from them be glad of such excuse Surely this estate bewraieth a proud heart blessing it selfe with a fulnes and cloyedenes of the meanes and either sheweth vs to lie in some sinne presently or that we are like to fall into some sinne hereafter and that shortly Howbeit being absent iâ— hauing these or like affections wee can mourne beate our owne hearts and iudge our selues enquiring of the things spoken at their hands that haue been at the congregation if being absent in bodie with an humble sight of our want wee are as present in spirit if euen in time of exercises we bestow the time in prayer in reading or in meditation the Lord will shield vs from sinne and the shame of sinne Againe if wee shall finde our selues subiect to peeuishnes concupiscence or couetousnesse with lesse power to preuaile against them that wee haue had let vs feare least some pride hath gone before If wee cannot recouer our selues out of these euils by prayer or mourning let vs suspect our owne hearts that some securitie in the meanes hath ouertaken vs the Lord for a time hath left vs the diuell hath foyled vs. It is a blessed thing to get the victory of our faults before they be ioyned with the offences of the world with the griefe of the godly with the reproch of our aduersaries with the trouble of our owne consciences with the hazard of Gods glorie And therefore if it be so the good will of God let vs earnestly desire him that our trials and temptations may bee inward that they may bee stayed and stenched when they beginne that they breake not out abroade to the greater dishonour of the Lord and our further discomfort which surely they will doe if by cherishing them and not checking them wee striue not for some safetie against them Let vs humblie therefore long before feare this reproch to come and pray with the Prophet Lorde keepe mee from the reproch which I feare least otherwise the Lord seeing vs make no conscience in these cases bee auenged of vs who surely will dishonour them that sticke not to dishonour him Cease then to gaze at the worke of God and labour to gage the pride of your owne hearts in affection which the Lorde is contrained to shame vs with for the abuse of his graces for the discredit of his word the contempt of his glorie and for the neglect of our owne saluation which being before purposed rather then it should bee vnaccomplished wee shall haue shamefull Sergeants sent vnto vs as fire on our houses warres to spoyle our goods sicknes to weaken our bodies and torment of minde to scourge our consciences which will draw vs out by the eares from the heauie slumber of sinne wherein wee snorted And thus fitlie though suddenly we are slipt into the second point and obseruation of this doctrine which is that wee should not be too hie to enter into the gates of aduersitie nor being entred to behaue our selues vnpatiently as though it would vndoe vs to sit in the house of mourning a while rather wee must reioyce in it and be thankfull for it saying with the Prophet It is good for mee ô Lord that thou hast afflicted me c. because the holy Ghost here telleth vs that lowlinesse goeth before honour and in the schoole of humilitie wee shall learne the way to true glorie and Nobilitie Neither doe I here meane that affliction in it selfe hath of it selfe such vertue as to humble vs truly vnder the hand of God but when the spirit of God worketh with it that then it will breede in vs the fruites of righteousnesse repentance faith and holinesse it will driue vs to seeke comfort in the world to aske comfort by praier to yeeld comfort by compassion on other mens euils And therefore it is necessarie against the policie of Sathan who would discourage the Saints of God in their profession by dressing them with afflictions to stay our selues in this testimonie of the holy Ghost that before glorie goeth affliction and after lowlinesse commeth honor either in this life or in the life to come or in both This must further teach vs to profit by the threatnings of God publikely preached not to threaten them or to murmure against them that lay the iudgemeÌ„ts of God against vs in the law this must cause vs to make much of them that by sharpe censuring of vs will soonest draw vs out of sinne This must worke in vs a desire to reape some fruite by priuate admonitions yea and to call on others to admonish vs that we may still be kept in some good course of humilitie Further and besides this it is profitable for vs to frequent them that are sicke ready to diâ— perplexed in spirit imprisoned in chaines and oppressed with miserie that in them we may see our selues as in a mirrour and so with Moses to chuse rather to suffer afflictions then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a time This acquainting our selues with the iudgements of God will both rubbe off securitie and stirre vs vp to greater thankfulnes for our selues and pitie towardes others Wherefore they are not in the way of humilitie to obtaine glorie who are so tender sighted that they cannot abide to see the iudgements of God they are too daintie eared that cannot or that will not heare the threatnings of the Lawe saying oh I cannot abide to heare one in desperation I cannot away to heare such fearfull speeches to heare the diuell speake in one I loue not to see one lie gasping and panting in death These things would depriue me of all mirth breede melancholy and stirre me vp to mâ—â—â—es Nay this delicatenes to flye from the Lord thus drawing neere vs will hasten these things vpon vs which we will not profit by in others Such eyes to see such eares to heare such hearts to be humbled it becommeth Gods people to haue that as they loue nothing more than glorie so they labour for nothing more than humilitie as they shun nothing more than coÌ„fusion so they auoid nothing more than pride of heart Which that we may doe let vs cast down our selues before the throne of mercie in the name and mediation of Iesus Christour Sauiour O eternall God and our most louing father behold vs in thine owne couenant c. FINIS OF THE GOOD EDVCATION OF CHILDREN THE SIXTH SERMON Prouerbs 17. 21. Hee that begetteth a foole getteth himselfe sorrowe and the father of a foole can haue no ioy THE holie Ghost speaking in the Scripture of foolish sonnes as that he that beâ—etteth such a one getteth himselfe sorrowe and that the father of a foole hath no ioy meaneth it not so much of naturall idiots and such as are destitute of common reason although it is true that this is a lamentable iudgement of God and a heauines to the parents of such a childe as of wicked children such as
perceiued and felt and of the former that there be two sorts the first which is most fearefull when any doe purposely resist the motions of God his spirit and wilfully refuse the meanes of their saluation Of the which the Prophet Zacharie speaketh chap. 7. vers 11 c. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hostes sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets The outragious sinne of these men the Prophet Esay expresseth in these their owne fearefull tearmes chap. 28. 15. We haue made a couenant with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs for we haue made falsehood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hid This was a fearefull estate indeede yet for all that no man can say but some of those hauing so hardened their hearts might be and were afterwards conuerted The other kinde of hardnes of heart which is not felt nor perceiued or if perceiued yet not felt which albeit it is lesse fearefull yet it is dangerous enough is in such as although they wilfully resist not God his spirit in good means yet securely carelesly willingly they lie in sinne without any remorse of it or true taste of good things Such was Dauids state by the space of a yeere before Nathan the Prophet came to proue him and rouse him from his lulled sleepe Both these kindes I am perswaded you are free from otherwaies than in temptation Sathan may sometimes moue you thereunto The other kinde and hardnes of heart which is perceiued and felt is of two sorts the one in them which are desirous of meanes whereby they may be relieued although they do finde small or no ease in themselues for a time Of this kinde the Prophet Esay in the name of some of God his people complained Esay 63. 15. And such was Dauids state after that Nathan had reprooued him and God his spirit began â—â— worke with him yet crieth he out as you heard before of the losse of God his graces and when he saith that God will accept of no sacrifices be they neuer so many or pretious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him he wanted both This is your case and therefore you are in the state of saluation for Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sinne and had receiued absolution pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neither felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in truth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by God his mercie as you must be if you will haue mercie although he was far off from feeling it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to bee hoped of And you must knowe and bee perswaded that those things which are written of God his Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are ensamples for vs if wee will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time vntill he come neerer vnto vs by his spirite neerer I say for he is come already vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnes of minde and hardnes of heart to belieue certainely the truth of God his promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after comfort vsing the meanes of the Word and Prayer the Sacrament of the Supper and the company of God his children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that God his spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate though it may be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearfull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they doe perseuere and continue in desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the subtill sleight of the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometimes for a season to winnowe them as Wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes euen to speake euill of them But all this is but in temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie also repented that euer he preached in the Name of the Lord both scarcely abstained from blasphemy Dauid moued with the spirit of ambition thogh dutifully admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually premonished of his weaknes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rusheth as an horse into the battell and then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold corde and fasteneth it with banning and cursing And yet all these obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Satâ—aÌ„ had desired to winnow them so our Lord IESVS CHRIST prayed for them that their Faith thogh it were vehemeÌ„tly assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was battered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it were sore oppressed that it should not be extinguished And heere be you fully perswaded that though Luk. 22. 32. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith should not faile yet that hee prayed as well for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Sathan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue prayed for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend then the rest although their offence was very great therefore his and our most blessed Sauiour applyed to him the promise but did not impropriate it to him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Ioh. 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not only for the Apostles but for all those which should belieue through their word Yea further our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the fore-fathers were baptized into him and did eate his Flesh and drinke his bloud so was his prayer effectuall euen vnto them vnder the law much more vnto vs vnder grace And wheÌ„ you can finde testimony of your heart that when you would doe well
such was Dauids state After that Nathan had reproued him and Gods spirit beganne to worke with him yet hee crieth out as yee heard before of the losse of Gods graces and when hee saith that God will accept of no Sacrifices bee they neuer so manie nor precious without a contrite heart and broken spirit he sheweth that for a time euen after the Prophet had reproued him hee wanted both This is your case and therefore you a in the state of saluation For Dauid was in this case euen after he had confessed his sin and had receiued absolution and pardon from God by the ministerie of Nathan although he neuer felt ioy thereof nor true griefe for the other yet because in trueth of heart he confessed his sinne as my trust is you doe and was certainely perswaded of the pardonablenes of it by Gods mercy although he was farre off from the feeling of it or applying it to his wofull conscience his state was good and very well to be hoped of And you must know to be perswaded that those things which are written of Gods Saints and namely of Dauid and Peter and such others are examples for vs if we will stay our selues vpon the word of God in the ministerie of his seruants and waite vpon the Lords good time till he come neerer vnto vs by his spirit neerer I say for he is come alreadie vnto you or it may be he neuer went from you because to be grieued and humbled with blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to beleeue certainely the truth of Gods promises in generall and to reuerence the seruants of God which bring the glad tidings of saluation and to long after the comforts vsing the meanes of the word and prayer the Sacraments of the Supper and the company of Gods children contrarie to hope vnder hope yea without any present feeling all this is a certaine argument that Gods spirit is with such and therefore with you This estate although it be very grieuous yet it is neuer dangerous much lesse is it fearefull vnlesse any be so wilfull that they perseuere and continue desperate refusing all good meanes vnlesse they perseuere I say for that through the spirituall aduersarie and his forcible power whereby God suffereth him sometime for a season to winnow them as wheate they are so bewitched and intoxicated that they are carried by violent force of temptation to waxe wearie of or to refuse all meanes of comfort by fits yea almost to haue no desire at all vnto them yea sometimes to speake very euill of them but all this is but temptation and therefore God will be mercifull vnto them for Christs sake Thus Iob cursed the day of his birth and wished to be strangled Ieremie almost repented that euer he preached in the name of the Lord both scarcely abstaine from blasphemie Dauid mooued with the spirit of ambition though dutifull admonished wilfully went on in numbring the people Peter also vaingloriously presuming of his owne strength being most wisely and effectually preadmonished of his weakenes euen by our Lord Iesus yet wittingly rushing as a horse into the battaile euen then very cowardly yeeldeth yea doubly denieth yea strengtheneth his sinne with a threefold cord and fasteneth it with bannings and cursings and yet for all these he obtained mercie most bountifully For why as Sathan had desired to winnow them so our Lord Iesus prayed for them that their faith though it was vehemently assaulted yet should not be ouercome although it was bartered yet that it should not be destroyed and though it was oppressed yet that it should not be extinguished And here be you fully perswaded that albeit Luke 22. 31. the words seeme to runne as belonging but to Peter viz. I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile yet he prayed for the rest of the Apostles yea for all the faithfull For first he saith not Simon Satan hath desired to winnow thee but you Why then saith he I haue praied for thee Verily because he should more grieuously offend than the rest although their offence was very great therefore his our most blessed Sauiour applied to him the promise but did not appropriate it vnto him onely and restraine it from the rest Compare with this place Iohn 17. 20. and you shall see that the heauenly veritie affirmeth that he prayed not onely for the Apostles but for all those that should beleeue through their word yea further Our Lord Iesus Christ was yesterday is to day and shall be for euer And as the forefathers were baptized into him did eate his flesh and did drinke his blood so was his prayer effectuall euen to them vnder the law much more to vs vnder grace And when you can finde testimonie in your heart that when you would doe well euill is present with you and that you doe the euill you would not then do not you it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue much more when Sathan workes withall buffetting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shall be perfect in your weakenes If you beleeue according to your faith it shal be done vnto you But you will say you cannot beleeue that this vile crocked hardnes of your heart can be remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to Gods spirit or to your selfe who hath receiued it Tell mee what is the reason why you thinke you haue no faith Verely because you haue no feeling nor any other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and fruit of faith and therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may bee without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded and diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and to his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man bee sore wounded by Satan and diseased by the present feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptations that he may thinke yea appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid declared that his heart was vncleane or his spirit crooked or vnstable and that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet hee prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore he was not
were not vnprepared for it if contrarie by thinking and forecasting and fearing such an euill if the Lord be not mercifull because God doth often correct some sinne past which we regarded not or foreshewes some sinne to come which we were not afraide of and an euill dreame doth shew some euill in the heart either in some sinne alreadie committed or in some sinne which may be shortly committed If the dreame be terrible it is good to auoid all the occasions of that euill and to giue our selues to prayer and not to giue too great credit to dreames least they weaken faith The best is to be neither too remisse nor too wise in them but to labour to profit by them because the Lord by leauing such long impressions in vs doth as it were call vpon our consciences not to passe them ouer without some vse 2 Being asked how one might auoide the sinne of vncleane dreames in the night he said first it were good to auoide all obiects and wandring thoughts in the day and securitie of praying against it at night If these meanes did not preuaile we must then think that God calleth vs to some more earnest repentance for this or some other sinne before committed specially we are to beware of companie such as may stirre vs vp vnto euill either labouring not to come into their companie or hauing iust occasion to doe it with feare and with prayer and doing this not to tarrie longer than godly occasion is offered Distraction of minde 1 BEing asked why a man after sundrie and laborious reading in his calling being desirous by meditation to apply the things read vnto himselâ—e was so much interrupted and violently suddenly and vnwillingly drawne into other conceites he said it was either want of preparing and sanctifying our hearts by prayer before we set vpon so holy an exercise and therefore the Lord correcteth the pride of our â—â—ts and presumption of our hearts in being bold to worke vpon holy matters in our own strength or else for that we resting vpon a generall purpose of thinking some good thing or at least not to thinke any euil did not fasten our minde constantly or continually vpon some particular obiect but raunging vp and downe as hauing some part of our affections studies and meditations voide for some other matters did not wholy seriously set on the thing propounded to our selues The trueth hereof may appeare hereby for that which the heart is throughly set vpon it is so attentiue to that it can be present to no other thing at that instant especially if it be an hindrance to the thing taken in hand Dulnes 1 HE said after his great ioyes conceiued of some effectuall working of God in himselfe he most commonly not long after fell into deadnes and dulnes and thereby was humbled so that vntill that he was prepared with some new grace from God and had receiued some new mercie at his hands he was very vnfit to performe any seruice vnto God or men 2 Deadnes of the spirit is the graue of many heauenly graces Doctrine 1 BEcause in reading of examples we restraine duties to certaine persons and wring our own necke out of the yoke or else we chiefly tye the mercies of God to them and thinke they appertaine not to vs it is good to learne certaine rules whereby we may know when the vse of the doctrine is generall and when particular which is set downe in singular examples Three rules are to be obserued first if we reade of any thing in particular we are to search whether in some other place in the Scripture the samething is not set downe generally that is whether that which is commeÌ„ded or discommended in some proper person be not commanded or forbidden to all if it be then the vse of that is generall not particular but if it be a particular precept enioyned to some one and no warrant found in the word of that to be done of another then it is a thing personall proper to some not general appertaining to all The second rule is that wheresoeuer there is a generall equitie of a thing there is a general practise to be had howsoeuer we see it set down but in particular The third is whersoeuer by the scope of the place there appeares a generall drift either by something going before or comming after though the present place seemeth to be particular yet there is a generall vse of the doctrine to be gathered out of it Exercise of religion 1_THe wicked not daring openly to professe iniquitie redeeme times secretly to commit it so though we haue not the strength to professe religion publikely yet let vs redeeme times secretly to frequent the exercises of godlinesse 2 As it is but a small pleasure so long as we are in the gardeÌ„ to be delighted with the smel of herbes vnlesse we gather of euery kinde some to carrie with vs that so we may haue the benefit of the garden though we be farre from it And as it is but a small comfort to be rauished with sweet odors so long as we are in the Apothecaries shop and afterward to want them so it is but a flattering ioy nay rather a starting ioy no longer to be affected with the word and religion than we are in the Church therefore we must gather here and there that may worke on our affections when we be farre from the place where they grew 3 We must vse all exercises of reading hearing conferring praying singing and meditating but we must not tye the working of Gods spirit to any one particular Experience of our corruption 1 WE shall neuer be brought hungerly to seeke after Christ vntill we come by the last precept to see and feele our naturall corruption where of we must not onely haue knowledge but experience also as S. Paul had Rom. 7. Now wheras the Papists say that this corruption is a sinne in the vnregenerate but â—â—t in the regenerate we say it is a sinne in both I say a bare knowledge hereof is not sufficient for euen the knowledge of our corruption is not without the corruption of a priuie pride Faith IT is harder to beleeue in the abundance of worldly things than it is in the want of them for these things are as it were vailes set betwixt God and vs they stay our sight in them that it cannot pearce to God 2 As the arme being soundly knit to the body receiueth pith and strength from the bodie to resist all euill and to draw all good things vnto it and being but out of ioynt and the sinewes which did knit it to the body being loosed it hath no such force to performe duties so our faith being the meanes spiritually to ioyne vs vnto the Lord we receiue strength so long as it is sound both to resist euill and accomplish good but if it decay and fall
a surgeon to shew vs our sinnes than a sergeant to arrest vs to perpetuall imprisonment for our sinnes 3 Sathan hath two waies to buffet vs first he moueth to despaire shewing vs how such men did abide trouble but they were rare men of rare faith of rare feeling of rare patience God hath not called vs to that measure of grace we are vnworthie by reason of our sinnes to hope for the like faith or fruites of faith His other temptation sauours of pride when he will make vs equall in dignitie with the highest of Gods Saints but vnequall in dutie with them then he will perswade that God is as good and as strong to vs as he hath been to others but he keeps vs from vsing those waies and meanes whereby others haue and we ought to haue this goodnesse and power of God conueyed into vs. Wherefore as we must not distrâ—st God that we shall obtaine the like mercie with others if we vse the like meanes so we must not be so bold as to dreame that euer we shall haue the like fauour with them vnlesse we labour for the like faith with them the like faith I say though not in quantitie â—â—â—â— qualitie and that by vse of the meanes 4 Vnto one that said he was possest of a Diuell he answered as hoping that he was the childe of God and rather deluded than so afflicted True it is that as much as lieth in you you haue giueâ— ouer your selfe vnto the Diuell but it is not in your power to giue ouer your selfe vnto him neither is it in his iurisdiction to possesse you Superstition 1 MAny hauing escaped out of the gulfe of superstition are too deepe plunged in prophanenes Strange corrections 1 VNto a very godly man whose onely sonne was drowned and therfore came vnto him in great anguish of minde and asked whether such strange corrections were not alwaies tokens of strange sinnes He answered That albeit God did seuerely correct sinne in it yet it was not necessarie that God should chiefly respect the punishment of sinne in this thing as might appeare in the like dealing with Iob and other of his children Eccl. 9. Such things happen oftner to the good c. Howbeit said he God might correct your securitie herein which either brings some sinne or crosse or God might correct your immoderate loue of him or your vnthankfulnes for what measure he was reformed or your not praying for him or the Lord might take away this consolation and withdraw wholie your minde from the world and more throughly sanctifie you to himselfe Or he might preuent some worldlinesse which you might haue fallen into or some sinne which your sonne might haue fallen into which would haue been a sorer trouble than his death and therefore you must stay your selfe on the loue of God in all Saluation 1 THat man is blest whom God hath from all beginnings chosen to eternall life To whom God hath giuen his Christ as a perfect redeemer In whoÌ„ he hath sealed the assurance of â—l those things by his holy spirit to whom he hath giuen his word in whom the word and spirit haue begot faith by whose power faith hath begotten ioyes in heauenly things in whom ioy hath wrought a sincere heart to please God in whom sinceritie is accompanied with loue vnfained to the Lord and his Saints loue ioyned with a care to obey the commandements this care breeding a reuerent feare to please God in whom this godly feare rebuketh sinne thâ— rebuking of sin worketh a mourning spirit in whom a mourning spirit begetteth true meekenes this meekenes of minde causing vs to hunger after Christ. So as feeling his owne miserie he is taught to shew mercie vnto others and so sheweth mercie as it is with the bowels of compassion whose heart God so gouerning that all outward benefits turne to his blessing as seales of the fauour of God vnto whom all crosses being sanctified in Christ turne to his good who finally in this faith and fruites of faith meekely and patiently possessing his soule waiteth and looketh assuredly for the glorious kingdome of God after this life This is the golden chaine of vndoubted blessednesse whose linckes are so fastened the one in the other that wheresoeuer any of them be wanting there is a breach and weakenes made in the whole To make speede to good things 1 AS it is a fearefull thing to hasten to doe euill and to linger to an euill thing is an holy lingring so it is a blessed thing to hasten to godlinesse and to make speede to a good thing is a hastines very godly Psal. 42. Psal. 95. Elisha must not salute any body in the way the Apostles must not commune with any in their iourney and why They must make haste to doe the will of God It is profitable to make haste to heauen but it is no wisedome to make haste to hell and yet to doe well we finde a Lion in the streetes but to doe euil nothing can stay vs He that euil come to heauen must make haste for the kingdome of God must be taken violently he must be like those wise virgins not lingeâ—ing to get oyle nor delaying â—o furnish themselues with the graces of God against the comming of Christ. Sleepe 1 BEcause great naturall and worldly sorrow and ioy will cause a man to breake his sleepe at midnight he â—ould trie himselfe whether sorrow for sinne and ioy in saluation had caused him to doe the like Sermons 1 MAny men may be said to be Sermon-sick as there are some said to be Sea-sick for as they that are Sea-sicke for the time of their seafaring so long as they be on the water are feeble stomacked faint hearâ—ed euer readie to die and yet arriuing on the land being gotten out of the ship and hauing paused some little time doe begin to forget their late troubles and to recouer their former strength againe So many so long as they are in the Church hearing and are tossed by the power of the word their hearts are sicke their consciences melt they are much troubled but when once the voyce ceaseth and they are out of the Church doores and haue acquainted themselues with the aire of the world they forget what they heard and wherewith they were moued and so retire to their former life againe Schisme 1 ALthough it is sure that a good man shall not finally fall in the maine points of his saluation yet hee may be seduced in some lesse matters but for all that in the end he shall escape but the seducer shall surely be punished For a well meaning man found in faith and yet a nouice in Christ may be carried to like some solemne superstitions and poâ—pous ceremonies in the worship of God Againe a man careful and right in the substance of saluation for
the second time And as we must not flatter our selues in euery motion as though we were sealed most surely so one sparke of pure zeale doth fire out the diuell and his whole traine Surely we must doe as much for our God as the wicked for the diuell that is we must be swept of all corruptions and garnished with all graces of God his spirit that the Lord may delight in his hold in vs euen as the wicked gratifie their Prince of darknes with sweeping cleane away the graces of God and furnishing euery roome with some loathsome sinne or other 28 The neerer Christ his comming was the cleerer was the Law Moses saw it cleerer than the Patriarches the Prophets saw it more cleerely than Moses Iohn Baptist more euidently than the Prophets Christ Iesus more spiritually than they all did see into it and taught it not as a teacher of any new doctrine which the grosse Pharises dwelling on the literall sense did thinke but as a confirmer and more diuine reader of the Law than euer had beene in any age before which thing we must needes beleeue For if Christ be the Fathers Counseller then is he wonderfull and why is he so wonderfull but because his doctrine is a mysterie if his doctrine be a mysterie no maruell though so many see not into it In this spritual interpreter the Fathers Counseller whose name is Wonderfull must we beleeue 29 There is no striuing in sinne but in God his iudgement and wrath and therefore it is vsuall with the Lord to checke sinne sooner in his owne children than in the wicked and to rebuke it sorer in his children regenerate than in them that are not renewed and to withstand more seuerely sin in his children renewed and hauing more plentifull meanes than in the regenerate not hauing so great a measure of the meanes 30 We must labour to haue the feare of God before our eyes alwaies Beleeue we cannot alwaies reioyce in God we cannot alwaies faith is often faint loue is little ioy is dead feeling is fallen asleepe yet if we continue in the feare of God fearing our selues for the absence of these things it will be a meane to recouer them all againe For this iealousie of our selues least we should displease God will driue vs to such an examination of our owne hearts as we seeing these wants we are constrained to mourne vntill the graces of God shine to vs againe but if this feare be once gone yea though we had those other gifts yet will they decay and we shall fall into so deepe a peace with our sinnes that though we slip very grossely we will neuer suspect our selues for any thing 31 That man is truly blessed whom God hath from all beginnings chosen to whom God hath giuen his Christ as a perfit Redeemer in whom he hath sealed vp the assurance of these things by his holy spirit to whom he hath giuen his word in whom the word and spirit haue begot faith by whose power Faith hath begotten ioyes in heauenly things in whom ioy hath wrought a sincere heart to please God in whom sinceritâ—e is accompanied with loue vnfained to the Lord and his Saints loue ioyned with a care to obey his commaundemens this care breeding a reuerend feare to displease God in whome this godly feare rebuketh sinne the rebuking of sinne worketh a mourning spirit in whom a mourning spirit begetteth true meekenes this meekenesse of minde causing vs to hunger after Christ so as feeling his owne miserie he is taught to shew mercie vnto others and so sheweth mercie as it is with the bowels of compassion whose heart God so gouerning all outward benefites turne to his blessing as seales of the fauour of God vnto whome all crosses being sanctified in Christ turne to his good who finally in this faith and fruites of faith meekely and patiently possessing his soule waites and looketh assuredly for the glorious kingdome of God after this life This is the golden chaine of the vndoubted blessednes whose linkes doe so coherently ioyne together that wheresoeuer aâ—â—â— of the least is wanting there is a breach and weaknes made in the whole 32 Great is the power and mightie is the force of the feare of God that is when wee haue a sure perswasion we are still in the presence of the God of all glorious Maiestie not sparing the least sinne vnrepented and yet in the sight of a most gracious Father not punishing the greatest sinne repented of First we consider this Maiestie and glory and are driuen to seeke comfort in Christ Secondly when we remember through Christ the seate of Maiestie to be turned into a seate of mercie and the throne of glorie to be made a throne of grace our feare is corrected tempered and mittigated least it should be excessiue that is rather hindering the certaintie of faith than repressing the securitie of the flesh For so exquisite is God his iustice so great is his glorie so bright is his Maiestie that without the view of his fauour we could not abide it Neither doth this faith in God his mercie abolish but correct the feare of his Maiestie Againe sure it is so long as we haue this feare before our eyes howsoeuer we may of ignorance or infirmitie sinne yet we shall neuer sinne presumptuously or if forgetting our selues we slip suddenly we shal not lie long in our sin but this feare of God will soone draw vs out and recouer vs. 33 The cause why oft our hearts want libertie and comfort in prayer is because our consciences tell vs that we haue beene vnthankful for the former benefits And therefore we must be thankfull as we are readie to craue For therefore is the Church often afflicted that it may often pray that often praying it may pull downe many benefits froÌ„ the Lord that pulling downe many benefits from God it may returne many praises vnto him In this dutie the godly differ from others for though others haue the outward benefits yet hauing no feeling of the fauour of God in them they cannot hartily praise him for them Another cause why our prayers are feeble is because our faith is faint but God can as well denie himselfe and cast downe his throne from heauen as denie to heare vs crying in faith which if we were perswaded of we should haue more heart in prayer yea euery little want would set vs a worke in it It is not a particular practise of God at one speciall time to receiue our prayers as it was of certaine Princes once in the yeere sitting in the gate to accept freely the bils of request preferred vnto them but it is an vnchangeable nature in God so as no sooner than he can cease to be a God can he cease to heare our requests Wherefore if our faith be weake in the assurance of our sinnes pardoned we must know that the Lord hauing chosen vs though our iniquities be as black as the
