humbled and touched with forrow but by and by being allured with worldly vanities they forget themselues Luke 8. Like the Seed which fell by the way side which are they that heare the Word then commeth the deuill and taketh it out of their hearts least they should beleeue and be saued Others hauing a conscience clogged with all kinde of sins veridici speculi contuitum fugiunt they cannot endure the true glasse which sheweth their deformities least their mindes should be troubled Such are they Iob 22. as it is Iob. 22. which say vnto God Depart from vs those blindfold themselues that they may not see and therefore their fall shall bee iustly imputed vnto themselues Others beholding their deformities in the glasse depart away offended with the Glasse and not with themselues defending their vices for vertues Those are like wicked King Ahab which hated the Prophet Micheas for speaking the truth c. 1. Reg. 22. The second Part. VER 25. But who so looketh in the perfect Law c. THIS is the Apostles conclusion of his former similitude why wee should bee doers of the Word and not hearers onely Where hee stirreth vp all Christians to the fruitfull hearing of the Word by the vtility and profite that commeth thereby consequently reprouing those which heare the same perfunctoriè and with contempt Whosoeuer beholdeth in the glasse of the Word the face of his conscience and cordis intimos recessus The inward closet of the heart and seeing the deformities of his sin wipeth away his blemishes by repentance and adorneth his life with Christian conuersation this man indeed shall bee the blessed of the Lord. Let no man therefore sit idle let none bee carelesse let none bee negligent in seruing the Lord while wee haue time let vs doe good Gal. 6. let vs worke while it is day for the night will come when none can worke Now is the time of our labour but the life to come is the place of reward what a man soweth heere hee shall reape there The Gospell of Christ is heere called a Perfect Law Why the Gospell is the perfect Law of Liberty and a Law of perfect liberty whether it be considered in it selfe or whether it bee compared with the Law of Moses For by the profession thereof we are freed from the heauy burthen of Circumcision Sacrifices Ceremonies wherewith the people of the Iewes were so burdened that Saint Peter calleth it a heauy yoke Acts 15. which neither they nor their fathers were euer able to beare Rabbi Moses Rabbi Moses writeth that the Iewes had two hundred and eighteene precepts affirmatiue according to the members of mans body and three hundred sixtie and fiue negatiue according to the number of the daies of the yeare Contrarywise the Law of the Gospell is complete in this one word diliges For hee that loueth hath fulfilled the Law Rom. 13. It is the Law of perfect Libertie because it sauoureth of nothing else but loue grace charitie sweete promises As contrarywtse the Law of Moses is ful of threatnings terrors therefore Aug. saith well Augustine Breuis differentia Euangelij legis est amor timor Loue feare is the briefe difference betwixt the Gospell and the Law For the Law onely displayed sinne reproued and condemned but could not pardon as Deu. 27.26 Cursed is hee that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them And therefore Saint Paul calleth it the ministration of death 2. Cor. 3. and hee compareth it to Agar the Bond-woman which engendreth children vnto bondage Heb. 10. And againe hee saith The Law hauing the shadow of good things and not the substance could make nothing perfect but the Gospell louingly inuiteth sinners to repentance and promiseth pardon to the penitent it layeth before vs the loue of God towards mankind the merites of Christ and with the promises of most ample rewards allureth vs vnto godlinesse What heart is so flinty and hard that is not mollified at these sweete inuitings of our Sauiour Mat. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will ease you I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance Math. 9.13 And the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that which was lost Luke 9. The Gospell is called the perfect Law of Libertie because Christ hath freed the true Professours thereof from this foure-fold bondage Sin Sathan Hell and Death and promiseth a blessed life to his faithfull seruants Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen Math. 5. Luk. 12.32 Feare not my little Flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the Kingdome And againe Come yee blessed of my Father inherite yee the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Mat. 25.34 The doctrine and vse heereof is this The Vse that calling to minde the misetable bondage and seruitude of sin from which none but the Sonne of God can set vs free and for which purpose hee shed his owne precious bloud Iohn 8. wee would be wary how we captiuate our selues a fresh in this miserable thraldome and as the Apostle counselleth Galat. 5. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free Sinne is as fetters chaines and cords to binde the sinner in bondage Prou. 5. Hee shall bee holden with the cords of his owne sinne And againe Woe bee vnto them which draw iniquitie with cords of vanity c. Esay 5. Vpon which place saith Ierome Ierom. the ropes and bands wherewith the wicked are bound in the prison of Sathan are their sinnes Iohn 8.34 For whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne And these bonds saith he are Foediora arctiora fortiora grauiora molestiora omnibus totius orbis vinculis are more filthy streight strong heauy and troublesome then all bands in the world First 1 The filthinesse of sinne for the filthinesse of sin it taketh away or staineth the beauty of the soule it blemisheth and deformeth the image of God and transformerh men into the image of sathan For seeing the deuill onely through sinne is filthy who so plungeth himselfe in sinne what doth he else but die and paint himselfe with the deuils colours this onely is the difference that the sinner may wash himselfe with timely repentance which the deuill cannot And surely if the wicked which without remorse of conscience eate finne as they would eate bread and swallow it downe like drinke could see their owne filthinesse they would seeme loathsome vnto themselues For whatsoeuer by the instinct of sinne is done spoken or in minde conceiued is abhominable filthy and detestable vnto God who clearely beholdeth the deformity of such a soule And sometime this filthinesse of the soule sheweth it selfe in body also the proud man Elata ceruice prodit superbiam By his lofty gate
caryed away 7 Neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. 8 A wauering minded man is vnstable in all his waies THERE are some which would haue this to bee the Apostles second exhortation of crauing the true and Christian wisedome at the hands of God by faithfull and feruent prayer Others restraine the name of wisedom to the doctrine of bearing patiently the crosse where the Apostle vseth a predcupation or preuenting of an obiection answereth them that might obiect against the former doctrine that they want the gift of constancy and fortitude ioyfully to vndergoe the manifold temptations of this wretched life as if hee had said Indeed herein consisteth a principall point of the true Christian wisedome without which it seemeth a hard thing to flesh and bloud patiently to suffer crosses and afflictions But if any want the gift of this wisedome let him aske it of God the giuer of all goodnesse who is exceeding bountifull and liberall and it shall bee giuen him Heere I note 1 What this wisedome is 2 Of whom and how it is to be sought 3 The motiues that should confirme our hope of obtaining the same To omit the definitions of the Phylosophers which were ignorant of the true wisedome S. Augustine thus defineth it generally Definitio sap secund Aug. lib. 1. con Acad. Sapientia mihi videtur esse rerum humanarum diuinarumque quae ad beatam vitam pertineant non scientia solum sed etiam diligens inquisitio Wisedome seemeth to mee to bee not onely the knowledg but also the diligent inquisition of both diuine and humane things Lact. l. 3. c. vlt. Qui vult sapiens esse beatê° audiat Dei volantateÌ„ discat iustitiam sacramentum suae natiuitatis norit bumana coÌ„temnat c. Psal 19.7 Iob. 28.28 And before him very aptly Lanctantius who so will bee wise and blessed let him heare the voyce of God learne his righteousnesse know the Mysterie of his Natiuity contemne earthly things loue heauenly things that hee may attaine to the soueraigne good to which hee was created c. This true wisedome is grounded vpon the word of God hereof speaketh the Princely Prophet The testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome to the Simple And holy Iob Behold the feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding Iob. 28.15.16 This wisedome shall not bee valued with the wedge of Gold of Ophir nor with the precious Onix nor with the Saphire the gold nor the Chrystall shall bee equall vnto it This wisedome as it is most necessary vnto all men so especially for those which are vnder afflictions and persecutions Rom. 5.3 for it causeth them to reioyce in tribulation This wisedome causeth to feele inwardly the comfort of the Spirit this teacheth vs to know the causes for which wee are afflicted of God First for the punishment of our sinnes Secondly for the tryall of our faith Thirdly for the aduancement of Gods glory Fourthly that wee being touched might repent least wee bee condemned with the world This causeth to feele the comfortable presence of Gods Spirit in the midst of our miseries whereby the burthen of the crosse is made light and easie Now this wisedome being not a quality of nature but an excellent gift of grace is to be sought for of God by continuall and feruent prayers