whether that hee doth there finde such power of the spirit of God working in him as that hee is willing to seeke vnto the Lord and a proceeding and holding on in grace in vertue and in goodnesse And if vpon due triall and examination of our hearts we finde them not in vs then we are to know that the reason why we haue them not is this wee would still be babes and still bee fed as children not seeking not knocking nor looking after the Lord. The man that findeth a treasure hath a ioy suddenly arising in his minde but by and by he doubteth of himselfe whether he hath found a treasure indeede or no and therefore he looketh ouer it againe to the intent he may be the better certified thereof least otherwise his sudden ioy should soone vanish away And euen so the children of God finde by the word of God the treasure of their saluation to bee in Christ Iesus and being throughlie touched in heart to seeke after the same yet oftentimes they doe make many doubts they seeke againe and againe and are desirous not onely to haue a smacke and a glimmering taste of Christ but a liuely eating and feeding vpon the Lord Iesus and therfore they hide the word with the Prophet Dauid in their hearts A man hauing found a treasure reioyceth Ioy and sorrow hope and feare working on mens hearts doe make knowne vnto men how farre off or how neere our hearts are vnto God for the neerer a man is vnto saluation the more ioyfull and gladder hee is Great is the ioy of haruest vnto them which haue haruest at hand great is the ioy of siluer and gold vnto them which haue abundance thereof but greater is the ioy of a good conscience great is the ioy of spoyles of victorie and glorie gotten by victorie and spoyles but greater is the ioy of a true Christian in the mercies of the Lord. And therefore Dauid speaking in the person of a regenerate man saith in Psalme the 119. the last part saue oneâ— I reioyce at thy word as one that findeth a great spoyle Those then which haue no ioy in the word in the spirit of God and in the graces of Gods spirit they neuer tasted of the good spirit of God neither shal they taste of the ioyes of the world to come There is a ioy of the minde and a ioy of the heart a ioy when a man knoweth that a treasure is to bee found but a greater ioy when in experience the heart is fully setled in the finding of it The ioy of a man which commeth in this that he knoweth that there is saluation this ioy may vanish away but that ioy which is setled in the heart in the full assurance of saluation this ioy though it may sometimes be darkened yet can it neuer bee vtterly extinguished heauinesse may abide for a night but ioy commeth in the morning It followeth He withdraweth himselfe or he departeth The naturall signification of the word is not onely to depart and goe away but to withdraw and seperate himselfe as it were from other businesse And this wee see aptly and fully to be resembled of vs in the finding of a treasure for when a man hath found a treasure hee goeth about to buy the field or when one is about to vndertake any other thing of great waight or importance then hee giueth himselfe wholy ouer vnto it hee goeth aside to consider of it what it is whether hee bee not deceiued in it what his owne abilitie is what good it may doe him what it must cost him what it may be worth vnto him and whether it will counteruaile all those things he laieth out for it and euen so in the doctrine of saluation it
in them a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon for the death of the good King Iosias Euen so must men mourne because they haue pierced Christ through with their sinnes wounded him with their abominations And men must know that a few drie teares when they haue offended are not sufficient repentance or sacrifice to God but they must rent their hearts and be heartily sorie and turne vnto the Lord Now many are so stricken with the sense and feeling of their sinnes that thereby they are moued to confesse and lay open their wickednesse in such sort as a man would thinke them to be such as for euer afterwards would stand in feare to offend the Lord any more but these after that they haue receiued some comfort by the word of their sinnes and haue seene that their sinnes are pardonable not distinguishing between these two that it is one thing to haue their sinnes remissible and another thing to assure themselues that they are remitted After I say this comfort receiued by the preaching of the word they labouring no further to be renewed and throughly reformed although they had some sorrow for a season yet because they did not search themselues more narrowly and endeuour to purge themselues as well from inward sinne as from outward and to be wholy transfigured and transformed into a new holie and righteous life therefore it commeth to passe that the loue of righteousnesse departeth from them and they returne againe to their old by as and are become praies for Iesuites and massing Priests such is their prophanenesse And this is because they rested onely in the vniuersall promises of God which although they bee all most true and comfortable yet they can minister no true comfort and consolation vnto mans soule except hee make a particular application thereof vnto himselfe Lastly some there be who would faine seeme to the appearance of the Church to haue forsaken and sold their sinnes and to haue made a full and perfect reformation of their former liues euilly spent which notwithstanding harbour and nourish sinnes in their hearts which afterward will breake foorth and discouer their hypocrisie and this they doe because they were but a little enlightened with the flash of the holy Ghost and were not throughly reformed inwardly which is euident in this that they couet to approoue themselues more before men than before God nourishing in their hearts secret selfe-loue as in shewing themselues zealous vntill they come to preferment or to this end that many perceiuing their zeale may flocke after them to heare them so they may procure themselues fame whom so soone as Sathan beginneth a little to buffet them they fall away and shew that they had sold sinne but for a season This is contrarie vnto that course which the true ministers of God and those which feare him aright ought to take for it is their dutie to seeke the praise of God and not of themselues to couet the profit of the people of God and not their owne priuate lucre knowing this that they serue not men but God and that they must professe religion religiously setting before their eyes the praise of God the crowne of immortall glorie the saluation of soules and the acceptation of their labour before God And all men must desire rather to be religious than to seeme so giuing themselues to the exercises of priuate praier reading fasting to priuate admonition conference and other priuate duties at such time and in such place when and where they neede not to boast of any thing done seeing it is done in secret which who so doth let him assure himselfe that there is nothing so secret but it shall be reuealed whether it be good or euill If we doe this then shall we not be in the number of those which beginning in the spirit end in the flesh or of those which serue God for a season and in the end fall away from him and his seruice Doublesse it is a strange thing to see some who haue bin themselues a light vnto others so now to shrinke from Gods truth as that they should become Papists or of the Familie of loue or of some other heresie The cause of this is because their inward stuffe was corrupt and not fullie cured by effectuall repentance And thus much of grosse sinnes Now of the infirmities of nature which remaine euer in the best this inward corruption must be sold also for it is not enough to leaue outward and grosse sinnes except also we beate downe the inward corruption of our owne nature and although we cānot altogether blot out this our naturall corruption yet the righteousnesse of Christ may be so resident and dwell in vs that it shall not onely keepe vs from grosse outward outrages and offences but also will holde downe keepe short our naturall corruptions neither must we thinke it enough to sell the fruites of our corrupt nature but we must also sell the corruption it selfe for as we see so long as the tree remaineth there will alwaies spring foorth some buds euen so of the children of God so long as the corruption of the nature raigneth in them so long do they burst out into some offences or other but most men make either little or no conscience at all of these little faults but it must be otherwise with vs or else we cannot but displease God greatly For as a riuer drieth vp vnto the fountaine yet if we doe rest from all emptying of it it will encrease againe So except the children of God doe keepe downe their naturall corruption although they offend not as the reprobate and wicked in monstrous sinnes against God yet they cannot but haue great downfals Wherefore we must not with the woman whereof the Poet speaketh see and behold good and lawfull things and follow that which is euill neither must we be as the Philosophers whose reason fighteth with their appetite but we must fight both with reason and appetite we must be as new creatures borne againe and we must be more willing to endure all shame and reproches than to fall and offend to the dishonour of God Being grieued that we see our selues ready to displease the Lord. The Apostle Paul Rom. 7. saith of himselfe I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members Heere the Apostle sheweth his captiuitie vnto sinne by reason of his inward corruption now when men are in imprisonment or captiuitie then they are fed with the bread of aduersitie and affliction and therefore the Apostle viewing the miserie wherein he was by nature in the type of a true regenerate man saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Here he crieth out against himselfe from the truth of his heart as he findeth himselfe
exhortatios of the Gospell commands that which Christ is readie to giue vs and it chargeth vs not so much to do it but to beleeue that Christ by his blessed spirit will worke euery good thing in vs. For the Gospell being the Ministerie of â—â—fe giueth life and strength from aboue when we are dead weake The not discerning of this difference makes many good precepts fall to the ground The lawe indeede reueales sinne but the Gospell cures sinne the law woundeth and so must it do but the Gospell healeth vs which the law can neuer doe Hitherto wee haue heard thus much first wee must prouide that wee fight in Gods harnesse not with Satans weapons whether they be wit reason policie education or such like We fight against a Prince and principalitie who wants not wit knowledge ciuill gifts or any such things which things haue beene geuen euen vnto the heathen for they were wise and learned men yet many of them lay in great sinnes in idolatry some fearefully ended their liues Let not Christians then say haue I not wit reason and education beseeming a man Well so did the Philosophers and Poets and yet behold their fruits behold their ends but let vs deny reason and withstand wit for it will surely faâ—le in the houre of death and in the houre of temptation No gift of nature no gift of bringing vp can withstand Satan or sinne vnlesse from heauen God change vs Neither is this the sinne only of the vnregenerate but in the regenerate who still sliding to reason or ouerweying of God his power are foiled and therefore we see many ouercome who purpose to withstand yet striuing in their owne wisedome they are spoyled be their purpose neuer so great Many will say why this is a monstrous temptation I will neuer yeelde to this yet they fall This we shall see both in temptations and accusations when â—â—en striue and dispute with reason with so subtill a sophister so the more they striue the more they are intangled for they want strength to fight with the strong man who will not be subdued vnlesse we put on the armour of the stronger man which is Christ Iesus which armour is afterward set downe Neither is it enough to haue a peece of harnesse but we must haue all the whole armour for what is it to couer the head if the breast be bare what if the armes be armed when the back is vnharnesseâ— we cannot auoid the darts which come against euery place So we must not haue one grace and want another for then Satan comes in the open place who obserues whether we want a head-peece â— gauntlet a brest plate or whatsoeuer wherefore we must thinke that Satan as a politique souldier lookes not so much to the armed part as to the naked part If he seeth vs afraid of him theâ—â— will he tempt vs to dispaire if we will not be pearced with vncleannes then he will shake 〈…〉 s with couetousnes If he sees vs pettish and vnarmed with loue then Satan wil tempt v 〈…〉 o anger Alas it is our weake nature to reserue one sinne or other it giues Satan aduantage we â—e Heroaâ—an courtiers and Christians we are halfe perswaded with Agrippa to be ChristiaÌ„s but we must throughly be harnessed least as a dead flye corrupteth much good oyn 〈…〉 h one sinne we defile many graces Euery one hath his familiar sinne which 〈…〉 ur to espie as an aduersarie and to fight against as an enemie whether it bee pl 〈…〉 r couetousnes or such like Whereas then thou seest some graces yet be hu 〈…〉 hose which especially are wanting to thee and wherein thou art most vnarmed then pray labour for more helpe by grace in Christ Iesus But what if we haue good armour and all armour yet without vse of it we may be strangled in our armour What if wee 〈…〉 good graces and all graces yet without experience and vse of them our soules may 〈…〉 urthered in the midst of them Many may come to the assemblies and heare ye 〈…〉 ey either faile in knowledge or in practise of it And sure such is a man as he is in temptation What is it to haue many precepts against anger yet be ouercome of anger What is it to haue rules against couetousnes to see the issue of it yet to be a couetous man Let vs know that it is one thing to learne to fight against Satan and another to fight against men In materiall coÌ„flicts there is some time of truce but with Satan there is no truce with vs but for his aduantage for him we must be armed as well in the night as in the day in outward battels winters make warre to cease we haue no quietnes neither in summer nor in winter That yee may bee able to withstand The Apostle describes our enemies If wee had to deale but with our selues or with men like to our selues or with the world wee had neede of God his power but seeing beside all these wee are to deale with all the hellish armie much more we neede this we are not only to fight against the flesh and the world but against the diuels neither must we thinke that Paul denieth in this place that wee should fight with our owne corruption but he sheweth we fight not only with ourselues and with the world but with Satan too and so that we neede more armour By two things hee describes our enemies by their might and subtiltie For their might he cals them principalities and powers This title is giuen to the diuels Rom. 8. Colloss 1. Indeede these names are giueÌ„ to the good Angels as Ephes. 1. Hebr. 1. so that looke what titles are giueÌ„ to the good Angels are giuen to the wicked spirits which except sanctification are equall in gifts to the good Angels for though these spirits haue lost their goodnes yet haue they not lost their strength and wisedome They be worldly gouernours God be blessed their gouernment reacheth not to heauen but to the world yea of the darknes of the world Thus he distinguisheth of the world as it is by creation and so God is the prince of it and as it is now by corruption and so the Diuell is the god of the world This teacheth vs wheÌ„ Satan shall preuaile euen ouer men liuing in ignorance and vngodlines The world was made good by creation but degenerated to euill by corruption Well we see the diuell is called the prince of the world and he saith of himselfe that all is his It is not so by creation but be the righteous iudgement of God all is in his hands to punish our sins or try our faith It followes to speake of his subtiltie in these words Against ambushments c. Euen as ambushments are vsed priuily to vndermine the enemy so by wiles Satan goeth about to trap vs. But this is larger said against spirituall wickednesses If one could see the enemie he might be
preuented but wee cannot see the operations of the diuell because hee is spirituall and therefore we neither can by sense nor by reason discerne him so that hee is not only a layer of ambushments but of spirituall ambushment Yet note though they be spirituall yet not in goodnes but in wickednes In heauenly things Though Satan be the prince of the aire yet here it is meant that he fighteth against men in heaueÌ„ly knowledge By creation they had much good knowledge their goodnes they haue lost their knowledge is retained Againe Paul saith there is a mysterie of iniquitie shewing that as there is a mysterie of godlines so there is a mistery of wickednes and therefore Satan is said to change himselfe into an Angell of light which is because he will come in good things in knowledge in spirituall exercises and falsely and wickedly glose on them by that great practise and experience which from their first fall they haue learned Thus Satan comes euen in good things Worldly wise men distinguishing whether the enemie by strength or by subtiltie doth most â—â—rt conclude that the subtill enemie is most dangerous Alas we are in euill case then hâ—â—ing to doe with enemies not only strong but subtill it were enough to deale with an enemie hauing but one of these qualities but we fight with theÌ„ that haue both that is both strength subtilty so that we know not whether they are more strong or more subtill â—wo vses there are of this doctrine One is we must not make it a slight matter of the eâ—â—â—ie The other is that we be not too much afraid Both these are dangerous extremitieâ— Some vile heretikes deny there is a God or a diuell or that the diuell is so strong and subâ—â—l as he is Indeed men will not speake thus but they shew it by their peace in themselues in their liues which sheweth that men do not belieue there is a battell For we see wee are now at peace and why because there are no enemies But were it so that the enemies were in the field would wee not feare Did we belieue that Satan could sit in our consciences deluding iudgement and vnderstanding and casting a myst on reason would wee â—â—â—t be more jealous of reason would we not be more fearefull of our selues yes surely Let vs then consider that besides our selues which were enough Satan addes both corruption to iudgement and affection And herein specially Satan shewes himselfe a subtill Apostata in that hee cares not whether we be sound in iudgement and corrupt in life or carefull in life and corrupted in Religion so we may be one Hereof it comes that heretiques are precise in life and good Christians are so carelesse in conuersation so either he gathers false conclusions on good principles or else glorious sequeles of rotteÌ„ premisses To go back to the plaine sense of these men the meaning is not that we fight not with flesh and bloud at all but wee chiefely or onely fight not with flesh and bloud The like speech is in the word as Thy name shall not be Iacob but Israel that is Iacob only Againe in the Epistle it is saide The word is not in word but in power that is the Gospell is not chiefely in word or only in the word Againe Rom. 7. Galat. 5. it is plaine we fight with flesh and bloud And Iohn 15. wee fight against the world Wherefore seeing we fight not against our selues onely but against such aduersaries as whet vp our selues against our selues and therefore we stand in neede of all the armour that may be which wee shall see to be more requisite if wee consider that it were enough to fight with an aduersarie either strong or wise but seeing we conflict with them who for strength and subtiltie too are equall with the good Angels For their power these aduersaries are called Powers as Coloss. 2. Rom 8. So are the good Angels Powers as Ephes. 2. Heb. 1. Herein the euill spirits differ from the heauenly spirits in that these are from heauen for the good of the Church those are gouernours of the world that is of the corrupt estate of the world so that their whole power is against the children of the world Satan may strike the children of the best but slay them hee can not CHRIST calleth Satan the Prince of the world and Paul calleth him the god of the world Christ calleth him a strong armed souldier or giant yet God be blessed all his strength is in the world Well then be he more fearfull to vs then Goliah to the army of Israel be it that he be as a roaring Lyon at whose voyce all the silly beasts stand trembling be it that hee so astonish terrifie our conscience that we know not what to thinke or to speake yet all is to the terrour of the wicked But behold besides his strength Satan is spirituall inuisible not to be discerned and therefore more dangerous in that wee can not preuent him nor his temptations being aboue nature and aboue reason cannot be descried vnlesse aboue nature and reason we be either very well taught of the Diuell or of God To this vnsearchable nature hee is occupied in heauenly things but as a spirituall wickednes not goodnes To shew how hee is spirituall we see in this in that he is an Angell of light he tempted Christ with scripture he set the Pharises in diuelish wisedome against Christ he subornes false heretikes yea his subtilties shal be such by Christ his owne testimonie that euen the elect if it were possible should be deceiued And Paul speaking but of the childe of Satan the Antichrist reports that hee shall be mightie in power in miracles c. Only this is our comfort that this wisedome is but wickednes which is the only thing wherein they be distinguished from the good Angels with whome in wisedome and strength Satan is equall Here ought wee to blush in that wee desire rather learning wisedome and power wherein Satan and wicked men haue not only bene equall to vs but aboue vs and we lesse desire goodnes wherein we are like to God to good Angels and the children of God For this may be a speciall marke that wee belong to God when wee rather desire goodnes than those other qualities wherein we are equall but to the Deuill Be we neuer so learned he is more learned be we neuer so strong he is stronger For is not he mightie in power that can so trouble the aire as he did to Iob and as oft as he doth in that boysterous manner that no naturall Philosopher can giue a reason of it In Exodus wee know that the Lord vsed euill Angels to trouble the Seas Psal. 78. the Lord is said to send euill Angels to trouble theÌ„ And as godlines is a mysterie so there is a mystery of iniquity and the Lord sending an effectuall illusion 2. Thess. 1. on theÌ„ that receiued not the word in loue
iudgement for a sinne in another man and wee can point out euery part of it lay this sinne to our selues and we can say nothing So that we see it is easie to know sinne but it is hard to feele the practise against it Let vs not then let the harnesse hang on the wal but let vs put it on Here marke one thing that it is a policie of the diuell to perswade vs there is no diuell as it is the policie of wizards to perswade vs that there are no witches And so as hee comes at the first as a sillie Serpent whilest he would creepe in but after hee prooues a roring Lion when he is once entred yet let vs beware wee feare not too much for that emboldeneth the enemie For as man feareth man keeping courage and is pursued without courage nay as bruite beasts are bolder by seeing one which feareth them so the diuell is the bolder if hee seeth vs afraide of them And besides that feare drieth vp the blood and weakeneth nature it doth also depriue vs of faith in God his prouidence which doth assure vs that Satans power is all by deâ—iuation and limitation it cannot touch the bodie without permission much lesse the soule which is manifest for that witches though they preuaile in pettie and little things yet when they come to great points they can doe nothing So singular a presaruatiue to the godly is the prouidence of God as the Vnâ—cornes horne to the inferiour beasts But we wil herein strengtheÌ„ our faith that the crosse of Christ hath triumphed against Satan for the godly Coloss 2. and therefore if hee now aâ—sault vs he doth cure rather than slay vs. For as an enemy oft by Gods goodnesse thrusts his sword into an vlcer rather to purge that which would haue bred death than to kill so oft God purposeth to cure vs of the impostumation of pride euen by the malice of Satan so wonderfully can hee drawe good out of euill The diuell brings vnrighteousnesse wee alleage righteousnesse he brings terrour of conscience we meete him with peace he offers vanitie we refuse it with truth he comes roring we auoide it by praying Wherefore that proclamation must bee made here that was in the Israelities armie that is that those that are feareful returne home and beware how they come into this conflict And let vs oppose to the strength of Satan the strength of Christ who being our head shepheard wil not suffer vs to miscarrie though wee seeme to be in the wolues mouth and that in the deepe valley of death But what of all this harnesse It must be put on We shall see oft none so weake in affection as they that haue much knowledge Who will better declaime against anger generally than the angrie man Who is more seuere against wantonnes in education than a most shamelesse harlot Why doe men thinke others blessed being troubled in minde and count themselues cursed being in it All this is because wee haue harnesse but vse it not In the euill day The day of temptation is called an euill day because the temptation is euill Iames calleth it a good day and that wee must reioyce in it and it is so in respect of God his wisedome turning it to good So that this may bee a good day and euill day in diuers respects Hauing finished all Luk. 4. After Christ was tempted the diuell went away for a season though that temptation ceased yet he pursued him with afflictions And though as children of the mariage the dint and edge of temptation be blunted to vs yet the enemie still enuieth vs. And therefore we had aboue all neede of perseuerance no daunger like to that which is in the ende When thou hast ouercome the popish diuell the worldly diuell comes Hast thou ouercome the swearing diuell then the lying diuell comes Hast thou ouercome the filthie diuell the worldly diuel comes Hast thou ouercome all these diuels the proud diuels come That thou maist stand This is a promise and we shall not faile of this armour of proofe nor of the profit of it And so as wee are exhorted to put on the armour so wee shall haue the fruite of it by standing so we still pray Da Domine quod iubes iube quod vis Thus Christians by faith and standing fast in the euil day must change the other euill nature of affliction into a good qualitie still being mindfull to comfort themselues in this that the Euangelicall exhortations giue by promise through the holy Spirit a certaine strength to doe the thing commanded the Law leauing vs in our weakenes Againe to the armour Stand. We must alwaies be in a readines and at the first call what time of yeere moneth day or night soeuer the aduersarie prouokes vs. He begins with the girdle because in former ages as there were diuers manners of eating sitting or warring so Paul here speaks of such things as were vsed theÌ„ The girdle is not now which was theÌ„ vsed as we haue some armour familiar to vs vnknowne to them as gunnes c. The vse of the girlde was to gird fast the nether parts this is Truth which is not takeÌ„ for the whole word as Ioh. 17. but for a sincere and vpright heart or for faithfulnes And as we take faith either for our faithfulnes to God or Gods faithfulnes to vs so truth meaneth sometime vpright dealing either from God â—o vs or from vs to God Truth is counted then for a true performance as Roman 2. The iudgements of God are with truth that is faithfulnes Al the waies of the Lord are mercie and truth that is a performaÌ„ce of his mercie Well here it is not spoken of that truth which is the word but of vprightnes of heart and sinceritie Againe the truth of the word is after spoken of and here can be no vaine repetition Well as the girdle knits all together on the bodie so the vprightnes of heart is the band of all vertues and hypocrisie is as a wide or loose sacke wherein nothing can tarrie This vprightnes of minde is in diuers places as Psalm 32. Blessed is the man who with comfort in his remission of sinnes without guile laboureth for a godly life The same commendation is Psal. 15. and 24 and 119. This is a thing accompanied with blessednesse by Christ his owne words Matth. 5. The Author of the Hebrues willeth him that comes to God to come with a pure heart the want of which integritie is reprehended in the Iewes Iam. 4. But what of all these porches to such an house Surely because a true heart â—urseth all graces to the end and the false heart dissipateth all gifts and disgraceth such hypocrites Psal. 125. vprightnes of heart is such a thing that the Prophet specially prayes for such as haue it and leaues them in God his iudgement that want it Psal. 119. Then shall I not be confounded when my heart is vpright Portion 10. vers
these words For that they trust not in God they declare both by neglecting the lawfull meanes and also in vsing vnlawfull meanes Some we see trust in friends some shoulder out as they thinke the crosse with their goods some fence themselues with authoritie others bathe and â—aste themselues in pleasures to put the euill day farre from them others make flesh their arme and others make the â—edge of gold their confidence and these men when they seeke for helpe at the Lord meane in their hearts to finde it in their friends good authoritie and pleasure howsoeuer for feare they dare not say this outwardly Againe here we are to obserue vnder what shelter we may harbour our selues in the showers of aduersitie euen vnder the protection of the Almightie And why Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie And here in effect is shewed that whosoeuer putteth his trust in God shall be preserued otherwise the Prophet his reason here had not been good Besides we see he pleadeth not by merite but sueth by faith teaching vs that if we come with like faith we may obtaine the like deliuerance It followeth in the Psalme vers 2. O my soule thou hast said vnto the Lord Thou art my Lord my weldoing extendeth not to thee In this conference with his soule Dauid setteth downe the reason more at large why he trusteth in God that he will preserue him first he acknowledgeth his owne vnworthinesse secondly he giueth himselfe to the Saints Thou hast said vnto the Lord. Here he confesseth that whatsoeuer good thing he had he receiued it of the Lord. And this he doth not barely or barrenly with his lips from the teeth outward but vnfainedly in his soule also from the heart inward and in that he passeth from the conference with his soule to speake vnto the Lord he sheweth that God knoweth how his soule lieth not and that he did behold the sinceritie and simplicitie of his heart herein So that he dealeth not before men alone or with his lips but with God also and trauaileth with his owne soule wherein he cleereth himselfe of hypocrisie and by his owne practise conuinceth and condemneth those kinde of men who say one thing with their lips and meane another thing in their hearts Wherefore we are to learne that in our prayers we deale not with men but with God We must not so much labour for a set order of words as for a well ordered heart and we must not vse these words as before men alone with our lips but in our soules and in the presence of God to wit Lord thou hast redeemed me Lord thou hast saued me and I say to my soule that it should acknowledge thee to be my Lord my Redeemer and my Sauiour and therefore should vse all things to thy glorie Thou art my Lord my soule O Lord hath tasted of thy goodnesse and by good proofe I finde that thou doest gouerne me My weldoing extendeth not to thee oh what shall I render vnto thee my God for all thy benefits towards me what shall I repay alas I can doe thee no good for mine imperfect goodnesse cannot pleasure thee who art most perfect and goodnesse it selfe my weldoing can doe thee no good my wickednesse can doe thee no harme I receiue all good from thee but no good can I returne to thee wherfore I acknowledge thee to be most rich and my selfe to be most beggerly in weldoing so farre off is it that thou standest in any neede of me Wherefore I will ioyne my selfe to thy people that whatsoeuer I haue they may profit by it and whatsoeuer they haue I may profit by it seeing the things that I haue receiued must bee put out to loane to gaine some comfort to others whatsoeuer others haue they haue not for their priuate vse but that by them as by pipes and conduites they liberally should be conueied vnto me also Wherefore in this straine wee are taught that if wee be the children of God wee must ioyne our selues in a holy league to his people and by mutuall participation of the gifts of God wee must testifie each to other that wee be of the number and communion of Saints and this is an vndoubted badge and cognisance of him that loueth God if he also loueth them that are begotten of God Wherefore if wee doe professe our selues to bee of God and to worship him then must we ioyne our selues to the Church of God which with vs doth worship God And this must we doe of necessitie for it is a branch of our beleefe that there is a communion of Saints in the Church and if we beleeue that there is a God we must also beleeue that there is a remnant of people vnto whom God reuealeth himselfe and communicateth his mercies in whom we must haue al our delight with whom we must communicate according to the measure of grace giuen vnto euery one of vs. But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent all my delight is in them The Papists could abide no Saints but them which are in heauen which argueth that they liue in a kingdome of darknes and erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God for if they were but meanly conuersant in the Scriptures in the holy Epistles they should finde almost in euery Epistle mention made of the Saints who are thereunto called in Iesus Christ through whom they are sanctified by the holy Ghost And marke he calleth them excellent Some thinke rich men to be excellent some thinke learned men to be excellent some count men in authoritie so to be but here wee are taught that those men are excellent which are sanctified with God his graces True it is that learning wisedome authoritie honour gold and credit are the excellent gifts of God in their kinde and yet haue they not true excellencie in themselues for they make not the possessors of themselues excellent because the wicked may haue them as well as the good and these things we see for the most part are as they are that haue them For if the good man haue them he vseth them reuerentely moderatly thankfully he applieth them â—o good vses and so maketh them serue to the furtherance of good purposes Againe if an euill man haue them he vnreuerently vsurpeth them immoderatly vseth them and vnthankfully is puffed vp with them he turneth them to euill vses and by them promoteth ill causes Wherefore this excellencie which is the fruite of God his spirit is in it selfe only good and this indeed maketh men truly excellent Some say the Prophet meaneth that seeing he cannot doe good to God he will deserue well of his Saints but this is but one part of his meaning so that he meaneth this and somewhat more that is that he will delight in them and that not only to doe them good but also to receiue good from them as may appeare
me wisedome in the secret of mine heart And Psal. 139. 23 Trie me O Lord and know mine heart proue me and knowe my thoughts In the night Of his holie exercises in the night the man of God speaketh Psal. 119 55. I haue remembred thy name in the night O Lord and haue kept thy law And Psal. 62. At midnight will I rise to giue thankes vnto thee because of thy righteous iudgements And vers 148. Mine eyes preuent the night watches to meditate in thy law The Physitians affirme that our dreames in the night season are agreeable to our musings in the day time and that our affections in our sleepe doe much follow the complexions the repletiō or euacuation of the bodie according to these they say also are the dispositions of the minde naturally without some violent alteration or extraordinarie operatiō And surely a man by diligent obseruation may espie his inclination of minde as well by his dreames sleeping as by his cogitations waking or rather the better by how much the night is more free from those troubles which worke great perturbations violent distractions of the minde in the day So that the agitations of the minde are by so much the more strong and effectual by how much it is more free and naturall which experience may teach both in them that are renewed and such as are vnregenerate The Philosophers not much disagreeing say that the ciuill vertuous man is much affected in the night according to his actions in the day and that the vertuous and the vicious man concerning halfe their liues that is the night seasō or sleeping times doe nothing differ sane that the dreames of the vertuous are good the dreames of the vitious are euill which if it be so then much more shall they whose hearts are throughly sanctified with the spirit of God either find comfort in good things or sorrow for their sinnes euen in the night season Such is the mercie of our God that he ceaseth not to continue our knowledge and to teach vs by his spirit and meditation euen in the night season and if at any time they breake forth into more sensuall libertie proceeding from their naturall appetite they make this profite of it by iudging that the Lord correcteth these wandring thoughts in the day by confused dreames in the night and their impure cogitations waking by vnchast imaginations in sleeping By the reines I gather is signified not the spirituall parts of the minde but the more grosse sensible parts of the bodie separated farre from the heart and that part which conceaueth and seemeth to be the Prophet his sense Psal. 51. 6. vers which before we alleadged that the Lord will not to that part which is most sensuall haue libertie giuen and that he hath charged the reformation of the soule to stretch it selfe to the most naturall parts and which are common with vs to brute beasts that euen in them also we should be sanctified Thus we see there is no part of vs whereof the Lord in mercie hath not care euen in the night in which one blessing the Lord will discerne and distinguish vs from brute beasts and more confirme vs in godlines For it is no small benefit if we rightly consider it that the spirit of God should so moderate with a continuall regiment our affections that if our imaginations burst forth wee should receiue the checke and be controuled in the night and by comparing one thing with another long agoe forgotten that the Lord should bring things againe to our remembrance Thus when we know we lye on the Lord his bed that in darke we must behold him present and feele our affections rectified our reines sanctified and our bed vndefiled we may be assured of some further sinceritie of our hearts wrought by his holy spirit and doubtlesse as we sayd before there is no small tryall of our hearts euen in our dreames when all things being more quiet then in the day greater oportunitie is offered of entering into our selues and furnishing our selues with serious deuises whether it bee in good or euill Wherfore God his children are not so lightly to passe ouer their night-thoughts but that they obserue in them either the mercifull corrections of God of some sinnes past or his gratious admonition of some sinnes to come or else his fauourable instructions concerning some sinne present which not beeing repented of will as well breake forth openly in the day as secretly in the night Nights To conclude we see in Dauid a minde throughly sanctified where the spirit of God keeping a continuall residence wrought a continuall progresse and growing in spirituall knowledge as well by nights as by dayes It followeth in the next verse I haue set the Lord alwayes before mee for hee is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide Hauing shewed before his delight in the Saints his hatred of Idolaters his stayed and full contented minde in God as his portion and inheritance who as well continued in him as he did begin his grace and that not only more openly in the day but also more secretly in the nights the Prophet now declareth how by all this hee was mooued to thinke that God was at all times in all places present with him both as a Lord to suruay his wayes least he should slip grossely and as a father to comfort him when he slipt of infirmitie His meaning and intent then is thus much that hauing seuered himselfe from Idolaters and ioyned in league with the Saincts wholy resting himselfe on the Lord and his word he desired nothing more then as the Lord had set a continuall watch ouer him both by day and by night so he might haue his heart in continuall awe to bee prepared for the Lord his presence The selfe same obedience the Lord requireth of Abraham Genes 17. 1. saying I am God all sufficient walke before me and be vpright that is seeing I am able by mine Almightie power to bring to passe whatsoeuer by couenant in mercie I haue promised to thee make me the arbiter of thy thoughts the suruayer of thy words and the viewer of thy workes commit thy wayes vnto mee in all things Neither must we thinke this to be enioyned to Abraham alone that others be exempted from this obedience but that euery true Israelite euery good Christian and true beleeuer who looketh with Abraham for God his power in accomplishing his promises must be assured hereof like as he was For where wee looke for like mercie we must performe like dutie and where wee hope for the like grace wee must haue the like faith albeit not in so great proportion yet in some acceptable measure following him whose example Rom. 4. we must not thinke so much to be person all as reall and for imitation How we should thus walke before the Lord we are taught of the holy Ghost Micah 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe
other doctrine Good things cannot long find entertainement in our corruptions vnlesse the holy ghost hath changed vs from our old delights to conceiue pleasure in these things Where loue is there is no lack in pleasure there is no paine and when we finde the pearle of price which passeth all vnderstanding we will sell all our former delights and depart from our vaine pleasures to purchase this It is a continuall ioy that worketh a conscience to vse the meanes of any thing it is an abounding delight that auoydeth and fenceth off all wearisomnes in good things wherefore the holy Ghost saith Be yee filled with the Spirit and in another place Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously In which place we are to gather that there is in vs sometime an emptinesse of the Spirit and a scantnesse of the power of the holy ghost the spirit of God is not so mightie in operation grace is not so plentifull the word is not so powerful in vs and from hence commeth our momentarie ioy and transitorie gladnes And my tongue reioyceth That which in truth is inward will in time shewe it selfe outward as wee may see in these holy affections of the man of God The Prophet himselfe confirmeth this in another place Psalm 116. 10. I beleeued therefore did I speake which the Apostle repeateth in the person of the whole Church 2. Cor. 4. 13. because we haue the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken We also beleeue and therefore we speake And Rom. 10. 10. it is saide With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the tongue man confesseth to saluation and sure it is that of the abundance of the ioy of the heart the mouth reioyceth as coÌ„trariwise of the abundance of the griefe of the heart although there may be for a while an inward deuouring binding and suppressing of sorrow yet it will in time breake forth and wee shall euen rore for disquietnes of minde and cannot hold long vntill we haue eased our hearts with some outward complaint For we see if a man haue a through griefe how it consumeth him vnlesse he vtter it Againe if a man hath conceiued a true ioy how he longeth how hee is rauished how hee trauaileth vntill he hath brought it forth If then in any good measure we feele the ioy of the spirit the tongue will be at commaundement to vtter it Wherefore we are to try our selues and examine our hearts whether we heare reade pray or sing with this grace in our hearts with this ioy in our spirits with this comfort of conscience let vs lament considering how singing and spirituall reioycing is decayed how great a stranger the word is with vs what little delight and alacritie we haue in holy and religious exercises and let vs accuse our selues that therefore our tongues cleaue to the rough roofe of our mouth because our hearts are lockt vp in securitie which vndoubtedly is so open to all men that there is no man but bewaileth his want of inward ioy Many indeed as hypocrites can blow and bellow outwardly who make no melodie in their hearts who sing not in grace who haue not the sweete and naturall voyce which commeth from a well affected and right ordered minde either ioyfully shewing a godly digested mirth or dolefully breathing out into the passions of an exercised minde My flesh also doth rest in hope See his godly ioy made him haue a securitie in his flesh It is our naturally infirmitie that wee haue a trembling of the flesh which hindereth in vs many good actions as may be seene in our thoughts suspecting of dangers scarefull imaginations and wandring conceits forecasting this euill and that euill to the great disturbing and disordering of the peace of our minds all the which excessiue feares were in this man of God wisely corrected though not vtterly remoued but suppressed in him by faith Whereof commeth then our carnall and immoderate feares in dangers but of want of faith This our Sauiour Christ teacheth his disciples at what time they were with him being asleepe in a tempest on the seas when they through vnbeliefe feared his diuinitie to haue slept with his humanitie where he saith vnto them O yee little faith why doe you not beleeue Heere wee see hee rebuketh their excessiue feare which thing hee also doth almost in the same manner When they carnally feared him to haue been a spirit as he walked on the seas they were not throughly perswaded that God was their portion their inheritance and watched ouer them for if they had they would haue corrected these fleshly and immoderate feaâ—â—s that they should not haue hindred their holy meditations of God his powerful prouidence nor their prayers for his gratious assistance nor any other good exercises of their mindes Thus we see how the sure perswasion of God to be his inheritance his mainteiner both in soule and body his reacher both by day and by night both by his word and his spirit made the man of God secure both in soule and body And what caused this partly that which wee spake of before partly that which followeth for thou wilt â—ot leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption so that the promises already tasted of and the sure expectation to haue the good worke begunne to bee finished in him made him rest in hope and hauing God his cause in hand he saw how the Lord would not onely watch ouer him for his present estate but also would guide him to immortalitie Behold how his inward assurance wrought an outward safetie wherby wee plainely see that where there is a want of this comfort and faith in the soule there is a want of peace and securitie in the body It is our vnbeliefe then that hatcheth and nourisheth wandring thoughts and filleth our braine with suspitious phantasies and fruitlesse illusions dreaming of dangers where there are none and imagining mountaines where scarsely are molehils Let vs then strengthen our faith and certifie our soules that our flesh shall stand before God which will so worke in vs that neither flesh and blood shall weigh vs downe with securitie in time of prosperitie nor ouerlode vs with desperate terrours in time of aduersitie Neither as we said must we thinke Dauid to be a senselesse Stoick as feeling no troubles but that by the power of God he was in trouble a triumphant conquerour and in all these dangers through faith more than a victorer For as God reserueth his vnspeakeable ioyes for his children in vntolerable agonies so he neuer armeth them strongly but he prepareth them a field wherethey must fight stoutly Oh that this heauenly ioy were in vs more aboundantly and of moe men more frequented then should not the small remnant that now alwayes vse it be counted and called precisians then should wee giue more liuely testimonies of our effectuall faith to
possessions neuer so ample and large and their substance neuer so plentifull and aboundant yet they could haue no more comfort in ante or all these things then Belshazzar that impious King had who for all his valiant Captaines and Souldiers for all his great cheare and plentie of wine for all his iollitie and triumphing ouer Gods people for all his merry companions that he had about him and all the meanes that he had to comfort him yet was hee in such horrour when hee saw on the wall the Hand-writing against him that his countenance was chaunged and his thoughts troubled him and the ioynts of his Loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against an other This and much more lamentable then can possibly be expressed is the case of all vnregenerate men And how great then must the excellencie of Grace needs bee which freeth a man from this wofull estate and condition Yet this is not all but as it freeth men from this miserie So 2. Secondly it bringeth men to the enioyment of all good things and that first in this life it procureth them the benefites following Namely 1. First a good estimation So that it may be well said that the righteous is more excellent then his Neighbour and that of all other they are the most glorious people that haue the spirit of Grace and of glorie dwelling in their hearts For they are precious in Gods sight as beeing his chiefe Treasure precious in the eyes of his people precious in the account of the Angels yea reuerent in the sight of the very wicked who esteeme them to be honest men dare trust them before any other many times with their goods with their children and their portions yea and with their soules also For when they are in any extremitie lying vpon their death-beds or the like oh then they crie out Send for such a Preacher send for this or that good man or woman now their praiers and their speeches might doe me good which heretofore I haue reiected or lightly esteemed and then none is to bee compared to them none to be sought vnto in respect of them And when they labour to disgrace and vilifie them by terming them Dissemblers and Hypocrites euē then against their wils they highlie commend them for it is in effect as if they should say These men pretend they haue manie vertues in them but I would not haue men thinke that they are so good and godly as they seeme to bee If they bee then they must needs be an excellent people indeed for there is none that hath any ciuilitie in him but hee will acknowledge that it is a good thing to heare and reade and conferre and to spende much time in prayer as Gods seruants doe but they crie out that they doe not these things well nor with a good heart Now if Christians consciences doe beare them witnesse that they doe performe these duties in vprightnesse then they haue the testimonie of vngodlie men themselues on their sides and till they can disproue the soundnesse of their hearts they must whether they will or not iustifie their behauiour Thus we see how godlinesse winneth a good estimation Now secondly it doth also bring safetie with it it setteth men out of gun-shot so that neither the Diuell nor all the powers of hell can annoy or hurt them nor any or all of the diuels instruments in the world preuaile against them for their ouerthrow for the Lorde is euermore a shield and buckler vnto them so that they must strike through him before they can come at them Hee will couer them vnder his wings and they shall bee safe vnder his feathers Psame 91. 4. Thirdly the vertue and power of grace is such that it maketh Gods children to reioyce euen in affliction as was verified in Dauid who when hee had many malicious aduersaries against him and many troubles beset him round about yet hee had more ioy of heart then they had when their wheat their wine did abound And so it is with all Gods setuants as their sufferings are manie so are they refreshed with manifold consolations And when outward matters of reioycing are furthest remooued from them then are they driuen neerer vnto God the fountaine of all true comfort and by that meanes their hearts are exceedingly reuiued And if they bee so much cheered in the times of their greatest aduersitie how much more ioyfull are they in the dayes of their prosperitie when hee maketh them to rest in greene pastures and leadeth them by the still waters preparing for them a Table in the sight of their aduersaries annoynting their heads with oyle and causing their cups to runne-ouer as the Psalmist speaketh And they withall haue a principall care to entertaine Gods blessings with thankfulnesse and to serue him with a good and thankfull heart in the vse and enioyments thereof Now if their estate be so blessed in this life what shall their happinesse be when they depart out of this life to haue the fruition of those ioyes which are prepared for the Saintes in the kingdome of glorie where all teares shall be wiped away from their eyes and they being altogether freed from sinne and sorrow shall receiue an immortall Crowne of blessednesse with the Saints and Angels in Gods owne presence where is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore where there shall be no parting of company nor possibilitie of any vnkindnes nor tediousnes in conuersing together Much more might bee spoken of the excellencie of this estate and yet when all hath beene saide that can bee it is nothing in comparison of that which the thing is in itselfe and wee shall find it to bee when we shall lay downe this bodie of corruption and be clothed vpon with perfect glorie But yet that the dignitie thereof may somewhat more clearely be seene into let vs consider a little further of the 1. Price thereof 2. Rarenes and thereof 3. Continuance thereof 1. First concerning the price that was laide downe for the purchasing of it it was the greatest that euer was giuen for anie thing For there goeth more to the buying of a Christian then to the making of the worlde For in the Creation GOD did but say the Word and all things were presently formed according to their seuerall kindes but in the worke of Redemption God was not onely to say but to pay also and that full deerely euen the bloud of his onely Sonne which was of an infinite value And therefore if things are to be esteemed according to that which Wise-men will giue for them surely the estate of Christianitie must needs be worthie high estimation sith the wise GOD prouided it for his children at such an inestimable reckoning 2. Further in respect of the rarenesse thereof it is to be accompted very admirable If things that are very deare were also very common that would diminish some
matter I hope you cannot charge me to be either Whore or Theefe But though man cannot charge you which al cannot say is that a sufficient discharge for you Nay you must looke vnto it that God find not matter sufficient to conuict you either of those particulars or of worse and viler offences And let none reply that it is sufficient that we frequent Sermons partake of the Sacrament and come to prayer in publike and vse prayer in the family and performe other duties that Christian men and women should doe and no more is required at our hands Yes God doth require more then this hee calleth for the heart in all these though a man be present at neuer so many Sermons yet if his minde run after his pleasures or after his couetousnes so that when his body trauels one way his affections trauell another way all his hearing is nothing worth And so in praier though there be neuer so many excellent words apt termes and goodly sentences yet if they come from the head and not from the heart from wit and memory and not from the inward feeling of the soule they cannot be accepted God professeth indeed that he wil be found of those that seek him but then they must seek him with their whole heart that is truly and feruently they must not come with a part of their heart for then they bring no part in Gods account but with all their heart for he that giueth him not al giueth nothing at all â—o for the workes of our calling if we do not labour therein as Gods seruants we can expect no wages we may haue coÌ„mendation from men but we shall haue â— check and rebuke from the Lord mens tongues may magnifie vs but Gods hand will confound vs. Therefore let vs when we enter vpon any good way endeuour with an vpright and true heart to goe forward in the same otherwise it had beene better neuer to haue entred hereinto Now that wee may make sure worke in this regard let vs trye our sinceritie by the good effects that doe euer accompany the same 1 One note therefore of a sound heart which wee should take for our tryall is to bee vniuersall in our desires and in our practise that wee haue respect to euery commandement of God to the first table as well as to the second and to the second as well as to the first that we bee righteous towards men as well as religious towards God that wee looke to our hearts as well as to our actions and to our actions as well as to our hearts Contrary to this rule is the dealing of those that will giue dispensations vnto themselues for many things so that they can make a shewe of some thing What if we be not so strict for the Sabbath thinke they yet wee are no swearers nor blasphemers what if we take a little libertie for vaine sports and idle discourses these are but trifles wee will not bee adulterers nor filthie speakers c. This is a shrewd signe of an heartfull fraught with guile and deceit the propertie of a good conscience is to bee willing and desirous in all things to walke honestly If one bee neuer so strict for the Sabbath if hee will helpe himselfe by a lye now and then for his commoditie or for his credit sake and if a man be neuer so rigorous and seuere for matters of iustice and yet will steale time from the Lord vpon his day and spend the same in his owne businesses and affaires whether secretly or openly and so for any other thing if we make bold to borrow a little law of God this is an argument of a false and dissembling heart and therefore this must bee taken heede of as being very dangerous A second marke is to haue a continuall increase in godlines neither to waxe worse nor to stand at a stay but still to striue to grow better and better as the Apostle Paul testifieth that he himselfe did I forget that which is behind and endeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And hauing shewed what he did himselfe he annexeth an exhortation also for vs Let vs therefore as many as are perfect that is sincere and voide of grosse hypocrisie be thus minded He was not as a vaine foolish man who running in a race will be euer anon looking back how much ground he hath rid but his eye was vpon the marke considering how much he had yet to runne how farre off hee was from perfection and the same minde should bee in vs and will be in as many of vs as are indued with the same spirit that Paul was We must euery day labour to abound more and more in all wisedome and in all goodnesse If wee prayed once a day in priuate and that somewhat coldly at the first wee must afterward pray twise or thrise or oftner in a day as occasion is offered and that more feruently and feelingly then we did in the beginning If we did reade and meditate more seldome and with greater weakenesse and distraction at our first entrance into profession in our proceeding wee must vse those exercises more frequently and performe them more seriously and cheerfully and the like may be sayd for all other duties Thus if we can labour to doe and when we slip and so are stayed now and then in our race yet if we recouer our selues with speede and set sureâ— and looke better to our steps and make more haste in our way then we did before wee must not be discouraged though we finde not so good a progresse as were to bee wished for God will accept of our endeuour and his spirite will beare vs witnesse that wee haue a true heart Notwithstanding we come farre short of that wee should and other of Gods Saints doe attaine vnto But on the contrary if wee stand at a stay or start aside like a broken bowe and so turne backe againe vnto follie it is much to be suspected that we neuer had any soundnesse in vs. A third token of sinceritie is constantly and carefully to vse all the good meanes of attaining to goodnesse and to eschewall the inducements that may allure vnto euill Doth any one hate swearing then let him shewe it by auoyding the company of blasphemers Doth any one loth impuritie and filthines then let him testifie it by separating himselfe from all wanton and lasciuious companie and from all suspected persons and places If one pretend that heâ— hateth these and the like euils and yet will aduenture vpon the baite it is sure that such a one wanteth that truth of heart which should bee in him and is in all so farre as they are sound within So for the contrarie Doth any one desire that grace and religion may flourish in his heart and
