Heauen saith Cyclops but I offer Sacrifices to one of the greatest of the Gods my belly other Gods I know none Such are they that consecrate more dayes and yeeres to their pleasures and lusts then houres or minutes to the knowledge of God such as that wicked iudge that neyther feare God nor reuerence man Luc. 18 such as dedicate most of their golden time to paint and varnish an vgly face to deck and dresse a rotten filthy stinking carcasse The internall and externall worke and seruice of God together being the second part of piety and consisting both in the inward affections of the heart and outward gestures and actions of the body I reduce to these two duties The first is prayer vnto God the second is prayse and thankesgiuing vnto him for his benefits For as God is a most pure essence so will he be worshipped and serued with a pure and vncorrupt minde and voice The first of these duties is prayer which is so powerfull with God if it be put vp with a liuely faith a holy zeale and a penitent heart that as a learned Father saith Aug. Vincit inuincibilem it ouercomes the most inuincible God and so acceptable a messenger withall Io. 16.23 as that whatsoeuer we aske in faith we shall obtaine This opens the gates of Heauen at his pleasure and shuts them This ambassadour preuailes in what message soeuer it be sent Iac. 5.15 The Oracle of Inpiter Hammon being consulted by the Ambassadours of Athons why the Gods vntill that time bad giuen victory to the Lacedemonians and not to them answered That the cause was for that the prayers of the Lacedemonians were to them more pleasing then all the Sacrifices of the Graecians shewing what acceptance prayer had with God Epictetus Whence the wise and learned heathen was wont to say that if wee did rightly inuocate God it would come to passe that by his Angels he would admonish vs of the chiefest and best things Most high and wonderfull priuiledges are these but how may I a silly worme vnworthy to appeare in the presence of his maiesty and goodnesse frame my petition and suite to the great maiesty of God I will tell thee Learne of that most heauenly Teacher saying vnto thee when thou prayest say Luc. 11.1 Our Father which art in Heauen But if thou wilt not heare God himselfe teaching thee to pray learne of that heathen first to desire of God that he would graunt vnto thee Zenophon Vt sentias loquaris agas quae ipsi gratissima sunt That thou mayest vnderstand speake and doe the things that are to him most pleasing and to thy friends and common-wealth most glorious and profitable The second duty of the second part of piety is prayse and thanksgiuing vnto God for his benefits Of which I remember what Philo the Iewe writ That a certaine Prophet being demanded of God if hee desired any thing in this most beautifull frame of the World to the further perfection thereof answered that all things were most full perfect and excellent yet one thing hee required more Laudatorem horum sermonem A voice to set forth the praises of these things which answere so much pleased the Father of this vniuerse that not long after there was heard a most musicall sound and Harmony from that only virgin of all diuine powers Memory This is a principall part of the worke and seruice that God requires of vs namely that we remember and make knowne to the World how great his power wisedome and goodnesse is And who are these musitions these sweete singers that make such heauenly harmony in the eares of the Almighty but we mortall men of whom he requires this worshippe this seruice this goodnesse And what is this for so many benefites for so great goodnesse to vs Why are we so slow and negligent in this duty wherein the very birds of the ayre are so diligent Si luscinia essem saith the learned heathen Epictetus Facerem quod luscinia cum autem homo rationalis sim quid faciam Laudabo Deum nec cessabo vnquā vos verò vt idem faciatis hortor If I were a Nightingale I would do as the Nightingale doth but seeing I am a reasonable man what shall I doe I will prayse and magnify my God nor will I euer cease to do it and my counsell is that you should also doe the same For as Cyrus sayd well hee doth most easily obtaine his suite at Gods hands not who in aduersity flattereth him but who in a prosperous estate remembers him Yet all these excellent duties of goodnes and piety as the knowledge feare prayer and praise of God are but cadauera dead bodies and so they were in the hearts of all the Heathen whom God did not further inlighten except they be animated by a liuely faith and tempered with the liuely heate of the loue of God But when these two do make way for the worshippe and seruice of God and duties of sanctificatiō then is our knowledge feare prayer and praise full of life then is our seruice acceptable vnto him and not else What then ought Kings and mighty men of the earth to doe in this duty of prayse but with king Agesilaus if any prosperous thing befall them not to growe proud and contemne any man in respect of themselues but to giue thankes vnto God in whose hands are not onely the hearts of Kings but euen all that belongs vnto them What should the wise men of the world