this regard in the beginning almost of the 32. Psalme and making his petition vnto the Almighty for the redresse thereof in Psa 51.8 when he saith Make me to heare ioy and gladnes that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce And againe in vers 12. Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Thirdly because they hinder good things from vs and are as a wall betweene God and vs to stop his benefits from comming downe vpon vs Esay 59.1.2 Your iniquitiâ—â— saith Ierem. 5.25 haue turned away these things and your sins haue hindred good things from you Lastly because they wil bring destruction to vs at the last and cast vs downe into hel vnlesse to wit we doe leaue them in time for so much doth Christ teach vs in Luk. 13.3 when he saith But except you amend your liues ye shall all likewise perish so doth the Apostle Saint Paul in Rom. 8.13 in these words For if yee liue after the flesh yee shall die but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit yee shall liue This serues first to reproue them Vse who continue still in thier sins and by no means will leaue their transgressions of them the world is too full wee finde by experience that nothing can reclaime the greater sort from their loose and licentious wayes chiefly in this brasen and iron age wherin we liue for neither the Preachers of God in exhorting nor the goodnes of God in calling nor the will of God in commanding nor the Spirit of God in mouing nor the benefits of God in blessing nor the iudgments of God in punishing can preuaile with many of vs to turne vs to the Lord or cause vs to arise out of the warme bed of our carnall delights So that the Lord may iustly make his complaint of vs as he did of Israel saying I harkened and heard but none spake aright no man repented him of his wickednes saying what haue I done euery man turned to their race as the horse rusheth into the battell This serues secondly to comfort such as haue forsaken their sins and haue cast away their iniquities though the world doth scorne them because they will not runne to the same excesse of riot with them as they did heretofore yet here is a comfort for them they doe but their dutie and that which the scorners themselues ought to doe This serues thirdly to stirre vs and to rouse vs vp out of the bed of our security We must not lie still in the same like the sluggard who is vnwilling to arise out of his sleepe saying yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little folding of the hands together Prou. 6.10 But we must leaue our sins with speed and forsake them And therefore my brethren consider with your selues in what sinnes you are asleepe whether it be in the sin of ignorance or in the sin of infidelity or in the sin of pride or in the sinne of couetousnes or in the sin of drunkennes or in the sin of whoredome or in the sin of swearing or in the sin of lying or in the sin of idlenes or in the sin of malice or in one word in the sin of any breach of Gods Commandements whatsoeuer it be forsake it and leaue it I come now as a Nathan to Dauid to request this at your hands and as a Ionah to Niniueh to proclaime warre against you vnlesse you doe it Oh remember I beseech you the reasons before going and let them sinke into your hearts for your good Arise first and leaue all your sins that you may not anger your God any further but bring good contentment vnto him in all your waies as the children of the liuing God ought to doe But if you care not for Gods displeasure yet arise in the second place and leaue all your sins that you may not wound your owne consciences and be as it were hangmen vnto your selues to teare your owne flesh with your owne nailes but that you may reioyce and be glad all the dayes of your liues But if your consciences be dead and as it were seared with an hot iron to feele nothing so that no sin doth trouble it yet arise in the third place and leaue all your sins that you may not impouerish your owne persons and bring your selues and your posterity to meere beggery especially in regard of the soule and the good estate thereof but that you may receiue plentifull blessings from the Lord and be laden with his benefits both temporall and eternall appertaining either to soule or body But if lastly you care not much for the blessings and benefits of God as hauing enough already and thinking your selues sufficiently happy without him yet arise and leaue all your sins that you may not be damned in hell for euer and there lie tormented in flames of fire that cannot be quenched but that you may be saued and come to life euerlasting where you may reioyce in ioyes that are vnspeakeable I hope that these things will awaken you and bring you home vnto your God and so I come vnto the last branch of my Text which is Come away Come away Because it is better to lie still then to arise and goe astray our Sauiour shewing vs how wee should moue biddeth vs not onely to arise but addeth further that we must come away to wit after him leauing this world and all the things therein behinde vs. As the first Exhortation was needfull so is this latter For the Church was now vnwilling to stirre after Christ In this case