securitie which bryngeth neglect and contempt of all good meanes whereby they should grow vp in godlines On the left hand others offend being neuer pleased nor coÌ„tended with the they haue in deede forgettyng and lightly esteeming that they haue and still desiring new These men besides that they be vnthankeful do also murmure and grudge agaynst God and are neuer pleased with him Betweene these two the chyldren of God holde a middle and euen course and therefore we shall see these things in theÌ„ First a sight an acknowledging of the wantes which do moue theÌ„ as S. Peter sayth Like new borne babes to desire the sweete and sinceere mylke of the worde that thereby the graces they haue may be increased and their other wantes may be supplyed and so farre are they from being puffed vp with pride that they reioyce wheÌ„ their pripe may be pulled downe or their haughtines abated eyther by some sharpe rebuke or by some fearefull threatning or by some moderate correction from the Lord for they know if it were needefull for S. Paul to be buffited and that by the minister of Satan to the ende that his pride may be beaten downe then it is much more needeful for theÌ„ after more wayes so to be humbled Besides that they do not onely desire the word but they also wayte vpon the Lord vntil it pleased the lord to worke further in them thereby and this wayting is as earnest as theirs who haue watched all the night do wayte and looke for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wantes so also they see that grace they haue receiued and for that time well appayde contented therewith and therfore as their wantes do humble them so the graces of God do comfort them and as their wantes do cal vpon them cause them to seeke more so that they haue doth prouoke them to be thankfull for that they haue receiued See then a quite contrary course of the wicked those that do of sinceritie worshyp God I say how contrary the graces gyftes of God do worke in them therefore from the consideraton hereof we may well draw a fourth rule whereby to make triall examinatioÌ„ of our owne selues therfore to conclude this poynt in a word when a man by the spirit of God hath bin inlightned vnto a certaine sufficient knowledge of Gods will when he findeth his affection chiefly aboue al other things set vpoÌ„ God wheÌ„ he findeth a pure sinceere loue of God in his hart not for wages but for that worde of grace which after an vnspeakable maner doth moue him therevnto and when he doth thankfully acknowledge mercies receaued as he doth carefully attende wayte vpon the Lord till he bestow some great measure of graces vpon him he may be vndoubtedly perswaded that he hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectuall maner therefore it shal 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 for though that the spirite can neuer be taken vtterly from them yet doubtles if they waxe proud if they grow secure if they fall into sinne the graces giftes of the spirite may decay and die in them their cleare loue their feeling their affectioÌ„ and all may be gone so that in their owne iudgement in the iudgement of others it may seeme that they haue quite quenched put out the spirite Neither must this seeme strange for if the image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam theÌ„ it is now in vs. If I say this image might quite be blotted out lost as we see in was then no maruell if the graces of the spirit be for a time as it were dead drowned in vs and that we may be the lesse offended herewith the Scriptures do offer vnto vs examples of men as hauing bin once effectually and truly borne againe haue yet afterwarde through some sinnes lost the graces of the spirit such were the Galathians for they were truely called effectually regenerate by the spirit Gospell of God as may appeare by this that for the words sake they reuerenced the Apostle as the angel of God yet they were snared with false doctrine fell very dangerously to the choaking quenching the spirit in them the spirit it selfe was not taken from them nay Christ did still continue in their hartes yet for want of godly graces they were as it were without fashion forme so that the Apostle did as it were trauell agayne vntill Christ was fashioned a new in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought into the like case therfore in the. 51. Psal. he prayeth That God wil create in him a new spirit What was the spirite quite gone no for by and by in the same Psalme he prayeth That the Lord would not take away his holy spirite from him how can these two stand together first to pray that a new spirite may be created in him and that the spirit of God may not be taken from him Surely the spirit it selfe was stil in him therfore he prayeth that it may not be taken from him but the graces gratious working of the spirit they were dead gone and therefore he prayeth 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 sin But yet that no libertie may be taken hereby let vs consider what griefe they bring to them selues that do by any meanes loose the graces of the spirit First of all we must know that though