coacted service but a willing Sacrifice And last our obedience must bee in euerie thing 3. Totall that as the Centurion sayde of his servantes I say to one Goe and bee goeth and to another Come and hee commeth Matth. 8.9 c. so must wee without reasoning with flesh and blood simply obey GODS will in euerie thing But because wee are not able to perfect eyther the actiue or the passiue obedience of our selues therefore our Sauiour CHRIST hath done well for vs who hath perfectlie satisfied both the Law and GODS Iustice for our sinnes euen by his owne righteousnesse THE FIFTH LOCKE Mortification of our lusts THIS is the fifth necessarie gift of the holie Spirit of the which th'Apostle saith Colos 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are vpon the earth fornication vncleannesse c. And againe hee desireth the Corinthians to keepe themselues from all pollution of the flesh 2. Cor. 7.1 And likewise hee willeth the Galatians not to fulfill the desires of their flesh Gal. 5.16.17 And this is a continuall exercise for so long as wee liue heere on earth our flesh will still rebell against the Spirit therefore must we striue continually to beate downe the corruptions of our vilde and wicked nature Nowe the true triall of Mortification is Triall of Mortification first if it bee vniversall lest that yee resist your flesh in one affection and yeelde vnto it in another As if ye would refuse Papistrie 1. Vniversall and imbrace Sacriledge Iudg. 15.15 16.4 1. Sam. 15.9 fight against the Philistims and play the Harlot with Dalilah kill the poore Agagits and the leane Cattell tell and spare the King and his fatte Beastes aliue So yee will entertaine a sinne which is pleasant and profitable for you and thinke to cast off the rest No no make no division I beseech you in this slaughter of sinne but cut it whollie downe and pull it vp by the rootes that all its branches may perish Bee not onelie an enemie vnto one sinne but vnto all lest that one sinne beeing left aliue and nourished without repentance it openeth the doore vnto all the rest Next if yee humble your bodie and chastise your flesh without hypocrisie and desire of vaine glorie 2. Without hypocrisie without superstition and without anie pryde and a vaine opinion of merite For what will thy sillie Sufferinges Pilgrimages Fastinges and Abstinences availe thee before GOD for Hee delighteth not in the torture and tormenting of mens flesh neyther doeth His Kingdome consist in Meate or Drinke but Hee requireth of vs a perpetuall mortification and sanctification and not that we should take libertie to sinne vnder hope of Pardon and thinke to acquite our selues by doing of Pennance But let vs continuallie studie to mortifie and subdue our vilde lustes and affections purting our whole trust confidence in the mercies of GOD and merites of CHRIST our Saviour THE SIXTH LOCKE Prayer and Prayses THE sixth Locke is PRAYER and PRAYSES which are the life of Religion for either we lacke some things for which wee must pray vnto God or haue receiued some for which wee ought to bee thankfull So all our life time that is euery day euery night yea euerie houre and moment wee must pray 1. Thes 5.17 Pray continually sayth the Apostle But our Prayer must not onlie bee verball for wordes serue more for men than for God Our Prayer must bee mentall Prayer mentall Exod. 32.10 as God is a Spirit and heard Moses crie although hee vttered no words Let vs not bind our selues vnto words as manie doe but as our necessitie increaseth so let vs powre out our heart vnto God Reuerent in prayer But aboue all thinges let vs speake reuerentlie vnto God and consider with what Majestie wee haue to doe and as hee is the most excellent Majestie so we should dresse and compose our speaches and drawe in our wandering affections and cogitations that our Prayers bee not turned into sinne and that hee cast not backe the dongue of our sacrifices vpon our faces for the Lord abhors the sacrifices of fooles lest our Prayer which is the Key to open the Heauens become a Barre to shut them vpon vs. Pray in fayth Let vs pray also in faith perswading our selues that the Lord heareth vs and will grant vs all thinges which are necessarie and expedient for vs. Let vs pray ardentlie and earnestlie not fainting in prayer Luke 18.5 following the importunate widow Let vs not prescribe times vnto him nor grudge against him limiting the holie One of Israel No prescription of time but attende patiently his Majesties good pleasure for hee is faythfull who hath promised As also let vs prayse him chearfullie and rejoyce in him with all Hymnes and Psalmes and Spirituall Songs with grace in our hearts THE SEVENTH LOCKE Constancie to the ende ALl these former graces of the Spirit are beginning and accompanying graces Constancie a finishing grace but this gift of Cōstancie is a perfecting grace crowning all the rest whervnto the Apostle manie times exhorteth the Churches 2 Tim. 4.10 complaineth of the back sliding of manie with Demas who imbraced this present world of whom he spake weeping that they were enemies to the Crosse of Christ Phil. 3.18 Our Sauiour sayth He that perseuereth vnto the ende shal be saued Matth. 