heart comforted the conscience quieted and the life adorned Wee sinne daily so wee should repent daily and as wee fall so should wee rise To sinne is not so dangerous as to liue in sinne If a breach in a sea-wall bee not stopt in time it will both waxe bigger and indanger the dry Land If a Ship continually let in water and bee not continually pumped out it will sinke her If a Mole bee suffered to runne in a Medow shee will spoyle it If a sword bee let rust in the scabberd the rust will marre either one or both So if wee stoppe not the breaches and holes made by sinne in our soules it will sinke them If wee kill not that Mole it will waste vs If wee skoure not our selues from that rust by true repentance it will consume vs both soule and body Alexander Seuerus made an act that none should salute the Emperour that knew himselfe a Thiefe so no man should presume to professe or speake to CHRIST IESVS no man should dare to put vp his suits vnto GOD. that by sinne robbes GOD of his glory and continues in it without repentance For GOD heareth not sinners If I regard wickednesse in mine heart saith the Psalmist GOD will not heare mee But GOD heareth the desire of the poore The righteous cry and the LORD heareth them The LORD heareth them that are of a contrite heart His eye is vpon them that feare him Hee will also heare their cry and saue them And they feare Him that do repent of sinne and turne vnto him For the feare of the LORD is to hate euill as pride arrogancy and the euill way and by the feare of the LORD men depart from that that is naught Neither is it enough to forsake some notorious and grieuous offence but euen all all without exception of any all all are serpents poyson and pollutions One hole in a ship vnstopt one breach in a wall vnrepaired one wing belimed one claw taken in the snare may in danger and loose all so but one sinne knowne and cherished discerned and not dissmissed one faculty one affection but one intrapped and captiuated of a sinne espied and yet beloued euen but one is able to destroy the soule to damne the whole man both soule and body Yet though sinne bee very dangerous and continuance in it more yet how vsuall is it with vs to delay our repentance Tomorrow next weeke ere long next yeere or before I dye Yet a little sleepe a little slumber anon one houre longer one halfe houre a minute O LORD how vnwilling are wee to rise being once laid downe Being once fallen a sleepe how loath are wee to bee wakened being sicke with a pleasant phrensie how how displeasing a thing is it to come into our wits againe And to see our madnesse wee that know not whether wee shall liue an houre longer no not a minute further yet wee will promise to our selues a day a weeke a month a yeere olde age Yea wee will liue in a state in which wee would bee loath to die Away away with these delayes let vs redeeme the time which taries no mans pleasure Let vs repent now that wee may haue our pardon now let vs liue like Saints least wee die like diuels Let vs leaue our sinnes now now whiles wee haue time to sinne For if a man will not leaue sinne till hee can sinne no longer sinnes leaues him and not hee them Hee that will not part from his sinne till his soule bee ready to part from his body it is to bee seared that hee parts not with sinne but his sinne with him and that hee is not willing to let go his sinne as long as hee is able to keepe himselfe O LORD preserue mee from the deceipts of sinne Hide Thy face from my sinnes and put away all mine iniquities Create in mee a cleane heart ô GOD and renew a right spirit within mee Shew mee the way that I should walke in and stay my steps in thy pathes that my feete do not slide Of perseuerance in the Faith THE Faith is a peerelesse Iewell once giuen to the Saints neuer to bee left or lost Without perseuerance in it neither the fighter obtaines a victory nor the Victor his Garland Take away perseuerance and sortitude hath no praise wel-doing hath no reward and a good beliefe no fauour Not he that beganne well but hee that holds out to the end hee shall bee saued Hee that is faithfull to the end of his life he shall enioy the Crowne of Life But they that withdraw themselues shall perish Thou destroyest all them ô LORD that go an whooring from thee But what wilt thou do to perseuere in the faith First intend and purpose it Secondly pray earnestly for it and trust not to thine owne strength What is man if GOD forsake him A Reede a Rush a Leafe a Shadow a Bubble a Something Nothing Thirdly make nothing an Article of thy Faith whereof there is no warrant in the Word and professing that which is indeed a truth bee able to proue and shew it out of the Word I suppose many would haue stood out for the truth in Queene Maries daies which did not had they beene acquainted with the Scriptures and seene them speaking for it But hee that shall professe Articles of the true Faith and be not certainely perswaded in his heart by testimonies of the Word that they are true doubtlesse this man except greater grace befall him will not bee able to endure the tyrants sword What Shall a man cast away his life loose his liberty vndo wife and children forsake all pleasures profites and preferments and that for a faith which he can shew no