yeares Against an vtter desertion in this kinde Dauid prayeth in this place and according to S. Augustine is in effect thus much O Lord if lest I should be proud and should say in my prosperitie I shall neuer be remoued it pleased thee to tempt me yet forsake me not ouerlong that is if thou haue thus forsaken me that I may know how weake I am without thine assist mee yet forsake me not vtterly lest I perish I know that of thy good will thou hast giuen me strength and if thou turnest away thy face from me I shall forthwith be troubled O forsake me not that I perish not If Christ be a sleepe the shippe is in danger and if the Lord absent himselfe but for a while we are not able to stand in temptation And yet it pleaseth the Lord to exercise his deerest seruants oftentimes with these desertions For as that iudiciall diuine Maister Perkins obserueth whom I follow in that which followeth the blessings that God bestoweth on them are of two sorts either positiue or priuatiue positiue are reall graces wrought in the heart by the spirit of God priuatiue are such meanes whereby God preserues men from falling into sinne as crosses desertions And these in number exceed the first as long as men doe liue in this world Before it can be declared what these desertions are this conclusion is to be laid downe He which is once in the estate of grace shall be in the same for euer This appeareth in the eight of the Romans 30. Where Paul sets downe the golden chaine of the causes of saluation that can neuer be broken so that he which is predestinate shall be called iustified glorified And a little after he saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect and Who shall seuer vs from the loue of Christ and I am perswaded that no creatures shall be able to seuer vs from the loue of Christ which he would not haue said if men being in the estate of grace might fall quite from grace And how should they which are iustified haue peace with God if they were not sure to perseuere righteous before God to the ende And how shall it be said that hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God wherewith God loues his Elect is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen them if any may vtterly fall from that loue How should the testimonie of the spirit which testifieth to the Elect that they are the children of God be true and certaine if it may be quite extinguished Lastly how shall that of Iohn be true they went out of vs because they were not of vs if they had beene of vs they should haue remained with vs if a man may wholy fall from Christ which hath once beene made a true member of him Our Sauiour Christ saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I giue life eternall to them and no man shall take them out of my hand or out of my fathers hand and whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come vnto me and whosoeuer commeth to me I will not cast out And if any of the Elect being effectually called might wholy fall from grace then there must be a second insition or engrafting into the mysticall body of Christ and therefore a second Baptisme nay for euery fall a new insition and a new Baptisme which must in no wise be graunted wherefore they which are predestinate to be in the estate of grace are also predestinate to perseuere in the same to the end Hereupon it followeth that the desertions of Gods Elect are first of all partiall that is such as wherein God doth not wholy forsake them but in some part Secondly temporarie that is for some space of time and neuer beyond the compasse of this present life For a moment saith the Lord in Esay in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer And to this purpose Dauid well acquainted with this matter prayeth Forsake me not ouerlong This sort of Desertions though it be but for a time yet no part of a Christian mans life is free from them and very often taking deepe place in the heart of man they are of long coÌ„tinuance Dauid coÌ„tinued in his dangerous fall about the space of an whole yeare before he was recouered Luther coÌ„fesseth of himselfe that after his coÌ„uersion he lay three yeares in desperation And common experience in such like cases can make record of loÌ„ger time The maner God vseth in forsaking his owne seruants is of two sorts the first is by taking away one grace and putting another in the roome the second by hiding his grace as it were in a corner of the heart God takes away his grace and puts another in the roome diuers waies 1. First he bereaueth his owne children of outward prosperitie yea he will loade them with crosses and yet he wil make a good supply by giuing patience Dauid is driuen out of his kingdome by his owne sonne a heauie crosse yet the Lord ministreth an humble and patient spirit so as he was content to speake If the Lord thus say I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes So likewise Christian Martyrs are bereaued of all outward safetie and laid open to the violence persecution of tyrants yet inwardly they are established by the power of the might of God when they are most weak they are most strong and when they are most foiled then they obtaine victorie 2. Secondly the Lord cuts off the daies of this life and for recompence to his own elect giues life eternall The righteous is taken away froÌ„ the euill to come This is manifest in Iosias of whom it is said Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers and though shall be put into thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the euill which I will bring vpon this place 3. Thirdly God takes away the feeling of his loue and the ioy of the holy Ghost for a season then in the roome thereof he kindles an earnest desire thirsting with groanes and cryings vnto heauen to be in the former fauour of God againe This was Dauids case when he complained and said My voyce came to God when I cryed my voyce came to God and he heard mâ— in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore râ—nne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vp â—n God and was troubled I prayed and my spirit was full of anguish Selah The like was the estate of the Church making her mone vnto God in Esay O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare returne for thy seruants sakâ—
word parables hee saith that fathers must teach them to their children and we know that the things which fathers must teach to their children ought to be verie easie and plaine The word then is said to be ful of mysteries or parables to all those whose eyes the Lord hath not inlightned and whose hearts he hath not touched by his spirite But as for them who are beloued of God whom the Lord bestoweth his spirit vpon for their direction those haue an easie entrance into his word and they do behold the mysteries of the law Therfore saith Christ vnto his Apostles To you it is giuen to know these things but to the other are all things spoken in parables Then it is for good cause that the Prophet desireth to behold these mysteries yet hee restraineth his desire and desireth to know no other mysteries than are contained in the word Many would gladly desire mysteries and many flie to reuelations yet they will not bee kept within the bounds of Gods word but wil needes follow the speculations of their own fantasies of this sort is the Family of loue But we must desire with this man of God to behold mysteries and keepe our selues within the compasse of the word euer crauing for the good spirit of God to enlighten our hearts in the true vnderstanding thereof that we neuer bee like the carnall Protestant which resteth in the outward word neuer crauing for Gods spirit to helpe their vnderstanding therein neither yet like the phantasticall Familie of loue which followeth reuelation and illumination without the word Vers. 19. I am a stranger vpon earth hide not thy commandements from me I Am a stranger vpon earth He setteth downe another reason why he would be instructed in the law of the Lord because he is but here a stranger that is that he had not here any long abiding place but continued here for a while And this doe all the men of God professe Heb. 11. vers 14. that they looked for another citie and therefore God was not ashamed to be called their God so in another place Dauid saith I am a stranger as all my fathers were If this were the affliction of Gods childreÌ„ in times past it must be in vs now if we with them will be partakers of the same promises in the kingdome of heauen We see then where we must make the beginning of all godlines and good religion euen in denying this world and acknowledging our selues to bee but pilgrimes in the same When a sonne is sent beyond the seas to learn the tongues c. and hath his time appointed him how long hee hath to tarrie the consideration of that time if he be any thing toward will moue him to take paines that when he returneth home hee may please his father So let vs then often set our times before vs let vs in time learne knowledge and apply our hearts speedily thereto Againe if we be strangers we haue fewe friends and many enemies and therefore it standeth vs in hand to bee carefull of the lawe of God which may teach vs that good path in which if wee walke we shall well please God and so be guarded and defended against our enemies We haue our own corruption to striue with the vanities of the world the euill examples of wicked men to prouoke vs to doe the like their malitious practises against vs and the great enemie of mankinde the diuell and with principalities and powers in heauenly things If wee doe well and wisely consider of these enemies wee shall soone see what neede we haue to be instructed in the law of God that wee may bee able to resist them Hide not thy Commandements from me The Prophet beholding these enemies craueth of the Lord that he would not hide his commandements from him This hiding doth the Prophet oppose to that inlightning which hee spake of before as our Sauiour Christ doth when he saith I thanke thee O Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and reuealed them vnto babes where is signified that vnlesse the Lord doe reueale his law vnto vs he is said to hide it for it is hidden from vs and we cannot attaine vnto the knowledge of it vnlesse he make it knowne vnto vs. Vers. 20. Mine heart breaketh for the desire to thy iudgements alway THe Prophet sheweth the vehemencie of his desire when he saith that his soule fainteth for the desire thereof So in another place he saith that his heart panâ—â—t and that his soule cleaueth to the dust many such complaints the man of God maketh wheÌ„ he seeth the Lord withdrawing his spirit from him that he cannot so clearely see into Gods word as contrariwise he sheweth his ioy that in heart hee conceiueth when the Lord by his spirit doth open his sight that he can feele some comfort thereby when he saith How sweete are thy precepts vnto my mouth Oh how loue I thy Law c. Many men being not acquainted with this practise of the Prophet doe thinke that it is some melancholike humour c. when they see Gods children suddenly sorrowfull or suddenly full of reioycing but those that haue experience of these things doe know that the griefe sitteth neere their heart when they cannot feele comfort in Gods word and that then they are most comforted when the eyes of their mindes are most inlightned For seeing that our nourishment and life is in the Word we ought continually to fetch nourishment from thence by meditating therein Therfore many are on a sudden cast into great sadnesse and heauinesse of heart and yet they know not for what cause whereas this no doubt is one among the rest because they vse not to meditate in Gods word therefore by this meanes would the Lord driue them to his word that there they might find comfort and so for euer after haue the word in greater estimation and bestow greater diligence thereupon By iudgements here is meant the whole word of God whether it be promises or threatnings wherein the Lord â—heweth himselfe to bee as good as his word in performing and bringing to passe that which he hath spoken This desire which the Prophet had to Gods Commaundements it was not for a start and soone done but it was continually wherein he sheweth a plaine difference betweene a true desire and that which hath no truth in it for there is not the wickedest man that liueth but he may for a time seeme to haue very good things in him and at a start the most wicked will make a shew of very good desires but all this is like a morning clowde and soone vanisheth away therefore if wee will haue our desire to be true let vs also labour that it be continuall Vers. 21. Thou hast destroyed the proud cursed are they that doe erre from thy commaundements THe Prophet doth not let passe Gods iudgements without profit but meditateth vpon them that thereby he may bee kept in greater
when as they that trust in lying vanities doe forsake their owne mercie Ionah 2. 10. And graunt me graciously thy word He boasteth not on his owne merits but desireth all for Gods goodnes and till it please God to make vs rest in his word and in that alone we shall be carried about with euery blast of new doctrine runne a whoring after our own inuentions and neuer be guided in any good way ¶ Vers. 30. I haue chosen the way of truth and thy iudgements haue I layde before mee THough the Prophet prayed in the former verse against the way of falshood and lying yet it seemeth that by the spirit of God hee had made choyce of a good way for here hee protesteth that for his part hee had chosen the way of trueth and laide before himselfe the waye of Gods iudgements God layde before him two wayes the one straite the other wide the one of life the other of death the one of lying the other of truth which doth hee choose the waye of trueth that is that path which leadeth to trueth and wel-doing and in one word to him who is the way the truth and the life But how comes it that hee makes this choyce is it in the power of his free-will nothing lesse no man can come vnlesse he be drawn walke vnlesse he be directed runne vnlesse he bee enlarged or choose this waye vnlesse hee bee guided by the worke of Gods spirit without which we can doe nothing I haue chosen why then should not wee chuse it surely hee maketh this confession both to stirre vp others by his example and to testifie his resolution that though hee were in danger for this choyce and had fewe companions yet hee for his part would neuer seeke out any other way as Ios. 24. 15. Ioh. 6. 67. 68. 69. The way of truth thus he stâ—leth the word of God which alone shewes man the waye by which hee may walke safely and vprightlie But before a man can bee set in this way hee hath many seducements offered vnto him to drawe him into by paths It seemeth that Dauid ouercame them all made Gods word that Ariâ—dnes threed by which he passed through all sorts of Labyrinths If wee intend to make choyce of any other waye doubt not but we shall haue counsellors enough but this is the waye chuse it And thy iudgements haue I laide before me 1. Thy word according to which thou wilt pronounce sentence that haue I saide before mee it is euer in my sight it is my counsellor my comforter my guide and gouernour O happie Dauid if thou hadst euer done so then hadst thou not fallen either by pride of heart in numbring the people or vncleanesse of life with the spouse of Vriah Hence springs all impietie that we laye not GODS iudgements before vs. ¶ Vers. 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me noâ— IF euer good man had occasion by crosses to forsake his profession and hold of pietie Dauid had neuer was man more beloued of God yet neuer was man so molested by men remember his troubles and his truth will appeare Did hee now forsake his standing abandon his generall or start aside like a broken bowe no he did not In the Lord was his delight in Gods word was his comfort He did cleaue so fast vnto the word of God in which his will is testified to man that no trouble could make him to forgoe his hold Mee thinkes I may bring in heere Paul speaking as Dauid doth Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or naked â—â—sse or perill or sworde As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long wee are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerers through him thâ—t loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bâ—e able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in CHRIST IESVS our LORDE Rom. 8. 35. c. Confounde mee not If I cleaue not to thy testimonies thou wilt confounde mee as all they are who start aside from thee if I cleaue vnto thy testimonies men will confounde mee O LORDE suffer mee not to bee confounded by them or to doe that whereby I may be ashamed either before thee or before any man Thus Dauid fearing that by daily accidents his faith and profession might be shaken and he should in the ende become a scorne to his enemies as who more scorned then the most godly desireth that he might haue as he had trusted such good successe that vpon none occasion that hold which he had laide vpon Gods word might be taken from him Where we see it is the custome of the wicked to put most shame vpon them who desire to sticke most fast vnto God and to serue him with greatest sinceritie this is the great griefe of Gods Saints that they are thus confounded for well doing let them goe on as Dauid did let them pray as Dauid here doth in the ende they shall either see the confusion of their enemies or else reioyce in consolation of a good conscience that they are hated without a cause ¶ Verse 32. I will runne the waies of thy commaundements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart THis last verse is a golden verse in which he sheweth principally with what speede and cheerfulnesse he will serue God But because this race celestiall cannot be vndertaken vnlesse we know Christ and in him the remission of sinnes which alone knowledge doth enlarge the heart drawing it out of the dolors of death and perfuming it with a new ioy by which it resteth quieted in the Lord therefore as before he desired to be quickened and cheereÌ„d according to Gods word so heere he promiseth that he will most cheerfully goe on in the waies of Gods statutes where it shall please the Lord to set his heart at libertie by taking away from him the feare of his displeasure purchased by sinne and the furie of his enemies of whom he was in danger I will runne c. it is a metaphor borrowed from runners in a race who questionles doe runne with speede Such an one was Ahimaaz 2. Sam. 18. who outâ—an Chushi to bring Dauid tydings of Absolons death And Iohn who did ouerrunne Peter to the sepulcher Iohn 20. 4. Dauid will imitate these runners he will make hast and delay no time to keepe Gods righteous iudgements So would Paul himselfe Philip. 3. 13. I forget that which is behinde and I endeuor myselfe to that which is before And followe hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And to this race he exhorteth the Corinthians 1. Epistle 9. Chapter Verse 2. So runne that ye may obtaine Now in this race some creepe
in that he is the punisher of sinne and rewarder of goodnes we shall haue strength against the temptations which shall be offered to make vs thinke that sinne is not punished and that it is lost labour to serue God and of this argument are many of the Psalmes And this he did at midnight when all things are most fearefull and therefore a fit time to examine our selues in feare and this shewed that his faith was sound seeing he could now praise God His subscription to the righteousnes of Gods iudgements was an argument of his faith for the nature of flesh is to thinke they are rigorous Vers. 63. I am companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts TO receiue helpe from them and to be helpfull vnto them so Psalme 16. Then if we will make God our portion we will make much of good men for if Dauid did this how much more ought we It is an argument of pride to despise the company of others If thou want knowledge it is to make thee seeke it of them that haue it if thou haue more than others then oughtest thou to bestow it vpon others so that thou oughtest not either for the greatnes of thy knowledge or for the want of knowledge to withdraw thy selfe from the companie of them that feare the Lord. If he loued good companie he hated euill men Pro. 29. for they are abomination one to another as he saith I hate them that hate thee And this is the propertie of a good man Psalme 15 yet this must not stay vs from doing them good in our callings as the Magistrate to the subiect c. As the euill may be in good mens companie yet not companions to them so may the good be with the euill and yet not their companions for we beleeue onely the communion of Saints That feare Here is the description of Gods children first that they feare God which is the foundation of all Prou. 1. and then they that feare God rest not in the iudgement of men but approue themselues to God to doe or to leaue vndone any thing as it pleaseth or displeaseth God This feare bringeth foorth obedience and without this fruite it is but to boast of feare And these men are they that we must be companions vnto Vers 64. The earth O Lord is full of thy mercie teach me thy statutes THe same thing was in the second verse yet after another manner Though the whole earth be full of mercie yet he desireth onely the statutes of God and this is the eight argumēt So he saith shew me thy fauour teach me thy statutes part 9. 1◠because he made this the chiefest signe of Gods fauour to knowe his word it is an argument that the Lord was his portion Let vs see how oft wee haue made this petition and how vaine our petitions are desiring riches c. he desired not his kingdome so much as this He was a Prophet yet he desireth it and this is it the more wee know the more we must desire to know and neuer make any stay He prayeth chiefly for the teaching of the Spirit without which hee should erre Hee differeth farre in desire from the men of this world for they craue many things before knowledge and if they haue knowledge they rest therein and neuer look nor aske for the teaching of the Spirit Secondly he confirmeth himselfe that the Lord will teach him because his goodnes is ouer all the world hee letteth his Sunne rise on the euill how much more will he graunt the good requests of his children When we would then pray to receiue we must remember all Gods goodnes and wee must desire the teaching of the Spirit so farre as agreeth with the word and not desire the reuelation of the Spirit without the word PORTION 9. TETH Vers. 65. O Lord thou hast dealt gratiously with thy seruant according vnto thy word HE putteth the Lord in minde of his former mercies and so comforteth himselfe For when hee had saide that the Lords goodnes was ouer the earth and that hee also had found the same hereby hee comforteth himselfe in that hee shall receiue more For God is not as man is but take we neuer so much from his treasure there is neuer the lesse and the more hee giueth the readier hee is to giue Hee knewe that Gods gifts are without repentance and that hee is not wearie of weldoing but will finish the thing hee hath begunne and nothing is more forcible to obtaine mercie than to lay his former mercies before him Here are two grounds first if he dealt with him well when he was not regenerate how much more will he now and secondly all the gifts of God shall bee perfectly finished And here is a difference betweene faith and an accusing conscience the accusing conscience is afraid to aske more because it hath abused the former mercies but faith assuring vs that all his benefits are tokens of his fauour bestowed on vs according to his word is bold to aske more accusing our selues of our vnworthines and labouring to come out of our sinnes When he asked according to Gods word he made the word a rule of his prayer which assured him that his prayer should bee heard we must not then abuse Gods mercies least they accuse vs but if wee accuse our selues then let vs see if they haue been giuen according to Gods word and then may we aske new Vers. 66. Teach me good iudgement and knowledge for I haue beleeued thy commaundements HE maketh this prayer oft but we doe not so and therefore the vanitie of our prayers is rebuked which so often aske other things and so seldome aske this Hee was the man of God regenerate therefore he maketh this spiritual request which though carnall men mislike because they cānot conceiue of the word yet it is a signe of faith He maketh this prayer though he beleeued because his knowledge was in generals but his practise in particulars therefore if God in the particulars did not direct him he should faile in doing Hereof commeth it that the learnedst men are deceiued in particulars because they rest in their generall knowledge Example of admonition we haue generall rules to teach vs to admonish but when we come to practise in particulars then must we either haue the new grace of God or else we shall faile in the practise If this man that beleeued prayed thus how much more ought they that beleeue not And they that beleeue generally must confesse their blindnesse in particulars and therefore they should pray for it Although ignorance be helped yet it is not altogether cured therfore haue we need to pray Secondly because our knowledge is in generals but practise is in particulars and therein must we haue a new assistance Therefore when wee haue not good successe in our busines wee must not as men are wont lay the fault on this or that but wee must see the cause in our selues
Again the purpose of Gods spirit is not to disallowe the vse of Physicke for when Ezechias was absolued of his sinnes by Esaias then did the Prophet commaund that figge leaues should be taken and laid to it and how can he then mislike that which he there commaunded This generall doctrine then may be gathered that what disease or affliction soeuer commeth to a mans body for what cause soeuer yea though it be for the triall of faith yet the way to come out of it is to looke to our soules and to clense them for if they be once purified then the body will be easily cured For if God said iudge your selues that yee may not be iudged he will be likewise sure not to iudge vs if we will iudge our selues but when we shall begin to iudge our selues he will leaue off to correct vs Psalm 89. and 1. Corinth 11. Vers. 83. For I am like a bottell in the smoke yet doe I not forget thy statutes VVE must remember the promises the commandements in all our troubles and they will sustaine vs for if any faile in trouble it is because they trust not the promises or keepe not the commandements If we will be sure then that no affliction shall hurt vs but helpe vs and turne to our good and to assure vs of life euerlasting and to be deliuered out of them in Gods good time then let vs looke to all the promises made to vs in Christ and build a good conscience vpon Gods commaundements But if we faile in these then may we be sure that in trouble we shall faile 2. Cor. 7. And these two helpe one another If thou wilt be sound in the faith then labor to keep the commandements and if thou wilt not be driuen from the obedience of the commandements then confirme thy selfe in the promises of the forgiuenes of sinnes of Gods prouidence and of eternall life For if thou canst beleeue these then neither pleasure nor paine shall make thee forsake thy obedience but these shall be so pleasant to thee that thou shalt wholy labour to please God These two reasons Paul vseth 1. Tim. 3. to moue men to obedience First the promises of the forgiuenes of sinnes secondly of euerlasting life and to these adde Gods prouidence And this is the cause of all sinne because men beleeue not that the threatnings of God are true For if they could be perswaded of that which is Psal. 89. He will visite their sinnes c. the children of God should not need to thinke of hell and other tormeÌ„ts belonging to the wicked in the life to come Because that if they knew that though they were deliuered from paines in the world to come yet the Lord would punish their sinnes in this life and would bring them to pouerty to contempt to be reproched to be slandered c. euen this would make them loth to offend And surely the Lord will doe this for if he be neither a wise nor louing earthly father which will not correct his sonnes when they doe euill surely it must needes be that God must either be vnwise not louing or he must punish them his children that offend For though he hath made a couenant with them that hell shall not preuaile against them yet hath he not made a couenant to free them in this life because that he will driue them to the crosse of Christ by laying crosses vpon them Againe if men could beleeue the promises of God made in Christ for the forgiuenes of sinnes for Gods fatherly prouidence and for life euerlasting then would they hauing these promises purge themselues from all filthines and finish the course of their saluation in seare 2. Cor. 7. vers 1. And this beliefe in Gods promises is it that maketh men leaue sin for conscience sake to yeeld obedience to Gods will so that this beleefe bringeth forth pure obedience to Gods will Againe beleefe in Gods promises is strengthened by obedience as Peter saith Make your election and calling sure by good workes For when the Lord shal see that we haue a care to do his will then will he multiplie the graces of the spirit vpon vs so that we shal be better coÌ„sirmed in his promises If we will not then be brought to doubt or despaire of Gods promises when trouble and anguish shall come then let vs labour to build a good conscience vpon the word and commandements And if we will not be drawn away with worldly pleasures then let vs consider those promises which God hath made vnto vs. For when men begin to doubt of Gods promises they begin also to doubt of the commaundements and when men doubt of the commandements they also doubt of the promises and when men doubt of both then is sinne a light matter vnto them For faith in Gods promises breedeth obedience and obedience confirmeth saith in the promises therefore we must labour for them both and pray for both Vers. 84. How many are the daies of thy seruant when wilt thou execute iudgement on them that persecute me THis verse the second verse shew that it is lawfull for Gods children to make knowne their infirmities to him so that they waite patiently for helpe from him For this onely displeaseth him when we please our selues in moyling against them otherwise when we come in reuerence it pleaseth God that we should lay out our infirmities before him Thus Abraham and Mary laying out their infirmities with misliking of them desired that they might know how the things should come to passe but Sara and Zacharie did contrarie This is a comfortable thing that when we are in any trouble we may lay our our temptations to him so that it be with trust in the promises and misliking of our infirmities with a longing after Gods mercie in a feare of his Maiestie and a desire to be helped of our euill and corrupt infirmitie When. He had beene exercised a long time and now he prayeth that he may be helped least he through infirmitie put his hand to euill Many will make their complaint but it is too soone euen before they haue been exercised But we must be contented to be in long trouble and we may yet looke for Gods helpe acknowledging it to be his great goodnes that he continued and held vs out so long in trouble Wilt thou execute This is an ordinarie prayer not against any certaine persons but rather generally against Gods enemies and their euill causes For the Lord executeth iudgement vpon his children for their conuersion as Paul Act. 9 and vpon the wicked for their confusion He prayeth against them that belonged not to God and yet not so much against their persons as their euill causes and no otherwise against their persons than they â—re ioyned with the causes And thus may we doe for the confusion of Gods enemies otherwise we cannot Vers. 85. The proude haue digged pits for me which is not after thy law
obserue with what delight of heart cheerefulnesse of countenance volubilitie of speech nimblenesse of wit strength of memorie and dexteritie of the whole man they goe about euery good thing and what is the cause of all this God putteth into them his good spirit and maketh all things as it were possible vnto them Hee that knoweth not this bee hee Minister or Auditor knoweth little of the Christian combate Is this so 1 humble thy selfe vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt thee in due time 1. Pet. 5. 7. 2 despaire not though sorrowe come in the euening ioy may come in the morning they that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy 3 censure not when men are not alike cheerefull in diuine duties especially Ministers who oftentimes partly for their owne sinne and partly for the sinnes of their auditors who either pray not for them or loue them not or grace them not or are not worthie of the best things are put to silence Augustine reporteth of himselfe that at his meditations of many sermons hee was often most cheerefull in the Pulpit on the suddaine heauie And I heard once a godly man in the like case speake thus to his auditors I was neuer so humbled as this day the Lord hath humbled mee in my ministery because you haue not assisted mee with your prayers A willing patient louing and charitable auditorie setteth an edge vpon the zeale of the Preacher 4 art thou dull waite for this quickening for in comming it will come and will not tarie That Martyr founde it who after the combate of many a dayes conflict cryed out euen at the stake Austine it is come it is come Mistris Honnie-wood that worthie woman found it after many yeares conflict betwixt frayletie and faith and here the Prophet Dauid found the same 5 vse all holy meanes to stirre vp the graces of God in thee as men doe to rayse vp one out of a dead sleepe the neglect whereof is the graue of many graces 6. feare this relapse into deadnesse of spirit after some extraordinary ioye and when you haue most meanes It is strange to see what readinesse there is in many people that want Gods word to goe many a mile for it to studie and talke of it and what small account it is made of amongst them that haue it in abundance 7 take heed of the soules languishing no consumption is like to this For by them c. Quickened hee was as hee saith by GOD but yet also by the word soundly preached sauingly vnderstood and particularly applied to the conscience This then doth the power of CHRISTS death make a man indeede to dye vnto sinne then doth the power of his resurrection make him to walke on in newenes of life No Aqua-vitae or caelestis like vnto this by which wee haue inward peace of conscience and an outward obedience to GODS commaundements Dauid reioyced in this blessing so ought wee wee desire to bee euer quicke and cheerefull to all good duties it is onely GOD by his spirit in the word that can giue it ¶ Vers. 94. I am thine saue me for I haue sought thy precepts IN the former verse the Prophet felt the spirit of God stirring vp his heart to beleeue Gods promises heere it becomes the spirit of supplication for he yet feeling terrors within and troubles without crieth to his Sauiour Saue me ô Lord. Yea Dauid but thou art a grieuous sinner thinkest thou that God will heare sinners didst not thou affirme Psal. 66 18. if I regard iniquitie in mine heart God will not heare me why then prayest thou vnto me why Lord I am thy seruant and the Sonne of thine handmaide I am thine saue me yea but many very hypocrites will say that they belong vnto me how prouest thou that thou art mine He that seeketh to know and doe thy will he is thine but I haue sought to know and to doe thy will therefore I am thine and this is the summe of this verse Saue me Saluation then belongeth to the Lord. Psal. 3. 8. yea it belongeth to him alone he saueth both man and beast an horse is a vaine thing in the day of battell neither is any man deliuered by mans might He is that Aiacis clypeus vnder which we are safe those Eagles wings vpon which we are carried that strong tower to which we must resorte and a very present helpe in the time of trouble when neither the wisedome of thy minde nor the strength of the body nor the gold in thy chest nor the endeuours of thy friends nor the multitude of an armie nor the defensed citie can doe thee any good then the name of the Lord is a strong tower euery righteous Dauid may flie vnto it and is deliuered How often doth God complaine of Israel that they had trusted in man and in the power of man and did not make him their saluation It is mans nature to relie more vpon outward meanes as physicke in sicknes friends in disgrace an hoast in warre c. then vpon God But he that without this captaine will conquer shall haue Zenacharibs reward without this Pilote will enter vpon the sea shall haue Pharaohs reward without this Physitian will be cured shall haue Asahs reward and he that will pray vnto any other for helpe saue the God of Israel shall in the ende haue the reward of Bâ—all Prophets When all saile vs God will not saile vs. Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord and he will nourish thee Psal. 55. 23. cast your care vpon him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5. 7. Saue me with the Prophet let vs at all times in all places for all persons vpon all occasions call vpon God For 1. it is his commandement 2. a part of his worship 3. an honour to him 4 a testimonie of our faith 5. it distinguisheth him from idols vs from idolaters 6 By it we obtaine all things 7. our many wants moue vs to this dutie 8. all nations call vpon their Gods shall not Ionah call vpon his God 9. By it we talke with God 10. the contrarie argueth an Atheist Psal. 53. 4. Say therefore in all troubles Saue me ô Lord for thy mercy sake 1. But remember that thou must call vpon God alone forsaluation The Gentiles that know not God haue many other Sauiours the idolaters that knowe not God aright haue many also But cursed is the image and the image maker an idol is nothing nothing worth it workes nothing The learned Papist knoweth this the ignorant must not 6. If they would not haue the poore people to adore their breaden God why doe they make it at sometimes to bleede or their wooden gods why doe they cause them sometimes to speake otherwhiles to sweate many times to smile and oftentimes to stretch forth the hand to receiue oblations offered vnto them Origen saith well Impossibile est vt qui Deum rectè nouit supp ex sit statuae It is impossible that he
of happie memorie and our worthie King Iames whom the Lord long keepe to rule ouer vs that the iawebones of the Lions may be broken before euer he be giuen a prey to their teeth To destroy Before he shewed their vigilancie in wayting now he declareth their malice in destroying nothing will quench their thirst but his blood he vsed all kindnes to them they practised all crueltie towards him Thus the wicked neuer leaue till they haue killed they will persecute and take and destroy to roote out the memoriall of the godly out of the earth Haman could not be satisfied vnlesse the Iewes were destroyed nor the Scribes vnlesse Christ were crucified nor the Persian Sages till Daniel was deliuered not the Paâ—â—â—â—an Massakerers till the Protestants were killed The Lion is often satisfied when hee hath brought vnder his prey the Beare will not be satisfied till it be deuoured But I will consider thy testimonies It was a grieuous temptation to be sought for to slaughter but a greater mercie to consider Gods testimonies euen then when his life was sought for had it not beene for the consideration of Gods testimonies a thousand to one he had fallen away But I Though I was thus assaulted yet I despaired not of thine aide cast not off my calling was not carelesse of mine estate vsed no deceit could not flatter auenged not my selfe became no polititian confessed no fault where none was committed trusted not in my sword went not to witches as Saul did but being assured of the innocencie of mine heart the goodnes of my cause the helpe of my God and his comfort in trouble I considered thy testimonies It is good for a Christian not euer to arme himselfe with the weapons of flesh but to put vpon him the armour of the spirit which she must fetch out of Gods armorie Consider thy testimonies Bernard wrote 5. bookes of consideration to pope Eugenius They that consider Gods testimonies that is the commandements of God which were testimonies to the Israelites that they were bounden to keepe them and the couenant of grace testifying to all Gods mercy in Christ haue no great neede of those bookes no if it were the Pope himselfe who I am perswaded doth not reade much of Gods booke This consideration will make vs patient in trouble forgetfull of wrongs and in the end we shall get such a conquest of our aduersaries that they shall say to vs as Saul did to Dauid 1. Sam 24. 17. 18. My sonne Dauid thou art more righteous then I. ¶ Vers. 96. I haue seene an end of all perfection but thy commandem â—t is exceeding large IN his precedent meditation he considered Gods testimonies here he breaketh out into acommendation of them and by the consumption of things vpon earth obserues the consummation of the word of God Where note first that the most perfect earthly things are but imperfect they shal haue an end The goodliest cities seuelled with the earth the mightiest Empires deuided into Dukedomes the auncientest buyldings come to the ground and the greatest Monarches haue not long left their inheritaÌ„ce to their children where is Salomon with all his royaltie Absolon with all his beauty Diues with all his wealth Haman with all his honour Sampson with all his strength Achitophel with all his wisedome yea or Dauid with all his victories they are gone and so gone that man must say as Dauid once said surely euery man nay euery thing in his best estate is vanitiâ— vanâ—â—tis of vanities all is vanity We that now liue nay the greatest that now liue what shal become of vs ours them theirs but an hundred yeares hence which yet is the age of some one man Alternante rota moras mutantur in horas Omnia nunc huius mea cras post nescio cuius The turning wheele things changeth all His now mine then next haue who shall Aetas nostra canit Veneres postrema triumphos This age of ours sings songs of loue The next of triumphs got by loue 2. Dauid like a wise man sees this with his eye ponders it with his heart A wise memeÌ„to for al meÌ„ quod cuiquaÌ„ cuiuis that which may come to al men may come to euery man and mansion vpoÌ„ earth It is the point of a wise man to obserue the passages of honours honourable personages in the world and it wil make him to say Noâ— aâ—tum sapâ—re sed time be not high minded but feare Rom 11. As they haue beene so I may be As Dauid the father had these eyes so also had Salomon his sonne Preu 24 30. I passed saith he by the field of the slothfull and by the vyneyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding 31. And loâ— it was all growne ouer with thornes and nâ—ttles had couered the face thereof and the stone wall was broken downe 32. And I behold and considered it well I looked vpon it and receiued instruction Happie are they that haue such eyes But thy commaundement c. out of the imperfection of other things he gathers the perfection of Gods word And in truth what is the drosse to the gold 〈◊〉 Christus amaâ—elâ—it mundus If once the glad tydings of the Gospel affect vs the sweetnes of this world will be bitter sweet or rather indeed meere bitternes vnto vs. Exceeding large Extending to al times persons places actions circumstances of actions The auncient lawes of the Persians Grecians and Romans are gone or at the least mosâ—lie gone in their gouernments but the word of our God will endure for euer in it selfe and make vs to endure for euer This one verse is an excellent meditation for great ones that they presume not meane ones that they repine not and all that they build not vpon this preseÌ„t world We see now an healthful happy time do we know how long it wil coÌ„unue we doe not There dyed in the yeare 160â— in and about this Citie of London fortie two thousand nine hundred eightie and nyne persons whereof of the plague thirtie sixe thousand eight hundred siâ—â—e and two Our sinnes deserue the like desolation the Lord giue vs comfort out of that word of his which is able to comforâ—al to teach them of whom by whom vnder whom to what and aboue what things they are and that they shall haue an inheritance with them that are sanctified PORTION 13. MEM. Vers. 97. Oh how loue They law it is my meditation continually THis Psalme is a liuely representation of a man regenerate and teacheth vs what are or ought to bee his meditations his exercises and his affections so that by how much a man shall haue found himselfe to bee truly conuersant in this Psalme so much may hee thinke himselfe to haue profited in regeneration and by how much the lesse hee hath found that hee is lesse occupied in the practise hereof so much he is to suspect himselfe to faile and come short of newnesse of life In these
is one thing to be noted more notable that is he was not grieued for himself alone but eueÌ„ for others which made no conscience of Gods word was he grieuously vexed and tormented as portio 7. 5. Feare is come vpon me for the wicked which forsake thy law And portio 17. 8. Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy law And in portio 18. 3. My zeale hath euen consumed mee because mine enemies haue forgotten thy words He was not onely grieued for his owne incredulitie but for the incredulitie of others he lamented not onely his owne wants but also the wants of others his glorie was then chiefest when the word was glorified his griefe when the word sustained wrong did most abound Like zeale was in Paul who cared not for his owne bonds so the word of God might be free neither did hee care how much he did suffer for the Gospels sake which he preached so others might thereby â—e confirmed Now if we shall lay this with due examination of our owne hearts to our seuerall liues we shall see many grieued for their owne sinnes which are not grieued for the sinnes of others But if we could be grieued both for our selues and for others it were an infallible token that we sought not our selues but Gods word Many likewise are comforted when they finde Gods glory set forth in themselues who cannot so praise God when they see it in others Many indeed as Ioâ— witnesseth can declare â—loquently against the sinnes of others yet we see few weepe and lame it for them as he did But aboue all notable is that place of the Spirit of God to stirre vs â—â—â— to this practise which is Ezech. 9. where a man is mentioned with a writers inâ—khorne by his side which is sent of the Lord to goe through the middest of Ierusalem and to saue from the destroying and reuenging Angell which was to come all them that mourned and cried for the abominations which were done in the citie In which place by marking the children of God vnto saluation is shewed the manner of theÌ„ to wâ—â— to mourne and câ—ie out against the wickednes of the people which they see committed against Gods glorie Paul 1. Cor. 5. sheweth the Corinthians that they had reiected despised the incestuous person but he also telleth them that they had not mourned for him the effect where of is set downe 2. Cor. 7. where the Apostle reioyceth that he had wrought in them a godly sorrow not to be repented of We must therefore learne to lament the sinnes of them with whom we liue and specially of them ouer whom we haue charge least in not so doing we be made guiltie of the sinnes of others Let vs then away with that carnall emulation in the graces of another and let vs learne to giue God the praise of his gifts in others as though they were bestowed on our selues But alas our corruption is great here in and is well set downe in Luke in the elder brother who repined at the receiuing of his younger brother into his fathers fauour Now to draw to the fourth and last reason which concerneth the meanes vsed of the Propheâ— they were these conference prayer praise or thanksgiuing and a vowing of his obedience to the Lord whereof I will speake in order and of the first first I am saith he port 8 7. a companion of all them that feare thee and keepe thy precepts And port 10. 7. Lâ—â— such â—â— feare thee turne vnto me and they that know thy testimonies that I may both impart my feelings and comforts vnto others and that they may strengthen me with their gifts such was his humilitie that notwithstanding his high calling he desired euen to profit by others In naturall things experience doth teach vs that young men cannot satisfie themselues with a priuate vse of their exercise but if any one haue inuented a pleasant conceit he cannot be quiet vntill he haue ioyned himselfe with others therein such is their loue to their carnall deuices Which thing if it be so vsuall in earthly things how much more is it requisite in heauenly things Many will studie for a trade and methode by themselues whereof none shall be partakers but they will still be the fathers of it but it was not so in Dauid but whatsoeuer he had he would teach it others and whatsoeuer good thing he heard he would learne it He had not this spirit to say Tush I haue enough I know many things I neede not to conferre Paul thanketh the Romanes and protesteth himselfe a debtor vnto them for their communicating of spiritual things vnto him Wherfore let vs exhortione another wher one another admonish one another and watch one ouer another for good and suffer our selues to bee exhorted to perseuerance to be whetted for our duties and to be admonished of our infirmities and let vs be grieued that wee haue made so little exchange of our talents to bring so small increase to the Lord. The second meane is prayer wherfore he said so often portioÌ„ 5. 2. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes c. portion 9 2. Teach me good iudgement and knowledge Where sometime he delireth to haue his iudgement inlightened and sometimes his affections cleered Well was hee one that was wiser than Gad and Nathan and yet had this affection to growe in the knowledge of wisedome and shall not wee be ashamed if wee pray not He felt this ioy delight of the word by measure in him he felt sometimes a cleane heart sometimes an hard heart sometimes vnspeakable ioy of mind sometimes exceeding dulnes of mind sometime hee seemed to haue enioyed the comforts of Angels sometimes no comfort at all So let vs thinke our selues to be as betweene light and darknes clowdes and brightnes sometimes hauing patieÌ„ce and sometimes murmuring sometime purposing to do good sometime fainting in bringing them to passe Concerning thanksgiuing which was another of his exercises it is said port 21. 4. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements Where hee sheweth that hee vsed this kinde of worship often which thing with vs is farre contrarie because wee pray more than we giue thankes The reason is wee are giuen in greater measure to feele our wants which prouoketh vs to prayer than to see Gods benefits receiued which might moue vs to thanksgiuing The next meanes by order the fourth which the man of God vseth is here by name set downe meditation But some will say How commeth it to passe that among so many and sundrie meanes no mention is made of hearing and reading the word of God Wee answere that this is a Psalme of experience and not of knowledge And hee that seeketh for knowledge here will want methode but wee must trauaile with the Prophet to finde the truth so applied to our hearts
the Prophet here setteth downe by proofe in his owne person Neither must wee thinke that as it were with a trumpet he doth here blow and sound forth his owne praise but rather by his example is desirous to stirre others vp Vers 98. By thy commaundements thou hast made mee wiser than mine enemies for they are â—uer with me THe first of the particular effects is contained in these words By thy coÌ„mandements thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies Wee see how men now adayes straine their wits to match their enemies in policies deuices but few thinke on this sound meanes whereby we shall surely preuaile against them Now if it be so that whatsoeuer is written is written for our instructioÌ„ and comfort in making mention of the meanes the Prophet of the Lord doth teach vs that it was no extraordinarie worke of the Lord proper to him but a meanes appointed of God for vs all to follow Whereby hee teacheth vs that God will blesse vs to attaine to the like wisedome if we will endeuour to vse the like meanes To apply this to our profit wee must gather the particular out of the generall doctrine on this manner whosoeuer shall haue the commaundements of God euer with him hee shall be wiser then his enemies than his teachers than the ancient but Dauid did so or wee doe so therefore Dauid and we shall finde this wisedome But some man will say Experience teacheth vs a cleane contrarie doctrine that Gods children are not so wise in their light as the children of this world are in their generation I answere That it is true experience prooueth and our Sauiour Christ teacheth but this I adde that the experience commeth from our small sight of the word and not for any want of the word it selfe when Gods children haue it on their side And our Sauiour Christ his speech tendeth rather to shew what it is through our corruption than what it ought to be so that iustly he vseth it to our shame Indeede ciuill wisedome which choketh in them all temptations with worldly delights hauing the diuell to be their schoole master doth worke in them a contentation of minde while for a season they smother as they thinke the iudgements of God breathing vpon them And because on the contarie the spirits of Gods children are occupyed in heauenly things yet often the flesh so laboureth against the spirit that whilest they would be wiser than the Lord or would vse any indirect meanes against their enemies or in vsing good meanes faile in prayer or in not staying themselues on Gods prouidence and appointed time of deliuerance it commeth to passe that they are ouercome But whilest they renounce themselues and their owne wisedome and craue counsaile of God in his word and the direction of his Spirit by prayer whilest they vse good meanes in a good cause and keeping a good conscience waite on the hand of the Lorde they shall bee sure to haue the ouerthrowe of their enemies Proofe doth teach vs that a silly soule in the Countrey which walketh in the wayes of the Lorde will soone discouer the shifting pollicies of a worldly learned man brought vp in the Vniuersitie because the wrath of the Lord hangeth ouer the one and his mercifull spirit watcheth ouer the other But so long as wee will shoote with Sathan in his owne bowe and repell policie with policie what follie shall be found in vs though we can howle loftily with the wolfe and deale cunningly with the Grecians when as the Lord will neuer suffer a good cause to be maintained by euill meanes Some of vs seeke the word but in seeking it we rest in our owne good meaning not humbling our selues before the Lord but our wisdome herein must come from the spirit For we can no more by the eie of reason see the light of the word then Howlets looke vpon the bright Sunne Wherefore the Lord will haue vs in all controuersies with our aduersaries to depend on him and to know that the cause must not depend on our owne shoulders then must we by faith in the bloodshedding of Christ beleeue that our sinnes neither new nor old shall hinder the helping hand of the Lord. We must trust on Gods prouidence and promises and stay our selues by prayer on his wisedome if we look to be wiser than our aduersaries An excellent example hereof we haue to proue that secret sinnes not repented of may hinder the Lords dealing with vs against our enemies We read that after that filthy incest mentioned in Iudg. 17. which made the Leuite whose wife was abused to cut her in twelue peeces and send her through all the parts of Israel there was warre betweene the Beniamites and Israel and the Beniamites being but few in number and maintaining an euill cause in two battels ouercame the Israelites vntil at length they humbled themselues with prayer and fasting and repented of that euill which was amongst them so that in the third assault the Lord gaue his people strength mightily to preuaile against their enemies So we may haue a good cause and vse good meanes and yet for want of reconciling our selues to God for some sinne new or old we may suffer the ouerthrow If then our cause be good we must vse good meanes faith in Christ trust in his prouidence and staying our selues on his wisedome Doe we not see by experience how the Martyrs of God humbling themselues on this maner preuailed in mightie power against their accusers Deut. 4. Moses sheweth that the enemies of God were driuen to confesse that only Gods people were wise euen because God gaue them good lawes This was it that made Ioseph wiser than his brethren Moses wiser than the Egyptians and Daniel than all the Magicians of Babylon and Dauid than all his politike enemies Marke I pray you all figuratiue hyperbolicall and darke speeches the Metaphors and Parables which are in the word of God and you shall finde that they were learned people to whom the bookes were written and had attained that measure of wisedome and knowledge which in our time none can vnderstand but they which are brought vp in learning which thing we may also obserue in them of whom the Histories of the booke of God are written and yet who were more blockish then the Iewes after they had transgressed so obstinately the law of the Lord But shall wee vnderstand this as though the children of God were in euery particular action wiser then the wicked ones No but onely in those things and then wherein and when they vsed this wisedome of the Spirit and gaue themselues and their causes to be gouerned according to Gods word Looke on Dauid who though hee was wise so long as he kept a good conscience yet harkening to policie and not willing to stay himselfe on the simplicitie of Gods word how suddenly was hee ouercome and yeelded so farre that he dissembled euen