the spirite of God cannot be gotten by our labour yet it costeth vs much labour and we must vndergoe much trauel suffer much trouble before the spirite of God do take possession of vs. Now when the graces of the spirit are lost all our labour seemeth to be lost come to nothing Secondly when a man receaueth the spirit of God and by the same spirit is assured that his sinne is forgiuen him and he is in the fauour of God there doth arise in his hart a great ioy in the holy ghost a ioy I say that is vnspeakable glorious and this ioy is lost gone when the graces of Gods spirite are gon with how great griefe wo they know it that in any measure haue tasted of it Againe wheÌ„ the graces of the spirit are choaked in men they haue no haste to do 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 earth What griefe can be greater then this What sorowe cap sinke more deepe then that a good man should be cleane withholden from doing good Moreouer it is sure that wheÌ„ the gyftes of the spirit are in this sort gone that he that was more righteous before may soone fal into greater sins 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 he will visite their sinnes with the rodde and their iniquities with scourges and what griefe is this The example of Gods childreÌ„ What hart breaking to Dauid by his owne sonne to be thrust from his kingdome so greeuous that if without any respect of hell or heauen we could consider of them we had rather want all the pleasure of sinne which Dauid enioyed then we would feele the payne which Dauid suffered Last of all when the graces of the spirit of God are decaied they can neuer be repaired and recouered but with much sorow and great danger for it can not but breede much sorow of hart to examine see the greatnesse of them to apply Gods iudgementes to them and to prouoke himself to sorow for them This is as it where to go through the pikes and through purgatorie in this present lyfe yet this must be done before we can recouer Gods grace Agayne 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 surge and waues do passe 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 thinges considered the losse of all our labour the losse of all true ioy the vnfitnesse to do good the readinesse to sinne the griefe and danger that ensueth thereof will or at the least wyse may cause vs to be ware how we quench the spirite And this is 〈◊〉 vse of the doctrine in humblyng vs which also doth further serue to â—â—mfort vs knowing that we may sufâ—â—â— a great decay of Gods graces yet the rodde or worde of God they â—ay be renewed in vs agayne And thus much of this commaundement that the Apostle giueth heere that we should not quench the spirite FINIS
so froward a generation and hereof they must be so much the more carefull because the wicked by such slippes and infirmities will not onely take occasion to discredite them but euen to speake euill of al their profession yea and to blaspheme the glorious worde of God and his eternall trueth Then if we be carefull of our owne good name if we haue any zeale of God his glory if we haue any care of the worlde if we haue any loue of the sainctes then let vs carefully shun all and euery infirmitie whereby Gods name is dishonored his glorious Gospel blasphemed his children greeued and we our selues discredited amongst the wicked And thus much for the open and outward sinne As open and outwarde sinne committed in the sight of man hath alwayes the punishment of an ill name ioyned with it so also secret sinnes which are hidden as it were in the darke corners of our hartes do bryng vs out of fauour and credite with God and when we are out of credite with him then doth he further make our sinnes knowen vnto men for our further discredite For nothing is so hidden which shall not be brought to light and nothing so secret which shal not be discouered euen in the sight of the worlde And that we may be the further perswaded of this let vs all know of a suretie that the Lord hath many meanes to bryng such thynges to light For he can make the fieldes to haue eyes to see our wickednesse he can make the woodes to haue eares to heare our vngodly counselles yea he can cause the walles of our bedchambers to beare witnesse against vs of our sinnes committed vpon our beddes if this will not serue he can go further and cause our friendes to fall out with vs and the men of our counsell to bewray our wickednesse and though we had not any such purpose when we make him priuie to our deuises yet in displeasure the Lord doth cause him all at once to breake out the matter yea rather then thou shouldest beare no reproch for thy secret sinnes the Lord will cause thine owne mouth to testifie agaynst thee and thine owne wordes shall get thee discredite For eyther vnawares thou shalt bewray thy selfe or in thy sleepe by dreames thou shalt make the thing knowen or in thy sicknesse thou shalt raue of it or in some fransie thou shalt vomit it out or els the torment of thy euyll conscience shalbe so sharpe that euen to thine owne shame and confusion thou shalt confesse thy fault Last of all when thou thinkest or deuisest