ground for Though there be a ground yet if hee see it not if hee bee not sure of it hee will forsake his ground and for feare giue out Finally receiue the faith for the faith sake euen because it is the good Word of GOD wholesome true and sauing And embrace it not for any externall respects about it as riches honour prosperity liberty or numerositie of professours For if we follow it for these things then when they are remoued wee shall forsake it euen as rauens doe a karcase when the flesh is eaten vp and as false-hearted persons do their friends when their wealth is gone and their state subuerted If a Maister take liking of a seruant because hee sees him faithfull and quicke then will hee like him still whiles hee perceiues those vertues in him If hee take him for his youth or beauty then when these things fayle hee will waxe weary of him If an Husbandman loue esteeme of a peece of ground because it is fruitfull and pleasant hee will loue and make account of it during the delicacy and fertility thereof The Faith of CHRIST is no changling one and the same for euer if wee receiue and follow it simply for it selfe because it is true good and needfull then except wee strangely
brings great commodity I haue heard a fellow say sometimes he cares not for any man he feares no mans displeasure What doth this discouer but pride and folly foolish pride and proud folly There is no man almost but he may do the best man good or the greatest harme Hath not a flye choakt a man was not a raskall the death of the great French King And yet the fellow feares no body cares for no body When pride is in the wit is out They say when they spleene swels the body pines and whiles a caske is full of winde it is voide of wine So we may truely say the soule prospers not vertue is in truth a stranger whiles the heart doth swell with pride and abounds with arrogancy and selfe-conceitednesse In one word there are none better then the humble there are none worse then are the proud and as honor followes the humble so perdition waites vpon the proud Of Hearing and Speaking IT is good counsell which Saint Iames doth giue Be swift to heare and slow to speake GOD hath giuen a man two eares but one tongue thereby teaching vs to heare more and to speake lesse The eares Hee hath made open without a couer but Hee hath inclosed the tongue within a double fence the lips and the teeth thereby shewing that we should be quicke and swift to heare and slow to speake GOD hath giuen a tongue to euery beast that is voide of reason but the faculty of speaking onely vnto man to whom Hee hath giuen an vnderstanding spirit whereby Hee would instruct vs that reason should rule our wordes and that our tongues should not runne before our wits And Hee hath made our eares Erect to heare heauenly things and not hanging downe like Blood-hounds as if they had beene made to heare earthly things or lies and errours which come out of hell it selfe The eare serues to learne with the tongue serues to teach with a man learnes not with his tongue nor teaches with his eares There is a time saith Salomon to keepe silence and a time to speake A fooles bolt is soone shot but a wise man will consider what he speakes whereof when where why how and before whom And his words vttered in season are like Apples of Gold with pictures of Siluer their inside is better then their outside but both good Some speake very much not because they haue the Art of speaking but because they want the skill to hold their peace He that knowes not how to hold his tongue knowes not how to vse his tongue Hee is the onely skilfull man that knowes when to speake and when to hold his peace Either a man should not speake or speake to purpose Either he should be silent or his words should be better worth then silence Three things are very commendable in a man Wisedome in the minde a certaine Manly modesty in the countenance and a well gouerned silence in the speech Simonides and Xenocrates were wont to say that they neuer repented them of their silence but that they were sorry sometimes for their speeches If men did well consider that life and death is in the power of the tongue and that in many words there cannot want iniquity and that an account must one day bee giuen of euery idle word certainely they would not so abuse their tongues as they doe to swearing and lying to taunts and slanders to cursing and rayling to wantonnesse and vanity neither would they bee so vnreuerent in the House of GOD as they vse by babling whispering seeing they shold come thither to pray and not to prate to vse their eares and not to abuse their tongues Nothing is ours longer then wee vse it well Our tongues are not ours if wee doe abuse them but our enemies for whom wee vse them when wee do abuse them An euill tongue comes from an euill heart For were the heart good the tongue could not bee naught A messenger which a man sends to his neighbour may lie or reuile and speake euill and deliuer a false errand whether the man that sent him will or no or though hee thinke not of it or meane cleane contrary but a mans owne tongue which is the messenger or interpreter of the heart can say no other then the heart doth bid it Euill must bee minted in the heart before it bee vttered