policie and his teachers in wisedome so now he sheweth how he went before his elders in prudence and vnderstanding He was wiser than his enemies Why because in all his attempts deliberated not with flesh and blood but asked counsaile of the Lord by the word and by prayer He excelled his teachers in good learning wherefore because he contented not himselfe to stay on the naked rules by them deliuered but further laboured with his conscience to make the vse of them profitable to himselfe He ouer-reached his ancients Why because he euer had a speciall care to keepe a true faith and a good conscience whereof many had made shipwracke Whereof then commeth it to passe that the scholler is often better than his maister commeth it not from hence because the Lord worketh according to his will and bestoweth like effects where like meanes are vsed blesseth and curseth depresseth and raiseth vp according to the vsing and not vsing of necessarie meanes By meditation the iudgemēt of the godly is refined by musing the wicked grow by high degrees to the mysterie of iniquitie For as they be much giuen to this kinde of occupying their mindes so Sathan doth most thereby conuey himselfe into them putting such platformes and deuices into their head that otherwise were wonderfull to come into a mortall mans minde So then they that doe not rest in hearing and reading but endeuour by meditation to finde and draw out an vse of it in themselues wonderfully doe profit and mightily excell others Let vs not rest in our ouersights but stirre vp and prouoke our affections to take a new view of those things which we haue heard whereby we may gather more vnto our selues than that which we haue heard And why Man is a creature reasonable and by the light of nature can thus reason with himselfe if this be true then the contrarie is false if it holdeth in the greater then it holdeth in the lesser If this good thing hath good effects then tho contrarie euill hath ill issues See how knowledge by meditation doth increase Againe because euery member of Christ is annointed with knowledge according to that measure which the Spirit worketh as well the hearer as the speaker may profit by vsing the meanes For by meditation the iudgemēt is refined the wit helped the memory strengthened and stirreth vp affections as thus Is this good I will doe it Is this the obedience rewarded I will obey it Is this forbidden I will auoide it Is this threatned with so fearfull iudgements I quake and tremble to thinke of it By the helpe of this many will speake on a sudden because they speake out of the experience of their owne consciences when the learning of others is in their teachers head or else in their booke It is then the righteous iudgement of God that we are so vnapt to practise wanting dexteritie of wit bereaued of sound iudgement besides many other punishments due to the contempt of Gods word when our owne conscience shall accuse vs saying This good thou mightest haue had this comfort thou mightest haue enioyed hadst thou meditated on the word There remaineth the thrid effect which is in these words I am wiser than the ancient c. Oh notable wisedome that made him wiser than gray haires which are of longer experience He doth not compare himself with dotish old men but the wise Ancients in whom though not the quicknes of wit yet the pith and marrow of knowledge remaineth Neither doth he speake this so much to praise himselfe as to stirre vp others If then we shall see a comely old man speaking law on the bench and desire to heare some wise experience the man of God here telleth vs the way how before those times we may attaine vnto it And through the blessing of God on those meanes the graces of God shall be greater in young yeares if we labour for knowledge and with knowledge ioyne conscience and with conscience practise For the high way to knowledge is to meditate with our knowledge and to tremble in our hearts at the maiestie of the word not ceasing to labour with our selues vntill by musing we haue felt some comfort Here of it proueth that they which haue heard the word of God but a yeare haue more profited thā they which haue heard it sixe yeares For vnto him that hath more shall be giuen and from him that hath not euen that which he hath shall be taken from him If we obserue it we shall finde prophane Protestants who now haue seene three Gouernments which both are ignorant in knowledge and haue gotten many placards and curtaines for their grosse sinnes This may teach vs to see into Gods iudgement who punisheth so seuerely the decay of faith as also the mercy of God towards them that lay vp in their hearts the meditation and in their liues the practise of that which they haue heard I see no more fearefull tokens of the desolations of our times than that men promising whole worlds vnto themselues seeke so much for themselues that they neither desire Gods glorie nor the Churches profit A man may talke with a great Reader and there be some good things in him but talke with an exercised minde and you shall finde in him farre greater and more excellent wisedome Why doe not the old Protestants grow in knowledge as they grow in age but because they doe not vse to meditate Many men seemed to haue good gifts great knowledge and dexteritie of wit who now are destitute and barren of all these heauenly graces What is the cause surely the want of faith and of a good conscience doth make vs faile in many good things or else the cause may be some secret sin not repented of why there is such store of ill and such barrennes of good things So that the Lord striketh many with such follie that they which sometimes tasted of the good graces of God are now become dull heads Another reason why old men doe not grow in knowledge is because the more they haue the more they doe desire Many are so vaine and light that a man shall assoone bring an hogge from his haunt as them from their delights so the Lord doth make them end their age and life in worldlines which spend their liues and youths in vanities If we see one giuen to vanitie what say we Oh there is a wittie yong man if we see one giuen to worldlines what say we Oh there is a iolly thriuing fellow and thus for want of a sanctified wit and sight we remaine fooles and vnthrifts in spirituall things But it standeth with the righteous iudgement of God that they should be depriued of the vnderstanding of heauenly things which so greedily turne al their wits to worldlines On the contrary where we make conscience to meditate we growe from a small graine of knowledge to an whole field of vnderstanding For wee see many vsing their wits to
our selues in meditation and that this depriueth vs of much profit herein in that we doe not appoint some certaine time for meditation moderating other things of our ordinary callings making a conscience sometimes to refraine from our common speeches So our vnderstanding our iudgement our will to practise will be bettered If then at our tables in our beds at our worke we would redeeme some time to reade to pray or to conferre wee should finde wonderfull profit and walking in earthly things we should haue heauenly mindes Vers. 104. By thy precepts I haue gotten vnderstanding therefore I hate all the wayes of falsehood AS in the beginning of this part the Prophet of God protesteth his loue to the word so now in the end he sheweth his hatred to the contrarie This then as we haue partly set down before more largely by Gods grace shall shew hereafter is a true token of loue to the word wheÌ„ we either hate falsehood in religion or corruptioÌ„ in manners We are then to looke into our hearts to see if we hate Poperie and heresie if there bee in vs an hatred against blaspheming of the name of God against adulterie false dealing and such like For we cannot loue the true worship but we must hate heresie we caÌ„not loue Gods name and yet not hate the abusers of it wee cannot loue chastitie and true dealing but we must hate adulterie and vnrighteousnesse But if wee feele our selues to be indifferent persons and come what come may we care not greatly vndoubtedly wee are of no religion For if thou doest not hate an Atheist thou louest not God if thou hatest not heresie thou doest not loue Gods law if thou hatest not adulterie thou art not truly chast if thou hatest not false dealing thou art vnrighteous We see heretiks neuer hate one another because none of them loue the trueth for the Papists can be content with the Familie of loue and the Family of loue with them Wherfore we see that many doe falsely pretend religion chastity and true dealing Note here in that he saith I haue gotten vnderstanding by thy word as though his vnderstanding was the cause of his zealous hatred of the false worship What is the cause then that men doe not hate euill in greater measure because they bee ignorant and knowe nothing Indeede noueltie displeaseth them a little but when they be somewhat acquainted with that which is taught them they will like it well enough Why doe we hand ouer head take any religion euen because we haue not gotten vnderstanding Why doth heresie get such easie entertainment with many of vs because we are vnconstant and borne away with euery blast as witnesse Peter and Iude and because wee are not fast rooted in knowledge as is mentioned Ephes. 4. Many in our countrie are stiffe in heresie because they were neuer sound in iudgement they were euer inconstant they were neuer rooted in Iesus Christ and therefore were carried away with euery puffe of vaine doctrine Some indeede as we haue said before fall for lacke of good conscience but some neuer come so farre because they heard not or else heard very negligently and therefore whosoeuer shall now come and blow an illusion in their eare he shall be heard How shall we know an enemie he commeth vnder the cloake of loue and is couered with the vizard of honestie but his vnderstanding faileth his iudgement is corrupt In that it is here saide all the wayes of falsehood we must note that we are to growe from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from glorie to glorie that growing in godly vnderstanding we may grow also in hatred of falsehood This verse may seeme to haue some contrarietie with the verse a little going before where he saith I haue abstained from euerie euill that I might keepe thy law but indeede there is none because no true mortification both here and in that place is required an hatred auoyding of euill Wee must knowe that the way to make good things frâ—â—â—te is the way to feele euill thing sowre As when thou art grieued to feele thine eye an occasion of euill or euill thoughts to bee in thine heart with bitternes and vexation of spirit thou must striue against them and God will giue thee strength to striue not onely without constraint but also of a loue of good and a hatred of euill The first way then vnto righteousnes is wear somâ—â—es of sinne and to striue against it though with great trouble because the more we vexe torment and disquiet our selues the more we shall come to the loue of good and then the hatred of sinne will growe of it selfe If then a man cannot finde this hatred of sinne in him hee must labour to auoide all occasions that hinder his vnderstanding of the truth as distractions troubles of minde and vse all meanes to grow in knowledge as reading hearing conferring and such like For our not profiting in knowledge is our not profiting in hating of heresies and our â—ot hating of heresie is a token of our not profiting in knowledge When we heare then if our hearing doe not worke in vs a loue of the truth and hatred of the contrarie wee haue not profited in knowledge but if we grow in knowledge we shall knowe it by profiting in the loue of the truth and in the hatred of falsehood Wee haue shewed how in the former portion the man of God testifying his affection to Gods law and concluding with his hatred to the contrarie intermiâ—gieth his reasons that because he found by experience that the word of God made him wiser then his enemies than his teachers and the aged and did preserue him from euery euill way therefore he found such comfort in it that no naturall thing was so liking to his outward man as this was to his inward man PORTION 14. NVN. Vers. 105 Thy word is a lantorne vnto my feete and a light vnto my path THis portion following is a prayer to the Lord to bee further instructed in the word of God and to haue his affections thereby more reformed The reasons which hee vseth bee three the first is his faith in the word in that he made account of it to be the onely meanes whereby he should be directed in all his wayes and this is contained in the first verse of the portion Thy word is a lantorne vnto my feete and a light vnto my steps or path The second is his constant purpose to perseuere in the obedience of Gods word in the verse following I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements The third is his miserable calamitie wherein he was which constrained him to pray which appeareth in the next verse I am very sore afflicted O Lord quicken me according to tâ—â—y word These things are afterwards shewed in the verses following as his faith in Gods lawe in the two last and his calamity
in more wicked daies than he did For whom shall we haue to follow Some follow this religion some follow that some giue themselues to this shift some to that so that we haue no examples to build vs vpon but a multitude to bring vs from the right way Seeing then we are farre worse than the Prophet and our daies worse than his times let vs say Away from me ye wicked that is seeing we cannot auoide our dwelling and liuing among the wicked yet Lord let vs be kept from the corrupt example of the wicked and graunt that we may eschue all familiaritie with them And as in haruest if in euery place of the lands where we reape or mow were Snakes we would be very warie least we were stung or impoysoned so had we neede in these dangerous and plentiful daies of sinne to be circumspect least we be either impoysoned with false doctrine or stung with an euill conscience And as a man being a meere stranger in goodnes liuing in the companie of godly men hearing them seeing them and conferring with them in good things would by Gods grace so be conuerted so a good man falling into the familiaritie and like affections speeches and actions of the wicked shall easily be corrupted We shall see sooner that we are infected and hurt than wee shall espie how wee are infected and hurt and though presently we see it not yet hereafter wee shall And as it is the mercie of God to be good by the communion of Saints so it is the iust iudgement of God to be wicked with the companie of the vngodly Neither must we thinke that here is meant to goe out of the world to auoide the euill for we liue all vnder one Sunne which is aboue vs we treade all on one earth which is vnder vs we vse all one water for our necessities wee haue like callings with them wee ioyne in the same townes with them yea and often dwell in one house with them but we must beware wee haue no fellowship with them in their sinne we must away with their deuices to mistrust Gods mercie wee must hate their imaginations wherewith they displease God we must not draw in their yoke with them If then thou hast a wicked father or if thou hast a wicked sonne or vngodly seruant or an euill companion thou must not haue familiaritie or drawe in a line with them thou must not bee a fellowe or a companion in sinne with them so shall wee keepe our selues vnspotted For as the euill men if they purpose to be obstinate in sinne will take no profit by the companie of the godly so the good men if they will feare and suspect the vngodlines of the wicked and looke vnto their waies shall by the Lord bee preserued from their euill For we see that as the euill men are not the better for the godly with whom they are ioyned in the same towne or house with them because they are so shie of goodnes so if we be as shie of their wickednesse wee shall be freed from much vngodlines Wherefore wee must not be like affected we must not thinke as they thinke speake as they speake doe as they doe nor vse their calling as they doe Otherwise wee see that as the euill by the godly are bettered so the good are made worse by the vngodly Thus we haue heard that as the man of God in the first shewed himselfe to haue an hatred to the secret deuices of mans imaginations so in the second he setteth downe a reason of the same where we declared that we could neuer be brought to the true hatred of euil inuentions vntil we be throughly perswaded of Gods prouidence whereof when we be once truely perswaded wee shall not need to swarue this way or that way because in all assaults we haue a sufficient refuge in God In that he putteth his trust in Gods word we must learne that we must neuer seuer faith and Gods promises whereby we must be staied and leane to his prouidence otherwise we shall haue but vaine speculations of his prouidence vntill wee knowe out of the word to whom the promises doe appertaine and what hee requireth of them to whom they are made On which word of God whilest wee take hold euen as a shield safegardeth vs from the blow of the aduersarie so the promises of God are a sufficient buckler to defend vs from the darts of our enemie So that if we haue the Lord for our tower against Sathan if we be in pouertie we shall see the Lord our shield and wealth if wee be in sicknes hee shall be our castle and health The Israelites had proofe hereof who so long as they made the Lord their shield and refuge were not once touched of their enemies If this faith be in vs then shall wee bee perswaded that the hearing of the word and time which wee spend in prayer to the Lord will not hinder our calling nor hurt our profit but so long as wee walke in our waies ioyning with our calling the hearing of Gods word and prayer hee will be our defence and tower and either saue vs from damage or turne all our euils to our good We must see all this out of the word of God For our Sauiour Christ as we saide before did not rest in the omnipotencie of God to put away Sathan being an euill spirite and therefore hauing nothing to doe with him but withstood him with this It is written still alleaging the word of God shewing that whilest he had bread hee should vse it as an ordinarie meane and when he had none â—e should not make bread of stones but stay vpon the blessing of God which is aboue all meanes Thus wee see how the promises of God in his word did stay him And here see how the faith of Gods children differeth from the loose imaginations of the wicked who though they giue great titles to the Lord of his mercie iustice loue and prouidence neuer looke for this in his word But if we will obey the Lord and waite vpon his promises we must doe it by the word which is as a pipe through which doe flow Gods graces towards vs and as a chariot to bring his will vnto vs. Wee are not then to looke into the ayre or elsewhere for Gods will than in his word but trusting still on God wee must looke for helpe in his promises That the man of God might do this the better he seuered himselfe from the wicked giuing vs to vnderstand that he could not goe forward in that hee saw so few examples of good and so many examples of euill whereby so many by paths are ministred vnto him to step out of the right way in seeing the corruptions of that generation When wee see then out of the word how we should beleeue what we should doe what we should eschue and looke into the world wee shall finde so many wicked ones that
long and lowd prayers preuaile not For such prayers crie lowd in the Lords eares which make a noise with the feeling of our wants and when though they continue to the failing of our eyes yet we mistrust not God For many either pray coldly or praying zealously they become so dull that they cease to put their trust in the Lord. So that the corruption of our nature is either not to feele our wants or if we feele them to dispaire For thy iust promise Heere we see how the Prophet prayeth not according to his owne fantasie but according to the will of God reuealed in his word When we desire any thing of God we must doe it according to his promise For when we pray not according to the promise of the Lord we waite vpon our owne fantasies and seeke after our owne imaginations Many breake in their prayers into headie and rash conceits who haue not in the meane time the word in their hearts but they obtaine nothing neither shall we obtaine if we be like affected vnto them Ye know saith S. Iohn ye shall obtaine if ye aske according to the will of God And whereas he saith I waited for thy iust promise he sheweth that the Lord is no more liberall in promising than faithful in performing for if we waite for his promise surely he will performe it Euery man will peraduenture confesse this to be a truth at the first but the selfe same thing being in this Psalme so often repeated bewrateth our incredulitie and hardnesse of beleefe of it We can alledge indeed generally that Gods promises be true but we will falle in the particular applying of them to our selues in saying They are true vnto me I haue felt the truth of them by experience in my selfe The Prophet vseth oft to giue this Epithite to Gods word as vers 106. I will keepe thy righteous iudgements 137. Righteous art thou ô Lord and iust are thy iudgements 144. The righteousnes of thy testimonies is euerlasting Why would the spirit of God repeate this one word so often but because it is a singular worke of faith to beleeue the word and a thing much incident to our nature not to beleeue Wherefore Paul vseth often this Preface as a prerogatiue This is a true saying and of all men worthie to be receiued or this is a faithfull saying So that the holie Ghost prepareth such words to purchase credit to the word of God because flesh and blood is so readie to mistrust and Sathan so subtil to discredit the truth This may happily soone seeme true but put case a man being troubled had prayed til his eyes failed his heart fainted and his flesh were parched and still trusteth to Gods promises this man indeed hath a true faith This then commendeth the Prophet that when he was at the last cast he continued in his strength His sense and meaning is this although I be not as yet helped yet I shall be in Gods good time which thing if we also could truly say we should neuer be ouercome of temptation Vers. 124. Deale with thy seruant according to thy mercie and teach me thy statutes HEre the Prophet is desirous to be further taught in the word Here we see the man of God complaineth not of the word though as yet the promise was not performed but of his owne faith Here is then a difference betweene the faith of the godly the presumptiō of the vngodly that when the Lord suspendeth his truth for a while the godly suspect not the truth of the word but the vnbeleefe of themselues and pray against the same If then when Gods promises are suspended we be through Sathans policie and our frailtie tempted to mistrust we can say Thy word ô Lord doth not faile but wee are dull in faith we are wauering we are full of vnbeleefe good Lord increase our faith take from vs these mists and cloudes of mistrust by shining vpon vs with the bright beames of thy spirit and though Sathan would weaken our hope to discredit thy truth yet strengthen vs and though we haue failed in many particular points of thy commandements yet we beseech thee to forgiue the secret errors of our life wee haue beleeued thy word but if wee failed in faith then reueale thy couenants vnto vs that we may recouer Two things as we haue often heard sustaine Gods children in trouble the one is the testimonie of a good conscience the other is faith in Gods promises both which are heere set downe in the verses going before for in that he executed iudgement and iustice he had the testimonie of a good conscience in that his eyes failed by waiting on the promises of God his faith most plainely appeareth This faith breedeth a good conscience and this good conscience doth nourish faith For whosoeuer will execute iudgement and iustice must belieue the promises of God that the couenant of Christ is a sure couenant ratified in their hearts which when they feele they are vrged by loue to keep a good conscience For the place to lay vp the treasure of faith in is a good conscience Here then the man of God prayeth for both these things and if we will seeke still after knowledge without feeling we will iudge this prayer to be barren but if we will looke into our owne incredulitie and enter with a single eye into our owne hearts for such Christians are we as we then shall be found to be and shall enter into the particular troubles of bodie and soule wee shall finde our masse of vnbeleefe and we shall see that we may labour often in the meditation of this Psalme and finde sufficient matter all our life long For the man of God said before I haue executed iudgement and iustice and yet heere he saith teach me iudgement and iustice hee meant not that he had iudgement and iustice fully perfitly and absolutely but that it was according to the grace which hee had receiued yet he thought not himselfe therefore iustified though he was not conscious in himselfe His meaning then is Lord thou searchest the heart corrupt is my hart and blind is my minde if I haue fallen Lord grant me to recouer my selfe if I faile in vnbeliefe Lord increase my faith that I may daily grow in executing iudgement and iustice So farre off was he from being weary in vpright dealing that he praied still for the continuance of it Then if we be not wearie in our calling and could come to say with this man of God and with the Apostle Paul that we are not conscious in our selues yet we must further proceede and say that we are not hereby iustified because the largenes of the lawe cannot be concluded in the narrow compasse of our braine we must pray for the increase both of our knowledge and faith According to thy mercie Hee saith not giue iudgement because I haue done well but deale with thy seruant according to thy
can walke in the loue of God and obedience of his will doubtlesse this is a speciall grace of God In this sense the Prophet prayed on this sort Therefore haue I doubled my prayer because I see so little helpe among men I cannot see any good example to edifie me Lord helpe me It is time for thee O Lord to worke for men haue destroyed thy law We see then how well this dependeth on that which goeth before For in the beginning of this Portion he prayed that he might not be oppressed of his enemies now he prayeth that his enemies might be suppressed At the first sight this would seeme not to be a charitable kind of dealing to pray against enemies because loue requireth that we should pray for our enemies how then doth this agree with the rule of loue or shall we thinke that the man of God did any thing here against the law of charitie We haue shewed that the children of God were neuer inkindled with wrath for their owne cause but for the breach of the law of God so this man of God had no respect of himself but of Gods law his cause was good his persecutors cause was euill he hurt them not but laboured by all meanes to ouercome them with good he did not for a while but continued long in it he was not wearie of his wel doing but went forward euen to the very failing of his eies yea his eies as he saith in the last verse of Port. 7. gush out with teares because their sins were so great he sought peace ensued it and yet he saw no amendment but that they were worse and worse wherefore seeing their sinne was past recouerie and that there was no ordinarie help on earth he prayeth God to deale with them from heauen Neither doth he pray here for their confusion and vtter perdition as some may falsely thinke but rather sheweth that it is now time that the Lord should vse some chastisement that they may know that there was a God and that they had broken the lawes of God that they might come to a sight and feeling of their sins that they might be punished if it were so the wil of God to their conuersion or at the least that they might be no more a plague to the world and a reproch to the word When our affections are mingled with our cause we are to suspect our selues but otherwise when we haue a good cause and see that we haue perseuered in executing iudgement and iustice and yet the iniquitie of our aduersaries laieth it selfe so open that it groweth desperate then we may desire the Lord to take his cause into his owne hand And here we are to obserue the Prophet saith They haue c. where he noteth not any particular person nor maketh mention of the destruction of any singular man but vseth a generall rule wherefore for our instruction these rules are more diligently to be obserued First we are to looke that our cause be good and our aduersaries cause be euill Secondly that we be not incensed with anger because we are contemned but because Gods word is despised that is that the cause why we pray against them be Gods and not ours Thirdly that we keep our selues in well doing and thereby heape coales of fire vpon their head that we beare them euen to the breaking of our backes Fourthly then when we haue vsed curteous admonitions and by the ministerie of the word or Magistracie if the matter so require and may be obtained haue sought to turne them Fiftly when we haue prayed for their amendment and wept for their sinnes and yet all these things will not serue we may say as in a last refuge Lord take the rod into thine hand spare them not alwaies prouiding this that we pray not against any particular person but leaue them to Gods secret iudgement Thus we see here is no breach of charitie But now adaies we may hereby see men reuenge rather their owne affections than defend Gods glorie Wherefore when we haue prayed ill against them for whom we neuer prayed for good I say to them tremble and feare for this is not the zeale of Eliah this is not the zeale of Dauid it is a zeale of the flesh and not of the spirit it will worke their singular woe vnlesse they repent It is time That man of God here teacheth Gods children that when Gods law is destroyed it is time for the Lord to wake This euery man may confesse but blessed are they that can say in a good conscience I haue liued iustly I haue vsed no ill against mine enemies I haue prayed for them I haue deuoured many iniuries at their hands I neuer reuenged Secondly we are here to learne that when the law of God is once brought into contempt whether it be in a nation in a countrie in a citie or particular person let that nation countrie citie or particular person know that the wrath of God is not farre off either to their amendment or to their further and more speedie destruction If we goe through the doctrine of the Prophets we shall see this to be true As first we may see in the first second third sixt seuenth and eight of Esay the Prophet of God threatneth the Israelites that because they came to worship of a custome but lay still in their sinnes because they were rebellious giuen to pleasure and contemners of the word they should be led captiue of the Assyrians and denounceth many plagues against them which all came to passe in the daies of Ahaz they were carried away captiue and were no more a people of seuentie yeares after as may appeare Esay 6. And although Gods children haue their infirmities and euen they which are Gods children by calling may fall into grosse sinnes yet because there is in them no general falling from honestie but they haue in them a special care and feare of Gods word so that they loue nothing more they feare and tremble at nothing more than at it though it may be in the meane time they fall into sinne yet they will not fall from sinne to sinne surely the Lord will in time draw them out of their sins and spare them from the common destruction as he did here Dauid who though not this generall contempt of the word yet some sinne he had This is then in the children of God truely called that although sometime more carnall than spirituall and slide into many wants and infirmities yet they fall not from one sinne to another sinne but they tremble being rebuked by the word they esteeme reuerently of the prayers of the faithfull they thinke highly of the Sacraments vsed in the congregation are obedient to all discipline of the Church in these there is great hope that they shall be reclaimed from sinne and exempted from the punishment of the same But when we ioyne sinne with sinne and draw sinne
it in our braine and when we haue throughly set our affections on it our life though it should be taken from vs yet our soule would sticke to the thing whereon our affections are so earnestly set So Ionathans heart was saide to bee knit to Dauid wherefore let vs labour to say with the Virgine Mary My soule doth magnifie thâ— Lord my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Thy testimonies are wonderfull Hereof say the Papists that the word of God being mystical should not be taught to the common sort of people the common people say themselues what will ye haue vs doe with the word of God what should simple men meddle with it we are not like the learned it is for you it is for you that are learned not for vs. The holy ghost here most fitly prouideth against the Papists and the common people Let vs know then this that a simple man of the countrie though at the first he be not so capable yet offering and submitting his heart and whole reason to the Lord and his word he shall afterward attaine to great knowledge They are wonderfull then to humane wit and reason not sanctified and the more wise men wander in the skyes and houer aloft in vaine conceites and yet haue not learned Christ Iesus crucified haue nothing in them when as poore simple people desirous to be taught doe vnderstand wonderfull things The Prophet saith Psalm 78. Heare my word O my people c. I will open my mouth in a parable c. and hee addeth afterward we will not hide them from their children He calleth them high speeches and darke sentences to mans capacitie but Gods people can vnderstand them they are hidden to them that trust too much to their owne reason and are reuealed vnto them that renounce their owne reason Marke here he saith the 〈…〉 into thy statutes Will then the beginning giue vnderstanding what will it doe to them that are gone forward in it what hindreth vs why we goe forward no more but euen the too much trusting to our owne wits What haue we such wits in outward matters and are so grosse in matters concerning our saluation Oh hypocrites saith our Sauiour Christ you can discerne the outward seasons c. What meaneth then this dulnes and deadnesse in heauenly things but that men deceiue their owne soules For if their wits were sanctified they would as well conceiue spirituall things as corporall To doe ill saith â—eremie this people is wise but to doe good they haue no wit What a curse of God vpon our wits is this that wee are so quicke in worldly things and so dull in heauenly things surely it is the punishment of the Lord for the pride of mans reason The meaning then of this place is not that they which are altogether bereaued of discretion haue such a light in the word but it is vnderstoode of them who being lowly in their owne eyes abase their pride of wit to the pure wisedome of Gods spirit so that neither the simplicitie of the baser sort is any hinderance to the gospell neither the wisedome of the mightie any thing auaileth thereunto vnlesse it be sanctified howsoeuer men brag of an holy foolishnes For Ioseph Iob Dauid and Daniel had good wits but sanctified and subiect by Gods spirit to the word Wee are then to learne by the things which we haue spoken that no man hateth sinne with a godly zeale in another but he first hated it in himselfe we must cast the first stone at ourselues True it is that we cannot auoide all ill wayes yet we must hate one euill way as well as another and though we cannot doe all good things yet we must loue one commaundement as well as another This then is that which the Lord requireth euen to heare â—l his commaundements alike Againe so much we profit by the word the more when we must esteeme of those things against which our reason doth most resist and our affections most fight We shewed also out of the 129. verse that the Prophets meaning was not that there were some profound mysteries in the word but that all were mysteries what thing soeuer therein contained We shewed that the man of God did not place the word in his vnderstanding onely but also in his heart and affections We must labour to ioyne iudgement and affection for in â—oble if affection bee not ioyned with iudgement iudgement will not helpe because affections rebell and wee shall finde such a conflict that we will say we haue lab 〈…〉 much in iudgement and too little in affections When then in temptation we shall not onely haue iudgement but also affection on ourside we shal be able the better to â—â—â—â— unter with 〈…〉 things commaunded a speciall meane to embrace them is to trauaile as well with affection â—s with iudgement in things forbidden these two ioyned together will make vs the better to auoyde them Wherefore it is good for a man thus to â—rie himselfe Lord giue mee a sight of my former estate why did I not according to knowledge why did I so little profit either in particular duties or in particular troubles surely I euer laboured so after my affections as after iudgements I laid vp thy word more in my minde than in my heart Vers. 131. I opened my mouth and panted because I loued thy commendements SOme would thinke this zeale to be madnesse because they had neuer such feelings nor affections But what saith this man of God more of himselfe hee saith that with his feete he walked in the lawe of God his eyes looke to it his hands were lift vp his spirit panted and as a man being wearie gapeth to take breath and swalloweth vp the ayre so the Prophet in the wearinesse of his troubles swallowed vp the word of God O hungrie soule which the Lord did â—atisfie and with his word alone could comfort The metapher is taken from wearied and panting Hinds which after long pursuing and chasing was very drye through heaâ—e and desire nothing more than the water bâ—ookes So that as he chased Hart longeth after the waters so his thirstie soule desired nothing more than to be satisfied with the word This Psalme is giuen vs by Gods blessing to remoue vs from our dulnesse and to teach vs that we should not labour more after knowledge that after affection why then profit we no more in the word there is little hunger in vs much 〈◊〉 doth 〈…〉 vs we examine not ourselues at midnight we are not humbled we thust not we pant not All Gods promâ—ies are chiefly made to them that hunger after them it is said Pro. 2. 4. It thou seekest knowledge as siluer and searâ—hest for her as for treasure 5 Thâ—â—â— shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord c. Here we see the holy ghost calleth 〈…〉 word a â—reasure that is â—id and sheweth how we must seeke search for it Awakethe your affections awake your affections
behold here the blessing of God he will blesse â—ts and satisfie the hungrie soules The Lord requireth nothing of vs but to mistrust our reason and to suspect our affections but to be teachable in spirit to hunger in heart and thirstingly to long after his word which if we shall doe we shall receiue increase of knowledge and amendment of life For to them that as meeke schollers wil be taught of Gods spirit and submit their reason to the simplicâ—tâ—e of the word the Lord saith Matth. 5. Blessed anâ— the poore in spirit for theirâ—s is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled But here may seeme to mans reason a great repugnance to the verse aforegoing The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simile For hee had shewed in the verse going before that the testimonies of the Lord were wonderfull not in part â—â—â— meaning that all therein was mysticall and here he saith that the very entrance into Gods word giueth light and vnderstanding to the simple We answere that the law or especially the second table of it may bee conceiued by reason but it is nothing so in â—â—â— doctrine of faith which is here meant in this word testimonies which we shewed to bee taken for the couenants of God The doctors of reason I meane the papists say the word is not to be taught to the common people because it is mystical but they neuer knew not by good experience felt that the Scriptures of God were easie to them that would submit themselues to them and vse them familiarly Others indeed may read see and heare them but they shall be as Parables and enigmaticall vnto them If then wee did see this aright that that which the wisest man cannot conceiue the simplest soules may attaine to if they will be taught of God would it not take vp our affections This made our Sauiour Christ say I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hia these things from the â—â—â—â— and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes euen so O Father was it thy good will and pleasure As if our Sauiour Christ should haue said O Lord I see the wise men haue great conceiuings and yet they attaine not to thy word yet to them that are humble and poore of spirit I see thou makest it knowne Did our Sauiour Christ giue thankes for this thing and shall not we for whose example these things were done We can giue thankes for our wits and for our memories but what is that to the purpose our wit may rather hinder vs than further vs in the true knowledge of the Lord vnles it be humbled and subiect to Gods spirit But here is a great cause of thankefulnesse that the simple shall vnderstand these mysteries not as we shewed before such as haue no conceiuing at all but such as acknowledge their simplicitie and hunger after the word euen as we also grant that wisemen shall haue this vnderstanding if they will denie their reason and stir vp affection For as all wise men shal not be debarred from this priuiledge so all simple men shal not be preferred thereunto For neither wisedome in it selfe nor simplicitie in it owne nature doe either further or hinder hereunto But alas I see how loath men would bee to lose their worldly wit and how they seeke after praise and commendation for the same but few eyther with like affection desire spirituall vnderstanding or sorrow in any like measure when they haue it not Deut. 4. 6. That is your vnderstanding and wisedome in the sight of the people saith A Moses That the Lord permitteth you so neere to approch to him and to bee taught his ordinances and lawes What then meane these speeches of them that hunt so much after worldly wit Why doe you thinke I am a foole Doe you thinke I am an asse and haue no wit to conceiue what things be as well as other men Doe you count me but a dul head Surely they are too proud and too much blinded in their owne conceits Wherfore the Prophet doth shew vs that as the mysteries of Gods word are reuealed to them that are simple of vnderstanding so are they to theÌ„ that are zealous in affectioÌ„ The cause then why we do no more profit by the word is because wee doe not denie our reason wee haue not affections that hunger after it nor loue to make vs pant for it which things if we did we should surely be satisfied Indeed the Lord giueth vnderstanding to whom he pleaseth where he purposeth to bestow so great a blessing hee giueth grace also more aboundantly to suboue their reason And as simplicitio cannot of it selfe bee a cause of spirituall vnderstanding but as it sooner bringeth vs to a sight of our wants and maketh vs the more to long after Gods word so wisedome is no cause of hinderance but as wee resting too much in the feare of reason cannot easily be brought to the simplicitie of Gods word And if the entrance rudiments and principles of religioÌ„ giue such knowledge and the very catechismes yeeld such vnderstanding what is to be hoped for when wee attaine to riper knowledge when wee haue more vnderstanding when wee haue more affections well let vs then examine our owne hearts herein when wee begunne were wee delighted with vnderstanding and did our vnderstanding moue in vs such affections and in our proceedings is our vnderstanding lesse and our affections fewer or doe we not thinke still of our ignorance and desire to haue our iudgemeÌ„t clearer we are in a dangerous estate we must suspect our selues Sathan wil bewitch vs and tel vs that this is a paradoxe that after so long hearing and reading we should still be ignorant and that still we haue neede to hunger after the word It is therfore the great mercy of God that to the receiuing of so singular a benefit he requireth nothing of vs but the acknowleding of our ignorance and bewayling of our wants Hee would that we should still put our selues in minde of this one thing that though we haue not this vnderstanding in the highest degree or in an hundred fold yet we must haue it in some degrees either in threescore fold or in thirtie fold we must vexe grieue and trouble our selues for this affection For where it is the heart is a liberall and free ruler of our affections and where it is not we must learne to lay violent hands euen on our affections We are to shew that which we omitted in the latter ende of the verse going before Because I loued thy law c. Heere the prophet sheweth that the loue which hee did beare to Gods lawe was so great that it could not satisfie him but still hee thirsted after it and thirsting did pant Loue as we say alwaies setteth a price of things nothing is too deare no trauaile
the man of God setteth downe the tearmes of his companions and sheweth how he coueted only Gods louing countenance The sicke desire health the imprisoned libertie the poore desire riches but few desire Gods countenance in the forgiuenes of sinne in the beholding of vs in Christ in giuing the graces of his holy spirit which are the pledges of his loue Many worlds are nothing worth it is a good heart which the Lord requireth Sanctification holines and the blessing of Gods spirit are true riches which we must craue and obtaine with sighs grones and teares For if we can sigh if we can grone if we can sorrow when we are but in sicknes of body or some outward calamitie what a shame is it if we cannot sigh sorrow and grone for the inward wants and necessities of the soule But if men knew what it were to haue the inward peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding they would surely desire it more That I might keepe thy statutes So many would haue Gods fauour to shine vnto them in libertie in health or in riches but he craueth God his fauour in his word which if we can get let the Lord deale with other things which concerne vs as pleaseth him best Will we know then when we haue a true loue to God his word It is when we especially desire it and nothing aboue it For as the greatest light that euer came to the world is the light of the Sunne so the most precious thing that can come to the world is the light of Gods word that we may see the light in God his light and behold the countenance of the Lord Otherwise if we be in prosperitie we will thinke our selues to be well when we are in aduersitie we thinke our selues ill Here we may see that as there is cleerenes when the Sunne shineth and that there is darknesse in the mists and cloudinesse so there is a vicissitude of Gods children whilest sometime their vnderstanding is cleered by the comfort of the word other sometimes it is darkened by the mists of ignorance which commeth to passe that we might the more reuerently and louingly esteeme the word For as the Lord hath the dispensation of the Sunne in heauen so hath he the disposing of his countenance to vs on earth Vers. 136. Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Law MIne eyes gush out with water He doth here shew a cause why he did so earnestly pray for Gods louing countenance in his word for he was greatly grieued and sore afflicted and trouble compassed him on euery side The speech is not a false or fained speech but such as sheweth the greatnes of his griefe by that which is greater and it is as much as if he had said I weepe bitterly and often because men keepe not thy Law And this is the note of true zeale which easeth it selfe with teares and not with reuenge or anger and this is godly zeale when we cannot helpe a thing then by teares to commit it to God who alone is able to saue men This was not for priuate iniurie but because Gods law is broken This then is true zeale when we can deuoure priuate iniuries be zealous in Gods cause for fleshly men are hot in their owne causes and cold in the cause of the Lord. A man cannot thus be sorrowfull for another vnlesse he be sorrowfull for himselfe and then are we truely sorrowfull for our selues when we can mourne for others As Marie loued much and therefore wept much because much was forgiuen her And hereof it commeth that most notorious sinners being conuerted are most truely zealous haue greatest compassion ouer sinners for they haue felt Gods goodnes so greatly to them that they desire that others should be partakers thereof As Panl more zealous than the rest because more notorious than the rest of the Apostles PORTION 18. TSADDE Vers. 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements AS in the latter end of the former Portion the Prophet shewed that his eyes gusht out with riuers of waters because of the generall backsliding and falling to iniquitie so here he sheweth that he had almost pined away and consumed to nothing to see the ripenes of iniquities in them which were his enemies And whereas this might haue beene a great temptation that notwithstanding there were made so many promises to the godly and such iudgements threatned to the wicked yet the godly sustained so hard things and the wicked were in so good a case he confirmeth his faith by staying his whole confidence on God and trusteth in God because he is righteous and acknowledgeth him to be a righteous God because euery part of his word is righteous and whatsoeuer the Lord hath said either concerning his promises to his seruants or threatnings to his enemies is most iust and true The selfe same must also stay vs when we are in the like temptations when we shall be counted as precise fooles and vnquiet spirits because we weepe and lament for the sinnes of others or when we seeing the wicked liue in such pleasures begin to maruell how it commeth to passe that the godly are so ill dealt withall and when the godly liue with teares and the vngodly passe their time in ioy Wherefore the man of God raiseth vp himselfe with this meditation howsoeuer those things seeme to be confounded cast together yet thou ô Lord art God and gouernest all thou art a righteous God and thy iudgements are righteous yea euery word of thy word ô Lord is righteous and true thy promises which in time thou shalt performe will not fall away nor thy iudgements which thou wilt one day execute shall not faile Behold how we also must strengthen our faith in the like assaults This was a notable example of faith which so yeelded to the due obedience of the word of God for our instruction when we are in such distresse our eyes must not be set on any visible or earthly things but onely on things inuisible and heauenly euen on the word of God on his promises which he wil performe on his iustice which he will execute we must I say haue our eyes lifted vp further than the scope of heauen and the circuites of the Sunne we must looke to heauen where Gods promises shall be fully performed and accomplished we must looke to hell where his iudgements shall be finished fully executed For though both Gods promises may on earth be performed and his vengeance may here be executed yet all his promises are not shewed to any nor many of them shewed to all but there may be some wanting of them and the wicked may haue a great torment of minde and hell of conscience and yet all haue them not neither haue any all because many are glorious in their life and pompous in their death What then shall we say to this but with the
more than the glorie of God because he did not more seuerely and more zealously rebuke his sons and in that there wanted in him that feruencie of spirit whreby he should haue cut off his sonnes from their office wherefore the hand of God did cut off his life and depriued all his posteritie of the Priesthood Although this good man was offended and grieued with the euils of his sonnes yet his coldnes in zeale brought â—pon him this plague Elias whose zeale as much pleased the Lord as the coldnes of Elie displeased him was of a feruent spirit for when the Lord asked him where he had been he answered I haue beene zealous for the Lord God of Hosts sake and when he complained that he could finde none which had not bowed vnto Baal the Lord vouchsafeth to comfort him and telleth him there be 7000. which neuer bowed their knees to him Well because he continued zealous in beating downe Idolatrie the Lord came downe visibly with a firie Chariot and fetched Eliah from earth to heauen We need not here speake of the great zeale of Moses Phinees and other of the seruants of God We see and know the cause of this loue in the man of God was the purenesse of the word We heard in the first verse that the iudgements of the Lord were righteous we haue heard in the second verse that the testimonies of the Lord contained a speciall righteousnesse wee shall heare in the sixt verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is an euerlasting righteousnesse wee may see in the seuenth verse that it made him delight in trouble and in the eight verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is euerlasting Wherefore doth hee this as we haue alreadie said to strengthen his Faith for after hee had said that the riuers of teares through zeale and griefe burst out of his eyes hee addeth and rehearseth these things What shall we say they are vaine repititions Nay we know the holy Ghost reproueth them Math. 6. We see then that in so oft commending the word of God the Prophet sheweth to vs our vnbeliefe which he felt so much in himselfe When do idle repetitions so much displease the Lord Surely when our tongues walke idlie and in our prayers wee speake we know not what But when a mans heart is full of sorrow and fraught with griefe of his sinnes or earnestly longeth after a thing then let vs crie Lord haue mercie vpon mee then let vs powre out our spirits say Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe Thus when the heart is loth to bee ouercome of vnbeliefe and when it desireth to shewe forth his sorrow or when Gods children would exercise their Faith or feele in themselues any rare ioy which they would gladly expresse then they vse manie repetitions as wee may see both in the booke of Chronicles and the Psalmes Praise yee the Lorde because hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer where wee shall see in 26. verses this still repeated for his mercie endureth for euer What shall wee say now that here is any needlesse repetition No well we see here then that wee must not speake simplie against repetitions but in great wisedome of the Spirit because the heart of the godly cannot satisfie it selfe with Faith and feeling of Gods promises vnlesse it breaketh foorth as a fire into many speeches Hereby we know now that the man of God here expresseth his faith we are to learne that without some liuely feeling of faith of ioy or of griefe we are not to vse oft repetitions vnlesse happily they be vsed to stirre vs vp the more to these or such like So cried the woman of Canaan O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me and being rebuked she still cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me We would thinke it somewhat strange and as a great matter to see a poore body shoote out so many prayers at once when they speake out of the abundance of their heart which is stuffed with so many griefes and troubles Thy word saith the Prophet is proued true it hath no changeable goodnesse but hath in it an euerlasting righteousnes seruing for all ages for all persons and for all times Mens opinions faile the wisedome strength and authoritie of man in time hath an end but this Word is exceeding large and neuer hath end Thy word is proued pure Many would thinke this to be but a small commendation for the word of God but come to a man when his minde is much troubled and tell him of the word and what purenesse what comfort will he finde in it Surely he will be as one that hath no taste in it and as one that feeleth no more sweetnesse than a sicke man doth taste in a chip And notwithstanding all that the word shall doe to him he will still follow his owne waies and goe on forward in the deuices of his owne head Doe men then feele such infinite comfort in the word so much is their comfort as is their faith and so little is their faith as little is their comfort Looke into Gods children how greatly they lament their vnbeleefe looke into Dauid looke on Iob looke on the late and blessed Martyr of God Bradford who almost in all his bookes and in euery meditation complaineth of his vnbeleefe notwithstanding that he was a man so rich in the graces of God so throughly mortified to the world so stayed in faith and yet the neerer he came daily to Christ the more he stil crieth against vnbeleefe Wherefore Paul seeing this to be a common disease among all men saith This is a faithfull thing and worthie of all men to be remembred That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners this is a faithfull saying with such like speeches which the Apostle vseth as preparatiues to stirre vp our faith The purenesse of the word is mentioned of the Prophet when after he had lamented the miserable ellate of the godly and the great decay of godlinesse he crieth out to the Lord speedily to assist his children saying Helpe Lord Psal. 12. 4 for there is not a godly man leâ—â— c. and by and by he addeth verse 6. The wordes of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold If we should imagine the purest siluer that is often tried and serueth in the court for Princes euen so pure must we beleeue the word of God to be which not seuen times alone but seuentie times seuen times hath beene tried in the fire of aduersitie and still hath remained most pure and neuer could any corruption bâ— found in it Wee haue seene good men as it were confounded and yet comforted and being tried are found to be pure The meaning of the man of God in that place is trie the word as you doe trie the purest mettals with persecution with torment with contempt or howsoeuer I
may know that he felt great dulnesse and deadnesse in himselfe which often creepeth euen on the dearest Saints of God but so as they struggle against it still and referre themselues to Gods mercie wherein consisteth our life both spirituall and corporall Vers. 160. The beginning of thy word is truth and all the iudgements of thy righteousnesse endure for euer AS if hee should say I beleeue that thou wilt thus quicken men because the verie beginning of thy Word is most iust and true and when thou diddest first enter into couenant with me I did finde that thou diddest not deceiue me nor beguile me and when by thy spirit thou madest me beleeue thy couenant thou meanest trutâ—â—â— I know that â—s thou diddest promise thou wilâ— performe for thou art no more liberall in promising than faithfull and iust in performing and thy iudgement will be as righteous as thy promise is true wherefore as soone as thou speakest trueth proceedeth from thee so â— know that thou wilt defend and preserue me that thy iudgements may sâ—â—â—e as righteou in thee And as this was particular to him so is it generall to all for where the Lord doth in mercie promise there in righteousnesse he will performe and where the Lord in wâ—â—â—h doâ—â— threaten there in iudgement he wil righteously execute For where he 〈◊〉 he sheweth himselfe true and when he performeth he executeth righteousness when the Lord threatneth he manifesteth himselfe to be iust when he executeth he proueth himselfe to be righteous So the speech of the man of God containeth thus much Though all men be liars I know thou O Lord art true thou doest promise that thou wâ—â—t watch ouer thy children and that no temptation shall ouercome them I know this promise is true and therefore as thou diddest promise in truth in the beginning so wilâ— thou performe in righteousnes in the ending For both in beginning and in ending thou â—â—â—â—like and true How iniurious then are we to the Lord who will doubt of Gods promises that in prosperitie he will renue our hearts and put into vs a good spirit And why doe we doubt of his prouidence in aduersitie seeing his promise hath euer his issue in truth and veritie and seeing the Lord will not leaue vs vntill euery word that he hath spoken come to pass for heauen and earth shall passe but not one word of his mouth shall faile And as the consideration hereof doth coÌ„fort vs in his promises so also must it humble vs in his threatnings Seeing then he hath pronounced and giuen out his sentence that no vnrighteous persons nor fornicatours nor idolaters nor adultereâ—s nor wantons nor buggerers â—â—r theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor â—aâ—lers nor extortioners shall inherit then his kingdome as this is truth so it shall surely come to passe in his righteous iudgement So that they that haue done these things without speciall grace and singular repentance shall surely be damned For as true as the word of God is so righteous are his iudgements He is true of his mouth when the word passeth from him he is iust in his workes when he is righteous in performing Thus we see that to be soundly grounded in faith we must couple with the promises of God his performance with his threatnings his executions Thus also must we fight against vnbeleefe so that if we will not 〈◊〉 the Lord of vntruth we must waite for the accomplishmeÌ„t of his truth Whether then concerning â—â—s mercy his promise be of newnes of life of forgiuenes of sinnes of his prouidence or of life euerlasting we must strengthen our faith with assurance that as his word is true so also his executing of it is righteous So that the word of God shall certainly haue an issue either to humble vs by profiting or else to debarre vs of his kingdome in refusing it The sense then of the man of God is plaine and euident in shewing whatsoeuer the Lord hath spoken for good in his promise he will performe it to his children Whatsoeuer he hath threatned for euill he will execute it vpon the sinners so that we may be assured of the full accomplishment of his promises and of the righteous executing of his iudgements PORTION 21. SHIN Vers. 161. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy word AS the man of God not long before shewed that he had many persecutors so here she sheweth they were no meane men nor of the inferiour sort but mightie Princes neither Princes of a prophane people but rulers of the chosen of God the Iewes and that he did not suffer for deserts as an ill doer but innocently as one that had â—â—â—ther presu 〈…〉 transgreâ—sâ—d against the Maiestie of God neither disobediently done against th 〈…〉 〈◊〉 this was no 〈◊〉 temptation in that Princes who should haue taken â—is part against his eneâ—â—â—â— â—â—â— whom he should haue received countenance in his cause being good should 〈…〉 and goe against him For what 〈◊〉 â—t to haue the 〈◊〉 to be our 〈◊〉 who should â—ee the gouernouâ—â— of Gods Church in that hee should be◠〈◊〉 to thinke that 〈◊〉 the gouâ—rnours of the people weâ—e â—â—â— or that his one â—â—â—â—â— of your head â—f noâ— one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lesse your bodie iâ—â—â—ppâ—ly 〈…〉 yet not the soule You sâ—â—â—â—e â—â—â—â—lâ— bodies of feathered fowles without God â—â—s permission fâ—ll not into the hands of men which are so little in value that two of them are sold for a penie how then can they haue power vpon your bodies without leaue of the Lord seeing ye are far more pretious in his sight and hee taketh a further care of your bodies But if for my glorie yee shall lay downe your liues they can reuenge themselues but of your bodies as for your soule they cannot touch it But mâ—ne heart 〈…〉 we of thy word c. Here wee see the greater feare ouercame the lâ—â—sâ— If the faces of Princes be terrible because their angrie lookes threaten euill their wrathfull words â—enace death because whatsoeuer they will doe they can doe and whatsoeuer they can doe they dare doe yet fâ—are them not â—aith Christ but feare him who in his wrath 〈…〉 â—â—ule into hell They can take and attach the bodie but the good eâ—t â—â— of the soule can they not 〈◊〉 but rather feare him who can arrest the bodie and afterward can â—lso attaâ—h the soule The 〈…〉 het may be this I was afraide to displease thee O Lord and 〈…〉 noâ— to please mâ—â—â— enemies although they were mightier then I. Thus 〈…〉 hâ—w he wâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and that hee perseuered in the feare of God without 〈◊〉 For â—â—â—th hâ— though the feare of my mightie aduersaries was great â—et â—â—◠〈◊〉 the feâ—re of thee had â—â—asoned mine heart and had left sucâ— a deep impression in to 〈…〉 thâ—â— by infidelitie I should mistrust thee or by disobedience I 〈…〉 Wherefore the spirituall feare of thee