partly of those which were done after our calling Euery man especially hauing his reason reformed by the word of God will graunt an examination of the life before our true knowledge of God in Christ to be most needfull But it may be some will thinke that we neede not to be so precise in the searching of those sinnes which were after our knowledge But seeing of all other sinnes these bite forest and pierce deepest for that they are aggrauated with all the mercies of God going before and sinne is then most sinfull when after we know the trueth after we haue beene deliuered from sinne after we haue beene inlightened with the grace of God we haue fallen into it I thinke that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sinnes Wherfore to iterate our former examples in a new matter as we may see the former kinde of examining of our sinnes before our calling in the sonnes of Iacob so we haue a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid who at the hearing of his sinnes was so troubled in his spirit that he could not rest in the Prophets speech telling him that his sinne was forgiuen him but still was disquieted as one vtterly forsaken of God and could finde no comfort of Gods spirit in him For as it fareth often with sores it commeth to passe in sinnes we are loath to haue our wounds often grated vpon we cannot so well away to haue our sores rifled feared and lanced but fedde with healing salues so we are hardly brought to haue our consciences ground or our sinnes ransacked sifted searched and ripped vp but would still haue them plaistered with sweet promises and bathed in the mercies of God whereas it is farre safer before incarnatiue and healing medicines to vse corrosiue and mundifying waters without which though some sores may seeme to close and skin vp apace yet they proue worse and being rotten still at the core they haue aboue a thin skin and vnderneath dead flesh In like manner we would cloake we would hide and couer our sinnes as it were with a curtaine but it is more sound Chirurgerie to pricke pearce our consciences with the burning iron of the Law and to cleanse the wound of the soule by sharpe threatnings least that a skin pulled ouer the conscience for a while we leaue the rotten corruption vncured vnderneath and so we be constrained to cry out of our sinnes openly As it is a folly then to dissemble our sores whilest they be curable and after to make them known when they be growne vncurable so it is as great folly to dissemble our sinnes whilest they may be remedied so after be constrained with shame to blaze them abroad when thou maist think them remediles But of this by the way because we shall more largely touch it in the last part to come It is sufficient to commit sinne before knowledge but after some good light of the spirit to sinne breedeth either hardnesse of heart or a troubled spirit both which we shall auoid if in trueth we be carefull to watch ouer our affections and beware that after our deliuerie we fall not into sinne againe Seuerall men subiect to seuerall sinnes haue their seuerall checkes in their consciences some are ouercome with wrath and yet after the moodie fit they can tell that the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God some are subiect to lust and afterwards they say it profiteth them nothing some are giuen to a continuall course of vanitie who notwithstanding can say that mans life hath another ende some slippe deepely into worldlinesse yet they be often weakened with most terrible checks of conscience Well blessed are they whose hearts be truely grieued and let them beware that make daliance with sinne for either hardnesse of heart will ouertake them or a troubled conscience will confound them Wherefore it comes to passe that many spending their bodies on lust lament that euer they so abused their strength many giuen too much to the pleasure of this life had griefe come vpon them to remember how they haue spent Gods graces lauished his good gifts and mispent their time or else if they haue not this griefe they fall into voluptuousnesse and draw such a thicke skin vpon their hearts as will cause the strongest denouncings of Gods iudgements to rebound be they driuen on neuer so hard And sure it is the sinne of this world that men being controlled in their consciences whilest they are a praying and feele a secret charge laide against them to beware of guile in buying and selling either haue these checks lesse and lesse and so they grow to be prophane or else afterward they are wonderfully wounded that they haue beene â—o worldly so greedily pursuing earthly things so coldly procuring heauenly things Thus euen our priuie thoughts not profited by are breeders of farther trouble Now the remedie against this trouble is willingly and wiâ—tingly not to cherish sinne to wish that the Minister should touch our most priuie and secret sinnes to be glad priuatly to be admonished to profit by our enemies when they do reproch vs and rather to desire in such a case to be humbled than to suffer our selues to be flattered This trying of ourselues must yet stretch it selfe further not onely to the committing of euill but also to the omitting of good As when after some good working and feeling of the spirit we begin to fight and conflict with our owne consciences saying though I must pray I must haue time also to prouide for my familie if I goe to heare the word of God surely I shall be in danger to loose this profit if I thus attend vpon the exercises of religion I shall be cut short in the vse of my pleasures Wherefore it shall be good to search our harts not onely in the carelesse not vsing of the meanes but also in the negligent watching ouer the fruites of the meanes saying to ourselues in this maner I haue heard a Sermon but alas without any feeling or working vpon my affections I haue beene praying but with no power of the spirit I haue receiued the sacrament but without those ioyes glorious and vnspeakable which I was wont to taste of I saw the discipline of the Church executed but without any feare of sinne at all in my selfe or compassion to the member censured And here I dare for my owne obseruation assuredly affirme that outward sinnes haue not beene at sometime so grieuous to Gods children as that they haue some times vsed the meanes with little reuerence and with lesse fruite And no maruell we shall see many men at some times not so much grieued for their sicknesse it selfe as for that they haue either willingly neglected the means which might haue preserued their health or that they haue abused the Physicke that might haue restored their health to them
you for it is a speciall thing and I know it shall doe you good if God blesse it vnto you for if you be assured in your hearts that it was the Lord who in his gracious prouidence brought you thus together you shall be comforted against all troubles and hindrances that shall by any meanes be raised vp against you For this is the nature of Sathan to bring men and women to this doubt and when they once yeeld vnto it what trouble and what strife doth he worke betwixt them For whereupon ariseth that impatiencie of spirit that we see to be in many in murmuring in chiding in cursed speeches much like vnquietnes doth it not come of this because they haue not a reuerend perswasion that the Lord in his prouidence as by his owne hand ioyned them in that neere bond and coniunction together Therefore my good brother and sister as you would continue and increase in much loue and peace one towards another marke I say this point diligently for it shal be a very comfortable stay vnto you both whatsoeuer should fall out afterwards contrarie to that you looked for as if there should be any disagreement in your seuâ—rall dispositions and natures or if you should fall into sicknesses into any diseases or such like trials you remembring that this was the Lords doing you may be more assured that yet for all this it shall be well in the end if you be coÌ„stant in prayer calling vpoÌ„ God the Father through faith in Iesus Christ. Now that you may prooue vnto your owne harts that the Lord hath knit you thus together you must consider that it must needs be the Lord who hath moued the harts of your Christian parents to giue their lawfull consents vnto you in the same and God in mercie shall giue you greater assurance of it if you marke his dealings with you from time to time Now as touching your faith in Iesus Christ vnderstand that mariage is holy vnto them onely whose hearts are sanctified by faith in his name And although God will alwaies approue his owne ordinance yet it must needs prooue hurtfull in the end vnto them who call not for his blessing vpon the same and without repentance will turne to their further condemnation Therefore you are both to examine your selues diligently herein you brother A. must learne hereby so to loue your wife as Christ Iesus loued his Spouse his Church that is to say euen as our Sauiour Christ is very patient towards it and by little and little purgeth washeâ—h and clenseth away the corruption of it so you must in like manner in all wisedome vse the meanes and with a patient minde waite for the amendment of any thing that you shal finde to be amisse in your wife that the graces of Gods spirit may daily increase in her Therefore I charge you in the sight of God his Angels and as you will answere vnto me and the parents of this my sister before the iudgement seate of Christ that as you receiue her a virgin from her parents so you neglect no dutie whereby her saluation may be furthered that you may present her pure blamelesse as much as in you lieth vnto Iesus Christ when he shall call you to account And doe not thinke that this is a harder charge thaÌ„ is meete for seeing that God hath promised a blessing vnto those husbands that are faithfull to the conuerting of their vnbeleeuing wiues how much more then shall you preuaile with a Christian daughter and one I hope that hath receiued the faith as well as your selfe And you my sister must likewise take heede that you refuse not to obey your husbaÌ„d in all things agreeable to Gods most holy word For you must by his ordinance be subiect vnto him euen as the Church is subiect vnto Iesus Christ. And as the Church should be but a strumpet and be vnworthie of Christ and those blessings which he bringeth with him for her if she should not receiue and acknowledge him as her head so could you not looke for any benefit from your husband vnlesse you should submit your selfe vnto him according to the commandement of God Neither do I thus charge you with any obedience but in the Lord for if he should require any such thing of you as should cause you to depart from Christ I would haue you in any case remember that you are principally espoused vnto Christ. And herein also you must consider that there will be speciall araces of obedience and modestiâ— and goodnesse looked for of you not onely in respect of your good education but also because of that help which is now offered vnto you And when the holie Ghost in the Scriptures telleth you that the belieuing wife may through his blessing winne the vnbeliâ—uing Husband if so be shee walke christianlie in godly conuersation with modestie and scare before him let this encourage you to hope for better successe by all meanes of dealing towards one that is faithfull and I trust will be willing in all good things to comfort you Now thirdly in that you are taught to belieue in God the holie Ghost it admonisheth you to pray for his teaching that you may by him be led into all truth and be further instructed drawne vnto euery Christian dutie froÌ„ time to time The duties are very many to be gathered out of euery article as also out of the seuerall Commandements but I will onely giue you a taste and touch oâ—ely some one dutie required of you in euerie one of them In that you belieue that there is an vniuersall Church and Communion of Saints you must bee diligent to approoue your selues one to each other that you are parts and members thereof and further the graâ—es that God hath bestowed vpon either of you must be common in the vse thereof to each other so againe you must sustaine the infirmities one of another Finallie you must prouoke and stâ—re vp oâ—e another that your Faith may be strengthened and your selues comforted against all other griâ—fes by the assurance you shall haue wrought in you concerning the forgiuenes of sinnes wherein your happines doth consist as also in the hope of the resurrection of your bodies and the continuall meditation of eternall life We will come now to the Commaundements and first for the first commandement which requireth all spirituall seruice of you that is due vnto the Lorde that you stedfastly belieâ—e in him loue him with all your hearts and with feare and reuerence to call vpon his Name in all things giuing thanks as to him which is the author giuer of euery good and perfect gift vnto you You must make the profite of this commandement that if you will looke in truth of heart to be faithfull louing and dutifull one to the other these graces must spring from the other as being the fountaine and well-spring of all life and truth vnto them For
that before the foundation of the world was laide the foundation of our saluation was made before we sinned the remedie against sinne was found before the maladie the Lord had prepared a medicine before wee were damned he had purposed a way how wee should be saued In respect whereof seeing we are rather to reioyce in this that our names are written in heauen than if wee had power without hurt to treade on Scorpions or had spirites subdued vnto vs Luke 10. 19. 20. wee conclude with the Prophet Psalm 65. 4. Blessed is the man O God whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee The substance of this blessednes is our redemptiō in Christ Iesus which is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 29 by whose blood we haue the forgiuenes of our sinnes Ephes. 1. 7 and by whose Spirit when we haue beleeued the Gospel wee haue the earnest of our inheritance Ephes. 4. 14. The excellent price whereof is set out vnto vs herein in that being filthy in the blood of our sinnes he washed vs with his owne blood Heb. 9. 14. in that hee being iust suffered for vs being vniust 1. Pet. 3. 18. in that we being of no strength vngodly he died for vs Rom. 5. 6. in that we being enemies through sinne were reconciled by him to God the Father Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore seeing he is Blessed whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Psalm 32. 2. let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome as though it made him happie nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither let the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glorie in this that hee knoweth the mercie of the Lord wherein consisteth our saluation Ier. 9. 23 24. And let vs all learne the meaning of the salutation of Elizabeth to the virgin Marie Luk. 42. Blessed art thou because the fruite of thy wombe is blessed The formal cause is the illumination of God his spirit making vs capable of the former mysteries sealing them to vs with such assurance in our hearts that wee dare boldly crye Abbafather that wee dare boldly say If God bee on our side who can stand against vs Such blindnesse folly and incredulitie possesseth vs by nature that of our selues we can neither see into these mysteries of our saluatiō nor beleeue the thing we see concerning our comfort vntill we haue receiued of this Spirit which cōmeth from aboue For none commeth to Christ vnlesse the father draw him and how draweth he but by inlightening the hearts of his elect by the holy Ghost Ioh. 6. 44 Wherefore seeing these things are not reuealed vnto vs but by the Spirit 1. Corinth 2. 14. we end with that blessing of the Lord Iesus to Peter Matth. 16. 17. Blessed art thou Simon thou sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not opened this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen The instrumentall cause is partly within vs as faith partly without vs as the word and the appurtenances accompanying the same as Prayer the Sacramēts the discipline of the Church Faith being the ground of things which are hoped for the euidence of things which are not seene Heb 11. 1. doth so applie the promises of God to our proper and peculiar comforts that it sealeth vs vp to the Lord affoording a certaine testimonie to our hearts that we haue not in vaine receiued of the good spirit of God Now because there is a certaine kind of faith which Satan himselfe doth broach in his schoole and propounds as a principle to all his schollers seeing the Papists vrge faith in their vnwritten verities the Familists will haue it in their foolish reuelations The Turke requireth it in his dry speculations of Mahomet and the wizzard will seeme to demaund it in his deuillish incantations we must not beleeue euery spirit but trust to the word onely which is our sure load-starre and touch-stone and being it selfe firme doth make our faith in it most firme sure and vnchangeable This blessednesse to haue the Lord communicate himselfe to vs by his word is priuiledged aboue that praise which the woman gaue our Sauiour Christ Luk. 11. 27. as may appeare by his sharpe answer Yea blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Wee conclude then with the Psalmist Blessed are they that dwell in the house of the Lord they will euer praise him Blessed is the man whose strength is in the Lord and in whose heart are his waies Psal. 84. 4. 5. If the Queene of Saba coūted those men happy that might stand before Salomon and heare his wisedome 2. Chron 9. 7. if Dauid thought it a high recompence and princelike benefit to preferre the sonne of Barzillai to sit at the table of Salomon how great is our happines to heare the wisedome of Christ how high is our blessednes to sit at the table of the Lord where not Salomon but a greater than Salomon is present where not Salomon but a wiser than Salomon speaketh vnto vs Behold then the causes of true blessednes which are our election redemption illumination sanctification all which are sealed vnto vs by the holy Ghost the spirit working faith through the word preached Christ Iesus so sending his Spirit to renue vs God the Father sending his Sonne to redeeme vs redeeming vs to call vs calling vs to iustifie vs iustifying vs to sanctifie vs sanctifying vs hee sealeth vs by his spirit and so by all these doth hee lay the sure ground-worke of our saluation and eternall blessednes Concerning the effects of blessednesse some are inward and some are outward the effects inward are partly in respect of our selues only partly in regard both of our selues and of others those in our selues are either concerning mortification or about our sanctification The first of these is both truly orderly couched in that sermon of the Lord Iesus Marth 5. where those men are set in the first ranke who are emptied both of the opinion of their owne wisedome and of all perswasion of their owne righteousnesse and of those it is said Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Now because many haue lost their hold in iudgement who haue not so throughly giuen ouer in affection in the next degree happines is promised to such who are so farre descended into the sight of their owne vilenes and sense of their naturall coruptions that they are not onely conuinced of an vnrighteousnesse inherent in their iudgements but also are much humbled for it in their affections of whom the Lord of comfort hath thus determined Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Further for that Sathan laboureth and preuaileth much in ouer comming exercised mindes with pettie shames a thing oft incident to afflicted consciences the next be atitude is allotted to them that are meeke in spirit
counteruaileth all the rest and saith that the Lord will giue them his Spirit to be powred out vpon all flesh which may seale and season all other his benefits and which neuer should leaue them vntill they were come to life euerlasting Aboue all gifts then in the world this is the gift of gifts the Spirit of God in which one the Lord preferres vs not onely aboue all other earthly creatures but also aboue many men like to ourselues whilest he maketh vs Kings Priests Prophets by powring the same spirit vpon vs. The excelleÌ„cie of this benefit Christ himselfe teacheth vs where he teacheth the people to pray saying Which of you iâ— your childe shall aske you a peâ—ce of bread will insteâ—d of bread giue him a stone c if you that be euill doe know how to giue vnto your children good things when they aske them how much more shall your heauenly father giue you good things saith Matthew his Spirit saith Luke This is the top this is the head this is the height this is the depth of all good things euen the Spirit Now if this is life eternall Ioh. 17 3. to know the Father to be the only very God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and no man can euer doe this but by the spirit of God whereby we know and beleeue this according to the word and so liue for euer who will denie this gift of all gifts to be most principall If this be the dignitie of dignities that we are the children of God and heires of a better life how precious a thing is it to haue the priuiledge of God his owne spirit which giueth vs the full title interest and assurance of all these things vnto vs Againe if this be the â—ulnes of our reioycing in the day of Christ that he is made of God vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption and that through him we are as fully more assuredly perfect as euer Adam was in his creation and we cannot haue this wisedome vnlesse the Spirit telleth vs how we are cleered thereby from our ignorance we cannot reioyce in this righteousnes vnlesse the spirit assureth vs that by it we are acquited from our guiltines we can haue no comfort in that holines vntill we know by God his spirit it answereth for our impurenes and prophanenes and so seuereth vs and putteth vs apart to the works of sanctification we cannot triumph in our redemption vntill the comfortable spirit of God stay our impatient spirits by an vndoubted expectation for the glorious appearing thereof without this spirit all things are death but with this all things are life This bringeth knowledge in the things whereof we are ignorant this brings to our remembrance the things which we haue knowne and forgotten this assures vs of things wherein we haue been wauering this ioyneth vs to God and vniteth vs to Christ when we goe astray we come home by the spirit when by it we are renewed and by the same we are established come life come death come honour come dishonour prosperitie aduersitie wealth or woe the one shall not too much lift vs vp the other shall not too much cast vs downe If the Lord giueth vs an healthfull bodie credit riches and authoritie we are hereby resolued to glorifie God by these things to redeeme the time and so to possesse them as though we possessed them not if the Lord denieth vs these things and sendeth sicknes discredit pouertie and obscuritie the Lord will send a recompence of inward things and wanting bodily health he will giue the saluation of our soules in stead of outward credit we shall haue credit with God and be well thought of among his children and if wanting worldly riches we be enriched with heauenly things we haue lost nothing hauing changed drosse and dung for gold Without this wit becommeth subtiltie wisedome worldly policie authoritie is armed to tyraÌ„nie dignitie breedes ambition riches engeÌ„ders couetousnes Physicke is made vnfaithfulnes Law proueth craftines Diuinitie degenerates into heresie to be briefe without this heauenly gift of God sanctifying all gifts the wiser man the fairer man the stroÌ„ger man the fitter pray for the diuell the meeter subiect for him to work vpon But to haue wit and therewith the spirit of God sanctifying it what a thing is this To haue riches and the spirit of God to vse them is a double blessing to haue authoritie and in it to be guided by God his spirit what good may one hauing this benefit doe either in Church or Common-wealth If the spirit be absent all turneth to our hurt to God his dishonour to the establishing of Satans kingdome and with this all things are seasoned with their vse seruice and ministerie vnto vs. Oh how are we to pray that Ministers that Magistrates that euery one of vs may haue so great a good The Ministers that they may purely boldly preach Iesus Christ that they may be Ministers of the quenching spirit not Ministers of the bare and killing letter that they may preach the crosse of Christ sincerely and not themselues vain gloriously Magistrates that they may prouoke obedience by good gouernment that we our selues might liue holily both before God and men This then is that which keepeth a tenour in all things this giueth the pith and marrow of goodnes to euery thing If religion come once but to serue for fashion all wil be confounded Among many rules this is a notable rule to haue our hearts filled with heauenly and spirituall delights which fenceth out as at the doore and first entrie many idle discourses and vaine platformes of worldly deuises and causeth vs to vse this life as though we vsed it not And as they that are giuen to the world are not fit for God his kingdome so they that are replenished with good things haue such an inward and sufficient working in them as they seeke not after earthly things with those greedie affections wherwith others doe The Papists and Anabaptists rather babling than prophecying shew they haue no true reuelations how soeuer they bragge of them because they haue not the spirit and yet in that they are so painfull by their illuding spirit wherewith they were deluded to delude others this must make vs ashamed either of our ignorance or that hauing knowledge and the holy Ghost teaching vs we trauell no more to winne others vnto Christ. For whosoeuer is so ignorant that he cannot giue an account of his faith to God his glorie and the edifying of others he cannot say that he hath the spirit of God If any haue Christ his spirit he is Christs if he be Christs he must be a Prophetable to giue an account of his faith being required and so he is Gods if he be Gods then come life come death come health come sicknes come what will all comes well if a man hath outward things he is not too much puft vp with them if he hath them not
he is not too much grieued But if we haue not God his spirit surely we belong not to God For haue we wit wisedome health power wealth authoritie credit friends or any such thing and yet haue not receiued the spirit of God what are we but a more fit substance or subiect whereupon Sathan may frame the worke of sinne It is not the poore sillie or simple people that be the maine instruments which the diuell doth vse in his greatest affaires to doe hurt but the wise politique rich and mightie men of the world Contrariwise if with these good gifts we haue the spirit of God what great good may we doe in Church or Common-wealth If besides the beautie of God his spirit we haue the flowers of outward things what a singular ornament is this to our garland What shall I say more In affliction the spirit sheweth vs the hand of God both humbling and comforting vs reuealeth our sinnes worketh in vs the contempt of this life the desire of the life to come and so sanctifieth our crosse by wisedome repentance and patience Seeing then these are the effects of God his spirit that it feoffeth vs by faith into euerlasting inheritance it assureth vs of all our rich treasures in Iesus Christ seeing it sanctifieth all inward gifts seasoneth the vse of all outward things briefly seeing with it all things seeming miserable are most blessed and without it all things seeming happie are most miserable it followeth that of all gifts the holy Ghost is the most excellēt Howbeit one thing here is to be added that we may wholy separate our selues from the Anabaptists we speake of the Spirit as he sheweth his force in vs and worketh in vs by the ministerie of the word which two worke together and therefore it is said Ioh. 6. My words are spirit and life For without the Spirit the word is as the bright Sunne to a blind man who not for fault of a pure obiect but for want of sense is not able to discerne the cleerest thing in the world and therfore the Prophet Dauid Psal. 119 saith Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the wonders of thy law True it is the Sunne is bright but what is that to a blinde man True it is the word is glorious but what is that to a man without the spirit of God For so farre we profit by the word as we receiue the power of it by the inward ministerie of the Spirit we must trie the spirits by the word and we shall then know that we haue receiued the spirit of God when he giueth vs the pure vnderstanding the carefull receiuing and zealous practising of the same Carnall men and our late Anabaptists be but boasters of themselues in terming themselues spiritual men we are not taught so to bragge of the Spirit or any worke thereof but as it is warranted vnto vs by the written word we confesse that blinde is our minde and that we cannot profit by the word but by God his spirit we looke not for the spirit in our phantasie but for the spirit which worketh by the word which spirit spake by Abraham by the Patriarches by Moses and the Prophets by Paul and the Apostles and by our Sauiour Christ himselfe Seeing the spirit of God is so high a thing we are here to complaine why we hunt after life profit and pleasure and haue so small care to obtaine God his good spirit which is so pretious It is a great fault to fansie so much the things of this world and so little to esteeme this And here not of a set treatise but by the way we will speake of the last part of our diuision that is of the meane how to attaine to these graces of the Spirit We know rich men can for their increase frequent faires ambitious men can get preferment carnall men will watch their opportunities and euery man in his kinde knoweth how to prouide best for his profit and pleasure Our way goeth on the other hand and heth in the carefull hearing of the word the feruent vse of prayer the reuerent fruitfull resorting to the Sacraments and most holy submitting of ourselues to the discipline of the Lord in frequenting the companie of God his children and in waining our selues from the world by all which meanes the spirit may haue a more voluntarie free and perfect worke in and vpon vs. And although all these things are not particularly here set downe yet marke here is named the most proper meane pointing at all the rest and this as ye see is prayer by the which the Lord conueigheth his spirit into vs to make all the other meanes more pleasant profitable to vs. Why then are not so many sermons now adaies more effectuall when one or two sermons touched these people so powerfully Surely God his spirit worketh not in vs as he wrought in them Why when any be conuerted doe so few turne to the Lord when as the Lord drew so many of these men at once to himselfe Because we are drawne away too much of our owne flesh and taste not the sweetnes of God his spirit as they did But can a man pray for faith and God his spirit which as yet hath neither faith nor the spirit of God Whatsoeuer good gift we haue it is certaine we haue it by faith and God his spirit in some measure in vs and then we may pray for the increase of them in vs. For it is God his spirit that prayeth in vs Rom 8 True it is that many haue receiued God his Spirit before they feele it and faith before they see it and by this meanes they pray to receiue faith and the spirit of God as they thinke or rather the increase of both thinke I because they haue receiued them before for els could they neuer truly haue prayed But they then that are called owe this dutie to Ministers that they must pray for thē euen as Preachers must pray for them Thus we shall see the prayers of the Church Psalm 67. The Pastor for the people the people for the Pastor must make prayers supplications Generally all must so let their light shine before men so watch in prayer that others seeing our godly life may say oh what a people in wisedome true godlines is this it is a good and an happie thing to ioyne our selues to them what zeale what humilitie what plentifull fruits of faith are here blessed are the people that haue such a Pastor blessed is the Pastor that hath such a people And here let vs remember how the Apostles did not onely pray for the increase of God his spirit in themselues but for the beginnings of it in others which as yet had not receiued it teaching vs thereby what is our dutie to wit that we rest not in our owne priuate feelings or in praying for the increase of them but that we pray that others may taste of the like ioyes as we