she was like a silly woman who in the Winter would faine liue at home and in no case take a iourney abroad as knowing that time of the yeare to be vnseasonable for her trauelling and that first because the dayes are short secondly because the aire is cold thirdly because the wayes are foule fourthly because the Element is watrie and full of raine fiftly because the prospect of the country is doleful and lastly because the danger for her body and goods is great The words following doe shew that this was her estate wherein Christ doth tell her that the Winter was now past and the Spring come and therefore she was to Arise and to come away Wherefore from hence let vs collect this Doctrine Doct. that it is the part of all good Christians to leaue this world and to goe after Christ The Church doth promise to doe the same Draw me saith she and we will runne after thee Cant. 1.3 The Apostles in act and deed did performe the like They left all and followed Christ Matth. 19.27 The same is reported of the sheepe of Christ My sheepe saith our Sauiour heare my voice and I know them and they follow me Ioh. 10.27 We finde also the like in that hundreth fortie and foure thousand that stood with the Lambe on Mount Sion and had his Fathers name written in their foreheads for this commendation is
Israelites hardning of their hearts in the wildernesse the crying sinnes of the Sodomites the haynous offences of the old world and the woefull disobedience of our first Parents in Paradise haue antiquitie for the maintenance of them if that would serue the turne but alas that is so farre from making any fault alowable that it causeth the committers thereof to be more in excuseable in as much as they haue not beene admonished by the falls of such as haue gone before them Therefore let vs neuer beare our selues in hand that we may warrantably take this or that course of life because others haue done so before vs vnlesse wee can euidently proue out of the scriptures that they haue done well in so doing Otherwise let vs rather feare as in this text wee are exhorted than presume to walke in their steps To God the Father to Iesus Christ his Sonne and to the holy Ghost be all honour and glory ascribed both now and for euermore Amen THE SECOND SERMON OF GODLY FEARE HEBREVVES 4. VERSE 1. Least at any time by forsaking the promise of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to be depriued LEast at any time These wordes doe shew the continuance of our watchfulnesse that it must be constant not at some times alone but at all times whence obserue this point that Whosoeuer vvould attaine to euerlasting life Doct. 4 Constant vvatchfulnesse required must stand constantly and perpetually vpon his guard euery Christian must keepe a continuall watch ouer his owne soule as well one day as another as well hereafter as for the present there is no time of intermission or of interruption granted Therefore is it that this same Apostle exhorteth saying Take heede brethren Heb. 3.12 least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Pro. 28.14 And the vvise man saith Blessed is hee that feareth alwayes but hee that hardens his heart shall fall into euill Implying thereby that where this godly feare is at any time wanting there that partie is prone to fall into hardnesse of heart and so to proceed from one wickednesse vnto another The like caution is giuen by our Sauiour to his Disciples Take heede to your selues saith he least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting Luk. 21.34 and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Neither is this vncessant watchfulnesse more than needes Reasons for First the diuell goes about continually at a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure 1 Pet. 5. Hee is as it were a strong and cunning thiefe that hath often marked euery place in our house where hee may breake in and if wee haue not a continuall eye vnto him hee is ready to take vs at an aduantage and to spoyle our soules of those good things vvhich the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto vs and when he is least suspected then is hee most industrious about his mischieuous practises Our warfare is different from that which earthly Princes doe exercise for they are some times altogether without danger but wee goe in continuall perill wee know not how soone Sathan will be vpon vs there is no moment wherein wee can secure our selues from his assaults and if we be not euermore in a readinesse to award off his blowes we are likely to receiue a deadly wound Yea vvee haue not onely our aduersary the diuell to encounter with but a more neere and dangerous enemy and withall very subtill euen our owne flesh which is ready vpon euery occasion to betray vs into the hands of Sathan haue we not then good reason alwayes to walke in feare If we had in our houses a theevish seruant albeit he did not lay waite for our liues nor were any way likely to endanger our whole estate but onely to defraud vs of some part of our substance vvould wee not haue an eye to such an one and that continually But especially if we had one within our doores that sought all opportunities to deliuer vs