doe but with Socrates sacrifice vnto God euen for the fruits of the earth What should all men do Kings and Councell and Common people but with Cicero and the Romaines supplicate our good God and praise his blessed name for that hee hath deliuered Vrbem incendies ciues caede Italiam bello The City from burning the citizens from slaughter and Italy from warres when Catiline was vanquished Thus should wee bee affected in euery deliuerance yea in euery blessing not to think it is our owne wisedom or prouidence our owne bow sword our owne worth and vertue that procures these good things vnto vs and preserues vs from so many iudgements but the onely goodnesse of God and that to prouoke vs vnto this duty of goodnesse The second pillar of goodnes is probity and honesty of life which is as the lampe and light by which wee shew our piety goodnesse to the view of the world This is that grace by which in the things of this life wee behaue our selues aright as becommeth the children of God and this is of two sorts For first it either respects our selues and so these vertues belong vnto it fortitude temperance magnanimity patience continencie sobriety chastity parsimony Wherin I pray you obserue what is written of Pomponius Atticus one of the richest of all the Romanes yet Nemo illo minùs emax nemo minùs aedificator There was no man bought lesse no man built lesse then hee
of body and minde 1. Ioh. 3 in our temporall goods and liues also if neede so require Secondly if you aske me why wee must shew this goodnesse I answere because we are all members of one body and stand in neede of mutuall helpe and comforts Ph. 4 without which neyther the body nor members could continue in any perfect health But I may goe a degree or two higher and doe no iniury vnto goodnesse And then I may say that it is fully conteyned and expressed in these two words Pietas Probitas piety and honesty That is exercised in diuine things this in humane These are the two golden pillars of all goodnesse These are the two glistering torches that doe light vs to eternall happinesse Wouldest thou haue the great God propitious vnto thee Viue piè liue a godly life Wouldest thou haue man beneuolent and louing vnto thee Viue probè liue honestly Wouldest thou make them both thy friends ioyne them together in thy whole life so shalt thou with one labour binde both God and man vnto thee the one of these without the other will not serue thy turne Piety without Probity and honesty is nothing worth probity and honesty without piety and godlinesse is lesse worth Piety without probity is scandalous probity without piety superstitious the one without the other is altogether ruinous but ioyne them both together in holy wedlocke and thou shalt neuer make aberration from the chiefest good Hierocles For the heathen man spake truely Finis virtutum charitas principiumque pietaes The end of vertues is charity and the beginning is piety And to the same purpose another as well Nulla est via alia quâ ad felicitatem eatur quà m pietas Iamblicus There is no other way to felicity then piety The diuine truths approuing the same 1. Tim. 4. that godlinesse is profitable to all things which hath the promise of the life present 1. Tim. 4.8 and of that that is to come What made Socrates to bee esteemed the best and most happy man of his time Was it not this onely that hee consecrated himselfe to the loue of piety and probity godlinesse and honesty Zenophen reports this of him Erat adeo religiosus vt sine Dei consilio nihil ageret adeo iustus vt nemini ne exigua quidem in re noceret prodesset autem ijs maxime qui ipso vterentur adeo continens vt nunquā id quod incundius er at meliori anteponeret He was so religious that he neuer did any thing without the counsaile of God so iust that he neuer hurt any man no not in the least thing but helped them exceedingly who would vse his meanes so continent that he neuer preferred that which was more pleasant to that which was much better Behold an admirable patterne of goodnesse behold what and how great study and care this heathen man placed in the practise of these two worthy parts of goodnesse Behold what infamy this Gentile casts vpon vs Christians nay what iust condemnation Thus must we doe if euer we will doe the duety of my text if euer wee will be good men if euer we will come in the presence of God Plato For so could the diuine Philosopher aduise Let this saith he be thy onely ayme Dei cultu vitae puritate by the worshippe and seruice of God and purity and cleannesse of life to obtayne a wished and happy end at the last Now this piety that you may the better know wherein it consists doth exercise it selfe eyther in the outward worshippe of God or in the outward and inward worshippe of God together The inward worshippe of God alone and by it selfe which consists onely in the minde and inward man is practised in these two duties the first is the knowledge of God the second is the feare of God by these two as by two filuer conduits doe piety and religion flow into the affections and minds of men First for the knowledge of God Io. 17.3 our Sauiour witnesseth This is life eternall to know thee