feele that the seede of God his Spirit may bud foorth that both we and they ioyning together in deuout prayer and Christian practise of our profession may call and allure others as yet further from vs to come neerer to vs. But some will say vnto me I was wont to haue better dispositions and to feele sweeter motions than I haue done of late I profit little or nothing nay I feare rather I goe backe Why I pray you is this I say surely God his spirit worketh not in me as he hath done before because I cannot haue such delight in the word such sweetnes in feruent prayer such ioy in the Sacraments I haue not such a plentifull measure of God his spirit in me Now followeth the second thing in these words Vpon flesh Here are two things in nature opposite one against another the one most pretious the other most vile What more pretious than the Spirit of God what more vile than flesh that is than a man meerely vnregenerate That this word flesh so signifieth it appeareth Genes 6. 3. where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with men because he is but flesh that is such as in whom my image is blotted out And Rom 7. 18. the Apostle saith I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing In which place the Apostle speaketh of himselfe as of a man meerely naturall and vnregenerate And Ioh. 3. 6. it is said That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Where the antithesis and contrarietie doth shewe the meaning of this word flesh Here then is the depth height length and breadth of God his mercie commended vnto vs in giuing his holie spirit to sinful flesh and therefore we may iustly crie out with the Prophet Psal. 8. 4. what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him Oh what is man that the Lord should giue him his Spirit If the man of God cried out thus for the benefit of outward things how much rather are we to crie for the benefit of God his Spirit If Iob in his booke reasoneth that it is a great mercie of God that he will take paines to chastice man how much more mercie is it when he will vouchsafe his Spirit to be giuen vnto him If then flesh is so contemptible a thing that it lieth without all honour vntil God doth send his blessed Spirit here is confuted the doting opinion of the Papists who think that there is some good thing in man which moueth the Lord through a liking and louing of him to bestow these inestimable graces of the spirit on him when as of it selfe it is wholy alwaies and in al things corrupt and onely euill continually Wherein these blinde Diuines shew and bewray themselues not to haue tasted truly at any time of the spirit of God but to glance at it with some glimmering sight to their further condemnatiō as the foolish Philosophers For God his people doe plainly feele and to the glorie of God boldly confesse that there is no first degree or preparation in themselues whereby they might moue the Lord once to cast his fauourable countenance towards them but that it is onely the merit and the vndeserued mercy of God that his spirit which worketh any good proceedings in them doth also begin in them and the same spirit both continueth the worke and maketh a way for the worke which he himselfe must worke vpon afterward It is said Esay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon the thirstie and flouds vpon the drie ground where our nature for barrennes is compared to drie ground and the Spirit to a fountaine of water The Lord moreouer by his Prophet sheweth that vntill by his good spirit he doth soften vs wee haue stonie hearts And can a stone bleede though you bruise cut and breake it in peeces Surely no more can wee bee bruised humbled and broken in heart for sinne be the iudgements of God neuer so sorely vrged vpon vs vntill God by his good spirit touch vs. If it bee then a great worke to turne a stone into flesh to make a thing most insensible most sensible then surely to make a stonie heart fleshie and our hearts that are hardened to melt bleede and to be resolued into teares is a more excellent worke and this is the onely worke of God his spirit And as thus much wee haue spoken for doctrine so also it may make for our consolation and for the comfort of al them that are broken in minde and feele the burthen of their naturall corruption True it is that all generally and naturally are flesh drie ground and hard hearts but all doe not feele this all see not this all lament not this and therefore all that haue not the beginnings of faith and haue not tasted the first fruites of the spirit because they are but flesh how can they feele any thing in themselues But when the spirit commeth that hardnes is taken away the vale is rent and then wee begin to complaine of our deadnes and dulnes then wee will crie out of our selues as of men vnworthie of any grace or fauour of God Then remember to thy comfort the couenant of God made vnto vs that is that God will powre out his spirit on flesh and thou shalt receiue of the power thereof if thou complaine in truth and not as a Parrat counterfeiting the worke of reason For as some birds can counterfeite mens wordes so some men can counterfeite God his words If then thou art not truly moued and purely affected neither feelest such gratious working in thee as thou desirest remember that God will powre his spirit on flesh God will powre waters on drie ground God will soften the hard hearts and though in our selues wee finde no towardnes the Lord will send flouds of water in steed of drinesse and fleshinesse in stead of hardnes and comfort in stead of heauines Now followeth the third thing that is that this benefit shall vniuersally be powred out vpon all And this setteth out the goodnesse of God that doth giue it in that he doth it without respect of persons as well on children as on fathers as well on seruants as on masters as well on women as on men as well on young as on olde together with the fourth thing in that this heauenly gift shall in plentifull measure bee powred out in that the ions and daughters shall prophecie the young men shall see visions and the olde men shall dreame dreames Wherein we obserue first the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell betweene the Fathers vnder the Law and those that are vnder the Gospell We grant that we al had one substance of faith and repentance only they looked for Christ to come we to Christ alreadie come And here are to be noted two other differences the one that then the spirit was giuen to
For come to the younger sort of them then nouices and learners they will say openly somewhat and will giue some reason of their doctrine but their Elders and illuminate men cannot be seene they flie the light and goe into corners Are these men full of the spirit who so cowardly forsake the triall of their doctrine and leaue the poore people to stand to it who are not so deepe in their reuelations nor so well grounded in their mysteries of iniquitie Vndoubtedly they are not yea rather the elder heretike the ranker knaue and he is called most notable not which is most wise but which is most subtile to denie a truth and to set a face on a lie Wherefore this is not fulfilled euen among the Anabaptists and Familie of loue themselues This thing then cannot literally be vnderstood they must needs confesse that there is a borrowed speech in the verses following where mention is made of blood fire and vapours of smoake whereby is meant that there shall be great troubles heresies and such like And here the Heretikes will graunt a trope though in the former they will not God spake of the blessings of the new Testament after the manner of the old Testament because that was best knowne to the Iewes This deceiued them in that when they heard of the new Temple they were zealous of the old Temple and reioyced in that Temple which Herod made though it was nothing like that which Salomon made and this deceiueth the Iewes vnto this day The like error are the Papists in For where the Scriptures say that in the time of Christ there should be sweete incense offered in all places then say they behold the daily sacrifice the sacrifice propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead Neither of these doe consider that the Lord in the old Testament doth adumbrate foretell these things to come and that vnder those termes and phrases which were best knowne to the Iewes and vsed of the old Prophets This folly of theirs doe the Anabaptists see and yet they runne as farre on the other side as also doth the Familie of loue One of them reproueth another and yet neither of them will confesse his fault to the glorie of God nor returne and receiue the truth There may be also another argument why this place should not be literally vnderstood and that is drawne from the interpretation of the like places of Scripture Exod. 19. Moses telleth the people that the Lord hath called them to bee Kings Priests and Prophets This is repeated by the Apostle Peter in the new Testament by Iohn in the Apocalyps and is applied as in this place generally to all Christians Now the Iewes did neuer thinke that euery man was a King sitting in a throne thereby ouerthrowing the politicall estate they thought not that euery man was a Priest taking that office of the Priest vpoÌ„ him but that they had the liberty of their consciences were freed from the bondage of men of sin as also that now through Christ they might offer vp first their prayers theÌ„ their soules and bodies to be an holy and acceptable sacrifice to him Neither doe we at this day think any otherwise of the kingly Priesthood of Christians And why then should wee thinke grossely and literally that indeede wee are become Prophets hauing that speciall calling and so take away that order of Teachers and learners which God hath ordained For as we be Priests so are we Prophets if the speech must be qualified in the one why ought it not so to be in the other Againe we say of prophecies as we say of miracles Before the word was written the Lord taught his people by visions and by dreames and that hee might prepare them to receiue his doctrine and confirme them in it hee both wrought miracles himselfe and gaue power to others likewise to worke as wee may see in Moseâ— Eâ—iah and Elisha yea he gaue power to doe miracles when the Law was written because the Gospel was not yet reuealed and when the Gospell was reuealed hee continued his gift because the holy Spirit was not yet giuen yea and when the Spirit was powred out vpon the Apostles yet this gift was in the Church that as yet the Spirit had not gotten credit But when the Gospell was reuealed the spirit sent downe and confirmed by signes and wonders then the vse of miracles ceased not that there are no miracles at all now for wee doe not shorten the hands of the Lord but yet they be but few and those extraordinarie Now the rules whereby we shall trie them whether they be of God or no bee these If they doe either conuert and winne men to the word or confirme them in the word who are alreadie wonne if they be agreeable to the word and beare the same maiestie in them as doth the word then may they be receiued as from God But when they agree not with these rules though the thing wrought be miraculous yet they are much to be suspected as the miracles of olde time were with reuerence to bee receiued For God in his secret iudgement doth suffer some times such to be wrought that the wicked and vnbeleeuers may the more effectually be deluded Againe we know that Antichrist commeth with signes yea and the same so effectuall that euen the very elect if it were possible should therewith bee deceiued In like manner doe wee say of dreames and visions vntill the Gospell came and had gotten credit in the hearts of men there were visions and prophecies of things to come but these being now ceased it is not ordinarie that the Lord should make all Prophets or teach by visions and dreames But what doe we stand longer to proue that this place cannot be so taken and vnderstood as the words at the first shew might seeme to giue especially seeing that the deuillish ouerthwarters both of Papists and of the Familie of loue are so grosse and papable in this point For such is the spirit of these men and so contrary to the good spirit of God that where the Scripture ought simply and without any trope or allegorie to be interpreted they will there turne it into allegories as wee see many places peruerted by the Papists and almost the whole Scriptures by the Familie of loue and whereas the Scripture by conference of places doth shewe that it ought tropically to bee vnderstood they sticke bluntly to the bare letter as in these wordes Hoc est corpus meum The Papists here would haue no trope yet the whole course of the Scriptures doth inforce the same The Familie of loue will in no place almost admit the naturall sense as it floweth of the words and yet here they doe bitingly abide by the word notwithstanding all the former reasons And this surely commeth to passe by the righteous iudgement of God that seeing they would neither acknowledge nor yeelde to the naturall sense when they might
saued which point is necessarily to be noted For the diuell will tell vs Christ died for others but not for vs True it is that all repentant sinners compared with the number of the vnrepentant are but few Howbeit if I truely abhorre my sinnes and my selfe for my sinnes sake if I purpose to leaue sinnâ— and trauell in the wayes of righteousnes if I loue GOD and hate â—niquitie and depart from it although I want all these solen ne preparations yet I am perswaded I shall be saued And yet remember that here is no such libertie for hard-hearted sinners neither is the Sea of mercie denied to sorrowfull sinners For as no sinner shall be damned that will repent and it truth desireth to be saued so the Lord will not iustifie the wicked and obstinate sinner Whosoeuer therefore hath eares let him heare who so hath eyes let him see who so hath an heart let him consider of this bountifull mercie of God whether hee be in miserie outward or trouble inward and know from the Lord his owne mouth that Whosoeuer calleth on the Name of the LORD hee shall be saued FINIS THE THIRDE PART OF THE WORKES OF THE REVEREND AND FAITHFVL SERVANT OF IESVS CHRIST MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM MINISTER AND PREAcher of the Word of GOD containing seuenteene Sermons the Titles and Texts whereof appeare in the next Page following PROV 10. 7. The memoriall of the iust shall bee blessed but the name of the wicked shall rotte VERS 11. The mouth of the righteous is as a welspring of life VERITAS VIRESSIT VVLNERE TC AT LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Creede for William Welbie and are to be solde at his shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Swanne 1611. THE SERMONS FOLLOVVING ARE THESE 1 OF quenching the spirit 1. THES 5. 19. 2 Of murmuring EXOD. 16. 2. 3 Of zeale REVEL 3. 19. 4 Of a good name PROV 22. 1. 5 Of humilitie PROV 18. 12. 6 Of the education of children PROV 17. 21. 7 Of repentance and true sorrow for sinne ACT. 2. 37. 38. 8. 9. Three Sermons of the heauenly purchase on the 13. of 10. Matthew and the 44 verse 11 Of Christian warfare on EPHES. 6. vers 10. 11. 12. 12 Of diuers Christian instructions PSAL. 16. 13 Of flying euill company Idolatrie c. on GEN. 42. vers 9. 12. 14. 15. 21. 14 Of the mutuall duties betweene the Ministers and people on HEB. 13. vers 17. 15 Of the confession of sinne and the necessarie vse thereof on PROV 28. 15. 16 Of the effects of Christ his Crosse c. in two sermons 17 on GALAT. 6. vers 14. 15. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR IVLIVS CAESAR KNIGHT AND TO THE RIGHT VERtuous Lady his wife HENRY HOLLAND wisheth an increase of all prosperitie and the rich grace of Gods spirit vnto life euerlasting THese Sermons right Worshipfull are full of good instruction and consolation I haue endeuoured to giue some view of theâ— al by some short aphorismes on this manner I. The first Sermon is of the quenching of the spirit where hee teacheth vs 1. That albeit those be worthily condemned that nâ—vâ—r tâ—sted nor desire to taste of the spirit of God yet a more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come on them that hauing once receiued it doâ— after lose the same 2. To knowe whether we haue the spirit he saith like as hee knoweth best that hee hath lâ—fe which feeleth it in himselfe so hee best knoweth whether hee haue the spirit that feâ—eth thâ— spirit working in himselfe Againe he that hath the spirit of Christ hath some thing in him giuen him of God by his word aboue all that can be attained by any naturall gift or humane industrie 3. Tâ—e spirit often in regeneration causeth in the spirituall man a great and generall astonishment for great â—â—d enormous sinnes committed and then it dealeth more particularly smitâ—â—g vs with a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes 4. Then the spirit teacheth how the faculties of the soâ—le are all bent to rebellion against God and specially how reason fighteth against faith and is a great patronâ— of vnbeliefe 5 After all this the spirit saith he bringeth vs to seâ— the vnsâ—â—rchable riches of Christ and worketh in vs that precious faith whereby â—â— apprehend our free iustification in Christ. And then followes the feeling of ioy vnspeakable and that blessed peace of conscience which passetâ— vnderstanding iudgement is reformed affections are cleane altered and there wil appeare in â—ll faculties great forwardnes and readines to performe things acceptable vnto God 6. After some falies of frailtie â—f we continue our former hatred of sinne the oftner wâ— fal conceiue the more dâ—â—dly hatred against sinne if our sorrow for sinne increase if our care continue to preuent and cut off all occasions of sinne albeit we slip and fall often yet wee may not say the spirit is quenched 7. Such as haue the greater and more certaine graces of the spirit of regeneration their knowledge is well grounded and they labour euermore for a good measure of knowledge to direct them in their particular duties the knowledge of the wicked is but coÌ„fused general vncertaine 8. Albeit the spirit can neuer be vtterly taken from the beleeuers yet if they waxe proud secure and fall to sin the graces of the spirit the cleere vnderstanding the feeling the affection and ioy in the holy Ghost may so die decay in them that they may well seeme to themselues and others to haue quenched the spirit These and the like singular doctrines concerning this matter are contained in this Sermon This argument was further inlarged and amplified in other Sermons by him which as yet I cannot finde For he taught also by what degrees the spirit is quenched and they were these 1. By neglecting the meanes of cherishing the grace of the spirit 2. From neglecting the meanes to proceede to the grieuing of the spirit 3. From grieuing to come to vexing and prouoking the spirit 4. Lastly how some after long prouocations haue quenched the spirit and lost all the good light graces of God which they seemed before to haue had These be most dangerous degrees of sinne and steps to perdition And thus farre of the first Sermon II. The second sermon is against murmuring a sinne no lesse dangerous than common in all degrees and conditions of men We be here taught 1. What the nature is of impatiencie for outward things what dishonour it brings to God what a torment to vnbeleeuers in whom â—â—e want of one small thing breedâ— such â—isâ—â—ntâ—ntment â—â— the possâ—ssiâ—on of mâ—â— rich blessâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—ot quâ—â—t them 2. What remedies best sâ—rue to make our hearts calme in aâ—â— such distempred affections and they bee these first most highly to esteeme of Gods fauour and to prâ—ferre that one benefit of the â—ardon of our sinnes before all the riches of this life Secondly to labour for that precious faith iâ— Christ
of Gods iudgement 3. That we must wisely discerne betweene the true sorrow for sinne which causeth repentance not to be repented of and that worldly sorrow which causeth death For godly sorrow softneth the hart to the obedience of the word but that worldly sorrow causeth men to kicke and spurne against the word to the further hardning of their hearts 4. That many are galled and pricked with pouertie sicknes and other afflictions but few with their sinnes which is the cause of their afflictions But let men be well assured of this saith he that if a man be not troubled for sinne here he is in the way to hell if he be troubled in this life for sinne he is in the way to heauen 5. Lastly that in true repentance the pricking of the heart and sorrowing for sinne must be continued and daily renewed we must be humbled with continuall sorrow that we may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. And thus farre the compendious and short view of all these Sermons This graue and reuerend Father who hath left vs these holy instructions hauing continued for many yeeres with good successe and a comfortable experience of Gods blessing on his holy ministery in preaching the Gospell of Christ his Sermons were many in number and how effectuall let the godly iudge by these fewe which Gods good prouidence hath reserued for posteritie Now right Worshipfull I offer them vnto your good patronage and protection because I am well assured you loue and what you may you further the preaching of the Gospell of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Much am I bound to remember your Worship and that vertuous Lady your wife for your great loue to me and mine I can no way require your loue yet by some poore testimonie I desire to make mine affection knowne in the performance of any Christian duty what I may The Lord Iesus Christ that hath knit both your harts by one spirit in one holy faith vnto himselfe and in loue vnfained one to another graunt you the true peace which passeth vnderstanding to keepe your hearts and mindes in his faith loue and feare vnto the end And thus I humbly take my leaue recommending you and all yours to the protection of the Almightie Your Worships euer to command in Iesus Christ HENRY HOLLAND A SERMON PREACHED BY MAISTER RICHARD GREENHAM VPON THESE WORDS THE FIRST SERMON Quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. ALl the doctrine of the Scriptures may be briefly referred to these two heads First how wee may be prepared to receiue the spirit of God Secondly how the spirit may be retained when as wee haue once receiued it And therefore Saint Paul hauing laboured to instruct the Thessalonians in the former part of this Epistle how they may receiue the spirit doth here teach them how to keepe and continue this spirit vnto the end And this the Apostle doth by giuing them a charge and commaundement that in no wise they doe Quench the spirit thereby doubtles teaching that as the shunning of euill is the first step vnto goodnes so the readie way to continue the spirit of God in our hearts is to labour that it be not quenched Now the Apostle vpon great waightie cōsideration doth here deliuer this precept For first of all though al those be worthily and iustly condemned that neuer tasted of the spirit of God yet as our Sauiour Christ saith A more iust and fearefull condemnation is like to come vpon them that hauing once receiued it doe afterward lose the same againe Moreouer without this spirit of God no holy exercise can haue his full effect for the word worketh not where the spirit of God is wanting prayers haue no power to pearce into the presence of God the Sacraments seeme small and sillie things in our eyes and all other orders and exercises which God hath graunted ordained for man they are vnprofitable to man where the spirit is not present to cōuey them into our hearts there to seale vp the fruit of them Last of all we are fit to receiue no good grace at Gods hand nay we doe not esteeme Gods graces when we haue not the spirit to teach vs to set a due price vpon them for speake of the Law or of the Gospel of sinne or of righteousnesse speake of Christ or of our redemption and iustification by him yea speake of that huge and heauie waight of glorie wherewith the elect of God shall be crowned all this moueth not we are little affected therewith vnlesse God giue vs of his good spirit to profit by the same The Apostle therefore with good reason gaue this precept and we for many great causes are to listen vnto it least by any meanes the spirit of God be quenched in vs so we depriue our selues of all these fruits Now whereas the Apostle saith Quench not the spirit it may appeare that he speaketh to those that had alreadie receiued the spirit For as the fire cannot be said to be quenched where it is not so they cānot be said to quench or lose the spirit which haue not as yet receiued it Then know that this precept doth properly belong to thē that haue receiued the spirit of God and they especilly are to make a speciall vse of it for the other it cannot profit them vnlesse that as the seede lying in the ground a long time doth afterward budde and become fruitfull so this continue in their mindes till they haue tasted in some good sort of the spirit of God and then breed in them some carefulnes that they doe not quench it Well then to them that haue felt and found the spirit of God in them to them saith S. Paul in this place Take heede that ye quench not the spirit Of this if we doe somewhat seriously consider these two questions will offer themselues and soone arise in our minde First how we may know whether we haue the spirit of God or no. Secondly if we haue it whether it may be lost againe or no which if they bee well and sufficiently answered they will doubtlesse giue great force vnto this precept For the first then if we will knowe whether we haue the spirit or no we must surely vnderstand that as he knoweth best that he hath life which feeleth it in himselfe so he best knoweth whether he haue the spirit of God that feeleth the spirit working in him And if wee will further know this by the peculiar working and effects of the spirit then let vs marke these First of all if there bee nothing in man but the nature of man if nothing but that may be attained by the art and industrie of a man then surely in that man is not the spirit of God for the spirit is from God it is from aboue it is aboue nature and therefore the Apostle doth set the spirit of God against the spirit of the world when he saith We haue
receiued the spirit not of the world but of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. Besides the spirit of God is eternall and endureth for euer but all the doings and deuices of men they perish and in time they haue an end Therefore though a man haue wisedome with great knowledge though in wit and skill he passe and excell the common sort of men yet if from aboue he hath not been inlightened if from heaueÌ„ his wisedome hath not been sanctified his knowledge shall decay his wisedome shall wither like grasse he hath not as yet tasted of the spirit of God that endureth for euer And therefore saith Saint Paul We teach the mysteries of God which none no not the Princes and the men of this world which are aboue others most excellent are able to vnderstand Secondly consider whether there bee in thee any alteratioÌ„ or change For the wise men which were expert in nature could say that in euery generation there is a corruption And we see that the seede sowen is much chaunged before it grow vp and beare fruit Then needfull it is that in regeneration there be a corruption of sinne so that as seede in the ground so sinne in our mortall bodies may decay that the new man may be raised vp the spirit of God taking possessioÌ„ of our soules Therfore the Euangelist Iohn doth make this the first worke of the spirit that it shall rebuke the world of sinne and this is so needfull that without it there is not the spirit of God neither yet can Christ come and enter into that man Here of it was that Christ compared the Iewes to children in the market place who would not dance though they were piped vnto and the reason was because they had not first learned with Iohn to mourne for they that by the preaching of Iohn learned to lament their sinnes and for their sinnes were pensiue in their owne soules they receiued Christ they danced and did reioyce to heare the ioyfull tidings of the Gospell Therefore Christ saith That whores and harlots entred into the kingdome of heauen seeing they lamented their sinnes before the proud Pharisies which were touched with no remorse for their sinnes And for the same cause it is that Christ calleth vnto him them onely that labour and aâ—e heauie ladâ—â— teaching that if they finde not sin to be a heauie loade and burthen to them they haue not the spirit of God neither are they fit to receiue Christ. Then to be rebuked of sin is the first worke of the spirit which the spirit worketh in vs by these degrees First it raiseth vp in vs a great and generall astonishment by reason of all those great and enormous sinnes that we haue committed and this doth strike vs downe it doth terrifie vs and hold vs amazed wonderfully then it dealeth with vs more particularly it bringeth vs vnto a speciall griefe for speciall sinnes it doth bereaue vs of our chiefe desires and bringeth vs out of conceit and liking with the best things that are in vs for then it doth display before vs the vanitie and darknes of our vnderstanding how vnfit and vnmeete wee are to vnderstand and conceiue those things that do aboue al others especially concerne vs then doth it let vs see the peruerse corruption of our iudgement and that before God and in things belonging to God we be as bruit beasts not able to discerne things that differ nor to put a sound difference betweene good and euill then doth it let vs see that our reason is vnreasonable nay that it is hurtfull vnto vs a great enemie to faith and a great patrone of infidelitie and vnbeleefe When it commeth to our affections it turneth them vpside downe it turneth our mirth into mourning our pleasure into painfulnes and our greatest delight into most bitter griefe If it doe proceede further and come once to the heart and to the stomacke and courage that is in vs then it cutteth vs to the quicke then doth it at once cast vs downe in humilitie vnder the hand of God for while we had to deale with men we were as stoute as any and would not start for the best We had reason to say for our selues and courage to defend our selues against all them that did deale with vs but now the spirit draweth vs into the presence of God it letteth vs see that we haue to doe with God that our strength is weaknes in respect of him Then doth our heart begin to faile vs then doe we lay our hands on our mouthes and dare not answere nay then doe we quickly take vp our crosse because the Lord himselfe hath done it Behold here how the spirit worketh behold how sinne is corrected and who so can behold here this in himselfe may assuredly say that the spirit of God is in him that it is not in vaine within him nay that it is mightie and liuely in operation in his heart The third note and effect is the bringing on forward of this worke vnto iustification for when the spirit hath brought vs thus farre then doth it begin to open vnto vs a doore vnto the grace and fauour of God it doth put into our mindes that there is mercie with God and therefore stirreth vs vp to seeke mercie at his hands afterward it doth let vs see how Christ suffered to take away the sinnes of the world that in the righteousnes of Christ we may looke to be iustified before God And this it doth not let vs see onely but doth effectually worke a sure perswasion of it in our hearts and confirmeth the same by two notable effects The first is a ioy most vnspeakable and glorious wherewith our hearts must needes be wholy taken vp and rauished when we see our selues by the righteousnes of Christ of the free mercie and grace of God redeemed from death deliuered from hell freed from the fearfull condemnation of the wicked The second is the peace of conscience which indeed passeth all vnderstanding While sinne and the guilt of sinne remained there was no peace nor rest nor quietnes to be found but feare within terrors without and troubles on euery side but when sinne is once nailed to the crosse of Christ when the guilt of sinne is taken out of our consciences and the punishment thereof farre remoued then must needes ensue great peace for our accusers dare not proceed against vs our sinnes are forgiuen vs and God is at one with vs and for this we haue the warrant and testimony of the spirit Can flesh blood perswade vs of this can any creature assure vs how God is affected towards vâ— no doubtlesse And therfore where this ioy and peace is there must needes be the holy Ghost the author worker of the saine For as no man knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man which is in him so none knoweth the will of God but the spirit of God and
or great light in darke places or great heate in bodies that were nummed before euen so truly we may say and so certainly we may perswade our selues that the spirit of God is in vs when we see our corruption consumed our soules purged from the drosse of sinne our hearts inlightened and made hot in walking and working according to that light The second question to be cōsidered is whether that man which once throughly tasted of the spirit may lose it and haue it quenched in him To this it may be said that because the spirit of God commeth to and worketh in diuers men diuersly in diuers measures therefore we must consider of the diuers working of the spirit then frame our answere accordingly First then there is a lighter lesser worke of the spirit which may be quenched in them that haue it and that this inferiour or lesser kinde of working may be taken away appeareth plainly by the parable of the seede which our Sauiour Christ propoundeth for that besides them that receiue the word into good ground and bring foorth fruites some an hundreth some thirtie some sixtie folde he doth also make mention of some others that receiued the word and yet continued not And what had not these the spirit of God in them Yes doubtlesse for they receiued the word yea they receiued it gladly and that which is more they beleeued that which they had receiued Behold then three fruites of Gods spirit in these men and yet they continued not for they beleeued indeed but their faith was temporarie it lasted but for a time and after a time it vanished away and the spirit departed from them for either the pleasures and profits of this life did driue out the graces of God and drie them vp or else the fierie heate of persecution did quite consume them More plaine and notable for this purpose is that in the sixt to the Hebrues for there the Apostle saith That some may taste of the holy Ghost and thereby be made to taste of the good word of God to be inlightened to receiue heauenly gifts yea and to taste of the power of the life to come And what then surely the Apostle saith That if such fall it is impossible they should be renewed giuing vs to vnderstand that euen they which haue receiued the holy Ghost that haue been inlightened that haue receiued heauenly gifts and haue tasted of the power of the life to come euen such may fall away and the spirit may be quenched in such There is a second kinde of working of the spirit which is a more thorough effectuall working which can neuer be taken away frō them that haue receiued it This the Apostle Peter describeth when he saith That the chosen of God are begotten againe of the immortall seede of the word This is not a bare receiuing or a light tasting of the word but it is a deepe taste of the same whereby we are begotten and borne againe The Apostle S. Iohn setteth downe another note of it saying That they that are thus borne againe cannot sin that is they cannot make an occupation of sinne they cannot fall flat away by sinne and why Euen because the seede of God abideth in them euen that seede wherewith they were begotten to a liuely hope of life euen that seede doth abide and will abide vnto the end Who so is begotten againe by this seede and hath this seede abiding in him the spirit hath wrought that in him which shall not be taken from him and therefore our Sauiour Christ saith The word that I speake is spirit and life And in another place he saith That none shall take his sheepe from him for the father is mightier than all and therefore in another place he saith That it is impossible that the elect should be seduced Thus then we see the question answered namely that there is an inferiour working which may be lost and a more effectuall working of the spirit which can neuer be taken away from them that haue it And this must not seeme strange to vs neither must we be offended that the Lord should take some and leaue others or that he should begin in some and not bring his worke to perfection for so he dealeth with other things in the world Some corne is sowen and neuer riseth some springeth and yet shortly withereth some groweth vp to an eare yet then is stricken or blasted and othersome at his good pleasure doth come to a timely ripenes In like manner some trees are planted and neuer take roote some take roote but yet not blossome some blossome yet neuer bring forth fruite and othersome through his goodnesse doe bring forth fruit in good season If the Lord deale so with the plant and hearbe of the field why may he not deale so with vs the sonnes of men If we cannot conceiue the reason of this we must holde our peace for all the workes of God are done in righteousnesse and all our knowledge is vnperfect therefore we must herein rather accuse our selues of ignorance than the Lord of vnrighousnesse nay we our selues doe deale in like sort with those things which be vnder our hand In Colledges Fellowes are first chosen to be Probationers and if they be then approoued they be made full fellowes otherwise they are not If a man being childles doe take some friends childe to make him heire of all his goods he will keepe him vpon liking if his manners be honest he shall be preferred yea it may be set ouer all his house and yet afterwards for some fault committed quite cast off Some other man taketh another childe to the same end and maketh him heire indeed so then wee must thinke it righteous in the Lord to deale thus with vs seeing we are in his hand and we must not be offended though he call some and do not inlighten them and although he inlighten some and doe not continue them and doe of his great mercie continue some euen vnto the end let vs rather see what vse we must make of this doctrine First we must take heede that we neuer quench any grace or gift that God bestoweth vpon vs. Secondly we must still labour to haue greater measure of gifts for the wicked may come to haue some small gifts such as may be quite taken away from them Lastly it doth put a plaine difference betweene the godly and the godlesse betweene them that beare a shew of holinesse and them that are indeed the holy ones of the Lord for the one endureth but for a time and the other lasteth for euer Now if we require a further triall whereby we may know whether we haue receiued that spirit which lasteth but for a time or that which will abide for euer with vs then let vs marke these rules which put a plaine difference betweene them First we must marke that inlightning and insight we