into the hands of our mortall enemy would wee not be euermore watchfull for the preuenting of such a mischiefe How much more vigilant then should wee be in matters spirituall seeing that our naturall corruption is exceeding treacherous and ready vpon euery occasion not to procure vs some slight inconuenience or small losse but to bring vs vnder the power and dominion of the Prince of darkenesse vvho is a vowed aduersary vnto all Gods elect Thirdly in regard of the Lord wee had need to keepe a perpetuall watch ouer our hearts for vvho knoweth how seuerely he may proceede against vs if vve for neuer so little a while doe wilfully shake off the yoake of obedience May not hee iustly giue vs ouer to a deluded minde and a profane spirit if we beginne to alow our soules in any knowen euill If vvee carelessely reiect his holy lawes may not his spirit iustly forsake our soule If wee conclude thus in our owne thoughts now will I take liberty for vvantonnesse and vncleanenesse for oppression and hard dealing and such like sinnes and hereafter I vvill become more chast and more mercifull c. May not God euen at this time deliuerws vp as prisoners vnto Sathan as hee hath dealt vvith sundry others and cause him so to manacle our hearts and affections that it shall cost vs many a bitter teare ere wee recouer our former libertie and freedome of spirit Nay further how if God should take vs with the manner and at that time strip vs of life it selfe Surely albeit wee being the seruants of the Lord and dying in repentance cannot perish vtterly yet shall we depart hence very vncomfortably and not leaue so good a report behinde vs as otherwise vve might haue done The doctrine thus confirmed serueth First Vse 1 for the sharpe reproofe of such aspropose vnto themselues set times vvherein they will giue their flesh the swing and let loose the raines vnto too much licenciousnesse And as at other times so especially vpon the Lords day when God would haue them wholy to attend vpon him then they take liberty for their vile and sinfull lusts giuing themselues ouer either to idlenesse at home or which is worse vnto profanenesse abroad For the weeke dayes many containe themselues ordinarily vvithin some good compasse being imployed in the workes of their vocation but on the Sabbath which the Lord hath set apart as holy vnto himselfe they runne violently vnto all manner of sinnefull recreations and base exercises and sports and so of Gods day they make that the Diuels day in so much that hee then knowes whereabout hee shall finde them euen busily imployed in his worke for they at sundry seasons openly professe and that a twelue moneths before Ryot and Drunkennesse and Carding and Dicing and dalliance and such like horrible abuses and make it knowne that then they minde to keepe open house for sinne and Sathan when they should set
yet they will loue him in their words They can crie out and say We loue the Lord Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all he is not worthy to liue that doth not loue him it were well that the ground would open to sincke him in c. Thus can wicked men giue good words but where are their workes Surely in this corrupt age of ours wee can talke much but walke but a little word it much but worke it but a little our mouthes are bigger then our hands which is a thing monstrous in nature as well said Saint Bernard Monstrosa res est sedes prima vita ima lingua magniloqua manus otissa sermo multus fructus nullus It is a monstrous thing to haue the chiefest roome and to liue the basest life to speake much with the tongue and to doe nothing with the hand to vse many words and to bring forth no fruit But as Iames the Apostle said Shew me thy faith by thy workes Iam. 2.18 So may I say Shew me thy Ioue by thy workes There are foure things in all heartie and sound louers which must needs be in thee if thou doest loue Christ aright The first is that they long still to be ioyned together and to enioy one the other The nature of loue is such that wee desire still the enioying of that which is loued Ammon was very sick through loue and his flesh did pine away because hee could not enioy his sister Thamar whom he loued 2 Sam. 13.2 The second is that they are bountifull and liberall one vnto the other Loue saith Paul in 1 Cor. 13.4 is bountifull So was Booz to Ruth whom hee loued Ruth 3.15 and so was the Centurion to the Iewes whom hee made much of for hee built them a Synagogue Luk. 7.5 The third is that they are obsequious and obedient one vnto the other Loue can hardly deny any worke which the partie beloued doth require Hereof was it that Delilah said to Sampson in Iudges 16.15 How canst thou say I loue thee when thine heart is not with me thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth The fourth and last is tollerance or enduring of troubles one for the other for the loue that Iacob did beare to Rahel seauen yeares of hard seruitude seemed but a short time Gen. 29.20 And for the loue that Sechem did beare to Dinah he was content to be circumcised and to suffer the cutting of his flesh though it were very painfull vnto him Gen. 34.19 Now in all these things examine thy loue towards Christ In the first place tell me doest thou long to be with Christ Art thou willing to die and to leaue this world to goe vnto him Doest thou wish with the Apostle Saint Paul to be dissolued to be with him Philip. 