to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ the same doth the Apostle Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued And how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard This truth is so pregnant that the very heathens haue acknowledged it one of them saying Deum colit Sen. qui nouit Hee doth worshippe and feare God that knowes God And another of them Iambl Dei cognitio similem Angelis reddit The knowledg of God makes a man like vnto the Angels Secondly for the feare of God is it not the beginning of al wisedome Eccles 12 13. Feare God and keepe his commandements for that is Totum hominis All the whole duty of man this was also acknowledged euen by the heathen wise men One of them could say Quis non timet omnia prouidentem Cic. cogitantem animaduertentem Who is it that doth not feare the all-prouident all-seeing and all-punishing God The glory of this dutie did the heathen king Cyrus see so much innobled in Zenophons History who dying called his two Sonnes vnto him and left them this golden Legacy Pertimescite Deos O Filij vt nihil impij nihil nefarij vel committatis vel deliberetis O my Sonnes I beseech you feare the Gods that you neuer eyther commit or deliberate vpon any impious nefarious or vngodly thing O how wise was this Father if hee had knowne the true God to leaue to his posterity such an inestimable pearle by testament And how happy those Sonnes to whom such an inheritance more rich then all the Patrimonies of the world was demised and giuen to whom Timor Dei the feare of God was left as Legacy in respect of which all other vertues are but as Strepitus verborum the sound of words without matter I will adde to this a Legacy of the same nature but better directed I thinke in the world not such another to paralell it that of good king Dauid to Salomon his Sonne 1. Chron. 28.9 And thou Salomon my Sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts If thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for euer How many shall wee finde in our times who will take it in great dudgeon and derision if you tel them that they haue none of this goodnesse in them no knowledge of God no feare of God And yet their whole liues shewes them to haue no more of eyther indeede then Cyclops had Eurip. whose goodnesse in the Poet is thus depainted Non vlla numina expanesco Coelitum sed victimas veni deorum maximo ventri offero Deos ignoro caeteros I feare no powers of
And withall take this caution with you of the wise Romane That you doc euermore Finem omniū rerum spectare Sen. superuacua deuitare Looke vpon the end of all things and auoide all superfluities For oftentimes these outward things are but the glorious monuments of inglorious and vngodly liues of such as had nothing else to commend them Or secondly they are such parts of probity and honesty as respect others and such are ciuility in speech and composition of gestures vibanity fit and commendable silence shamefastnesse and grauity modesty gentlenesse humility placability charity iustice liberality friendship innocency truth faith thankfulnesse These are the ribbes and bones nay the very life and soule of goodnes viz. the knowledge feare of God prayer to God and praise of God ioyned with holinesse of life and conuersation towards our selues and all other Hic selus sapit ast alij velut vmbra feruntur The man that is thus accomplished with goodnes is the onely wise man but all others passe away as doth a shadowe This is the good desired of man in my Text this makes him acceptable to God and man and makes him come neare to the image of God Qui solus bonus ipsa bonitas Who is onely good and goodnes it selfe Wee haue seene now what goodnes is The next inquirie must be why goodnesse is desired before greatnesse power honour riches vnderstanding wisedome knowledge and the like or rather why this and not any of them all else First this is desired and not they because there is no vse of any of these but by the hand and instruction of goodnes Goodnes puts in practice all the greatnesse honour riches knowledge and all the graces of God in vs to the good of others and whatsoeuer comes in her way it directs them all to the glory of God and good of others It is like vnto fire it makes all things like it selfe It is the life of our graces it puts spirit into truth that a man dare speake it in the face of the greatest so into knowledge wisedome honour riches all which are but cadauera dead carcasses till goodnesse in-soule them For none of these things are good till they bee vsed to their proper ends for which they were giuen vs namely therewith to doe good vnto others Secondly goodnes is more essentiall and connaturall to man then any of these For man hath an essentiall and naturall goodnes but no essentiall greatnesse honor riches knowledge and the like Therefore as one deepe calles another so the goodnes of man calles for goodnes againe of man Thirdly goodnes is more rare then greatnesse honour riches and the rest and Omnia rara chara All rare things are deare and much desired Therefore goodnes being such a stranger being so rare a diamond is the more desired Fourthly Omnia appetunt bonum All