second for he that commeth after is preferred before for he was before Then are we translated from death to life then are we Citizens of the new Ierusalem wee are passed from the old things which must be blotted out and are come into the new world which abideth for euer Where bee now these pedegrees from Adam and the sonnes of Adam with their swelling glory They often come forth to amate Gods children of low degree yet are these the pedegrees of death they prooue their owners to be the glorious sonnes of sinne and mortalitie But O the infinite happinesse and priuiledge of the sons of God borne of the best Father in the best image to the best inheritance God their Father begets them to his owne image and becomes their inheritance in whom is the fulnesse of glory beyond whome is nothing and therfore nothing to be sought beyond him Let vs in comparison of this new birth and life despise the glory of earthly birth and earthly life not as if we had neither eminence of birth nor pleasures of life which perchance was a reason to Philosophers but must not be to Christians and to many it needs not but because they are grosse miserable and base in respect of the other For this cause let vs especially dote on our heauenly pedegree and celestiall happinesse growing still stronger in loue with heauen as we grow nearer vnto it Let vs refuse to be called the sonnes of Pharaohs daughter in respect of being the sonnes of Pharaohs Creator And though this descent and inheritance be inuisible yet therefore are they the better for that which may be seene shall vanish away but that which may not bee seene endures for euer that which may be seene is grosse but that which may not be seene is pure and glorious and only discernable by a glorified sight 20 Gods time and our time are often different but surely he that is wisest appointeth the fittest times Accordingly God who is wisedome giueth both meate and all things in due season Let vs therfore with patience surrēder our selues vp to him in all our necessities suffering willingly his time to be ours For he will come though he seeme to tarry and that in the fittest time Luk. 18. his comming being quicke enough in his iudgement when sometimes it seemes slow to ours 21 The children of Anak and Achitophel out of the acknowledgement of their owne strength and cunning thinke that if God would haue any seruants he would chuse such able men as themselues and not the meaner sort whome they despise with the Pharisies saying Doth any of the Pharisies beleeue in him but this base people which is accursed Againe they are perswaded that if God would not finde out them they could finde out God sooner then the simple swaine that beleeues as they thinke only out of a low spirited feare But let them know that the more earthen the vessell is the more is the glory of him that doth great workes in it For the basenesse of the vessell puts away all the glory from it selfe vnto God Therefore according to Gods speech of Gideons armie They are too many for me to ouercome Midian by them wee may say of these iolly men They are too good for God to worke his glory by them yet humility acknowledging all sufficiency to bee from God and to bee nothing without him might take them downe and so make them fit for God But as for the finding of God in Christ without his owne light surely they may as well finde the Sunne in the night and the secrets of the spirit of man when the man himselfe is silent God must shine if hee will bee seene he must both tell his secrets and giue an vnderstanding to conceiue them if man shall receiue them As no man can see God liue so no naturall man can see Christ who is God as long as he liues a meere naturall man He must dy and especially to his owne wisedome and his very sight which hee magnifies for clearnes must be acknowledged for blindnesse and be brought to be cured by the lightsome Spirit of Christ which then will shew him from whome it selfe proceeded 22 We are gods and not our owne so are our children by creation if not by sealing Why should we doubt that God will not prouide for his owne and in this doubt seeke to piece out his prouidence with a distrustfull prouidence of our owne which indeed at the best is but a shrid of his Surely our selues and our children being more his then ours and his loue to his owne being purer and wiser then ours we might rest well contented with that portion which is granted by him to our lawfull endeauours For the heauenly Father giueth good yea the best gifts though the earthly fathers would faine sometimes giue greater ones But the greatnesse which the earthly desire is earthly but the good which also is great that the heauenly giues is heauēly And this God knows to be a substantiall blessing for it is blessednesse it selfe stretching beyond time reaching in place aboue moth and rust Be we then thankesgiuers not murmurers when wee or our children haue store of grace though with little wealth for we are then very rich in the true treasure though not in the vanishing and our Father hath prouided for vs many cities and a large inheritance Luk. 19. 17. in the land of the liuing 23 The Scripture hath authority selfe-vpholding in it selfe because it is the word of God and this it hath and is whether men receiue it or not Truth is as much truth whē it is not acknowledged as when it is But the true manner of receiuing it is this At first the Church inlightned by Gods Spirit saw beheld in it the truth of God receiued it and commended it to all to be beleeued Now the learners of Christianity receiue it first on this commendation of the Church before by it they receiue the Spirit to discerne it As children beleeue rules giuen by their Masters vpon trust before that by the rules they come to the knowledge that they are right rules But after hauing beene inlightned by the Spirit they receiue it then vpō their own knowledge as the first Church did And thus proceeding they come at last to iudge the Church it selfe by that word which before they receiued from the Church So while I am a naturall man I receiue the word of men but when I become a spirituall man which discerneth all things I then discerne it to be the word by the Spirit And the beleefe which comes from this spirituall discerning is truly and onely faith the former is only credence and trust the one hath the very word for the obiect thereof the other the persons of men Now miserable is the estate of that Church that hedgeth in men within that trust and neuer doth suffer them or at least incourage them to proceede to faith Where it is taught
