deâ—â—re of reuenge yet all this was giuen him of God it came not to him by nature to teach vs that of our selues we are not able to kéepe our selues but God must and doth vphold vs in our vprightnesse or else we fall as others 〈◊〉 and therefore we must craue this grace of God that he will kéepe vs and defend vs with his holy spirit There hath bene a great controuersie betwéene the Papists and vs euer since the abomination of desolation stoode in the holy place about this point They intending to iustifie them selues with the Lawyer in the Gospell say This haue we done and that can we do affirming that it is in the power of man which is but dust and ashes of himselfe and by him selfe to repent when he will to beléeue when he will to obey God when he will and to vphold them selues in their integritie And to make their matter good they say we haue the grace of God giuen vs to obtaine the grace of God by our own power Where you sée they speake flat contraries if they had grace to sée it for if y e grace of God be giuen vs then we haue it not of our selues if we haue it of our selues then is it not giuen vs of God Againe if we be vpholden by the grace and fauor of God then we vphold not our selues if we haue this power of our selues then not of God Thus they speake contrary to them selues and are deuided in their owne spéeches like the kingdome of Sathan which is deuided in it self that it cannot stand And to speake the truth they speake confusedly they know not what because Babell that is confusion is fallen vpon them as vpoÌ„ those men which would presume by their owne endeuours without God to climbe vp into heauen Now on the other side we hold that we can get nothing but by the helpe of God and we admit no first grace but if the grace of God be in vs it is giuen vs of Gods spirit not gotten of our owne power and this we proue by the word of God God worketh both the wil and the deede saith the Apostle to the Philippians Of our selues we are not able to thinke a good thought saith y e same Apostle to the Corinthians and therefore he demaundeth of all flesh What hast thou that thou hast not receiued as if he should say nothing If therefore thou hast receiued it why doest thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it Aske S. Iames and he wil tell vs that euery good gift and euery perfect gift is from aboue commeth down from the Father of light As if he should say from whomsoeuer euill doth come yet all goodnes commeth from God Aske Abimelech and he will tell vs that if God had not kept him he had kept Abrahams wife Aske Peters fal and that will tell vs that if we stand by our selues we shall fall although we were as strong as Peter Aske Ieremie and he will tell vs that the heart is deceiptfull wicked aboue all things yea and though it be borne and bred and brought vp with vs and we haue daily familiarity therwith yet we can not know it Therefore if none can know it much lesse can any reforme it He that knoweth it can reforme it and doth reforme it where it is reformed but that is y e Lord which searcheth the heart for so it followeth in the next verse I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines Aske Moses and he will tell vs that the thoughts of mans heart are euill continually as if he should say If they be good at any time that is not of man but of God Moses him selfe being in prayer must haue his hands holdeÌ„ vp by Aaron and Hur if Moses were not able of him selfe to hold vp his hands in prayer much lesse was he able to hold vp his heart in prayer What doth this teach vs but this that if we were as zealous as Moses yet God must hold vs vp or else we faint There are but two things required of euery one The first is to become holy The second is to continue holy to conuert and turne into the wayes of God and to continue in the waies of the Lord now both these are of God and not of our selues Of the first the Prophet Ioell speaketh wheÌ„ he saith Turne thou vs ô Lord and then we shall be turned As if he should say Except the Lord do turne our hearts we shall neuer be turned vnto him for of our selues we cannot How farre how long had S. Paule walked in the way of persecuting the Christians if the Lord had not stayed him by the way When would Saul haue become a Paule if the Lord had not changed his name and altered his nature When would so naturall a persecutor haue become so holy a professor if the Lord had not called him And when he was conuerted who kept him from falling backe againe My grace saith the Lord is sufficient to vphold thee The spirit of the Lord is therfore called by the Prophet Esay the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell the spirit of courage the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the feare of the Lord