in the tongue A good heart causeth a good tongue and a naughty heart a naughty tongue Of painting the face IF that which is most ancient be best then the face that one is borne with is better then it that is borrowed Nature is more ancient then Art and Art is allowed to helpe Nature but not to hurt it to mend it but not to marre it for perfection but not for perdition but this artificiall facing doth corrupt the naturall colour of it Indeed GOD hath giuen a man oile for his countenance as Hee hath done wine for his heart to refresh and cheere it but this is by refection and not by plaister-worke by comforting and not by dawbing and couering by mending and helping the naturall colour and not by marring or hiding it with an artificiall lit What a miserable vanity is it in a man or woman beholding in a glasse their borrowed face their bought complexion to please themselues with a face that is not their owne And what is the cause they paint Without doubt nothing but pride of heart disdaining to bee behind their neighbour discontentment with the worke of GOD and vaine glory or a foolish affectation of the praise of men This kind of people are very hypocrites seeming one thing and being another desiring to bee that in shew which they cannot bee in substance and coueting to be iudged that they are not They are very grosse Deceiuers for they study to delude men with shewes seeking hereby to bee counted more louely creatures then they are affecting that men should account that naturall which is but artificiall I may truely say they are deceiuers of Themselues for if they thinke they doe well to paint they are deceiued if they thinke it honest and iust to beguile men and to make them account them more delicate and amiable then they are in truth they are deceiued if they thinke it meete that that should bee counted GODS worke which is their owne they are deceiued If they thinke that they shall not one day giue account vnto CHRIST of idle deeds such as this is as well as of idle words they are deceiued if they thinke that GOD regards not such trifles but leaues them to their free election herein they are deceiued Now they that deceiue themselues who shall they be trusted with A man that is taken of himselfe is in a worse taking then he that is caught of another This selfe-deceiuer is a double sinner he siones in that hee is deceiued hee sinnes againe in that he doth deceiue himselfe To bee murdered of an other is not a sin in him that is
yet his desire and endeuour should bee euer to liue and loue as one not of this world but redeemed from the world Many are Christians in name not so in deed for they that are CHRISTS do crucify the flesh and fleshly desires and are not ruled by their flesh but gouerned by His SPIRIT In vaine is hee called Christian that is in nothing like to CHRIST What will it pleasure a man to be reputed that hee is not Hee is indeed a Christian that resembles CHRIST his Maister that sheweth mercy to the miserable that feeleth the smart of others that being iniured breakes not forth vnto reuenge that can liue inglorious for the glory to bee reuealed that preferreth heauen to earth and GOD to Mammon that counts it his meate and drinke and pleasure to doe the Will of his Father that takes vp his Crosse in this life and beares it with patience and which iudges him onely happy in his death which dyeth either in CHRIST or for CHRIST CHRIST endured the Crosse before Hee obtained the Crowne and suffered Shame before Hee entred into His Glory O Christian thou art a delicate Souldier if thou thinkest to winne the field without fighting or to triumph without troubles For the whole life of a Christian if hee liue according to the Gospell is labour toyle trouble crosses Martyrdome Of the Ministers of Christ ALL the Apostles had equall power What Peter was all were what Peter could all could There was indeed amongst them disparity of gifts inequality in yeares difference in conditions but an identity of power an equality of authority all being equally partakers of one and the selfe-same Office of one and the selfe-same Power These had authority ouer nature to sure it ouer diuels to subdue them ouer all men to conuert them To these CHRIST IESVS gaue power to worke mighty wonders to bind and to loose to open and shut the dores of heauen These hee sent into the world as the Sunne his beames as the Rose her sweete smels and as the Fire his sparkles that as the Sunne appeareth in his beames as the Rose is perceiued in his smels and as the Fire is seene in his sparkes so the potency of CHRIST might be acknowledged in their Vertues and His Maiestie discerned in their Ministery These were the Planters of GODS Vine-yard the Architects of His Temple the Fathers of His Church the Champions of the Faith and Trumpetters of the Gospell who with their siluer-sounding blasts made the Vallies sing the Mountaines ring and fil'd the eares of all These were men of mercy such as had obtained mercy shewed mercy and by whom GOD wrought his works of mercy They neither liued to themselues nor dyed but vnto Him that dyed for them and for His sake also euen for vs receiuing light from the Father of Lights and spending themselues like Lampes in giuing light vnto others Successors to