24 13.29 and it is prophesied that those who seemed to be stars shall fall frō Heauen Let vs therefore craue of God Qui dat velle perficere who both giueth vs to will and to perfect that he may after we haue suffered a little make vs perperfect confirme 1. Peter 5.10 strengthen and establish vs. The conspiracie of the Princes of the Philistims against Samson WE haue heard alreadie the extraordinarie graces strength which was in Samson and now wee shall take a view also of the extraordinarie temptations of his enemies whereby they rob and spoyle him of the same by the which we may learne that the greater gifts of God men haue Greatest gifts greatest temptations they shall looke for the greater temptations God hath not giuen vs Armour to roust or hing or lie beside vs but that we should vse them Therefore let no man brag in his gift for when it is tried our weaknesse will be also tried Next the Philistims were not able to withstand Samson by their strength Satan preuailes more by policie than power but they circumuene him by their policie and craftie dealing The Deuill is both a Lyon and a Serpent yet he preuaileth more by his craftinesse than by his crueltie A Lyon is heard when he roareth afarre off and is eschewed but a Serpent commeth creeping softlie and whistling and poysoneth vs craftily O the deepnesse of Satan beware of him and of his sleights Genes 3.1 He came not to Eua in the shape of a Lyon but of a Serpēt Therefore let vs
Lampes seauen Angels seauen Viols c. So vnder the seauen Lockes of SAMSONS Haire which were the Markes of his NAZAREISME are signified the perfect Graces of the holie Spirit which the LORD had bestowed vpon him and thorow which as long as hee kept them hee was more than a Conquerour For albeit the Giftes of GODS holie Spirit bee innumerable and infinit as Hee is himselfe yet there are some more principall and most necessarie sine quibus non without the which none can perswade-themselues that the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in them These gifts are absolutelie necessarie nor yet that they shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen And these Seauen are so platted together euen as SAMSONS LOCKES were and as the links of a golden Chaine that the one of them cannot bee without the rest and all of them cannot bee without one And these are the Lockes which CHRIST prayseth in the fourth Chapter of the Canticles at the beginning THE FIRST LOCKE FAYTH THe first vvorke which the SPIRIT worketh in a Christian Fayth the Mother of the rest is FAYTH which is the Roote and Grandmother of all the rest and without the which it is impossible to please GOD and againe Heb. 11.6 heereby hee perswadeth our Consciences that the Promises of Salvation contained in the Worde of GOD appertaine vnto vs euen through CHRIST IESVS Therefore those who are ignorant and doe not know these thinges they haue not the Spirit Ignorance lacketh the first Locke Neyther yet those persons who haue an Historicall Fayth as the Deuils haue and doe not applie these Promises vnto themselues they haue no part I say in this Businesse neither anie fellowship with the Spirit of Grace For which cause wee should most earnestlie trie our selues whether the Spirit of God bee in vs vnlesse wee bee Reprobates and that especiallie by Fayth to wit If wee knowe what are the Promises of Salvation of the remission of our sinnes of the resurrection of our bodies and of Life eternall For albeit these thinges are not seene by the eye of naturall reason and although flesh and blood doeth not reveale it vnto vs yet the Spirit of GOD worketh an assent and consent in our mindes vnto the trueth of them and fullie perswadeth vs thereof But because manie alace haue a vaine opinion of Fayth Three remarkable Notes to trie Fayth and who is hee of what Religion or Sect soever that doth not boast himselfe of Faith therefore GOD willing I shall giue you three marks by the which ye may discerne whether this bee a naturall Locke growing out of SAMSONS owne head or guilded and coloured and false Haire which neuer grew out of SAMSONS braine 1. By the groundes of the word The first marke whereby to distinguish true Fayth from that which is counterfet is by the ground thereof for true Fayth groundeth her selfe onlie vpon the word of GOD and Canonicall Scriptures for it is the word onelie which warrandeth the Conscience My Sheepe heare my voyce Iohn 10.4 sayeth our LORD for if Angels or men would speake Oracles vnto vs Act. 17.11 or Paul preach vnto vs yet with the men of Berea wee must search the Scriptures and trie whether hee speake according as it is written And if an Angel should preach a contrarie Doctrine Galat. 