puffed vp with pride that they reioyce when their pride may be pulled downe or their haughtinesse abated either by some sharpe rebuke or by some fearefull threatning or by some moderate correction from the Lord. For they know that if it were needefull for S. Paul to be buffeted and that by the minister of Satan to the intent that his pride might be beaten down then it is much more needful for them after sundrie waies to be humbled Besides they doe not only desire the word but they also waite vpoÌ„ the Lord vntill it please him to worke further in them thereby and this waiting is as earnest as is theirs who hauing watched all the night doe waite and looke for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wants so also they see that grace they haue receiued and are for that time well appayed and contented therewith and therefore as their wants doe humble them so the graces of God receiued doe comfort them and as their wants doe call vpon them cause them to seeke more so that they haue doth prouoke them to be thankefull for that they haue receiued See then a quite contrarie course of the wicked and those that of sinceritie doe worship God see I say how contrarily the graces and gifts of God doe worke in them And therefore from the consideration hereof wee may well draw a fourth rule whereby to make triall and examination of our selues So to conclude this point in a word when a man by the spirit of God hath been inlightned vnto a certaine and sufficient knowledge of Gods will when he findeth his affection chiefly and aboue all other things set vpon God when he findeth a pure and sincere loue of God in his heart not for wages but for the worke of grace which after an vnspeakeable manner doth moue him thereunto when he doth thankfully acknowledge mercies receiued as he doth carefully attend and waite vpon the Lord til he bestow some greater measure of graces vpon him then may he bee vndoubedly perswaded that hee hath found the spirit working in him in a more effectuall manner and that therefore it shall 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 That they doe not quench the spirit And notwithout cause doth he giue them this charge for though the spirit it selfe can neuer be taken vtterly from them yet doubtlesse if they waxe proud if they grow secure if they fall into sinne then the graces and gifts of the spirit may decay and dye in them their cleere vnderstanding their feeling their affection and all may be gone so that in their own iudgement and in the iudgement of others it may seeme that they haue quite quenched put out the spirit Neither must this seeme so strange for if the image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam than it is now in vs If I say this image might quite be lost and blotted out as we see it was then no marueile if the graces of the spirit of God be for a time as it were dead and drowned in vs. And that we may be the lesse offended herewith the Scriptures doe offer vnto vs such examples of men as hauing been once effectually called and truly borne againe haue yet afterward through some sinnes lost the graces of the spirit such were the Galathians for they were truly called and effectually regenerate by the spirit and Gospell of God as may appeare by this that for the words sake they reuerenced the Apostle as the Angell of God yet they were snared with false doctrine and fel very dangerously to the choking and quenching of the graces of Gods spirit in them The spirit it selfe was not takâ—n from them nay Christ did still continue in their hearts but yet for want of godly graces hee was as it were without fashion or forme so that the Apostle did as it were trauell againe vntill Christ was fashioned anew in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought into the like â—ase therefore in the 51. Psalme he prayeth That God will create in him a new spirit What was the spirit quite gone No for by and by in the same Psalme he prayeth That the Lord would not take away his holy spirit from him How can these two stand together first to pray that a new spirit may bee created in him and then that the spirit of God may not be taken from him Surely the spirit it selfe was still in him and therfore he prayeth that it may not be taken from him but the graces and gracious working of the spirit they were dead and gone and therefore he praieth 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 sinne But yet that no libertie may be taken hereby let vs a little consider what griefe and punishment they procure to themselues that do by any meanes lose the graces of the spirit First of all we must know that though the spirit of God caÌ„not be gotten by our labour yet it costeth vs much labour and wee must vndergoe much trauell and suffer much trouble before the spirit of God doe take possession of vs now when the graces of the spirit are lost all this our labour seemeth to be lost and what griefe is it to see the whole labour and trauell of a man to vanish and come to nothing Secondly when a man receiueth the spirit of God and by the same spirit is assured that his sinne is forgiuen him that he is in the fauour of God there doth arise in his heart a great ioy in the holy Ghost a ioy I say that is vnspeakeable and glorious and this ioy is lost and gone when the graces of Gods spirit are gone with how great griefe and woe they knowe that in any measure haue tasted of it Againe when the graces of the spirit are choked in men then they haue no heart to doe 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 the earth What griefe can be greater than this what sorrow can sinke more deepe than that a good man should bee cleane withholden from doing good Moreouer it is sure that wheÌ„ the gifts of the spirit are in this sort gone then he that was most righteous before may soone fall into great sinnes 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 hee will visite their sinnes with the rodde and their iniquities with scourges and what griefe this is the example of Gods children may shew vs. What griefe was it to
or raiment or any such other thing For by this meanes he is made our mercifull and louing father which knoweth perfectly what things we stand in neede of and for his power is able euen in greatest extremities to helpe vs and for his loue and good will towards vs will helpe vs and thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed For though a mother should forget her children yet will the Lord neuer forsake those that loue him and in faith call vpon him To this free forgiuenes of sinnes the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs there must be added the sanctification of the spirit as the second part of our redemption which iâ— we be once throughly perswaded of it it shall be a speciall help vnto vs against all impatience and murmuring against the Lord for it is a greater thing to turne a sinner than to worke wonders in nature And therfore if in our hearts we can beleeue that God hath made vs of sinfull and wicked men iust and righteous of vile wretches the vessels of righteousnesse of the mansions of the diuell fit temples of his holy spirit if we doe beleeue that he can make of couetous men liberall men of whoremongers chaste persons of oppressors vpright dealing men yea if we can beleeue that the Lord both is able and willing also to deliuer vs from any sinne that is within vs be it neuer so strong either by nature or by euill custome and last of all if we can beleeue that he is able to make the wolfe and the lambe to lie together the leopard and the kid shall we euer doubt that he will once faile vs or suffer vs to want the thing that is meete for vs seeme it neuer so vnpossible to be attained vnto Thirdly if we beleeue that with Christ we shall be raised vp at the last day we shall as stedfastly beleeue that he will preserue vs for it is a greater matter to raise vp our bodies being dead and consumed to dust than to preserue them whilest they are aliue if he can doe the greater he can doe also the lesse Moreouer if we be perswaded that our heauenly father hath prepared a kingdome for vs in the heauens we must needs beleeue that in this life he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs but will mercifully prouide for our necessities for if he will giue vs the greater benefits he will also giue vs the lesse if he in wisedome see it fit for his glorie and profitable for vs. The fift thing we must stay our selues vpon when murmuring doth assaile tempt vs is faith in Gods prouidence This prouidence is generall or particular in both which we must be throughly grounded if we will withstand all occasions of murmuring and not breake out in temptations into impatience The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in creation of all things secondly in preseruing them Doe we then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall wee not beleeue that he will preserue them Now seeing they are made doe we beleeue that God made all men and shall we then stand in feare of men When God created light before the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and when hee made grasse to growe vpon the earth before thâ—re was either raine or dewe to water them he did thereby teach vs first that wee should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then we should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke we should neither haue grasse nor corne nor any fruit of the earth but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can as easily helpe vs but for our weakenes which otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnes Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all as well as he created them yea the small sparrow doth not fall vpon the earth without his prouidence and he hath a great care ouer the very beasts of the field doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not also prouide for man Hath he care of beasts yea indeede hee hath because they were made for man and shall hee not much rather haue care ouer man for whom things were made Men say they doe beleeue all this but whilest there is such doubting of Gods prouidence and such repining against God they doe plainly shewe they doe not beleeue this first article of their faith neither in creation nor in the vniuersal gouernment and preseruation of all things Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God which if wee can bee once throughly perswaded of then shall wee easily ouercome the griefe of all our wants Hath the Lord made any thing in vaine hath he not made all things for his glorie Then if we beleeue that hee hath made our bodies shall wee not also beleeue that he will prouide for them seeing the creation thereof is more wonderfull than the preseruation is as appeareth Psalm 29. 139. Hath he care ouer the wicked to doe them good and will he not much more reioyce ouer his children to doe them good If the Lord loued vs when we were his enemies will he not prouide for vs being redeemed by the blood of his sonne Did hee good vnto vs when we sought him not and will he not much more when we seeke him by prayer in the blood of his Sonne as he hath coÌ„manded If he hath done vs good when he might haue punished vs for our sinnes wil he not be much more fauourable vnto vs now seeing he hath by his holy spirit sanctified vs O that men had hearts to beleeue this they would then giue glorie vnto God in their distresses putting their trust in him looking for helpe at his hands in his conuenient time This prouidence of God must be confirmed vnto vs by the examples of Gods children in all ages whose examples are set downe in the Scriptures that we by them might learne patience If the fathers before the flood eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some 700. yeeres some 800. some 900. yeeres and some more shall wee not learne thereby that man liueth not by these meanes And againe if he nourished them 900. yeeres and that with heaâ—â—es we may be sure he will feede vs 90. yeers with flesh and fish and other greater meanes When he fed the Israelites fortie yeeres with Manna from heauen which after such a sort was neuer seene before whereof if they reserued any without the Lords commandement if straightway putrified and was corrupted but when by the commandement of God it was kept before the testimonie it was not corrupted
and Church of God And thus we might goe through all points of religion for men before were altogether superstitious and now they are become wholy prophane Wherefore miserable was their estate before but now most miserable dangerous damnable I say is the estate of our age wherein those that serue God best and walk most carefully in their callings are accounted mad and franticke precise fooles on the other side they which are altogether dissolute secure in discharging their duties are taken for the wisest men and this commeth to passe because men doe not consider that saying of the Apostle 1. Thess 5. verse Brethren we beseech you that you know them which labour amongst you and are ouer you in the Lord that you haue them in singular loue for their workes sake This changing of sinne may also be seene in yong men of the Vniuersitie who in their youth did liue altogether dissolute in their behauiour but being strickē in yeeres they account gaine to be godlinesse and so farre foorth as religion may serue to inrich them so farre are they professors thereof These and such like haue not as yet made a sale of sinne but a change Sathan as yet goeth further moues some men to make a more dangerous exchange than this and bringeth them from one extremitie vnto another For many being before giuen to worke wickednes that with greedinesse and to commit most grosse sins now forsaking that outward wicked course are so puffed vp in the pride of their spirit that they are become such new men as it were thinking too well of themselues they runne on into the other extremitie in seeking after those things which are aboue their reach by whose wickednesse it commeth to passe that the good graces of God oftentimes fall to the ground and the children of God fare the worse for them and thus we see that many doe not so much fell as change their sinnes But it must be otherwise with vs if we meane to obtaine this treasure we must so part with corrupt religion that we admit no false sects and heresies we must so giue ouer wickednesse and corrupt manners that from hence forwards we returne not vnto them and we must as the Scripture requireth forsake a shew of profession of religion and come vnto a strict practise thereof Secondly all sinne and not some must be forsaken and sold of him who will enioy this treasure many can be content to relinquish some sinnes but not all Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly and was content to giue eare vnto him preaching repentance for when Iohn tol◠him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brothers wife then he would not heare him any longer but cast him into prison and caused him to be beheaded The yong man in the Gospell had sold many sins had many good thoughts in him insomuch as it is said Marke 10. and 24. verse that Iesus loued him but when Christ told him that if he would follow him he must leaue his riches then he chused rather to depart from Christ than from his riches Ananias and Saphira Acts. 5. had many good things in them so that they sold their possessions and laid part of the price thereof at the Apostles feete but dissembling with the Apostles distrusting the prouidence of God they kept back some part of the price of their possessions wherfore through the ministerie of Peter they both were presently depriued of their liues Iudas also no doubt had many good things in him otherwise Christ would not haue made him an Apostle neither could it be but that hearing Christ so long he should reape some commoditie thereby but yet he did secretly inueigle the goods of the Church and did purchase vnto himselfe not this field wherein the treasure was but as it is said of him a field of blood And thus we see that there is a partiall and not a totall forsaking of sinnes in men But such men must know that they haue not done enough to obtaine this treasure in leauing some faults and holding some For it is true which the Apostle Iames saith 2. and 10 verse Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all This the Apostle prooueth by an example as if a man haue respect of persons then he is vnmercifull towards him whom he regardeth not Now vnmercifulnesse is referred vnto murther and he that said Thou shalt not commit adulterie said also Thou shalt not kill now though thou doest not commit adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the law They therfore which make an outward shew of Religion but still keepe sinne in their hearts such must know that if they keepe sinne in part they shall leese grace in whole wherefore our sinnes must be left not some but all not partially but totally Thirdly men must sell sinne at once and for euer and not for a moment or a short time And herein we may easily see that many men haue rather left sinne for a season than throughly repented them thereof and therefore it commeth to passe with them that they doe returne with the dogge vnto the vomit and with the sow which was washed vnto the wallowing in the mire Now if any man aske what the reason is that some men after that they haue escaped the filthinesse of the world are yet againe entangled therein I answere because such men neuer came vnto a sound griefe for their sinnes And hence it is that many being renewed and endued with some gifts of grace yet being defiled with inward pride and lust of the heart and not labouring with might and maine to be deliuered thereof become much worse than they were before The repentance of many who haue beene Papists Atheists and whose liues haue beene stained with fornication hurts of their brethren or some other grosse faults is onely that they haue left those sinnes but such men neuer attaining vnto true remorse for their sins fall therefore into them againe or into worse if it be possible to whom the Apostle Iames chapt 4. saith Clense your hands you sinners and purge your hearts you wauering minded suffer afflictions and sorrow and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Where the Apostle sheweth that it is not enough for man hauing offended with the harlots hauing done amisse to wipe their mouthes to come vnto the Church but they hauing displeased the Lord must weepe mourne vntill they come to sound griefe and such as is answerable to the measure of their sinnes For grieuous sinnes must be repented of with great griefe euen as sore diseases must be cured with sharpe medicines And as it is in Zacharie the twelfth Men must mourne for their sinnes as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be sorie for them as one is sorie for the death of his first borne There must be
for whatsoeuer is ours by gift it is the interest of others by necessitie whatsoeuer is proper to vs by possession is common to the Church by vse and participation and whatsoeuer wee haue wee haue it for dispensation as the stewards of God his gifts and disposers of his graces And therefore as at the audites and dayes of accounts such stewards are culpable and vnworthie of their places who hauing large summes of money for the liberal maintenance of the family haue appropriated all to themselues so likewise in that great day of reckoning and audite of Angels those stewards will bee found damnable and iudged vnworthie to haue had accesse to the Lord his treasurie who hauing receiued of God singular graces and plentifull gifts for the building vp of his Church and distributing things necessarie to the Saints in due season haue notwithstanding enriched themselues alone and impouerished their fellow seruants vnto whose vse and for whose good such rich reuenewes of God his graces and gifts were committed to their fidelitie It followeth in the Psalme The sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied their offering of blood I will not offer neither make mention of their names with my lips Heere the man of God declareth himselfe to bee no lukewarme professor and therefore as in the third verse hee sheweth the profession of his faith concerning the communion of Saints so in the fourth verse be protesteth his hatred to the false worshippers and he teacheth that none can truly loue the Saints but he must also hate the wicked God cannot abide to be worshipped in part or by mixture of religion as though the Arke and Dagon God and Mammon Christ and Belial should bee ioyned in worship together Many are not so fully contented with the Saints as that they are throughly discontented with the wicked who so long as they see matters of ciuill authoritie and good order haue successe can loue the word to serue time and season whose liking of it is so small that when other religion commeth they find not themselues much discontented But we must learne so to belieue in the true religion as our faith may drawe out of vs an vnchangeable loue and this true loue must be free from all appearance of idolatrie and contrary religion whatsoeuer If euer this doctrine was necessarie it is now most needefull sith true religion so decayeth false religion so aboundeth heathenish prophanenes so groweth all which no doubt arise oâ— so little esteeming and small liking of the truth For whereof first did spring heathenishnesse Euen from hence men were contented that euery nation should worship as they listed and liked whereupon they did grow to haue both their country gods and houshold gods for we reade that the Senate of the Romans would receiue Christ as their God yet so as they would also maintaine their owne gods Not much vnlike is our familie of loue and common sort of Protestants both which can easily tolerate any kind of religion come what profession come will Wherefore we may see how this Psalme fitly may be vsed when we will accuse our selues of want of loue to the Saints or when wee will accuse our selues of waâ—t of hatred to idolaters seeing the spirit of the man of God so earnest and our selues so cold herein In that he saith hee will not make mention of their names with his lips he declareth his through hatred vnto them which the more euidently appeareth in that hee would not only not coÌ„municate with them in his goods but also that hee would not meddle with their ceremonies Neither must wee thinke that this was any peculiar thing vnto Dauid but that it was common also to all the Israelites as we may see Exod. 23. 13 ye shall make no mention of the name of other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth and not to them alone but to all Christians in like manner as appeareth Zechar. 13. 2. And in that day faith the Lord of hostes I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land yea and they shall bee no mâ—re remembred Besides the law commaundeth all auoyding of occasions of idolatry Deut. 7 25. where are set downe two reasons the one that wee should not bee snared with such occasions the other because it is an abomination to the Lord wherein although somewhat be political yet because whatsoeuer is impure is abhominable to the Lord and our nature is prone vnto and hardly kept from corrupt religion wee hating the impuritie of the doctrine must also hate the impuritie of the ceremonies To the Law agreeth also the Prophet as Esay 30. 22. where the Lord not only commaundeth them to auoid all idolatrie but euen the appertinances thereof Yee shall pollute the couering of the Images of siluer and the rich ornaments of the Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous cloth and thou shalt say vnto it get thee hence This seemeth precisenes and puritanisme to the world which can be content to vse things for forme and fashion but if we vrge vpon puritie wee are counted precisians Well if it be so then Dauid was a precisian The holy ghost also exhorteth vs also to abstaine from all apparance of euill 1. Thess. 5 22. 1. Iohn 5. 21. Babes keepe your selues from idols And the Apostle Iude verse 23. willeth vs euen to hate the garment spotted by the flesh True it is that one may haue a priuate vse of the meate prepared for Images but as it is an appertinance of idolatrie it is to be auoided Wherefore we are to pray that we may so haue our hearts rectified by the spirit of God as not only the substance of false religion may be auoided but also the appertinances thereof whereby we may the better prouide both for God his glory and our owne peace Whereas he saith the sorrowes of them that offer to another God shall bee multiplied hee sheweth how besides the comforts which he had in the Saints he so much the more hated the idolaters because hee sawe the more they inwrapped themselues the more their spirits were troubled in them and then they could find least rest wheÌ„ they had most trouble So that as the man of God commendeth true religion by this effect that it yeeldeth peace of mind and comfort of conscience in trouble so hee discommendeth false religion by the contrarie because howsoeuer in prosperitie it bringeth aswelling ioy yet in aduersitie it maketh men cry to the rocks to couer them to the mountaines to fall vpon them This must cause vs more narrowly to search our hearts whether we haue this loue of true religion or no against the which neither the gates of hell nor terrours of Satan nor troubles of conscience can preuaile for this religion is no lesse comfortable than true when wee feele our selues assured thereby of our iustification by Christ of the ministerie of God his Angels watching ouer vs and that
other doctrine Good things cannot long find entertainement in our corruptions vnlesse the holy ghost hath changed vs from our old delights to conceiue pleasure in these things Where loue is there is no lack in pleasure there is no paine and when we finde the pearle of price which passeth all vnderstanding we will sell all our former delights and depart from our vaine pleasures to purchase this It is a continuall ioy that worketh a conscience to vse the meanes of any thing it is an abounding delight that auoydeth and fenceth off all wearisomnes in good things wherefore the holy Ghost saith Be yee filled with the Spirit and in another place Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously In which place we are to gather that there is in vs sometime an emptinesse of the Spirit and a scantnesse of the power of the holy ghost the spirit of God is not so mightie in operation grace is not so plentifull the word is not so powerful in vs and from hence commeth our momentarie ioy and transitorie gladnes And my tongue reioyceth That which in truth is inward will in time shewe it selfe outward as wee may see in these holy affections of the man of God The Prophet himselfe confirmeth this in another place Psalm 116. 10. I beleeued therefore did I speake which the Apostle repeateth in the person of the whole Church 2. Cor. 4. 13. because we haue the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken We also beleeue and therefore we speake And Rom. 10. 10. it is saide With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the tongue man confesseth to saluation and sure it is that of the abundance of the ioy of the heart the mouth reioyceth as coÌ„trariwise of the abundance of the griefe of the heart although there may be for a while an inward deuouring binding and suppressing of sorrow yet it will in time breake forth and wee shall euen rore for disquietnes of minde and cannot hold long vntill we haue eased our hearts with some outward complaint For we see if a man haue a through griefe how it consumeth him vnlesse he vtter it Againe if a man hath conceiued a true ioy how he longeth how hee is rauished how hee trauaileth vntill he hath brought it forth If then in any good measure we feele the ioy of the spirit the tongue will be at commaundement to vtter it Wherefore we are to try our selues and examine our hearts whether we heare reade pray or sing with this grace in our hearts with this ioy in our spirits with this comfort of conscience let vs lament considering how singing and spirituall reioycing is decayed how great a stranger the word is with vs what little delight and alacritie we haue in holy and religious exercises and let vs accuse our selues that therefore our tongues cleaue to the rough roofe of our mouth because our hearts are lockt vp in securitie which vndoubtedly is so open to all men that there is no man but bewaileth his want of inward ioy Many indeed as hypocrites can blow and bellow outwardly who make no melodie in their hearts who sing not in grace who haue not the sweete and naturall voyce which commeth from a well affected and right ordered minde either ioyfully shewing a godly digested mirth or dolefully breathing out into the passions of an exercised minde My flesh also doth rest in hope See his godly ioy made him haue a securitie in his flesh It is our naturally infirmitie that wee haue a trembling of the flesh which hindereth in vs many good actions as may be seene in our thoughts suspecting of dangers scarefull imaginations and wandring conceits forecasting this euill and that euill to the great disturbing and disordering of the peace of our minds all the which excessiue feares were in this man of God wisely corrected though not vtterly remoued but suppressed in him by faith Whereof commeth then our carnall and immoderate feares in dangers but of want of faith This our Sauiour Christ teacheth his disciples at what time they were with him being asleepe in a tempest on the seas when they through vnbeliefe feared his diuinitie to haue slept with his humanitie where he saith vnto them O yee little faith why doe you not beleeue Heere wee see hee rebuketh their excessiue feare which thing hee also doth almost in the same manner When they carnally feared him to haue been a spirit as he walked on the seas they were not throughly perswaded that God was their portion their inheritance and watched ouer them for if they had they would haue corrected these fleshly and immoderate feaâ—â—s that they should not haue hindred their holy meditations of God his powerful prouidence nor their prayers for his gratious assistance nor any other good exercises of their mindes Thus we see how the sure perswasion of God to be his inheritance his mainteiner both in soule and body his reacher both by day and by night both by his word and his spirit made the man of God secure both in soule and body And what caused this partly that which wee spake of before partly that which followeth for thou wilt â—ot leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption so that the promises already tasted of and the sure expectation to haue the good worke begunne to bee finished in him made him rest in hope and hauing God his cause in hand he saw how the Lord would not onely watch ouer him for his present estate but also would guide him to immortalitie Behold how his inward assurance wrought an outward safetie wherby wee plainely see that where there is a want of this comfort and faith in the soule there is a want of peace and securitie in the body It is our vnbeliefe then that hatcheth and nourisheth wandring thoughts and filleth our braine with suspitious phantasies and fruitlesse illusions dreaming of dangers where there are none and imagining mountaines where scarsely are molehils Let vs then strengthen our faith and certifie our soules that our flesh shall stand before God which will so worke in vs that neither flesh and blood shall weigh vs downe with securitie in time of prosperitie nor ouerlode vs with desperate terrours in time of aduersitie Neither as we said must we thinke Dauid to be a senselesse Stoick as feeling no troubles but that by the power of God he was in trouble a triumphant conquerour and in all these dangers through faith more than a victorer For as God reserueth his vnspeakeable ioyes for his children in vntolerable agonies so he neuer armeth them strongly but he prepareth them a field wherethey must fight stoutly Oh that this heauenly ioy were in vs more aboundantly and of moe men more frequented then should not the small remnant that now alwayes vse it be counted and called precisians then should wee giue more liuely testimonies of our effectuall faith to