these are all faithfull Bishops and Priests who are not Maisters of the Church but Ministers not Lords but Seruants not Authours of the Faith but Preachers not Makers of the Truth but Keepers To whom is committed the word of reconciliation the dispensation of the Mysteries of GOD the power of remitting and retaining sinnes the care of the Churches and the keeping of the Faith These simply as they are Ecclesiasticall persons haue no secular power and authority for if the Maister then the seruant must also say My Kingdome is not of this world CHRIST came not to make them Princes but Priests Not Monarkes but Ministers Hee gaue them the keyes of heauen and not of Citties or Kingdomes Hee committed the Word vnto them but not the Sword and gaue them authority to deale with mens soules but not with their States or Substance Now to make a true Minister it is requisite that he haue a true Power a true Mission for otherwise he runnes vnsent and rules but not by CHRIST And that hee Preach the Truth or else hee abuses his Power This is a most reuerent and holy calling not instituted by man nor Angell nor any other creature but by IESVS CHRIST the Head and Husband of the Church And they that are thereof had neede to haue a thousand eies because they liue not to themselues onely but to the people also And they are as a Beacon vpon a Hill a Citty vpon a Mountaine a Candle vpon a Table all mens eies are fixed on them By teaching and liuing well they teach the people to beleeue and liue well but by liuing ill they teach GOD how to condemne them And in truth a good life is a good Sermon and oftentimes an ill Pastor destroyes as much with his ill life as hee buildeth vp with his good doctrine Of men no man is better then a Christian and of Christians no man is better then a good Priest But hee that is vicious is like a peece of dung with a Diamond in it and as the water in Baptisme which is profitable to others but perishes it selfe But yet GOD may worke effectually by the Ministery of wicked men for their power and calling is His and their wickednesse is their owne that is holy though they bee vnholy Their authority is not the better for their godlinesse nor the worse for their vngodlinesse The light is not polluted though it passe by polluted places or persons neither is the soule corrupted though it should bee in a corrupted body so neither is the power and authority of the Minister stained though hee bee full of staines himselfe And as water whether it run through a pipe of Wood or Stone or Siluer doth good vnto the ground so the Word and Sacraments are auaileable to the Receiuers whatsoeuer the Minister be that giues them Neither are wee to respect riches age greatnesse of gifts noblenesse of birth in a Minister as if hee were to bee contemned when these things are wanting but wee are to regard especially his place and power for the power varies not with the man neither is the Word and Sacraments of greater respect for any personall respects in the Minister Water hath the properties and effects of water whether brought in an earthen Pitcher or a cup of gold or siluer And though the more excellent gifts a Minister hath the better it is yet his power is not thereby greater or more excellent but still it is the same as a Diamond is whether set in gold or siluer Or as the authority of a Iustice is the same whether hee haue more wisedome godlinesse and insight in the Law or a lesser measure of the same And of all faithfull and true Ministers of CHRIST it may bee said how different soeuer in their Age Wealth Birth Breeding Gifts They are the Dispensers of the Secrets of GOD and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Co-workers with Him For without them Hee will not saue men and without Him they cannot saue men I say He will not for who that contemnes the Baptisme of man is Baptized with the Holy GHOST
at some-body Infinite are the quarrels that people picke with their Preacher On the contrary I haue heard some highly commend the Sermon Oh it was a rare Sermon hee is an excellent man it was the best Sermon that I euer heard hee is an admirable Preacher It is well but I will aske thee What rare effects did it worke within What wonders wrought it in thee what excellency what goodnesse hast thou receiued or gained by it Blesse not thy selfe in commending the Preacher rest not in the naked commendations of his Sermon Account that an excellent a rare and a good Sermon which produceth rare effects in thee makes thee better then thou wast before and stirres thee vp to excell in vertue Account him admirable and wonder then when hee worketh wonders in thy soule Thy Preacher cares not so much for thy verball commendations as thy reall Good conuersation is his best commendation his commending stands in thine amending and thy godly practise is his best praise The Sheepe that saith nothing commends his Sheepeheard when her skin is whole her fleece faire and her selfe wel-liking He heares well that doth well he learnes well that liues well and thy knowledge is praise-worthy according to thy practise And he onely doth proue a good Hearer which heares the truth in humility beleeues it in simplicity and obeyes it with alacrity The Word of GOD is our foode our eares are our