ouercame â—ll corporall feare of 〈◊〉 The r 〈…〉 corporall feare are which so much dâ—unteth the heart is to craue a greater feare of Gods Maiestieâ— the strength whereof may ouermatch the 〈◊〉 feare When the Kings of 〈◊〉 had conspired against the people of God the Prophet of God said vnto them Esay 8. 12. Say â—ee 〈◊〉 A confedâ—racie to all them to whâ—me this people â—â—ith a confederaâ—â—â— neither 〈…〉 nor be afraid of them 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hostes and let him be 〈…〉 your drâ—â—â— And least we should think that this appertaineth not as well to all Christians as to the Iewes Let vs heare what the Apostâ—â— Peter â—aith 1. Perâ— 3. 14 Blessed are yâ—e if we suffer for righteousnes sake yea feare not 〈…〉 e neither be troubled 15. But 〈◊〉 the Lord in your hearts be ready 〈…〉 were to euery sin â—n that 〈◊〉 you a reason of the â—oâ—e that is in you Were the blessed Apostle sheweth that wee are not readie to make Confession of our hope vntill wee put away this feare and sanctifie the Lord in our harts glorifying his truth in promising and his 〈◊〉 in performing And to applie this to our selues if the Magistrate should bring vâ—to the Racke or torture to betray the good cause of God or innocencie of our brethren let vs rather feare to displease God for his threatnings then man for his punishment And in particular example to applie this doctrine we heare Ierem. 1. 17. what the Lord saith to the Prophet Say not I am a childe c. Be not afraide of their faces for I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. Here the Lord addeth ver 17. Thou therfore 〈◊〉 vp thy loynes and arise and speake vnto all that I commaund thee be not afraide of their faces least I destroy thee before them In which place the Lord setteth downe a promise to assist him and a threatning to punish him both which did so preuaile that he durst speake boldly and prouoke the King to wrath Acts 5. wee reade that when the Priests and Sadduces being full of indignation laide hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison Peter the rest of the Apostles answered We ought rather to obey God then men Menace vs say they as much as yee will we care not for it we feare to discredit the blessed promise and lightly to passe ouer the heauie threatnings of our God and wee feare you not Againe this feare was written in the heart of Paul 1. Cor 9. 16. Though I preach the Gospell I haue nothing to reioyce of for necessitie is laid vpon me and woe to vnto me if I preach not the Gospell c. Howsoeuer we thinke this easie to be learned it is doubtlesse most hard to be practised For though Princes doe not their duties yet wee must not therefore rebell against them and though we be persecuted of rulers without a cause yet we must stand in awe of Gods word and our Sauiour CHRIST hath pronounced that whosoeuer striketh with the sword shall perish with the sworde If then either our Princes shall be vngodly or their vnder officers vnfaithfull we must not therevpon grudge to pay tribute to giue taske and to yeeld subsidie but we must doe them euen with conscience as to the ordinance appointed of God knowing and acknowledging that the hand of Gods wrath in their corrupt Gouernment is iustly layd vpon vs for some sinne Wherefore the holy Ghost saith Eccl. 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought neither curse the Rich in thy bed-chamber for the fowle of the heauen shall carrie the voyce that which hath wings shall declare the matter If then our Princes should vse all their tribute to sensualitie or take vp all their taxes for pleasure withour either feare of God or loue of their Common-wealth yet curse not the King saith the Wiseman no not in thy bed-chamber So that if flesh and blood should moue vs to murmure that wee should be readie to thinke euill of them that are in authoritie the holy Ghost here warneth vs that wee vse no such speeches and put away such thoughts because both our speeches and thoughts stand at the controlling of God his iudgements but we must humbly ascribe it to our sinne that hee withdraweth his grace from them and pulleth his wrath vpon vs. Wherefore if we thinke as many worldly men doe that thoughts are free and are not called into the Court and that euery man is a King in his priuie chamber the spirite of God chargeth our conscience here before the Court of heauen and telleth vs that our chambers are the Lords chambers also and therefore as true Israelites euen in secret we should thinke no guile for the Lord will reueale it and punish it openly yea euen the fowles of the ayre shall bewray our vnfaithfulnes To come lower to our selues because we must not thinke that this affection must be in Dauid and not in vs for so shall we make vnprofitable whatsoeuer is taught whereas the man of God did feare to offend euen when Princes are against him we not onely cannot sustaine so great a triall in the feare of our God but if the losse of any worldly pelfe come to vs we are straight voyde of all feare and cannot abide to be taught any good thought we are vnquiet vntill we haue consulted with wizards witches not withstanding in awe of Gods threatnings against that sinne Deu. 18. 10 Let none be found among you that vseth witchcraft 11. Or that is a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a southsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord c. where the Lord counteth no otherwise of these things then of the vp-heape of sinne Againe 1. Chron. 10. 13. it is said that Saul died for his transgression that hee committed against the Lorde euen against the word of the Lord which hee kept not in that hee sought and asked counsell of a Familiar spirit 14. And asked not of the Lord c. where we see that in reckoning Saul his sinne this is the laâ—â— and wrappeth vp all the rest in that hee asked not counsell of the Lord but went to a witch So this was the heape of his sinne this filled the iust measure of his iniquities because when he should haue repented of all other sinnes hee made this the full heape of his sinnes and pulled consequently vpon him the height of Gods iudgements for he was cut off from the kingdome and desperately ended his life Esay â—8 when the Lord reckoned vp the sinnes of the people as their infidelity their obstinacie he commeth at the last to their sorceries saying 19. When such shall say vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuâ—â—ation and at the south sayers which whisper murmure should not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead
haue our loue and hatred proportionable to the things loued and hated and our affections must be answerable either in liking the things which are commaunded or in misliking the things which are forbidden If our first loue decay it will first come to be cold and then to be none Wherefore the holy Ghost doth exhort men in the booke of the Prouerbs that their loue should be wholy set on their wiues and so they should not couet any other And Isaac who is said to loue his wife Rebecca deerely neuer fell into the sin of Polygamie or concubines So our loue to the word must be so through a loue that it take vp all our affections and so may shut out all that comes in the way which either might empaire part of our loue or spoyle vs of the whole We see in them that are irreconciliable what hatred is in them We may see how many hauing found sometimes terrour of conscience haue fallen from the hatred of sinne to the like of it and so haue made relapse either into old sins from which they were deliuered or else into some new sins where with before they were not acquainted Wherefore we must pray that our loue to good things and hatred to euill may daily be growing For if we stand at a stay we shall come to lesse and lesse yea in the end we shall shake hands with sinne againe For many are so cold in the pursuite of sinne that it is to be feared that the Lord will plague vs either with heresie or with profanenesse For whereof commeth our commending of Papists and heretikes that we can say Surely he is an honest man it is pitie he is a Papist I knew neuer any ill by him it is to be feared we shall come to be such Papists for want of more feruent hatred against them Vers. 164. Seuen times a day doe I praise thee because of thy righteous iudgements AS before the man of God spake of his ioy feare and hatred so now he sheweth his loue which therefore seemeth to be no colde loue because it made him seuen times a day to praise the Lord. As the children of God cannot satisfie themselues in the hatred of sinne no more can they satisfie themselues in the loue of the Lord. And as for their true hatred of sinne they abhor it not onely in themselues but in others so for the true loue of the Lord they loue it not only in themselues but in others wheresoeuer they finde it The meaning of the man of God briefely is thus much because I see O Lord that thou performest thy promise vnto thy children and executest thy threatnings on the wicked I praise thee and when I consider the examples of thy iudgements and see thy truth so iust I delight in praising thee The cause then why we haue no more pleasure in praising God is because we obserue no more diligently Gods mercy and truth fulfilled and executed in our selues or in others Seuen times a day If this be vsed on any day doubtlesse on the Sabbath day because in respect of our callings other dayes are full of distractions neither are the mindes at such libertie as they are at other times The Apostle Ephes. 5. 16. saith Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be ye fulfilled in the spirit 29. speaking vnto your selues in psalmes hymnes and spirituall songs c as if he should say whereas other men cannot be merie vnlesse they be mad and they can finde no solace without their own conceits yet it is good for you in your most mirth to be plentiful in the spirit in good affections The same thing is vrged Colos. 3. 16 Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes c. What shall now become of them who thinke they doe God great good seruice to come twise on the Lord his day to the Church and thinke it a sufficient discharge for them seeing the Prophet protesteth that hee came seuen times a day to praise God that is Often he resorted to this sacrifice for this phrase of speech is vsuall in the word to set down a certaine number to expresse an vncertaine thing These remember not the often frequenting of priuate praier thanksgiuing conference admonitiō preparation visiting of the sicke almes giuing which be duties of loue annexed with the former publike duties of religion and as wel to be vsed in the Lords day as the other If this then be not to be done on the Sabbath day when should we do it True it is that with the good seruants of God Dauid and Daniel wee take vp euery day at morning noonetide and euening to praise the Lord but especially wee must remember to speake of these wonderfull workes of the Lord in the Sabbath as that 92 Psalme which is a Psalme of the Sabbath doth teach vs. Thus see how the Sabbath should wholy from morning to night be spent in these exercises and therefore is it set apart from all other dayes because that worship of God which we doe but in part on other dayes may now wholy be spent on the Lord. We see in time of Poperie how holy men would be at their solemne feasts as at Christ his tide Easter Candlemasse as they call it Holy thursday and Al-saints day Were they so superstitious in ill and shall we be cold in good things were they so feruent in idolatrie and shall we be so zealeles in the Lord his dayes wherein we haue all things doth not this day teach vs the benefits of Christs birth the profit of his Passion the fruite of his Resurrection the glorie of his Ascension the ioy of the comming of the holy Ghost doth it not teach vs how in this world we may praise God with his Angels and how hereafter we shall be occupied in heauen Wherefore let vs pray often in that day let vs examine our hearts what sinnes we haue done what benefits we haue receiued let vs prepare our selues before the congregation is gathered when they are assembled let vs so pray and heare that after the departure we may examine our hearing by meditating applying and conferring the prayers by the effects of them Thus in priuate and publike exercises in matters of religion and practises of loue we are to spend the whole Sabbath Alas how far are they now from praising God now seuen times in the day who passe it ouer in pleasures and so end it in their owne delights who no maruell must needes slip in common life who fall so deepely into God his course Doe I praise thee By naming one part of the exercise of God his worship hee comprehendeth many for it is not like that he contented himselfe with praising of God but that he also prayed heard meditated and conferred of the word and setting downe by name that whereunto we are most vnapt and most hardly drawne he includeth those things which
but of a patient faith and the cause of impatiencie is want of faith Of this faith speaketh the Prophet Esai 28 16. Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make haste to wit to by-waies and indirect meanes as casting off his hope of God his promises Of the contrarie the want of faith speaketh our Sauiour Christ Luke 18. 8. When the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth Likewise Heb. 10. when the Apostle had said The iust shall liue by faith If any withdraw himselfe his minde is not vpright in him my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Againe Habac. 2. when the Lord had commanded the Prophet to waite he saith He that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him that is he hath a troubled minde and vnquiet spirit Wherefore let vs attend vpon that exhortation of the Apostle Iam. 5. 11. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made As if he should say ye are not ignorant of that my errour of patiēce who when the Lord suspended his iudgements still waited for the accomplishments of his promises Whosoeuer then thinketh himselfe to haue faith and by patience cannot waite for the Lord his leisure and due time of helpe but withdraweth himselfe and maketh haste to other meanes and not staying himselfe on God his word and promises but hastneth and cannot be quiet in his minde vntill presently he haue gotten some helpe he is as yet an vnbeleeuer And I haue done thy Commandements Euen as without faith it is impossible to please God so is it impossible truly to trust in God his saluation vnlesse we labour by faith to serue him in loue and to please him with good workes Wherefore as the Apostle hath taken vp the truth of this rule so he sheweth Heb. 11. how all the Fathers by their faith did trauell in good workes By faith saith he Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice than Cain by faith was Enoch taken away by faith Noah prepared the Arke by faith Abraham obeyed God through faith Sarah receiued strength to conceiue c. A contrarie argument to that which we haue in our times where our faith and profession is so barren of good workes True it is that when we will glorie before God all boasting in good workes is shut out in that if he entreth into iudgement with the best of our actions he shal find them polluted with many imperfections so that we can by no meanes stand before him but in faith but Iam. 2. 20. Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without workes is dead was not Abraham our father iustified through workes c. where we must note the diuers significations of the word iustifie if we will shew these two propositions to be true and how they may be reconciled we are iustified by faith we are iustified by workes For as God sanctifieth vs when he maketh vs partakers of his holinesse and we sanctifie him when we shew him to be holie so God is said to iustifie vs when we are approued iust before God and we iustifie God when we testifie that he is iust In like maner faith iustifieth vs in that it acquiteth vs before God from our sinnes for Christ his sake in whom we beleeue workes iustifie vs in as much as they witnesse to vs and to men that we are iustified by faith before God whereof our sanctification is a pledge So that we meane nothing else when we say we are iustified by works than if we should say We declare and make knowne that we are iustified by these works For when euery good worke is of the spirit of God and the spirit of God is giuen to none but to the children of God when we faile in doing many things whereunto we are by Gods spirit moued and in those things which we doe we corrupt those motions so that our best actions stand in neede of faith to haue them purged in Christ his perfit obedience it is manifest that our workes onely giue a testimonie to our selues and others that we are iustified If then we haue true faith it must worke by loue that as faith doth acquite vs from sinne before God so good workes may giue euidence thereof before men When then we are carried away with dulnesse in good things and with deadnesse in weldoing we are to trie our hearts if we want God is not pleased with vs if we haue saith without workes we deceiue our selues The meaning then of the man of God in this place is thus much Because I know that they haue happie successe that loue thee and obey thy word this moueth me to keepe a good conscience So we haue learned thus much that it is but follie to boast of faith without good workes For as we iudge a man to be aliue so long as we perceiue his vitall spirits his animall powers and naturall operations to exercise themselues and thinke that he is not dead whilest the faculties of the minde are exercised in the senses mēbers powers of the body but notwithstanding that life it selfe is a thing most secret yet by a mans seeing hearing tasting touching going and working we discerne the same euen so so long as we perceiue the fruits of God his spirit and new birth and the effects of grace and fruites of sanctification in the soule we thinke him not spiritually dead in whom these things are And notwithstanding saith which is the life of Gods children be a most secret thing yet when we can open our eyes to see the wonderfull word of God to his praise and shut them from seeing vanities when our eares are open to the works of God and closed and dull to heare worldly vanities when our mouthes can speak of Gods iudgements and are dumbe in leasings we may iudge by these and the like effects that there is the life of Christ in vs. And herewithall we must obserue as these naturall workings are not the cause of life but that rather insomuch as we liue these things do exercise themselues in vs euen so the good workes are no cause why we are good or liue by faith but because by faith in Christ we are accounted good and iust before the Lord therefore we are good For as the tree hath not his goodnes of the fruits but the fruits haue their goodnes because first the tree was good so we cannot be said to be good in respect of our workes but our workes are good in respect of vs iustified before by faith And although the sap life and nourishment of the tree be a thing most secret and hidden from common sense yet by the leaues buds greenes and fruits thereof we draw knowledge of the life in it so though our life which is hidden in Christ be hidden from flesh and
is drawne from the state of the godlie and from their behauiour vers 18. The nature of the wicked is such that they count wickednesse as pleasant as wine and therefore they make vngodly practises their chiefest delight it is their meate and drinke to doe euill they are best refreshed when they most offend neither are they content with their owne wickednesse but they doe moreouer cause other to fall into wickednesse If they cannot come by their purpose if they haue not great occasion to worke that which they haue deuised if they haue not made some fitter for their vngodly friendship then their sleep departeth from them they cannot be at rest For as the hungry man cannot sleepe quietly because his appetite continually craueth meate so the wicked taketh no rest nor sleepe if he be not stâ—ffed if hee haue not his bâ—lâ—ie full of wickednesse How carefull ought we then to be to auoide euill companie how iarre must we flie from it and how heartily should we hate it continually Here we may note the contrary as a very speciall signe and marke of the true childe of God for if we can make it our meâ—te and our drinke to doe good as our Sauiour Christ saith It is my mâ—â—te â—o do the will of my Father and as Iob saith I esteemed it more then mine appointed â—oode And againe if wee can count it the great comfort of our harts and solace of our soules when we can do good â—o otherâ— and prouoke and sâ—irre them vp to goodnesse this is an argument that wee haue receiued the spirit of GOD as a pledge and a seale of our euerlasting saluation and that wee are the children of God Moreouer if wee be grâ—eued when we haue wrought no goodnesse nor gotten good by others if wee be as it were comfortles when wee haue not taught others â—ome goodnes or when wee haue not prouoked them vnto practise of some good which they had before time learned this may well warrant vs that we doe truely loue God and that he loueth vs and will bring vs vnto life Thus farre for the first reason which as it describeth vnto vs the nature of the wicked so it must bee applied to the generall head of sinne and the corruption of our nature Vers. 18. The way of the Righteous shineth as the Light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day THe second reason why we should auoide the euill companie of the wicked is because of dutie we are bound to ioyne our selues to the godly and to be companions of all them that feare the Lord. It is not enough to flie from the wicked and to leaue their coÌ„pany but we must make hast to the assemblies of the godly linke our selues in frieÌ„dship with them â—or of our selues wee can deuise euill and by our selues wee can learne to worke wickednesse wee can giue place to vngodly motions wee can foster vp fleshly desires yea and through our corruptions abundance of euill will flow ouâ— of vs. Albeit therefore we doe aâ—oyde the corruption wherewith wee might be infected by others yet if we prouide not some helpe for our owne infirmities by good companie we may be as wicked when we are alone as those which liue among the wicked wee must then seeke the company of Gods people and with them we must nourish peace and loue by labouring to profit them by what good thing soeuer wee haue and by receiuing and learning some goodnesse by them for the sustaining of our infirmities for the relieuing of our needes and for the supplie of our manifold wants Dauid did see how needfull this was therefore Psal. 16. he doth not only say that he will keepe himselfe from the corrupt worship of the wicked because he hateth them but hee will ioyne himselfe to Gods people for the loue that he beareth them saying All my delight is in the Saints And in another Psalme saith hee I haâ—â— them that hate thee O Lorde whereunto that may bee well ioyned that is I am compaâ—ion to all them that loue thee and loue thy name But Lot did greatly faile in that point when he would not returne to his vnckle Abraham after he was deliuered out of Sodome for if he had gonâ— vnto him he might haue bin preserued from much woe peraduenture which â—lter did befall him But it was hard for him to confesse his fault vnto his vnckle this was grieuous vnto him and therefore he would not seeke for the companie of Abraham And what came hereof but griefe vnto himselfe shame vnto his familie and continuall punishment vnto his posteritie This rule then must be diligently obserued that we be alwayes as carefull and desirous to ioyne our selues with godly companie as we be to auoyde the assemblies of the wicked If this be so as it ought to be indeede then how great and how grieuous is their sinne and how fearefully doe they offend which forsake the societie of the godlie to dwell among the wicked and doe leaue the companie of Gods people to haue the familiaritie of wicked men It were good for such to consider what the Angell of the Lorde saide vnto Hagar when she fled from Sarah her mistresse Hagar Sarahs maide whence commest thou and whither wilt thou goe This talke might passe betweene them Angell Whence commest thou Hagar From Abrahams house Angell Whither goest thou Hagar Into Aegypt Angell Whence commest thou Hagar From the people of God Angell Whither goest thou Hagar To the vngodâ—â—e Aegyptians Angell Whence commest thou Hagar From the Church of God Angell Whither goest thou Hagar To the Synagogue of Satan Angell Take heede to thy selfe and beware commit not this great wickednesse doe not this great sinne against the Lord returne thy selfe vnto thy mistresse humble thy selfe vnto her and be obedient vnto her will How pithie is this speech How effectuall and worthie to bee remembred if we haue alreadie changed our places or if wee goe about to change them Let vs remember the saying of the Angell and let vs consider whether it may not likewise be saide vnto vs whence commest thou out of the Church of God whither goest thou to the assemblie of heretikes where hast thou bene in the Church where art thou or whither wilt thou go to the world the vanitie thereof O fearefull exchange Refraine thy selfe betimes returne thy foote with speede come hastily to the Lord thy God humble thy selfe vnder his hand promise and performe all obedience vnto him that thee may receiue thee to his fauour againe Let vs thinke that the Lord doth speake vnto our consciences and let vs answere him with a pure heart and it will without doubt stay vs from many vnaduised and vnprofitable changes If we do rightly and in truth consider of this we shall be so farre from going to the wicked that if we be among them wee shall hastily separate our selues from them that wee may
haue no good desire or inclination to heare vnlesse GOD by his spirit doe worke it in vs and bore through our eares Secondly there is noted this that wee should heare though it be plaine for vs to doe wee must striue and struggle with our selues that wee may heare when the Lord doth neuer so little stâ—â—â— vs vp therevnto Vers. 21. Let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the middest of thine heart IN these words is a third charge giuen vnto vs and that is this that wee should make a profitable vse for our selues in the reading of the word and in beholding of the creatures for both these wayes we may winne great and good strength to ouercome our corruption and both these exercises are in the word commended vnto vs. The fourth and last precept is contained in the latter end of the verse in these words Keepe them in the middest of thine heart In this precept is prescribed the manner of the vsing and doing of the former duties for all of them must be done with the heart wee must giue attendance to the word not onely with the stilnes and quietnes of the outward members but wee must also be attentiue with our hearts we must heare the word read preached and conferred of not with our outward eares alone but also with our very hearts Wee are not to rest in the simple reading of the word or the bare beholding of the creatures but wee must labour for a fourth thing wee must looke that our hearts be present when wee either reade the word or behold the creatures And yet there is a further thing to bee here obserued for by this commandement we are charged to lay vp in our hearts all the profit which we learne by these meanes It is not sufficient to vse them it is not enough to feele some present vse and profit by them but wee must lay vp in our hearts whatsoeuer gaine wee get that wee may be stored and prepared for the time to come This must be done by prayer and meditations for if wee pray feruently before after and in the vsing of these meanes and if after we haue vsed them we do diligently meditate vpon them both that we may be confirmed in each dutie and also that wee way applie them to our own particular priuate vse then vndoubtedly God will giue a blessing to his meanes rightly vsed and will write the fruite of them in our hearts yea the Lord will giue a further blessing vnto them life vnto vs and health vnto our flesh as it followeth in the 22. verse which before hath beene expounded These verses are very notable and worthie of all remembrance for they commend vnto vs all the meanes whereby Gods word is made effectuall vnto vs as hearing reading preaching praying conferring meditating and such like godly and heauenly exercises In other places of the scripture sometime one sometime another is mentioned But here all are expressely named and this no doubt was done by the great wisedome of God the holy Ghost which by this hath met with the corruption of our owne nature For this corruption much preuaileth and beareth great sway in vs that wee vsing some one meanes diligently doe neglect all the rest Some men doe so rest in their priuate reading that they neglect hearing praying other holesome meanes some do so highly esteeme hearing that they will neuer reade to confirme the thing that they haue heard nor vse any other meanes And so of the rest for there are men of all sorts But the holy Ghost commendeth all vnto vs and chargeth vs with all and that so straightly that we cannot with hope looke for any blessing from God vnlesse wee bee carefull and diligent in all It is the dutie then of euery man to be seriously exercised and occupied in all thos exercises that God may blesse al or if not that sometime one sometime another according to his good pleasure may profit vs. These 9. verses because they giue vs in charge to vse with diligence the hearing and other exercises of the word must bee referred vnto the second commaundement Vers. 23. Keepe thy heart with all diligence for thereout proceede the actions of life IN this verse hee doth call vs from all kinde of inward euill which secretly lieth lurking in our heart for as much as that in very deede is the wel-spring of all wickednesse and because Salomon doth here note the heart as that which is the cause of al sinful actions so that although we should neuer see any man doe euill and although wee should not at any time be tempted to doe euill by any yet our owne hearts would corrupt vs and cause vs to sin We do hereby see that the doctrine both of the Papists and of the Familie of loue is most vntrue for they do teach that a maÌ„ is not naturally inclined vnto euil that his nature is not wholy corrupted with sinne but that hee is corrupted and infected either by the allurement or example and temptation of others True it is that the occasion of euill may be offered by some other man but Salomon doth here teach vs that the cause of our euill is in our selues and for this cause he commaundeth vs aboue all things to bee watchfull ouer our hearts for from them doe proceede the actions of life or of death Now the causes why wee are charged to keepe such straite watch ouer our hearts are in number two The first is because the heart doth carrie with it euery way all our senses so that as the Heathen said It is not the eye that seeth but the heart it is not the hand that toucheth but the heart and so the other senses So from hence it commeth that there be oftentimes great sounds and much noyse yet because our eares doe attend vpon our hearts which are earnestly occupied about some other matter wee heare not the sounds we doe not listen vnto the noyse From hence it commeth that we see not goodly sights and shewes when they bee sometimes offered vnto our eyes because our eyes are set vpon that thing about thwich the heart is occupied Yea from hence it commeth that we sometimes stumble in the plaine ground and our feete doe faile vs euen in â—â—â—â— places because our feete are carried with our heart which is earnestly occupied on some other matter Therefore although we ought to keepe with great care our eyes our handâ— our eares and other parts of our body yet doth it most stand vs in hand to keepe all watch and ward ouer our hearts seeing they rule all the rest The second cause why we should watch ouer our hearts is because it maketh or marreth all our actions for if our heart bee pure then all our actions bee pure and accepted of through Christ though some want bee in them and contrariwise if our hearts bee not sound but corrupted and vnpure the things that in their
vncleannes securitie and such like sinnes haue so beaten and trampled vpon thy heart that it is euen hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne but repent thee of thy former sinne and put away the euill of thy workes and then come to the word with a holy heart and then thou shalt see and feele thy vnderstanding inlightened thy iudgement reformed and all the words of wisedome plaine and easie vnto thee All this is confirmed vnto vs by plaine and daily experience for when a man hath been buffeted with some sinne when he hath yeelded too much to pride worldlinesse anger and such like when he hath fallen into some misliking of the word or of the preacher then in hearing he heareth not and the word is a sealed booke vnto him Contrariwise when men doe most mislike themselues for their sinnes when they be most grieued for their dulnes when they thinke themselues most vnapt and most vnworthie of knowledge and yet desire to finde comfort in the word wish to be inlightened and led into the true knowledge of it then doth the Lord very often giue them the deepest insight into his heauenly mysteries then doth he worke in them a most comfortable feeling then doth he also put and stirre vp most heauenly and holy motions in their minds By all this must we learne many things first when we heare the word without fruite then we must returne into our selues and know that our sinnes are the cause of blockish dulnesse which is come vpon vs. Anger hath troubled our affections and pleasure hath stollen away our hearts profit hath corrupted our iudgements therefore our iudgements doe not yeeld vnto the word it cannot enter into our hearts neither can it worke vpon our affections We are then in this case to bewaile our sinnes to labour for repentance to pray for the spirit of sanctification whereby these sinnes may be consumed and then returne vnto the word with prayer and the Lord wil blesse our vnderstanding Againe when we see our iudgements reformed and our hearts touched so that the word worketh vpon our affections then we must know that the good worke of God hath gone before his mercy hath disburdened vs of the heauie burthen of sin his goodnesse hath emptied our hearts of vnprofitable thoughts and his good spirit hath wrought all in all in vs. Then to shut vp this verse let vs know that as sinne doth hinder and holde the word out of our hearts so doth the loue of the word as it were open the doore of our hearts and make a broad and large passage for the word to enter into vs and to worke that good worke for which it was sent It followeth in the next verse Vers. 7. Depart from a foole when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge GOD hath ordained that men should liue together that one might bee helpfull to another But there is a neerer bond of friendship when one entreth into league with another or when one maketh choice of another for some neerer bond of friendship affinitie or such like And because this bond cannot stand but where there is a great likenes of conditions and qualities and it is commonly seene that the partie better affected is sooner chaunged therefore in this place we be admonished to beware least at any time we ioyne our selues to those that are foolish and vngodly Not that it is altogether vnlawfull to haue any dealing with them but that wee may not come too neere vnto them For to eate and drinke with them to dwell in the same towne by them and such other common duties be not vnlawfull But to ioyne in marriage with them to make them priuie to to our counsels or to vse them as more neere and speciall friends this is vnlawful and this is here forbidden For little or no good at all can bee gotten by them they will hardly or not at all be brought to goodnesse and such is their subtiltie that one of them is able to peruert the faith or at least to corrupt the manners of very many Good cause therefore there is why we should depart and get our selues from them on the contrary side wee bee taught to seeke out good company and to ioyne our selues to them as neerly as may bee yet with this full purpose of heart that wee may receiue fruite and profit by them Nature doth call vpon vs to doe this the communion of Saints requires it at our hands our own profit should compel vs the examples of euery mā in each calling may moue vs therunto For men doe desire to be in companie of their betters the scholler would be in companie of him that is better learned the worshipful man desireth the companie of the noble man and the honorable delighteth much in the fauour of the Prince Yea in the basest occupations and handicrafts men doe still desire to bee in the company of them that are most skilfull And all this is to obtaine the knowledge of earthly things and the fauour of them that can helpe them how much more then should we desire the companie one of another that we might be helpfull one to another in heauenly things Nay how intirely should wee be ioyned one to another and receiue good one by another in all kinde of goodnesse And yet must this bee done in great discretion for the best men haue their faults Therefore wee must be most carefull as to receiue what good we can by any so to receiue hurt or hinderance by none at all It followeth Vers. 8. The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit THat is true wisedome indeede which beginning at knowledge doth goe forward vnto practise and beginning at faith doth further proceede vnto the fruites of faith For vnlesse there be profitable vse of knowledge both in our generall and particular callings it hath neither the sense nor the sauour of heauenly wisedome Then we be here admonished to labour that our knowledge may growe vnto faith and that we builde a godly life vpon faith And that we may thus do we must especially trauell that our hearts may stand in awe of Gods word and that we may haue a charitable and louing heart vnto men This if we can obtaine then shall wee in feare and loue doe the good duties which may glorifie God profit men and haue sure arguments that we haue true wisedome But the foolishnes of fooles is deceit That is they doe either take a wrong course of life or else if they take a right course yet their hearts are not aright and therefore they deceiue both themselues and others All this commeth to passe because with conscience they do not apply euery general point of doctrine to their particular estate and labour not to make practise of it We giue titles vnto men count them wise and politike men that can foresee and preuent worldly displeasure But the
depriueth himselfe of this meditation weakeneth his faith For it is to our comfort and humbling To our comfort that albeit we be in danger and no man with vs yet God and his Angels be with vs. To humble vs that in euill doing they both see vs and can hurt vs as also the euill angels which still houer ouer vs. And therefore we must knowe that as the good Angels haue appeared to good men for speciall defence so the foule spirits doe appeare also to some men for speciall sinnes And when euill spirits so appeare we may not with the Papists and the Iewes beleeue they be soules departed but the euill spirits in the ayre about vs Epes 6. 11. 12. 13. CHAP. VIII Of Baptisme BAptisme is a pledge of our washing in Christs blood Act. 2. 30. of our iustification Gal. 3. 27. of our ingrafting into Christs body Ephe. 4. 16. of our dying to sinne Rom. 6. 3. of our resurrection 1. Cor. 15. 26. of our vnitie of spirit with our brethren Ephe. 44. of not seeking our owne 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 24. 2 Of Baptisme in Papistry this we may say for as much as they euer kept the foundation the substance of the institution of Christ that Sacrament was effectuall for more preuaileth the institution of Christ vnto good than the corruption of man vnto euill 3 The example of Zipphorah cannot be followed amongst vs that women should baptize though Papists abuse that example to proue it for the ministration of the Sacrament is ioyned to the ministerie of the word which office none can take except he be called as Aaron was and it is a most waightie and most honourable office to haue the word and seales of our reconciliation committed vnto vs. 4 It is obiected that it is a dangerous matter to want Baptisme it causeth death I answere The child saith the story was not punished but Moses through whom that contempt came for when as it is said Gen. 17. that the man not circumcised shall be cut off the reason is this because he despiseth the couenant of the Lord. Now a child caÌ„not so do therefore the negligent father is punished and if the child come to yeeres continue in his fathers steps he is in the same state of rebellion contempt against God and so it is in our Baptisme Againe this popish opinion of the necessitie of Baptisme is confuted by the Lords institution of Circumcision the eight day for if this necessitie had been in Circumcision which they affirme to be in Baptisme all that dyed before the eight day were condemned The Lords meaning was in appointing this conuenient time to prouide that the child might haue more strength to beare the wound and this regard of time is fit to be obserued also with vs that this holy worke might be done on the Sabbath day in the congregation because it is a publike action by diuine institution 5 Concerning promises in Baptisme and the office of the witnesses which be called Godfathers and Godmothers looke in what things the Scripture giueth general rules the Church may vse the particulars so all be done decently and to edification the law giueth this generall instruction to a man in authoritie to defend the good and to offend the euill he may to this end take some godly man to him for an assistant The law commanding generally to distribute to the poore a man is not able to helpe all particularly therefore he endeuoureth the relieuing of some speciall persons The law commanding generally to helpe one another with godly instructions and no greater need to any than to a father in helping him for the education of children surely this dutie of loue to be an assistant in Baptisme may not be denied Againe to professe ourselues enemies to Arrianisme we vse Glorie be to the Father and to the Son c. all one with that so often in the Psalmes Praise yee the Lord So may we in like manner to auoid Anabaptisme haue witnesses to testifie to the Church that we are Christianly baptized And as we are to renounce all friuolous ceremonies so to keepe the peace of the Church we may not refuse such orders as tend to edification to loue and comelinesse in the Church 6 It is good to teach children while they be young that whereas they haue been baptized and blessed in the name of the Trinitie they should be taught forthwith some questions concerning their creation redemption and sanctification CHAP. IX Of Couetousnesse and the desire of Riches THere are manie which can be content to make Iacobs vowe that is if they haue meate drinke and cloathing they will serue God but they goe vpwards still in their worldlike accounts and downwards in heauenly things they rise from tens to scores from scores to hundreths they will not goe downeward with Abraham they will haue thousands of sheep els they be but poore they will haue Nabâ—oths vineyard with Ahab and dwell alone els they be sicke Thou hast set vp the heauens high saith the Prophet else surely rich men would haue all the vse of them leese them too So nothing can satisfie mans desire which is infinit but God who infinite And if he haue all the riches in the world he will desire more A very vnnaturall desire is this as the dropsie in desiring drinke when the desire proceeds from fulnes for a man should desire that which he wanteth The minde of a man is not filled with corporall things no more then a chest can be filled with wisdom or spirituall things But presuppose that riches could fill a man if wee had all wealth all riches all apparell wee put not our wealth in our mindes our clothes do vs no good but wheÌ„ they are vpon vs. The possessing of riches doth not so fully possesse the heart but that it can desire a thousand things more 2 Riches are in question whether they be good or no When the Scripture speaks of riches they ioyne alwayes somewhat to them to take away our hearts from them as the deceitfulnes of riches the vncertainty of riches the riches of this world and therfore like the world now here now gone they either haue their own end or our end They make no man good but they are euen like a penie purse which is worth as much as the money that is in it but the money taken out it is nothing worth euen so is the man that hath his good in his riches When they are takeÌ„ from him he is worth nothing he hath no good in him God hath them not and yet he wanteth no good thing It is the common complaint that the worst men doe most abound with them Dauid was faine to goe to Nabal for them Esau had foure hundred men when Iacob lay downe at his feet with a few Sometimes indeed they doe good but that is not sufficient to ground a Maxime they
and Correction MAny thinke to priuiledge themselues from the name of Sinners by reading largely and reprehending plentifully the sinnes of other men counting it a compendious way to credite by building gorgeously on another mans discredit and ruine 2 Flesh and blood will ease it selfe superiours looke to inferiours and inferiours to superiours but euery man must looke to himselfe 3 As an house being on fire if it may bee quenched it is best to vse water onely but if it bee like to endanger and set on fire the houses rounde about it is best to pull downe the house quickely so if offence being raised it may bee quenched with water vse water and let the house stand still but if fire burst out on euery side then pull it downe When the Viper will still bee a Viper and retaine his poyson though the charmer charme neuer so wisely the Apothecary takes him and makes a Triacle of him to expell poyson out of others so if a brother will not be admonished if he will not leaue his poyson make triacle of him that he that would not take heede of others should bee made a preseruatiue for other to beware by him if euill will not be taken from one in Israel then take away the euill out of whole Israel If we must needes see somewhat dead it is better to see a dead arme than a dead corpes When men will harden themselues God in his iudgement makes them as an adamant and when they grow so hard it is good to cast them out 4 We are giuen to display euery sinne yea the least in others and to conceale and bury many graces yea the best in others 5 Such as be fallen must be restored with the spirit of wisedome and lenitie Such as be falling must be vpholden by al good meanes speedily least they fal so dangerously as that then cannot be recouered 6 In an euill report or vniust censures of men it is not good straightway to be angry but to fly to Gods prouidence and to desire to profit by them 7 Because we do not to men that good which we should doe God often suffereth them to report and speake euill of vs. 8 Though we may be discouraged to deale in exhorting or dehorting admonishing or reprouing or any ecclesiasticall and Christian dutie yet being called of God we must aske wisedome of him who will send wisedome to blesse his owne ordinance 9 It is a dangerous thing to haue a proud spirit with a vaine minde 10 The drunken peace of hypocrites must not be suppled with oyle but pierced with a speare 11 If we be reproued for sinne of man let vs feare the reproofe of God It is our great corruption that wee are sooner brought to leaue a sinne when man doth rebuke vs once than when God doth threaten vs often 12 It is a good thing sometime to haue enemies For we often are more afraid to sinne least our enemies should reproue vs than wee make conscience of sinne least God should condemne vs. 13 Although the wicked speake euill of vs let vs be content indeede a good name is better than a precious ointment but remember that the Lord had made vs all priests and therefore let vs offer vp our good name to his glory and if the wicked will bring coales of iuniper let vs sacrifice vp our good names and with Paul let vs say I esteeme it the least thing in the world to be iudged of you it is the Lord that iudgeth and there is a blessing propounded for them that are so euil spokē of But there are foure hundred Prophets that speak against you are they all deceiued Many eyes see more than one True if it be spoken of the like for one Eagles eye seeth more than a thousand owles eyes and as Salomon saith One man that feareth God is better than a thousand sinners And Paul saith what haue I to doe with them that are without God shall iudge them Vpon which words a learned man biddeth vs obserue how the Apostle accounts euil men as nothing wherefore seeing the wicked are so vile and so vaine one is better then many of them therfore their censures and calumniations not to be regarded CHAP. XVII Of Ceremonies things indifferent and of turning Christian libertie into vnchristian licentiousnesse AS it is a fault to vse vnnecessary ceremonies which with the peace of the Church may be left so it is faultie to leaue a good ceremonie which hath a good vse and no superstition with it 2 The Lord commanded Exod. 16. 33. an Homer full of Manna to bee reserued as a monument for posteritie And so it was kept by the Lords commandement and therefore not abused to superstition as the brasen Serpent and Gedeons Ephod which because they were without Gods commandement reserued therefore they were quickly abused But this Manna and the Alter which the Rubenites made hauing a warrant of Gods commandement were not abused Where we learne that in bringing in ceremonies and rites into the Church wee ought to thinke that if they haue not their warrant from the word of the Lord they are like to be vsed without fruit and in danger to be turned to hurtful superstition but if they haue their warrant from the word of God that the Lorde hath commaunded them then may they haue very profitable vses in Gods Church And they shall neuer be so much abused to doe hurt as they shall bee profitable in the right vse of them And therefore in bringing in ceremonies and orders we must aske counsell of the Lord that his word may be our warrant 3 The more ceremonies the lesse truth 4 This is a generall rule whatsoeuer separateth man from God or man from man is abrogated but whatsoeuer conioyneth man to God or man to man is left still In this respect the whole Law is abrogated according to the rigour of the curse for otherwise wee could not stand before God So in Christ now hauing found reconciliation we are more bound to keepe the law morall then the Iewes because Gods commandements are more cleerely reuealed and greater strength is now giuen against sinne therefore nothing is taken from the law that we should be carelesse but the curse and condemnation of the law is done away that wee may haue an entrance to God with boldnes Whatsoeuer separateth man from man is abrogated and so the ceremoniall law is abrogated that which is meerely ceremoniall is meerely abrogated and that which is in part ceremoniall is in part onely abrogated as the Sabbath 5 The Apostle 1. Tim 4. 1. prophecieth of certaine spirits of error which should superstitiously forbid the vse of Christian libertie but 2. Tim. 3. he speaketh of another sort who among many other properties should be louers of pleasures more then louers of God The former are said to be in the last times but these in the last daies one degree further
be saued So that we both by death and in respect of the last day are not to count of any long abode But aboue all there is one principall rule which Christ allowed as an high point of wisdome in Marie in that she made so fit a choise of her times in bestowing them in such a thing as should not be taken from her as no time should bereaue her of it wherin we are taught to thinke that those times which we bestow on God his worship shal not end within the number of our daies but they shal haue their abiding fruit for euer and this wil comfort vs afterwards But when we are occupied in Marthaes busines we may say and what is this what profit will this affoord in death shal not my dayes be cut off what will this auaile me So that it is good to bee exercised in things which concerne the time which runs beyōd the number of our daies shal last as long as God himself shal endure CHAP. XXI Dulnes of spirit and of feeling SVch is the corruption of our nature that albeit we haue beene wonderfully delighted with Gods graces yet when wee abound with them wee lesse esteeme them than when we began to enioy them 2 Wee must desire and endeuour to keepe our selues from deadnes and dulnes and to tie our hearts euer in thankfulnes vnto God After our meats receiued it is good to speake something to the glorie of God If God giue any good matter to take it as offered vnto vs of God If nothing were done or spoken but all silent it were good to seeke some good occasion of speech by reading singing or speaking And we may not tie our selues much to any other meanes for accustomable vse of any one thing bringeth lesse reuerence And then must we endeuour specially to stir vp one another in good speeches when such be present as God makes instruments to teach the same more effectually vnto others and this the Apostle by his example teacheth vs 2. Tim 2. 2. 3 There is a secret inward and spirituall blessing which the elect feele when to the world they seeme accursed and there is a secret curse to the wicked when apparantly they seeme to be blessed 4 As it is no small benefit though we haue not the bright Sun-shining yet to haue the light of it to gouerne the day the heat of it to turne away the cold the effects of it in other workes of nature so it is no small mercie though we haue not the shining countenance of the Lord yet to haue the guiding of our affections by the light of it the possessing of our soules in patience by some feeling of it and the fruits thereof in the peace of our mindes although we feele not the present beames yet we shall see them shine hereafter If we haue not this ioy of our minde as we would in the day of our vocation the Lord wil plentifully giue it vs in the day of our coronation 5 They may bee truely saide to haue profited well which beleeue the word before they feele the effect of it as the threatnings before they feele the smart the promises before they feele the comfort And such as doe not thus beleeue do highly displease God This was the sinne of Thomas which would feele ere he beleeued and this sinne is in vs all therefore all must learne to correct it in themselues And if wee were free from this wee should be free from many euils 6 Although a man do not feele his faith sometimes vnder the crosse as indeede it falleth out often in the best children of God yet when it shall please the Lord to send feeling and deliuerance that man shall see that his faith was great and that the Lord did mightily preserue him from falling yea he shall then perceiue that his faith was stronger when he had not the feeling of Gods fauour than it had beene at some times when hee had great feelings CHAP. XXII Of Catechizing and instruction of Youth THere hath beene a sect both among the heathen and also in our age that thinkes that religion is not to come so low as children but that they are to bee nourished vp boldly and when they come to riper yeeres then to bee instructed in religion and not before So the neathē tel vs as we see in the beginning of the Philosophers morals as also in the opinion of the Orator in the defence of Caelius It is wisedome to let youth haue his course till his heate be abated But if there were any moment in the authoritie of the heathen the whole practise of them were to be preferred before one mans opinion And for their practise certaine it is that the exercise of catechizing was vsed among the Gentiles for we finde it in Porphyries time It was vsuall in Athens for youth to be taught as also the histories of the heathen doe declare that the children were instructed for it was a custome among them not to powle their childrens heads vntill they were taught then to burne their haire as a sacrifice to Apollo who from thenceforth in regard of their skill were allowed to carie tabers in their pompes and solemnities Aristotles meaning in that place is de facto non de eo quod fieri debet Else hee is to be called backe to his seuenth booke de Repub chap. 17. It is expedient for children to bee withdrawne from euil speeches Against the Orator standing at the barre to plead for a lewd young man his owne saying is to be alleaged Offic. lib. 1. That this age must chiefly bee reclaimed from pleasures and lust Exod. 10. 11. Pharaoh being requested of the Israelites that they might goe with their children into the wildernes for to worship maketh a scoffe that their children should go as though religion pertained not to them Matth. 19. 13. When children were brought vnto Christ that he might blesse them his disciples forbad them that brought them as if Christ and children had nothing to do one with another For the first I answere Moses standeth with Pharaoh in that point and will not take so much as he would graunt for the olde except the young may go too And for the second Christ opposeth himselfe to his disciples granting childrē safe conduct to come vnto him pronouncing those accursed that keepe them from him Matth. 18. 6 Psal. 119. 9. The law is not onely giuen for those of ripe yeeres but euen for young men to cleanse their wayes The Iewes note there is mention made of children three times in the Decalogue And though the rest may seeme to admit some doubt yet in catechizing which is comprehended in the Sabbath dayes exercise our sons and our daughters are bound to lesse than wee Exod. 12. 6. If children bee so busie as to aske what is meant by the Passeouer the Lord is so farre from