the new life we ascribe glory to him for our Election for our Iustification for our Regeneration which are the maine works of our saluation and are the ioynt-workes of the vndiuided Trinitie But yet we can follow this truth no farder then it goes before vs. Therfore when we come to regeneration there must we stop and looke no further for saluation for therein is our saluation accomplished and all the parts thereof perfected If after we will goe on to workes as to further causes of our saluation we goe beyond the truth being past the God-head and come vnto man For though it may be said that God worketh these workes in man yet man ioyneth therein with God Now the saluation of man is deriued into man from God alone and is then absolute and full in parts whē Election Iustification and Regeneration the absolute and only workes of the Trinity haue wrought vpon him For regeneration hauing put into man the seede of God which is the seede of life Man is then translated from death to life and hauing begotten him the Sonne of God hee is then the heire of promised glory and eternitie Indeed works comming after the state and right of life and glorie their goodnesse as it comes from God so it shall be rewarded by God increasing the degrees of that glory wherein before we had an vndeniable property and title Therefore works adde not a new part of saluation but only increase the issues and fruit of a part formerly possessed Accordingly doth the Diuine song of that rauished soule orderly declare Gods sauing of vs from our enemies to goe before our seruing of God in holinesse all the daies of our life So workes themselues are placed as fruits of our saluation and therefore the glory giuen to workes is but as the fruite of the fruite of saluation But why then shall it be said Come yee blessed for ye fed mee and blessed are they that keepe the commandements that their right may bee in the tree of Life So that good works seeme to iustifie and saue in the day of iudgement Herein comparisons may inlighten though not prooue If a man haue a wife of a suspected life whose many children when the dying husband calleth before him hee saith to those that liuely represent him Come to mee the true sonnes of Mee your Father you truely resemble mee therefore to you shall bee giuen the inheritance of your Father Here for their countenance and proportion is the inheritance adiudged to them yet is it not for that indeed giuen them but because thereby they are iudged to be sonnes for which Son-ship the inheritance is verily giuen them So doth God in his great iudgement he will iudge men to bee his sonnes by their good workes it being impossible that good works can come from any cause but Regeneration and for the regenerate sonnes was the kingdome of glorie long agone prepared euen by that election which was before the world So the word For doth not still imply the cause it selfe but sometimes an inseparable signe annexed to the cause as if it should be said My sonnes are heires of my kingdome those which are my sonnes and they only bring forth the works of loue these workes haue I seene in you therefore do I acknowledge you to bee my sonnes enter into your Fathers ioy 28 There are two things without in the word which witnesse it to bee excellent aboue nature A supernaturall truth and a supernaturall holinesse There are also two supernaturall things within a Christian which ioyne their inward witnessing to the outward A supernaturall inlightning to acknowledge and beleeue this truth and a supernaturall vertue changing the will into a conformity with this holinesse So in the mouth of many witnesses standeth firme the truth of diuine truth 29 Man and the earth are growne wilde by the fall of Adam both bring foorth weedes of their owne nature But as the earth is cured by husbandrie good seed so by the regeneration of Christ the chiefe husbandman and the seede of the word man is brought into a fruitfull nature and hath a remedy for the first Adam by the last Blessed be the word which is God and reuerenced and desired be the word of that Word which is of God for of them is our life and health 30 As a man in his first conuersion yeelded himselfe into a generall submission vnto the spirit so must hee doe in euery particular action and then most resolutely when sin tempteth most strongly our selues Wee made our couenant at first for the whole and continually we must performe the parts of the promised whole When we gaue our selues to the spirit of dead branches to be made liuely branches withall inclusiuely we gaue our selues to bring forth the continuall fruite of liuing branches which is done by a continuall sucking of life from the spirit which quickneth vs. Now if we rest contented onely with our first ingrafting though the Almightinesse of him whose seed is immortall and who wil not faile of his end may preserue vs aliue yet do we what wee may to kill our selues and to falsifie our couenant with him who therefore beeing offended will chastise vs with temporall iudgements