the Prophet here setteth downe by proofe in his owne person Neither must wee thinke that as it were with a trumpet he doth here blow and sound forth his owne praise but rather by his example is desirous to stirre others vp Vers 98. By thy commaundements thou hast made mee wiser than mine enemies for they are â—uer with me THe first of the particular effects is contained in these words By thy coÌ„mandements thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies Wee see how men now adayes straine their wits to match their enemies in policies deuices but few thinke on this sound meanes whereby we shall surely preuaile against them Now if it be so that whatsoeuer is written is written for our instructioÌ„ and comfort in making mention of the meanes the Prophet of the Lord doth teach vs that it was no extraordinarie worke of the Lord proper to him but a meanes appointed of God for vs all to follow Whereby hee teacheth vs that God will blesse vs to attaine to the like wisedome if we will endeuour to vse the like meanes To apply this to our profit wee must gather the particular out of the generall doctrine on this manner whosoeuer shall haue the commaundements of God euer with him hee shall be wiser then his enemies than his teachers than the ancient but Dauid did so or wee doe so therefore Dauid and we shall finde this wisedome But some man will say Experience teacheth vs a cleane contrarie doctrine that Gods children are not so wise in their light as the children of this world are in their generation I answere That it is true experience prooueth and our Sauiour Christ teacheth but this I adde that the experience commeth from our small sight of the word and not for any want of the word it selfe when Gods children haue it on their side And our Sauiour Christ his speech tendeth rather to shew what it is through our corruption than what it ought to be so that iustly he vseth it to our shame Indeede ciuill wisedome which choketh in them all temptations with worldly delights hauing the diuell to be their schoole master doth worke in them a contentation of minde while for a season they smother as they thinke the iudgements of God breathing vpon them And because on the contarie the spirits of Gods children are occupyed in heauenly things yet often the flesh so laboureth against the spirit that whilest they would be wiser than the Lord or would vse any indirect meanes against their enemies or in vsing good meanes faile in prayer or in not staying themselues on Gods prouidence and appointed time of deliuerance it commeth to passe that they are ouercome But whilest they renounce themselues and their owne wisedome and craue counsaile of God in his word and the direction of his Spirit by prayer whilest they vse good meanes in a good cause and keeping a good conscience waite on the hand of the Lorde they shall bee sure to haue the ouerthrowe of their enemies Proofe doth teach vs that a silly soule in the Countrey which walketh in the wayes of the Lorde will soone discouer the shifting pollicies of a worldly learned man brought vp in the Vniuersitie because the wrath of the Lord hangeth ouer the one and his mercifull spirit watcheth ouer the other But so long as wee will shoote with Sathan in his owne bowe and repell policie with policie what follie shall be found in vs though we can howle loftily with the wolfe and deale cunningly with the Grecians when as the Lord will neuer suffer a good cause to be maintained by euill meanes Some of vs seeke the word but in seeking it we rest in our owne good meaning not humbling our selues before the Lord but our wisdome herein must come from the spirit For we can no more by the eie of reason see the light of the word then Howlets looke vpon the bright Sunne Wherefore the Lord will haue vs in all controuersies with our aduersaries to depend on him and to know that the cause must not depend on our owne shoulders then must we by faith in the bloodshedding of Christ beleeue that our sinnes neither new nor old shall hinder the helping hand of the Lord. We must trust on Gods prouidence and promises and stay our selues by prayer on his wisedome if we look to be wiser than our aduersaries An excellent example hereof we haue to proue that secret sinnes not repented of may hinder the Lords dealing with vs against our enemies We read that after that filthy incest mentioned in Iudg. 17. which made the Leuite whose wife was abused to cut her in twelue peeces and send her through all the parts of Israel there was warre betweene the Beniamites and Israel and the Beniamites being but few in number and maintaining an euill cause in two battels ouercame the Israelites vntil at length they humbled themselues with prayer and fasting and repented of that euill which was amongst them so that in the third assault the Lord gaue his people strength mightily to preuaile against their enemies So we may haue a good cause and vse good meanes and yet for want of reconciling our selues to God for some sinne new or old we may suffer the ouerthrow If then our cause be good we must vse good meanes faith in Christ trust in his prouidence and staying our selues on his wisedome Doe we not see by experience how the Martyrs of God humbling themselues on this maner preuailed in mightie power against their accusers Deut. 4. Moses sheweth that the enemies of God were driuen to confesse that only Gods people were wise euen because God gaue them good lawes This was it that made Ioseph wiser than his brethren Moses wiser than the Egyptians and Daniel than all the Magicians of Babylon and Dauid than all his politike enemies Marke I pray you all figuratiue hyperbolicall and darke speeches the Metaphors and Parables which are in the word of God and you shall finde that they were learned people to whom the bookes were written and had attained that measure of wisedome and knowledge which in our time none can vnderstand but they which are brought vp in learning which thing we may also obserue in them of whom the Histories of the booke of God are written and yet who were more blockish then the Iewes after they had transgressed so obstinately the law of the Lord But shall wee vnderstand this as though the children of God were in euery particular action wiser then the wicked ones No but onely in those things and then wherein and when they vsed this wisedome of the Spirit and gaue themselues and their causes to be gouerned according to Gods word Looke on Dauid who though hee was wise so long as he kept a good conscience yet harkening to policie and not willing to stay himselfe on the simplicitie of Gods word how suddenly was hee ouercome and yeelded so farre that he dissembled euen
of the soule how sweete excellent and beautifull a thing it is to beleeue and loue the word and how loathsome and palpable is mistrust and ignorance We must then be perswaded that though we are not in prison we walke in the night and in the darkenes whilest we are in ignorance yet the Lord wil giue vs in time to suspect our hearts of ignorance and worke in vs both a desire and a delight to loue and liue after the word and that we shall find the truth of this verse in ourselues to say with the Prophet Thy word is a lanterne to my fecte and alight to my paths Many there are which doe not so much as acknowledge this doctrine Some are come out of this darknes into the glorious kingdome of Christ and yet swarue so much in life that they shew not themselues to haue this true faith And where mens manners swarue besides their profession we see this sentence more professed in mouth than practised in life and they onely doe beleeue this to be true which enterprise nothing but that which hath it warrant out of the word For these acknowledge that in themselues there is nothing but darkenes and that they stand in need to be inlightned by the ministerie of the word and working of his spirit And as we confesse the truth of this in generall so must we deduce it to particulars and seuerals so that euery man may say I am either in light or in darkenesse if I haue a warrant for this which I doe out of the word I am in light but if I doe it by the motion of mine owne braine I am in darkenes Besides as this doth shew the great necessity of Gods word so also it must humble vs because of our ignorance as also it yeeldeth this comfort that as we thinke we trauell safely in respect of our bodies so long as we haue the light of the Sunne so also we are in the safe way to saluation as long as we are guided by the word And when as some doe obiect that the Scriptures doe containe great difficulties and are hard to be vnderstood we said that though the smallest things were deepe mysteries yet they be plaine to the least of Gods children For Prouerb 8. 9. Wisedome saith that all her words are plaine to him that will vnderstand and streight to them that would finde knowledge And the man of God saith Portion 17. 2. The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple And though all men are not curiously to search into questions yet all men are carefull to seeke the way of saluation No man then can herein complaine of darkenesse but as it is in his owne minde neither neede that so to bee if hee will vse the meanes to auoid it and in a repenting heart craue the light by prayer The cause therefore why the word is a parable and a darke riddle vnto so many is either the pride of their owne wit when they thinke their wit to be so good as they can conceiue euery thing and their iudgement and learning to be such as that they can vnderstand any thing and profit by their owne industrie when as God is the author so he is also the reuealer of his trueth or else they doe not esteeme so reuerently of the trueth nor are so much grieued with their blindnesse and ignorance as they should be Vers. 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements NOw as his faith was the first argument he vsed so the second was his conscience his loue his affection to the word which he sheweth by his oath that we may know it to be no wandring motion of his minde carrying him away but a thing well considered of and constant he protesteth that he will keepe his oath Wherein he declareth that many men haue sometimes motions to good but they either die presently or else they be so cold that they quickely fall away But as we may see he was no such light-headed man We haue here to learne that this is a iudgement of God why many doe not profit in the word because they cannot being void both of griefe for their natural blindnesse as also of the cleere sight and faith in Gods word say in trueth Thy word is a lantorne to my feet c. Now if these things be in vs we must pray that we may be moued with a purpose to continue in them and purposing we must beware we breake it not but be constant I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Concerning this binding of himselfe with an oath which the man of God here vseth it declareth his care to keepe a good conscience in laying the iudgements of God which were past the iudgements of God to come vp in his heart Wee see then that as when men sweare voluntarily it is a token of their good conscience so it appeareth most in good men who setting so much by the glorious name of God can sustaine any priuate discredit and swallow many troubles to maintaine the credit of it Wherefore Gods children though they are carefully to auoid all sinnes yet make a greater conscience of this sinne than of any other and when they take an oath though before they made a conscience of that thing yet now they make a greater conscience If hee had found no weakenesse no mistrust or doubtfulnesse in himselfe then needed he not so streightly to haue bound himselfe For if he had been alwaies carefull what needed he to haue vsed an oath But the care which hee had to meete with this weaknesse was the cause of his solemne couenant which teacheth vs that such infirmities as are in vs were in him who because of the vanitie and sluggishnesse which he felt in his corrupt nature did prouoke and stirre vp himselfe to a greater care by an oath Then if we see that euen the man of God thought this to be a necessary meane to stirre vp his infirmities why should we not thinke it as necessarie for vs when the most diligent amongst vs may thinke himselfe to bee behind him in many degrees But the cause why we make no such oath is because we are fearefull and our delaying of this practise from time to time sheweth that there is not in vs that feeling of our wants that reuerence of his word nor experience of his goodnesse which he felt This must make vs afraid and ashamed of our selues that we hauing the like infirmities haue not the like affections True it is that to be sparing in these othes is a good token of a Christian so that he be but a nouice in Christs schoole for euery man must not vse this oth because he knoweth not his owne strength but we must not alwaies be at A. B. C. and dwell still in the principles of Religion Neither must we thinke that
haue not with the Prophet the like graces If we then fall in vnbeleefe or in time of trouble possesse not our soules in patience let vs not hope for this mercie but if in a right cause we haue walked vprightly vnder hope of the like grace we may pray for the like mercy That loue thy name Whatsoeuer loue he had to God he would not expresse it by shewing it to the Lord but by testifying it to his word The name of euery person or thing serueth especially as we know to make them knowne to vs and to discerne them from other in that kinde So is it in the name of the Lord whose name is set downe to vs Exod. 33. and 34. by the Lord himselfe speaking to Moses The Lord passed before his face and cried the Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious c. We see what is the name of the Lord the eternitie wisedome power strength and goodnes of the Lord for all these things abide in him and spring from him to his creatures as from a fountaine Now in that these things cannot be known but by the word whatsoeuer loue we shew to God we must testifie it by obedience to his word For in that he is in all these things so infinit he sheweth vs in the second Commaundement that no Idoll can expresse his wisedome power loue and iustice but his word alone which is the glasse wherein alone whilest we are in this life we see the face of the Lord. Seeing then the word doth make his name so knowne vnto vs we then loue his name wheÌ„ we loue his word which sheweth vs his loue power eternitie and goodnes Wherefore the Prophet in this same Psalme saith Thy testimonies are mine heritage for euer expressing by the word his loue to the Lord according to that Psal. 16. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Then he said he loued the Lord when he loueth his law Here then we see that Heretikes loue not the Lord bragge they thereof neuer so much and call themselues the Familie of loue because they loue not the word We must then try our loue to God by our loue to his word and sith the loue of God is not pure in Heretikes let vs loue the word which is a sound triall of our loue of God for looke what loue he would haue done to him he requireth to haue it shewed to his word Thus we see they loue Gods name which loue his mercy iustice strength and power but because we cannot know them nor be endued with them but as the Lord by the ministery of his word and working of his Spirit communicateth them vnto vs we must shew that loue to the word which we would shew to the Lord. As we therefore are desirous of the reading hearing and meditating of the word of God as we delight to be conferring of it as we reioyce when we see it obserued and kept in our selues and in others as we are grieued to see this broken in our selues and others euen such is our loue to God his word Vers. 133. Direct my steps in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion euer me VVHen the man of God said before that he opened his mouth and panted and that he saw the word of God was wonderfull and that the very entrance into it gaue light vnderstanding vnto the simple he now prayeth for continuance in this his loue The ende then of this his prayer is perseuerance and sheweth that though he loued the word yet he is still ready to goe out of the way and so vnlesse the Lord stay and establish him iniquitie should get the vpper hand Thus we see how he feared and suspected himselfe for had he not feared this had been an vnnecessary prayer The man of God had not that opinion of himselfe which men haue now adaies in thinking so highly of their owne strength but prayeth to the Lord that he may not goe astray which thing he thought he might of himselfe easily doe and that if it were so that he slipt somewhat awrie yet that he might not goe too farre least that iniquitie should haue the vpper hand of him Thus we see that in this Psalme is set down vnto vs a myrrour of godlines wherin a man may come to the sight of his corruptions and to a feeling of his neede in hauing his steps numbred and his pathes guided by the word If we were truely perswaded of this same it would pull vs on our knees and humble vs it would make vs make much of the meanes whereby we might helpe these infirmities But we suspect no such danger and therefore wee are not so carefull in our singular actions to watch ouer our selues and that by degrees we may fall away and start out of the way or ere we beware In that this followeth so immediately his former prayer that God would looke vpon him and be mercifull to him he sheweth that there was neuer any man but he was in danger and most readie to fall vnlesse God looked on him and were the more mercifull vnto him So that with the gift of perseuerance hee prayeth for mercie declaring that vnlesse the Lord would bestow such grace on him he was not able to continue This must stay the pestilent doctrine of the Papists who foolishly dreame that a man hauing freewill may hold forth his course in the right way and may promise to himselfe safe passage True it is Gods children may assure themselues of strength because the Lord is on their right hand but so as they are still to feare their owne frailenes and to pray for finall perseuerance This verse is all one in effect with the first verse portion 14. Thy word is a lanterne to my feete and a light vnto my paths In both which places hee sheweth that as hee that goeth in a darke place or in the night cannot goe on right step but as hee receiueth light from the lanterne to see his way and when hee is in neuer so little darkenes hee is in danger and readie to stumble so we if we march forward in ignorance and darkenes cannot guide our selues one step to the kingdome of heauen but as wee may haue light from the lanterne of Gods word to beware how wee tread and when wee swarue neuer so little from this light wee are in daunger of making our conscience to stumble This borrowed speech goeth then thus farre As he that is in darknes can goe no further safely than he is within the compasse of the light of the candle so according to the measure of our knowledge of Gods word are we able to direct our affections happily and no further In thâ—t he saith Direct my steps he noteth that although wee haue the light of the word before vs yet vnlesse the Lord open our eyes it shall bee as vnprofitable and vnable to guide vs as the light of a candle is to
readie to deceiue themselues they are in daÌ„ger of being hardned because the maÌ„ of God here so ioyneth both together that he should haue â—is steps directed least that iniquitie should haue the dominion ouer him for I take the whole verse to be but one request The sooner we meete with temptation the better we shall ouer match it the longer wee continue and let it alâ—ne the longer will be our conflict If we begin betimes we shall easily conquer it if we let it alone we shall easily be conquered For it will either get ground of vs ouerreach vs and get the vantage or else we must get ground and vantage of it if it ouercome vs wee shall hardly recouer our paces This is then the wisedome of God his spirit in his children which men call precisenes to set a warie and heedy watch ouer euery affection that we thinke ouer euery word which we speake ouer euery deede we doe least wee be deceiued and through deceite bee hardened and so iniquitie get the dominion ouer vs. Thus we see the Prophet desireth the gift of perseuerance acknowledging that to continue is Gods gift as well as to begin And in that he desireth speciall mercy to perseuere he declareth that many begin well but afterward iniquitie getteth the vpper hand and they fall away so that it is a peculiâ—r mercy of God to preserue his to the end And in praying as well here for the 〈…〉 affections as he did before for the direction of his iudgmeÌ„t he giueth vs to vnderstand that if we purpose to perseuere we must no lesse looke to our affections than to our iudgement This then is a double grace of God on whomsoeuer first to haue our iudgement enlightened and then to haue our affections touched Direct my feete c. As our feete carie our bodies so our affections support our actions It is a good thing to stay our affections when our outward actions are rightly ordered and for this cause mention is made so often in the booke of God of lifting vp our eyes of holding vp our hands of walking with our feete As then we will haue our affections truly touched for we must not contemne this outward gouernment Now whereas he prayeth that the secret masse of corruption which lieth in him may not breake out in him he noteth that they who are carelesse of their finall perseuerance make little conscience of their former corruptions But such are greatly to feare least that in the latter end of their regeneration they bee cast our of Paradise with Adam and throwne out of the Church with Cain For if Adam sinned in Paradise whilest as yet he was perfect how easily may we fall which are in the dayes wherein iniquitie doth raigne and are full of imperfections Againe as we touched briefly before God his children doe not tarrie so long as to labour for life and striue for breath in temptations but in the beginning they espie their errours whereby they see how they might sail further were it not that Gods spirit mightily did preserue them And surely euery man by experieÌ„ce shal find that the sooner we begin to 〈…〉 the more speedily and easily we shall preuaile against it whether it be that we are tempted to leaue good things vndone or to doe things not to be done For let a man once leaue the searching of his heart vpon some great necessitie cease from the ransacking and rifling of his conscieÌ„ce when he hath not happily slipt notoriously we may see we may find our recouery to our exercises againe But if we haue omitted these exercises a long time and often when we should come to practise them and put them in vre againe what a strange thing will this seeme to vs how hardly shall wee get our hearts to yeeld to it our flesh is vnwilling this thing is so vncome vnto vs that we are faine to sweate againe for those practises of prayer and priuate examination which by vsing we had with ease and by not vsing we had almost lost Wherefore as proofe maketh euident like as in a tree though the rootes be somewhat mangled yet there will sprout buds which with a small instrument by daily resorting to them and keeping vnder may be kept from much growing and yet afterward by negligence and permission as with a hatchet they will hardly be hewen down And as in a great concourse of waters though the fountaine be stopped yet the riuers remaine open which being taken in time with a floud-gate may bee staied and leesing long oportunitie by great bankes from ouerflowing caÌ„not be restrained euen so a man in the beginning of his temptation whilest as yet it is but in the sprout and hauing a little course is vnable to make any great breach by prayer and the spirit of God may bee kept vnder and stayed but if it be left alone not looked to as before the extraordinarie spirit of the Preacher or the extraordinarie trauell of a man in prayer and fasting will not be able to remedie it Well many there be that charme the charmer neuer so wisely they will not heare that they might preuent the rage of sinne If when we shall vse all meanes to subdue sinne all is too little if we giue it any libertie how great is the daunger If a man in vsing a sparing dyet moderate apparell and little sleepe shall still finde in himselfe a selfe-loue and liking of sinne how much more when hee frameth himselfe to all the guises and fashions of the world shall he see selfe-loue preuaile against him when wee are iustified in Christ and ingraffed into him by faith and yet haue not the rootes of sinne throughly pulled out not the riuers of iniquitie dried vp but onely the spring head is staied I know there be many who thinke it a precisenesse to be so much afraid of our owne weakenes and to be watchfull and warie of our owne affections yea and oftentimes in those things which to iudgement are lawfull yet abstaineth in life and in our practise but blessed be that feare and happie is that precisenesse which is so carefull ouer our owne infirmities and so much suspecteth our owne wants and weakenesse Wherefore the man of God still prayeth for perseuerance In thy word In that he maketh the word of God his meanes of perseuering he teacheth vs that though we haue profited neuer so much yet vnlesse the word of God enlighten our iudgements and reforme our affections we may easily erre out of the way We knowe but in part our heart is reformed but in part our knowledge is bettered but in part and that which we haue is giuen of God by the preaching of the word and working of his spirit and that we may yet be deliuered from those affections which in vs remaine corrupt wee had neede to pray for the vse of the word Againe in that he would be grieued by the word the man of God sheweth
by lying in some grosse sinne Here is then a touch stone for them that can say I trust I feare God if I feared not God how should I hope to prosper or how should I liue for if their feare be tried by the word and their feare of the word be tried by particular sins they will soone bewray themselues Againe many there be who will say they feare God whilest sicknesse pouertie or some crosse lieth vpon them but when affliction is past ouer and prosperitie commeth let the Lord strike vpon their hearts neuer so hardly and they will not feare Wherefore the Prophet Esay saith chap. 28. 15. Because ye haue said we haue made a couenant with death and with hell we are at agreement though a scourge runne ouer vs and passe thorow it shall not come at vs. And 18. The couenant with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when a scourge shall runne ouer you and passe thorow then shall you be troden vnder by it And though sometimes we feare with Pharaoh the present tokens of Gods wrath as the thunder the lightning the earthquake and such like yet we make them scarsely as the wonders that last nine daâ—es neither feare we the word of God In stead of all the plagues whereof we reade in the old Testament as of the opening of the earth of the ouerflowing with waters of fire comming down from heauen we heare but one named in the new Testament namely that they that doe such things for which those plagues did come shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen which one doth so terrifie Gods children that they had leauer beare all the afflictions of Iob and all the plagues of Egypt than that one for all those are but forerunners of this one iudgement and this is the full heape of all other threatnings In that he saith my heart standeth in awe he sheweth his feare was not couertly as in the vngodly For at one time or other the Lord may shake the vilest villaine in the world with feare of his iudgements and sometimes to feele terrour but this kinde of feare soone vanisheth away and sinketh not into the heart how much soeuer it be striken into the head For we see whilest God lyeth â—ore vpon vs by some terrible iudgement of thunder lightnings or earthquakes how euery prophane man can be content to pray and for the time will be very godly and religious so long as the plague lasteth but when that is once ouer their feare is also ouer The most desperate feare but it sitteth not it dwelleth not long vpon their hearts but as a flash of Lightning suddenly striketh the face and suddenly is gone So a flashing sight of Gods Maiestie striketh their hearts and suddenly is departed Wee must not then haue an ouer-hearing of Gods threatnings nor an ouer-fearing of his iudgements For many will like the word because they like it in iudgement or for that it increaseth their knowledge but few loue it in heart because it renueth their affections For though our iudgement hee wrought vpon yet the heart is not wrought on which is Gods place wherin if he by the ministerie of his word once take sure hold it wil forthwith go to the eye eare and hand the whole body and wil be effectuall Now what is a more effectuall bridle against sinne then still to thinke that we are in the presence of God For if all men in the world should bid a man do any thing contrary to the will of God though in doing he might be next the King or in not doing with Daniel haue his bodie giuen to the Lyons yet would he not doe any thing against Gods lawes Neither did Daniel suffer all this because hee would not be an Idolater but for that he would not denie the worship to the true God but professed the same openly in setting open his windowes and manifesting his true religion for the space of three dayes And why did he thus euen because the feare of God did so touch his heart that the feare of man did nothing dismay him so that neither the gaine nor promotion which hee might haue had by the King on the one side nor the danger and losse which was layd vnto him on the other side could make him at all to displease God And as the feare of God hath these effects in God his children that the poorest creature shall stand in great courage before the face of a King so where this feare of God is wanting the mightie Prince shall stand in awe of his poorest subiect 1. Sam. 15. When Saul had a flat commaundement from the Lord who from a meane stocke and base parentage was aduanced to the kingdome to destroy the King he contrarie to the Lords commaundement saueth Agag yea and a great while stoutly iustifieth his sinne before Samuel but when he had streightly charged his conscience hee added the feare of the people moued me to doe it as if he should haue said I was afraid that the people in â—o doing would haue gone from me and haue denied me the honour which they were wont to yeeld vnto me Thus we see a poore soule and with Gods feare feareth not a Prince and a mightie King without this feare feared the poore people This feare of God also keepeth the godly that in all their distresses they dare not open their mouthes to any foule speech or corrupt language When Iob was spoyled of all hee had and wicked men had taken it from him he saith in the humblenes of spirit and feare of his God the Lord giueth and the Lorde taketh blessed be the name of the Lord He durst not chase against the Chaldeans although he was in this miserable perplexitie for the feare of God so gaged his heart that he durst not nourish any euill thoughts or breake out into euill words to displease the Lorde Contrariwise where this feare is not wee shall see great murmuring and grudging because Leuit. 20. the Lord saith If any man turne after such as worke with spirits and after southsayers then will I set my face against that person Let him keepe his sinne as close as he will and hide it as much as he can yet I the Lord wil finde it out In vaine then wee see doe words flâ—e out brutishly from wordly men who say they feare and loue God when they neither belieue his promises nor feare his threatnings nor loue that which he commandeth noâ— hate that which he forbiddeth Well runne they in the last day whither they will yell they neuer so much to haue the rockes to couer them and the hills to hide them the word will iudge those worldlings heretikes and scorners But they will thus say wee aske not counsell of the diuell as you charge vs yea but God his word so saith that hee that goeth to witches and wizards goes to aske counsell of the diuell Againe as wee said before
but of a patient faith and the cause of impatiencie is want of faith Of this faith speaketh the Prophet Esai 28 16. Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make haste to wit to by-waies and indirect meanes as casting off his hope of God his promises Of the contrarie the want of faith speaketh our Sauiour Christ Luke 18. 8. When the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth Likewise Heb. 10. when the Apostle had said The iust shall liue by faith If any withdraw himselfe his minde is not vpright in him my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Againe Habac. 2. when the Lord had commanded the Prophet to waite he saith He that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him that is he hath a troubled minde and vnquiet spirit Wherefore let vs attend vpon that exhortation of the Apostle Iam. 5. 11. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made As if he should say ye are not ignorant of that my errour of patiēce who when the Lord suspended his iudgements still waited for the accomplishments of his promises Whosoeuer then thinketh himselfe to haue faith and by patience cannot waite for the Lord his leisure and due time of helpe but withdraweth himselfe and maketh haste to other meanes and not staying himselfe on God his word and promises but hastneth and cannot be quiet in his minde vntill presently he haue gotten some helpe he is as yet an vnbeleeuer And I haue done thy Commandements Euen as without faith it is impossible to please God so is it impossible truly to trust in God his saluation vnlesse we labour by faith to serue him in loue and to please him with good workes Wherefore as the Apostle hath taken vp the truth of this rule so he sheweth Heb. 11. how all the Fathers by their faith did trauell in good workes By faith saith he Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice than Cain by faith was Enoch taken away by faith Noah prepared the Arke by faith Abraham obeyed God through faith Sarah receiued strength to conceiue c. A contrarie argument to that which we haue in our times where our faith and profession is so barren of good workes True it is that when we will glorie before God all boasting in good workes is shut out in that if he entreth into iudgement with the best of our actions he shal find them polluted with many imperfections so that we can by no meanes stand before him but in faith but Iam. 2. 20. Wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that the faith which is without workes is dead was not Abraham our father iustified through workes c. where we must note the diuers significations of the word iustifie if we will shew these two propositions to be true and how they may be reconciled we are iustified by faith we are iustified by workes For as God sanctifieth vs when he maketh vs partakers of his holinesse and we sanctifie him when we shew him to be holie so God is said to iustifie vs when we are approued iust before God and we iustifie God when we testifie that he is iust In like maner faith iustifieth vs in that it acquiteth vs before God from our sinnes for Christ his sake in whom we beleeue workes iustifie vs in as much as they witnesse to vs and to men that we are iustified by faith before God whereof our sanctification is a pledge So that we meane nothing else when we say we are iustified by works than if we should say We declare and make knowne that we are iustified by these works For when euery good worke is of the spirit of God and the spirit of God is giuen to none but to the children of God when we faile in doing many things whereunto we are by Gods spirit moued and in those things which we doe we corrupt those motions so that our best actions stand in neede of faith to haue them purged in Christ his perfit obedience it is manifest that our workes onely giue a testimonie to our selues and others that we are iustified If then we haue true faith it must worke by loue that as faith doth acquite vs from sinne before God so good workes may giue euidence thereof before men When then we are carried away with dulnesse in good things and with deadnesse in weldoing we are to trie our hearts if we want God is not pleased with vs if we haue saith without workes we deceiue our selues The meaning then of the man of God in this place is thus much Because I know that they haue happie successe that loue thee and obey thy word this moueth me to keepe a good conscience So we haue learned thus much that it is but follie to boast of faith without good workes For as we iudge a man to be aliue so long as we perceiue his vitall spirits his animall powers and naturall operations to exercise themselues and thinke that he is not dead whilest the faculties of the minde are exercised in the senses mēbers powers of the body but notwithstanding that life it selfe is a thing most secret yet by a mans seeing hearing tasting touching going and working we discerne the same euen so so long as we perceiue the fruits of God his spirit and new birth and the effects of grace and fruites of sanctification in the soule we thinke him not spiritually dead in whom these things are And notwithstanding saith which is the life of Gods children be a most secret thing yet when we can open our eyes to see the wonderfull word of God to his praise and shut them from seeing vanities when our eares are open to the works of God and closed and dull to heare worldly vanities when our mouthes can speak of Gods iudgements and are dumbe in leasings we may iudge by these and the like effects that there is the life of Christ in vs. And herewithall we must obserue as these naturall workings are not the cause of life but that rather insomuch as we liue these things do exercise themselues in vs euen so the good workes are no cause why we are good or liue by faith but because by faith in Christ we are accounted good and iust before the Lord therefore we are good For as the tree hath not his goodnes of the fruits but the fruits haue their goodnes because first the tree was good so we cannot be said to be good in respect of our workes but our workes are good in respect of vs iustified before by faith And although the sap life and nourishment of the tree be a thing most secret and hidden from common sense yet by the leaues buds greenes and fruits thereof we draw knowledge of the life in it so though our life which is hidden in Christ be hidden from flesh and