things doe desire that which is good that is their end and perfection and so consequently all that conducteth thereunto and that is goodnesse Fiftly goodnes is contrary to the nature of all other things For in the pursuite of all other things wee are limitted with conditions which makes vs the more greedily follow them Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata We striue against the stream desire things most that are denied vs but this duty of goodnes is not limited at all yet euery man desires it as if it were forbidden him Sixtly goodnes appertaynes to the appetite and will wisdome knowledge truth and the like to the vnderstanding and God labours first to get the will to encline and desire goodnes Phil. 2 Therefore worketh in vs both the will and the deed first the will and then the deed will followe The reason is for that Sathan laboureth first to get and possesse the will and therefore proposed to the woman the principall good Gen. 3 euen God who is goodnes it selfe Eritis sicut dij Yee shall be as Gods Therefore secing this perswasion wrought so much the Lord labours heere by sercing goodnes before all other things to giue vs that assuredly which Satan promised lyingly If you performe goodnes Eritis sicut dij You shall be as Gods Hence it is that nothing can denominate a man according to his most honourable title viz. to bee called and bee a good man nay a man but onely goodnes For hee is not a good man that hath a good vnderstanding and great knowledge and wisedome nor he that is in great honour and respect nor hee that hath great riches and possessions but onely hee that possesseth goodnes that is hee that imployes all these to the good of others Nay hee is no man that hath all these if he want this goodnes of my Text. For as the Heathen Epictetus tels vs wee try a man as wee try money What figure or stampe hath this coine Traianes Then bring it Neroes Away with is it is adulterate sophisticate wicked So is it in the tryall of a man What figure and stampe doe his purposes and practises carry Is hee mercifull meeke humble gentle sociable patient a louer of all men Bring him I allowe him I admit him and him onely for a man and companion with God But see hee haue not Neroes characters or Nebuchadnezzars or Ahabs or Ieroboams Is hee dissolute riotous vaine luxarious an vncleane person Is he proud haughty high-minded Is hee angry Is hee a pursuer of enmities Is hee froward Doth hee reuenge himselfe of such as offend him when hee gets opportunity Is hee an apparent impenitent wicked liuer in any grosse sinne What then Wilt thou say this is a man Surely no. Quiduis potius quà m homo He is rather any thing then a man but a man hee is not Wilt thou say that all things are iudged of by their formes If that bee so then thou mayest call a lumpe of waxe or clay an apple because it is round like an apple thou mayest say it hath the smell and taste of an apple But the outwarde circumscription and attendants are not sufficient it is not a nose or an eye or the like that are sufficient to constitute a man For humane purposes and vertuous and noble actions are required to make a man This man heares not wholsome admonitions when he is reproued he vnderstands not the things that belong to his peace to his saluation shall wee say he is a man No hee is an asse his shamefastnesse and modesty is dead hee is vnprofitable hee is any thing rather then a man Another there is who seekes with whom hee may quarrell whom hee may spurne and contemne Therefore is neither a sheep nor an asse What then Fera bestia A wilde bruite sauage beast It is not then the shape image of a man that makes a man but the image of God in man his vertuous inclinations and resolute executions of good purposes If he haue the stamp of vertue and holinesse of mercy and goodnes he is a man if not
wearinesse in the way of godlinesse but doe with Dauid runne the way of Gods commandements nay they take more pleasure in them then in all manner of riches they are the very ioy of their hearts Therefore if goodnesse bee not easy vnto vs we are not yet in Christ for vnto his the commandements are not grieuous His yoake is easy And albeit the Philosopher saith that the obiect of vertue is Bonum difficile a good difficult and hard to compasse Sen. And the wise Roman that Res difficilis est Virtus Vertue is a difficult point to obtaine yet that is onely First in respect of the naturall man 1. Cor. 1 who perceiues not the things of the spirit of God and therefore hath great reluctation in doing of good Secondly in that euill presents it self vnto him in the habit of good and so makes the commission of the act more facill Thirdly in respect of the opposition that Sathan makes by his manifold temptations making way for the commission of sinne casting blocks in the way of vertue But simply in respect of the nature of the thing it selfe goodnesse and vertue is much more facill to a man endued with the spirit of God then wickednesse and vice And therefore the Apostle said I can doe all things through him that comforts me The second reason I said was Necessitas officij the necessity of the duty taken from the bond whereby