and desertions and will shew that when hee is angry he is a consuming fire But let the true sonnes keepe neere to their father let them keepe close to his spirit moouing at euery motion of it and filling the wants in their Lampes with the continuall oyle thereof for this spirit is our very life and the witnesse thereof By our generall resignation this life entred and by particular resignation this life increaseth so the more we sow to this spirit the more we shal reape of life eternal Again as a mā in his great main conuersion from a sinner guilty to a sanctified and iustified man goeth ouer himself in general with y t iudgement of the Law whereby finding himselfe a man of death he flieth vnto Christ who baptizeth him from his guilt and sinfulnesse by his Bloud and Spirit giuing both his actuall righteousnes and the spirits habitual righteousnesse so after the committing of euery particular sin we shold go ouer it with a particular iudgment of y e Law wherby acknowledging it to be a worke of death wee should flie to a particular applicatiō of the great Baptisme that so putting away the particular guilt of that sinne by the washing of Christs blood and the particular vncleannesse of that sinne by the washing of Christs Spirit we which before were generally clensed and iustified may also haue a particular and continual clensing and iustification For our inward and outward Baptisme though at once performed is of continual vse and daily wee must haue a recourse thereto to wit by the outward remembring and passing to the inward that the stocke of iustification and sanctification at first imparted may be daily applied and distributed to our particular necessities And thogh being in Christ we
in this world But there they that now are wrōgfully iustified shall iustly bee condemned and the mooueable Iudges that missed their part and changing iudgement spake from thēselues when they should haue spoken frō God shall haue their faults repeated vnto them if vnrepeated and by the iust mouth of God himselfe shall with their faults be deliuered to Satan the iayler who shall carry them to the dungeon where the worme dyeth not nor the fire goeth out But because such men doe fortifie their consciences against the terrors of the Lord and his fearefully-great iudgement and put the euill day either wholly or farre from them that they bee not vtterly without feare in this world God doth many times by particular iudgements strike either them their issue or those whom they haue iustified in offences by which particular stroakes on some among many he puts them in minde that hee which now iudgeth some shall hereafter iudge all sinne being equally odious in all and equally lyable to iudgment Hee strikes not all yet because generall iustice is reserued for the generall iudgement But he strikes some that their iudgement might to al be an earnest of a generall iudgement and might in the meane time terrifie men from wickednesse by present plagues who feare not the future 41 Moreouer it is a great motiue from sinne the shortnesse of the time betweene sinne and punishment there is nothing but life betweene them howsoeuer we lengthen it in our imagination to keepe vs from feare of punishment yet if we consider it by the most earnest and most trusted iudgement which is that of the worldly wise it is therby valued but at seauen yeares or thereabout yet if it be as it is but with some a continuance of thirtie or forty yeares after thou commest to thy full age of wickednesse aske the worldling what hee thinketh of himselfe when hee hath such a tearme in a liuing He will by no meanes think himself a setled man he will not much build vpon it for hee holds it but a short time and is continually troubled that it weares so fast is so neere an end Surely the diuell hath a great aduantage vpon vs by this deceit of our flesh that it can tell vs truths in many things when their vse and end is earthly but tels vs falshoods in the same things when their vse is heauenly it makes vs wise for matters of this generation but not for those of the Regeneration But let vs where there is such a truth so found take the line from the worldly things and lay it on the spirituall then shal we finde that grosly to appeare which before was not perceiued and so may we deceiue the Diuell himselfe his aduantage beeing made ours Accordingly let vs take that life wherewith the wisedome of the world doth measure life for worldly purposes and lay it on the same life for our spirituall vse then shall we finde that the sinfull pleasures of life are but pleasures for a season that a short one and that there is but the same short season betweene pleasant sinne and eternall punishments 42 He that wil finde a good friend let him seeke a good Christian. For a Christian is more then a man and hath the strength of God added to the strength of man Christ the Rocke is his foundation and he will stand the billowes and beat backe the tempests for hee is founded on a Rocke But the Moralist and the Romane of these times are but flesh and blood sand and dust therefore floods and tempests wash him and blow him away Wonder not therfore my soule with the world neither take vp the vsual complaints of the deceiueable vncertaintie of friends Those that were once true friends are still so those that are not neuer were If they had been of vs they would haue continued with vs. If they had been truly Christian loue would haue grown in them not decaied For it is a speciall businesse of a Christian in this life to grow vp vnto Christ in loue but their not continuing with vs shewes they were not of vs so they do vs not wrong but right by departing from vs for they rid vs of il company and tell our iudgemēt the truth which before was deceiued in them Yet that wee deceiue our selues no more let