to teach vs that if we haue holy wisedome vnderstanding or counsell or courage or knowledge or the feare of God we haue them of Gods spirit and not of our selues WheÌ„ God gaue Saul a Princely spirit he spake like a king but when his spirit was departed from him he spake like a clowne and not like a king Therefore Salomon prayeth vnto God for a wise and vnderstanding heart to teach vs y t we haue no such thing of our selues but from aboue The very phrase of the Scripture Dauids manner of speaking doth teach vs no lesse Thou vpholdest me saith Dauid yea eueÌ„ me thou vpholdest Now Dauid we know had many singular and excelleÌ„t graces of God and yet God must vphold him that is hold him vp from falling what doth this argue but thus much that we are subiect to falling euen the best of vs Therefore in the 15. of Iohn God is compared to a husbandman and in the 5. of Esay 1. verse in diuers other places of â—cripture his Church is compared to a vine which though it be most fruitfull yet is it most weake and must be purged by y e Lord â—hat it may be fruitfull must be vpholden â—y the Lord or els it will fall to the ground This doctrine hath a double vse for our selues First it serueth for our comfort if we â—e the seuauntes of God for albâ—it we be compassed about with many weaknesses assaulted with infinite temptations on euery side yet the Lord whom we serue doth will vphold vs If at any time he doth let vs fall it is to teach vs that we cannot vphold our selues but that we staÌ„d by him But
because these are cōmon to the hypocrite which is close and craftie in hart aswell as to the faithfull whose hart is vpright before the Lord we are not to rest in these outward things but to search and neuer leaue searching vntill we finde out the inward kisses of Christ Iesus which are most sure testimonies of his loue indéed And those are faith in Christ Iesus repentaunce vnfained for sinne patience in affliction ioy in the holy Ghost and all the other fruites of the sanctifying spirite whereof we may read more in Gal. 5. Euery one cannot shew these but onely he which hath the spirite of sanctification Saul had the spirite that is some gifts of the spirite and yet was reiected but Dauid had the sanctifying spirite and therefore was not reiected of the Lord neither did he reiect y e Lord but by this was sure of Gods fauour to his soule If Dauid had bene a king a conquerer a man of wisedome of pollicie of learning and of riches and in all these vncomparable and had lost his integritie he had lost his marke of Gods loue and might haue followed Saul well inough So if we were rich wise and learned if we were Preachers Bishops Prelates Lordes Earles Dukes and Emperours haue lost our sinceritie our zeale our loue our faith our religiousnesse our godlinesse a good conscience we haue lost our markes too and may follow Saul too wel inough for all our outward pompe and glory On the other side if one haue enemies or be in pouertie disgrace imprisonment out of credite with the world out of liuing c. and kéepeth a sincere heart and a good conscience in all these things he may say and sing too with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace if his time be come They which haue the outward kisses not the inward assurances are like Esaw with his pottage but without his birthright But they which haue lost all but kéepe still their integritie are like Iacob who lost his pottage but found the inheritance and the loue of God for God loued Iacob but hated Esaw Many wil say saith the Prophet who will shew vs any good that is any worldly good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and then I shall haue more ioy of heart then they that haue their corne and wine and oyle increased So now a dayes many séeke for Gods loue in the cōmon trash of the world and they run about the world by sea and by land crying Who will shew vs any credit any worship any riches any offices any promotions c. And some of the Ministerie cry Who will shew vs any moe liuings any Deaneries any Bishoprickes any spirituall promotions yea this is the voyce of gaping Courtiers too by report and if they spéed of these such things then they are sure as they thinke that God loueth thē as Achab thought him selfe well if he might obtaine Naboths vineyard but many times it falleth out that as Dinah while she wandred to sée fashions sought to féede her fancy vpon the daughters of a strange countrey she lost her virginitie amongst the sonnes of the country So some men while they séeke to féede fill their gréedie worme of couetousnesse and ambition with diuerse pleasures profits of y e world they loose their sinceritie amongst them and make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience And then they go away out of their