of the Gospell In thy seed shal all nations be blessed The fruit of Abrahams catechizing his sonne went out to pray Gen. 24. 37. his seruant praieth before his busines vers 12. and giueth thanks after vers 26 he refuseth to eate till he had discharged himselfe of his maisters message In the time of the lawe Deut. 6. 7. so soone as the lawe was giuen the Lord commaunded them to teach their children The practise of this we may see in Hanna deliuering Samuel to Hesi his instructor so soone as he was weaned 1. Sam. 1. in Dauid as Salomon testifieth of him Pro 4. 4. Iehoida taught the young King Iehoash 2. King 12. 2. After the captiuitie because there the Bible endeth we must giue credit to other histories 5 If we beleeue the Rabbins there were neuer in Ierusalem from Christ to Antiochâ—â— vnder 400. houses of catechizing what time also they made their decree that their children at thirteene yeeres should be put to catechizing And to this order among them may Paul seeme to haue relation Rom. 2. 18. where hee affirmeth the Iewes are catechized in the lawe Ephes 6 4 they are willed to bring them vp in instruction Paul as some thinke sometime bearing this office saith 1. Cor â— 14 that I may catechize For catechized we haue Luk. 14. Theophilus Act. 18. 25 Apollos 2 Tim 3. 15. Timothie Marke catechizing at Alexandria with great profit was commended by Philo Iudaeus as Eusebius maketh mentioÌ„ After Clemens next Origen We haue also the catechisme of Cyril Gregory Nisâ—n the bookes of Augustine of catechizing the ignorant and foure bookes de symbolo ad catechumenos Also Athanasius his Synopsis of sacred Scripture and Fulgentius de Fide ad Petrum Diaconum In the Fathers time it may be seene by the sixt canoÌ„ of the councel holdeÌ„ at Neocaesaria By the sixe seuen canons of the councel holden at Iberis in Spaine 2 councel of Braâ—caria 1. Can. 4. Tolet. Can. 24. After that is there no mention made till the time of Luther Touching the great good that the frequenting of this exercise hath done this may be added that Aegesippus saith that by the vertue of catechizing there was neuer a kingdom but receiued alteration in their heathenish Religion within 40 yeers after Christ his passion Iulian the Apostata that was thought to be the wisest enemie that euer the Church had when he went about to suppresse Religion did not vse torments but put downe schooles and all catechizing Againe when catechizing was put downe ignorance began to grow The Papists acknowledge that all the ground we haue got of them is by catechizing as it appeareth by the Popes Bull de motu propriâ— before the catechisme of the councel of Trident it is thought if euer they get ground of vs again it wil be by their more diligeÌ„t exacting of their catechizing Now why we may exact the catechisme again these reasons may serue Christ his reason to moue me to carefulnes in this Thou shalt render an account wheron we ground this rule that euery one wil heare more attentiuely that which he must repeat againe then that whereof he must giue no account Besides we are all bound to giue an account of our faith 1. Pet. 3. 15. And if we doe it before our catechist we shal be able the better to doe it before a stranger Thirdly because Christ is become not onely our Priest and King but also our Prophet and that all this is to this ende that we also may become Prophets to him our prophesie coÌ„sisting in examining the doctrin we haue heard 1 Ioh. 4. 1. in examining of our selues 2. Cor. 13 5. in admonishing our brethreÌ„ Rom. 13. 14. it is expedient specially in such an exercise to witnesse the same This also is to be exacted in regard of our Pastor or Catechist for that it is requisite the Minister should haue an assurance of his hearers profiting in particular Forasmuch as then we see by the practise of the whole Church that catechizing is a thing commanded by God we must knowe that whiles we shall be in this holy action we are doing a thing well pleasing vnto God 6 Children must be taught precept by precept line by line sometime in the catechisme to informe them sometime in histories to refresh them 7 We must not alwaies measure a man by his present affection but by his perseuering action for many more profit in the ende which angerly receiue the doctrine than they which receiue it cheerfully at the first 8 It is a foule sinne and worthie of publike reprehension publikely to reuerence the doctrine willingly and priuately to gain say it because it bewrayeth vs rather of solemnitie than of good conscience to receiue it 9 Many reiect doctrine presently as though they made no account of it who afterward will embrace it willingly and after aduisement and the working of Gods spirit receiue it thankfully 10 Moses being well brought vp could not be well drawne away neither by Aegypt nor when he went thence which appeareth also in Ioseph Daniel and his brethren This ought to moue vs to teach our children in word and action and afterward they may haue Gods blessing vpon that good beginning the want whereof causeth many men to be punished in their children 11 We must preuent hardnes of heart betimes in children by godly and discreet correction instruction Children haue oftentimes the sinnes of their parents and therefore when they chasten them they should in wisedome first consider if that it were not a sinne which they gaue them as it were which now they are about to correct and finding it so they should first be humbled in themselues and so proceede to correction with prayer in the feare of God in wisedome in loue and desire of their conuersion and with that measure as correcting their owne sinnes after a sort in their children For men begetting their children without regeneration giue a naturall propagation of their sinnes without some speciall blessing of God preuenting it and none in regeneration begetteth any with such gifts of nature as they haue by grace CHAP. XXIII Of Examples and how we must not sinne vpon example and of diuers occasions of sinne OVr plaine excuses now adaies are mosest it is a custome sic vinitur there be many others that liue so Are not our arguments now adaies such as the Eunuches 1. King 22. vnto Micheah See all the Prophets which are foure hundred speake good to the king i. as the king would haue them therefore I pray thee say thou so too This is one argument and how do ye answere it Euen as Chusa said to Absalon that hee went not with his friend because the multitude was not with him for where the multitude is euen there will I be Heere is the practise but where is a precept for it I will shew you where ye
shall haue a precept for it There is a fellow a controller of Moses the child of Belial that hath a precept Deny nothing that you may win the multitude But if hee had staied there hee had not bin clean contrary to Moses Exo. 23. 2. but he goeth further saith Though they goe wrong thou must go with them and do as they do Oh that this leade not to perdition We are naturally inclined to this euery man is first euil euery one by nature is a Papist a Machiuelist euery one is giuen to follow a multitude Of this doctrine some may haue vse now some hereafter And seeing as Aeschines saith we must learne that now whilest we be yong which we must practise when we be old I shall think the word of God hath it fruit if any shall beware by it practise it hereafter First I note wher the holy Ghost flatly forbiddeth the following of a multitude that it is a thing that commeth to passe daily we must not think the holy Ghost giueth precepts of those things that come not to vse in 7. yeeres this is one chief point in all offices Plato in his Alcibiades had perswaded Alcibiades to liue iustly al his life time he promiseth that he will do so I pray God saith Socrates you may begin and also continue but I feare least the sway of the multitude carrie you away and to an Elder he writeth though the multitude do not change you yet it may be as rubs in your way I will shew you a reason hereof Rom. 7. Paul saith there be many good things that I would doe and cannot and many euill things which I would not do and yet doe them And why because there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of the Spirit But when there is a law of companie comming to then the case is dangerous and in a double perill 2 There is an vse of following and this word follow is often in the Scriptures We must follow with choise iudgement and limitation The wise man saith it is the propertie of a foole to follow vniuersally that whatsoeuer he seeth others do he must needs do the same That eie is very weake that cannot look on a bleare eie but it must be bleared and Seneca saith in his booke of the blessed life We follow the droue like the beasts of the field when we thinke we goe to the pasture it is very like we should go to the shambles S. Iames vouchsafeth not to compare vs to liuing creatures but to the froth of the sea which is caried vp and downe with the water so we be caried and goe not The reason why we doe thus is because it is an hard matter to iudge but an easie matter to giue credit We beleeue how we should liue we iudge not We may see what their iudgement is by the Logicke which they vse they rest only in examples and similies which how weake argumeÌ„ts they be euery man knoweth no man will admit them in disputation Yet when we come to examples see what iudgement we shew we take them by tale and number them not we neuer waigh them as he said No man would so receiue his groats as we doe examples we ought not therefore to follow without choise We must not pleade simplicitie and say we came but behind for if we coÌ„sent it is enough though we be not the foremen Rom. 1. 31. we must not onely eschew those that do euill but those also that consent to euill and Ephes 5. 7. we are charged not to be companions with them And how is that Dauid telleth you Psal 50. 18. thou seest a theefe and dostrun with him 1. Tim. 5. 2â— Lay hands sodainly oâ—no man neither be partaker of other mens sinnes Act. 7. Saul threw neuer a â—one at Steuen but kept the clothes of them that stoned him and yet the holy Ghost bringeth him within the compasse of murther And so because the Iewes chose not Christ rather than Barrabas the spirit of God saith They killed the Lord of life wherefore with Augustine I say it is euill enough to follow and consent to euill 3 Many and few be respectiue words for so it is said in one place that Dauid had many sonnes How many seuen and in another place Dauid is said to haue a few souldiers How few seuen hundred So in that respect seuen are a great many and seuen hundred a few Againe least we should thinke a multitude to consist onely of rude and vnlearned and poore people we must know that by vulgus is meÌ„t not only those that haue chlâ—mydes but those that haue coronas also not only those that goe in round caps but them that goe in square caps also we may heare as vulgar speeches of the learned as of the vnlearned The 400. Prophets although they were learned yet they were a multitude and had a lying spirit in them And certaine it is they neuer proue truely learned that lacke religion and the true feare of God their wits serue them but to vulgar vses and to discouer themselues 4 The best things haue not commonly most voyces and it is a great presumption that the things are the worse if they haue a common consent This part is great therefore the worse saith Seneca So Aristotle great and good is not all one the first finder out of mans wisedome found out this and alwaies after made it his poesie The most the worse He found it by the earth seeing much pot-earth and little to make golde so there is much pot-reason And Aristotle giuing a reason of the hardest fairest saith first that they be so by nature and secondly because of the multitude of them that resist it This is a common prouerbe with Lawyers such as be ouercome appeale to the people This is espied out of the heathen and yeâ— our Christians cannot see But let vs come to the scripture Gal 1. 10. If I should please men I should not be the seruant of God i. the most men The Angels come by two or three at the most but the diuels are said in the scripture to come by legioÌ„s the scripture willing vs to flie the wicked saith flie the world because they are the most Hoseah compareth the good to gleaning after the haruest then the great haruest is the diuels a smal number the Lords Againe seeing they are so great a number they must haue a broad way but it leadeth to destruction Indeed it must be a great way in the which most must trauell and the godly haue a narrow way and therefore Dauid saith Lord shew me thy pathes and he lookes at the iournies end In heauen there is roome enough but hell as Ezechiel saith must be enlarged so daÌ„gerous it is to follow a multitude which is alwaies like it selfe ye may see how iudgemeÌ„t passeth on their behalfe when it is put
to them There was a voyce put vp for making a golden Calfe and there was not one against it There was a voyce what should be done with Iesus and all cried crucifie him Another was whether God should be God or Bâ—al should be God and none held with God but Eliah Also whether Christ or Barrabas should be loosed and all chose Barrabas And in a good matter whether Ioseph should goe into the pit or no and all but Ruben consented he should In religion we can grant that vniuersality is no note of the truth and if any obiect vnto vs what so many Princes so many Nobles and yet haue they not the true religion we can answere out of Paul not many noble not many mighty hath the Lord chosen but in our life we caÌ„not be drawne to confesse the same Wherefore let vs beware of following the multitude 5 Particular examples may be made generall instructions when the cause of them is generall When an example is grounded vpon a generall equitie then may it be followed but when it hath some particular respect and contrarie to the generall equitie it may not be followed though it were well done Yet that was not well done of Zipporah because it was the office of a man to doe that she did as appeareth Gen. 17. for in that the Lord departed it was rather for the faith of Moses than that the thing was right So was it in the example of Simeon and Leui who sinned yet had the Lord more respect of their fathers faith to crowne it than of their sinne to punish it yet was it still sinne Therefore when we cannot doe well as we thinke because of others as wife friend husband c let vs know that the fault is in our selues for if we were faithfull they should be so farre from hindering vs that euen by vs perhaps they might be saued 1. Cor. 7. 6 It were a good thing to make other men our looking glasse and in their falles and infirmities either to behold ours present or to suspect them to come 7 It is not good to binde any to our examples 8 It is euermore a safer thing to insist in the generall rules than in the particular examples 9 We may not follow euery good example in Scripture and when we follow any we must looke we haue the same spirit and the like affection 10 Many call euill good by speaking for it by not speaking against it by defending it in themselues defending it in others who are worse than Saul 1. Sam. 15. for after a while he bethought himselfe he coÌ„fessed but these men after they haue once taken vpon them to defend a sinne will defend it still they will dwell in it liue in it die in it goe to hell in it Proctors they are of ill causes parasites I would they were only in comedies such as sowe pillowes Ezech. 13. and Psal. 10. such as they Act. 12. the voyce of a God such as Absalom 2. Sam. 15. that said that all matters that came before him were good These perswade others to sinne either by shew of reason Gen. 3. or by shew of religion as Absalom did or by shew of stature Ioh. 19 we haue a law by faire promises as the diuell to Christ all this I will giue thee or by saying ye shall finde more ease Ieroboams reason for the Calfe with a Pilate voyce or if you will not say as Nâ—buchadnezzar saith you shall into the furnace But some of these doe say 1. I neuer spake word in commendation of this or that euil matter But haue ye not heard the common saying * the thing it selfe speaketh The heauens declare the glory of God Psal. 19 and yet speake neuer a word Their actions speake lowder and plainer than their tongues These in iudgement absolue Barrabas and condemne Christ and so bestow on the euil such things as belong to the good They bestow preferments on them that least deserue as Ieroboam did the Priests office on the basest sort of the people and so it is in our times for many haue places both in Church coÌ„monwealth which can serue for nothing but to be coÌ„sonaÌ„ts alwaies following the sound of their vowels hauing none of their owne 2. Some speake not against sinne when Hely had let his sonnes faults passe God said he hououred them more than him God counteth vs honoured of sinne when we see and say nothing Psalm 50. When thou sawest a theefe c. Though we doe but stand by and looke on as Paul did we are made allowers of the fact So Peter makes the Iewes Act. 4. You haue killed the Lord of life We say the gardiner is the cause that weeds doe growe because he letteth them grow And so it may be said in Church and common-wealth of them which will not rebuke sinne when they may because they will not be medlers 3. But some haue a little more care but yet thinke it sufficient to be of Gamaliels minde Let it alone if it be not of God it will come to nought loth to speake against euill and so they see it and say nothing 4. Or as those which say something but yet as good as nothing as Ely did ye doe not well my sonnes they speake as a seruant to his master softly because he would not wake him they hit peraduenture the skirt when they should smite the head and sometimes misse altogether or hit those they should not 5. Or seeme to speake somewhat roundly but be so short witted or so short winded that they cannot speake much a little they doe and soone leaue off as King Ioash 2. King 13. 14. 10. 11. 6. Some speake out of time when they first let an ill matter passe then they speake against it 7. But some are worse than all these which giue men some morsell to stop their mouth as Aeneas is said to giue Cerberus a soppe that he might not barke or muzzle theÌ„ that they cannot speake taking away their tongues and liuings or prescribe what they shall say as Micah 2. 11. Prophesie of wine or as Amazias said to Amos Prophesie not against Israel Amos 7. 11. 12. 11 Wee must learne a Logick of the holy Ghost Exod. â—3 2. to answere the topicks of the world which defend their doings by Others doe so and learnedner and wiser than you haue dâ—â—â— it And indeed we must not onely forsake a multitude but we must also adde this to dissent from the traditioÌ„s of the elders It commeth all to one end for it differeth not whether we say many or one great one as many for if one thing be equiualent to a multitude we may say as the Hebrue and the Greeke doe that they are al one ten shillings and an angell are all one There be that thinke it is of more force many smite like haile stones but great men like great
vnthankfulnes by remaining still in our corruption to let him loose his labour in all his sufferings wherein as we haue no care of our saluation so we manifest an open contempt of his most pretious Passion well worthie are we to die and vnworthie are we to liue in that the choise being set before vs we chuse rather to be murdered with our sinnes than to be rescued to life by Iesus Christ. For iustly is the reward promised to such as ouercome Reuel 3. 15. 12. 22. that is to such as will not onely strangle presse out the breath of sin and close vp the eyes of it at the fall and death of it but also follow it to the graue and couer it with moules so as it neuer rise againe Not that we thinke that sinne in this life is so wholy martyred but that the life of sinne may well be weakened counting it a rebell to regeneration not a Prince ouer the spirit of sanctification And as a Serpent cut in diuers peeces hath but certaine relicks of poyson and remnants of fiercenes in the maimed members and mangled parts thereof and is not able to exercise the like violence to a man as when it was whole and perfectly membred so howsoeuer some relicks of sins remaine in our old but in our martyred Adam yet it hath no such force or fiercenes to preuaile against vs as when it was in it perfect age like rather a mightie Monarch than a poore prisoner 22 It is vsuall either in deliuering or hearing doctrine to seuer disioyne those things which in their owne nature are conioyned by the holy Ghost Thus some deale in the doctrine of faith For when it is said The iust shall liue by faith they forget the former proposition that is the iust shall liue For here are two doctrines first he that is iust must liue by faith then that he must not liue by faith except he be iust Here must be no seuering of things because they may well be coupled together CHAP. XXVIII Of Feare MAny causes we haue to feare first for want of perseuerance we should leaue our estate in so great a danger that being swept and garnished yet the diuell at his comming should be accepted and make his reenter into vs againe There is another feare the feare of offence least by our halting we should draw others after vs and so weaken their hands and their knees The third feare is of comforting our enemies and of grieuing others that haue beene our defence I meane the Angels who as they are comforted in the perseuerance of the iust so they mourne at the falles of the righteous 2 True feare hath many properties as first it breeds in vs a maruellous humilitie as wee see in Iacob who was much afraid of his brother Esau therefore comming towards him he falles down seuen times There is a feare humbling and it is the worke of God to bring vs to himselfe And surely the Lord takes great delight in it and what is the reason of it because the Sonne of God in his humilitie hath done greater things for vs than euer hee did in his glorie for being God and vouchsafing to bee humbled euen to a worme hee hath done vs more good and more glorious things than euer hee did whiles hee was among the Angels Now the world is full of such proud spirits that nothing can qualifie them A second qualitie of feare is that it is very credulous This againe wee see in Iacob for when one told him his brother came against him so well furnished he feared greatly yet disputed not long in the matter It is the glorie of our age to dispute and gaine say a man and to say surely though you be of such an opinion I am not thinke as you will I thinke thus So that our dealings are so full of doubts and so ambiguous as though there neuer had been world before vs or as though now it were high midnight in Poperie The third qualitie in feare is diligence This also we see in Iacobs example who was marueilously studious to salute his brother disposing wisely of his children and cattell in the best order he could to preuent his brothers furie 3 It is a kindly thing to feare at Gods threatnings therefore when the iudgements of God were denounced it was noted as a signe of great deadnesse of heart if the most wretched sinner were not smitten with terrour hee that was in the highest degree of reprobation as Pharaoh feared for it is the nature of an iron rod easily to breake an earthen pot But for promises to bring vs to feare it is as strange a thing as it is in nature that thin water should breake a bodie and yet some bodies there be of so weake substance that any thing wil dissolue them Such is the nature of them who seeing and finding in themselues a great vnworthinesse to inherite such gracious promises of God are euer readie to melt away and to breake in sunder as beaten with an iron rod. Wherefore if wee can thus feare in loue and loue in feare we may haue a good testimony to our owne consciences that we haue a good feare because tasting how gracious and marueilous the Lord is in all his Saints we feare least we should lose so good and so gracious a Lord. 4 It is good to be stricken with feare so that we lie not in it willingly but being humbled therewith search our owne corruption and so to bee moued to enquire further after God and his word 5 The wicked feare not before affliction commeth and then they feare too much the godly feare before it comes and then their feare ceaseth For impietie triumpheth in prosperitie and trembleth in aduersitie but pietie trembleth in prosperitie and triumpheth in aduersitie 6 If Moses and the deare seruants of God were afraid when hee did appeare in mercie to them what shall the confusion of the wicked be when hee commeth to iudgement Wee cannot be prepared to receiue God his mercie vnlesse wee be striken with a reuerent feare both because we are his creatures and also sinfull God is alwayes God and is to bee feared 7 Many men maruell how men bee so smitten with such feares and so despaire that they cannot beleeue but these neuer consider the iudgement of God in hardning them and thus by a carnall admiration are depriued of all profiting by such examples In all things we should turne our eyes from man and onely behold God and know that it is hee which maketh our enemies to loue vs our inferiours to obey vs our friends to hate vs our superiours to loth vs. If we had this in our hearts we would surely cast off the feare of man and flatterie and striue to feare God in all sinceritie and to knowe that if the feare of God preuaile with vs we shal preuaile with men and haue
will haue men be of their mindes or they will turne iustice into wormwood that it shall be as bitter as wormwood to the good man to doe iustice for my part I would Achab troubled Israel no more though Eliah beare the blame 9 Hee saide that when hee considered how Noah Moses and others fell in their latter daies and how the most excellent haue fallen hee most earnestly prayed that the Lord would take him out of the world before that his life should bring any offence to the Church of God 10 Iacob and Esau cannot agree in one wombe Sarah and Agar cannot agree in one house Isaac and Ishmael must not dwell together there is no agreement between the children of God and the children of Belial 11 Moses was angrie and is commended for it so that euery anger is not condemnable but to be angrie without a cause and without measure Some men will bee angrie for their owne cause and very hot but in Gods cause they will not bee angrie at all this is a fleshly anger but when men sinne either to the dishonour of God or their owne destruction then to be angry is a good anger if the saluatioÌ„ of our brother doth moue vs therto not our owne iniuries for we can beare with patience iniuries so farre as priuately it concerneth vs but when it toucheth GODS glorie we cannot but be angrie Some are angrie for euery thing and in light matters and yet not in waightie matters then let those men take heede for these are very faultie But if we be like the Lord not marking what is done amisse nor being angry continually that we had rather be loued than feared and according as the matter is so is our anger then is it good otherwise it is not to be allowed for as the Lord doth vse more meanes to cause vs to loue him than to feare him so ought weâ—o doe and to bee more carefull with loue to winne than with anger to compell The Lord is slow to wrath and anger resteth in the bosome of fooles whereas a wise man will represse anger Then let our anger be according to the fault a light fault a light anger of small continuance but we must beleeue the Lord to bee greatly grieued with great sinnes In Gods cause some men are moued when themselues are also touched but if themselues be not touched they can be quiet but when their brother is hurt though God bee dishonoured they care not If we see our selues moued but then when our selues are touched let vs suspect the want of faith of loue and zeale of Gods glorie and thinke wee stand too much to our oâ—ne praise but if we cannot be content when the things doe not touch vs but euen the glorie of God doth moue vs to anger then is it good and of God Though some be our very friends yet we can be most angrie with them when they fauour vs and when they displease vs we can remember the old loue and so still mingle anger with loue and if I can bee angrie with whomsoeuer I see the same sinne in then is it also of God and to be allowed and indeede true Christian anger will sooner bee to his friend than to his enemie Againe when wee can first beginne with our sinnes and be more angrie for them than for others for no man can euer bee angrie for other mens sinnes which cannot be angrie for their owne and this is that which Christ saith Cast the beame out of your own eyes c. But when our anger first beginneth with our selues and that there is no sin which wee would willingly rest or fauour our selues in then if wee bee angrie with others for the same sinnes this is of God if we cast the first stone at our selues and if the sinne bee in vs we striue against it if it be not we feare it may bee and therefore studie to preuent it Againe when our anger doth let vs from doing any duties to them which wee are angrie with then is anger to be misliked but when wee are readie to shewe all duties to them as to pray for them and all other duties of loue then let vs haue here a testimonie of good anger but if it make vs to haue a troubled minde though it be for a good cause it is to be respected for the workes of Gods spirit in vs doe not hinder one another but rather doe further and if we were colde before and yet now shall be quickened to prayer and other good exercises this if we finde it is a note of good anger Againe our anger for the breach of Gods commandement is ioyned with a compassion ouer them which haue thus offended because of the wrath of God which hangeth ouer them thus was Christ angrie and sorie Mark chap. 3. and also when he wept ouer Ierusalem and Paul 2. Cor. cha 12. ver 21. faith he should be humbled when he commeth with a rodde to them and therefore he describeth fleshly anger that they were puffed vp 1. Cor. 5. Rom. 15. Wee should support the weake and be so grieued as though we had done that they haue done When wee see the sinnes of others wee must bee so grieued as if we had done them our selues Christianitie hath griefe flesh hath ioy in the sight of the sinnes and infirmities of other men 12 Worldlings being poore looke onely to the iniurie of men and being sicke looke onely to the meanes and in whatsoeuer trouble they are they are like the dogge that looketh to the stone and not to him that throweth it because they know not that the Lord is the healer but thinke it is by fortune and not Gods prouidence and therefore they looke not to God nor their sinne at all or els looke onely to the angrie countenance of God and so come to miserable ends Therefore it is a blessing of God to see that for his sinnes a man hath any trouble The contrarie commeth to passe by the ignorance of Gods prouidence which must by faith be beleeued as the creation is and therefore a man may see and yet beleeue not Gods prouidence for God hath time and all things that in time come to passe be in his hands Eccl. 3. So both must necessarily be beleeued for they are both the first article and one without the other cannot be beleeued Then let vs beleeue that hee is our healer and therefore when we are stricken let vs looke if wee haue walked well in our calling then is it for our triall and in the end we shall haue euerlasting ioy but if wee want a good conscience then let vs know it to be for our sinne therfore looke to the law where we shall see though not the particular sinne yet one of these which God hath ordained to keepe vs from sinne as wee shall see it is either for that wee haue not heard the word nor prayed nor been thankfull or not receiued the
rude in speech yet not in knowledge 2. Corinth chap. 11 vers 6. in conuerting Paulus Sergius a learned man Dioâ—â—siâ—s Aâ—â—opagita a great Philosopher disputing with the whole troupe of the Stoicks and Epicures at Athens read in Aâ—â—atus Epimenides Menander made Foelix to tremble with the force of his eloquence was thought Mercurie for his eloqueÌ„ce at Lâ—â—aonia by the notable course and vaine of all his epistles not inferiour to the writings of any of the â—eaâ—hen Festus thought him to be madde with much learning Act. chap. â—6 verse 24 he wâ—lled Timothie to bring his bookes and parchments from Troas 2. Timoth. chap. 4. verse 13. by Peters testimonie 2. Pet. chap. 3. verse 16 according to the wisedome giuen vnto him Timothie was perfectly taught in the Scriptures froÌ„ a child 2. Timoth. chap. 3. verse 13. in so much as he had prophecyings going before of him 1. Timoth. chap. 1. verse 1â— nourished vp in the word of faith and good doctrine 1. Timoth. chap 4. verse 6. charged to giue attendance to reading and learning and to continue therein 1. Timoth. chap. 4. verse 16. 10 Euerie thing in the Sanctuarie was double to that which was common as the Shekle the Cubit so ought it to be with the Minister Triâ—les in the Ministers mouth are blasphemies laughter in him is vnseemely and to moue laughter is more vnseemely Alâ— will crie and say to them in their infirmities Art thou become weake also as we Aâ—t thou become weake like to vs Esa. chap 14 verse 16. Thy voycetruely is Iaâ—obs sweete and soft but thy hand is the paw of â—saâ— rough and hairie Let such a one be called Pastor of the Church as in comparison of him the rest may be called a flocke Hâ—â—râ—â— ad Ocean And it is the Canon which the very Papists vse in electing of Ministers Distinct. 25 Whosoeuer of Aarons seed had any bâ—emish in him should not prease to offer before God neither to come neere the vayle neither to stand by the Altar Leuit. 21 17 Vnlesse he will depart from iniquitie let him not once name Christ his name his mores will be beames Iohn Baptist is too streight Christ is too loose and his disciples wash not their hands before meate Elisha hath a bald paâ—â— and one thing or other stands yet in the way â—e delights not or he â—â—ifies not Doth Gods Minister rebuke sharpely then is he too sowre if he admonish mildely then is he too colde A Bishop saith Hierome must be of such knowledge and holmesse that both his gesture and motion habite and attiâ—e must as it were speake of his grauitie his words and actions must be instructions to his people And Hâ—â—rome saith what shall the multitude commend in thee if they finde their owne dâ—forâ—i ties in thee If they finde nothing which is not in themselues If they finde that in thee whom they thinke to reuerence which being found in themselues would make them blush Ministers are the Lords messengers and they must not carrie with them as did Vvias a letter for the knowledge of such things as serue and tend to their destruction Damnant se ipsos sua voâ—e qui sui similes â—â—ferno dâ—mnant with their owne words doe they condemne themselues which doe condemne such as be like themselues in the hels If I aske a man of the right way he shall point at one way and himselfe will goe another way I will not regard his words but follow his steps Wel as he is an adulterer that with a desiring eie looketh on the beautie of his neighbours wife albeit that woman shl remaine chast so are they murtherers in doing as much as in theÌ„ lieth to kill by their Iewd example the soules of their brethren although the Lord by his mercy preserue them from contagion An euil minister is the diuels hauke he is the diuels best factour Surely Sermons confuted by an euill life are like to milke turned in the seething By preaching they hew timber out of the thicke trees by euill life againe they breake downe the carued worke and with axes hammers Psal. 74. But whereunto shall I compare them They be like to spittle-men perfit in the waies they neuer went directing others lying still themselues They be like Heraulds at Armes setting their armies together by the eares they theÌ„selues neuer strike one stroke like to markes in the high waies which rotte away themselues whiles they staÌ„d instructing others in the way or to bels calling other to the places where they neuer come to blacke sope making white remaining blacke to blunt whetstones which sharpen other things but they continue dull to rough ragged files smoothing all other things themselues remaining rough and not changed to Noahs ship-wrights which make the Arke but themselues were not saued in it 11 When a certaine man had put Master Foxe in minde of one on whom being afflicted in mind God blessed his ministerie and asked him if he were yet in his remembrance yes said he I forget Lord and Lady but I remember such 12 A certaine man said that in our age many Ministers were like to seruants who had long liued vnder a good Maister so as they had gotten some competent stocke vpon the increase whereof they did so much attend that they neglected and forgat their ancient care for their maister 13 He obserued that some speaking against eloquence did sauour much of an humane spirit in their preaching which is as euill or worse For eloquence is not simply forbidden but when it waiteth on carnal wisedome for otherwise ioyned with the power of the word and demonstration or euidence of the spirit it is effectuall but humane wisedome very barren and destitute of eloquence is euill 14 It were necessarie in the church of God as Iosuah ministred to Moses Elisha to Eliah Samuel to Ely Gehezi to Elisha Baruch to Ieremiah the Disciples to Christ Timothy to Paul that likewise euery learned godly Pastor should traine vp some young scholler to commend him the better and to enable him the more in the Church 15 The climing Canons of the Pope were the cause of this mingling of Ciuill lawes with Diuinitie First Odia restringere Fauores ampliare that is you must restraine euery commaundement of God for they call those Odia As Feed my sheepe we must distinguish of that by that old distinction either by my selfe or by another sometimes by my selfe these are the promises of God which they make so large that they maruell how one that is conuersant in the Scriptures can be but a wicked man But Dauid saith the contrarie Psalme 119. Lord thy commaundements are so broad that I am astonied at them and the promises are set forth with so many conditions that they shall find them very narrow Câ—phalus as I reade who was an Atheist when he was young comming to be old said what if there be an
his sonne for he knew that the Lord who had made the promise who wold prouide the meanes also to bring it to passe so if wee be perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs we shall not doubt that any other thing shall hurt vs for seeing sinne the cause of all miseries is taken from vs we may be sure that no miserie shall hurt vs and if the Lord hath giuen vs his sonne he will giue all things with him and the loue wherewith he loueth vs in his sonne will not suffer vs to want the things that are for our good for if a father will prouide for his sonne the Lord will prouide for vs who is a heauenly father and cannot bee changed though earthly fathers he 4 To this faith in the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ wee must adde the faith in the sanctification of the spirit for if wee beleeue that the Lord hath made vs of sinfull men iust men of varieâ—s vessels of righteousnes and temples of his spirit if he can make the Leopard and the Kâ—â— to lye together Esay 11. if he can make the couetous person liberall and the whoremonger a chaste person if wee beleeue that the Lord will and is able to change vs from any sin be it neuer so great and strong by nature or by euill custome wee may then be sure that the Lord in this life will not suffer vs to faile in any thing needefull for vs neither are wee to doubt thereof seeme it neuer so vnpossible for it is a greater worke to change a sinner than to worke wonders in nature 5 Fourthly if we beleeue that the Lord will prepare a kingdome for vs in the heauens we cannot but beleeue that in this life he wil perserue vs. For if we beleeue that our bodies shall be turned vnto dust and yet raised vp againe we shall be sure he will not but prouide for vs in this world for it is a greater thing to raise vp the body from death and out of the dust than to preserue iâ— being aliue And to this faith of our redemption we must beleeue in the prouidence of God first in creation so that if wee beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing we shall beleeue that he will giue vs sufficient for we see that the light was before the Sunne Moone and Starres and the grasse before the raine and dew that we should not put too much trust in them and to teach vs that without these meanes we may haue these blessings for the Lord hath prouided these meanes not for his weaknes but for ours Do we beleeue that God made all men and shall we feare men therefore we beleeue not these things or els we would not so much feare the want of earthly things for if a sparrow fall not on the ground without his prouidence shall we thinke he will not prouide for vs wee must then beleeue the particular prouidence of God in the gouernment of all things which will be an helpe to keepe vs from distrust and murmuring doe wee beleeue that the Lord made vs then shall wee not thinke that hee will preferre vs for it is more wonderfull Psal. 1. and 139. Eccles. 11. 6 We are therfore to beleeue the prouidence of God first generally ouer all creatures then particularly ouer euery one of them yea euen ouer the sparrowes Againe if the Lord hath care of beasts as indeede hee hath because they were made for man hee will much more haue care of man for whom they were made He hath a care for the wicked to do theÌ„ good for hee filleth their bellies with his hidden treasure then wil he much more reioyce ouer the godly to doe them good if he loued vs when we were his enemies will hee not prouide for vs being reconciled to him by the death of his owne and onely sonne If hee did vs good when we sought him not will he not much more when wee doe seeke him in praying vnto him as he hath commanded If he hath done vs good when for our sins hee might haue punished vs will he not when with his spirit he hath sanctified vs Oh then let vs not be vnfaithfull and so become murmurers against the Lord but let vs be faithfull and to looke vnto the Lord to doe vnto vs according to our faith 7 Furthermore this prouidence of God must bee confirmed by the example of Gods children in all ages as in the time of the fathers before the flood who did eate nothing but hearbes veâ— some of theÌ„ liued nine hundred yeeres to teach vs that men liue not by these meanes â—f by these meanes he nourished them he will by greater as by flesh and fish nourish vs. The Israelites were fed with Manna which was neuer seene before nor since for the space of fourtie yeeres If they gathered any more thereof than the Lord commanded it stanke yet being kept before the Arke 400. yeeres it did not so and when they came to the promised land it ceased whereby we may learne that it is not the meanes but the blessing of God vpon the meanes that giueth nourishment Did not Moses and Elias liue fortie daies without meate and the children of Israel goe fortie yeeres in the same garments not waxing old and othersome hauing meate in abundance been hunger-starned and shal it not teach vs that these things are ordained for our weaknes and that the Lord without these meanes can nourish vs If Dauid proued by experience that he neuer saw a righteous man of righteous parents begging his bread if wee bee now righteous as they were then the Lord will prouide for vs now as well as he did then for them and we shal haue the like experience 8 To this prouidence we must come with a patient minde to let the Lord giue what he will and therefore wee must haue contented miâ—â—es and know that godlinesse is great riches and not to looke for great matters Ier. 45. as it was said to Baruch and therefore are wee taught to pray for daily bread so that we may haue the same minde that was in our father Iacob Gen. 28. who was content with meate and cloath which generally is commanded to all 1. Tim. 6. if the Lord giue more than this take it as an ouerplus A patient minde prescribeth not to God the meanes nor the time nor indenteth with God but is content with the grace of God in forgiuenes of sinne and the sanctification of the spirit though it want other things our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs not too desirously to seek after earthly things but rather after the kingdome of God and wee ought to receiue the loue of God with all contentment though it come alone and for outward things to enioy them or not to haue them as it pleaseth him for the children of God doe for outward things possesse their soules in patience and commit the rest
would neuer faile them nor forsake them till he had brought them to his habitation which should teach vs to doe the like for strengthning our faith in his goodnes by keeping continually as it were a beadroll of his benefits already receiued of him least by letting the olde slip out of our mindes which should make vs thankfull we neuer receiue the new whereof we are so carefull 3 As the roote of all sinne is in our soule so the beginning of all diseases is in our bodies And as there is no sinne which we should not fall into if the Lord leaue vs so is there no disease which should not come vpon vs vnlesse he preserue vs. For when his prouideÌ„ce watcheth not ouer vs we are ready to fall into all miserie It is not in our selues to keepe our good name from euill reports our minds from disquietnes our estate from pouertie c. This if it were beleeued and felt it would both make vs thankful continue in prayer not only in the want of such things we desire but also in the abundance of those we enioy For man liueth not by bread onely neither is it care can make vs rich nor our owne deuises bring quietnes to our mindes but it is the Lord who in his prouidence worketh all in all which must alwaies be acknowledged of vs to the end we may make vse of all things in any estate to the glory of his name and the good of our brethren 4 We may trie our faith in Gods prouidence by this as we vse the meanes to come to earthly things so for this we must vse the word and prayer Psal. 119. part 22. If then we esteeme not of the word and find no comfort in prayer Psal. 32. we can neuer esteeme of his prouidence we can neuer say in truth God giueth vs all things 5 The Lord oftentimes in his wise prouidence helpeth the wicked and such as are vnworthie and in steade of punishments which they doe deserue he sendeth blessings when they crievnto him for them From which we may gather that if he heare the wicked much more will he graunt the desire of such as feare him If hee remit the vngodly much more them that in truth of heart serue him for he dealeth not with vs as our deserts are as euery man may feele but he doth good both to the godly and the wicked that to diuers ends to the godly to hyre them from their sinnes to the wicked that after hee may confound them without excuse Therefore if when the Lord forbeareth we be touched in heart to repent this is the worke of Gods spirit the coÌ„fort thereof will abide for euer but if when he forbeareth we thinke our sinnes are lesse and so harden our hearts then are wee to feare that vtter confusion is at hand 6 The Lord neuer forsaketh his but in all dangers he will prouide though all meanes faile onely let vs belieue his prouidence and so will he giue vs our hearts desire if it stand with his glorie or else if we desire that which standeth not with his glorie yet let vs belieue that he is our FATHER in CHRIST and he will recompence the outward wants with a spirituall blessing 7 We may reade in Exodus 17. 7. that the Israelites through distrust doubted whether God was among them because they saw not such visible signes of Gods presence and fauour as they would With the like doubt our Sauiour Christ was tempted by the diuel Luc. 4 who laboured to make him doubt whether he were the Sonne of God because he wanted some things which were needful for this life wherby we may learne to know our own corruption how ready we are to iudge as the Israelits did because we sâ—e not such ordinary helps as we and other of Gods children haue at sometimes had but we are to correct this in ourselues and on the contrarie to thinke that God is amongst vs and with vs although we see some tokens of his anger Thus do we reason in religion Is this true religion seeing there be so many diuersities of iudgments such little godlines it is like it is not but rather we are to looke for some other so we reason in the common-wealth Is this gouernment good which bringeth so great hurly burlies and so great troubles so in mariage when contentions and temptations do arise then they thinke they were not ioyned together by God so in euery kind of trouble we iudge of the presence and prouidence of God by our outward sense feeling This is the policie of the diuel to cause men either to sink downe in despaire or else to be impatient at the least to murmur But to preuent this these are some remedies following The first that we looke to the word and when we see that religion hath alwaies had troubles and so shall haue still then shall we straightwaies see that our iudgement is fleshly Secondly wheÌ„ we see that many of Gods children in the world as Iob and others had trouble in their mariage and yet that it was of God then shall we learne that our iudgement is not according to the spirit Then let vs consider that the diuel doth herein exercise policie to ouerthrow our mariage we shal be wary to auoide them And if many haue been in this state yet the Lord hath not left them why should we yeeld to the temptation of Sathan who would perswade vs that our case is worse Thirdly we must looke to the former mercies of God which we haue felt If we haue once felt them then though we haue not alwaies the like feeling yet we must not thinke that he hath forsaken vs so that experience of former mercies must be our strength herein if we haue been in as great danger as now we are and euen then he helped vs why should we doubt Fourthly we must consider that many of Gods children are and haue been so and therefore we must take heede that in our rashnesse we do not condemne them We must not therefore iudge thus vnlesse we will be hurtfull to our selues and iniurious to our brethren 8 Moses was commanded to take the same staffe with which he stroke the red sea and therewith to strike the stonie rocke to giue the Israelites water to drinke to teach theÌ„ that the Lord was as well able to bring water where it is not as to stay the course thereof where it is This ought they to haue considered and then would they not in other things haue doubted If we wil auoid the like distrust we must remember the former works of God then labour to be garded in the hope of euerlasting life the resurrection of the body and the forgiuenes of sins that so we may be sure he will be good to vs still And as the chiefe helpe of al these let vs labour to be throughly
be turned into sinne yet if we can continue in prayer and be diligent therein if we can euen then also heare the word when wee can receiue no comfort thereby yea though it euer rebuke vs and seeme to make our cōdemnation knowne vnto vs if wee can abide our selues to bee touched and continue our care to heare the word still if we can doe these things it is a notable token of true faith and the great worke of Gods good spirit doth shewe it selfe herein yea and that more liuely than when a man hath comfortable feeling 11 It is a speciall fauour of the Lord when he giueth such Ministers or Magistrates as will pray for the people for so they may see that he will not punish them as he ought but yet forbeareth them We see in Psalm 106. That by the prayer of Moses and Phineas the Lords wrath was stayed and Samuel prayed for the people Therefore Ministers and Magistrates ought to labour euen by praying and doing good for the people that euen for their sakes the Lord may spare them though they haue deserued to be punished Contrariwise it is a signe of Gods wrath when hee withdraweth the hearts of Ministers and Magistrates from the people and that they cannot doe them good 12 The lifting vp of the hands is taken sometimes for prayer it selfe the signe for the thing it selfe so the speech is vsed Psal. 141. 2. Let the lifting vp of my hands bee as an Euening sacrifice And in Tim. 2. 6. I will that men lifte vp pure hands in euery place Where we see that the truth of the things is ioyned neerly with the signe For if a man haue not an heart his lifting vp of hands is nothing but if the heart be thoroughly mooued then also will the eye be lifted vp yet we doe lift vp our eyes that our hearts thereby may be the better lifted vp and our eye doth not wander nor our care doth harken after other things but our hearts haue first wandered 13 When Moses preuailed with the Lord by prayer then did he also preuaile against his enemies S. Iames saith The prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much if it be feruent So that if he be not a righteous man that prayeth or if the righteous mans prayers are not feruēt it will not preuaile As S. Iames therefore gathereth a generall of a particular so may we gather that if we be feruent in prayer then we shall preuaile but if we be not feruent we can haue no hope And that is the cause that in our matters we bring not our purpose to passe because we are cold in praier or trust too much to our owne wisedome or such like Therefore in what matter soeuer we haue in hand if we do first seeke to God by prayer in feruencie as did the men of God herein then shall we preuaile as well as euer they did 14 Those things which wee heare and reade are other mens vntill by applying them to our selues by Meditation they be made ours 15 As reading hearing and conferring of the word do more encrease knowledge then feeling So praying singing and meditating doe more increase feeling then knowledge 16 It is not certaine how long after his sacrifice and prayer Iacob receiued comfort and therefore we see that the comfort of the Spirit doth not alwayes depend vpon the meanes neither is bound thereunto but sometime cōmeth long after the vsing of them As Christ saith of the Husbandmen that they sowe and looke long after for the fruites of the earth which may teach vs comfort for that our prayers are neuer in vaine but alwayes graunted though sometime long after and here are those corrected which looke for comfort immediately vpon their requests not knowing that sinne is the cause why wee receiue not when we aske and for that we vse not the meanes aright this also trieth our obedience if we will with patience continue vsing the same meanes though presently we feele not the fruite of them and learne with Marke and the Apostles to lay vp things in our hearts to trie what will come of them afterward Iacobs vision is not a bare and mute thing but is ioyned with the word and teacheth that all comfort must come out of the word and therefore what comfort by Sacraments visions apparitions and such like doth not leade vs to the word nor worke in vs greater obedience to the same nor giueth vs some victory ouer sinne that is vaine and proceedeth of error It is Faith in the Promises that worketh in vs obedience and therfore in euery commandement there is a promise either vnderstood or expressed for the law is spirituall and requireth a spirituall obedience which we cannot performe because we be carnall and by nature disobedient except the Lord do minister grace vnto vs. 17 Violence as it were must be vsed in the heart when we pray because it is the heauie iudgement of God that verball prayers bring vs to great blockishnes 18 It is good to reade before prayer to the better preparing of our hearts thereunto 19 Where prayer wanteth the action of sinne is as ready as the temptation 20 Generally we must desire Gods mercies greedily but particularly wee must aske them conditionally and with affection as well to leaue the thing asked as to haue it 21 Manie are barren in grace because they are barren in prayer We cannot be drie in the grace of God so long as wee resort to Christ by prayer who hath the seauen Vialls of gold full of seuen-fold mercies 22 In singing of Psalmes without some speciall occasion he would say in company specially of such as were of some generall instruction although priuately for himselfe according to his griefe ioy or affectiō he would sing proper Psalmes yet he thought they that did most reioyce might sing the Psalmes of greater griefe to put them in mind what was or may bee in them as also to season their ioyes with the remembrance of the sorrow of some of the Saints Againe those that are most throwne downe might reape fruit in vsing the Psalmes of greatest comfort that they may see what hath been and what is belonging to them after that they haue sowne in teares and mourned with that holy repentance which is not to be repented of 23 There be two extremities of singers Some hearing the action to bee good vse it of custome Some hearing that wee must vse it with prepared hearts stay so long for fitting themselues thereunto that they leaue it often vndone Others vse it so often and yet so vnfruitfully that their customable singing breedes wearisomnesse wearisomnesse causeth tediousnes and tediousnes causeth to leaue all Then wee are indeede prepared to sing when the word dwels so plentifully in vs and we be so filled with the Spirit that the assurance of our sinnes pardoned the perswasion of God his fauour the hatred of sinne the loue of