vs fasten on such no expectation let vs try the spirits and if by true experience we find a spirit begotten of God let vs take him for that friend which is better then a meere brother Thy heart and his are one and they will agree in spight of the diuell though hee come against them accompanied with the flesh and the world yea if such two should bee stirred as Barnabas and Paul euen vnto parting being parted they would meete in loue and doe the offices of friendship each to other vpon any occasion The heauenly loadestone euen Christs Spirit of loue hath toucht them therfore though stirred they returne to their point and still rest in loue 43 When Adam was created there was no corrupt lust when there was no such lust there was no shame generation was cleane and meerely pure and when generation was pure then the neerest kindred could not defile themselues with it for pure things defile not Therfore rightly God who had aboundance of Spirit made but one male and female who could haue made many more for though there were inforced thereby an intermarriage between brethren and sisters yet thereby was inforced no incest for when marriage and generation were pure and without shame then the brother discouered not the shame of his sister which is the wickednesse and vnlawfulnesse of incest And thus might the state of generation haue continued in all posterities if the state of the creation had continued But man by his fall brought in lust and thereby shame and by both a necessitie of incest which was not before For God made onely a necessitie that brethren and sisters should purely and holily marrie together but man turned this necessitated mariage into incest For a brother and a sister being one flesh it is a ground of nature that the same flesh should couer the shame of the same flesh which hee that doth not goes so farre toward incest as hee goes from this couering Now the children of Adam being brought by Adam into this necessitie were suffered by the patience of the God of long suffering who might still require his first course well instituted that now by manis corrupted After that some of the Fathers may be thought to haue done the like by a spirituall necessitie that they might marry within the Church and not with the daughters of men or by diuine indulgence and dispensation God being the Lord of nature and so able to change the lawes of it to giue what lawes he list vnto it much more to require the law in which first hee created man But for vs who neither are forced by a naturall necessitie the world
wicked so blind so subiect to euery passion and vice was neuer let out as he now is from the hands of a most wise and powerfull essence and that to gouerne a great world whereof hee is not worthy as he is to be a partie he being so extremely vitious and corrupt and most creatures being more orderly then himselfe 7. Part. Againe another folly and blindnesse of theirs is that they see not the resurrection it is impossible that the end of mans bodie should bee this present life For then might we say with these Author that there might be some pleasure taken aboue in the torments here below For what generally doe wee see here but miseries paines oppression diuers tortures diuers deaths diuers heart-breakings care within and labour without a few onely liuing in some ease of which again but a few scape a great taste of miserie Indeed were there no life but this we might verily think that man was appointed to be borne to liue and die in a Iayle wherein hee is tied and bound vp to miserie and that this world was set forth for a spectacle of torments massacres wherein wee should infinitely wrong the infinite wisdom and goodnesse of the great cause of al things But as we haue learnd of God our own fall and present miserie so withall wee haue learned a remedie for our fall and a way out of this miserie into felicitie We know and belieue that the bodie dying returnes into that which it was and that is dust and if being dust at first it was then quickned wee know hee that quickned dust at first can quicken dust at last hee being the same for euer yea wee know that small portion of his Spirit which is in vs is abundantly able to performe it Wee doubt not but a little power included in an Acorne is able to raise out of it a mightie Oake because wee see it and we may as easily belieue that this Spirit which now shewes a farre greater power in our sanctification may also raise out of our dust a heauenly and glorious bodie To him that hath done so great workes daily seene there wanteth no power to do as great things yet vnseene For God hath not bounded his power by his works but if his wil be to worke more his power is still sufficient to proceede in working Now that it is his will his word doth plainely shew blessed bee hee who hath both willed it and shewed it and God the Author of these and all other good gifts stablish vs which belong to him in the knowledge and embracement of this his sauing truth that liuing and dying therein we may passe from this life which is worse then death vnto a true life of blisse and happinesse Part. 8. Another thing which flesh and blood hath not fully discouered and which hath been the author both of our fall and miserie and implieth a necessitie of a preseruer and redeemer is a State body politicke and kingdome of euill spirits which effectuall in craft mightie in power diligent in watchfulnesse and hauing all these their powers emploied and moued by an endles and great malice towards mākind go stil about seeking the mischiefe and ruine of weak silly man vnable of himselfe to stand against this Leuiathan and therefore necessarily wanting the helpe of a preseruer and redeemer Without a preseruer we cannot preuent the euils to come for against so mighty enemies we must bee hedged