euyll agaynst thy neighbour though it be neuer so secretly yet besides all the former the Lord hath an other meanes whereby he will bring thee to discredite for it and this is a very vehement suspition raysed vp in the hart of him of whom thou deemest this euyll for as it often commeth to passe that good motions which aryse secretly in the minde for the good of others do cause that other men do thinke wel of thee though they did neuer heare of thē so doubtlesse doth it come to passe in euyl motions Thou deuisest euyll agaynst another he in some strange maner hath a hart burning and ielowsie ouer thee Thou thinkest hardly of another man he also is hardly perswaded of thee Thus the lord doth cause thee to be discredited in the hartes of others as thou meanest euil against others in thy hart True it is that the partie may sinne and doe very ill if he suspect without iust cause and in as much as he doth thus suspect through an immoderate loue of himselfe yet the worke of the Lord is here somtime to be considered who seeing the cause to be iust doth stirre vp such suspitions in his minde Then to returne to our purpose If we wyll auoyde an euyll name then we must auoyde all euyll surmises and deuises agaynst others and this the Scripture doth also forbid vs. For Eccle. 7. the Wyse man from the moūth of God doth forbid vs to thinke yll of the King in our bed chambers because that byrdes and other dumme creatures shall disclose the thing rather then it shalbe kept close This then must make vs afrayde to do euyll or imagine ill on our bed or to declare our deepe counselles euen vnto 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 godlynesse when we be afrayde not of open sinnes alone but euen of the secrete cogitations of the hart Thus we haue heard the first step that leadeth to a good name The second remayneth to be declared and that is a godly ielowsie ouer a mans owne doinges 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 yet he may iustly be suspected and suffer some blemysh 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 commaundeth vs that If there be any thing honest or If there be any thing of good report that we must folow and that we must imbrace It is not enough therefore that men do say I did thinke no euyll I meane no harme For if through want of care or of discretion thou haue ventured vpon the occasion thou hast geuen great matter of euill speaches to thy great discredite If then we will auoyde this euill name we must auoyde all thinges that bryng it For when men wyll care lytle to giue occasion then the Lord doth cause an euyll report to be layde vpon them that those which in deede are desperate may suffer iust discredite and they that be otherwise may be reclaimed from the same And surely such is the crookednesse of mans nature that yf the Lord should not take this course euen his chyldren woulde fall into many sinnes therefore it is most requisite that men be mindfullto auoyde occasions and so much the rather because as it is commonly sayd Eyther God or the Deuil stand at thy elbow to worke vpon thee Let vs see this in some example of our common lyfe Thou art a night goer walking abrode at incōuenient times at that time some thing is stolen and thou art burthened charged with it Agayne thou vsest to deale too familiarly and lightly with a Mayde she is gotten with chylde and the fault is layde on thee hereof thou hast giuen suspition because thou hast bin a night goer and such a one as hast dealt wantonly with the Mayde albeit thou be free from the very fact Now yf thou be the chylde of God and yf thou be guyded by his good spirit then will he teach thee to take profite by this false report and to say thus with thy selfe Lord thou knowest that I am cleare from this very acte yet it was my sinne to giue any such occasion whereby men might
if the Lorde did not myslyke thy sinne why shoulde he rayse suche a report on thee Why shoulde he saue thy good name yf he were not minded to shew thee mercy And yf he woulde not haue thee with all thy hart to repent thee of all thy sinnes why doth he whippe thy naked conscience for sinne Therefore if by this louing kindnesse we be not ledde vnto repentance verely it wylbe a sinne that shal not escape vnpunished Thus we haue heard how an euyll name doth arise of sinne committed and what profite must be taken hereof Now let vs further consider how a man must profite by an euyll name not when he hath deserued it by some sinne but when he hath onely fayled in this that he hath geuen occasion to be suspected of any euyll This occasion is of two sort First when eyther good dueties are eyther altogeather omitted or done with a grudging minde or as it were of constraynt This report must teach thee that although thou be not so euyll as men woulde make thee yet thou art not so good as thou oughtest to be Therefore by this thou must learne to be more carefull of doing good so to do it with greater and better corage for the Lord loueth a chearefull giuer The seconde occasion is inwarde which although no man can finde out yet the Lord for thy good doth cause me to speake euyll of thee