we are tyed to God Angels men our selues and the creatures to all which but chiefely to God we are by so many obligations bound to performe this duty All these doe cry vnto vs Bonum te fecit Deus tu faceres bonitatem God did therfore make thee good that thou shouldest do that is good Therfore if we haue not this goodnesse these foure God Angels man and the creatures shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. Miserable men that we are who shall haue Deum iratum Conscientiā mordentem amicos inim cos creaturas armatas God angry with vs our Conscience biting and gnawing vs our friends turned to be our enemies and the creatures armed against vs and condemne vs for want of this goodnesse which they desire of vs and we are tied to performe to them all The wife doe say Sen. that the Lawes appoint no punishment against ingrate and vnthankfull men but in respect of immanity and greatnesse of the offence leaues it vnto God to punish whereas they discerne and appoint punishments for theeues murtherers and other malefactors Let vs then take heede of Gods most seuere iudgements for our monstrous ingratitude who being bound vnto him so infinitely for his vnspeakeable goodnesse haue in vs so little goodnesse as that neyther God Angels Man our selues nor the creatures can haue any goodnesse of vs but all vnthankefullnesse But if the necessity might not moue vs yet Modus officij the manner of the duty which is the third reason may worke with vs. It is greatly desired sought for nay besought and intreated at our hands whereas God might haue commanded it To deny a duty to him who louingly desires and intreates the discharge of it and that without our hurt nay to our eternall good as the Apostle speakes who desired a fruite that might further the Phillippians reckoning Phil. 4 not a gift for himselfe but a fruite of the spirit euen goodnesse that odour that smells sweete a Sacrifice acceptable pleasing to God to deny I say a due debt so sweetely intreated so profitable to them that pay it as that it inricheth them more and more and the oftener they pay it the more they haue being like the treasures of Gods house the more wee tast them the more in-exhausted they are to deny this debt so sweetely demanded so profitable being performed is great inhumanity and no lesse indiscretion Yet if the manner of demanding do not moue vs let Tempus officij the time of performing this duty which is the fourth motiue the Holy Ghost vseth stirre vp this goodnesse in vs. He doth not say that which shall bee or hath beene desired but that which is euen now desired whilest the beames of Gods goodnesse by the preaching of the Gospel and other infinite blessings bestowed on vs doe shine vpon vs. Euen now let vs shew forth this fruite of the spirit this goodnes whilst we haue time let vs doe good Gal. 6 Let vs remember our creator in the dayes of our youth Eccles 12 before the dayes come in which we will say we haue no pleasure in them Let vs euer be doing some good Non semper aestas fuerit cōponite nidos the sommer will not last euer let vs make our nests against the sharpe assaults of winter The day will not continue for euer the night comes when no man can worke Our time is but short and vncertaine one little nunc one short now therefore wholly to bee spent in goodnesse To do good and distribute forget not for with such Satrifice God is pleased If we consider in what miserable plight the foolish virgins are that tooke not their time Math. 25. or the rich glutton that abused his time Luc. 16. we will make more pretious account of time then we do And because there is none of Gods blessings greater then time and yet none more abused I must not be slack in commending this argument of time vnto you something largely For all of vs spend our times too carelesly eyther malè agendo or nihil agendo or aliud agendo in doing wickedly in doing nothing or in doing euery thing rather then that we should do Consider therefore I pray you aduisedly these few arguments to stirre vs vp to the right vse of our time Consider first the diligence of the Holy Ghost al ouer the Scriptures in admonishing vs to prescrue and make much of time Syr. 4 and eschew the thing that is euill Giue not thy yeares to the cruell 〈◊〉 5 it is a very foolish and mad thing to giue so pretious a thing as is our time to so cruell an enemy as is Sathan spending it in his seruice Redeeme the time Ephe. 5 that is purchase it backe againe out of morgage at any rate Whilest wee haue time let vs doe good Gal. 6 Infinite are the passages of Scripture where the holy Ghost insists purposely vpon this argument of preseruing our time the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night as sorrow vpon a woman in trauell as the lightning out of the East into the West Therefore watch saith our Sauiour make vse of this present time Consider withall the examples of the creatures who all of them obserue their times For hauing receiued a time to worke in they doe all their businesse they can doe in that time and suffer not the time to spend in vaine Therefore the Preacher tells vs Omnia tempus habent There is a time for euery thing vnder the Sunne