about with a prouidence mightier then the force of our enemies els can we not be safe from our enemies but shold be continually deuoured by them And we neede a redeemer for y e euils already by these enemies brought vpon vs for these euils we our selues can by no meanes take from our selues nor free our selues from the tyranny which Satan hath alreadie brought vpon vs. Therefore this strong man must bee bound by some stronger then himselfe and so we which were before his possession may be made free from that bondage Now the highest power only is master of this power of darknesse and therefore he only must performe this worke Some short and small viewes of some outward bodily and dissembled workings of these Principalities the Heathen haue obserued in their stories of witchcrafts oracles and apparitions which witnesse against themselues that there are such a people and that at times they are very mischieuous and malicious but the craft of this kingdome is so great the ignorance of man so grosse that sometimes vnder the shew of doing good as cures and the like and sometimes by foretelling future euents so hiding still their principall malice which was to the soule and eternall life of man they haue won silly men to take them for gods who are their sworne and most fierce enemies so farre are men from knowing they are a kingdome combined against mankind But Christ by his doctrine and the doctrine of his seruants the Apostles hath described them by name hath shewed their nature hath set foorth their malice and rage against man which begunne with the first man and continuing from thence increase now towardes the last of men Hee hath also set foorth a remedie against all his hurt and power and that is euen in this flesh which in the first man the Diuell conquered For God will shew to his owne glorie and the vtter confusion of this proud malicious Prince that by that verie weake creature which no way heeretofore was not able to match with him God is able to breake his head if hee doe but vnite and ioyne himselfe therewith And that of these men which thus were in the first man foyled and ouercome hee is able to set vp a kingdome mighty and durable which shall stand invincible in this world against the powerfull kingdome of Satan and the vnpreuailing gates of hell and shall at last ouercomming these mightie enemies passe victorious vnto glorie and life euerlasting Euen this performe in vs O Lord thy weake seruants weake in our selues but strong in thee Let thy power in vs ouercome that power which without thee would ouercome vs. And let vs being strengthned by thee march valiantly against our enemies being assured of conquest through that mightie one who loueth and supporteth vs. 58 The end seemes to vs to bee caused by the meanes and so at last it is but the end is indeed first and most chiefely the cause of the meanes for God proposing his end this end caleth out such meanes as shall accomplish it selfe so that it causeth that to be which causeth it selfe So in the Scripture when diuers things happened it is said that they happened that it might bee fulfilled which God had before purposed so that Gods purpose was the cause of the beeing of those actions which fulfilled his purpose Therefore if we go to the roote of the matter wee may perceiue that foolishly wee reason when we are discontented with the meanes saying If this meanes had not beene this
haue bin that they might neuer haue bin spoken of so now it desires to couer with silence But the lay seruants of Satan despight them diuers waies And first they let flie at the very calling it selfe by turning the Ministerie into an ignominy and reproch If a man be a Minister he hath deserued at the next quarrell pickt at him to be cald pild Priest And when this is done it is to be thought hee hath beene cald worse then rescall euen as Paul saith the very scumme of the earth But where liue we the whilest and among what people It is thought among Christians But are they Christians that thus tread downe those messengers of Christ which outwardly by Baptisme make them such Christians as they are and inwardly by the word make better Christians then they are yet Are they Christians that being begotten by spirituall fathers will raile on their fathers that begat them surely it shewes they were neuer truly begotten A Christian honoureth Christ by whom hee beareth y e name of Christiā He honoreth him so that whosoeuer bringeth Christ to him and him to Christ hee honoureth them also Christ himselfe was a Preacher and the founder of the Ministerie if thou then despisest the Ministerie thou despisest the very function of Christ and the institution of Christ yea thou despisest Christ himselfe and then without question thou despisest thy owne saluation Take heed therfore thou run not against this sacred Priesthood of the Gospell for it is rocky and whosoeuer runneth against it breaketh himselfe in pieces It is rockie for Christ the rocke is the foundation of it and what is built on it is rocky as Peter from Petra But some will say They despise not the Ministers for their office but their liues and consequently not the good but the bad Surely as this on the one side preferres a petition to the reuerend Fathers to admit or continue none of scandalous life so otherwise it giues vs this answere that these are y e more mannerly kind of men that so say for there is a number which if they see but a man in black in their brauery come off presently There goes a Priest whereof the meaning is There goes a man of contempt per excellentiam But if thou which excusest despisest onely the men why castest thou a reflex of thy malice on the calling by reuiling him with the name of a Priest as with a reproch VVhat is the chaffe to the wheate Is he euill He can neuer defile that excellent