1.8 we should count him Anathema Then wee must not build our Fayth vpon the Decrees of the Church and belieue Fide implicita The Papistes infoldē faith 1 Pet. 3.15 with an in-folded Fayth or rather euill-folded Fayth When the Apostle commandeth vs to giue a reason of our Fayth to euerie one that asketh it shall wee haue none other reason to render but to wrap our selues in the Clouts of Ignorance and say wee belieue as the Church belieueth For the men of Samaria answered to the woman of Samaria farre better saying Now wee belieue not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues Iohn 4.42 and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the worlde Neyther should our Fayth bee grounded vpon the sand of the Popes Traditions his ridiculous Golden Legends which the Papists themselues scorne nor yet vpon the ancient Fathers as Augustine sayeth Non quid dicit Donatus aut Augustinus sed quid dicat DOMINVS that is Wee must not take heede what Augustine that Divine Doctor sayeth neither what Donatus that damnable Hereticke sayeth but what the LORD sayeth in his holie Scriptures And let vs holde fast that which the Apostle Sainct Peter recommendeth vnto vs saying We haue also a more sure word of the Prophets whereunto ye doe well that yee take heede 2. Pet. 1.19 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts For the worde of God is able to make that man of God absolute 2. Tim. 3.17 being made perfect vnto al good works Then true Fayth must altogether leane to the Scriptures which onelie are sufficient to leade vs vnto perfection The next triall of our Fayth is by the certaintie therof 2. Certaintie Heb. 11.1 which th' Apostle Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A full perswasion of the certaintie of those thinges which wee belieue yea an Euidence and demonstration of thinges which are not seene For whatsoeuer thinges wee belieue transcende and are aboue the reach of reason or are flat contrarie to nature sense and reason which flesh and blood cannot perswade vs of as of the least article of our Faith they must be reuealed to vs by our Father which is aboue Now when I speak of the certaintie I meane not the quantitie as though I did affirme that a weake Faith could debarre vs but I craue a true Fayth which perswadeth our consciences of Gods fauour in Christ and maketh vs say with Sainct Paul I believed and therefore did I speake 1. Cor. 4.13 and to say also with the Centurion Mark 9.24 I belieue Lord helpe my Fayth The third marke whereby this true Fayth is discerned 3. Triall of their works is by the fruits therof For it is not like the Figge Tree which was decked onelie with the greene Leaues of an outwarde show and yeelded no fruite vnto the LORD IESVS Matth. 21.19 who hungered for it But this true Fayth is like the Tree which groweth by the Rivers of waters Psalm 1.3 and bringeth foorth fruite in due season This surelie verie greatlie condemneth all these godlesse Atheistes of our time who brag of an ydle Fayth without anie care of a good life THE SECOND LOCKE The loue of God THE Spirit of GOD worketh not so soone Fayth in a Christian heart but likewise as soone hee sheddeth abroad also the Loue of GOD in his soule For as the Fire hath these two principall qualities to wit Light Heate Simil. euen so hath the true knowledge of GOD the Loue of GOD conjoyned therewith For how
or intch to anie person of the world in matters of Gods seruice lest by yeelding in one thing at last wee bee brought to yeeld to all as we see by the pittifull example of Samson And when the Deuill can obtaine thus much at our handes that we may admit the badges or colours of Antichrist yea the smallest Ceremonie of that Romane Church shall wee doubt that hee will stand there no but hee will seeke farther and will not be satisfied that we receiue his colours vnlesse we receiue himselfe also make shipwracke of our consciences and denie the Faith Like as a whoore-hunter sending some of his rings or other loue-tokens to a young woman Simil. if shee accept of them hee perswadeth himselfe hee hath obtained her fauour so if wee receiue the marks of Antichrist take vpō vs his colours it shal be ineuitable to refuse himselfe but that we shal imbrace that doctrine of deuils 1. Tim. 4.1 Wherfore let vs resist the beginning of euery euil Samson in his greatest danger became secure Securitie fell asleepe vpon the Harlots knee and this designeth the fragility of mans nature yea the regenerate that the wicked bee more vigilant to performe their deuilish deuises than the godlie bee to escape them For yee see here Dalilah is waking while Samson is sleeping Matth. 