not of the wise men of this world which count the extremest folly the greatest wisedome as to wallow in pleasures and delights of the world to scrape together riches to cogge lie deceiue and vndermine their neighbours c. which indeed they shall finde too late to bee meere folly and madnesse to labour to winne the fleeting world and loose their owne soules Not of the Philosophers which obseruing but the second causes onely and following nature their guide do miserably ensnare rather then comfort the wretched mindes of men Not out of Adonis garden of the wanton Poets which are wont rather to corrupt and effeminate the mindes of their Readers and amaze them in the labyrinth of folly then yeeld any solid comfort But of God onely is this wisedome to bee sought therefore saith this Apostle If any lack wisedome let him aske it of God To this subscribeth the mirrour of wisedome The Lord giueth wisedome Prou. 2.6 and out of his mouth commeth vnderstanding And Daniel Dan. 2.20 the name of God bee praysed for euer and euer for wisedome and strength are his And Augustine in his Meditations speaketh thus to God Abs te sapere est desipere te vero noscere est perfecte scire Aug. med cap. 5. To bee wise without Thee is to bee a foole and to know thee is perfect wisedome Vers 6 But how should wee aske this wisedome and how should we pray for the gift of patience The Apostle teacheth But let him aske in faith and wauer not Wee must aske in a firme and constant faith if wee would haue our prayers acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto our selues If wee would obtaine at the hands of God what wee craue wee must aske without any distrust of Gods power liberality and goodnesse There is nothing that so much withholdeth Gods bountifulnesse in granting our petitions as doubtfulnesse when our mindes are distracted into diuers opinions and not fully perswaded of Gods power and readinesse to heare our prayers or grant the things which wee desite What is this else but to teach God how to deny vs as one saith It is truely said in the Tragedy Hee that asketh fearefully or doubtfully Sene. in Hip. teacheth him of whom hee asketh to deny him The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both him that doubreth and iudgeth of Gods power and mercy The Greeke Scholia expoundeth it of him which being pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes thinketh them to be greater then God is able or willing to forgiue Heere wee are taught that without faith there is no accesse vnto God vnlesse faith as a most cleere light doth disperse the darkenesse of our mindes shew vs the way and as it were leade vs by the hand vnto the Throne of God Rom. 10.14 For how saith the Apostle shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued Without faith it is not possible to please God Heb. 11.6 For hee that commeth to God must first beleeue that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that seeke him This our Sauiour commending to the Centurion saith Math. 8.13 As thou hast heleeued so bee it vnto thee And to the two blind men that hee might teach them the efficacy of faith hee saith Beleeue you that I am able to do this Math. 9.28 29. according to your faith bee it vnto you And to the Ruler of the Synagogue Bee not afrayd Mar. 5.36 onely beleeue And at the raysing of Lazarus vnto Martha Iohn 11. Beleeuest thou this By faith onely then
This seed of it selfe is very fruitfull but according to the diuerse conditions of the ground that is of the hearers it yeeldeth none at all or diuerse fruit For the heart of some is like an high way which is worne and trodden on of all that is which without any choice is laid open to all vncleane thoughts and desires Their heart is like a common Inne which admitteth and receiueth all kinde of men good and bad knowne and vnknowne for it maketh no difference of good or euill thoughts It is like vnto a crazed boate which leaketh water at euery chinke It is like a Citie without walles or gates which is easily inuaded of the enemy Like a vineyard without a hedge whose fruit is spoiled of euery one that passeth by To conclude such a soule is like vnto a house without a dore or locke which euery one vseth as a filthy stable And how shamefull a thing is it to suffer the soule to bee thus polluted with all vncleane thoughts it may appeare by this one example Were it not an indelible shame for a woman to fall into the degree of impudency to prostitute her selfe in a common stewes Et omnibus sui copiam facere And what an ignominy then is it vnto the soule to receiue within it all vncleane thoughts and desires which the deuill offereth without any difference What is this else but to commit spirituall fornication with the harlot whereof the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 2. Like an harlot thou runnest about vpon all high Hilles and vnder euery greene Tree What fruite now should the word of