calling though hee may scandall it the euill is from himself not from his Ministerie yea the Ministerie is good though tied to an ill person therefore is not the Ministerie of a good man any way within reproach for the faults of a bad one Let his person beare his faults and not the Ministery which is not the cause of them Let him beare it him selfe and not other righteous men with him which hate his conditions honestly as much as thou dost him maliciously 2. Part. Another notable signe of the contempt of the Ministery is that gentlemē scorne to bestow their sons in that calling If a man haue a means he is too good for God and he is counted mad or base if he will turne Minister But know thou puffe of flesh and bloud whosoeuer thou art that the seruice of God is the end of man and there is no man good inough to deserue imployment in his seruice much lesse to surmount it Thy meanes are giuen thee for helpes and aduancements in his seruice not for discouragements and he that made both them and thee lookes for glory to himself of both and that with al thy might not ease and idlenesse only to thy selfe If thou haue gifts for such a seruice and imployest them not therein thou that wouldest not serue his mercy shalt serue his iustice and the tree that would not beare fruit in his field shall beare the fire in the place of torment Why cumbreth it the ground Hew it downe and cast it into the lake that burneth for euer It is a due and necessarie course for parents concerning their sonnes and sonnes when they come to iudgement concerning themselues to waigh and consider wherein and in what way such sonnes are most fit and able to serue and glorifie their Maker In that way let thē be placed for it is a way of safetie protection blessednesse Any way besides that is a way of dragons it is the broadway and leadeth to destruction If this were obserued God should haue the due vse of his own creatures Many Alehouses play-houses yea many Gibbets would be emptie that now are filled mechanicall soules should not so oft become Ministers and excellent able soules wold not so oft turne Lawyers merchants yea earth wormes and Priests of Mammō Yet blessed be God y t hath not giuē al times places ouer to this high Treason Infidelity for euē nobles who now too much behold this profession a far of haue ennobled thēselues by seruing a greater King thē any they here serue yea crouch and creepe to serue Gentlemen of great possessions whereof yet France is not without example haue honoured God with their substance imployed it in the Ambassage of the most High And no maruaile for if we plainly knew saw what a glorious King our god is what a pretious thing a soule is what the truth not the name of Christiā were we should account it a high dignitie to be imployed by God in his busines a great gaine to turne one soule to righteousnes a right ready natural duty of a true Christiā to resigne himselfe ouer wholly to Christ to be bestowed by him in any function since he is his by couenāt redēptiō marke not his own any longer Be it therefore a law for euer to the vpright of heart that a good Minister is an honourable man being an Ambassadour of Christ a successor of Christ a factor for the King of heauen to returne soules the most pretious Iewels into his kingdome of glory and howsoeuer they are here couered with cōtemt they shall breake out in the daies of glory shining like the Sunne as hauing turned many soules to righteousnesse But that honour may continue safe to the Ministerie God perswade them to bestow that labour in the word and doctrine which deserueth double honour to liue as those that adorne the Gospell of Christ and themselues to bee humble rather receiuing honour then snatching at it For honour is best deserued when it is least intended to seeke our owne glory is no glory and to honour our selues is no true honour 3. Part. Another new engine of Satan is the impouerishing of the Ministery The diuell knowes that the Minister hath a bodie which must bee maintained by bodily sustenance and where this sustenance is not there cannot the Minister continue Heretofore when diuinitie was inspired not studied an Apostle though his spirituall worke were worthie of
dogs they runne away with the crie and barke out this terme against euery honest man they meete But a lamentable persecution of tongues is this the whiles especially among Christians that a man should be reuiled for being a Christian and that regeneration the worke of the holy Ghost should bee reproched Cursed is hee that despiteth the Spirit of grace euē that Spirit which gaue his tongue that power by which hee is able to speake against the Spirit Cursed is hee that reuileth the holy Ghost and raileth on the power of the liuing God Know that the time shall come when thy words shall returne vpon thee as so many Lyons yea the diuell who now sets thee on worke shall come to worke vpon thee with torments but especially that blessed Spirit whom thou hast reuiled shall come against thee and teare thee in pieces and there shall be none to deliuer thee Thou seest in the whole course of such a mans life a maine current of honestie and goodnesse and who would thinke that any should bee so shamelesse to raile on goodnesse and to oppose against it For the verie opposing against goodnesse giues thee the title of wickednesse which alone is the enemie thereof It shewes thou art a souldier of the Dragon who goes out to make warre with that blessed seede that keepes the commandement of God But I doe know thy vsuall defences thou wilt say that there are none worse then such as make such a shew of purenesse and withall thou art furnished with some merry tales that shew many mad trickes of these ouer holie brethren Heere a little discretion and iudgement in stead of salt would be of very