1.25 Art thou desirous to haue him come to Iudgement Doest thou cry out with the Spouse Come Lord Iesus come quickly Ren. 22.17.20 In the second place tel me Dost thou bestow any thing vpon Christ Art thou willing to let go thy goods and riches for the honor of Christ Art thou readie to relieue his Saints according to their need and thy abilitie Doest thou ioyne with others in building vp his Church and in bestowing some maintenance vpon his worship In the third place tell me Doest thou obey him and doe according to his Commandements Art thou readie with Abraham to leaue thine ovvne countrey and to goe vvhither he shall send thee Wilt thou forsake that vvhich hee doth forbid and follovv that vvhich hee doth command If yee loue me saith Christ beepe my Commandements Ioh. 14.15 And a little after he saith againe If any man loue me he will keepe my Word Vers 23. So that those loue not Christ vvho doe not keepe his Commandements In the fourth and last place tell mee Doest thou suffer any trouble or miserie for Christs sake Art thou vvell pleased to take vp thy crosse to goe after him Canst thou be content to die for his sake as the Prophets and Apostles haue done By these markes or tokens wee may know whether wee loue Christ or no if we haue them we loue him but if we haue them not wee loue him not howsoeuer wee perswade our solues or boast before others to the contrarie And so much of the second sort namely of those that vaunt of their loue towards Christ and yet doe want it Now let vs come to the third and last sort which is of those that would be informed what manner of loue it is that is pleasing to Christ In it you must obserue foure remarkable qualities The first is that it must be great and not small we must loue him more then our fathers or mothers or brothren or sisters or husbands or wiues or lands or goods or life it selfe Matth. 10.37 Lzk. 14.26 The second is that it must be singular and not common we must loue onely Christ and none else we must not ioyne others with him Whom haue I in heauen saith Dauid Psal 73.25 but thee and I haue desired none in the earth with thee Well therefore said the Church in Cant. 1.6 Shew me O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest where thou liest at noone for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions Her care was onely to goe after Christ We cannot serue God and Mimmon together Mat. 6.24 We must not part our loue Christ must haue all as the woman by Gods law must haue but one husband so the Church must haue but one Congregation Doubtlesse as an honest man cannot endure that another man should haue a portion in his wife so will not Christ endure that any other should haue with him a portion in his Church for he is a iealous God Exod. 20.5 The third is that it must be totall and not partiall we must loue him not with the loue of the soule alone or with the loue of the body alone but with the loue both of body and soule together Ye are bought with a price saith Paul 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God in your bodie and in your spirit for they are Gods And whereas the soule and body doe consist of many parts our Sauiour must haue the loue of all those parts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with thy strength saith Moses to Israel in Deut. 6.5 So that Christ must not haue onely the loue of the eye to behold his workes the loue of the eare to listen to his words the loue of the tongue to talke of his wonders the loue of the feet to goe to his Temple the loue of the hands to doe his businesse the loue of the memorie to remember him the loue of the minde to plod vpon him and the loue of the heart to long after him but hee must haue all these loues together The fourth and last
is that it must be perpetuall and not temporall We must not loue him for a time alone as for certaine dayes weekes monthes or yeares but we must loue him beyond all time euen for euer and euer Be thou faithfull vnto the death saith Christ to the Church of the Smirnsans Reu. 2.10 and I will giue thee the crowne of life The Spouse doth tell vs in Cant. 8.6.7 First that her loue is so well grounded towards Christ that nothing can ouer come it or take it away from her neither persecutions on the one side nor worldly promotions on the other Surely as nothing can turne God from louing them Rom. 8.39 so nothing can turne them from louing God Reuel 12.11 Act. 21.13 In this respect they are like the Vine Oliue and Fig-tree that would not leaue their goodnesse to go to be aduanced aboue the other trees Iudg. 9.9 c. So that in this regard we must follow Christs Commandement when he said vnto his Disciples Abide in my loue Ioh. 15 9. Thus you haue heard in a few words what manner of loue it is that we must beare towards Christ when we doe accept of him for our Husband Examine now in your owne soules whether you haue this loue or no if you haue it blesse God for it but if you haue it not neuer be