houses as Thamar went out of her brother Amnons chamber with her maidens garment of diuerse colours rent because she was enforced to leaue her maydenhead behind her So these worldlings which sometime with Demas followed Paule but nowe with Demas embrace the present world are enforced to go away with their garment of diuerse colours rent and torne for whiles they will venter through the bushes and thorns of worldly cares to get worldly promotion is it not a miracle if they come out with their zeale not quenched their courage not abated their faith not blasted their loue not cooled their knowledge not withered their humilitie not defaced their sinceritie not decreased the whole garment of pietie and Religion not scratched torne and rent in péeces And then a man may say to them as Absalō said to his sister Hath thy brother met with thee so hath not y e world met with them And no maruell for if Sisera looke for any rest or refreshing in Iaels tent he shall surely be made naile fast So if any wil séeke for infallible markes of Gods fauour in Sathans tents and in the worlds tents or in pleasures tents or in profites tents a thousand to one but their sinceritie and godlinesse will be nailefast before they come out againe What wise man will séeke for grapes vpō thornes or figs vpō thistles or for gold amongst old iron or hony out of a spider or heate in the ise So no wise harted Christian wil looke for certain marks of the Lords fauour in such things as may be markes of his wrath as well as of his loue But if these outward and general graces be offred them they take them and if they go from them they go not after them to loose their sinceritie for thē but thus they resolue with them selues O Lord my God I sée that by no outward thing a man can certainly tell whether he be in thy fauor or no but if thou vpholdest me in mine integritie and in the studie of pietie and the true zeale of thy glory c. then I shalbe sure of thy fauour indéede therfore O Lord if want come then kéepe my faith in thy prouidence firme and strong if thou sendest enemies to trie me kéepe my loue sound if thou sendest sickenesse or aduersitie kéepe my patience entire if riches and preferment come kéepe my zeale vnquenchable like Lot who when it was not granted him to abide stil in great Sodome requested that he might go to litle Zoar. And then although they haue nothing else but the inward testimonie of Gods spirit they haue inough for by these inward kisses they are sure of Gods fauour because a good conscience is a continuall feast to y e afflicted makes merrie at home in the house of the inward man when there is nothing but warre and trouble abroad As for me thou vpholdest me in mine integritie This same integritie is like Noahs arke◠wherein he was preserued when others perished being without it it is like the redde thrid which the spies of Ioshua gaue to Rahab it was a charter wherby she claimed her life when the rest were destroyed which had not the like So is this integritie of smal reckning I confesse with the men of this world which thinke that there is no other heauen but earth but as Rahabs thrid was better to her then all her goods and substance when the sword came so this is better to Gods children then
assuredly though we fall daily yet he will so vphold vs if we relye vpon him that we shal not fall finally from him If he taketh all his graces from vs as we thinke at any time let vs know that he doth it for no other purpose but that we might know our selues of our selues to be but naked and so might begge all of him againe Therfore whatsoeuer we want let vs séeke it at the hands of God that giueth to them which want when we féele any weakenessâ— in vs or any sinne strong let vs beséech thâ— Lord to vphold vs. Do not say I caÌ„ or I wil do this and that I will beléeue and repent when I list no for if the Lord by his grace and fauour doth not vphold thée thou shalt do nothing but fall from him Faith is y e gift of God therefore pray Lord increase my faith and Lord helpe my vnbeléefe A reformed hart and holy affections be the gift of God therefore pray with Dauid Create iâ— me O Lord a cleane hart and renew a right spirite within me The loue of wisedome is the gift of God therefore pray Apply my hart vnto wisedome To vnderstand the wil of God in his law is the worke of God therfore pray O Lord Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy law To set light by vanitie that is by vaine things and vaine persons is the worke of Gods grace not of nature therfore we must pray Turne away my eyes from beholding vanitie What should I say more Let vs beséech the Lord our strength to vphold vs in our integritie he wil vphold vs so farre as shal make for his own glory and our owne saluation and what would