God yeeld in such a heart For euen as an harlot though shee know many men yet she remaineth alwaies barren So though they oftentimes heare the word yet are nothing bettered thereby For these vices doe distract the minde with diuers perturbations that they will not permit it quietly and attentiuely to heare the word c. The eighth Sermon IAMES 1.22 c. And be yee deers of the word and not hearers onely c. THE Apostle hauing before spoken of regeneration heere hee proceedeth exhorting the regenerate to shew forth the fruites thereof The Diuision which consisteth in three especiall members An exhortation to obedience confirmed by certaine reasons in the first foure verses The second taken from the nature and quality of Gods word which not onely teacheth vs to do well but to speake well also If any among you c. with certaine reasons Thirdly hee sheweth wherein true religion consisteth Pure religion and vndefiled c. By doing the word the Apostle meaneth not an absolute and perfect fulfilling of the Law which no man can possibly performe as the Apostle Peter witnesseth Act. 15. but the doing of the word by the imputation of the righteousnesse and obedience of Christ who hath perfectly fulfilled the Law for the saluation of the faithfull which when they haue truely receiued Christ by faith hee giueth them such measure of the spirit of sanctification that they obediently endeuour to conforme their will to the will of God to feare loue and to serue him to loue their neighbour and alwaies to proceed towards perfection Men dinersly affected to the word There are some which neither heare nor doe the word of God others which will heare but not doe and there are others which heare the word and indeuour to do the same For the first sort of these it is plaine that they are of their father the deuill by the sentence of Christ himselfe Iohn 8. chapter and 47. verse Hee that is of God heareth Gods word yee therefore heare them not because yee are not of God Simile Doth it not seeme that hee is not the Lord of a Castle which when hee would enter the gates are shut against him So the gate by which God would enter into our hearts is the hearing of the Word Preached who so then that refuseth to heare doth as it were shut the gate of his heart against Christ Euen as a Citie which receiueth victuall and all necessaries for the sustentation of their life from some other place if thou stop the waies and passages by which it was wont to bee brought they must needs faint and perish with famine So the life of our soule dependeth of some other For euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father The word of God is the way by which all good things commeth to the soule which if thou stop thy soule must needs perish The ground which is not manured tilled what can it yeeld but weedes brambles and thornes it bringeth not forth corne of his owne nature If thou wilt not heare the word Quid nisi peccata germinabis saith one There are many now a dayes which beare the name of Christians which will so practise the manners and rules of true Christianity as one once did imbrace the studies of Philosophie who as Cicero saith was wont to say Philosophandum esse Vt ne quid nimis Terent. sed paucis that is Hee would not wholy addict himselfe to the studies of Philosophy Sed summis tantum labijs degustare that is but a little taste and away Such are many professours now a daies which will not giue their whole heart and loue to the word but lightly and carelesly touch this heauenly Philosophie Such care for the word of God in the same measure Vt canis é Nilo Simile as they were wont the holy water comming into the Church content to bee sprinkled with a few drops but taking it in euill part if one should cast much vpon them So these content themselues with neuer so little or none at all so much doe they feare to fall into the excesse of ne quid nimis Againe as that man seemeth not to be of his houshold or family whose commandement he will not heare for shall he do that which he refuseth ro heare Is it not a wonderfull thing that all the members of the body should bee consecrated to Christ both for that hee hath created and redeemed vs and yet wee cannot affoord him one member not so much as an eare To the poysons of detractions wee haue our eares open but to the word of saluation men giue a deafe eare How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10.14 and how shall they heare without a Preacher But leauing these men as incorrigible and desperately wicked Contra negantes principia non est disputandū but praying to God for them I will proceed to the rest The second sort are such as can be content to heare the word but haue no care to do it For this seed of the word though of its owne nature it be most fruitfull yet according to the variety of the ground that is of the hearers among whom it is sowen it bringeth forth no fruit or very diuerse by reason that their