the Canker-worme hath eaten that which the Canker-worme hath left the Caterpiller hath eaten they haue spoyled the Church from hand to hand Wherefore it behoueth those places that haue so cast the Lord out to labour the haruest may be recouered and that the branches be new planted that the holds cast down may be reedified and that the vines decaied may be repaired For want whereof euerie priuate mans field being as a garden and euerie mans garden being as a Paradise the Lords garden whether for want of manuring or for the sleeping of the dressers I know not lyeth like the field of the sluggish man and his vineyard like the vineyard of one that is idle And where euery house is curiously sieled euery citie aptly compacted the house of the Lord whether for that the spirituall workmen are confounded among themselues or the ouerseers of the worke be willingly corrupted lieth void waste in many places so that they that see it are constrained to say O Lord why doest thou behold vs thus and sufferest to see such vastation Neither yet shall the voyce of the enemie crying in the day of reuenge race it race it downe to the ground strike vs with such a terror as when violence shall come vpon vs our wiues our children without all respect of age and estate It is not possible that we in our great securitie should cōceiue a shadow of that inexplicable griefe which shall follow that persecuting plague hastning towards vs when the carkases of our friends shall make a way and be as a path in our streets when our women shall villainously be abused in the Lords Sion the children put to the edge of the sword the Princes hanged vp by the hands no sparing shall be of sexe or of age and besides so outragious a rage when our foes shall come to tread as holy ground where the glorie of God his house should strike them stone dead when their sword should be abashed and lose it glittering when it should see the Maiestie of the Lord in his Ministers and Preachers This is a matter of griefe and indignation for the harmelesse blood powred out by the king of Babel on the ground being compared to the blood of the Saints shed by the Pope it would be but as a spoonfull in respect of the Sea When this moodie Tigre comes he will pretend that he rootes out heresie but then why doth he suck the blood of infants who are not capable of heresie Well if this be his intent to roote out heresie is the sword a fit instrument to do it Paul and Peter and the rest of that blessed colledge and Christ himselfe put many notable heretikes to silence by the force of reason and not by dint of sword Was it Christ his meaning that the successor of Peter should draw out his sword when Peter himselfe was bidden to put it vp And yet this royall Priest and Bishop generally will drowne the Church in her own blood And do we not see how the guides Pastors and ouerseers of the Church are driuen out of sundry places where this Bishop hath set his foote whose harts could haue bene better contented at once to haue sealed their doctrine with their blood than to be separated from them to whose soules they had deuoted themselues An heauie farewell no doubt they took of their congregations when as we reade of some who filled their high waies with their beasts laid their children at the feet of the Pastors whē they departed from them crying vnto them What shall be our estate now ye are gone to martyrdome Who shall wash our children in the cristall waters of Baptisme Who shall ease our afflicted consciences when the aduersary shal accuse vs Who shall leade vs the way of life and bring our soules to rest Recompence them O Lord as they haue deserued that are the cause of this O Lord giue them sad harts So heauy a crosse will it be to see an irremediable desolatiō of holy things we know not yet the bitternes of this cup yet we haue them amōg vs which haue tasted it whom let vs entertaine with Ioseph with teares of mercie and let vs in their suites say to the Lord they haue beholden miserie O Lord cause them to behold the light of thy louing countenance for their reliefe comfort So be it 17 It is the great iudgement of God vpon the corrupt iudgement of the world that vnlesse sinne be prodigious and monstrous such as goe round about the world we are not mooued with it When we admonish other sinnes of iesting and such like forsooth we must smile when we doe so and we must laugh vpon them least we moue choler and giue offence Well for all sinne in equall measure and for the least of all sinnes Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was faine to shed his precious blood Howsoeuer sinne seemeth little to vs in committing it was very great to Christ in suffering for it They be small sins to vs which are vsuall to all but if they were not vsuall they would seeme prodigious 18 All the senses especially the eyes as they are most singular instruments to receiue good things by if they by Gods spirit be directed so if they be not well ordered do bring greatest euils and therefore Dauid prayeth that his eyes might be guided aright and Iob maketh a couenant with his eyes vnder which the other parts are included as also when Dauid maketh a couenant with his mouth Ioseph his mistresse first offended in looking without a cause for the wantonnesse of vaine lookes bewray the corruption of the heart we must then striue to haue a lawfull cause of all our doings that so we may be assured of Gods prouidence to watch ouer vs least if any harme happen vnto vs we be the iust occasion thereof Secondly she offended in not keeping a measure for whosoeuer seeth his owne corruptions truely will be afraid of the very appearance of euill as Iob although he was neuer adulterer yet priuie to his corruption he made a couenant with his eyes Iosephs mistresse spake to him day by day and he refuseth she abideth stil in her euill purpose but he still refuseth her and here is the difference betweene Gods children and the wicked the one continueth still in wickednesse and would haue all others such the other perseuere in godlinesse and would bring all men to the same she was conuinced of her fault and yet sorrowed not but continued Where note the oftner sinne the lesse griefe a note of the children of the diuell But contrarily the oftner sinne the more griefe a note of the child of God Ioseph was young about thirtie foure yeeres and yet chast contrarie to those that say fornication is but a tricke of youth Ioseph was entised and yet yeelded not a signe of a pure heart for although temptations be offered of those yet it proceedeth of our corruption
The Scripture in this point is plentifull Who can say his heart is cleane There is none that doth good no not one all are sicke either of the couetous dropsie or ambitious feuer of the itch of concupiscence He that hath not the fit on him may start vp and looke to his neighbour All our health is a perillous disease our righteousnesse is as a rag stained with the flowers of a woman If none be voide if many sinnes lie hidde in vs for who can tell how oft he offendeth who can say he is not crased if our cleannesse be filthie if our light be darknesse if our health be sicknesse how filthie is our filthinesse how darke is our darknesse howsoeuer is our sicknesse And how truly is our body called abody of death If then we had any hope of our recouery it would make vs look for our Physition Christ. CHAP. LXIII Of Physicke and Diet Sicknesse and Health IN that Christ doth vouchsafe to bee called our Physition and to bee so it doth greatly commend vnto vs his kindnesse vnspeakable and mercie vnmeasurable that hee would come downe from heauen from his throne of glorie to become a Physition to heale our desperate diseases More that hee is no common leach but such a one as wee may safely put our liues into his hand it wil appeare easily if we consider the properties of an expert Physition in whom these three are chiefly to be considered and required First a sense of the infirmitie wherby in looking wel ouer vs we may know the disease the more throughly Such a one was Christ Esay 53. He had good cause to know our infirmities he needed not that any should counsaile him he knew what was in man Secondly a very readie and willing minde to heale them and take paines with them that are diseased This also was in our Sauiour Esay 64. The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me in that hee hath annointed me that I was willing to heale the broken hearted preach forth the acceptable yeere of the Lord. Thirdly a facultie and facilitie in healing This also was in full measure in him He went about saith Matthew doing good healing euery disease and maladie among the people which may far more fitly by way of a Metaphor be translated vnto the soule where after a more singular way he worketh great masteries and doth great cures This is the comfort of all comforts to the groaning soule to haue a pitifull a willing and a skilfull Physition to looke vpon them and take them in hand 2 When sicknes or any affliction is vpon vs wee must take heede that wee indent not with the Lord but learne presently to liue righteously and to profit by whatsoeuer is laid vpon vs though we see not present release For if the crosse onely humble vs and wee be not humbled in heart what shall we be when the crosse is gone Therefore let vs see the Lord and bee humbled because it is his doing and with our whole heart subscribe thereunto and let the Lord remoue it in his time so that we presently profit by it 3 A certaine man who had bin three yeeres pained with a grieuous disease and finding no remedie by Physick wished many times to die and yet when he had better considered he humbled himselfe and said with his heart If this lie on me all my life yet wil I serue the Lord which done he found present ease and was not troubled therewith afterward Also when men are fallen into the hands of the Magistrate or of the discipline of the Church they will shew great repentance for the time But when the time of their examination and course of Iustice is past then also is their pietie past they are neuer the better which sheweth that they were not truly humbled neither receiued any profit by their present correction But let vs learne to profit by both namely by the immediate or mediate haÌ„d of God vpon vs and know that if the Lord forgiue our sinnes they shall be forgotten of men and if we shame our selues and be truly humbled vnder his hand for them then the Lord will take away our shame and whatsoeuer affliction in his due time 4 If wee promise amendment in the time of our trouble and yet followe it not in the time of prosperitie it is for hardnesse of heart For Pharaoh his example is for to feare we must not put it off for time to come but presently learne to amend our liues otherwise the Lord may deale with vs as he did with him 5 When sicknes or any other trouble doth afflict vs if we would know whether it proceed from the fauour loue of God towards vs let vs learne to see it in the example of the theefe on the crosse who fled vnto God profited by the crosse and would that others also should so do for if we can in trouble flie to God not to witches and profit by our crosse which in it nature is able to make vs worse whereunto also Sathan will set to his hand if wee desire to amend our life and that others also should amend by our example by these fruites we may see that our sicknes is sanctified in Christ and all other our troubles are also sanctified in him For God would not haue receiued vs so graciously in the sacrifice of his sonne Christ if he ment to destroy vs he hath giuen vs so many pledges of his loue So we may reason with our soules as Manoalâ—s wife did with her husband ludg 12. 23. 5 Seeing God created all things nothing hath vertue in it but as God giueth it and when it pleaseth him he taketh it away Our father Adam liued with hearbs and yet should haue liued for euer but we haue many other things for our nourishment and yet liue not Again our fathers before the flood liued longer than we do yet had not so many â—â—shes as we haue The children of Israel liued fortie yeeres with Manna and Moses and Elia liued fortie daies without meate all these teach vs that man liueth not by bread onely and that the want of the creatures doth not necessarily cast vs into diseases but that it is our siâ—â—â—e which casteth vs into them Meate doth not nourish vs Physick doth not heale vs and the creatures doe not strengthen vs but the Lord doth all in all as it pleaseth him to trie his children or to punish the wicked 6 In corporall blessings if we haue not the spirit to teach vs that by the word and by prayer they are sanctified vnto our vse if we cannot receiue euen euery morsel of meate at Gods hands as tokens and pledges of his fauour surely we shall either at the last be brought to loathe them or to set our hearts too much vpon them so that the Lord shall be constrained to take them from vs to make them â—ot melt and stinke so that we shall not finde
them nor haue any good holy and profitable vse of them Contrariwise if the spirit doe teach vs and assure our hearts that all the creatures of God are sanctified vnto vs by the word and by prayer then shall we giue God due glorie in them finde profit by them and haue them so long continued vnto vs as shall be expedient for vs. Some do looke on the word of God onely to get knowledge or to be as others are at the last it will be loathed of them So the Minister of God if we like him onely for fauour o◠some gifts that he hath and not for that he is the minister of our saluation we tha◠quickly either make him an Idoll or else vtterly despise him Therefore if we will alwaies haue them in due estimation let vs acknowledge them to be such as labour for our saluation 7 As oftentimes it falleth that some men receiue naturall sicknesses from their naturall parents so doe some likewise receiue from their naturall parents naturall sinnes 8 When some had admonished him for making mention of old sinnes when he was at the death of any he said first I esteeme not men as they are in the time of their sicknesse but ordinarily I measure them as they were in their liues Againe they are not guiltie of olds sins in death which repented truly of their old sins in health and life Besides if they be not guiltie my prayer or speech hurteth them not but profiteth others if they be guiltie the trouble of them shall turne to their good in that they shall finde the iudgement of this world and escape the finall iudgement that is to come 9 He thought that there should not be one Minister for the sicke and the whole in the time of the plague but that one should minister to the whole whilest their owne Pastor tended the sicke 10 So greatly he reioyced in troubles that he would not wish to be vtterly freed from often infirmities because the Lord had very much by them prouoked him often to examine himselfe 11 A certaine godly and especiall friend of his making knowne his purpose in taking physicke to helpe him in a lesse infirmitie he said Sir your physick may ease you of some paine but I hope it shall not purge you of the fauour of God for although you be eased in this yet for that God loueth you he will meete with you in some other thing 12 Asa was reprooued because he sought not the Lord when he was sicke of the gowte which was a punishment of his vnlawfull couenant 2. Chron. 19 though it came of his age and trauaile The children of God must so thinke of the meanes that they see God disposing nature destituting them of grace if they faile in the right vse of the meanes Many now adaies in sicknesse goe to the Physitions with Asa neuer considering their sins the iust cause therof It is good to seeke to the Physitions so that God be first sought to by repentance of that sinne which we thinke to be the cause of the same But when the Physition cannot helpe them and when they know no cause of their sicknesse but are strangely stricken and suddenly then they are found and say they are taken as Moses Exod. 4. iuddenly stricken saith that the Lord hath met him so the strangenesse of the thing did sooner bring him to God Therefore as the children of God are by this meanes sooner brought to God as Moses and Iob so the wicked in the like cases doe flie further from God and thinke it lawfull to goe to witches when their Physitians cānot help Let vs then both in ordinarie and extraordinarie meanes of blessings and punishments alwayes confesse that the hand of the Lord hath wrought it and seeke to bee cured of him by whom we haue been wounded And let vs so looke to the meanes as that wee first reconcile our selues to God for our sinnes and pacifie him in that hee may blesse and not curse the meanes of Physicke 13 The Lord sendeth plagues one greater than another yet alwaies threatneth before the plagues doe come so that if wee would profit by the threatnings wee should preuent the plague that it should not come And this vse ought we to make of the threatning that so we may escape the iudgements by profiting by the word and by them 14 Some will say that they doe not finde in themselues those fruits of true repentance by their sicknes and troubles which are set downe to bee in the children of God Such must take heed that they doe not denie that which God hath wrought in them Iob could neuer be brought to doe so But if thy afflictions continue and thou findest not that profit that should be in thee reason thus with thy selfe I am the child of God and am afflicted and yet profit not as I ought therefore God doth continue the same vpon me that I may reape due profit by it Therefore I willingly yeelde to the crosse and take it vp but if thou feelest not this yet if in thy heart thou doest loue Gods word and his children and all goodnesse and hatest sinne and all wickednesse thou must needes be his child and therefore be comforted for because thou art not humbled therefore thou reapest not the fruit of affliction and therefore they lie still vpon thee that at what time soeuer thou art humbled the Lord may take away the crosse and giue thee the fruite of thine afflictions For when thou art humbled he will cease to afflict 16 A godly Physition in the time of persecution hauing three patients resorting vnto him to be cured of one great euill said this strange disease and sicknesse be tokeneth some strange sinnes and corruptions to be in you and therefore if you will by me be freed from the sicknesse reconcile your selues to God that he may free you from your sinnes They all at once excused themselues wherein they bewraying their great ignorance the Physition vnripped their liues and at the first inquired of them if they did not frequent the Masse They could not plainly denie it but couertly excused it saying that therein they did but as others which when the man of God perceiued haue you so highly displeased God and know not of any sinne to be in you goe your wayes and first learne how grieuous your sinne is before God for the Lord hauing laide his rod vppon you I dare not take it off vnlesse yee shew fruites of repentance And thus he dismissed them vntill they knowing and acknowledging their sinne with griefe returned and afterward were healed CHAP. LXIIII. Of Sathans practises and of Schisme and securitie THe Diuell setteth an high estimation of a man for that as wee may reade in the Gospell hee thinkes himselfe whilest hee is in a man to bee in a palace but when he is out of a man hee thinkes himselfe in a desert Hereof it is that being cast
out hee keepes such roring foaming and trembling as is wonderfull Paradise one would thinke might haue delighted him being so beautifull yet hee esteemed it but as a wildernesse in respect of Adam 2 The Diuell hath a palace of pleasure and a court of libertie for those that he his but if wee will bee the Lords wee must be hedged in and stinted wee must not goe awrie The Diuell will let you doe speake and thinke what you will the more libertie ye vse the better he liketh your seruice but God hath a stâ—â—ct house he will haue the heart the minde the soule the bodie and the whole heart this is hard seruice well it is easie to enter seruice with the diuell if one say I will serue you freely if another say I will bee a retainer to you but I will weare Gods liuerie all shall be receiued none refused If you be well the Diuell is well if you be quiet he is quiet but this is a miserable seruice 3 The Diuell is very painefull in his assaults Hee workes with Christ and doubles his temptations on him and pursueth him all his life long When he gate Dauid once to con sent to adulterie then he trebles his blowes hee causeth him to make Vriah drunken he vseth deceit he causeth him to murther Vriah yea he murthered many with him he wil not be contented with the borders but he will assay to take the principall citie Take Peter for an example first he comes long behind secoÌ„dly he was haled in by the shoulders theÌ„ he began to palter after he denied Christ not long after he sweareth and last of all he curseth 4 It is a part of the Diuell his sophistrie as in good things to seuer the means from the end so in euill things to separate the end from the meanes Dauid ioyneth both together Psalm 119. I am thine oh Lord saue me The Diuell perswades vs that God will saue vs but makes vs neuer looke to that I am thine In euill hee beareth vs in hand wee may vse the meanes and neuer come to the end and so clips off halfe as when he can suffer this Eccles. 11. 9. Reioyce O young man he would leaue out this but thou shalt come to iudgement But these hath God ioyned together and neither the subtiltie of youth nor any witte of man nor all the diuels in hell can separate them the pleasures of the flesh and the iudgements of GOD. As to our first parents Eaâ—e yee shall not die To whom some Salomon might haue saide if it seeme pleasant to you Eate it but death shall come So in these two that Ezekiel hath ioyned the ease of the Pastour and the blood required at his hands He might haue saide goe too build you Tabernacles where you may take most profit and giue eare to nothing yet God shall bring you to iudgement God with a chaine of Adamant hath knit the pleasure of the world with iudgement he that hath one must haue both 5 It is often the pollicie of Sathan to make vs trauaile in some good things to come when more fitly we might be occupied in good things present 6 Wee must be proude against Sathan in CHRIST and humble to all men in Christ. 7 Sathan will tempt vs though hee cannot ouercome vs. 8 As GOD and his Angels are about vs so is the Diuell and his Angels and as the good Angels haue not bene seene but extraordinarily so are the euill Angels and he that depriueth himselfe of this meditation weakeneth his Faith For it is to our comfort that though we be in daunger and no man by vs yet GOD and his Angels are with vs to keepe vâ— And this meditation ought also to humble vs that though in euill doing no man can see and hurt vs yet the Diuell and euill spirits still houer ouer vs. Againe we must know that as the Angels haue appeared to good men for speciall defence so the soule spirites may appeare to some men for speciall sinnes which euill spirites are not the soules of anâ—e departed as in the blind papacie it was imagined but the euill spirites in the Ayre as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6. 12. which are there truly called the Princes of the darkenes of this world because they doe as Lords command and sway in the blinde soules of men Ephes. 2. 1. 2. Iohn 1. 4. 5. 9 Experience teacheth that manie meddle with the matters of the Church which are senselesse and barraine in the doctrine of Newe-birth But alas what if a man knewe all things and knew not himselfe to bee a new man in CHRIST all is nothing Wee must stirre vp our owne sluggishnes by the forwardnes we see in others so shall we rightly profit by Gods graces in them 10 If wee play with our owne affections sinne in the ende from sport will spurre vs to confusion for though we be giuen to flatter and presume of our selues that being twist or thrise spared we dare sinne againe yet we must know that the Lorde will recompence his long carrying with wrath in the ende 11 As a man being out lawed may take his pleasure for a while but whatsoeuer and wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeelde to the punishment which by verdict he is appointed so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is alreadie passed may for a while shake off their paine with vaine pleasure but afterward they shall bee arrested and carried violently to the place of woefull execution But for the godly vnto whose conscience the assurance of their inheritance of heauen by the euidence of the Gospell and â—eale of the Spirit is ratified all the diuels in hell shall not preuaile against them but in death they shall bee warned to make their open appearance in the day of the resurrection yet as honest and before the Iudge and not as fellonious offenders 12 It is a fearefull thing to be ouer quiet with our selues when we haue sinned for the way to draw sinne with Cart-ropes is not to bee grieued with sinne and the casting or shaking of temporall griefe is the way to eternall griefe When wee haue sometime quaked at sinne which wee haue seene in others and afterward although wee like it not yet if wee dislike it not with as great indignation as we were wont to doe but by little and little wee can well away with it It is greatly to be feared that by degrees wee shall fall into the same sinne or sinnes our selues 13 Many that are not meere euill men by securitie haue fallen into the hands of Gods iudgement 14 It is the righteous iudgement of God that there often is most deadly enmitie where hath bene worldly and carnall amitie If there bee any hatred risen betweene our selues and such men who haue bene our friends let vs examine our selues if wee â—ought first to please God aboue all and then to please them by good
seruice and therefore his title to the bodie is good wherefore against the Anabaptists Familists we say that as God is the God of the spirit so he is the God of all flesh and though he will be worshipped in spirit yet not in spirit only but in truth also which truth being his word requireth the seruice of the bodie So many then as refusing the congregation making the corners of their chambers only witnesses of their religion detract from the Lord his worship But they excuse themselues with fearing the suspition of hypocrites an easie slander a thing that none can purge himselfe of a case therfore to be referred to the Lord himself But these men of all other do euill in speaking against hypocrisie for if they be no more inward than they are outward if their Chamber-holines be no more than their Chappellgodlines then are they of all men most miserable Reade Psal. 122. and 84. and 68. and we shall see the Prophet Dauid highly to magnifie that which they smally account of 7 Many carnall men thinke they can trust in God and in riches too they will carrie two bowstrings into the field that if one faile another may serue But we must serue God either euer or neuer either in all or in none either euery where or no where These meÌ„ will not say with Christ one thing is necessary but they will serue God and the world Thus some pray to God and perform their vowes to the diuel some are only retainers to Christ and beare his liuerie but are indeed the seruants of sinne and their owne corruption some beare the marke of God in their foreheads and in profession but they beare the marke of the beast in their hands and conuersation wee dare and must credite the Lord with our soules why should we not credite him with our bodies also God knoweth that wee are but fraile and he hauing made vs will surely preserue vs. 8 The place where God is worshipped is called in the Scriptures The presence and face of the Lord. It is oftentimes said in the Psalmes that we must come before the face of the Lord and they that eate of the sacrifices are said to eate with the Lord. Therefore when we come to heare the Word to or pray to receiue the Sacraments we come euen before the Lord where he sheweth his presence more cleerely although wheresoeuer we be we are in his presence for as the power of the Prince is ouer all the land yet his chiefe presence â—â—â—â— the Court so is the presence of the Lord chiefly in the house of prayer though he be euery where which if men would rightly consider of then would they also take heede with what feete they enter into the house of the Lord and would not â—e so bolde as to come thither without preparation nor to passe away without any meditation of that which they haue done or heard The want of this perswasion causeth all carelesnes both before and after and when wee are present If this kinde of dealing will not bee liked nor allowed of any worldly Prince that men should bee admitted to the Chamber-of-presence and yet care not what they speake nor how they bâ—lieue themselues surely the Lorde will not alwayes beare with such as abuse the house of praier and â—â—reuerently behaue themselues in his holy presence though for a time hee suffer them yet certainly in the ende he will be sure to punish it most grieuously Therefore we had neede to be watchfull ouer our selues both soules and bodies least by abusing our selues before the face of the Lord we prouoke him vnto anger and cause his displeasure to fall vpon vs. 9 In the beginning of our gracious Soueraigne her raigne it was vsually said that the dearths that then were was for the New learning Afterwardes the Lord sent peace and wealth as wee doe now see whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that it is he that brought them from poperie so that now hereafter none can complaine Wherefore they doe sinne very grieuously that shall say the Gospell hath brought dearth diseases and warre For we can all testifie that the Gospell hath brought peace plentie and health which if wee will not belieue then the Lorde will roote vs out though for his Name and glories sake and for his Sonne Christs sake he will raise vp a seede after vs that shall confesse this to his glorie as we see in the example of the Israelites which had a Iosuah and a Caleb But as hee punished the Aegyptians because they were ignorant and the Israelites because they abused knowledge as hee punished the Israelites because they would not worship him and punished the Aegyptians because they would not suffer them to worship him so he hath punished the Papists because they were false worshippers and the Protestants for that they abuse the true worship and as hee punished the Papists because they would not suffer the Lord to be worshipped so will hee punish the Protestants if they will not worship him in spirit and truth for there is like proportion 10 Some will say what can we gaine by hearing the Word can we liue by prayer Our household must be prouided for if we could come by our liuing so easilie as some doe or if wee were as well to liue as such a man is we would serue God then as well as any of them they may serue God freely and without any cares to hinder them we must take pâ—ines for our liuing necessity calleth vpon vs to follow our labour But dost thou not knowâ—ô man that the Lord leauing thee in this neede doth now proue thee whether thou serue him for thine owne ease or for his glorie sake If thou doe not now discerne of thy temptation and applie thy self to the seruing of God in hearing praying reading thinking of his Word but doest in a greedy care seeke after earthly things be sure that if thou be his sonne he wil at one time or other correct thee by one way or other waine thy minde from these outward things but if thou belong not to his couenant of Grace hee may perhaps giue thee thy desire and leaue thee also without correction which is a signe of a Bastard but at the last he will cut thee off from the things that thy chiefe delight is in and finally thou shalt perish euerlastingly in hell 11 When men will not harken vnto the Truth then will hee giue them vp to belieue lyes and when they will not regard his faithfull ministers that labour with them to bring them to holinesse then will he leaue them to such deceitfull workers as shall please them in prophanenesse And as it fared with Pharaoh and his people that would not belieue Moset but hearkened to the sorcerers of Aegypt so shall it fare with all those that will not belieue Gods faithfull seruants the true Preachers and ministers of the Gospell
vncleane or which hath vncleane issue in it selfe so that there are these kinds of pollutions the first if wee touch an vncleane thing a thing vncleane of it selfe as a leaper and thus if we touch sinne or the diuel or any limme of the diuell which be things vncleane we shall be also vncleane The cause is pitch will defile a man There is a second kind which is this we know that water for as much as it is a baser substance than the wine though in it selfe it be no meere vncleane thing corrupteth the wine being mixed with it In like sort the creatures the things of this world thogh they be not wholy vncleane of themselues yet because they be things of baser condition than our soules are if our hearts be set on them they pollute vs. There is a third kind and that is not by touching any vncleane thing but by committing impure by it owne nature and this is the touch of our owne reason of our owne wit of our owne imaginations proceeding of our selues which will defile vs though wee touch neither the diuell nor the world And indeede this is such a kinde of defiling as comes by a mans owne sweate or by our owne blood being polluted in it selfe as the babe which God passed by Ezech. 16. 4. 5. From these kindes of filthinesse we must be cleansed And yet there is another manner of cleansing and that is put downe for vs Leuit. 13. 48. where it is spoken of a warfe or woofe which had beene defiled with the plague of leprosie that shall be washed And yet although the Priest see it be cleane it shall not be cleane vntill it be washed the second time vers 55. We must proceed from cleansing with sope to cleanse with Fullers earth and with Nitrâ— Now how this cleansing must be the Lord Iesus sheweth Ioh. 15 3. 4. Now are yee cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you but the spirit worketh by the word In Baptisme wee are cleansed it is not the water that cleanseth vs but the spirit which is as a fire how be it this fire hath oyle to minister matter to it which is the word This word is that which quickeneth and inflameth vs and this is not only holy in it selfe but it maketh vs holy also if we beleeue it 8 If wee were to be cleansed but from some kinde of filthines it were an easie matter we would easily conclude it For there is no man but cleanseth off some filthines no man hath all the spots that are mentioned but to be scoured from all this makes the purification full It is saide Herod heard Iohn and hee heard him gladly and hee did manie good things So he was cleansed in many things but not in all when it came to the sweete sinne Thou shalt not haue thy Brothers wife which should haue made vp all then hee broke off When Felix Acts 24. had heard Pauls matter he gaue him libertie but with all hee hoped he should haue gotten some money so that his heart was not wholly clensed Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. gaue a great part of all their possessions to the Apostles but all came not they kept backe a peece Naaman 2. King 5. would worship and sacrifice to none but to the true God but yet he would haue the house of his master Rimmon excepted to offer to the God Moloch So may we say of our times The Bethulians would haue a tearme to serue God in they were tearmers but it was but for a time This all then is that which makes all perfect And then it is wittily saide of a Father of this word Catholike As it signifies an Vniuersitie of all as that God hath a Catholike Church that is in all Ages and in all places and of all estates of men a Church so me thinketh that they are good Catholikes that are sanctified throughout that will wholly cleanse themselues So then we must throughly be cleansed that is both in the flesh and in the spirit As 2. Cor. 7. 1. both in heart and in hand Iames 4 In the Hebrue tongue it is worth the obseruation how two words commonly to this effect runne together the one is that wee must bee straight as were all the Saints Iob Paul and Daniel who were alwayes straight So must they be that deale with God they must haue no crookednes in them the word as I thinke is alluding to the outward timber in a building The other word signifies Sound It must not be hollow though it be straight So that these two must goe together straight and sound we must neither be crooked nor hollow So referring these to the Saints of God whom we named if you looke to their outward parts they were straight if you looke into their internals they were sound This then serueth well for two sorts of men which are both hypocrites There bee some men that will be are the world in hand that the best side is inward and the worst outward as the Nicodemites who howsoeuer they doe outwardly inwardly they worship God deuoutly Others there are cleane skinned men as cleane as Alabaster outwardly but inwardly they bee dissemblers and they are contrarie to the other and beare the world in hand that the best side is outward These haue the cleannesse of the flesh though not of the spirit as the other thinke they haue the cleannesse of the spirit though not of the flesh and these be meere dangerous dissemblers If a man bow to Baal one may see a spot of his knee and yet he will haue a cleane spirit he is an hypocrite Well we must not be halfe Christians wee must be good Catholikes cleane throughout cleane both in the flesh and in the spirit 9 The flesh is sure a verie corrupt thing and wee should soone see it but for the soule which is as Salte to keepe it from putrifying for a while which if it be gone the flesh corrupts streight which we should see if we would but take the viewe of a dead man out of the graue It is but a rotten thing and therefore all that is bestowed on it is laide vpon that which in the end will make all as rottennesse it selfe They therefore doe euill that lay out all their substance on their flesh for it will rot in regard whereof the Apostle bids vs not to take any great thought for it or to prouide much for the lusts thereof Rom. 13. All that comes of the flesh and all that ends in the flesh is filthie and therefore we must not make our flesh a Queene or as a Paradise on the earth 10 Our Sauiour CHRIST saith our righteousnes must exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees therefore not to exceede the Pharisees not to exceede Heretikes nay not to exceede the Heathen men but to want euen the out ward good things which they haue sheweth that all our Religion is
in vaine And yet to cleanse hand foote eye tongue and all without is called but the cleansing of the outside of the platters But wee must not rest here We must goe yet further and be pure in heart for Blessed are the pure is heart such shall receiue the blessing We had great neede to cleanse our spirits for as they retained the image of GOD before sinne came so now being corrupted they are most corrupt For euerie thing degenerating into a contrarie Nature to that which it was is made most contrarie The honie a very sweete thing yet when it is often purified many haue a most bitter matter of it So GOD his nature is gentle and hee is long ere he be prouoked to wrath but when he is angrie who is able to abide his wrath downe goe mountains and hills and all before him so the perfectest part of man being euill is of all things most abominable to the Lord. This deceiues all men to thinke some good thing is left in them But if the tongue which speaketh out of the abundance of the heart haue but the ouerplus and superfluitie of the heart be a world of wickednes as S. Iames saith how much wickednes thinke yee is in the heart Nay the sinne of the spirit is so euill that the Lord hates the smal smoking stemes of it euen the very euaporations which ascend out of it There be some motes in it which in the darke cannot be seene as in time of superstition because of their palpable ignorance they cannot be discerned but when the Sunne beames come those little motes are espied Vntill the Sunne-beame had shined to Paule he could not see these motes but afterward he saw that Thou shalt not lust was a great thing and then seeing his motes he fell out of conceit with himselfe Our fine spirits now-adayes will admit Religion but they wil mingle it with that filthines that comes out of theÌ„selues I meane their owne wittie conceits Thus we see that a man that will grow vp to the cleere hope of a better life hee must be cleansed from all filthines of the spirite euen from his finest sinnes for otherwise they will worke him woe enough 11 Touching sanctification wee must haue our direction out of the old Testament and we must consider whether our thoughts words and works be cleansed from their outward corruptions and though we be not guilty to men notwithstanding I say our thoughts are not sure And all things are impure vnto the Lord vnles they be sequestred and made impropriate to God so that if we haue set our very thoughts apart to God then there is a holines begun and then we are meete not onely for meate but for a sanctified vse To vnderstand this the better we must know that the Iewes who referre vs by proportion of sanctification to the signes which the Lawe hath set downe say that sundrie beasts seruing for meat only were not vncleane but if they come to an holy vse they were vncleane So we though wee be not vncleane in these outward things yet that is not enough wee must be cleane also to serue the Temple holy as the Temple that is holy Now the difference of the beasts vsed in the Temple and other coÌ„mon beasts is in this the beasts vsed to a common vse were vsed in many things but those of the Temple were vsed but to one So if we be to serue for an holie vse wee must not be for when and for what we list but taken vp in thought word and deede to scrue the Lorde wee are not to bestowe our thoughts on all things but to referre them to the Lord mediately or immediately 12 Certaine it is that to the cleansing of our selues as it was in the Lawe that the goâ—â— and siluer being cleansed for the seruice of God had such a defiling by the seruice of Idols that no water could wash them cleane enough but being neuer so well purged yet they must of necessitie passe through the fire so wee say of our corrupt nature though wee cleanse it and cleanse it very oft and very much being so much corrupted both of it selfe and with the touch of outward things yet it must needes goe through fire and passe by death which must throughly purge it without which it cannot wholy be purified For before an vniuersall cleansing there must be a dissolution of nature There may be other seruices to vse in vs as there was of those beasts that were for meat but when we must come to that one and immediate seruice of God there cannot be any vntill our nature he dissolued and are passed through the furnace of death and so we shall be freed from all filthines In the meane season the crackes and breaches of our nature and the corruption crept into the bones sinewes and veines hidden in the secret parts betweene the marrow and the ioynts whither the Apostle saith the word of God doth pearce Heb. 4. 12 I meane the sinnes of naturall corruption shall not be laide to our charge and for other pollutions in our soules we are to striue against them and to growe vp in the feare of God which 2 Cor. 7. 1. is to fulfill as the Virgin Mary fulfilled the daies of her purification the daies of our sanctification The word is taken from the text of the booke of Numbers where the daies of consecrating a Nazarite must be fulfilled Hee should be many daies in cleansing himselfe which if they were not fulfilled his sanctification should not be perfect So that if the Nazarite coutinued thus vntill the end then he should be free but if euen the verie night before his time was ended he touched any vncleane thing then all that he did before was voide and hee was to begin all his dayes againe for he was impure For so long as any part of the sanctification is to be done all is vnperfect This is more cleerly set downe Numb 19 11. 12. where mention is made of purifying the third day and the seuenth day and if the man touching the dead did not fulfill euery day then though he came neere the end and fulfilled not the end he should be impure still if he purified not himself the third day he should not be cleane the seuenth day So we must not deliuer an holinesse to God for a time or in some causes or for some persons but we must throughly fulfill the dayes of our holinesse not presenting I say a maimed holines as in the Law it was not permitted for a man to offer a lame or maimed beast though it wanted but a taile which was a small thing yet for that defect the Lord refused it There are a great manie of professors which would needes be men sanctified but they are loathe to be cleansed and to fulfill the dayes of their holinesse They will goe a while a day or two dayes they will not come to the third
what say you to the Truth of Religion that is among vs why our Doctrine is sound enough that needes not to be spoken of No Yes surely very needfull it is to speake of it Truth indeede runnes about the Church-walles for eares and goeth about the Pillars but it findeth no nearers and as the wise man saith he that hath a Treasure in store and not in vse is as though he had it not so we may say of our Age men haue a little knowledge but for want of vsing it they are as though they had no knowledge and seeing wee hide our knowledge if wee haue it and we cannot speake the truth at our going in and our going out as men are charged by Moses wee cannot be said to haue the truth So in a second degree Paul would haue vs vse the world as though we vsed it not surely had hee made his wish of the Truth as hee did of the world hee had surely had it All our knowledge is a knowledge of the braine it is not a knowledge of the hart for it neuer makes vs set lesse on the score of sinne yee shall see this plaine wee know that fire will burne and because wee know it indeede by no paine almost can wee be brought to put our finger in the fire and doubtles if wee were perswaded that sinne would burne vs as a fire wee would not so easily put our hands vnto it And I would know if a man had a rule or gold-weight whereby he might measure his timber weigh his mettals and yet he neuer vseth either his rule or his weights what good it would doe him Talke of religion and begin to speake of the word and you shall haue manie that will holde you talke a whole dinner time or halfe a day and looke into their liues and common course of their conuersation and they wil falsifie whatsoeuer they haue said so they haue a thing but without all vse of it There is yet another thing mentioned Ephes 6. and that is a gyrdle of Truth it must be tyed to vs but our truth is not gyrt to vs it sitteth not close to vs it will easilie be shaken off from vs if the Crosse come and persecution shake vs a little wee can easily shift it off 4 A man would not willingly dwell by an euill nature and hatred will driue any man a way Truth is hated among vs and no maruell though it delight not to be among vs. If a man should take vpon him to plucke vp an olde-hedge and to admonish one of sinne straight way one Snake or other will bee ready to hisse at him and to sting him for his labour They that should looke to vs are hated and if a man be so bold as to tell a man of his fault he shall haue a rebuke for his paines with this scoffe or the like this is one of the wise generation which can telll the truth so cold an occupation is it to tell the truth So that we are not onely culpable for not hauing Truth but because we haue driuen Truth out of the Land It would grieue me to name mens sinnes herein but yet your selues know that a man will sell credite Faith and all that he hath to set Truth out of the way and shall wee thinke then that Truth hath any heart to dwell among vs seeing wee sell it for two-pence or a groate nay for a paire of old-shooes But let vs know seeing that CHRIST hath pronounced himselfe to be the TRVTH hee hath made these men that sell the Truth guiltie of the sinne of Iudas they sell Christ not for so much but for halfe so much nay for a quarter so much as Iudas sold him For CHRIST is TRVTH and CHRIST is solde 5 Contempt and hatred ouerthroweth all estates if either the Law be contemned or the Law-giuer hated And as in Kingdomes so it fareth for this point in the Church if the law of God be not esteemed then the iealousie of the Lord of Hostes will surely either take away his Law or punish the abusers of it The cause of contempt commonly as they say is familiaritie Familiarity breedeth contempt Indeed the wise men of the world noted that there were three excellent mothers which brought forth three very euill daughters The mothers are these first Familiaritie which is the high pitch of friendship brings vp contempt so the more we enioy the thing loued the viler it growes in our eyes Secondly truth breeds hatred The third is peace and that is the mother of idlenesse and securitie So that whatsoeuer is free in vâ—e once that growes vile as Manna though it were a verie precious thing did in the eyes of the Israelites Yet we must know that albeit somtime these issue from these mothers yet they be not their natural daughters The naturall child of familiaritie is not contempt but it commeth of our corrupt nature which is cleane opposite to the nature of God For as the nature of God is so perfectly good that he doth turne euen very euill things to very good things as the malice of the Iewes in putting his Sonne to death to be a meane of our saluation so our nature is so absolutely euill that it turnes very good things into euill Wherfore retaining this foolish axiome of vanitie that nothing is precious but rare strange things it commeth not of the nature of the thing which is still good but of our nature which no more esteemes it In the first of Samuel it is said the word was precious in those daies which was because it was rare for they accounted highly of Samuel because they had no Prophet long before but we must not doe so neither in other things doe we so Doe we in naturall things contemne the sunne the water and the fire because they be vsuall we doe not Then surely naturally we contemne not a thing for familiaritie but the cause of contempt is the ignorance of the vse of the thing and therefore no doubt as we doe not contemne the sunne the water the fire because we know and are perswaded of the true vse of them so therefore we doe in long vse contemne the word and prayer and sacraments because we know not the necessitie and the vse of them Whensoeuer then we begin to be cloyed let vs know the nature of a sinne doth begin to grow in vs not that in the long vse of the word we are so full of knowledge but for that we know not the vse of it and therefore like swine we leaue the pearle and goe to the shels Greatly therefore are we to pray against this Concerning hatred when the pearles are contemned the Ieweller is wrathfull and when the word is despised the Lord is surely displeased for which cause good men feeling their spirits to grow hot at the sight of such contempt and the contemners seeing themselues to be drawen out
and to giue a greater light vnto the same As we see in Moses who came to bring the Law vnto this people not a new Lawe nor contrarie to that which was before but hee renewed it confirming and making it more cleare and that which they had before deliuered from hand to hand that hee gaue in Tables and that which they afore had practised he giueth forth vnto them now in Precepts For by the whole story of Genesis it is soone perceiued that not onely the morall Lawe contained in the two Tables but eueÌ„ the Ceremoniall the Iudiciall law were knowne vnto Abraham and others that liued before the law it was neuer lawfull for them to haue any more gods but one only and true God and so consequently that his pure worship which was according to his will The Sabbath was obserued and kept not onely in Paradise but euen of the Israelites when they were in Aegypt before they came to the wildernes which they could not haue done had they not receiued it by traditions The duties also in the second Table were as common and as well knowne as any others were And when we reade in Genesis of Priests and Altars and sacrifices differences betweene cleane and vncleane beasts c. it doth easily appeare that the substance of the Ceremoniall law was long before Moses his time the death of adulterers and the punishment of murtherers doe plainely declare that they had the politicall Law before the dayes of Moses that he was not the first giuer therof vnto the people he taught therefore no new or strange doctrine nor yet contrary to that which was before He was only the means to confirme it and to make it more easily to be vnderstood for he deliuered it in plainer maÌ„ner than it was deliuered vnto the Fathers The Prophets did expound it more plainly then he and as euery Prophet was more nere the time of Christ so did he bring greater light to that which went before Iohn Baptist had cleere reuelations than any of the Prophets For our Sauiour doth prefer him before them not in respect of his person but in respect of his office and calling but the Lord Iesus euen our God and Sauiour our onely Prophet of al others hath brought most cleere light which hee hath reuealed and made knowne vnto the world both by himselfe and the Apostles whose Epistles and writings are by many degrees more plaine and manifest than the writings of the Prophets which were before them And do we not see that since the time that the Lord began to renue the light of the Gospell and to deliuer vs as it were from the darknes wherewith we were well neere oppressed Doe we not see I say that greater light doth more and more appeare that many things are now more manifest than they haue beene in former times and ages Moreouer the law had testimony from the couenaÌ„t made with Ahraham Isaac and Iacob The Prophets did proue their doctrine by the law and the couenants and our Sauiour hath his witnes out of the law and the Prophets and his Apostles did draw their proofe from all The law is in the Gospell and the Gospell in the law and therefore whosoeuer shall not make their doctrine agreeable to the law the Gospel they may nor ought not to be receiued but in the boldnesse of Gods good spirit we may say with S. Paul Let them be accursed For the Lord is not contrary nor vnlike to himselfe As the spirit spake in old time in the Patriarkes and Prophets so spake he in the Apostles of our Sauiour Christ and so will he speake in his true seruants and ministers to the ende of the world there is with him no variablenes nor shadow of change but hee abideth euer the same most like vnto himself and so doth his word which is of the same nature Whosoeuer then shall bâ—ing vnto vs any doctrine not warranted by Gods word or contrarie to that which before hath beene deliuered yea if he bring it in harder and more darke speeches than the word of God is or if hee deliuer it more strangely or obscurely and yet wil beare vs in hand and make vs beleeue that he hath cleerer reuelations we may then iustly suspect him of vntruth and vtterly refuse him further than by certaine grounds reasons out of Gods word he doth confirme his Doctrine And as we may rightly hold all the doctrines of men accursed when they speake or write any thing contrary to the holesome word of truth or else doe adde anything thereto So likewise if any shall take away from the word of God one iot or tittle we may in the feare of God and in the zeale of his truth pronounce against him that sentence wherewith God in great wisedome hath closed vp his holy Scriptures The Lord will take his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and out of those things which are written in this booke 2 Iohn saith the Spirit bloweth where it listeth so also as much as it listeth sometime breathing softly like the coole ayre and sometime like the whirle-winde for man is full of wandring thoughts and imaginations especially when he heareth the word but nothing is more dangerous than the yong mans heart which is in all places of the world at once if you speake not what he thinketh he doth not attend if hee be not astonished and for this cause doth the holy Ghost often offer galling concessions and pinching permissions as Eccl. 10. God seemeth in such speeches at the first to fauour sinne But as we lift vp a thing high to driue it the harder so God vseth such speeches to throw them to eternal destruction to breake them to fitters Yea we would thinke the Lord to be a proctor of euill if hee should not sometimes be very vehement The bitterest kind of deniall is to bid vs go yet so â—â—ine would God worke on our heart that he vseth such vehemencie 3 It is as farre from God his nature to deride any man as it is for him to repent but our sins are so great that if it were possible yee should make him a scoffer But as when saluation is wrought in the highest measure it is wrought in greatest compassion so the highest point of reuenge is derision Wee know the nature of God is full of pitie and vnlesse it be to very euill persons his speeches are full of compassion Speake my people saith he Micah 6. And Esay 5. What haue I not done that I could doe to thee And Oh that my people would haue heard Psal. 81. And when they would not heare he speaketh to the dumbe creatures Heare heauen and earth Esay 1. And Christ saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem c. These are good and royall speeches which are very sweete and sweetnes it selfe But when he speaketh to the desperate and wicked he changeth his
not see it nor respect it FINIS More speciall directions to be obserued for the comfort of afflicted Consciences ACcording to the measure of Temptations GOD is accustomed to giue graces afterward Belieue that GOD the FATHER doth gouerne your Temptations that the HOLIE GHOST shall and doth assist you that IESVS CHRIST was tempted to ouercome in you that the Saints on earth doe pray for you euen those which neuer knew you but doe pray for the tempted ones Vse the Word Prayer and Sacraments Psalmes Conference Fasting Vowing Nothing must trouble you but God his Word truely vnderstood nor comfort you but the same A false feare doth often trouble and vexe one more then that which is a true one None can iudge of the worke of the Spirit but by the light of the Spirit as none can iudge the light of the Sunne but by it selfe None can say they are asleepe which are so indeede So none can say they are secure which in heart confesse their securitie Leaue off reasoning and complaining of your owne corruption but aboue all things beware you complaine not of God Dispute not with GOD least you be confounded nor with Sathan least you bee ouercome Be still perswaded that your punishment is farre beneath your sinne Beware to say you cannot be helped this is to hinder the worke of God if you haue so said repent you heartily thereof aske God forgiuenes therefore for Christ his sake Thinke not nor speake not that secretly vnlesse it be complaining of your selfe which you would not openly thinke or speake Enuie not the gifts of God in anie neither thinke too hardly of anie for their infirmities fret not your selfe for the prosperity of the wicked Iudge not too hardly of your selfe because you see so manie of Gods graces in others which you cannot finde in your selfe Take not pleasure in hearing or seeing euill in anie or of anie but be grieued rather reioyce in the good of others In such multitude of God his mercies as you enioy maruell not you haue some crosses God sends blessings with crosses least wee should despaire likewise crosses with blessings least we should presume In any outward blessing which you see you cannot haue beseech God you may neuer be vexed for it Any spirituall or corporall inward or outward blessing which you trust God will giue you in time beseech God you may not couet them too much but â—arie his good houre vntill you doe enioy them If you will haue an outward blessing be well content to want it If you would haue a crosse remoued be content to goe vnder it and beare it vntill the Lord remoue it If too greedily you couet any such things it is longer or ere you shall enioy them and more danger to abuse them when you haue them A wiâ—e walking in your calling is a meanes to auoyde Temptations 1. Our neede c. 2. God his goodnes to his creatures 3. His commandements 4. His promises 5. Examples of others 6. The benefits receiued before vnasked 7. The assistance of the holy Ghost 8. The mediation of Iesus Christ. 9. The ministerie of the holy Angels 10. The communion of the Saints 11. Psalmes and prayers made of others read of vs. Thinke nothing so vile as sinne Nothing so precious as Gods mercie Water and bloud were especially vsed in sacrifices water signifieth clensing bloud reconciliation therefore there gushed out of Christs side both water and bloud to declare that by him we haue both sanctification and iustification The bloud of the beasts which were sacrificed was not onely shead but also sprinkled vpon the holy vessels vpon the booke vpon the Tabernacle vpon the Altar to signifie that the shedding of Christs bloud is vnprofitable to vs vnles our harts be sprinkled with it by the holy Ghost and that God accepteth no sacrifice at our hands except his spirit come vpon it to sprinkle it with the blood of Christ. Our Lord Iesus Christ fasting and praying at the entrance of his calling is our instruction first in respect of the greatnes of the calling secondly of gifts needfull thirdly of the grieuous perils which may insue fourthly of the losse of our labours at the least Hee prayed in his own ministerie often and when he sent foorth others Matth 9 and Luke 21. As Abraham feared more so likewise Iob the neerer they came to the presence of God Iob 39. 37. and 42. 5. Gen. 18. 27. Circumcision was neglected in the wildernesse fourtie yeers likewise the Paschal Lamb more yet the Church of God was among them Certaine rules for an afflicted minde concerning seuerall temptations THose temptations shall be laid to your charge whereunto you yeeld c. No motion shall hurt you whereunto you giue not consent in heart You haue no sin Whilest in heart you long to be free from it you want no goodnes which in heart you couet to haue Rom. 7. Where sicknes is at the highest there is hope of diminishing so likewise in temptation It is a great mercie of God to discerne a temptation in time of temptation When you would doe any good or receiue any good offer vp your endeuours actions and meanes in a sacrifice to God in Christ beseeching God to giue his holy spirit to sanctifie his owne sacrifice As you pitie your childe in the fit of an ague so the Lord will pitie you in a temptation If you haue receiued but a little release of temptation giue thankes and you shall haue more It is a sinne as well to denie God his gifts as to presume of them Temptations smothered as fire burne more inwardly Be perswaded alwaies you are in the presence of God and of his Christ. Be more afraid of secret sinnes than of open shame Lay this foundation sure that there is mercie with Christ Iesus Remember the former mercies you haue receiued and thinke your present estate to be none other than the estate of Gods children If you bee grieued pray to God if relieued praise him there is a vicissitude of griefe and comfort as of light and darknes Beware of a discontented minde in any case yea be contented to haue your desires denied you of God and if your prayer be not heard vexe not your selfe too much neither vehemently couet nor be grieued for any thing sauing the hauing or losse of the fauour of God Let nothing pearce your heart deepe either in griefe or feare but sinne and vnbeliefe Labour for meeknes and patience bee readie to kisse the rod and to offer vp all to him of whom you haue receiued your selfe for if you struggle it will fare with you as with a bird in a grinne the more she striueth the faster she is and more twitched Wee must vse the word in troubles and temptations as a sicke man doth