mouth but this meate is not like bodily food turned into vs but we by beleeuing and obeying it are turned into it Now hee is the onely happy hearer that is translated into the Word so as that he may be able to say I liue but yet not I but the Word of GOD doth liue within me And this is when a mans reason will affections are brought vnder the Word and when his conuersation being transformed is now conformed to the Word Of the Sacraments THE oath of Souldiers to their Generall was called Sacramentum by which name also water in Baptisme and Bread and Wine in the LORDS Supper are vsually called Because as Souldiers when they receiued the presse-mony did solemnely sweare to their Captaine or Generall that they would bee faithfull and loyall to him So we whiles we partake of these holy Mysteries instituted of GOD in His Church doe binde our selues with the like Vow that we will liue and die in his cause and seruice And as they at the taking of that Oath gaue their names to their Emperour or Commander and were receiued into his protection So wee when wee receiue these Sacraments doe likewise giue our names vnto CHRIST and are receiued into his tuition that vnder his banner wee might fight a good battell keeping faith and a good conscience And as there wee doe yeeld ouer our selues vnto GOD so GOD doth binde Himselfe to vs by Pacts and Promises after a manner sealed vp Sacraments are signes of things being one thing and signifying another Euery Sacrament is a Mysterie but euery Mysterie is not a Sacrament Sacraments are not Nata but Data Not Naturall but by Diuine appointment And their dignity depends vpon their Authour They are not the better because the Minister is good that doth deliuer them nor the worse because hee is euill They are such as hee is in whose authority they are giuen not as hee is by whose Ministery they are dispensed And though they bee hurtfull to them that deliuer them being wicked yet they are profitable to them that receiue them being Prepared And though the Receiuer haue a peruerse faith or come vnprepared and in sin yet hee may pertake of a true and entire Sacrament if wee respect the signes and not the things represented by the signes In Sacraments there is a change not of Substance but of vse not of Nature but of condition For by these elements consecrated there is a signification obsignation exhibition of CHRIST and His benefits Sacraments are necessary in respect of GODS Commandement and as they bee meanes of receiuing CHRIST yet simply not the defect of Sacraments but the contempt of them doth damne a man If a man would haue them but cannot and dies in the desire of them no doubt he may be saued But indeed he that may but cares not for them and so departs questionlesse as he scorned the signes so he shall be depriued of the grace It is iust that he should misse of the Kernell that cared not for the Shell that he should loose the Land that contemned the Lease or Deed that hee should be depriued of CHRIST the Bread and Water of Life that regarded not the Water and Bread of CHRIST There are two Sacraments Baptisme and the LORDS Supper By Baptisme wee are admitted into the Church receiued into the seruice of the blessed TRINITY and haue our sinne remitted though not at first extirped A man is borne a sinner but by Baptisme hee is made a Saint A man is by birth a limme of the diuell but by Baptisme hee is made the member of CHRIST A man may bee new borne and not Baptized but hee is not so if hee skorne to bee Baptized There are some that make small account of Baptisme but for my selfe I make more reckoning of my Baptisme then of all the riches in the world as knowing that these can neither helpe nor hurt so much as the other and that the comtempt of these may stand with a mans saluation whereas the contempt of Baptisme is punished with damnation By the LORDS Supper wee are nourished and preserued in the Church In those hallowed signes of Bread and Wine CHRIST IESVS and all his Merites are signified sealed vp and exhibited vnto euery worthy Receiuer For as there is in an Obligation or Legall Instrument an assurance and conueyance made of mony goods or lands from one to another So in the Sacrament vnder these elements there is a most sure conueyance and exhibition of CHRIST IESVS vnto euery prepared Communicant And although wee take the Bread by it selfe and the Wine by it selfe yet wee must not imagine that CHRIST is giuen by peece-meale but two signes were ordained to shew that wee haue perfect food in CHRIST For it is but an hungry dinner where there is no meate and a dry feast where there is no drink Now to signifie that CHRIST is Meate and Drinke vnto vs and that in Him wee shall haue a full refection therefore two signes one of Bread which strengthens the heart another of Wine which allaies the thirst and make it merry were by CHRIST ordained Of Communicants I Do much wonder at the foolish auersnesse and peruerse folly of many men that make so small account of this Blessed Sacrament that they must by feare of Lawes be driuen to it They are out of charity they want good cloathes they are not yet at leasure they alledge I wot not what their very excuses doe accuse them Who bids thee be out of charity Why art thou not reconciled Who