vncleannes securitie and such like sinnes haue so beaten and trampled vpon thy heart that it is euen hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne but repent thee of thy former sinne and put away the euill of thy workes and then come to the word with a holy heart and then thou shalt see and feele thy vnderstanding inlightened thy iudgement reformed and all the words of wisedome plaine and easie vnto thee All this is confirmed vnto vs by plaine and daily experience for when a man hath been buffeted with some sinne when he hath yeelded too much to pride worldlinesse anger and such like when he hath fallen into some misliking of the word or of the preacher then in hearing he heareth not and the word is a sealed booke vnto him Contrariwise when men doe most mislike themselues for their sinnes when they be most grieued for their dulnes when they thinke themselues most vnapt and most vnworthie of knowledge and yet desire to finde comfort in the word wish to be inlightened and led into the true knowledge of it then doth the Lord very often giue them the deepest insight into his heauenly mysteries then doth he worke in them a most comfortable feeling then doth he also put and stirre vp most heauenly and holy motions in their minds By all this must we learne many things first when we heare the word without fruite then we must returne into our selues and know that our sinnes are the cause of blockish dulnesse which is come vpon vs. Anger hath troubled our affections and pleasure hath stollen away our hearts profit hath corrupted our iudgements therefore our iudgements doe not yeeld vnto the word it cannot enter into our hearts neither can it worke vpon our affections We are then in this case to bewaile our sinnes to labour for repentance to pray for the spirit of sanctification whereby these sinnes may be consumed and then returne vnto the word with prayer and the Lord wil blesse our vnderstanding Againe when we see our iudgements reformed and our hearts touched so that the word worketh vpon our affections then we must know that the good worke of God hath gone before his mercy hath disburdened vs of the heauie burthen of sin his goodnesse hath emptied our hearts of vnprofitable thoughts and his good spirit hath wrought all in all in vs. Then to shut vp this verse let vs know that as sinne doth hinder and holde the word out of our hearts so doth the loue of the word as it were open the doore of our hearts and make a broad and large passage for the word to enter into vs and to worke that good worke for which it was sent It followeth in the next verse Vers. 7. Depart from a foole when thou perceiuest not in him the lips of knowledge GOD hath ordained that men should liue together that one might bee helpfull to another But there is a neerer bond of friendship when one entreth into league with another or when one maketh choice of another for some neerer bond of friendship affinitie or such like And because this bond cannot stand but where there is a great likenes of conditions and qualities and it is commonly seene that the partie better affected is sooner chaunged therefore in this place we be admonished to beware least at any time we ioyne our selues to those that are foolish and vngodly Not that it is altogether vnlawfull to haue any dealing with them but that wee may not come too neere vnto them For to eate and drinke with them to dwell in the same towne by them and such other common duties be not vnlawfull But to ioyne in marriage with them to make them priuie to to our counsels or to vse them as more neere and speciall friends this is vnlawful and this is here forbidden For little or no good at all can bee gotten by them they will hardly or not at all be brought to goodnesse and such is their subtiltie that one of them is able to peruert the faith or at least to corrupt the manners of very many Good cause therefore there is why we should depart and get our selues from them on the contrary side wee bee taught to seeke out good company and to ioyne our selues to them as neerly as may bee yet with this full purpose of heart that wee may receiue fruite and profit by them Nature doth call vpon vs to doe this the communion of Saints requires it at our hands our own profit should compel vs the examples of euery mā in each calling may moue vs therunto For men doe desire to be in companie of their betters the scholler would be in companie of him that is better learned the worshipful man desireth the companie of the noble man and the honorable delighteth much in the fauour of the Prince Yea in the basest occupations and handicrafts men doe still desire to bee in the company of them that are most skilfull And all this is to obtaine the knowledge of earthly things and the fauour of them that can helpe them how much more then should we desire the companie one of another that we might be helpfull one to another in heauenly things Nay how intirely should wee be ioyned one to another and receiue good one by another in all kinde of goodnesse And yet must this bee done in great discretion for the best men haue their faults Therefore wee must be most carefull as to receiue what good we can by any so to receiue hurt or hinderance by none at all It followeth Vers. 8. The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit THat is true wisedome indeede which beginning at knowledge doth goe forward vnto practise and beginning at faith doth further proceede vnto the fruites of faith For vnlesse there be profitable vse of knowledge both in our generall and particular callings it hath neither the sense nor the sauour of heauenly wisedome Then we be here admonished to labour that our knowledge may growe vnto faith and that we builde a godly life vpon faith And that we may thus do we must especially trauell that our hearts may stand in awe of Gods word and that we may haue a charitable and louing heart vnto men This if we can obtaine then shall wee in feare and loue doe the good duties which may glorifie God profit men and haue sure arguments that we haue true wisedome But the foolishnes of fooles is deceit That is they doe either take a wrong course of life or else if they take a right course yet their hearts are not aright and therefore they deceiue both themselues and others All this commeth to passe because with conscience they do not apply euery general point of doctrine to their particular estate and labour not to make practise of it We giue titles vnto men count them wise and politike men that can foresee and preuent worldly displeasure But the
of couetous cares consuming them and that so strongly as if there were no hope to be recouered How be it when the Lord hath soked and softned them a little in the brine of affliction they are lesse starke and beginne to yeeld there is a great change and wonderfull alteration in them their lust is cooled their wrath is pacified their concupiscence is abated their gluttonie well tempered their couetousnesse fullie satisfied their affections are so tamed and their corruption so subdued that they thinke themselues highly indebted and much beholden to the cunning skill of affliction which so wonderfully bringeth them downe 3 Now let vs consider how vnder the crosse we are made more zealous in the meanes of our saluation How customably heare we how coldly pray we how carelesly receiue we the Sacraments what feare what indignation what heat what wrath what repeÌ„tance doth the discipline of the Church worke in vs what maiestie appeareth in our publike exercises what authoritie and fruite in our priuate meditations But if the Lord rouse vs vp from this apolexie and dead numbnesse of spirit by some fatherly correction how profit wee by the word how beautifull are the feete of them that bring the glad tidings of saluation how sweete are the promises how soone doe the threatnings worke on vs how zealously will wee pray how glorious are our feelings what ioyes vnspeakable in the Sacraments what feare of sinne what trembling at God his iudgements what indignation with our selues doth the Church censure worke in vs and whereof commeth this Surely because being driuen out of euery crannie and creuis where wee were went to bee harboured wee can finde no rest vntil we come vnder the roofe of the Lord his house who in all our dangers and after all our rebellions will not push vs out of his doore he wil take vp such Lazarus and not into a spittle house but into his Arke of comfort and Tabernacle of consolation Oh deepe sea of Gods mercie which neuer can be sounded that when men growe to such a Lordlinesse as they will not heare vs nor see vs nor vouchsafe to speake to vs he should not refuse to giue vs free audience and by his readie hearing moue vs to bee eloquent and long in our prayers to him who as soone as he doth but looke on vs doth promise a release from our miserie 4 When our friends will not speake to vs the Lord calleth to vs hee will enter some long speech with vs and denieth vs not all the comforts which the promises of the Gospell may affoord When our familiar acquaintance will scarcely lend vs a potsherd to scrape off our scabs the Lord by his SacrameÌ„ts reacheth out the surest pledges of his eternall good will towards vs. But yet behold another worke of affliction it bringeth vs to the contempt of this world and breedeth in vs the loue of the world to come whereunto in prosperitie we are very hardly brought For besides that wee see few noble rich healthie strong and honourable men desire death or to be wearie of this life be it neuer so long if wee consider how loath such men are to depart how gladly they would indent that their life and tearme of their lease might after an hundred yeeres expired bee renewed for an hundred yeeres longer wee shall see prosperitie will perswade all and ouercomes many to die in the nest Nay which more is affliction can hardly call vs away or knock vs off wee grow so deafe and take hold so fast of the world For who is so sick but euen in paine hee would rather wish to liue the longer than to die the sooner who so clogd with pouertie that to be freed from his clog would desire to die If the Israelites panting and breathing vnder the yoke of most seruile impositions and trauels were hardly drawne towards the promised land of libertie and easily would haue retired to the former labours of their seruitude what thinke you should haue allured them out of Egypt if they had liued there in some preferment and ease as did Ioseph in the court what could Moses and Aaron haue done to haue driuen them out of the place And I pray you if we being neuer so sick neuer so poore can still be content to haue our abiding in this life what will we doe if the Lord still graunt vs friends leaue our conscience vntouched our bodies vnharmed our goods vnconsumed Surely we would not haue leasure to think of death much lesse to die as our common speeches of our wise strong and wealthie men doe shew who when death dealeth with them crieout what must I needes away alas I neuer thought of anie other heauen I am not fit to depart I am very loth to die Thus it is the wisedome and goodnes of God to waine vs from the world by affliction which as it causeth vs to finde great comfort in beholding God but euen in a glasse so it hasteneth vs to taste of the fulnes of comfort in him by beholding him face to face 5 Ioseph saying thy seruants are men occupied about cattell might seeme to dissemble but it is not necessarie alwayes to speake all Truth and they confessed the principall truth that is that they were shepheards which kinde of men were abhorred of the Aegyptians and this turned to their profit for being seuered from the Aegyptians they might better maintaine peace among themselues be kept free from the corruption of the Aegyptians whereinto by familiâ—ritie they might haue fallen This teacheth vs that we should not be ashamed of our kindred though they be contemptible in the world For Ioseph being a chiefe ruler in the land of Aegypt yet confessed all his fathers to be shepheards he would not haue his brethren change their trade thogh he might haue gotten for them great preferments Our of all this may be gathered that the Lord worketh a contempt of this world in the harts of his children and that they had rather be doore-keepers in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodlie wee ought likewise not to bee ashamed to be called the people of God the Disciples of Christ no nor yet Precisians and such like names as are coÌ„monly giuen to Christians This may teach vs that the meane estate is alwayes best so that wee ought to giue God thanks for it and not to be ambitious for they that would be great in the world can hardly be religious But because many will be called brethren which be noâ— so indeed it shal be good to set downe some notes of brotherhood and the first is to helpe one another in neede yea though it be with danger of our liues therefore it is said that a brother is made for the time of aduersitie the godly brethren hazarded their liues for Paul for those that sought Paules death would likewise haue slaine these if they had knowne them There are diuers examples of
wisedome personage or blood that he shall think it a disgrace to consecrate all his life to the ministery of the Gospell Can flesh puffe vp it selfe so farre aboue the Saints aboue the Angels aboue the Lord himselfe or if he doe shall he not be rewarded Yes surely for if the Lord would keepe silence the very creatures themselues would be reuenged of him 7 We must desire that which is truely good for there are many kindes of good There is Isachars good Genes chap. 49. Isachar an Asse of great bones couching downe betweene two burthens saâ—e that which was good and was content to beare Howsoeuer many big-boned Asses lay them downe betweene a paire of burthens for ease hastning onely to auoy de the burthen and the heate of the day There is Demetrius his good the siluer-smith Sirs yee know that by this craft we haue our goods For we know that the labour is nothing so great now as it hath beene and that in these daies a clusâ—er of the common or ciuill lawe is worth an whole vintage of diuinitie There is Balaacks good Numb chap. 22. I purpose to doe thee good to promote thee There is Peters good Be good to your selfe â—or we knowe if he dare say to the King thou art impious he may carrie Iohn Baptists reward for his labour and send his head for a second course And yet there is a better good For we must not saith Syracid Aske of a woman touching whom she is â—ealous nor of an ambitious man touching thankefulnesse nor of anâ—ireling for the finishing of â— worke nor of the men of the world touching the things pertaining to God for the world is a great fauourer of the heresie of the Libertines and if we fall to counsell with flesh and blood we may doe to the booke of God as Ieconiah did to the Prophecie of Ieremiah cutte it in peeces with a pen-knife and cast it into the fire for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 1. 8 Whatsoeuer is written for vs it is written and if it be written for vs and for our sakes Let me heare saith Dauid what the Lord will say concerning me and so we must attend to heare the Lord what he will say concerning vs. As for me although I doe but sitte and mend my nettes and haue no part nor fellowship in this businesse being vnworthie to be matriculated into the high calling of the Ministerie yet feeling my soule hath chosen the tabernacle of the Lord for his portion and seeing the day may come that I may keepe a doore in the same as the Lord liueth before whom I speake he knoweth that in his feare I speake to this end that by mine owne mouth I may be stirred vp to prepare my selfe to this calling and that all you as Augustine said in his case when it was as mine is now hearing what my desire and purpose is may pray to God for me that I may haue power and strength giuen me to performe it 9 In prouiding for the Ministerie good men would be preferred God can doe much they say he may make them able It is like Saunders argument God is omnipotent Ergo there is transubstantiation Nay he hath enabled diuers well In the wildernesse when meate could not be gotten he rained quailes but in Canaan when they were in case to prouide for themselues that prouision ceased Many simple men at the first comming of the Gospell were stirred vp when the Vniuersities were the greatest enemies of his truth but now when he hath restored to vs the plentie of Canaan we must know that the date of that extraordinarie calling in our daies is expired Yet he may doe well True he that casteth blindfold may hit the marke but yet no wise man will lay any wager on his head If I might see a fierie tongue sit on his head I would say somewhat After his receiuing vp into glorie wheÌ„ he ascended vp on high then he gaue gifts vnto men such gifts as on their Coronation daies Kings are wont in great abundance to scatter among the people The Conduits ranne with wine and all the cocks with rose water and his Missilia new coyne of gold siluer by handfuls were throwne amongst them Such were the gifts of tongues prophecying healing all knowledge and other graces Now although he giue vs all things liberally yet he coÌ„tinued not his largesse daily as at his inauguration We must not looke alwaies to haue the like MAN for gathering it vp but returne to our occupations and let vs remember the Lords steward must be fraught with all store new and olde fitte to entertaine the sonne and daughter of the great King of heauen Prophecying the signe of learned men Numb 11. 25. Euen poore Bezâ—â—â—l and Aâ—oliab before they could make curtaines and worke in blew silke yet for so much as it belonged to the Lords tabernacle they were filled with the Spirit of God in these mechanicall handâ—-workes Esay 6. 7. his mouth was touched with the hotte cole then sent verse 8. â—erem 1. 9 his mouth is tou ched with the Lords hand and he was bidden goe and crie chap 2. 1. of Christ this question was asked Iohn 7. 15. How knoweth this man the Scripture their testimonie is of him Ioh. 7. 46. Matth. 7. 28. he speakes with power and what this exceliencie is may appeare by his disputation with good schollers as it was likely Luke chap. 2. verse 46. by his Hebrew Ephathah whereas their vulgar speech was Syrian by his perfect and often quoting of the Scriptures and the Thalmud in discourse of the traditions of Corban and the other of the gold of the temple c. by Herods great expectation and questioning with him of many things Luke chap. 23. verse 9. by Sadduces and Scribes putting â—â—â—th hard questions as of the woman hauing seuen husbands of paying tribute and his stopping their mouthes and by teaching by Parables which was the learning most accounted of in these times and as yet amongst the Iewes best thought of by the desire that the Greekes had to see him which came vp to the seast Iohn chap. 12. verse 21. by the counsell of his brethren that he should get him abroad and shew himselfe to the world thought to be famous By his owne testimonie Behold a wiser than Salomon is here by Nicodemus Iohn chap. 3. verse 2. which confesseth him to be a Teacher sent from God Mâ—tth chap. 13. verse 51. The Apostles daily taught by Christ the best Schoolemaster for three who eyeere together and yet more were commaunded to tarrie and waite for the promise of the â—ather the Comforter to be sent Apollos through his learning a great helpe to the Apostles Act. chap. 18. verse 24. and 28. Paul was brought vp at the feete of Gamâ—lâ—â—l a perâ—â—ct Pharisie Act. chap. 21. vers 3. an expouÌ„der of the law though
would neuer faile them nor forsake them till he had brought them to his habitation which should teach vs to doe the like for strengthning our faith in his goodnes by keeping continually as it were a beadroll of his benefits already receiued of him least by letting the olde slip out of our mindes which should make vs thankfull we neuer receiue the new whereof we are so carefull 3 As the roote of all sinne is in our soule so the beginning of all diseases is in our bodies And as there is no sinne which we should not fall into if the Lord leaue vs so is there no disease which should not come vpon vs vnlesse he preserue vs. For when his prouideÌ„ce watcheth not ouer vs we are ready to fall into all miserie It is not in our selues to keepe our good name from euill reports our minds from disquietnes our estate from pouertie c. This if it were beleeued and felt it would both make vs thankful continue in prayer not only in the want of such things we desire but also in the abundance of those we enioy For man liueth not by bread onely neither is it care can make vs rich nor our owne deuises bring quietnes to our mindes but it is the Lord who in his prouidence worketh all in all which must alwaies be acknowledged of vs to the end we may make vse of all things in any estate to the glory of his name and the good of our brethren 4 We may trie our faith in Gods prouidence by this as we vse the meanes to come to earthly things so for this we must vse the word and prayer Psal. 119. part 22. If then we esteeme not of the word and find no comfort in prayer Psal. 32. we can neuer esteeme of his prouidence we can neuer say in truth God giueth vs all things 5 The Lord oftentimes in his wise prouidence helpeth the wicked and such as are vnworthie and in steade of punishments which they doe deserue he sendeth blessings when they crievnto him for them From which we may gather that if he heare the wicked much more will he graunt the desire of such as feare him If hee remit the vngodly much more them that in truth of heart serue him for he dealeth not with vs as our deserts are as euery man may feele but he doth good both to the godly and the wicked that to diuers ends to the godly to hyre them from their sinnes to the wicked that after hee may confound them without excuse Therefore if when the Lord forbeareth we be touched in heart to repent this is the worke of Gods spirit the coÌ„fort thereof will abide for euer but if when he forbeareth we thinke our sinnes are lesse and so harden our hearts then are wee to feare that vtter confusion is at hand 6 The Lord neuer forsaketh his but in all dangers he will prouide though all meanes faile onely let vs belieue his prouidence and so will he giue vs our hearts desire if it stand with his glorie or else if we desire that which standeth not with his glorie yet let vs belieue that he is our FATHER in CHRIST and he will recompence the outward wants with a spirituall blessing 7 We may reade in Exodus 17. 7. that the Israelites through distrust doubted whether God was among them because they saw not such visible signes of Gods presence and fauour as they would With the like doubt our Sauiour Christ was tempted by the diuel Luc. 4 who laboured to make him doubt whether he were the Sonne of God because he wanted some things which were needful for this life wherby we may learne to know our own corruption how ready we are to iudge as the Israelits did because we sâ—e not such ordinary helps as we and other of Gods children haue at sometimes had but we are to correct this in ourselues and on the contrarie to thinke that God is amongst vs and with vs although we see some tokens of his anger Thus do we reason in religion Is this true religion seeing there be so many diuersities of iudgments such little godlines it is like it is not but rather we are to looke for some other so we reason in the common-wealth Is this gouernment good which bringeth so great hurly burlies and so great troubles so in mariage when contentions and temptations do arise then they thinke they were not ioyned together by God so in euery kind of trouble we iudge of the presence and prouidence of God by our outward sense feeling This is the policie of the diuel to cause men either to sink downe in despaire or else to be impatient at the least to murmur But to preuent this these are some remedies following The first that we looke to the word and when we see that religion hath alwaies had troubles and so shall haue still then shall we straightwaies see that our iudgement is fleshly Secondly wheÌ„ we see that many of Gods children in the world as Iob and others had trouble in their mariage and yet that it was of God then shall we learne that our iudgement is not according to the spirit Then let vs consider that the diuel doth herein exercise policie to ouerthrow our mariage we shal be wary to auoide them And if many haue been in this state yet the Lord hath not left them why should we yeeld to the temptation of Sathan who would perswade vs that our case is worse Thirdly we must looke to the former mercies of God which we haue felt If we haue once felt them then though we haue not alwaies the like feeling yet we must not thinke that he hath forsaken vs so that experience of former mercies must be our strength herein if we haue been in as great danger as now we are and euen then he helped vs why should we doubt Fourthly we must consider that many of Gods children are and haue been so and therefore we must take heede that in our rashnesse we do not condemne them We must not therefore iudge thus vnlesse we will be hurtfull to our selues and iniurious to our brethren 8 Moses was commanded to take the same staffe with which he stroke the red sea and therewith to strike the stonie rocke to giue the Israelites water to drinke to teach theÌ„ that the Lord was as well able to bring water where it is not as to stay the course thereof where it is This ought they to haue considered and then would they not in other things haue doubted If we wil auoid the like distrust we must remember the former works of God then labour to be garded in the hope of euerlasting life the resurrection of the body and the forgiuenes of sins that so we may be sure he will be good to vs still And as the chiefe helpe of al these let vs labour to be throughly
say they will do so no more and yet because they repent not therefore they fall againe So is this seene in angrie persons which are rather grieued for shame or losse or such like causes not for the loue of GOD so it is in thieues which come to the gallowes againe although once receiued their pardon This also may be seene in Tale-bearers when their dealing is knowne they maruell at themselues yet not repenting they fall to their sinne againe The Apostle Saint Iames in his fourth chapter teacheth vs not only to clense the hands but to purge the heart also for we must see our hearts defiled with the sinne wee leaue or else it is impossible to repent for the heart being still defiled will yeeld to a new occasion The means to leaue these sins is there set downe to howle and weepe c. Iam. 4. for the burnt child feareth the fire but because God doth not throughly punish men because mens hearts do not feele the grieuousnes of sinne and Gods iudgements due to them for the same therefore they sinne afresh but if they did feele Gods wrath and the grieuousnes of their sinnes then no doubt they would shake at the appearance of euill Therefore that we may come to this and hate those sinnes that especially do preuaile against vs we must vse sharpe medicines as in an old festered sore they vse corrosiue salues for there are some kind of sinnes like to some kind of diuels which cannot be cast out without prayer and fasting And when wee cannot bee healed with ordinarie meanes the disease still continuing then must we vse extraordinarie which if wee doe the Lord wil lift vs vp and in the end giue vs power to trample sinne vnderneath our feet For if we had more griefe for our chiefest and greatest sinnes God would giue vs a heart to hate them and to feare the least occasions that might draw vs vnto them so should wee bee for euer preserued from them they should neuer preuaile against vs. 5 Sinne doth much grieue the Lord although in great mercie he doth long and oftentimes forbeare the punishment therof which should much moue vs and cause vs when we see our often fallings greatly to bee greued thereat and highly to bee displeased with our selues for the same least we fall into presumption And when our owne consciences the diuell doe accuse vs for such sinnes as we haue committed against the Lord as then we are to bewaile and lament our goings astray and displeasing of our God so are wee to trust in his promises and to embrace his mercies least we bee ouewhelmed with griefe and so fall into despaire for the diuel euer and continually laboureth to bring vs either to the one or the other presumption or desperation Therefore when wee haue sinned and yet doe rebuke our selues being much displeased with our selues because of Sinne wee are to comfort our selues the Lord will shew his mercie vpon vs for if hee shewed vs his mercie when we were not grieued how much more when wee vnfainedly lament If hee hath waited vpon vs to doe vs good before wee repented how much more shall his goodnes appeare towards vs vnfainedly repenting 6 What is the cause that men can be so well content to lie in their sins without repentance and thinke all is well if they can for a while forbeare and abstaine from them This no doubt is the cause because they set not themselues before the iudgement feare of God and of Christ and therein feare to consider how grieuous a thing sin is in the sight of God how greatly it displeaseth him and what fearfull condemnation abideth them that securely and carelesly continue in their sinnes For if men could consider this that their sins prouoke the wrath of the Lord against them and do procure euerlasting condemnation to be powred out vpon them they would no doubt feele sinne most grieuous vnto them yea a burthen that presseth them downe to hell then would their spirits be vexed within them and their hearts bruised with the due consideration of their sinnes yet all this would not bring them out of their sinnes For the law condemneth and worketh wrath and the iudgements of the Lord doe cast down wound and kill that so we might be fit to receiue the Lord Iesus who came to raise vp to heale and giue life to such as are fallen sicke and dead And still is hee present to helpe those which are in like manner distressed for till such time he will not worke vpon them to cure and deliuer them from their sinnes hee was sent onely to the sicke c. and those no doubt he will heale Hereof it commeth to passe that many doe continue in their sinnes and are not deliuered from the power of them because they are not wounded with a feare of Gods iudgement and so driuen to seeke their helpe in Christ but in their owne power for thinking sin to be but a small matter they goe about to suppresse it by their own strength and by their owne power to subdue and ouercome it Wherefore the Lord that hee may let them see that without the helpe of Christ their strength is nothing and their labour spent in vaine doth suffer them againe and againe to be buffeted with their sinnes yea and if they wil not then flie out of themselues vnto Christ they shall receiue the foyle be ouercome therewith to the end they might be brought framed at the length if they belong vnto God to be fit matter for the Lord to worke vpon And then no doubt if we can come thus humbled in our selues vnder the mightie hand of God and by vnfained praier craue forgiuenesse at the Lords hands for Iesus Christs sake and desire continually the assistance of his holy spirit wee shall encrease in faith and feele the cleare forgiuenes of our sins and in him we shall find strength against sinne and shall feele his power working in our weakenes or as sorrow must goe before so repentance must come fast after forgiuenesse 7 Some when they haue sinned reason thus the Lord doth not punish me for my si 〈…〉 s therfore he hath forgiuen them but this kind of reasoning is false and dangerous because it abuseth the great mercie of God to hardnesse of heart and that the Lord will punish though he forbeare for a time it is plaine Exod. 34. 7. Which if wee would consider then would the goodnes and the long suffering of the Lord lead vs to repentance Rom. 2. â—4 8 The Lord wil spare his iudgements in them in whom he sâ—eth a true loue of true Religion for they that loue Religion will desire to heare and hearing the word they wilâ—â—ot fall to any sinne or if they fall into sinnes they will not lie in them long 9 When our sin hath lesse liking in vs there is hope that it wil decay in vs
spirit may worke in our hearts and in them alwaies let vs looke for the teaching of the spirit so shall it come to passe that we shall alwaies reuerently and worthily thinke of the meanes and neuer be wearie of them but alwaies carefully vse them and yet not separate them from the spirit but looking for the working of the spirit in them we shall finde the graces of the holy Ghost most plentifully powred on vs and as it were by Conduits conueighed into our hearts 6 The Lambe was not the Passeouer but a signe of it so is bread and wine in the Supper called the Lords body and blood because it is a signe thereof This is an vsuall speech when the Scriptures speake of Sacraments to teach vs that although there be not carnall presence as the Papists imagine yet there is a true spirituall and effectuall presence of the things signified and therefore we may certainly looke for the performance of the same if by faith we can receiue it 7 He said this was his manner in dealing with them that came to the Communion if they were but indifferently instructed thereunto he by exhortation charged them to beware what they did he would not wish them to come but if they came he would not vtterly denie them if they lay in no sinne 8 Barzillai hauing done a great benefit to Dauid the King could not tell how sufficiently to gratifie him with recompence In the end he chargeth Salomon his sonne that the sonne of Barzillai should sit at his table which thing both in Dauids opinion and in Barzillais estimation was the greatest benefit wherein they could both stay either for his liberalitie in bestowing or for the others contentation in receiuing Now if this for so great a benefit seemed so great a reward how rich and how glorious is the bountifull dealing of God with vs which without any desert or deed offered on our parts hath in his loue appointed it to sit at his sonne Christ Iesus his table where not Salomon but a farre greater than Salomon is present CHAP. LXII Of sinne and how to abstaine from the least and of iniquitie and the punishments thereof THere be some which call good euill and euill good they shrinke vp euill into a narrow scantling and would faine bring it to this if they could that none doe euill but they that are in gailes But wee must take â—eede of this and therefore let vs knowe what it is to doe euill Euill is either naturally euill or euill by circumstance In all our actions to auoide euill 1. Thess. 5. 22. wee must learne this lesson followe nothing but proue it first and keepe that which is good but abstaine from all apparance of euill Be sure that it is good ye doe but if it haue but a shew of euill auoide it if it bee an euill fauoured thing to see to flie it 1. Cor. 6. All things saith Paul are not profitable though they be not plainly forbidden 2 To heare the threatnings and to tremble at them to heare the promises and to beleeue them to reuerence the Sacraments and to receiue them to pray vnto God in all our wants and to be thankfull for all his mercies are waies to keepe vs from sinne and to recouer vs from sinne when we are fallen thereinto Therefore the neglect of these doth pull downe iudgements vpon men for though Paul rebuked the Corinthians of many sinnes yet for this cause saith he some are asleepe some are sickly c. For if these had been vsed as they ought sinne should neuer haue growne so farre as it did 3 Let them that feare the Lord account it his great mercie that hee will not let them prosper and thriue in their sins least they should be carried away thereby to perdition and those who belong not to the Lord though they thinke all well so long as they feele their profit yet let theÌ„ know that the Lord doth shew no greater signe of his wrath than when he suffereth theÌ„ to prosper in their wickednesse For as a father that hateth his child most when he giueth himselfe to be ruled by his owne pleasure so it is with the Lord. Therefore let them that take pleasure in following their owne lusts and satisfie their owne desires in sin and wickednesse though for the present they obtaine that they delight in take heed least the cloudes of darknes suddenly ouershadow them and so the Lord send them to be tormented in hel before they be aware Whereas contrariwise he chasteneth his children in this world that eternally they might not be condemned 4 We shall neuer througly leaue sinne vntill we know and acknowledge sinne to be sinne and be truly sorrowfull for the same 5 The nature of the wicked is that there groweth their loue where they be not gainsaid and reproued for sinne and where they be admonished there groweth their hatred 6 If once we giue consent to sinne we are made ready to fall into moe and many sins and making no conscience of one sinne we shall not make conscience of many and great sinnes and so being once in wrapped in sinne it is an hard thing to get out of the clawes of the diuell Lord giue vs grace to see and to resist the first sinne euen the first motions vnto sinne Iam. 1. 13. 14. conferred with Heb. 3. 12. 13. 7 It is the greatest iudgement of God that can be to thriue in sinne 8 We must take heed that by the occasion of others that sinne we giue not our selues to doe the like but rather by the fall of others into sinne we must learne to rise vp vnto the Lord. 9 The occasion of sinne may be by another but the cause of it is in our owne corrupt nature which is alwaies readie to sinne 10 Sinne getteth most strength when good men fall into it 11 It is a great mercy of God to goe bungar like and foolishly about a sinne 12 It is good to resist that which nature most liketh 13 That God that drew light out of darkenesse will draw goodnes oft times out of our corruption Our corruption corrected by the mercy of God maketh vs esteeme better of good men being remoued or taken away from vs than we did when they were neere and remaining with vs. 14 One sinne goeth not alone but one sinne will open the doores of the soule to let in another 15 We neuer will labour to leaue sinne so long as we be quiet in minde but still flatter our selues and bedawbe our consciences with rotten plasters vntill we be either stricken with feare or cast downe with iudgements The greatnes and enormitie of sinne is seene by sixe points First on Gods behalfe how huge and detestable it is may be seene who by sin is so greatly dishonoured for how much the higher his Maiestie is so much the greater enormitie it is to sinne against him Secondly sinne is noted by the