meate which though he eate against his stomacke and presently feeleth no benefite of it yet we knowe by experience it doth him good and himselfe afterward shall receiue the same In our great feare we are lesse to be feared those are to feare which feare not Sometimes the Lord doth bring vnbeleeuers that wander from him by crooked waies vnto himselfe Reuerence those words and workes of God which you vnderstand not As the sense of an aguish man is corrupt so is the iudgement of one that is in temptation Muscul. so that things that are either seeme not to be or not such as they are The patient bearing of miserie is an acceptable sacrifice vnto God When the Goldsmith putteth a peece of gold into the fire to make better vse of it it seemeth to the vnskilfull that he vtterly marreth it so the children of God in affliction seeme to the iudgement of the naturall man vndone and brought to nothing but spirituall things are spiritually discerned As none can discerne of the Sunne but by his owne light so neither of the Spirit Hereof arise the diuers iudgements of the tempted of themselues because sometime the good spirit doth inlighten them and other times they are left in their naturall blindnes and Satan also easily deluded them Beleeue alwaies your estate to be the worke of God and varie not therein for your humiliation your consolation the glorie of God and the good of others Beware that you doe not often alter your iudgement of your estate as saying sometimes it is God his worke sometimes Melancholie sometimes your weaknes and simplicitie sometimes witcherie sometimes Satan for these diuers thoughts will much trouble you you may thinke Melancholie may bee an occasion but no cause and so of the rest Looke stedfastly to the hand of God surely resting on this that hee not onely knoweth thereof but that whatsoeuer is done directly or indirectly by meanes or immediatly al is done and gouerned by him Beware of reasoning of musing of solitarines of impatiencie of spirit of murmuring of anger enuie wishes suspitions ielousies too often eating c. or fastings much medling with wordly businesse or much idlenes lying musing in bed vaine mirth Say not you cannot be helped for that may hinder the worke of God Say not if I were in such and such a place I should be well Whereas in consideration of the falling away of many excelling you both in the ages and graces of the new birth you feare you shall not perseuere to the end your meditation and collection is good so long as it preserues you from the carelesnesse of your flesh but it is euill when it would dissolue the assurednes of your faith Indeede so long as you looke vpon your selfe you haue cause of feare because you are vnable to prolong as you are to begin new birth but if you looke to God you haue nothing but matter of faith for that whom he once loueth he loueth for euer Againe as a man swimming in deepe waters is neuer in danger of drowning so long as his head continueth aboue the waters so though you swimme in deepe feare of dangerous temptations yet you are sure and secure because Christ Iesus your head is still aboue all your troubles and therefore is able to draw you his member to the shore of saluation without all perill of perishing It is hard to take vp and beare the yoke of Christ but much harder it is to continue drawing and panting in it vnto the end This caused a godly father to pronounce that in godlines not so much the beginnings as the endings are to be looked to Iudas began gloriously but he ended shamefully Paul began ill but he ended well Then let vs say to our owne soules Good Lord what if our first loue be growne cold how fearfull is it to come a great way out of Sodome and in the end to become a pillar of salt Oh let vs neuer put our hand to the plough and looke backe keepe vs deare God from the beginning in the spirit and ending in the flesh Oh suffer vs not to be the first in outward vocation and the last in inward sanctification let vs feare hauing beene once lightned to be darkened Remember how sometime thy heart hath wrought and trauelled in prayer how the springs of your ioy haue beene in the Lord and his Christ how all thy delights haue been in his Saints how it hath beene thy glorie in singing and praising to be familiar with thy God These former fruites make me looke for after fruites A streight course of religion is somewhat an vncomfortable companion but blessed be that mortificatioÌ„ which so farre estrangeth vs from the world that it chaÌ„geth vs to the similitude of Christ to whom we must be coÌ„formed in sufferings that we may be like him in glorie Suffer not your heat to bee straight narrow and vncomfortable in heauenly things this draweth away both the breath and bud and the life of true godlinesse The Lord keepe you from euill and the Lord satisfie you with gladnesse the Lord giue you the spirit of prayer and heare your prayers the Lord bee your teacher your guide and your comfort oh pray pray pray it is the best sacrifice to God and the most comfortable duty you can doâ— I am not loth to put you in minde of these things you haue many carefull for you in other things O pardoÌ„ me if I be bold in this one thing I trust I reioyce more in the good of your soule than euer I should reioyce in the fruite of mine owne bodie it would be a thousand deaths to me as tenne thousand hels to see your soule miscaâ—ie O let me be accepted more than a ciuill friend more than a friend of the world giue me this benefit to be thought further than a friend in the flesh No griefe shame or sorrow pleaseth the Lord which goeth altogether separated from a sweete perswasion of his fauour Againe no pleasing our selues in the assurance of pardon is acceptable to God which altogether reiecteth the care of espying bewailing and auoiding of sinne Wherefore let this be the barre and bound of your affections in these cases so long as Christ goeth with you so long as the mercies of God accompanie you so long as the grace of the Spirit shineth vpon you be dealing with your sinnes and condemne them to death likewise while you are tender of conscience afraide of sinne reuerently prepared to walke holily with your God laugh at Sathans accusations despise destruction and set at nought the terrors of hell You neuer erre one way or other but by failing of one or both of these that is either in your griefes you are grieued without comfort or in your ioyes you reioyce without reuerence whereby it falles out in the end that as in vnnecessarie griefes you can finde no spirituall pleasure
so in vnaduised ioyes you can find no spirituall profit He was not so much moued at the reproches of his enemies as at the not profiting of his friends Yet herein he had this comfort first if all profited not by his speeches yet so that one among tenne profited he thought he had the winnings that Christ had secondly if they profited not which he spake to presently yet they might profit hereafter thirdly if none of them profited yet he knew the word should not be in vaine It is the policie of Satan as to blinde and beset the world with a quiet possession of an vniust mirth thereby to keepe them from the true sight of their sinnes so to oppresse the sillie flocke of Christ with false and causelesse feares thereby to keepe them from the glorious feeling of their redemption He knoweth to his griefe that your ioy may temporally be interrupted but not finally or eternally be denied you therefore he plieth himselfe though he cannot extinguish it yet to diminish your iust and royall right in your Christ in regard wherof you staÌ„d guiltie of not maintayning the Lords royaltie giueÌ„ to his elect if in the least measure you yeeld to these slauish feares of the aduersarie This subtill Serpent is not ignorant that by these pensiue practises he doth weare to a dulnes the edge of your prayers and that he draweth from you with an vncomfortable tediousnes the fruits of your faith and consequently by these meanes you are depriued of the fruit of a more comfortable seruice to your God the weake ones fearing also by your example the profession of Christ to be strict and comfortlesse Of the power and priuiledges of Gods word THhe Word of GOD is mightie liuely in operation Heb. 4 12. 13. This place commendeth vnto vs the Word by it effects shewing that it is not a sound in the aire to tickle mens eares please their conceits but it worketh with further power like a two edged sword to humble men and being humbled to raise them vp againe Hereunto therefore is due a speciall prerogatiue and honor because the worke of it shal be ratified in mens consciences whether they be good or euill elect or reprobates For the word is the power of GOD to all that an Anatomie of our corruptions laide before vs wee might be driuen out of our selues to IESVS CHRIST First of the words then of obseruations out of the doctrine The word is liuely Therefore not dead as the wisdome of Philosophie It is sharper then a two edged sword This Metaphor is vsed Esay 48. 2. where the Word is compared to a sword or an arrow wherewith men are shot at Also Ephes. 6. it is compared to a sword And entreth to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit c. This declareth how the word reuealeth inward hypocrisie and telleth vs that all our holines is but dissimulation all our wisedome foolishnes all our righteousnes as a defiled cloth And of the ioynts and of the marrow This is added to shewe that though wee hide our hypocrisie and would â—urie it in the most secret parts yet euen the bones shall tremble and the marrow in the bones shall turne to rottennes as Iob. 33. 19. Psal. 51 8 Psal 32. And is a diâ—cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Here we see that where no law of man can take hold of vs there the Lord will finde our intents by his word and will gage vs to the bottome Hence arise three questions First how the word doth thus worke in men It is when we vse good meanes and God his Spirit worketh vpon the meanes The vsuall meanes are hearing reading conferring and meditating and praying This we may see 1. Corinth 10. Proâ— 29. Ephes 4. 1. Thess. 5. by the vertue of the word preached To preaching we must ioyne reading of it Act. 17. As for conference and meditation we must know that neuer any shall come to the marrow of knowledge without this meane For meditation is the life of learning the want where of causeth that the greatest Clerkes are not the wisest men Of prayer Matth. 6. and 11. 1. Cor. 2. how needfull this is so many must acknowledge as confesse the word to be a mysterie and therfore not to be conceiued without the working of God his Spirit which we must pray for 2 Cor. 4. Secondly it is asked of what part of the word this is meant I answere of both that is of the Law and of the Gospell Zâ—ch 12. 1. Cor. 14. Thirdly In whom these effects of the word are found Both in the godly and in the wicked though not alike Where we must know that there is a feeling in both of these men which is inward and not seene Secondly this power is not alwaies presently felt but it worketh in God his appointed time We shall see the word will often strike the vngodly though they be loth to heare and although when they haue heard they would shake it off by inglutting their hearts with eating drinking and sleeping yet it will wring them on their beds at their tables in their chambers when they are with their companions And although God his deare children do not alwaies feele this power to saluation yet they haue it in greater measure at one time or at another Hence obserue three vses First we must come to know the word For the diuell moueth this fearefull question vnto many How knowest thou this is the word rather than any other doctrine To leaue grosse heresies I answere by an interrogatorie Whose words if he were but a man and spake as a man alone did euer driue thee to hell whose words did euer rip vp thy secret and close sinnes who hath drawne teares out of thine eyes and sorrow out of thy heart with a conscience of thy sinne at which thou wert wont to laugh Whose words haue taken thee from the hell of thy conscience to heauen who hath giuen thee ioy in sorrow comfort in trouble What words of Philosophers can make of a Leopard a Lambe of a viper a childe of a leacher a chast person of a couetous carle a liberall man All eloquent Oratours without the word are bare Physitions to a troubled minde Secondly the word needeth none other helpes 1. Cor. â— and 2 and 3. 2. Cor. 2. and 3. and 4. Howbeit we may vse other words besides the bare phrase of the Scripture but we must beware of humane inueÌ„tions take heed we vse not vncertain phrases for certaine If we vse the authoritie of Heathen men we doe ill We may alleadge them but most sparingly and not naming them but by way of an argument we may shew that the Heathen saw this and that and therefore we should not be ignorant of it Similitudes may be vsâ—d if they be naturall and not constrained We must vse them as sauce to prepare vs for better things We must not straine them least we presse
out corruption The milke in the breast not strained is pure too hard pressed it is corrupt Thirdly the word worketh by diuers meanes And I hope with Eliah that there be â—oe profit by the word than I see Iohn Baptist came mourning Iesus Christ came piping but few profited For many would follow Iohn vntill he required repentance They would heare Christ vntill he spake of the crosse Great is the wisedome of God in vsing the vehemencie of one the mildnes of another the zeale of another But some will neither profit by Iohn nor by Iesus Christ who will rather be offended at the infirmities of the speaker being few than by his good speeches profit though they be many FINIS A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST giue me his good Spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued Master S. letter wherin he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue been not a little grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences and other weightie affaires I haue bene hindered from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit euen still I am in the same case yet conscience towards God and compassion and loue towards you forceth me to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwaies preuaile against And albeit I cannot write as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed grounds I looke for some blessing from God through Iesus Christ if you will not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of yourselfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it seemeth you are sometimes grieued because you taryed not still at Cambridge according to my aduice you must know that I aduised it not as a thing necessary but more conuenient as I then supposed but yet that I aduised you to obey your father if his pleasure still continued to haue you home whereunto you yeelding I cannot see how you offended it being your fathers pleasure you should so doe And who knowes whether being heere you might not haue bene as much troubled there being no priuiledge for persons and places in such cases And who knowes whether it be the Lords pleasure for the ensample and instruction and I hope the consolation of others in the end And albeit you wil now thinke that here you were neerer the more and stronger meanes yet know you and hee perswaded that GOD can and doth in such cases worke by fewer and weaker according to his good pleasure Besides it is in our corrupted nature to make much of such meanes as we cannot haue and not so to esteeme those which God doth offer vs as we should I beseech you therefore in the Name of Iesus Christ humblie to praise God for those meanes which hee offereth in mercie vnto you and to vse them in faith accordingly and so God shall blesse you by them and then by such conference as you may haue from hence by letters Wherein if I may stand you in any stead rather for the good opinion you haue of me then for any great matter I am able to performe I shall be readie to offer any office of loue vnto you as God shall enable mee and so farre foorth as I shall be instructed in your particular estate by some letters sent from you by conuenient messengers That which I presently perceiue by M. S. letters is that you are afflicted with the blindnes of your minde and hardnes of your heart which cannot be moued either with the promises of God his mercies or feare of his iudgements nor affected with loue and delight of the things which bee good or with hatred and lothing of the euill Great cause you haue of griefe I confesse but no cause of dispaire dare I graunt because I am perswaded that your perswasion is somewhat false partly for want of a sound iudgement of your estate and partly for some defect of faith somwhat through your owne default First therefore know you for a certaintie that this is no other temptation than such as diuers of Gods children haue for a time bin humbled with afterwards haue had good issue out of And if it please God to moue you to credit me I myselfe haue knowne others as deeply this way plunged as you can be Remember therefore that God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you shall be able to beare c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. And yet further to confirme you herein the holy Scriptures doe record that this way God heretofore hath humbled his owne people In whose person the Prophet Esay lamentably thus complained chap. 63. vers 15. O Lord looke downe from heauen and beholâ— from the dwelling place of thy holines and of thy glorie Where is thy zeale and thy strength the multitude of thy mercies and of thy compassions they are restrained from me And afterwards O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy waies and hardened our heart from thy feare And in the next chapter vers 6. We haue beene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthie cloutes and we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquitie like the winde doth take vs away and there is none that calleth vpon thy name neither that stirreth vp himselfe to take hold of thee for thou hast hid thy face from vs and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities And afore in the 59. chapter vers 10. We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as one without eyes we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight we are in solitarie places like dead men we roare like beares and mourne like doues So complaines Ezechias in the bitternes of his soule Esay 38 14 Like a crâ—ne or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a doue And Psal. 51. 10. c. when Dauid crieth Create in me O God a cleane heart renue in me a right spirit restore to me the ioy of thy saluation establish me with thy free spirit doth he not declare that his heart was vncleane his spirit crooked the ioy of his saluation lost and himselfe subiect to the spirit of bondage so that wanting the spirit of libertie or adoption he could neither crie Abba father nor â—â—ue any power against sinne Thus you see how God his children may be blinded in minde and hardened in hart for a time so that they feele in themselues the graces of the holy spirit to be as it were perished and dead Further to relieue the infirmitie of your iudgement in this point because I know it may much distresse you you must vnderstand that there be two kindes of hardnes of heart the one which is not felt nor perceiued the other which is
perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearefull when any doe purposely resist the motions of God his spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation Of the which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh chap. 7. vers 11 c. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes chap. 28. 15. We haue made a couenant with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falsehood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hid This was a fearefull estate indeede yet for all that no man can say but some of those hauing so hardened their hearts might be and were afterwards conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearefull yet it is dangerous enough is in such as although they wilfully resist not God his spirit in good means yet securely carelesly willingly they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauids state by the space of a yeere before Nathan the Prophet came to proue him and rouse him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwaies than in temptation Sathan may sometimes moue you thereunto The other kinde and hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they do finde small or no ease in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of God his people complained Esay 63. 15. And such was Dauids state after that Nathan had reprooued him and God his spirit began â—â— worke with him yet crieth he out as you heard before of the losse of God his graces and when he saith that God will accept of no sacrifices be they neuer so many or pretious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him he wanted both This is your case and therefore you are in the state of saluation for Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sinne and had receiued absolution pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neither felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in truth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by God his mercie as you must be if you will haue mercie although he was far off from feeling it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to bee hoped of And you must knowe and bee perswaded that those things which are written of God his Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are ensamples for vs if wee will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time vntill he come neerer vnto vs by his spirite neerer I say for he is come already vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart to belieue certainely the truth of God his promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after comfort vsing the meanes of the Word and Prayer the Sacrament of the Supper and the company of God his children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that God his spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate though it may be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearfull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they doe perseuere and continue in desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometimes for a season to winnowe them as Wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes euen to speake euill of them But all this is but in temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie also repented that euer he preached in the Name of the Lord both scarcely abstained from blasphemy Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition thogh dutifully admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually premonished of his weaknes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rusheth as an horse into the battell and then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold corde and fasteneth it with banning and cursing And yet all these obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Satâ—aÌ„ had desired to winnow them so our Lord IESVS CHRIST prayed for them that their Faith thogh it were vehemeÌ„tly assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was battered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it were sore oppressed that it should not be extinguished And heere be you fully perswaded that though Luk. 22. 32. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith should not faile yet that hee prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Sathan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue prayed for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend then the rest although their offence was very great therefore his and our most blessed Sauiour applyed to him the promise but did not impropriate it to him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Ioh. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not only for the Apostles but for all those which should belieue through their word Yea further our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the fore-fathers were baptized into him and did eate his Flesh and drinke his bloud so was his prayer effectuall euen vnto them vnder the law much more vnto vs vnder grace And wheÌ„ you can finde testimony of your heart that when you would doe well
you haue lost that which Christ hath found but bee thankfull if by hope you can reioyce that Christ hath found that which you haue lost Whose losse of yours and gaine of Christs as it was by the will of God you must yeeld to of necessitie as it was the wisedome of God and mercie of God so to haue it you must resigne him willingly The Lord God who gaue your sonne as a pledge of his goodnes and who hath receiued your son as a pledge of your obedience so ouer reach your griese of nature by hope aboue nature that you may fulfill that remnant of repentance which yet is lent you to the great praise of his holy name and endles peace of your own soule for his Christs sake Amen Maister Greenhams care for the poore Schollers of Cambridge RIght Honourable although it bee a thing well knowne vnto many and specially to your Lordshippe that the number of students in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge is greater of late yeeres than hath beene heretofore yet it may bee many haue not heard neither hath your Honour vnderstood how many of good hope for want of sufficient reliefe haue beene and are forced or tempted to forsake the Vniuersitie Of the which number some haue entered into the Ministerie both vnseasonably and hurtfully some taken vpon them to be pettie scholemaisters vnprofitably some fallen to be seruingmen or to some other meane trades of life inconuenieÌ„tly some haue crept into popish gentlemens houses at home or flying ouer sea haue proued traiterous and vnnaturall Iesuites or Seminarie Priests Besides that which is as true as ruefull some straining themselues for loue of learning to liue in the Vniuersitie for want of necessaries haue either pined away there or shortly after they haue departed from thence or else haue liued there much discouraged to their farre lesse profit in learning Which sore as I haue seene of some to be espyed of some to be pitied euen with desire of redresse yet haue I not seene any sufficient care taken to salue and recouer the same True it is that diuers men of diuers degrees as in the citie and elsewhere haue somewhat largely yeelded their helping hand hereunto but by reason of the multitude of the needie and for that by want either of the wise care in the choise or of a continued ouersight of such as were chosen diuers abuses haue growen in the receiuers the hearts and the hands of the giuers hauing beene much streightned These things often weighed wrought much compassioÌ„ in me so that I haue indeuored according to my power and place a good while to procure some exhibition from diuers for poore learned and godly students in the same Vniuersitie whereunto I was and am induced the rather by a speciall charge of caring for the poore laide vpon me by a speciall occasion at the time of mine ordination into the Ministerie which I willingly went vnder because the holy Apostles Paul and Bâ—rnabas did the same before me Whose wise and worthie dispensation about the Church almes often admonishing me of no lesse wisedome and discretion than of dutie conscience to be vsed in this behalfe And foreseeing some offensiue inconueniences of the sole dealing of one man in so great a cause I haue long thought of some men most meete in many respects to ioyne with me herein And to this end of late I resolued of Maister Whittakers and Master Chaderton who after diuers intreaties and perswasions haue yeelded the right hand of fellowship both carefully and faithfully to labour with me in this matter The reason why I rested rather on them than others was because as by their place and residence in the Vniuersitie so by long obseruation I haue iudged them most meete not onely in regarde of their promise to take paines but also for their faithfulnes and fitnes to doe good in it being men well knowne vnto many Honourable worshipfull rich and mercifull persons And for testimonie of our more faithful seruice herein I in their names do promise to your Honor our speciall care and conscience of imploying that beneuolence without respect of persons vpon those schollers only that either are learned or towardly in learning and the same being religious honest poore and making conscience of the right and reuerent vse of their almes and that so long as they continue to be such Further we shall be readie each other yeere or oftner if your Honourable wisdome shal thinke good to make our accounts to Maister Nowell Deane of Paules Maister Osburne of the Exchequer Maister Doctor Hammond Maister Vincent Skinner or some two of these or any other whom your Lordship shall thinke meete herein Now that with some good authoritie and greater hope of successe this matter might bee performed I come first and principally to your Honour an humble petitioner that you would vouchsafe by your Honorable word and hand to commend and authorize vs as meete men to be imployed in this worke and then if so it seeme good to your Lordship I will repaire in the same suite for like fauour to Sir Frauncis Walsingham Maister Secretary Dauison Sir Walter Mildmay or others of your most Honourable societie whom your wisedome shall aduise me vnto In that I haue beene so bold to mention my selfe in this action I humbly craue your Honours fauourable construction towards me who hauing receiued great mercies of the Lord from the Vniuersitie think my selfe much more indebted to seeke the good therof especially after so long waiting for others to doe it and so now if any will doe it without me or any other meanes more fit than this may be vsed I most heartily wish the same Thus I commend my selfe and the whole cause to your Honours wise and mercifull consideration as desirous of the most fruitfull successe hereof and humbled in mine own vnabilitie to further it FINIS A LETTER AGAINST HARDNES OF HEART I Beseech GOD the Father of IESVS CHRIST to giue mee his good spirit in writing to giue aduice and you in reading to receiue it Amen Since the time that I receiued M. S. Letter wherein he declared his carefull compassion ouer your estate I haue beene not a little grieued because partly for want of a conuenient messenger and partly because of my manifolde distractions with the like occurrences and other waightie affaires I haue beene hindred from writing hitherto vnto you And albeit euen still I bee in the same case yet conscience towards GOD and loue and compassion towards you forceth mee to ouercome lets which hardly I could otherwayes preuaile against And albeit I cannot speake as I would yet of that which I shall write proceeding from the forenamed grounds I looke for some blessing of God through Iesus Christ if you wil not too much faint in faith and yeeld to the aduersarie yea if you will but hope so well of your selfe as in the feare of God I write it I hope of you First whereas it
such was Dauids state After that Nathan had reproued him and Gods spirit beganne to worke with him yet hee crieth out as yee heard before of the losse of Gods graces and when hee saith that God will accept of no Sacrifices bee they neuer so manie nor precious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him hee wanted both This is your case and therefore you a in the state of saluation For Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sin and had receiued absolution and pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neuer felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy although he was farre off from the feeling of it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to be hoped of And you must know to be perswaded that those things which are written of Gods Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are examples for vs if we will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time till he come neerer vnto vs by his spirit neerer I say for he is come alreadie vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to beleeue certainely the truth of Gods promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after the comforts vsing the meanes of the word and prayer the Sacraments of the Supper and the company of Gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that Gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearefull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they perseuere and continue desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake very euill of them but all this is but temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christs sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie Dauid mooued with the spirit of ambition though dutifull admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rushing as a horse into the battaile euen then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold cord and fasteneth it with bannings and cursings and yet for all these he obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Sathan had desired to winnow them so our Lord Iesus prayed for them that their faith though it was vehemently assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was bartered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it was oppressed yet that it should not be extinguished And here be you fully perswaded that albeit Luke 22. 31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he prayed for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue praied for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend than the rest although their offence was very great therefore his our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise but did not appropriate it vnto him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not onely for the Apostles but for all those that should beleeue through their word yea further Our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the forefathers were baptized into him did eate his flesh and did drinke his blood so was his prayer effectuall euen to them vnder the law much more to vs vnder grace And when you can finde testimonie in your heart that when you would doe well euill is present with you and that you doe the euill you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue much more when Sathan workes withall buffetting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weakenes If you beleeue according to your faith it shal be done vnto you But you will say you cannot beleeue that this vile crocked hardnes of your heart can be remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirit or to your selfe who hath receiued it Tell mee what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and fruit of faith and therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may bee without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and to his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Satan and diseased by the present feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptations that he may thinke yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane or his spirit crooked or vnstable and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore he was not
which we freely renounce but of the merit of his obedience and of the value of his death vnto the saluation of those that beleeue in him So shall we at once stop vp the mouth of the enemie when refusing to plead our owne cause we referre our selues vnto Christ whom we know to be the wisedome of God and able to answere all that can possibly be obiected against vs. For seeing Sathan is a wrangling and subtill Sophister it is our surest and safest dispatch to breake off all dispute with him and to send him thither where he may receiue his best answere and we need not to doubt but he that hath answered the iustice of God and cancelled the obligation that was against vs before his heauenly father will easily defeate whatsoeuer the old Serpent our accuser the diuell is able to alleage against vs. But if we cannot so auoid his assault but needs we must enter the combat with him let vs take vnto our selues that courage that becommeth the souldiers of Christ and in the name of the Lord Iesus manfully oppose our selues knowing that he which hath brought vs into the battell will both saue vs and deliuer vs out of all dangers Then if the enemie shall say that we haue no faith and therefore haue no interest in Christ we may answere that our beleeuing dependeth not vpon his testimonie it is enough that our selues doe know and feele by the grace of God that we doe beleeue As for him we doe the rather perswade our selues of faith because he saith that we beleeue not knowing that he is not onely a murderer but also a lyer from the beginning and the father of lying Now he that was neither ashamed nor afraid to charge God himselfe with vntruth will make lesse scruple to deale falsely with vs and that therefore we vtterly reiect his witnes as the witnes of a notorious and treacherous deceiuer vnworthie all credit and whom we cannot beleeue euen in the truth it selfe without danger For which cause he was so oftentimes silenced by our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles euen then when after his deceiueable manner he bare witnes vnto the truth Againe when the question is of our faith in Christ whether we beleeue in him or not we must beware that we stand not here vpon perfection of knowledge which in the best Diuines is vnperfect or vpon the perfection of our perswasion which in all flesh is mingled with imperfection It is enough for our present comfort and to the silencing of our aduersarie that we haue a competent knowledge of the mysterie of our saluation by Christ farre remoued from that ignorance and implicit vnderstanding which Sathan hath planted in the kingdome of Antichrist For perswasion also we acknowledge that partly by the corruption of nature and partly by his assaults by the grace of God it is such as the same is oftentimes assailed and shaken yet faileth not nor falleth vnto the ground but standeth inuincible against all his attempts and inuasions whatsoeuer And finally for that faith whereby we rest for our saluation vpon Christ Iesus wee glorie not in our owne strength but wee say euery one for himselfe with him in the Gospell We beleeue Lord helpe thou our vnbeleefe Foâ— if faith he as it is indeed a repose setling placing and putting of our trust and confidence for our saluation in Christ whom the Father hath sealed then we doubt not to proue against Sathan and all his instruments of infidelitie that we doe beleeue and that the weaknes of our faith which we willingly acknowledge and that remnant of vnbeleefe which yet hangeth vpon vs is so farre off from dismaying vs that it is both a warning and motiue vnto vs of great force to stirre vs vp and to set a worke by all good meanes to establish and to increase our faith when wee finde the good hand of the Lord not to bee wanting vnto vs and his eares not to bee shut vp against our prayers in which we alwaies say with the Apostles of Christ Lord increase our faith If it shall bee obiected that because wee haue not the same sense and feeling of faith which sometime wee had as Sathan himselfe could not then denâ—e therefore we haue now no faith but haue vtterly lost the same wee may answere the argument followeth not for euen in many diseases of the bodie it is so with them that haue them that they seeme little better than dead corpses and yet there is life in them which hidden for a time after is recouered and raised vp againe so it is many times with the children of God that being ouerborne and distressed with extremitie of affliction and temptation they seeme for the time both to themselues and others to haue lost the life and light which once they enioyed Yet so it is that when the tempest is ouerblowne and the gracious countenance of the Lord againe beginneth to shine vpon them the faith which was as it were hid for the time taketh life and steweth foorth it selfe and plainly proueth that as the trees when they budde in the spring time and bring foorth their fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed to bee so the faith of Gods children springing afresh after the stormie winter of temptation declaring manifestly that it was not dead when it seemed so to be but was onely respited for the time that afterward it might bring foorth more fruite and whereas the afflicted soule desireth nothing more than to beleeue though it feele not a present operation of comfort by faith euen that desire argueth a secret sense that cannot easily be discerned together with assurance of better estate in time to come according to that of our Sauiour Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied And that of the blessed Virgin He filleth the hungrie with good things but the rich he hath sent emptie away Also that bewailing and deploring of vnbeleefe which is found in the afflicted is not onely a stâ—p vnto their former comfrort but a certaine proofe and demonstration of the returne therof For the Lord working by his spirit in the hearts of his childrens gronings that cannot be expressed thereby assureth theÌ„ that in his good time he will heare them grant their requests And so much the more wee may bee perswaded hereof because the loue of God towards vs as it began not of vs as S. Iohn saith so it dependeth not vpon vs but vpon the truth constancie of him with whom there is no change nor shadow of change Againe the temptation it selfe from which our affliction doth arise though it haue of itselfe a most bitter and sharp taste euen vnto the wounding of our soules neere vnto death yet hath it also in it an argument of comfort the Lord himselfe out of darknes raising vp light vnto his childreÌ„ For euen by
other part yet remaining in vs still subdued vnder sin in which the Lord of mercie doth not esteeme vs but in that new man which is fashioned againe according vnto his own Image In so much as S. Paul doubteth not to say that the sinnes of the faithfull proceeding from the remainder of corruption yet abiding in them are not their works but the works of the flesh which being already wounded vnto death by the power of the death of CHRIST languisheth more more and shal finally be abolished by death which is the ende and accomplishment of our mortification and fullie endeth the battaile betweene the flesh and the spirit What shall I say of the loathing of this life and the vanitie thereof of that desire which is in the children of God to be dissolued and to be with Christ of contentment in all estates patience in afflictions constancie in truth loue towards those that loue the Lord pitie towards those that are in miserie and the desiring of the good euen of their enemies and thos that hate them Which vertues though they beare not an equall saile by reason of the weaknes of the flesh and of the malice and resistance of the enemie yet are they vndoubted testimonies of our loue towards God which is not but in those who are first beloued of him and haue tasted how good and gracious he is If we shall looke vnto the exercises of pietie of the worship of God though we may here aâ— else-where complaine of our wants and defects yet we shall through Gods goodnes finde matter of comfort Remember therfore what mercie the Lord hath shewed you in this part with what desire affection you haue heard the word of God how precious it hath bene vnto you aboue gold euen the most fine golde how sweet and comfortable euen aboue the hony the hony combe Remember with what fruit of knowledge in the will of God increase of Faith in his promises purpose and endeuour of amendment of life you haue oftentimes heard the same Call to minde with what zeale and earnestnes of spirit you haue sometimes called vpon the Name of God both publikely and priuately with others and alone by your selfe with what ioy and reioycing of the soule you haue praised the Lord for his mercies towards his Church and towards your selfe Call to minde what hath bene in you at any time the power of those Sacraments which are annexed as seales vnto the promise of saluation by Christ and how farre they haue by the blessing of God erected your minde in hope and assurance of his goodnes towards you If your present discouragement resist the comfort of these meditations it is no newe thing that in our weaknes wee should after the manner of those that be sicke disaduantage our selues of that which might doe vs good yet remember how iniurious a thing it were to esteeme the children of God by their present agonies and conflicts of conscience rather then by the comfort of that estate wherein the grace of God shined plentifully vpon them and in them For as when men are diseased it cannot thereof be concluded that they were neuer in health so the present discomforts of the children of God though they take away the sense of his mercie for a time yet they are no repeale of his former goodnesse and fauour towardes them nor denie them to haue bene euen in their owne iudgement and feeling deare vnto the Lord and still to bee though the storme and tempest of their present affliction suffer them not so liuely and comfortablie to enioy the same as before For which cause they must with Iob and Dauid call to remembrance the comforts of times past from thence to assure themselues of the returne of the good hand of the Lord in due time I doubt not but you can be witnes vnto God and to your owne selfe that the time hath beene when your comfort and assurance of Gods fauour was such as Sathan himselfe could not denie the testimonie which then the spirit of God did beare vnto your spirits Now the gifts and calling of God are without repentance and whome hee loueth he loueth vnto the end neither doth our saluation depend vpon any thing of our owne for then we should a thousand times perish and fall before the enemie but vpon that eternall and euerlasting loue of God wherewith he hath loued vs in IESVS CHRIST before the foundations of the world were laide which loue of his if it hath at anie time bene made knowne vnto vs and apprehended of vs we haue assurance greater then the testimonie of men and Angels But you will say that which sometimes I felt is now gone and in stead thereof I am perpetually oppressed with the horror of the wrath of God iust against me for my sinnes It is true that the power and sense of Faith is not alwayes alike in the children of God yet is it a false and sophisticall conclusion suggested from him that is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lying to say we feele not faith therfore there is no faith in vs. For in many diseases of the body wee haue no sense of life and yet wee liue the Sunne shineth not in the night season nor when it is obscured with cloudes shall wee say therfore that there is no Sunne or that it hath vtterly no operation Admit also which yet may not be admitted that the Lord had for a time vtterly giuen vs ouer can wee conclude thereof that he will neuer againe be mercifull vnto vs Nay hee that found vs when wee sought him not will surely returne vnto the worke which hee hath begun though he seemeth for a while to haue forsaken it There is sometime as it were an eclipse of our faith and of the feeling of the grace of God towards vs but let vs assure our selues that as the Sunne and Moone doe not perish in their eclipses nor loose their light for euer so in this eclipse which happeneth for a time vnto our faith and sense of Gods goodnesse the same shall not perish or lose his vertue for euer but shall in good time bee restored or rather quickened in vs againe vnto our further and more assured comfort This you haue seene in many deare children of God whose heauinesse hath beene knowne vnto you that they haue not beene forgotten for euer but that the Lord who seemed for a while to frown vpon them did in the end cause his most gracious and louing countenance to shine vpon them againe you haue felt it in your selfe that there hath beene an interchangeable course of sorrow and comfort of faith and feare and that the one hath continually succeeded the other that the same hand that humbled you did raise you vp againe that he that inflicted the wound into your soule applied thereunto the
most sweete and soueraigne remedie of his grace So ancient and so experienced a souldier as you are in this spirituall battaile should now be valiant and strong vnto the combat and though victorie be not to be hoped from the weaknesse of flesh yet the experience we haue had of the goodnesse of God in our former troubles ought to assure vs of the returne of his helping hand in all our necessities Shall I put you in minde of the grace of God towards you in your comforting of others euen then when your selfe haue been in some discouragemēt If others haue receiued comfort from you raise vp the same comforts vnto your selfe Neither is there any cause you should feare least the spirit which in you was able to erect and confirme others should not be able to refresh and comfort your owne soule In other things we loue our selues too much and doe well vnto our selues rather than to others but here many times by the fraud and deceit of the enemie wee are made cruell vnto our owne bowels and become his abused instruments to torment our selues Who will put a sword into the hand of his aduersarie to wound himselfe withall And who will strengthen his enemie that is alreadie too strong for him Yet this is our folly that we will conspire with Sathan against our selues and arme him with weapons vnto our owne destruction Saint Peter saith Resist the diuell being strong in faith We must not therefore yeeld our selues vnto his tyrannie nor cast away that weapon of faith by which alone wee may bee able to ouercome But I will vrge this argument no further I know that the benefits of this life are common for the most part both to the reprobate and to the elect yet both in those which are common there is a great and large difference and there are some so singular as carrie with them a stronger testimonie of the fauour of God than that it may without impietie be denied In common benefits it holdeth that as things most aduerse are yet turned vnto our good so much more the good gifts and blessings of God doe carrie with them a testimony of his loue and fauour towards vs. For as the Lord speaketh vnto vs in the word and by his spirit so his good and fatherly prouidence towards vs is not without voyce but soundeth aloud vnto the declaration of his loue But there are as I said some benefits so special that the vse of them is proper only vnto his children Remember with me the first time of this trouble dismaying of your conscience and remember withall how many meanes the Lord hath ministred vnto you for your comfort What shall I say of those whom the Lord hath put euen into your bosome the more neerer to applie his mercie vnto you Maister C. Maister B. Maister R. c. all so furnished vnto your comfort that you may well thinke they were as so many hands stretched out from heauen to support and strengthen your weaknes withall If I should set myselfe to remember how many other the seruants of God haue by diuine prouidence been directed to minister cōfort vnto you the number would be innumerable Master S. Master F. Master D. Master B. Master G. Master G. and almost who not of those that haue been trained and brought vp in that schoole Consider how great a mercie this hath been that so many excellent Physitions of the soule should at seueral times apply themselues if not vnto the cure at the least vnto the mitigating of your disease I will not examine how many and great comforts you haue receiued from them by word in presence and by letters in absence this onely I aske of you whether you haue not knowne all these to beare vnto you the same testimonie to speake the same comfort and to cōfirme you in the same assurance of the loue of God towards you Now what spirit must that bee that shall contradict the spirit of God in the mouthes of so many and faithfull witnesses My good friend marke what I will say vnto you as the patient that is sicke in body willingly resigneth himselfe vnto the sentence and direction of his skilfull and faithfull Physition so must the children of God in their spirituall maladies yeeld themselues vnto the Physitions of their soules so much the more because the Lord hath giuen vnto the ministers of his Gospell the power of binding and loosing both in the publike ministerie of his word and also in the priuate consolation of his children I will not speake of that which is publike although not altogether vnfit vnto my purpose considering that that which is publikely spoken as vnto all hath also a particular addresse vnto those that are the Lords As whē the Lord saith by his Prophet Blessed are all they that mourne in Sion I will for the present rest in that vse of this power of binding and loosing which is priuate and particular Remember that of Saint Iames who saith that vpon the prayers of the Elders of the Church the sins of the diseased shall be forgiuen him which words can haue no other sense but that by them shall bee pronounced vnto him the forgiuenes of sins A most excellent practise wherof we haue in our Sauiour himselfe Luk. 7. where first he proueth by argumēt vnto Simon the Pharisie that the mourning sinner was pardoned all her sinnes and therefore was now no sinner and wicked one as hee vncharitably esteemed her to bee then turning himselfe vnto the distressed soule first saith Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and afterward Thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace Wherein though there be some things extraordinary in our Sauiour Christ as the sonne of God yet is it that power which he hath communicated vnto all his seruants saying Whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen c. which is nothing else but whose sins vpon due examination and trial of their repentance you pronounce to be forgiuen they are forgiuen Here again remember my deare friend how many of the faithfull and expert seruants of Christ haue examined your estate by conference with your selfe haue found all signes vnto health and saluation Vnlesse therefore Sathan dare contradict the spirit of God speaking by the mouthes of so many witnesses he cannot say but you are the Lords Now for your selfe I am assured that you will not nor dare not say but this hath beene the constant testimonie of all the seruants of God sent vnto you and that they were such as you had no cause to suspect their partialitie or flatterie in any sort How is it then that the voyce of so many should not be vnto you as the voyce of God himselfe Who though he do not speake vnto vs now immediatly from heauen as in some times past yet he speaketh vnto vs by the mouthes of his seruants his Prophets When Dauid said in the horror of his
for all those which receiuing the first fruites of thy holy spirit walke before thee in vprightnesse of their heart wee thy vnworthy children come vnto thee in the name of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord beseeching thee to renue and encrease thy holy spirit in vs and to purifie our hearts more and more by faith that we may haue a clearer sight and a surer perswasion of thy fatherly goodnesse vnto vs and that wee may more readily performe our dutifull obedience vnto thee For wee doe acknowledge and confesse vnto thy sacred Maiestie that we haue yet neuer hitherto worthily esteemed thy mercies towards vs nor sufficiently expressed the fruites of our bounden dutie towards thee but that still we remaine ignorant and forgetfull of many good things which wee ought and might know And we confesse Lord wee are slacke vnto those things which thy holy spâ—â—t offereth to our mindes vnapt to doe them soone wearie of wel-doing and wherein we please thee something we please our selues too much Moreouer wee likewise confesse that we are ignorant of many euill things that wee haue done doe or may doe forgetfull of diuers things which sometime wee haue hadde knowledge and remorse of And now the things which come to our remembrance and are in our sight doe not appeare to be soâ—sinfull in any measure as they are and ought of vs to be regarded Yea wee are beguiled ere euer we are aware with our present corruptions and they cleane so fast vnto vs that wee can hardly leaue them but most hardly bee brought to true repentance of them We beseech therefore thy sacred Maiestie to worke in vs by thy holy spirit a wise and carefull searching out of and into our sinnes that by the lawe wee may be conuinced of them awakened by thy threatnings rebuked for them by thy iudgements executed vpon the wicked and exercised toward thy children seruants and friends that so wee may feare and tremble for them And by the serious premeditation of the vncertaine houre of a most certaine death of the day of thy generall ineuitable and dreadfull iudgement of the horrible and euerlasting paines of the wicked in the helles and their losse of the inestimable ioyes of the heauens stirre vp our dead hearts to seeke thee O Father in thy Christ and thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour in the Gospell And finally we pray that we may bee euen confounded in our selues by the fruitfull remembrance of thy blessed sufferings the most precious blood-sheading and death of our Lord Iesus Christ that so we may be humbled after that manner and measure thy children should bee beseeching thee that wee may so aforehand accuse our selues before thy blessed Maiestie that our aduersarie may haue no power hereafter to accuse vs so iudge our selues that we be not iudged by thee so with shame sorrow feare and trembling acknowledge the vilenes of our sinnes wholely before the throne of thy iustice that wee finde it to be a throne of grace and mercie vnto vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now O Lord the searcher of the hearts and reynes thou knowing this to be the humble and single desire of our hearts wee flye vnto thee for refuge beseeching thee by thy holy spirit to worke in vs a clearer sight of the wisedome of our Lord Iesus Christ wherby our minds may be further cleared from blindnes and we haue a clearer sight of the whole ministerie of our saluation in him and graunt vs God a fuller perswasion of the discharge of all our sinnes in his death and of the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs in his resurrection that the guiltinesse of our conscience may daily more and more goe away from vs and peace of the same be confirmed in vs especially in the time of our temptation and trouble the day of our death and the houâ—e of iudgement And next most mercifull Father graunt vs a more powerfull experience of his death killing sinne in vs and of his resurrection raising vs vp vnto a new life that daily we may be lesse sinful and more holy righteous and sober in this present life that so also wee may haue a more sure and stedfast hope in his redemption and may more strongly resist the vanities of this world in false pleasures profits and glories and more patiently endure all manner of miseries of the same which may befall vs vntill his glorious appearing when hee shall come to be glorious in his Saints and made maruellous in al those which beleeue in him Amen Furthermore O Lord whereas we are priuie to our selues ere it is knowne vnto others or vnto thee that thereby any sinne or sinnes more strange in vs through our corrupt nature or custome or the temptation of others or of the tempter wee beseech thee that there we may labour to finde the precious death of our Lord Iesus Christ more powerfull in subduing the same and whereas through vnabilitie of nature want of meanes or grace we are weaker in any duties of well-doing there we may striue to finde the vertue of his glorious resurrection more effectuall in raising vs vp in meanes of life so that our familiar corruptions being cured and our speciall infirmities being relieued wee may be also endued as with generall graces meete for all Christians so with such peculiar graces as may be meete for our callings and inable vs to glorifie thy holy name build vp others in well-doing and treasure vp the fruites of a good conscience for our selues at all times and especially in our neede And in this behalfe the desire of our heart is that thy holy spirit worke in vs the renouncing of our reason so farre forth as it is blinde and the crucifying of our affections so farre forth as they be corrupt that so we may offer them vp with soule and bodie in sacrifice of humiliation and that hauing receiued these graces we may also offer them vp in sacrifice of obedience vnto thy gracious Maiestie And wherein soeuer we haue doe or shall with thy graces obey thee we desire to offer vp thy graces our obedience and our selues in a sacrifice of thankesgiuing and praising of thy holy and blessed name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen All thy waies O Lord we acknowledge to bee mercie and truth we beseech thee therfore giue vs the holy fruites of al the good meanes thou hast heretofore wrought our good by as thy holy and sweete promises preached vnto vs read of vs meditated vpon by our selues or conferred of with others the prayers thankesgiuings Psalmes Hymnes of our selues our friends and thy Church thy sacred Sacraments the ministrie of thy holy Angels the communion of thy Saints and admonition which hath beene giuen vs for our good most humbly entreating that wee may haue sanctified vnto vs the remembrance of thy former mercies bestowed vppon thy Church vpon any member therof or vpon our selues either in benefits or in crosses and albeit our nature is