good vse to amend the sauour both of thy heart and tongue For an vpright iudgement as it findeth many truths so toward the true discouerie of this businesse it findeth these First that whosoeuer is indeed good shall and must also seeme good for his works wil praise him whether he will or no his fruits wil shew what tree he is they must shine before men that men seeing them may glorifie God their heauenly Father Hence first we conclude that euerie one that seemes good is not an hypocrite but contrarily he may bee one of Gods chiefest seruants Therefore thou canst not presently fall to thy nickname only for the shew of goodnesse Secondly that there is indeede a dissembled holinesse worne for a cloake to wickednes that the shape of an Angell of light some times couers a foule diuell yea the foulest diuels are they that most vse need this couer Now for this fellow if thou findest him puritā is too good a name for him for the Scripture hath sharper names as generation of Vipers Wolues in Sheepes clothing and painted Sepulchers full of rotten bones These bee they whereon the diuell sets the one foote when he kickes at true Christians with the other iustifying by these his railings on those who especially hate these as the diuels chiefest seruants But now there needs some discretion to know these from the other that thou call not good euill nor euill good nor a Christian Hypocrite nor an Hypocrite Christiā Toward this thou must looke to the fruites of both and that not a few particulars but to the generall For a Godly man is subiect to infirmitie hath some fals and an Hypocrite knowes that to couer his wickednesse hee must shew some goodnes But looke to the continuall course of both and thou shalt finde one good generally though sometimes fraile and the other often grosly transgressing though much couering his rotten heart The things wherein especially thou shalt try the difference may be these First a loue to Christ secondly a loue of Christs voice thirdly a loue of the members of Christ and a reioycing in them who excell in vertue Now these things will againe appeare if for the loue of Christ the loue of his word and the loue of his members a man be ordinarily contented to lose sinfull profits or pleasures and with the steward to write 50. for an 100. This is the touchstone of a Christian euen the taking vp of the Crosse forsaking all and following Christ. But this the hypocrite cannot abide he serues Christ that Christ may serue him to get pleasure and profit by him not to lose by him Part. 8. But now heere come in the many stories which condemne these purer men to bee guiltie against these duties and so to be hypocrites Yet runne not away too fast with this neither but euen in the point of hearing reports take also some discretion with you For against good men very commonly are bold and confident slanders raised which by their stoutnesse might seeme to bee truth it selfe But let not the wise beleeue them before examination For most commonly in the very telling of them will appeare a venom and malice the true issue of the old Serpent and vpon farther triall falshood and lying the naturall brother of the former and a truly begotten sonne of the Accuser of the Brethren He began the rule in Paradise and will continue euen to the new Ierusalem lie boldly for some of it will sticke fast for euer And how can it be otherwise since the lasinesse of men is such that they will beleeue a report at the first telling rather then trouble themselues to examine and finde out the truth which onely should be belieued withall their maliciousnesse is so great that they are willing and readie to receiue euill reports yea they delight in them But the seruants of Christ know that the last iudgement shall be by words and that a rash and a bitter iudge shall though not rashly yet seuerely be iudged Therefore according to the Psalmist The good man is merciful and guideth his words with discretion He inclineth naturally to beleeue good rather then euill yet auoiding to condemne the iust hee also shunnes to iustifie the wicked Therefore that his iudgement may bee righteous hee searcheth both the matter how probable it is in it selfe and next he examineth the re-reporters whether they bee those in whom the truth dwelleth and who themselues haue a good report of the truth not being like Pilate ignorant and yet to learne what is truth For it is a kind of murther of our neighbour in his name and reputation which is almost as his life both to beare false witnes and to receiue false witnesse against him Lastly a good man if hee may conueniently will inquire of the partie himselfe or of some of his acquaintance whether such things haue beene done by him and if done in what manner and vpon what occasion for many times the maner of things wholly alters the matter and the matter may be good in the manner in which it was done yet euill in the manner bestowed on it by the reporter Againe the thing being true yet the occasion and cause may though not iustifie yet excuse the fact for many euill deeds are done by infirmitie which yet prooue