vncleane or which hath vncleane issue in it selfe so that there are these kinds of pollutions the first if wee touch an vncleane thing a thing vncleane of it selfe as a leaper and thus if we touch sinne or the diuel or any limme of the diuell which be things vncleane we shall be also vncleane The cause is pitch will defile a man There is a second kind which is this we know that water for as much as it is a baser substance than the wine though in it selfe it be no meere vncleane thing corrupteth the wine being mixed with it In like sort the creatures the things of this world thogh they be not wholy vncleane of themselues yet because they be things of baser condition than our soules are if our hearts be set on them they pollute vs. There is a third kind and that is not by touching any vncleane thing but by committing impure by it owne nature and this is the touch of our owne reason of our owne wit of our owne imaginations proceeding of our selues which will defile vs though wee touch neither the diuell nor the world And indeede this is such a kinde of defiling as comes by a mans owne sweate or by our owne blood being polluted in it selfe as the babe which God passed by Ezech. 16. 4. 5. From these kindes of filthinesse we must be cleansed And yet there is another manner of cleansing and that is put downe for vs Leuit. 13. 48. where it is spoken of a warfe or woofe which had beene defiled with the plague of leprosie that shall be washed And yet although the Priest see it be cleane it shall not be cleane vntill it be washed the second time vers 55. We must proceed from cleansing with sope to cleanse with Fullers earth and with Nitrâ— Now how this cleansing must be the Lord Iesus sheweth Ioh. 15 3. 4. Now are yee cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you but the spirit worketh by the word In Baptisme wee are cleansed it is not the water that cleanseth vs but the spirit which is as a fire how be it this fire hath oyle to minister matter to it which is the word This word is that which quickeneth and inflameth vs and this is not only holy in it selfe but it maketh vs holy also if we beleeue it 8 If wee were to be cleansed but from some kinde of filthines it were an easie matter we would easily conclude it For there is no man but cleanseth off some filthines no man hath all the spots that are mentioned but to be scoured from all this makes the purification full It is saide Herod heard Iohn and hee heard him gladly and hee did manie good things So he was cleansed in many things but not in all when it came to the sweete sinne Thou shalt not haue thy Brothers wife which should haue made vp all then hee broke off When Felix Acts 24. had heard Pauls matter he gaue him libertie but with all hee hoped he should haue gotten some money so that his heart was not wholly clensed Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. gaue a great part of all their possessions to the Apostles but all came not they kept backe a peece Naaman 2. King 5. would worship and sacrifice to none but to the true God but yet he would haue the house of his master Rimmon excepted to offer to the God Moloch So may we say of our times The Bethulians would haue a tearme to serue God in they were tearmers but it was but for a time This all then is that which makes all perfect And then it is wittily saide of a Father of this word Catholike As it signifies an Vniuersitie of all as that God hath a Catholike Church that is in all Ages and in all places and of all estates of men a Church so me thinketh that they are good Catholikes that are sanctified throughout that will wholly cleanse themselues So then we must throughly be cleansed that is both in the flesh and in the spirit As 2. Cor. 7. 1. both in heart and in hand Iames 4 In the Hebrue tongue it is worth the obseruation how two words commonly to this effect runne together the one is that wee must bee straight as were all the Saints Iob Paul and Daniel who were alwayes straight So must they be that deale with God they must haue no crookednes in them the word as I thinke is alluding to the outward timber in a building The other word signifies Sound It must not be hollow though it be straight So that these two must goe together straight and sound we must neither be crooked nor hollow So referring these to the Saints of God whom we named if you looke to their outward parts they were straight if you looke into their internals they were sound This then serueth well for two sorts of men which are both hypocrites There bee some men that will be are the world in hand that the best side is inward and the worst outward as the Nicodemites who howsoeuer they doe outwardly inwardly they worship God deuoutly Others there are cleane skinned men as cleane as Alabaster outwardly but inwardly they bee dissemblers and they are contrarie to the other and beare the world in hand that the best side is outward These haue the cleannesse of the flesh though not of the spirit as the other thinke they haue the cleannesse of the spirit though not of the flesh and these be meere dangerous dissemblers If a man bow to Baal one may see a spot of his knee and yet he will haue a cleane spirit he is an hypocrite Well we must not be halfe Christians wee must be good Catholikes cleane throughout cleane both in the flesh and in the spirit 9 The flesh is sure a verie corrupt thing and wee should soone see it but for the soule which is as Salte to keepe it from putrifying for a while which if it be gone the flesh corrupts streight which we should see if we would but take the viewe of a dead man out of the graue It is but a rotten thing and therefore all that is bestowed on it is laide vpon that which in the end will make all as rottennesse it selfe They therefore doe euill that lay out all their substance on their flesh for it will rot in regard whereof the Apostle bids vs not to take any great thought for it or to prouide much for the lusts thereof Rom. 13. All that comes of the flesh and all that ends in the flesh is filthie and therefore we must not make our flesh a Queene or as a Paradise on the earth 10 Our Sauiour CHRIST saith our righteousnes must exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees therefore not to exceede the Pharisees not to exceede Heretikes nay not to exceede the Heathen men but to want euen the out ward good things which they haue sheweth that all our Religion is
sinnes this is a tempting of God and this shall be laid to our charge as wee see that the Lord saith to Dauid that he was in all things vpright before him but in the case of Vriah because his other sinnes which he committed both often and grieuously were but of humane infirmitie and this was contrarie to knowledge and againe he sought meanes to hide his sin and was not easily brought from it yet did hee obtaine pardon because this was but once and he was much humbled for it But Saul often doing the same at last asked counsaile of a familiar spirit by a Witch which he before had punished wherein he did cleane contrary to his knowledge euen for this it was said that the Lord did cut him off Wherefore we haue to pray with Dauid Psal. 19. Lord who doth vnderstand the errors of his life then purge vs from our secret sinnes and keepe vs that no presumptuous sinnes doe beare rule ouer vs. so shall we be free c. For if a man sinne against man there may be an arbiter but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall deale for him As Eli saith to his Sonnes q d. If you had done this being ignorant it had beene a small matter but now you that haue beene taught of me the contrary haue now made the sacrifice of the Lord to stincke and so haue tempted the Lord. 9 As it is a great comfort that no temptation doth inuade vs but that which hath taken hold of the nature of man so this ought to make vs with profit to humble ourselues that there is no temptation vppon any man but the same may take hold on vs in time also 10 Wee are neuer the further from temptation for misliking it but the nearer vnlesse as in iudgement we mislike it so in affection we humble our selues in feare and prayer before the Lord as knowing the same in time may inuade vs. 11 Wee must not keepe our hearts too close in dangerous temptation nor denie mercie to others least God denie mercie to vs. 12 If wee be tempted let vs examine it by prayer whether it be contrarie to the word for sinne by the law is reuealed and rebuked if it be sin then it bringeth the curse for the Lawe accurseth the sinner if it bring a curse then must we tremble if we tremble not let vs suspect that our nature liketh the temptation and let vs apply prayer if we tremble in truth we will neuer doe the thing whereunto we are tempted 13 When Satan cannot get vs to omit grosse sinnes hee will assaile vs with spirituall temptations 14 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 15 If wee conceale our temptations long it is the policie of Sathan to make vs keepe his counsell 16 The Lord through grace doth quench in vs those temptations which would quench in vs his spirit 17 Temptations being resisted to bring a proofe of that grace that is in vs temptation being receiued argueth corruption in vs. Adam should not haue been worse for his temptation no more than Christ but that the one yeelded the other did not 18 They that tremble in the temptation shal triumph after the temptation our faith is as a pots mouth which being large receiued much and being narrowe receiueth but little 19 The godly see their temptations oft much and with profit the vngodly see them seldome scant and without profit 20 Being both feeble in body and sicke in minde when hee felt the Lords strength in his sicknesse nourishing him as also that he did cleere his iudgement and more and more giue him a misliking of euill and a liking of good hee knewe his temptation should goe away in the end CHAP. LXXI Of truth and errors sinceritie and contempt of the word THere is no profit in teaching or hearing without application Ephes. 6. Paul speaking of the trueth calleth it a girdle of truth it must not bee a loose truth out of which a man may easily bee shaken it must be a tied truth not a ranging truth if it bee loose about vs it will fall away with the least flaw of winde Rom. 15. The Apostle speaketh of this putting on of Christ wee must not make a broad cloath of him to make him apparel to warme vs at the houre of death or in some time of trouble but wee must presently make him a garment that it may sit as close to vs as our coates Iames saith in his first chapter that the word must be ingrafted in vs it must not hang by vs but as there is no true grafting without the renting of the old stocke that the newe graft may hee fastned and closed vp in the rent so there is no true receiuing of the word vntill our corrupt wisedome bee rent asunder and the word of God closed vp in stead of it So that as there is truth required so a girdle of truth As Christ is our comfort so he must be put on As the word is receiued so it must bee ingrafted in vs. In more sensible things we are familiarly acquainted with this matter What profit is there in a plaister be it neuer so skilfully made vnlesse it be applied Well nothing indeed is good without applying The Sunne is comfortable but what doth it if wee bee shut vp and it neuer come to vs What nourishment is in meate what vse in apparell if we vse and apply them not So Christ and the word not applied are nothing to vs though most profitable in themselues 2 Truth is a thing specially esteemed of the Lord and it is a seruice so acceptable vnto him that he will not be without it and therefore a rent or pension due vnto the Lord. But why doth the Lord so require truth at our hands the Prophet saith The Lord hath magnified his truth and his name aboue all things and he hath put on himselfe as his name to bee called the God of truth And Christ the second person in Trinitie witnesseth his death to this in calling himselfe not the God of truth but truth itselfe and he bare witnesse before Pilate that he especially came into the world to beare witnesse to the truth so greatly he loued it For the holy Ghost we read Ioh. 14 He is said to be the spirit of truth So we see how great a thing this truth is with God for he makes himselfe glorious in this title and makes it the Crowne of his head his Sonne his Spirit his Ministers are glorified by it In a second respect truth is deare for that Adam being charged to beware of the forbidden fruite had his first assault of Sathan against the Lords truth back-sliding from it he lost all his posfession in Paradise Because of this dealing of the Diuell in Paradise euer since the Lord hath beene very iealous of his truth and wils men should whatsoeuer they doe remember to
may stay Gods children for a time that they looke not to God nor to their sin yet if the punishment be long vpon them then they lift vp their eyes vnto God Psal. 30. 2 As when a man brought into the iayle conueying him out by bribing the iaylour purchaseth to himselfe greater punishment if after he be taken yet suing to the prince for pardon getteth it and scapeth cleerely so if a man be healed by a witch or wizard which is vnlawfull he deserueth a greater euill if the Lord visit him wherefore let such speedily repent but if we be healed by the Lord and the meanes he hath ordained then wee freely escape and may be thankfull 3 The wise men of Aegypt could not doe as Moses and Aaron in the small creatures where we shall note that witches cannot hurt further than the Lord wil as the diuels paces are also limited and they cannot hurt when nor where they wil but as the Lord is displeased as Balaam confessed And Ahab was not deceiued before the Lord gaue the spirit leaue that so the hypocrisie of men which receiue not the truth in loue may bee detected yea the Lord may afflict his children for a time hereby for to let them see their vnbeliefe and to stay their faith 4 Many not knowing their owne infirmities rashly vow and promise liberally as whores and theeues and therefore anon after returne to their vomit But the children of God knowing their owne weakenes are afraid to make large promises and yet stand more strongly afterwards against sinne CHAP. LXXIII Of the word of God and of the confirmation thereof by wonders THe Lord being about to giue his lawe vnto the Israelites by the ministerie of Moses his seruant doth aforehand warne Moses therof this he telleth him that he wil be seen of him in a darke clowd Of this the Lords strange and wonderfull appearing there are two ends or causes the first was that hee might get more credit to his law and also to Moses the Minister of the law The second was to shew Moses his weakenes infirmitie whereby he might be humbled And for the first wee see that when the Lord would bring to passe any mighty workes he did withall shew such mightie signes as made his works with reuerence to bee receiued and those whom in his businesse hee had appointed Ministers to bee well accepted In the day of Elias when the law had lost credit in the hearts of men and was little or nothing at all regarded then did the Lord wonderfully worke by his seruant Elias and did great things by his hands that credit might once againe bee wonne vnto his law And when hee brought his sonne into the world by whom he would publish the Gospell euen the sauing health of all men such works were shewed as had not beene from the beginnings and such wonders were wrought as made all men amazed at such time as these more than ordinarie mercies were brought and offered vnto the world whereunto these extraordinarie works were coupled and adioyned and therefore such works cannot ordinarily be looked for because they were neuer ordinarie For if such works and signes and wonders should now be looked for and if we should attend vnto them and beleeue them the Lord would then haue warranted them to vs by his word and then hee would haue foretold vs that such things should after come to passe And hath he done this No no hee hath taught vs another lesson and cleane contrarily hath he admonished vs when he biddeth vs beware of false Prophets which come to vs in sheepes clothing and would purchase credit to themselues by lying signes and wonders Seeing therefore that there shall be many such false Prophets especially in the latter daies which shall be sent abroad euen into all places effectually to delude those that haue not receiued the truth in loue And againe seeing the Lord is not bound to meanes but hee will worke when and where and how it pleaseth him that we may wisely iudge of them and discerne the spirit of error from the spirit of Truth and life it shal be profitable for vs to set downe some true notes of those wonders which are set out to vs in the Word if by cōparing them together it may appeare when and how farre they must be receiued and contrarilie when we may and ought to refuse them The first note or difference is in the works themselues the other is in the persons by whose ministery they are wrought for the works themselues which God hath extraordinarily wrought there hath euermore such Maiestie appeared in them that the finger of God might be so plainly seene that all men yea euen wicked sorcerers haue bene brought and forced to acknowledge the same and though the Diuell can turne himselfe into an Angell of Light and his ministers make a shewe as though they were indeede the ministers of righteousnes yet let them worke what they will and say what they can neither their workes nor wordes shall beare such an apparant shewe of Maiestie as the workes of God haue euer done Euery man therefore may plainely see God in his workes and none shall bee deceiued by the othes but those that loue to belieue lyes and are willing to deceiue themselues whome God doth iustlie giue ouer to bee deceiued and to fall from Faith because they loued not to abide and stand stedfast therein For as an Ape of all other liuing things most like a man in shape yet most vnlike of all others in qualitie and condition can deceiue none but euery one will easily know an Ape from a man vnlesse they be fooles or children or such as will bee willingly ignorant so betweene the workes of God and the lying wonders of the Diuell there are so cleare notes of difference that all may easily discerne them but those that shut their eyes that they may not see and harden their harts that they cannot vnderstand The children of God do receiue such wisdome from aboue and such knowledge doth the Lord in mercie bestow vpon them that they are able to discerne the spirits to trie their workes whether they be of God or no and to seuer true doctrine from the false And albeit the Lord sometimes correcting them for their sinnes doe suffer them for a while to bee deceiued and that they might hate falsehood the more doth let them a little bee deluded therewith yet because the Truth of God it cannot faile not an haire of their heads perish it is impossible that they should for euer fall away it is impossible that they should finallie be deceiued and become open enemies of the Trueth or obstinate maintainers of a lye Secondly the Lord did neuer raise vp such extraordinary worke-men or shewe such extraordinarie workes but it was either to confirme the doctrine that had bene taught to get further credite vnto it or else to make it more cleere
heare thou the word of God preached diligently Potest enim tibi id in animo contingâ—re quoa Eutycho in corpore 2 There bee some of this sect that will yeeld vnto men their bodies to doe with them what they will but their soules they say are for the Lord. And why not their bodies for him also they haue an inward and a darke kinde of godlines that so thinke it enough to make the night or a corner of their chamber a witnesse of their religion which kinde of men are to giue an account for detracting from the Lord his worship Others there are and they will goe to the congregation but it is when the chaine of idlenes other busines is growne so long that they may goe with some case Some will come to the Church more often but when the iudgements of God are denounced they say they shal not come neere them Deut. 29. 19. we are deliuered though wee haue committed all these abominations We haue al vncircumcised eares and naturally we haue a praeputium before our â—ares and they that are skilfull in Anatomie knowe that there is as it were a hammer at the â—are which will open wide when wee heare vanitie but it is fast shut when the Lord speaketh vnto vs. It is a common disease in others to seeke after varietie and so after vanitie and so nature desireth an infinitum And these meÌ„ either hunt after words which may cause them to erre from the word of truth or else they say they heare such cold vncomfortable sermons as they cannot away with If good gifts bee ioyned with the preaching of the word and we heare the word with the gifts it is a question whether we heare for the words sake or for the gifts sake but if the word come without such glorious gifts a man may stirre vp himselfe sufficiently thereby And when it doth come to passe that such vnsauory liquors be drawne out of mustie vessels we must be driuen to this consideration that God for our dulnes hath shut vp the mouthes of his Preachers and hath denied the power and puritie of preaching vnto vs and that our dead and deafe eares are the cause that the Lord tieth vp the strings of our Preachers tongues Neither is this to smooth or sooth vp any one in negligent vsing of their gifts for the Lord will haue his gifts vsed and a candle put vnder a bushell is not of the Lord his setting it is the diuels doing when our gifts are suppressed Well if we haue eares and heare not the word then is no difference betweene a mans eares and an Asses and it is rather a propertie of Idols which haue eares and heare not haue eies and see not And as they that haue mouthes and speake not are rather Idoll shepheards than true Pastors so they that haue eares and heare not are rather Idoll gazers than true hearers of the word Againe for this cause we must heare because we heare the most excellent obiect the obiect of the eare is a sound or voyce now the most excellent sound is the sound of the Gospell the most excellent voyce is the voyce of the Preacher Another reason may be that our members are put to their best vse when they serue most for the glory of God as our feete are put to the best vse when they carrie vs to the congregation our hands when they are lift vp in prayer our eares when they be hearkening to the word of God and therefore they prouide well for themselues that early in the morning before they doe any thing else doe put out their members to the best vse in the worship of God And surely if there were nothing but the bare word of God deliuered vnto vs as it is a thing containing the will of God it were worthy the reading hearing and meditating but when it openeth to vs the treasures of saluation when it teacheth vs wisedome and equitie so as we may be able to discerne euery affection it is a thing much more worthie our trauell We think that we may flie vp to heauen by the wings of profound knowledge but saith the Scripture that learned preaching shall saue vs No the foolishnes of preaching must saue vs all our saluation must be fetched from hence therefore it is worth the hearing this is Ioels trumpet and of great force We must learne therefore to vse a preparation without which all our seruice stinketh before the Lord. When thou enterest into the house of the Lord looke vnto thy feete Eccles. 4. 17. Stand in awe saith the Prophet commune with your owne hearts Psal. 4. And Iob. 1. 6. Iob is said to sanctifie his sonnes 2. Chro. 30. 18. 19. though many of the people had not cleansed themselues yet Ezechtas prayed for them that prepared their whole hearts to seeke the Lord. But all we rush to the congregation as a foxe out of his forme And though we haue knowledge enough yet we had need to be straighted because we are as a broken bow and in seeking of knowledge we must seeke it fruitfully scire vt scias audire vt audias is meere vanitie Euery one would be a patient in the word of God but there be many pragmaticall things Beatiqui audiunt What is that enough Beati qui ambulant qui custodiunt eati qui perseuerant If we will not heare the time will come when we shall be constrained to heare if we will not heare when the Lord speaketh we shall crie but not be heard if we heare it as a bond to tie the Lord to heare vs againe according to his promise 3 Looke how neere we come vnto the practise of Dauid so neere are we to the liuely members of God and looke how farre we are from that so farre are we from the image of God Men rather seeke for profound knowledge than for faith that worketh by loue and couet more the ministeriall doctrine than after the power of the Spirit Therefore God who is as able to send a lying spirit into the mouthes of 400. Prophets as into any of the meanest Israelites doth punish them commonly with strange doctrine giue them vp to strong illusions We ought to haue such a burning affection in vs that we should not be able to expresse it as Dauid had who because he could not expresse it vseth an exclamation Psal. 119. 97. O how loue I thy law but mens hearts are dull and their spirits heauie they are farre from this affection that was in Dauid 4 Our loue to Gods word is a triall of our loue to God he that trembleth at Gods word and is obedient vnto his voyce doth better than he that offereth sacrifice and he that loues Gods word doth loue God and else not Where the loue of a man is the practise will be there Matth 6. where the treasure is there will be the heart As the couetous are bent vpon their riches as the adulterer is bent vpon his
so in vnaduised ioyes you can find no spirituall profit He was not so much moued at the reproches of his enemies as at the not profiting of his friends Yet herein he had this comfort first if all profited not by his speeches yet so that one among tenne profited he thought he had the winnings that Christ had secondly if they profited not which he spake to presently yet they might profit hereafter thirdly if none of them profited yet he knew the word should not be in vaine It is the policie of Satan as to blinde and beset the world with a quiet possession of an vniust mirth thereby to keepe them from the true sight of their sinnes so to oppresse the sillie flocke of Christ with false and causelesse feares thereby to keepe them from the glorious feeling of their redemption He knoweth to his griefe that your ioy may temporally be interrupted but not finally or eternally be denied you therefore he plieth himselfe though he cannot extinguish it yet to diminish your iust and royall right in your Christ in regard wherof you staÌ„d guiltie of not maintayning the Lords royaltie giueÌ„ to his elect if in the least measure you yeeld to these slauish feares of the aduersarie This subtill Serpent is not ignorant that by these pensiue practises he doth weare to a dulnes the edge of your prayers and that he draweth from you with an vncomfortable tediousnes the fruits of your faith and consequently by these meanes you are depriued of the fruit of a more comfortable seruice to your God the weake ones fearing also by your example the profession of Christ to be strict and comfortlesse Of the power and priuiledges of Gods word THhe Word of GOD is mightie liuely in operation Heb. 4 12. 13. This place commendeth vnto vs the Word by it effects shewing that it is not a sound in the aire to tickle mens eares please their conceits but it worketh with further power like a two edged sword to humble men and being humbled to raise them vp againe Hereunto therefore is due a speciall prerogatiue and honor because the worke of it shal be ratified in mens consciences whether they be good or euill elect or reprobates For the word is the power of GOD to all that an Anatomie of our corruptions laide before vs wee might be driuen out of our selues to IESVS CHRIST First of the words then of obseruations out of the doctrine The word is liuely Therefore not dead as the wisdome of Philosophie It is sharper then a two edged sword This Metaphor is vsed Esay 48. 2. where the Word is compared to a sword or an arrow wherewith men are shot at Also Ephes. 6. it is compared to a sword And entreth to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit c. This declareth how the word reuealeth inward hypocrisie and telleth vs that all our holines is but dissimulation all our wisedome foolishnes all our righteousnes as a defiled cloth And of the ioynts and of the marrow This is added to shewe that though wee hide our hypocrisie and would â—urie it in the most secret parts yet euen the bones shall tremble and the marrow in the bones shall turne to rottennes as Iob. 33. 19. Psal. 51 8 Psal 32. And is a diâ—cerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Here we see that where no law of man can take hold of vs there the Lord will finde our intents by his word and will gage vs to the bottome Hence arise three questions First how the word doth thus worke in men It is when we vse good meanes and God his Spirit worketh vpon the meanes The vsuall meanes are hearing reading conferring and meditating and praying This we may see 1. Corinth 10. Proâ— 29. Ephes 4. 1. Thess. 5. by the vertue of the word preached To preaching we must ioyne reading of it Act. 17. As for conference and meditation we must know that neuer any shall come to the marrow of knowledge without this meane For meditation is the life of learning the want where of causeth that the greatest Clerkes are not the wisest men Of prayer Matth. 6. and 11. 1. Cor. 2. how needfull this is so many must acknowledge as confesse the word to be a mysterie and therfore not to be conceiued without the working of God his Spirit which we must pray for 2 Cor. 4. Secondly it is asked of what part of the word this is meant I answere of both that is of the Law and of the Gospell Zâ—ch 12. 1. Cor. 14. Thirdly In whom these effects of the word are found Both in the godly and in the wicked though not alike Where we must know that there is a feeling in both of these men which is inward and not seene Secondly this power is not alwaies presently felt but it worketh in God his appointed time We shall see the word will often strike the vngodly though they be loth to heare and although when they haue heard they would shake it off by inglutting their hearts with eating drinking and sleeping yet it will wring them on their beds at their tables in their chambers when they are with their companions And although God his deare children do not alwaies feele this power to saluation yet they haue it in greater measure at one time or at another Hence obserue three vses First we must come to know the word For the diuell moueth this fearefull question vnto many How knowest thou this is the word rather than any other doctrine To leaue grosse heresies I answere by an interrogatorie Whose words if he were but a man and spake as a man alone did euer driue thee to hell whose words did euer rip vp thy secret and close sinnes who hath drawne teares out of thine eyes and sorrow out of thy heart with a conscience of thy sinne at which thou wert wont to laugh Whose words haue taken thee from the hell of thy conscience to heauen who hath giuen thee ioy in sorrow comfort in trouble What words of Philosophers can make of a Leopard a Lambe of a viper a childe of a leacher a chast person of a couetous carle a liberall man All eloquent Oratours without the word are bare Physitions to a troubled minde Secondly the word needeth none other helpes 1. Cor. â— and 2 and 3. 2. Cor. 2. and 3. and 4. Howbeit we may vse other words besides the bare phrase of the Scripture but we must beware of humane inueÌ„tions take heed we vse not vncertain phrases for certaine If we vse the authoritie of Heathen men we doe ill We may alleadge them but most sparingly and not naming them but by way of an argument we may shew that the Heathen saw this and that and therefore we should not be ignorant of it Similitudes may be vsâ—d if they be naturall and not constrained We must vse them as sauce to prepare vs for better things We must not straine them least we presse