at rest till you haue gotten it And so I leaue the Appellation and come to the Declaration containing in it Christs teaching then the person whom hetaught Spake and said Here are two words vsed to expresse his teaching by they differ not much in signification The former of them noteth out as it were the opening of his mouth and that he began first The later sheweth what he vttered when he did so open his mouth and begin to speake The which to be so we may see not only by the force of the Hebrew word here vsed in the first place which doth signific in sermonem prorumpere vel clamare to breake out into words or to cry but also by the vse of both the words here vsed as they are ioyned together elsewhere in the Scriptures for if we marke them well wee shall finde them so taken as namely in Daniel Chapter 3.14.24.26 and Chapter 5.13 and Chapter 6.20 So that here is no mysterie as I take it included in this that two words are vsed and not one onely It is to shew that Christ began to speake first and that he himselfe was content to teach his Church A man might iudge that it was the part of the Church first to haue spoken to Christ considering that hee had beene now absent from her for a time and was now come againe in kindnes to visit her She should haue called out of the housevnto him and haue willed him to come in But alas there was too great carelesnesse in her and therefore he is faine to begin with her himselfe Thus doth God preuent vs with his graces he comes home to our houses and knockes at our doores and doth call vpon vs alowde before we will heare him and let him in Behold saith Christ in Reuel 3.20 I stand at the docre and krocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come in vnto him and will suppe with him and he with me Yea oftentimes when he doth knocke we will not seeme to heare and so suffer him to lay on knocking still vntill his head be full of dew and his lockes with the drops of the night yea which is more after that he hath awakened vs and we cannot but speake to him we are loath to arise to let him in making many vaine excuses for that purpose saying amongst other things I haue put off my coate how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them Cant. 5.3 Thus I might runne on to shew how backward the Church is on the one side and how forward Christ is on the other to doe her good but these things I will leaue to your owne deeper considerations Here a man may demand and aske Obiection how Christ did speake to his Church for we findein the Scriptures that he doth it after sundrie sorts and chiefely foure wayes First by his owne voice and in his owne person Secondly by the voice of his Spirit Thirdly by the voice of an Angell Lastly by the voice of his Minister Amongst all these wayes Answere this last doth seeme to be the onely way because that which is here vttered belongs to the Church at all times and in all ages of the world Howsoeuer Doct. in that Christ is said to speake and say when the Gospell was deliuered vnto her wee are taught this Doctrine that our Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe is there teaching men where his Word is truly taught and deliuered vnto men When Wisedome had sent forth her maidens they are not said to cry in the highest places of the Citie but shee is laid to cry Prou. 9.3 When Noth spake to the old World and for the space of sixescore yeares together did call vpon them for repentance and amendment of life that so they might not be drowned with the Floud hee is not said to preach vnto them but Christ by his Spirit in him 1 Pet. 3.19.20 Lastly when the Apostles went vnto the Gentiles that were a farre off and sounded out the words of eternall life vnto them for their saluation they themselues are not said to preach to them but Christ himselfe euen then when he was in his owne person ascended vp into heauâ—n and sate there at the right hand of his Father in the highâ—st places Epheâ— 2.17 Thus then you see that it is Christ that doth teach men in the Preaching of the Word And this our Sauiour doth for two causes Reason the one is in regard of his office for hee is the Angell of the Couenant Mal. 3.1 the Doctor of his Church Matth. 23.8 The Wisedome of his Father 1 Cor. 1.24 the word of God Ioh. 1.1 and in one word he is sent by God to preach Ephes 61.2 The other is in respect of his loue to man who came into this world to saue him and not to damne him for he knowes on the one side where no vision is there the people perish Prou. 29.18 Hâ—sea 4.6 Matth. 15.14 And on the other that none can know his Fathers will without him vnlesse he doth rouelle the same vnto him Ioh. 1.18 This may teach vs Vse what to iudge of the preaching of Gods word we must not take it for the word of man but as it is indeed for the word of God So did the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 As for the Minister hee is but the voice or truncke whereby Christ doth conuev heauenly things vnto vs in which regard they are compared to Stewards who must administer not their owne goods but their masters and one day must account for them 1 Cor. 4.1 And therefore looke whatsoeuer the Minister of Gods word doth deliuer