for it This inwarde occasion is when thy hart hath eyther giuen some full consent to do euyll or at least hath much wandered in thinking of it Heere the Lord doth take the time and suffereth men to report of thee that thou hast done that which in deene thou hast not done yet in thy hart thou hast taken pleasure in it Then the way to profite by this is to confesse the goodnesse of the Lord who will not haue thee to fall into such sinne as myght deserue discredite For such is the nature of man that yf an euyll thought do long tary in the minde it wilbe hardly restrayned before it come to the outwarde acte Agayne by this report thus raysed on vs we must take occasion to call backe our selues yf we haue consented to euyll and with griefe to be sorowfull for it or yf we haue not as yet consented we must labour to represse the heate of our affections and quench them by the moysture of the worde And thus muche shalbe sufficient for those reportes which aryse of some iust groundes and occasions The last poynt to be handled in this whole case is to see what vse must be made of those reportes which be altogeather false and haue neyther grounde nor good beginning For it may come to passe that when a man hath auoyded euyll and done good when he hath shunned the occasion of euyll and done all good with a chearefull hart yet he may be very yll reported of and his good name hyndered Now if this doth befall any man he must know that it is the Lorde his doing and that the Lorde doth it eyther to correct sinne or els to preuent it the Lorde I say doth by this meanes sometyme correct sinne eyther in the same kynde or in some other In the same kynde he dealeth thus he suffereth thee to be compted an adulterer yet thou doest now lyue chastly and hatest that filthy sinne But then he seeth that thou hast eyther been an adulterer and hast not repented at all Or yf thou hast sodaynely repented yet now thou beginnest to fayle and to coole in the hatred of that sinne Agayne yf after examination thou finde thy selfe cleere in that sinne yet knowe that the Lorde by that report doth correcte some sinne quite contrarie vnto it as yf thou shouldest be accused because thou louest not thy wyfe whereas in deede thou louest her too well Or els otherwyse He causeth thee to be counted an adulterer that thou mightest be brought to see thy couetous hart and to say all in one worde we shall neuer make true vse of reportes vntill we haue bin brought to see and repent of some perticular sinne which either we saw not besore or els had not throughly repented of Furthermore it may come to passe that we hauing done all good dueties auoyded all euyll and examined our repentance euen for perticular sinnes yet shall we be euyll spoken of amongst men Here we must know that the Lord by reportes doth forewarne vs of euyll to come We are reported to be of the Family of loue hereby we are warned to take heede that we fall not into the sinne And so foorth of other reportes when any such reportes are caried about of vs we must be made so much the more warie that we fall not into that sinne and according to the Apostles rule We must labour to finish the course of our saluation in feare Which that we may do the Lord graunt for his Christes sake to whom be prayse for euer in the Churche Amen FINIS Richarde Greenham Here foloweth the seconde Sermon as it was preached by M. Richard Greenham The text as foloweth Quench not the spirit 1. Thessa. 5.19 ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heades First how we may be prepared to reciue the spirite of God Secondly how the spirite may be retayned when we haue once receiued it And therefore S. Paul hauing labored to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirite doth heere teach them how to keepe and continue this spirite vnto the ende and this the Apostle doth by geuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they do quench the spirit therefore doublesse teaching that as the sunnyng of euyll is the first steppe vnto goodnesse so the readie way to continue the spirite of God in our hartes is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon a great and weighty consideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though all those be worthely and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirite of God yet as our sauiour Christe sayth A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vppon them that hauyng once receyued it doth afterwardes loose the same Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect For the worde worketh not where the spirit is wantyng prayers haue no power to pearce before the presence of God the sacraments seeme small and seely thinges in our eyes and all other orders exercises which God hath graunted and ordeyned for man They are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to conuey them into our harts there to sceale vp the fruite of them Last of all weare fitte to reciue no good grace at Gods handes nay we do not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price of them for speake of the Law of the Gospell of sinne of righteousnesse speake of Christ