most impatient either of reproches offered vnto vs by our enemies or any iniuries by our friends yet herein we â—eruently aske of thy wise and merciful goodnes that wee may reape a good fruite euen of such euill meanes And because wee grow to bee acquainted with the pride of our spirits and sloath fulnesse of our flesh and few meanes are left vs and many offences by our selues conceiued by others and Sathan offered doe alreadie and are daily like more to assaile vs O Lord thou which hast beene our God euen from our first birth especially since our new birth be thou the God of our middle age yea of our old dayes if we liue so long vntill thou finish the last worke of our new birth begun and continued thus farre in vs. To this ende wee aske of thee that we may vow and receiuing grace from thee wee doe vowe to vse all these forenamed good meanes of our saluation more mercifully than yet euer wee vsed them in vsing of them wee aske more feare of thy Maiestie faith of thy promises purenesse of our hearts loue vnto others and withall blessing and fruite more aboundant that our latter workes may be better then our former Wofull experience O blessed Sauiour teacheth and moueth vs to call vpon thee as for these former things so to be preserued and protected by thy almightie and mercifull grace from our owne corruption to come from all Sathans temptation and accusations from all manner of contagion of the vngodly in their iniuries reproches and their benefits praises their â—orceries inchantments yea from any hurt of thy children as they bee not regenerate and from any hurt by thy creatures so farre forth as any of these things may hurt our saluation Former experience O mightie God and mercifull Father ought not onely to teach but also to enforce vs to giue thee thankes praise and glory for thy former mercies vpon vs and thy Church bestowed but wherein thou hast prouided for vs many arguments of strength of faith or ignorance forgetfulnes negligence and want of reuerence of thy mercies receiued minister iust cause of humiliation and therefore in some faith in and thankfulnesse for thy former mercifull blessings and yet in much weaknesse in the merits of Iesus Christ our Lord with our whole heart wee beseech thee giue vs a good portion of thy spirit to call carefully thy benefites to our remembrance wisely to vnderstand them and reuerently to regard and truly to be thankfull for them in mind in heart in word and deed through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Wee beseech thee most mightie God and mercifull Father to make partakers of our praiers and thankesgiuings all the whole Church and euery member thereof especially where dutie most chargeth promise bindeth necessitie craueth and thy glory chalengeth c. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHIEFE POINTS OF DOCTRINE HANDLED IN THIS VOLVME GATHERED INTO AN Alphabeticall order A ABstinence vsed 807. want of it hurt the godly 808. Admonition 28. 256 789 to whome it is to be giuen 205. and in what manner 547. 698. 58. of inferiours to superiours 257. how it should be taken 58. Rules of it in generall 629. 630. 631. Adoption what it is and trials thereof 450 Adulterie what it is and how many wayes committed 676. 767. 790. Remedies against it 635. 636. Affection naturall is corrupt 1. 103. 638. 681. 727. 57. 515. 325. alwayes to bee suspected 274. 651. the triall of it 1. 671. 680. how it is renewed 243. 175. 742. goood affections required in good workes 264. 161. Dead Affections 459. 827. Affliction 2. 262. 638. causes of it 35. 640. 197. 234. 235. necessitie thereof 80. how grieuous a thing 97 ioyes in it 686. 782. who are afflicted 95. 96. 639 766. the ende and vse of affliction 1. 2. 112. 686. 533. 334. how to comfort the afflicted 6. 106 1107 114. 116. Affliction soone tries godlie and godlesse 489. three rules for it 864. 865. Ambition 99. how to fight against Ambition 466. Amitie turned into enmitie 798. Anger godlie 243. euill anger 79â— cause of it 466. Triall of anger 3. 641. 204. 547. Angels watch ouer veâ— and how 3. 646 not seene but extraordinarily 641. euill Angels 310. 311. 312. Antichrist 666 Apparell 712. Apostasie how great a sinne 627. An Arrian Heretike 110. Armour of a Christian 308. 309. Assurance of saluation 322. 323. 328. See Saluation Astonishment 24â— Atheisme 3. Austeritie 769. B BAptisme 642. Our vowe in Baptisme euer to bee remembred 477. on what day to be remembred 157. Belieuers like children 18. the belieuer not hastie 408. Blessednes 314. the causes of it 207. the effects of it 209. true blessednes wherein it consisteth 394 Blessing denied because of sinne 784 786. the way to obtaine temporall blessings 644. these are no signes of Gods fauour 645. Blindnes of men 165. causes of it 197. Booke of GOD especiallie to be taken vp with the examples thereof 421. All that can delight the heart of man contained in the booke of God 446 Brethren most vehement in Loue and so in hatred 685. Brownists 258 C CAlamities publike fearefull Tokens thereof 464. causes of it 791. publike most affect vs most 2â— Calling generall speciall 645. misliking thereof dangerous 4. 30. 38. 613. 493. Of calling vpon GOD with diuerse circumstances thereof 449. Care immoderate of outward things hurtfull 464 644 Catechising of Children whiles they are yong required 2 8. 642. 664. families must bee catechized â—9â— how and by whom it must be done 649 6â—5 distinguished from preaching ibid. reasons for it 665 Cause good why it hath ill successe who are enemies to it 8. constancie in it 50 how to prosper in a good cause 461 they may looke to bee potected that haue a good cause and handle that cause well 504 256 651 Censuring of others how it must be done 4 Ceremonies 787 their first originall 152 good and profitable 652 euill and to be hated 353 321 364 Charitie 820 voyde of suspition 79 Chastitie 78 CHRIST 654 his excellencie in all knowledge 751 how and where we must labour to finde CHRIST to apply him 397 his Temptations 490 his Passion in â—oule â—4 186 his Buriall and the vse of it 84 his Resurrection 85 178 he holdeth his Kingdome by two Titles 655 two Crownes 6â—6 his incercession how he must be followed 692 654 his power 852 Christians their estate 308 who bee true Christians 231 A Christians life is the Meditation of the Lawe of GOD c. 459 Difficulties in Christianitic 384 Church why called holie and Catholike the Authoritie and dignitie of it 648 the prospetitie thereof should make vs reioyce 275 a care of the prosperitie a note of Gods children 620 wants in it and yet tollerable 74 648 819 ChildreÌ„ foolish 276 why God giueth such to parents 2â—2 how to be brought vp ibid 662 66â— how to bee corrected 278 marks of Gods children 853 316 their calling and priuiledges
782 their comfort in this life 341 their loue to parents and the Triall of it 76 chastized and wherefore 640 787 subiect to two extremities 307 how Gods children haue many changes in this life and wherefore 497 Gods goodnes towards them when he plagueth the wicked 499 Circumcision 668 705 Combat of the faithfull 81 CoÌ„fort for a troubled mind 6. 33 109 112 681. 768. See afflicted false coÌ„fort 778. Company of the wicked to be auoided 332 Communion with CHRIST 1â—2 with his members 1â—3 318 the benefit of obseruing all Gods commandements 395 Hee that offendeth in any one commandement is guiltie of all ibid. Concupiscence how to auoide it 8. 458 Conference necessary 5. 614 12â— 647. 662 Confession of sinne 38 484 Confession of sinne 649. of all 690 of speciall 107 hard to confesse sinne 32 33 the benefit of the confession of our sins 409. confession two folde publike priuate to God to men 360 361 Conscience afflicted 5. 6. 37. See afflicted Of sinne 701. tormented 9â— 99. 639 hardnes 651. a good conscieÌ„ce 5. notes of iâ— 313. examination of it 650 peace of it 650 209 tender 650 773. 611 troubled yet pardoned 867 Scriptures for a weake conscience 854 what it is 3â—8 ConstaÌ„cie in a good cause in the faith 511 Contempt of the Gospell punished 791 Contention 801 419 Contentation 26 678 759 770 Contâ—act of Matrimony vsed of the heatheÌ„ 122 commended in Scripture 123 what it is and how the contracted must bee taught 123. 124. a forme of coÌ„tract 1â—8 Controuersies how farre permitted in the Church and wherefore 727 Conuersion 281 how hard a thing 252 the onely outward meanes of it 282 Correction how the Lord correcteth and why 34 6â—2 7â—5 How men ought to rect 278 651 See Censure Corruption naturall 8. 636 703 secret corruption 10â— how knowne 58. knowledge and feeling of it necessarie 11. 681 delighteth in meanes it cannot haue 92 hindereth good actions 27 Couenants particular 477 Couering infirmities 7 Couetousnes vnsatiable 643. 6â—4 how discouered 6â—0 604. how to fight against it and ouercome it 466 Curtesie of the wicked what it is 837 Counsell 612 Creation what it is 82. right vse of the creatures 312 783 what it is to bee a newe creature 370 ioy therein â—64 Crosses refine the Faithfull 2. 38. 117 they are necessarie 649 the vse of it 116 ioyes vnder it 68â— three things required to finde comfort therein 2 the wicked cowaâ—ds vnder the crosse 48â— Crosse of CHRIST what is meant thereby 366 36â— how crosses of wood and other things came 36â— Curiositie 475 Curse a secret curse 662 680 Custome 332 D Dauid 552 his adulterie 7â—2 â—auncing a sinne 169 Death sudden 66â— good 465 violent â—8 quiet to some men an euill â—igâ—â— 2â—1 measurable feare of it commendable â— 250 wishes of it vnlawfull 9 meditation of it profitable 656 6â—3 how to die the death of the righteous 49 the godlie die in the fittest time 45 their sinne abolished by it 875 806 no man to be iudged according to his state in death 9 Debt two kindes of it 754 Decalogue 73 Deceir 688 Delights 612 Dâ—sertion what it is 398 It is twofolde Ibid. Three endes for which God vseth desertions 401 the vse that Christians ought to make thereof 402 Desire 735 respected of God more then the deede 9 6 8 How to examine it 680 800 7â—2 mans desire vnsatiable 6â—3 why we haue it not 760 Despaire and remedie against it 8â—9 Diet 10 charitable iudgements of professors in cases of desperation 400 their iudgement to be left to God ibid. Dâ—â—t 10 DiffereÌ„ce between persons callings 49â— Dâ—ligence to serue God 55 Dâ—sobedience 3â—0 Discipline of the ancient Church 768 842 Discretion necessary therein 84â— Dispraise 10 Distraction froÌ„ a good matter the cause of it 10 Diuine â— things make a good diuine 410 Dâ—uell how he may hurt 2 how he tempteth and accuseth â—04 his subtilty 7â—4 his strength 7â—0 of diuers names giuen vnto him 845 Doctrine 772 three rules to examine it by 11 false doctrine infections 491 Dreames the causes vse of them 10 326 Dulnes and deadnes 10. causes of it 6 30 273. 496. 584. how to auoid it 160. 662 329 the most perfect earhly things are imperfect shall haue an end pag 4â—2 E ECclesiastes a briefe summe of it 628 Education of children See children Elders 352 Election 719 Elect their priuiledge 782 Enmitie 798 the way to ouercome our enemies 464 rules to be obserued when wee pray against them 512 Enuie 732 Error 817 Examination of our sins 101 of our selues 31 284 1â—7 642 671. 703. Example 247 249 263 268 96 632 vse of example 9 666 how farre to bee followed 11 720 721 Excommunication what it is and how dangerous to despise 842 discretion required therein 843 who were excommunicated in the ancient Church 792 Exercises of religion publike 11 75 priuate 158 498 the vse benefit thereof 6â—3 to strengthen iudgment to whet affection 19 778 to whom vnprofitable 241 498 wherefore the Lord doth no more blesse publike exercises 498 Exhortation Legall Euangelicall 3â—9 Experience 11 Bucharist what we eate and drinke therein and how 192 why 193 examination before and the reasons thereof 187 Eye of idlenesse 676 Eyes the gouernement of them 671 677 not gouerned how hurtfull 792 5â— the vanitie of them 416 F FAlling the childe of God may fall 13 the strongest may fall 761 Familie what care is to be had of it 12 278 the whole familie punished for the sinne of the master 684 Familie of Loue. 453 Famliaritie with the wicked forbidden punished 492 Fasting 8. no set time for it 135. publike fast 152. How expedient in our Time 151. the austeritie of the Fathers in it 653. Humilitie therein required 674 Fauour of God 682. found in affliction 687. to be sought more then the fauour of men 686 Faires on the Sabbath day 165 Faith 11. what it is 81. How needfull 12. 484. faith worketh 588. triall of it 640. 814. How the faith of Gods children differeth from the vaine imaginations of the wicked 492. the triall of our Faith when God delayes to performe his promises 508. decay of it 176. 510. Eclipse of it 265. the life secret 54. without feeling 655. 662. faith only iustifieth 86. want of faith and of a good conscience make many barren in good things 464. Spirit of faith 484 faithfull how farre they are saide to be wise 461 Feare Three kindes of feare 682 properties of it 683. godlie feare 248. 528. 3â—3 353. 55. difference of the godly and wicked therein 31. 53. immoderate feare 504. 13. 504. scrupulous feare 1â—5 false feare 857 fewe men trulie fearing 491 Feastings 14. on the Sabbath day hazard soules 168 Feeling 1. 6. 12. 40. 273. 286. 679. 777. 804. 481. vnder the crosse 27. of the forgiuenes of sinnes 254. of a spirituall gâ—ace 655. Dauid lost it 248. 866 867. of wants 507 Figures 132 Fire the
to loue best 516 how to loue superiours equall and inferiours 120 Loue of the creatures hinder 20. carnall loue 637 Lust remedies against it 635 M MAdnes the cause of it 20 Magistrates how they may winne the peoples fauour 260 they must be men of wisedom 38 haue a care of Gods glory pray for the people 778 their sinne most dangerous 79â— siâ—s of the people cause euill Magistrates 53 Markes of Gods children 25 See children of God Mâ—riners that sâ—ile on the Sabbath 164 Matrimonie notes to know whether it be of God 20 consent of parents 21 choise in it 742 the spousage before knowne by the light of nature 122 the end of it 806 Meanes 27 of saluatioÌ„ 42 all good meanes must â—e vsed 615 â—70 we ought to attend thereoÌ„ 736 neglect therof a tempting of God 674 by what meanes wee draw to God 690 to keepe vs from sin 7â—8 the vertue power of the meanes in God 844 meanes of least shew bring greatest graces 290 Mediatour who it is 80 how dangerous to appeare before God without him 694 Mediocritie 29 Meditation 615 159 574 564 in labour 4 how we be hindred therein 10 commodities of it 22. rules for it 23. of Christ his death 19â— of death in or on the word 450. to redeeme the time for it 471 Meditation must be continued 459 we will alwaies meditate thinke on the things we loue 459 Melancholy Satan and it disquiet afflicted soules 257 Memorie helpes for it 23 â—5 447 Mercie 209 of God 9 522. the rich mercy of God to the faithfull in opening their eyes when many millions are left in darkenesse and miserie 503 it is either in giuing or forgiuing 697 to the poore 69â— how it worketh in the wicked 247 to whom the mercies of God are dearâ— 782 Merit 509 Messengers of God how they binde and loose 877 must be prepared for trouble 747 their euill life how dangerous 752 messengers of Satan within vs. 306 Minde 52 cast downe 95 distempered 482 Ministers 24. the necessitie of theÌ„ â—39 â—40 the vse whereunto they are appointed 341. their dutie first to reade and studie 342. secondly to teach the word â—43 how where what he must teach 344 when 345. to pray for himselfe and the people 345. thirdly hee ought to liue a godly life â—46 fourthly hee ought to teach priuately as well as publikely 347 how a Minister may â—â—â—e 347. Miniets the porters of heauen 288. meanes to bring vs to Christ. 288 Ministers and Auditors are not alwaies alike 448 Ministerie 24 646 the haste of young men to it 24 the dignitie of it 747 the necessitie of it 340. whether a man may desire it 52. negligent in it 752 790 sufficiencie for it 546 couetous in it 735 Miracles giuen in mercy and in iudgement 736 Mirth 25 the way to godly mirth 724 Morall and Ceremoniall 132. See Law To know things morall and ceremoniall 138 Mortification goe together with remission of sinne 105 Mother 76 three good mothers breeds three euill daughters 830 Motions secret vnto sinnes 108 the spirit restraines euill motions 89 the godly are not free from euill motions 681 we must watch ouer them 703 the first motion to sinne must be crucified in vs. 467 why so few good motions come to vs 522 sudden motions to good 476 Motes what sinnes are called motes and what beames 632 Multitude to follow is dangerous 704 Murmuring the policie of Satan therein 26 how common in our daies 249. remedies against it â—51 758. how readie we are in our daies to murmure 815 N NAme good name how pretious 259 260. See good name Nature good and euil 29 natural men measure others by theÌ„selues 715 they count all spirituall things as paradoxes 457 Necessitie two kindes thereof 166 Neighbour who is our neighbour 79 O OBedience what it is 50 to the word 826. it must be free 44 triall of it 544 strict obedience to be laboured for 292. popish obseruations and workes of supererogation in the point of obedieÌ„ce confuted 393 Occasion of euil must be auoided 25 263 Offences 721 47 74 90 702. small sinnes great offences 727 Oppression 780 Order necessarie in all things 833 Othes 75 476 P PApists 3 673 disquieted in minde 96 rest in the worke wrought 689. neuer felt the power of Christ his grace 787 popish obiections against the Gospell 802 popish superstition 455 Papists goe beyond carnall Protestants in outward things 805 455 How papists follow Peter 483. papists may not be spared for their ciuill honestie 455 Popish Doctors of reason 520 PareÌ„ts immoderate loue 2â— follie 258 for what cause the Lord afflicteth parents in their children 277 their consent in mariage 743 consideration in correcting their children 798 Pastors the â—inne of the flocke their sinne 259. their office 772. See ministers Patience 6â—9 759 56â— triall of it 25 properties of it 254 vnder the crosse 761 768 the vse of Gods patience 694 Peâ—ce three-fold 7 of minde 97 of conscience 209 false peace ibid. of the wicked 6â—0 of the Church 542 People their dutie to their Magistrates 76 to their Ministers 349 Perfection God lookes not for it at our hands 390 Periurie how men fall into it 333 Persecution 670 popish persecution how great 791 Perseuerance 496 694 721 116 in the vse of the meanes 15 764 a sure triall both of knowledge and faith 510 Pâ—ruert who they be that peruert others 730 Physition properties of him 794 Pittie who are to be pittied 25 Plague 79â— boldnes and fearefulnes in it 2 extremities 104 plague threatned 790 for the contempt of the word 513 A perfume for christiaÌ„s against the plague 444 Pleasure 653 734 how we may take pleasure 726 vse of it with restraint 7 9 of sinne 323 Pollution the polluted person polluteth all things 189 Policie of the world euill 838 Polygamie 586 Posteritie care thereof 798. Iehosaphat punished in his posteritie 462 Posts on the Sabbath 165 Pouertie the cause and vse of outward want 26 Poore 261 zealous in defence of them 258 poore in godlines 784 collections for them on the Sabbath 161 Praise 27 733 749 Preaching with prayer before after 272 the power therof 283 708 sincere bring men to Christ 139 needfull by sea 164 distinguished from catechizing 664 the onely meanes to worke faith 690 346 173 Preachers how they winne fauour 8â—1 how they should carrie themselues 358 247 a true marke of a faithfull Preacher 375 See Minister Prayer 2 38 when to pray 26 to offer vp our prayers to God albeit in perplexitie of spirit wee know not how to pray 484 publike for the sicke 34 want of it cause want of faith 177 what it is 90 a remedy in temptation 873 how it is hard and what doth season it 507 619 how profitable 776 motiues thereunto 777 the more grace a man hath the more need he hath to pray 46 47 it is the best sacrifice 8â— priuate prayer necessarie 501 rules for prayer 562 563
to folfow it 586 Seeking of God 836 Sermons â—6 twice on the Sabbath 563 SeruaÌ„ts their maisters dutie 163 177 their dutie to their maisters 784 Shame and shamefastnes 851 Shepheards and heardsmen 306 Sicknes in minde how cured 5 794 all are sicke 793 their impatiencie to be borne with 7 rules for them 34 to visit the sicke 275 what they should doe in their sicknes 640 715 Signe of grace 170 how it differeth from a figure 138 Silence in meetings not good 5 not too strict 64â— Similitudes of things naturall and better knowne applied to things diuine and lesse knowne vnto vs 11 12 15 16 18 20 21 29 4â— 4â— 244 245 247 262 264 285 613 100 â—52 162 164 166 174 874 875 876 877 294 265 636 640 651 652 655 656 659 661 673 676 682 685 689 693 7â—4 710 713 717 752 722 776 785 79â— 793 802 809 813 819 822 829 Simplicitie godly 715 Sinceritie 161 209 Sinne to finde out specialll sinnes 5 and to confesse them 10â— 484 cause of it within vs 30 in what respect worldlings leaue it 616 fearefull to make a sport of it 626 secret sinnes 37 262 272 610 5â—1 secret sinnes not repented of 461 sinnes not equal 631 euery sinne hath two reasons for it 670 the death of it in the faithful 682 first motions of sinne must be crucified 467 particular sight and loathing of speciall sins 475 wisedome of Gods children to preuent sin 514 of three things which may keepe vs from it 697 two heads of many sinnes 703 ripenes in sins 712 foure companions of sin 7â—0 the cause of the losse of many blessings 786 dominion of it 527 528 presumptuous sinnes 852 to leaue sinne and to repent 85â— differ 858 to leaue it not sufficient 304 sinne of apostacie and fiue reasons to disswade therefrom 627 A maruellous great prerogatiue to be freed from the bondage of sinne 90 we must deale with our sinnes as the iudge doth with malefacters 4â—9 Singing of Psalmes with feeling 30 Sleepe triall therein 36 Slothfulnes 1 Sobrietie at all times required 769 214 Societie 14 of the wicked ought to be shuâ— ned 610 612 â—93 Gods children how sweete 458 Sophistrie of the diuell 734 Sorrow two extremities in it 16 not to delay sorrow for sin 29 worldly 265 godly sorrow 282 signes of it 284 it must be continued 286 it is the way to heauen 285 foolishly put off 95 Soule the consumption thereof 4â—7 starued 846 847 Speech good in meetings required of dutie 647 to speake pleasing things and serue the time 750 Spirit of God comes by the word 12 two workes thereof 13 singularitie of spirit 37 religion vnprofitable to those that want the spirit 241 precepts of not quenching the spirit 242 testimonie of it 875 of faith 484 of cheerefulnes 556 Spirituall man must haue an alteration 42 Superstition 35 41 it breaketh off loue in all estates 801 popish superstition described 345 Surmises euill against others 263 666 Swearing 659 790 Swine who be 455 T TO be taught of God 469 temptation 37 702 47 when and how it breeds 39 wee must not yeeld in it 865 866 how to know whether wee be tempted 816 why many are ouertaken therewith 300 how we conspire with Sathan therein 876 how God tempteth vs 813 what it may teach vs 874 resistance of it a signe of grace 874 dispute not with Sathan 874 Terrors of minde sudden 48 Thanksgiuing 812 of al sacrifices most acceptable 40 483 to God for feeding our soules 177 it was a chiefe exercise of Dauid 458 459 How a Christian may say vnto the Lord I am THINE 449 Thoughts euill resting in the minde how dangerous 267 why Gods children are often exercised therewith 27â— euill thoughts on the Sabbath depriue vs of the fruit of Gods worship 171 two kinds of thoughts 704 what Satan doth suggest into men 748 Conscience of thoughts 543 Theefe on the crosse 794 notes markes of faith in him 693 Time the â—ithe of it to Gods worship 1â—5 To redeeme it for good meditations 471 Tinder the efficacie of it in our nature 676 Trauelling on the Sabbath 167 Tree of life Adam had it for a signe 133 Troubles necessarie to feele them for foure causes 439 Two things sustaine vs in our troubles 508 Trust. 29. to trust onely in God 494 Truth how we ought to speake it 622 Truth and peace go together 728 how God punisheth such as receiue not the truth in loue 802 3. kinds of truths 818 V VAnitie both of life and religion is deceit 501 Vertue two speciall fruites of it 260 Visitation of the sicke 275 Vnbeleefe the godly often troubled with it 95. why we see it not 5â—7 how it is shewed vs. 549 Vngodlines 41 Vnmercifulnes how great a sinne 837 Vnthankfulnes 41 punished 269 cause of it 678 Vse of the creatures 41 813 Vaine-glorie 518 Why God visiteth his dearest sernants 445 Visions how farre to be beleeued 41 Vowes rash 822 what a vow is 477 two things hinder vs from holy vowes 478 to vow against drunkennes 479 Vowes in baptisme must be remeÌ„bred 477 against Whoredome Ibid. 41. Vowes in holy purposes 397 Vsurie 41 Vulgus how it may be taken 667 W WAiting on God properties thereof 17 Wanâ— to lament it in others 457 Wantonnes ends in wickednesse 727 799 468 Watchfulnes 703 527 two causes of watching ouer our hearts 616 304 Way in it three things to be considered 703 euill way two things to be considered therein 416 The way of lying what it is 411 why it is so called ibid. the good way must be chosen ibid. Wearines in good things 531 453 Warfare of a Christian. 531 29â— 298 Description of a wicked man and why he is so called 450 451 Wicked their societie to be auoided 610 how they walke in sinne and know it not 614 the diuell helpes them in meditation 463 punished 699 Wickednesse and wantonnesse 468 Wife how the husband should gouerne her 124 Will free 525 how accepted for the deede 61 Wisedome how to hold it fast 609 what it is 625 99 how the faithfull are wise 124 461 our owne wisedome to be suspected 57 Difference betweene true and false wisedome 414 415 Wits the diuell chuseth the best for his seruice 62 Witchcraft 468 aduertisement against it 42 how cured 822 consulting with witches is to aske counsell of the diuell 578 581 Wonders to beware of 822 Word of God 649 549 preparation to heare it 42 true arguments of Loue thereto 453 the power of it 282 283 857 it is a treasure and hidden 289 few loue it therefore 290 wherfore so many neglect the word 462 how it is found before it be sought 291 famine of it 791 loue to it 440 5â—4 44â— it is necessarie for safe direction 475. to keepe it in a good conscience bringeth wisedome 466 it yeelds most profit pleasure and glory 457 whole felicitie therein 470 direction thereof safe 475 why Gods word is wonderfull 410 it neuer
Seâ— Psal. 119 vers 116. 1 Reasons to labour for increase of iudgement 2 3 Triall of our ioy Iests A generall knowledge Simile How the Gospell may be said to kill Loue the Saints 1 Notes of an holy mariage 2 3 4 5 6 If our owne heart condemne vs no man can acquite vs. Simile See before title of concupiscence The father to giue his daughter in marriage Consent of parents Second mariages not to be hastened Est mulâ—er inâ—amis propter nuptiarum festinationem si ante annum nubit In authenticis Iustiniani collatione quarta de nuptiiâ— What meditation is Godly meditation painfull False feares of mâ—lancholie Psal. 119. I am wiser than my teachers Horat. lib. 1. Eâ—ist 2 In vâ—â—ba juraâ—â— mag iâ—â— Meditation helps memorie Iosh â— 8. 1 Tim 4. 13. 15. How to helpe our sudden failing of our memorie in preaching the word The haste of young men to the ministery Mirth Temptation 1 How to discerne and discouer the 2 waies of men 3 Triall of our patience Some eate vp their hearts with griefe Cause of outward wants Murmuring CoÌ„tentation The simple preaching of Christ. 1. Cor. 2. 2. 3. 2. Cor. 4. 5. 6. 7. Hypocrisie Preachers must be farre from wrath 1. Tim. 2. 22. The corrupt actions of the body proceed from the corrupt affections of the soule To attend the holy ministerie and Preaching of the word Prayer in the night Prayer in the day To see our infirmities and waÌ„ts in prayer and to be grieued for them Iames 5. Secret corruptions may hinder successe in good actions Immoderate loue of parents Feelings most vnder the crosse 2. Cor. 12. 9. Meanes The long prosperitie of the Church Rules for admonition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A louing admonition What to consider in reprouing both little and great sinnes How vnwilling wee be to accept an admonition Motiues to practise admonition Simile Neuer trust him that will conceale a sin in vs. Simile Good euil natures Extreame sadnes To deferre sorrowing for some one sinne vnto the more generall accounting time who dangerous Triall of our hearts in reproches A mediocritie A triall of the rich mans faith Delayes Triall of our dulnes 1 2 3 4 5 Change of place and calling 6 7 8 9 Affection and feeling in singing Psalmes Cause of sin within vs occasions without vs. Sins be linked and chained one in another Heb. 3. 12. 13. Simile The triall of our state against any one speciall sinne often assailing vs. To know our speciall sinne How the godly feare sinne more theÌ„ externall crosses How the godly godlesse differ in their ioyes and feares Note True remedies against deadnes and auâ—es Christ is our wisedome Christ is our holines Esa. 11. 3. 4. 5. Christ is our redemption Note Spirituall pride How hard it is to confesse our sinnes to God Sundrie euasions of sinners 1 2 3 Admonition 4 5 6 7 8 9. 10. Discouer confesse the mother sinne 1 Consolations against diuers kindes of griefeâ— 2 3 4 5 6 Consolation against the feare of our owne vnworthines Sinne is wounded by prayer and temptation by resistance Rules for the sicke 1 2 3 4 Publike prayers for the sicke How the Lord corrects the pride of our prosperitie 1 2 Note Sathan buffeteth vs two waies 1 2 Possession 1. Cor. 6. Ye are not your owne Prophanenes Causes of great afflictions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The golden chaine of our free election 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 * Or as another copie is taken of them that vse violence to come to it Sermon-sicke Schismes Singularitie of spirit Checke of conscience Sathan feared in superstition too much and now in the light too little The crosses of the faithfull euer take away some drosse from them To resist our corruption in temptation Outward temptations Strange teÌ„ptations Against great temptations When to manifest our temptations to our brethren Sathanicall temptations To be tempted with vnbeliefe and the remedies 1 Prayer 2 Reading of the word 3 Confession 4 Attend on your calling with patieÌ„ce 5 Nâ—t to reason with our temptations or the diuel 6 To waite the temptation and so to offer it vp to God in prayer 7 Remedie To be teÌ„pted with worldly shame and the remedies 1 2 When and how temptations breed How Satans temptations follow our affections One fearing he had sinned against the holy Ghost Toresist teÌ„ptation Note Against presumption and dispaire Faith and feeling The growth of faith by two meanes 1 Not to be present at the Masse or any such superstitious seruice 2 3 Visions and preaching Lucrum ex â—â—â—â—o Lâ—â—oâ—â—s puluinarii PreparatioÌ„ to the hearing of the word 1 2 3 4 Simile Meanes of saluation Aduertisements against witchcraft 1 2 3 4 * Not for that they are good or lawfull but of blind people so called and reputed The morning how fit for Gods worship 1 2 3 4 Note Simile 1 2 3 4 5 Preperation to the word and Sacraments Of profiting in holy exercises All our power in prayer commeth from the word Simile Simile Hearing the word profitablie 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Meditation and Prayer Our obedience must be free not constrained Triall of Hypocrites Ceremonies Pride Church Against deâ—â—â—â—s of repentance Repentance Afflictions of the reprobate Afflictions of the elect before grace in grace Note Heb. 3. 13. A sweete consolation Regeneration repeÌ„tance painfull but very gainfull Against spirituall pride Simile The fountain of the heart Simile Death To loue Christ more then his benefites Hearing of the word The loue of the world Word and Sacraments Hearing the Word Carnall Protestants Loue. Zeale Triall of our loue to God Regeneration Regeneration Ioy. Ioy. Loue of the world Ioy. True ioyes Gods presence Repentance Sinne. Repentance Affliction Prayer Word To respect future ioyes and griefes See Psal. 119. Ministerie Temptation Conference Regeneration Meditation of Death Obedience Vaine-glory Gods worship A good name Desires Prayer Offences Humiliation Prouidence Familie Repentance Mercie Regeneration Creatures Merit Temptation Temptation Sathanicall suggestions Mâ—anes Consession Hypocrisie Good things Prophets Familiarity Sinne. Perseuerance Affection Repentance Humilitie Heresie Repentance Persecution Sudden terrors of mind Vnthankfulnes Temptations Humilitie Conscience Securitie Feeling Death Regeneration Regeneration Youth Youth Temptation Sanctification Repentance Mortification Hypocrisie Infirmities Our spiritual vinion with Christ. Affections Admonition Spirits Goodworks Obedience Fauour Report Temptation Mirth Deceit Gods hand Word Vocation Affliction Zeale Temptation Godlinesse Grace Mercie Simile The securitie of the faithfull wandring through all the tribulations of this life Hebr. 12. 15. Custome Eye A coÌ„parison betweene the children of light and darknes How to examine our selues Note well Iudgements Feare ioy Ioy in afflictions The minde The pure vse of all blessings Foolish iesting Late repentance Ministerie The right vse of the creatures Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 4. ExaminatioÌ„ Sinners The â—â—â—re of the godly and godlesse how
commonly despised We may not loue that best which the world esteems best A good rule Depth of mystery in plainnes of words Heart seat of diuinitie Triall of heart Note Note Affections Note Popish doctors of reasoÌ„ A wit not huÌ„bled hinders vs in godlinesse Loue. Canticles Griefes Motions Mercie 〈…〉 nts 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 〈…〉 câ—p 7 7. 〈…〉 true sense A two fold iudgement the one in righteousnes another in mercie We are to follow the holy Prophets c. in their holy affections Note Note The name of the Lord. The word the onely glasse to see and know the Lord. Iohn 14. 23. Psalm 119. A mirrour of godlinesse Freewill Albeit wee haue the light of the word yet the Lord must opeÌ„ our eyes before we can see Affection Anger Watchfulnes Simile To meet with teÌ„ptations before sinne be perfected Simile Godly feare The dominion of sinne Rom. 6. 12. Not to bee tempted Heretikes 〈…〉 â—0 Note Simile The blindnes of sinnes Simile Note the louing mercie of the Lord couering our manifold infirmities Simile The ChristiaÌ„ warfare The end of all deliuerances Thankfulnes Two principall props in trouble Esay 5. Godlinesse Afflictions Gods countenance Godly sorrow Loue to Gods word Simile God iust in his prouidence Note Diues and Lazarus Matth. 5. Incredulitie in Gods children Beleeuing the word That the 119. Psalme concernes all the regenerate Iobs sinnes Note A true propertie of zeale Galath 6. 1. Zeale for the contempt of the Word Of Zeale Diuers kinds of zeale 1 2 3 The first propertie of true zeale The first rule of true zeale Toleration of many things for the peace of the church The second rule of true zeale Two obseruations The second obseruation Simile Conscience of thoughts The third rule of zeale The fourth rule of zeale Triall of our obedience To heare with the frailties of Gods children Duties of loue euen to Gods children The fift rule of zeale Sufficiencie for the ministery The sixt rule â—â— zeale Difference betweene fretting anger and pining zeale Admonition Our vnbeleefe and wherefore we see it not Triall of our zeale Our vnbeleefe is shewed vs in the often repetitions of the commendatious of the word No idle repetitions in this Psalme M. Bradford and holy Martyrs much lamenting euer fâ—r their vnbeleefe The word of God a tried friend in troubles Simile Dauid against Goliah Triall of our loue to the word Triall of our loue to the word How Christians differ much from heretikes Heretikes cannot abide the word Good notes for prayer 1. Importunate in praier with God Luk. 1â— 1. 2 Wherfore God delayes to graunt our requests 2. Wisedome of he spirit in prayer Our times for prayer Sabbath Luk. 10. 41. 42 Callings Diligence in hearing and prayer Note Sabbath two Sermons the mornings 〈…〉 eâ—es Note Preparation and meditation Preparation The minâ—sâ—eâ— Balaams witchcrafe Num 23. 22. 23. Meditation The morning meditation 1 2 3 Note 1. Cor. 7. Ierem. 7. 13. Iob. 8. 2. Matth. 21. 18. The third point cheerefulnes in prayer Spirite of cheerfulnes a singular grace Note The fourth propertie in prayer is Faith Faith and patience A iudgement of mercy and of seueritie Note Note Note Secret sinnes Note Witchcraft Zeale Anger Hypocrisie Note Note Rom. â— 3. 4. 5. Luk. 7. 47. Dulnes Esay 25. â— Feare Consulting with witches Is Gods feare be wanting there is no temptation so great but we faâ—â— inâ—o it Triall of our feare of God False feare Simile Witchcraft A true note of Gods child The true ioy of the faithfull howfor it exâ—â—â—des all carnall ioy Triall of our ioy Simile Sabbath Dulnesse in prayer and other holy exercises Feare and ioy tempered together Loue to good things and hatred of euill things may not slakâ— in vs. Prayer AdmonitioÌ„ Relapse Polygamie Heresie or profâ—â—â—nesse like to follow our securitie The true faith worketh by loue Iohn 17. Furies Application Waiting an effect of faith AsouÌ„d faith breedeth a good conscience Incredulitie hastie A patient faith Impatience True faith not without good workes To iustifie diuersly taken How we are iustified by workes Simile Simile Simile RepetitioÌ„s in prayer how reprooued Simile Promises are generall Prayer must bee ioyned with faith knowledge Ripenes of iudgement and quicknes of affections whence Thankesgiuing the end of Gods blessings Many thinke they loue God his word religion wheÌ„ indeed they doe not Simile How to holde fast true Wisedome The cause of forgetfulnes is carelesnes Two things to be auoided first vanitie of minde secoÌ„dly worldlinesse if wee will entertain and possesse wisedome What to be auoided Simile To auoyd the societie of the wicked Citò longè tardè Psalm 119. and 1â—0 1 The practises of the wicked against the godly 2 3 What euill examples doe No hope of Lucre or preferment must linke vs in any league with wicked men Reasons of the former precept The delight of the wicked A true marke of the wicked How we must endeuour to sâ—irre vp otâ—ers â—o â—â—ad neâ— â—â—â— be 〈…〉 we haue not performed any such autie Psal. 119. It is not sufficieÌ„t to flie the counsells anâ— companies of the wicked Wee must hasteâ— to the societie of the godly 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—â—al â— 1. 2. 〈◊〉 16. â— Gen. 16. 8. Vaine and vnprofitable changes of places of callings c. Two marks of a righteous man 1 2 Notes of a good conscience 1 2 3 Simile Simile Simile Good cautioÌ„s to keepe vs from sinne How the wicked walke in sinne know it not Profit by reading preaching conferring of the word We must store vp the word in our heart by prayer meditations We must not rest in the vse of one good meanes 1 Two causes of watching ouer our hearts 2 The second cause of watching ouer our hearts In what respects the worldlings leaue sinne The triall of our hearts whether in sinceritie wee loue the Gospell for the Truths sake or because we get some gaine glorie by it Cause of all sinne in our owne selues SataÌ„ is made a chirurgion to cure the corruptionâ— of the Saints How the pure heart stadeth fast in temptations Our hearts tried two waies The first by afflictions The second triall of the hart by our ioy and griefe in good and euill Desire of saluation How to discouer a couetous heart Care for the prosperitie of the Church a speciall note of Gods children Psal. 122. True triall of our ioy and sorrow Paul afflicted yet great ly comforted wheÌ„ he heard of the peace of the church and prosperitie of the gospell Triall of the heart in prosperitie To loue and speake the trueth in the least matters How God chasteneth his children for lying To speake the trueth in iudgement Scorne True knowledge where and how to finde it Triall of our hearts whether we principally respect Gods fauour in all our actions Contempt of the word what causes breed it 1 We say the rich and the mightie estâ—eme it not 1. Cor. 1. 2 We say it is too hard
were not vnprepared for it if contrarie by thinking and forecasting and fearing such an euill if the Lord be not mercifull because God doth often correct some sinne past which we regarded not or foreshewes some sinne to come which we were not afraide of and an euill dreame doth shew some euill in the heart either in some sinne alreadie committed or in some sinne which may be shortly committed If the dreame be terrible it is good to auoid all the occasions of that euill and to giue our selues to prayer and not to giue too great credit to dreames least they weaken faith The best is to be neither too remisse nor too wise in them but to labour to profit by them because the Lord by leauing such long impressions in vs doth as it were call vpon our consciences not to passe them ouer without some vse 2 Being asked how one might auoide the sinne of vncleane dreames in the night he said first it were good to auoide all obiects and wandring thoughts in the day and securitie of praying against it at night If these meanes did not preuaile we must then think that God calleth vs to some more earnest repentance for this or some other sinne before committed specially we are to beware of companie such as may stirre vs vp vnto euill either labouring not to come into their companie or hauing iust occasion to doe it with feare and with prayer and doing this not to tarrie longer than godly occasion is offered Distraction of minde 1 BEing asked why a man after sundrie and laborious reading in his calling being desirous by meditation to apply the things read vnto himselâ—e was so much interrupted and violently suddenly and vnwillingly drawne into other conceites he said it was either want of preparing and sanctifying our hearts by prayer before we set vpon so holy an exercise and therefore the Lord correcteth the pride of our â—â—ts and presumption of our hearts in being bold to worke vpon holy matters in our own strength or else for that we resting vpon a generall purpose of thinking some good thing or at least not to thinke any euil did not fasten our minde constantly or continually vpon some particular obiect but raunging vp and downe as hauing some part of our affections studies and meditations voide for some other matters did not wholy seriously set on the thing propounded to our selues The trueth hereof may appeare hereby for that which the heart is throughly set vpon it is so attentiue to that it can be present to no other thing at that instant especially if it be an hindrance to the thing taken in hand Dulnes 1 HE said after his great ioyes conceiued of some effectuall working of God in himselfe he most commonly not long after fell into deadnes and dulnes and thereby was humbled so that vntill that he was prepared with some new grace from God and had receiued some new mercie at his hands he was very vnfit to performe any seruice vnto God or men 2 Deadnes of the spirit is the graue of many heauenly graces Doctrine 1 BEcause in reading of examples we restraine duties to certaine persons and wring our own necke out of the yoke or else we chiefly tye the mercies of God to them and thinke they appertaine not to vs it is good to learne certaine rules whereby we may know when the vse of the doctrine is generall and when particular which is set downe in singular examples Three rules are to be obserued first if we reade of any thing in particular we are to search whether in some other place in the Scripture the samething is not set downe generally that is whether that which is commeÌ„ded or discommended in some proper person be not commanded or forbidden to all if it be then the vse of that is generall not particular but if it be a particular precept enioyned to some one and no warrant found in the word of that to be done of another then it is a thing personall proper to some not general appertaining to all The second rule is that wheresoeuer there is a generall equitie of a thing there is a general practise to be had howsoeuer we see it set down but in particular The third is whersoeuer by the scope of the place there appeares a generall drift either by something going before or comming after though the present place seemeth to be particular yet there is a generall vse of the doctrine to be gathered out of it Exercise of religion 1_THe wicked not daring openly to professe iniquitie redeeme times secretly to commit it so though we haue not the strength to professe religion publikely yet let vs redeeme times secretly to frequent the exercises of godlinesse 2 As it is but a small pleasure so long as we are in the gardeÌ„ to be delighted with the smel of herbes vnlesse we gather of euery kinde some to carrie with vs that so we may haue the benefit of the garden though we be farre from it And as it is but a small comfort to be rauished with sweet odors so long as we are in the Apothecaries shop and afterward to want them so it is but a flattering ioy nay rather a starting ioy no longer to be affected with the word and religion than we are in the Church therefore we must gather here and there that may worke on our affections when we be farre from the place where they grew 3 We must vse all exercises of reading hearing conferring praying singing and meditating but we must not tye the working of Gods spirit to any one particular Experience of our corruption 1 WE shall neuer be brought hungerly to seeke after Christ vntill we come by the last precept to see and feele our naturall corruption where of we must not onely haue knowledge but experience also as S. Paul had Rom. 7. Now wheras the Papists say that this corruption is a sinne in the vnregenerate but â—â—t in the regenerate we say it is a sinne in both I say a bare knowledge hereof is not sufficient for euen the knowledge of our corruption is not without the corruption of a priuie pride Faith IT is harder to beleeue in the abundance of worldly things than it is in the want of them for these things are as it were vailes set betwixt God and vs they stay our sight in them that it cannot pearce to God 2 As the arme being soundly knit to the body receiueth pith and strength from the bodie to resist all euill and to draw all good things vnto it and being but out of ioynt and the sinewes which did knit it to the body being loosed it hath no such force to performe duties so our faith being the meanes spiritually to ioyne vs vnto the Lord we receiue strength so long as it is sound both to resist euill and accomplish good but if it decay and fall
How can this be by what meanes possible should this be so and therefore the Lord suffereth them to miscarrie in iudgement and punisheth them in their affections Thus we see how the man of God doth strengthen him and vs by faith in beleeuing that God is righteous and his iudgements to be righteous and that euery part of them is most righteous iust and true wherefore our Sauiour Christ in his holy Gospell vseth so often Doest thou beleeue beleeue and thou shalt be made whole according to thy faith be it done vnto thee which he doth to shew vs our incredulitie Wherefore we must pray Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe Lord increase my faith that beleeuing thy iudgements I may feare thee beleeuing thy mercies promises I may be comforted beleeuing the things thou commandest I may do them beleeuing the things which thou forbiddest I may auoide them Verse 139. My zeale hath euen consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word LEt vs here trie our faith which perswade our selues to haue such faith behold here is a triall True it is that to all is not giuen the like measure of faith vnto some are giuen tenne talents vnto some fiue vnto some two neither haue all grounds like measure of seede nor render againe like measure of increase for some ground according as it hath receiued bringeth fourth one an hundreth fold some sixtie some thirtie fold according to the good wil and wisedome of our God Neither must we thinke that it is required of vs that we cannot otherwise be faithfull and zealous vnlesse we euen consume away or our eyes gush out with riuers of waters for we must not thinke that it was so in the Prophet himselfe as though riuers of teares were in his head or that he was vtterly pined away but rather they are figuratiue speeches to shew some rare zeale and notable kinde of sorrowing in him Now whatsoeuer exhortation is to be drawne from hence it will little auaile vs vnlesse we beleeue that there is no one thing here in this Psalme but in some measure it is to be performed of euery Christian. For politike men caÌ„not profit by such things because they doe not thinke that it containeth any generall doctrine but rather that it is a particular doctrine But seeing this Psalme is the type and image of a regenerate man and no one treatise so fully and wholie though peraduenture some whole booke may doe it expresseth the same and yet so that neither the man of God as with a trumpet doth blow forth his owne praise nor womanishly painteth fourth his owne miseries by moanes and complaints but aduanceth Gods glorie and putteth vs in minde what graces of God should be in vs and humbleth himselfe and sheweth vs what infirmities raigne in vs. What then will some say meane these speeches My soule fainteth mine eyes failed mine heart breaketh my soule cleaueth to the ground my soule melteth mine eyes gush out with riuers of water What say they appertaineth it to vs that he saith Seuen times a day doe I praise thee I preuented the morning light and cried mine eyes preuented the night watches I opened my mouth and panted how sweete are thy promises to my mouth yea more than honey vnto my mouth I am like a bottle in the smoke I haue remembred thy name in the night the law of thy 〈…〉 better vnto me than thousands of gold and siluer I haue had as great delight in thy â—estimâ—â—iâ—s as in all manner of riches I loue thy commundements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold â— râ—â—oyce at thy word as one that findeth a great spoyle These were extraordinarie things and we haue not to deale with them To answere these we may see the same doctrine in other persons and in other places of the booke of God Iob. 33. Elihu there declareth that the Lord speaketh diuers times vnto men but they see it not if they profit not by the word he sendeth them afflictions if they profit not thereby he will send one among a thousand to shew his mercies vnto them Psal. 14. God speaketh once or twice and one seeth it not c. 23. If there be a messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto mâ—n his righteousnes then will he haue mercie vpon him and will say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation then shall his flesh be as fresh as a childs and shall returne as in the daies of his youth And though the Lord punished not grosse sinnes in Iob yet he punished incredulitie impatience selfe-loue vaine glorie in him for though Iob were a good man yet he stood in some neede of greater mortification The Apostle Paul sheweth that the wrath of God should fall on the Corinthians if they presumed without due examination of themselues to eate the body and blood of Christ that from thence came sudden deaths and vnnaturall deaths languishing and pining diseases 1. Cor. 11. For this cause saith the Apostle many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged So he speaketh this of the Corinthians which were learned men who had great knowledge and excelled in many good gifts as he himselfe reporteth of them and yet he sheweth them this truth Neither do these things especially and onely come for sinne but more particularly for the trying of faith prouing and perfecting of patience although afterward it may be for punishing of sins by degrees for euen in the triall of faith and prouing of patience is also a secret punishing of sin Wherefore we must not suffer for a while but euen to the shedding of our blood and spending of our liues as witnesseth the author to the Heb. chap. 12. where the Apostle hauing set down in the chapter going before a register of the fathers in the old Church and of their workes whereof some may also seeme to be extraordinarie although indeed they be alleaged but as fruites of their faith inferreth in the 12. chapter this exhortation Heb. 12 1. Wherefore let vs also seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloude of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth downe let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs 2. looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame c. 4. Ye haue not yet resisted vnto blood striuing against sinne and ye haue forgotten the consolation which speaketh vnto you as vnto children c. Here the Lord sheweth the faith and gifts of his Saints declaring that he would bestow on vs the like graces according to that proportion which he thinketh good In that they are called witnesses it was because they gaue witnesse to the truth of Gods promises and to shew how the Lord would enable sinfull flesh thus
to beleeue and thus to doe And marke here the wisedome of the spirit of God setting down the strength of his Saints for flesh blood might haue obiected what tell you vs of these extraordinarie and priuiledged men but behold he calleth them as we said before witnesses testifying that if we would call for and craue the like graces we should receiue them sufficiently then he biddeth vs to looke to Christ the author and finisher of our faith For what were they this is he from whom al the Fathers receiued their strength Striue saith he death is not yet come ye haue not resisted vnto blood What must euery man be a mâ—rtyr no the meaning of the holy Ghost is that though we haue suffered the scoffing of the wicked the hissing the nodding of the head the mocking of the people yet it is not sufficient if the Lord will haue vs also for his sake imprisoned our blood shed and though he giue vs no remission yet we must not faint herein but euen offer our liues to the Lords pleasure also What can seeme more rare in this man of God his faith than his notable diligence and delight which he had in the word in that as we shewed before he preuented the morning light and the euening watches with his meditations But shall we not finde this commended vnto vs in other places of the Scriptures that we might also in some measure seek these practises in our selues Looke Prouer. 2 1. My sonne if thou wiâ—t receiue my 〈…〉 and hide my commandements â—itâ—â—â— tâ—â—e c. 4. If thâ—se seekest wisedome â—â— silâ—â—â— â—â—â— seâ—râ—hâ—â—â— for her as for treasure 5. Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God And Psalme 19. 10. The iudgâ—â—eâ—tâ— of the Lord are more to be desired than gold yâ—a than much fine gold what doe we now see here in this man of God which the Scriptures doe not teach vs in other places So that here is set down but a patterne of practise of things taught in the word and why doth the man of God set downe himselfe here as a type to be followed surely to shew that like as he was a man subiect to the like affections that we are so we may labour for the like graces as he had And if we will be like vnto him in his sinnes why should we not be like vnto him in his graces And as albeit we are not like vnto him in his greatest sins and yet in some sins so must we though noâ— in the highest measure of his graces yet in some proportion of his graces be like also vnto him It may also seeme extraordinary in him that he was wiser than his enemies wiser than his teachers wiser than the aged but we must know this also appertaineth to vs because in shewing his reason how he obtained this grace he alleageth not the cause to be any extraordinarie or new reuelations but that he attained through the word for he was wiser than his enemies in that he opposed not subtiltie with subtiltie craft with craft forgerie with forgerie and in all his assaires asked not counsell of flesh and blood but of the word as he also testifieth of himselfe Port. 3. 7. 8. vers Princes also â—id sit and speake against me but thy seruant did moditate in thy statutes Also thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellers As if he should say when the mightie states vsed their policie and wisedome against me though I had an heauâ—e heart yet I asked counsaile of thy word Likewise Port. 21. 1. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy word That is the great men persecuted me I durst not striue with them in policie for so I was afraid I should haue sinned against thee but rested in thy word and then I gate as great victorie as they which get spoyles We see now whosoeuer as Saint Iames exhorteth vs shall aske wisedome when he wanteth it of the Lord and of his word shall with Dauid be wiser than his enemies not that we must imagine him so to be in all his particular actions but that he excelled them in as great measure as might be by giuing himselfe to be gouerned by the word Is this then proper to the dearest Saints of God alone No for Moses the man of God faith Deut. 4. 6. Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding He speaketh not of the rarest Iewes and of the Magistrates alone but of the common people and telleth them if they wanted wisedome the Lord was at hand to teach them And so the meanest people by the word of God were wiser than the mightie Princes and the great Princes were more doltish than the common people when they asked not counsel of the Lord. The promise which our Sauiour Christ vseth Matth. 10. 19. When they deliuer you vp take no thought how not what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you in that houre what yee shall say This promise is not made onely to the Euangelists Apostles Disciples Doctors or Magistrates but to all whomsoeuer the Lord shall call to giue such testimonie of his name And we know by experience how this was not onely performed in the Primitiue Church but also in the deare Saints and Marryrs of God of late memorie in Queene Maries raigne who did striue against sinne to the shedding of their blood who all as we see were wiser than their enemies Neither was there any other cause why he was wiser than his teachers but that by meditation he not resting in the booke cases and generall doctrine of his teachers applied their generall rules to his particular state Likewise we if we doe not stay our selues in the generall things which we heare or reade but bring the generall things into particulars singulars and practises shall be wiser though happily not learneder than our teachers Thirdly he was wiser than the ancient in that they made shipwracke of faith and of a good conscience notwithstanding their knowledge whereas he laboured to bring his good learning to good liuing and his knowledge to a good conscience We see at this day how old ancient Protestants grow not in spirituall vnderstanding because they put not in practise the things which they haue knowne On the other side we are not to goe farre but may obserue in our age how young men vnto whom the Lord hath made old men as glasses examples of our infirmities least they fal comming with 〈◊〉 â—elâ—â—e to practise tâ—at which they â—â—â—te are 〈…〉 and are more able to iâ—â—truct the ignorant to comfort them that 〈…〉 the ageâ— Wâ—â—â—oâ—er then will labour to bring the rules into life which hâ—e 〈…〉 y pâ—ecâ—â—ts he shall be at the lâ—aâ—t wiâ—er if not more learned than the auncient 〈…〉 es Mâ—z alâ—â—â—th â—uen coâ—â—umâ—â— me c. This among the rest â—ight 〈…〉 more proper and peculiar to the Prophet but it is is wee