euill is present with you and that when you do the euill you would not then do you not it but sinne in you when it leadeth you captiue Rom. 7. much more then whē Sathan worketh withall buffeting you assure your selfe that God hath pitie on you that the vertue of his power shal be perfect in your weaknes 2. Cor. 12. 9. If you belieue according to your faith it shall be done vnto you But you will say you cannot belieue that this vile and crooked hardnes of your heart can bee remitted and renewed and euen this was the second point which in the former part of my letter I gaue you to vnderstand was the cause of your excessiue distresse I beseech you and I charge you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you will not willingly lie nor offer iniurie to God his spirit nor to your selfe who haue receiued it tell me what is the reason why you think you haue no faith Verily because you haue no feeling nor no other fruites thereof as you thinke Well first then agree with me herein as you must if you will not disagree with the truth that feeling is but an effect and a fruite of faith And therefore there may be faith without feeling as well as the cause may be without the effect and the tree without any appearance of fruite yea of sappe for a season And as a man sore wounded or diseased may for a season be depriued almost of all operations of the naturall life to the outward shew and his owne iudgement and feeling so may a spirituall man be so sore wounded by Sathan and diseased by present sight and feeling of his sinfull corruptions specially in temptation that he may thinke yea and may appeare to others that the life of the spirit is not in him Thus Peters faith did not wholy faile as you haue heard or else the prayer of our Sauiour preuailed not Thus when Dauid Psal. 51. 12. declared that his heart was vncleane and his spirit crooked or vnstable and vers 14. that he had lost the ioy of his saluation and the spirit of libertie or adoption yet vers 13. he prayeth that God would not take his holy spirit from him therefore hee was not depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth repugnance but there is none He was depriued for a season of the graces of the fanctifying spirit but none of the holy Ghost wherewith he was sanctified Which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will vnto you yea I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly melancholy and partly Satan worketh therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirit in you which I beseech you take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedies you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall inable me And I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate iu particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because hee is of your acquaintance and will bring it vnto me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnes of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth Psal. 51. declaring how hee had no feeling of his heart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God chap. 57. 23. I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is fare off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid Therefore say with him often and with God his people Esay 64 12. O Lord thou art our father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and we are the worke of thy hand c. Know you that God can cause Wolues Lions Leopards c. dwell louingly with Lambes Calues Kine Esay 11. 6. c and that which is vnpossible vnto men is possible vnto God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours Yea knowe you that all things are possible to him that beleeueth crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your harts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must make an end I commend you vnto God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them which are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so I shall pray for you and much more Yours in Iesus Christ to vse in any neede A LETTER CONSOLATORIE TO Mistris Mary Whitehead THe Lord Iesus Christ by whose blood you are iustified stay and strengthen you now and for euer Amen Seeing we be so miserable blessed bee God that wee bee also mortall seeing wee be subiect to sinne praised bee God that wee are also subiect to corruption It would now grieue vs to bee mortall because wee sinne and by sinne purchase miserie it is sufficient that we shall then neuer die when we shall neuer sinne and then wee shall no more taste of corruption when wee shall no more so much as feare condemnation In regard whereof good Mistris looke not so much to your griefe for the death of your sonne which you see to be the cōmon lot of al and the happie lot of the godly as vpon his freedome from misery his libertie from sinne and his holy change to eternall felicitie And albeit he was young in yeares yet was hee come to sufficient yeares to goe to God that hee that hitherto did grow in Christ should now bee gathered and reaped vp to the kingdome of Christ so that we cannot thinke him to die in his flowers whose perfection groweth to so blessed a maturitie before the Lord. If then you reioyced in him as he was the interest of the Lord you are not much to sorrow that the Lord hath his right Which if your loue to him was right you know did euer appertaine vnto him Hee must not of you his earthly parents be deemed to be lost which of his heauenly father is so surely preserued And without all question his very growing in godlines vnder so manifold afflictions in this life could not haue been so profitable to him and comfortable vnto you as the losse of a few and faint pleasures recompenced with so infinite and vnspeakable ioyes in the life to come are I hope and must be vnto you Be not then so grieued for that
depriued of the spirit of sanctification Here seemeth to be repugnance but there is not any hee was depriued indeede for a time of the graces of the sanctifying spirit but not of the holy Ghost wherwith he was sanctified which graces as God restored vnto him so I am perswaded he will doe vnto you Yea and I doubt whether you are depriued of them but onely that partly Melancholie partly Satan working therewith make you doe iniurie to your selfe and to the graces of the spirt in you which I beseech you to take heede of But the messenger cannot stay and therefore I cannot write as I would either of this or of the remedie which you should vse which hereafter I will as God shall enable me and I pray you let me vnderstand as I requested in the beginning of your estate in particular somewhat more and that by this bearer if you can because he is of your acquaintance and will bring it to me faithfully Onely I adde now vnto that I haue written of hardnesse of heart at large that you must diligently obserue the word Create which Dauid vseth declaring that he had no feeling of hart To this ioyne that which the Prophet Esay speaketh in the person of God I create the fruite of the lips to be peace peace as well to him that is farre off as to him that is neere Therefore in faith you may as well pray with hope to obtaine as did Dauid therefore say with him often and with Gods people O Lord thou art our Father we indeede are clay but thou art our maker and wee are the worke of thy hands c. Know also God can cause Wolues Lyons Leopards c. to dwell louingly with Lambes Calues and Kids c. and that which is vnpossible to men is possible with God euen to cause a cable rope to goe through a needles eye that is to change the hard heart of the vnbeleeuing couetous wretched man much more yours yea know you that all things are possible to him which beleeueth Crie then I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe and I dare promise you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you shal haue your hearts desire in goodnes Thus abruptly I must ende I commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and giue you the right of inheritance among them that are sanctified And the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Faithfull is he which hath called you which will doe it Amen I pray you pray for me and I trust as I haue so shall I pray for you and much more Yours in Christ Iesus to vse in any neede R. GREENHAM ANOTHER COMFORTABLE LETTER BY MASTER R. G. TO MASTER M. BRother beloued in our LORD IESVS CHRIST seeing you haue had heretofore not onely Knowledge but also experience of Gods gracious and mercifull goodnesse in Iesus Christ of your owne vnbeliefe and of Sathans subtlenesse I could maruell why you should giue such place and not keepe your ground no surer if I were not much acquainted with such occurrences I knowe not therefore whether with wordes of rebuke or of comfort I should seeke to relieue you Because I cannot come vnto you my counsell and desire is that you would come vp to London the next Terme at the farthest that so I might aske of God to frame my speech to your good In the meane season I beseech you to call vnto minde that which you cannot bee ignorant of that in the Lawe Sacrifices were offered for Gods people not onely at their first entrance into couenant with the Lord but also afterwards many times and that not onely for sinnes committed by ignorance but also by error that is Forgetfulnes Frailenes Retchlesnes Carelesnes c. If you haue not Tremelius his Translation by you you must take heed of the English that hath ignorance for they failed that so translated it It is manifest that the sinne of error is there opposed against the sinne committed with an high hand that is a blasphemie with contempt of God and making his Law of no effect but to be in vaine Which sinne I am sure you are most farre off from I would you were as farre off from vnbeliefe and distrust That Gods children may fall after their calling into diuers foule faults may appeare by many proofes First in the Law when the Lord speaketh in his Maiestie and proclaimeth his glorie yet in how manie wordes commendeth he his mercy and for how many seuerall sorts of sinnes Doth not Esay the holy Prophet call the people of his dayes the people of Gomorrah and their Princes the Princes of Sodome Doth not hee accuse them as grieuous transgressours both of the first and second Table and yet doth afterwards promise them that though their sinnes were as crimson they shall be as white as snow though they were red like skarlet they should be as wooll Doth he not charge them that they were sunke deepe in rebellon and yet exhorteth them to returne vnto the Lord Yea doth he not charge them not onely with rebellion but also with vexing the holy Spirit of God And yet reade what is written Pray as there you may learne of Esay chap. 63. vers 7. 15. 16. What doth not the holy Prophet Ieremie shew that Ephraim was as an vntamed calfe c. yet so soone as he mourned and was ashamed of himselfe doth not the Lord shew that his bowels of mercy were troubled for his estate Doth nor the Lord offer mercy vnto the prophane and forgetfull transgressours of his holie couenant Is not this part of the couenant made with all the sonnes of Dauid in Christ Iesus that if they not only omitting many good things but also committing rebellions iniquities that though he may visite them yet it shall be with the rod of his children and that his mercy he will not take from them nor breake off his couenant made with them in Iesus Christ Therefore remember that the holy promises threatnings precepts examples are written that we should not sinne but If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the iust and hee is â—he reconciliation of our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world Doth not the blessed Apostle Paul charge the Corinthians whom hee affirmeth to be rich in Christ and destitute of no spirituall gift to bee more carnall than spiriuall yea babes in Christ yea to be fallen into idolatrie committing of euill things fornication tempting not onely of God but of Christ yea murmuring against them yet doth he not herein comfort them that no temptation hath taken hold on them but such as appertaineth to man and that God will be mercifull vnto
which we freely renounce but of the merit of his obedience and of the value of his death vnto the saluation of those that beleeue in him So shall we at once stop vp the mouth of the enemie when refusing to plead our owne cause we referre our selues vnto Christ whom we know to be the wisedome of God and able to answere all that can possibly be obiected against vs. For seeing Sathan is a wrangling and subtill Sophister it is our surest and safest dispatch to breake off all dispute with him and to send him thither where he may receiue his best answere and we need not to doubt but he that hath answered the iustice of God and cancelled the obligation that was against vs before his heauenly father will easily defeate whatsoeuer the old Serpent our accuser the diuell is able to alleage against vs. But if we cannot so auoid his assault but needs we must enter the combat with him let vs take vnto our selues that courage that becommeth the souldiers of Christ and in the name of the Lord Iesus manfully oppose our selues knowing that he which hath brought vs into the battell will both saue vs and deliuer vs out of all dangers Then if the enemie shall say that we haue no faith and therefore haue no interest in Christ we may answere that our beleeuing dependeth not vpon his testimonie it is enough that our selues doe know and feele by the grace of God that we doe beleeue As for him we doe the rather perswade our selues of faith because he saith that we beleeue not knowing that he is not onely a murderer but also a lyer from the beginning and the father of lying Now he that was neither ashamed nor afraid to charge God himselfe with vntruth will make lesse scruple to deale falsely with vs and that therefore we vtterly reiect his witnes as the witnes of a notorious and treacherous deceiuer vnworthie all credit and whom we cannot beleeue euen in the truth it selfe without danger For which cause he was so oftentimes silenced by our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles euen then when after his deceiueable manner he bare witnes vnto the truth Againe when the question is of our faith in Christ whether we beleeue in him or not we must beware that we stand not here vpon perfection of knowledge which in the best Diuines is vnperfect or vpon the perfection of our perswasion which in all flesh is mingled with imperfection It is enough for our present comfort and to the silencing of our aduersarie that we haue a competent knowledge of the mysterie of our saluation by Christ farre remoued from that ignorance and implicit vnderstanding which Sathan hath planted in the kingdome of Antichrist For perswasion also we acknowledge that partly by the corruption of nature and partly by his assaults by the grace of God it is such as the same is oftentimes assailed and shaken yet faileth not nor falleth vnto the ground but standeth inuincible against all his attempts and inuasions whatsoeuer And finally for that faith whereby we rest for our saluation vpon Christ Iesus wee glorie not in our owne strength but wee say euery one for himselfe with him in the Gospell We beleeue Lord helpe thou our vnbeleefe Foâ— if faith he as it is indeed a repose setling placing and putting of our trust and confidence for our saluation in Christ whom the Father hath sealed then we doubt not to proue against Sathan and all his instruments of infidelitie that we doe beleeue and that the weaknes of our faith which we willingly acknowledge and that remnant of vnbeleefe which yet hangeth vpon vs is so farre off from dismaying vs that it is both a warning and motiue vnto vs of great force to stirre vs vp and to set a worke by all good meanes to establish and to increase our faith when wee finde the good hand of the Lord not to bee wanting vnto vs and his eares not to bee shut vp against our prayers in which we alwaies say with the Apostles of Christ Lord increase our faith If it shall bee obiected that because wee haue not the same sense and feeling of faith which sometime wee had as Sathan himselfe could not then denâ—e therefore we haue now no faith but haue vtterly lost the same wee may answere the argument followeth not for euen in many diseases of the bodie it is so with them that haue them that they seeme little better than dead corpses and yet there is life in them which hidden for a time after is recouered and raised vp againe so it is many times with the children of God that being ouerborne and distressed with extremitie of affliction and temptation they seeme for the time both to themselues and others to haue lost the life and light which once they enioyed Yet so it is that when the tempest is ouerblowne and the gracious countenance of the Lord againe beginneth to shine vpon them the faith which was as it were hid for the time taketh life and steweth foorth it selfe and plainly proueth that as the trees when they budde in the spring time and bring foorth their fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed to bee so the faith of Gods children springing afresh after the stormie winter of temptation declaring manifestly that it was not dead when it seemed so to be but was onely respited for the time that afterward it might bring foorth more fruite and whereas the afflicted soule desireth nothing more than to beleeue though it feele not a present operation of comfort by faith euen that desire argueth a secret sense that cannot easily be discerned together with assurance of better estate in time to come according to that of our Sauiour Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied And that of the blessed Virgin He filleth the hungrie with good things but the rich he hath sent emptie away Also that bewailing and deploring of vnbeleefe which is found in the afflicted is not onely a stâ—p vnto their former comfrort but a certaine proofe and demonstration of the returne therof For the Lord working by his spirit in the hearts of his childrens gronings that cannot be expressed thereby assureth theÌ„ that in his good time he will heare them grant their requests And so much the more wee may bee perswaded hereof because the loue of God towards vs as it began not of vs as S. Iohn saith so it dependeth not vpon vs but vpon the truth constancie of him with whom there is no change nor shadow of change Againe the temptation it selfe from which our affliction doth arise though it haue of itselfe a most bitter and sharp taste euen vnto the wounding of our soules neere vnto death yet hath it also in it an argument of comfort the Lord himselfe out of darknes raising vp light vnto his childreÌ„ For euen by
our present trouble and torment of minde seeketh to driue vs vnto despayre we are to vse against him his owne weapons for among many testimonies of our estate in grace fauour with God there is none more euident and sensible than is that conflict which we find and feele in our selues of the spirit against the flesh of faith against vnbeliefe of a sanctified minde against that part that is vnregenerated and finally of the new creature against the old man and of Christ himselfe in vs against the power of Sathan If he replie that this is not so but the contrarie we may answere that albeit there haue been many times wherein we had a more present and mightie hand of the Lord vpon vs yet euen now Satan himselfe cannot denie but we hate sinne and loue righteousnes that we loue God and to our power obey his will and flye the baites and occasions of euill whereof if there were for the present no manifest and apparant effects as yet by the grace of God there are notwithstanding the onely affection and desire of the heart thirsting and longing after Gods kingdome and his righteousnes are sufficient arguments of the worke of grace begun in vs which shall so long bee continued by the good hand of our heauenly father vntill it be consummated and perfected in the life to come For if it be God as the Apostle saith that giueth both the will and the deed he that hath giuen vs to desire to obey his will will also enable vs vnto the doing of the same And seeing the worke of sanctification beginneth in the heart and thence floweth into our whole life wee nothing doubt but God who hath giuen vs ioy in the holy Ghost and therby a loue vnto him vnto his law wil further confirme strengthen vs that we may be vessels of honour vnto his name and glorifie the Gospel of our profession with fruites agreeable and according thereunto Yea the thoughts meditations and desires of the heart are deeds before God and principall parts of that obedience which he requireth at our hands And therefore if the faithfull man should bee taken away by death before he hath done any of the outward works of the law yet should not his faith be without fruites in that being sanctified in the inward man hee doth now in soule spirit serue the Lord and desireth abilitie and oportunitie in act to doe his will and to honour his name as appeared in that penitent malefactor that died with our Sauiour Christ. Another thing I am to admonish you of that you bee not as the couetous men of the world who so gape vpon that they further desire as they consider not but rather forget that which they alreadie haue and hauing much indeede in their opinion haue nothing and to all purposes and vses do as well want that which they haue as that which they haue not So it oftentimes happeneth to the deare children of God that whilest they looke and breath after that which they haue not yet attained vnto they forget and neglect that which they haue receiued and vse it not to their comfort and reioycing as otherwise they should This ouerreaching importunitie of theirs Sathan abuseth against them from the opinion of hauing nothing to blind their eyes not to see the present grace and goodnes of God towards them It is true that the Apostle saith that in the course of godlines and religion we may not thinke we haue attained the goale or are come vnto the ende of our race but forgetting that which is behind vs and endeuouring vnto that which is before must contend as to a marke vnto the reward of the most high calling of God in Christ Iesus But he speaketh it not to this end that wee should not in thankfulnes acknowledge the former mercies of God bestowed vpon vs or not vse them vnto our comfort as testimonies of his loue fauour towards vs but that we may not stay in our present profiting but adde daily a new and fresh increase that as from a larger and greater heape oâ— benefits we may more and more assure our selues that we are beloued of God and shall enioy the inheritance of his kingdome When the Apostle saith Worke your saluation c. and labour to make your calling and election sure though the meaning be not that we should put confidence of saluation in workes yet it telleth vs that the works fruits of our faith are testifications of Gods spirit dwelling in our hearts more euident and pregnant than that Satan himselfe can or dare deny them We may not suffer our selues to be so ouerborne of the enemie vnder the colour of zeale and desire to doe well as not to remember wherein the Lord hath already giuen vs some part of wel-doing not so to striue vnto that we haue not as to forget that which by his grace we already haue but rather with all thankfulnesse acknowledging the goodnes of God from thence assure our selues of the continuance finishing of the worke begun In the courses of the world as slownesse getteth nothing so preposterous haste looseth all It is the subtiltie and malice of the enemie when he cannot hold vs with himselfe to hasten and push vs on so fast and so headlong as by rashnesse we may fall into that which by forwardnesse we had escaped Good things to come therefore we must hold them in hope and pursue them in peace but the good we haue alreadie attained vnto we must so farre reioyce and comfort our selues in as from thence we may be able to sustaine and support our cause against the enemie and from that we haue to let him vnderstand that we doubt not of that which remaineth that the Lord will both continue and confirme the worke of his owne hands and not forsake the same vntil it be accomplished in his kingdome of glory Thus I haue in great hast and confusedly set down so much as presently came vnto minde of those things which often heretofore I haue written vnto you humbly beseeching the Father of all mercy and God of all consolation who hath annointed you with the oyle of his grace sealed you with the spirit of adoption and giuen you a sure earnest and pledge of euerlasting saluation to encrease vpon you and in your heart the measure of faith and multiply your fruits in all manner of well doing make you strong against the face of your enemie crowne you with victorie in the day of battaile that you may praise his name in the day of your deliuerance glorifie him in the whole course of your life and finally enioy with the rest of his Saints that eternall kingdome of glory prepared for all those that loue and feare him Amen FINIS MAISTER GREENEHAMS PRAYER O God most mightie glorious and righteous O father most louing gracious and merciful which keepest couenant and mercy in Iesus Christ
for all those which receiuing the first fruites of thy holy spirit walke before thee in vprightnesse of their heart wee thy vnworthy children come vnto thee in the name of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord beseeching thee to renue and encrease thy holy spirit in vs and to purifie our hearts more and more by faith that we may haue a clearer sight and a surer perswasion of thy fatherly goodnesse vnto vs and that wee may more readily performe our dutifull obedience vnto thee For wee doe acknowledge and confesse vnto thy sacred Maiestie that we haue yet neuer hitherto worthily esteemed thy mercies towards vs nor sufficiently expressed the fruites of our bounden dutie towards thee but that still we remaine ignorant and forgetfull of many good things which wee ought and might know And we confesse Lord wee are slacke vnto those things which thy holy spâ—â—t offereth to our mindes vnapt to doe them soone wearie of wel-doing and wherein we please thee something we please our selues too much Moreouer wee likewise confesse that we are ignorant of many euill things that wee haue done doe or may doe forgetfull of diuers things which sometime wee haue hadde knowledge and remorse of And now the things which come to our remembrance and are in our sight doe not appeare to be soâ—sinfull in any measure as they are and ought of vs to be regarded Yea wee are beguiled ere euer we are aware with our present corruptions and they cleane so fast vnto vs that wee can hardly leaue them but most hardly bee brought to true repentance of them We beseech therefore thy sacred Maiestie to worke in vs by thy holy spirit a wise and carefull searching out of and into our sinnes that by the lawe wee may be conuinced of them awakened by thy threatnings rebuked for them by thy iudgements executed vpon the wicked and exercised toward thy children seruants and friends that so wee may feare and tremble for them And by the serious premeditation of the vncertaine houre of a most certaine death of the day of thy generall ineuitable and dreadfull iudgement of the horrible and euerlasting paines of the wicked in the helles and their losse of the inestimable ioyes of the heauens stirre vp our dead hearts to seeke thee O Father in thy Christ and thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour in the Gospell And finally we pray that we may bee euen confounded in our selues by the fruitfull remembrance of thy blessed sufferings the most precious blood-sheading and death of our Lord Iesus Christ that so we may be humbled after that manner and measure thy children should bee beseeching thee that wee may so aforehand accuse our selues before thy blessed Maiestie that our aduersarie may haue no power hereafter to accuse vs so iudge our selues that we be not iudged by thee so with shame sorrow feare and trembling acknowledge the vilenes of our sinnes wholely before the throne of thy iustice that wee finde it to be a throne of grace and mercie vnto vs in Iesus Christ our Lord. Now O Lord the searcher of the hearts and reynes thou knowing this to be the humble and single desire of our hearts wee flye vnto thee for refuge beseeching thee by thy holy spirit to worke in vs a clearer sight of the wisedome of our Lord Iesus Christ wherby our minds may be further cleared from blindnes and we haue a clearer sight of the whole ministerie of our saluation in him and graunt vs God a fuller perswasion of the discharge of all our sinnes in his death and of the imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs in his resurrection that the guiltinesse of our conscience may daily more and more goe away from vs and peace of the same be confirmed in vs especially in the time of our temptation and trouble the day of our death and the houâ—e of iudgement And next most mercifull Father graunt vs a more powerfull experience of his death killing sinne in vs and of his resurrection raising vs vp vnto a new life that daily we may be lesse sinful and more holy righteous and sober in this present life that so also wee may haue a more sure and stedfast hope in his redemption and may more strongly resist the vanities of this world in false pleasures profits and glories and more patiently endure all manner of miseries of the same which may befall vs vntill his glorious appearing when hee shall come to be glorious in his Saints and made maruellous in al those which beleeue in him Amen Furthermore O Lord whereas we are priuie to our selues ere it is knowne vnto others or vnto thee that thereby any sinne or sinnes more strange in vs through our corrupt nature or custome or the temptation of others or of the tempter wee beseech thee that there we may labour to finde the precious death of our Lord Iesus Christ more powerfull in subduing the same and whereas through vnabilitie of nature want of meanes or grace we are weaker in any duties of well-doing there we may striue to finde the vertue of his glorious resurrection more effectuall in raising vs vp in meanes of life so that our familiar corruptions being cured and our speciall infirmities being relieued wee may be also endued as with generall graces meete for all Christians so with such peculiar graces as may be meete for our callings and inable vs to glorifie thy holy name build vp others in well-doing and treasure vp the fruites of a good conscience for our selues at all times and especially in our neede And in this behalfe the desire of our heart is that thy holy spirit worke in vs the renouncing of our reason so farre forth as it is blinde and the crucifying of our affections so farre forth as they be corrupt that so we may offer them vp with soule and bodie in sacrifice of humiliation and that hauing receiued these graces we may also offer them vp in sacrifice of obedience vnto thy gracious Maiestie And wherein soeuer we haue doe or shall with thy graces obey thee we desire to offer vp thy graces our obedience and our selues in a sacrifice of thankesgiuing and praising of thy holy and blessed name through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen All thy waies O Lord we acknowledge to bee mercie and truth we beseech thee therfore giue vs the holy fruites of al the good meanes thou hast heretofore wrought our good by as thy holy and sweete promises preached vnto vs read of vs meditated vpon by our selues or conferred of with others the prayers thankesgiuings Psalmes Hymnes of our selues our friends and thy Church thy sacred Sacraments the ministrie of thy holy Angels the communion of thy Saints and admonition which hath beene giuen vs for our good most humbly entreating that wee may haue sanctified vnto vs the remembrance of thy former mercies bestowed vppon thy Church vpon any member therof or vpon our selues either in benefits or in crosses and albeit our nature is
to loue best 516 how to loue superiours equall and inferiours 120 Loue of the creatures hinder 20. carnall loue 637 Lust remedies against it 635 M MAdnes the cause of it 20 Magistrates how they may winne the peoples fauour 260 they must be men of wisedom 38 haue a care of Gods glory pray for the people 778 their sinne most dangerous 79â— siâ—s of the people cause euill Magistrates 53 Markes of Gods children 25 See children of God Mâ—riners that sâ—ile on the Sabbath 164 Matrimonie notes to know whether it be of God 20 consent of parents 21 choise in it 742 the spousage before knowne by the light of nature 122 the end of it 806 Meanes 27 of saluatioÌ„ 42 all good meanes must â—e vsed 615 â—70 we ought to attend thereoÌ„ 736 neglect therof a tempting of God 674 by what meanes wee draw to God 690 to keepe vs from sin 7â—8 the vertue power of the meanes in God 844 meanes of least shew bring greatest graces 290 Mediatour who it is 80 how dangerous to appeare before God without him 694 Mediocritie 29 Meditation 615 159 574 564 in labour 4 how we be hindred therein 10 commodities of it 22. rules for it 23. of Christ his death 19â— of death in or on the word 450. to redeeme the time for it 471 Meditation must be continued 459 we will alwaies meditate thinke on the things we loue 459 Melancholy Satan and it disquiet afflicted soules 257 Memorie helpes for it 23 â—5 447 Mercie 209 of God 9 522. the rich mercy of God to the faithfull in opening their eyes when many millions are left in darkenesse and miserie 503 it is either in giuing or forgiuing 697 to the poore 69â— how it worketh in the wicked 247 to whom the mercies of God are dearâ— 782 Merit 509 Messengers of God how they binde and loose 877 must be prepared for trouble 747 their euill life how dangerous 752 messengers of Satan within vs. 306 Minde 52 cast downe 95 distempered 482 Ministers 24. the necessitie of theÌ„ â—39 â—40 the vse whereunto they are appointed 341. their dutie first to reade and studie 342. secondly to teach the word â—43 how where what he must teach 344 when 345. to pray for himselfe and the people 345. thirdly hee ought to liue a godly life â—46 fourthly hee ought to teach priuately as well as publikely 347 how a Minister may â—â—â—e 347. Miniets the porters of heauen 288. meanes to bring vs to Christ. 288 Ministers and Auditors are not alwaies alike 448 Ministerie 24 646 the haste of young men to it 24 the dignitie of it 747 the necessitie of it 340. whether a man may desire it 52. negligent in it 752 790 sufficiencie for it 546 couetous in it 735 Miracles giuen in mercy and in iudgement 736 Mirth 25 the way to godly mirth 724 Morall and Ceremoniall 132. See Law To know things morall and ceremoniall 138 Mortification goe together with remission of sinne 105 Mother 76 three good mothers breeds three euill daughters 830 Motions secret vnto sinnes 108 the spirit restraines euill motions 89 the godly are not free from euill motions 681 we must watch ouer them 703 the first motion to sinne must be crucified in vs. 467 why so few good motions come to vs 522 sudden motions to good 476 Motes what sinnes are called motes and what beames 632 Multitude to follow is dangerous 704 Murmuring the policie of Satan therein 26 how common in our daies 249. remedies against it â—51 758. how readie we are in our daies to murmure 815 N NAme good name how pretious 259 260. See good name Nature good and euil 29 natural men measure others by theÌ„selues 715 they count all spirituall things as paradoxes 457 Necessitie two kindes thereof 166 Neighbour who is our neighbour 79 O OBedience what it is 50 to the word 826. it must be free 44 triall of it 544 strict obedience to be laboured for 292. popish obseruations and workes of supererogation in the point of obedieÌ„ce confuted 393 Occasion of euil must be auoided 25 263 Offences 721 47 74 90 702. small sinnes great offences 727 Oppression 780 Order necessarie in all things 833 Othes 75 476 P PApists 3 673 disquieted in minde 96 rest in the worke wrought 689. neuer felt the power of Christ his grace 787 popish obiections against the Gospell 802 popish superstition 455 Papists goe beyond carnall Protestants in outward things 805 455 How papists follow Peter 483. papists may not be spared for their ciuill honestie 455 Popish Doctors of reason 520 PareÌ„ts immoderate loue 2â— follie 258 for what cause the Lord afflicteth parents in their children 277 their consent in mariage 743 consideration in correcting their children 798 Pastors the â—inne of the flocke their sinne 259. their office 772. See ministers Patience 6â—9 759 56â— triall of it 25 properties of it 254 vnder the crosse 761 768 the vse of Gods patience 694 Peâ—ce three-fold 7 of minde 97 of conscience 209 false peace ibid. of the wicked 6â—0 of the Church 542 People their dutie to their Magistrates 76 to their Ministers 349 Perfection God lookes not for it at our hands 390 Periurie how men fall into it 333 Persecution 670 popish persecution how great 791 Perseuerance 496 694 721 116 in the vse of the meanes 15 764 a sure triall both of knowledge and faith 510 Pâ—ruert who they be that peruert others 730 Physition properties of him 794 Pittie who are to be pittied 25 Plague 79â— boldnes and fearefulnes in it 2 extremities 104 plague threatned 790 for the contempt of the word 513 A perfume for christiaÌ„s against the plague 444 Pleasure 653 734 how we may take pleasure 726 vse of it with restraint 7 9 of sinne 323 Pollution the polluted person polluteth all things 189 Policie of the world euill 838 Polygamie 586 Posteritie care thereof 798. Iehosaphat punished in his posteritie 462 Posts on the Sabbath 165 Pouertie the cause and vse of outward want 26 Poore 261 zealous in defence of them 258 poore in godlines 784 collections for them on the Sabbath 161 Praise 27 733 749 Preaching with prayer before after 272 the power therof 283 708 sincere bring men to Christ 139 needfull by sea 164 distinguished from catechizing 664 the onely meanes to worke faith 690 346 173 Preachers how they winne fauour 8â—1 how they should carrie themselues 358 247 a true marke of a faithfull Preacher 375 See Minister Prayer 2 38 when to pray 26 to offer vp our prayers to God albeit in perplexitie of spirit wee know not how to pray 484 publike for the sicke 34 want of it cause want of faith 177 what it is 90 a remedy in temptation 873 how it is hard and what doth season it 507 619 how profitable 776 motiues thereunto 777 the more grace a man hath the more need he hath to pray 46 47 it is the best sacrifice 8â— priuate prayer necessarie 501 rules for prayer 562 563