not the men euill that did them It were pittie that men should go to work this way with Dauid and onely iudge of him by his murder and adulterie but it rather becomvs to see whether his course of life being different from his fact do not manifestly prooue that these sinnes were of infirmitie of sinne cleauing to him not reigning in sinne And in this point should euery man be the milder for as it is said commonly in other matters it is euery mans cause this mans to day and thine to morrow And though thou sweare with Peter that if al the world deny Christ thou wilt not denie him yet I wil neuer beleeue thee no more then Christ did Peter for in many things we sinne all and as the Apostles said We are also men subiect to the same infirmities Part 9. But if these cautions wil not yet moderate the sauages of this world as indeed a foole though braied in a mortar will not grow wise Yet O thou man of God whosoeuer thou art that sufferest for Christs sake binde this rebuke to thine head for a crowne and reioice that thou art such a one as the diuell and his followers hate for hee cannot be but good whom the diuell hateth Reioyce when men speake all euill of thee falsely and know thou art now a brother of Christ and his Saints in tribulation and in the kingdome for if thou suffer with him thou shalt also bee glorified with him The spirit whose shame now thou bearest shall hereafter cause thee to beare his glorie and the more shame for his sake the more glorie So shall these Balaams whose hearts are so ready to curse the people of God be the very meanes to procure a blessing vnto them For so many curses so many blessings therfore if there were no offēce to God nor hurt nor pittie to themselues we might well suffer them to curse apace for they curse vs as fast to glorie Part. 10. From Christs time place is approoued by truth not truth by place Hee that freed true worship from being tied to Ierusalem and tied it to the seruice in spirit which may be in all places gaue true religiō a large scope euen as large as the world it selfe Therefore Ierusalem being broken vp and true worship being set free into the whole world let not Rome seeke to captiue her againe and tie her to the chaine thereof for they that worship in spirit and truth haue God pleased with them though such worship bee in places that know not Rome to bee on earth 74 The Word of God is an vndefiled Word rightnes it selfe and therefore the most perfect rule Let therefore sinfull men frame their liues to it not seeke as many doe to frame it to their liues and so to sinne by the authoritie of righteousnes And let fraile and falling man though many of them thinke they be the Church not trie this VVord by themselues whether it bee right or not but by the VVord trie whether they bee right euen the right and true Church which is knowne by this that they heare Christs voice and walke according to this rule of Christ Galathians 6. 16. 75 Silly and foolish is the pride that any man takes in his seruice toward God For first the whole man being from God wee can giue him out of man nothing but his own Againe the whole man being due to God there can returne no good thing from man to God but what is his due Thirdly it is Gods free choise that vouchsafeth to vse thy seruice who refuseth the imploiment of many men excellent in naturall abilities Certainly we haue seene many such of great hope turned into earth before any or small vse of thē God Al-sufficient who can raise vp seruants of stones thus often sheweth that men haue need of God and his choise to doe him any good seruice but hee needeth not them Therefore let vs rather thanke God then boast before him if he imploy vs in his seruice Let vs with humilitie readily performe it as to that great Lord who hath refused infinite better to be serued by vs and whom therefore to serue is a happines priuiledge of ours frō him not a benefit of ours to him 76 Many seuerall women were made for many seueral men if many had bin allotted to one there would haue bin fewer of the masculine sexe for euen among heardsmen this rule is obserued But now there is a kind of equality in number that euery one might haue his mate diuidedly without diuiding with another And this which was indeed best was first for then there being but one woman to one man the sin which is now vnlawfull was then vnpossible What bare necessitie was to man by creation let necessarie obedience vnto God bee to the children of regeneration whose speciall vertue is to auoide the ill which may be done Surely as running after lust beyond this one is endlesse in regard of satisfaction so hath it a bad end in regard of retribution euen tormented old age that it can sinne no more and eternall death for hauing so much sinned 77 When a man is possessed by any lust be it of couetousnesse concupiscence or the like there is set vp an image in him though not a grauen one which is to him a God This image wholly filleth his minde to it he committeth idolatry for he offereth his whole heart in sacrifice to it and if he can obtaine the thing therin represented he accounteth himselfe happy as in the obtaining of God Such an image was there in Ahab of Naboths vineyard and such a one of Bathsheba in Dauid But let vs take heede of this worship of images for it is but a vaine shadow which steppeth into to the place of God It telleth vs of happinesse but it selfe obtained goeth into nothing robs vs of true happinesse Let vs rub out therefore the print thereof with prayer and holy meditations filling vp our hearts with profitable and eternall truthes to keepe out these dying and killing vanities let nothing posses our hearts but God himselfe who will one day glorifie the place wherein he dwels and make it looke like a temple of God And surely nothing but God is worthy of a man 78 God is the cause of all vnder-causes and of all effects in him is the fulnesse of all things the spring of all beings This world is a determinate measure of his effects The naturall life at the best is but a certaine number of these effects during a certaine peece and limit of time But the spirituall life caused by our vnion with God is an euerlasting and infinite enioying of the infinite cause of all things Hereby shall wee finde the Christian to bee most perfectly happie who possesseth all things in their cause and beyond al things that are shall enioy the cause it selfe Infinite is the difference betweene wisedome the cause and wisedome the effect light the cause and light the effect loue the