we desire more And this we must desire for els we cannot stand but fall SecoÌ„dly this doctrine serueth to humble vs and may be a preseruatiue against pride the vse of it is at all times but chiefly when we begin to waxe proude of any good thing which the Lord doth worke in vs or by vs which indéede is our corrupt nature And likewise when we insulte â—uer our weake brethren both which are our faultes When such thoughtes and temptations come to fasten vpon vs let vs thinke that it is the Lord by whom we stand and of him iâ— is that we are that which we are and if wâ— be proude therof he may and can take awaâ— our hold and we shall fall and our honouâ— shall lye in the dust Rome was sometime a famous Church the beloued spouse of Christ Iesus and â— daughter of the most high but for her pride God let her fall and hath now giuen her â— bill of diuorcement Of England it may be said as it was saiâ— of Ierusalem our habitation kinred is oâ— Canaan our father an Amorite and our mother an Hittite In our natiuitie our nauell was not cut we were not softned with water nor seasoned with salt nor swadled with cloutes no eye pitied our case we were caâ—â— out into the open field to the contempt of out person But the Lord of mercy and compassion passed by vs and séeing vs euen polluted in our bloud yea in our owne bloud saâ—â— in great pitie and compassion vnspeakable Thou shalt liue He caused vs to multipliâ— as the bud of the field he hath bestowed excellent ornaments vpon vs our breasts are fashioned our haire is growen whereas we were naked and bare behold further ouâ— time is as the time of loue he hath spread his skirts ouer vs and entred into a couenant with vs and we are become his he is become ours He hath washed vs with swéete water annointed vs w t oyle of gladnesse He hath clothed vs with broidered worke he hath shod vs with badgers skinnes and girâ—ed vs with fine linneÌ„ and couered vs with silke He hath decked vs with ornamentes put bracelets vpon our hands and a chaine about our necke He hath put a frontlet vpon our face eare rings in our eares and a beautifull crowne vpon our head he hath fed vs with fine flower honie and oyle he hath made vs very beautifull and hath caused vs to grow vp to a kingdome in so much as our name is spread among the heathen for our beautie which the Lord hath set vpon vs. What should be said more In a word the Lord hath compted nothing to costly or to deare for vs nay what could he do more for his vineyeard y t he hath not done vnto it but what of all this shal we bragge of our ornaments and be proud of our iewels no but let vs serue the Lord our God with feare reioyce vnto him with reuerence for if we shall trust in our beautie and play the harlot because of our renowne if we shall take our garmeÌ„ts and decke the high places with diuers colours if we shall abuse the riches of Gods mercy what then Then heare the word of the Lord O harlot Thus saith the Lord because thy shame is powred out and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornication with thy louers I will therfore iudge thée after the manner of harlots and murtherers I will giue thée the bloud of wrath ielousie I will giue thée into thy enemies handes and they shall strippe thée out of all thy clothes and thy faire iewels and leaue thée naked and bare Therefore let him that thinke he standeth take héede least he fall but let vs make an end of our saluatioÌ„ with feare and trembling not fearing least we should fall from our election loose our saluation but least we fall from our integritie and loose our manifold blessings for want oâ— sober vsing of them But this is in generall let vs goe more particularly to worke Haue any of vs herâ— present any knowledge more theÌ„ he had oâ— more then others haue or wisedome zeale or faith or loue or patience or any grace whatsoeuer let vs not be proude of them because God gaue them and God can take them againe If any of vs do stand vpright and walke in honestie when others doe fall let vs not insult ouer them as the maner of some is to vpbraide honester men then them selues by faultes done fourtie yeare since and the law fully satisfied for them and yet this is y e maner of prophane Atheists which know neither God nor them selues to cast the old ragges and sores of the seruaunts of God in their face to make theÌ„ and their profession I meane the Gospell odious in the eyes of the world and such as them selues are And for no other cause but because they will not runne with them to y e same excesse of riot and eueÌ„ as Esaw hated Iacob because of the blessing wherewith God had blessed him so doe these men hate their brethren because they are better then them selues and séeke to haue them and their wayes reformed according to y e word of