26.40.47 so was Iudas when the Apostles were fast asleepe in the Garden Next the securitie of Samson representeth the dulnesse of our nature Wee are most secure when wee should bee most vigi Ionah 1.5 that we are then most secure when wee are in greatest danger So was Ionas in the ship when the tempest of Gods wrath the surges of the Sea were persuing the ship all were waking onelie Ionas was asleep who should haue bene most vigilant And so is our Church this day when Antichrist and all his confederates and suppostes are triumphing vpon the graues of Christians we are drinking in Bowles making merrie with Beltaschar Dan. 5.3.4.30 But out of question God will waken vs either in his mercie or in his Iudgement out of this dead-sleepe wherinto Princes Pastors and people are lulled ouer at this present time The Philistims are vpon thee Samson THe Harlot hath two voyces the first voyce when shee is tempting him to sinne If thou loue mee thou wilt tell mee wherin thy great strength standeth Dalilah hath two voyces But when he hath yeelded her secōd voyce is a voyce of destruction The Philistims are vpon thee Samson So the Deuill hath two voyces to a sinner the one when hee is alluring perswading vs to sin then hee seemeth to pretende loue and kindnesse promiseth vs faire things but when hee hath perswaded vs to sinne then he terrifieth vs with his second voyce and saith The Philistims are vpon thee Samson and the judgements of God First he lulleth vs asleepe with an hope of Gods mercies but when hee hath snared vs he proclaimeth warre nothing but Gods judgements Therfore let vs beware to heare the whistling of the Serpent lest afterward wee heare the roaring of the Lyon SAMSONS WEAKNESSE HIs weaknesse is described that when his enemies came vpō him he conceated with himself that he had his former strēgth but in effect he proued to bee as other men Whereof wee may learn two remarkable lessons first that the strēgth we haue is only of God The Lord our strēgth once being left by him to our selues we are a ready prey to our spiritual enemies Thē if we cast off our armour we are naked before an armed man our strength is turned to weaknes therfore let vs put on our armour shake it not off Next we see the false confidence of flesh and blood False confidence in our selues that wil ascribe to it selfe strēgth wisdome faith c. when it hath nothing in it but as it were one dreaming of victory in prison Simil. But whē Samson commeth in his enemies hand then he feeleth his owne weakenes by dolefull experience Let vs therfore not presume of our giftes lest wee deceiue our selues in our imaginations proue drosse Simil. where we supposed our selues to be gold as the Spirit saies to the Church Thou sayest Apoc. 3.17 I am rich and lacke nothing c. Samsons fourefolde punishment God winkes not at sinne NOw God justly chastises his own seruant with foure rods to let vs see that the Lord wil not winke at the faultes of his Elect albeit hee will not take his holy Spirit frō them as he did frō the house of Saul but chastise them with the rod of his children and visite them with his temporall corrections that they might escape eternall judgements So did hee to Dauid and the rest of his Saincts and so wil he still doe to his chosen children for euermore Now the first punishment which the Lord layeth on Samson is BLINDNES Samsons first punishment Iudg. 16.21 And it is the just recompence of God that wherein man sinneth therin he is punished Samsons eyes were full of vncleannes they were pulled out of his head Wherin we sinne therin shall we be punished Our eyes are apointed for better vses to wit that we may beholde Gods workes and glorifie him therein But when they are instruments of wantonnesse through which windowes we send foorth the vncleane lusts of a polluted heart and open them to admit giue entry to wicked allurementes of others then no doubt God may justlie punish those members which sinned We haue an exāple of Adonebezek Iudg. 1.7 king of Bezek who cut off the thombs and toes of LXX kings whom he bound in chains vnder his table and saith As I haue done to others God hath done to me The Allegorie holds wel of our spiritual enemies who when they layhold on vs get vs first into their handes they pull our eyes that we neither see God heauen hell nor our selues But as the Rauen first plucketh out the eyes of the Lambe Simil. Satan first blindeth vs and then killeth vs. Isa 6.9 then deuours the rest of the flesh so doeth Satan first blind vs and then kill vs. When God threatned a judgement vpō his people by his Prophets he said he would smite them with a blindnes yea a double blindnes that they shal haue eyes and not perceiue surely prognosticating their temporall destruction This blindnes befell the men of Sodome before the fire Gen. 19.11 Numb 22.23 and to Balaam that hee saw not the Angel before the Sword and to the Aramites before they came to Samaria 2. King 18 6 But David the seruant of God saw the Angel with a drawn sword humbled himselfe before the Lord. 2. Sam. 24.17 Therefore let vs studie to vse the light which we haue rightlie that it bee not turned into darknes for if the light that is in vs be darknes how great shal