from the force of the word of the whole life of a Christian consists in the mortification of the old man and vinification and quickening of the new man which the Apostle doth thus expresse that wee cast off concerning the conuersation in time past Ephes 4.22.23.24 the old man which is corrupt through the deceiucable lusts and be renewed in the spirit of our mindes and put on the new man which after GOD is created in righteousnes and true holines so this speciall sanctification which ought to goe before the hearing of the word consists in the same things which is very euideÌ„t by that singular comparison of the Apostles admonishing the Corinthians how they should prepare themselues to the celebration of the Lords supper â— Cor. 5.6 7.8 Know you not saith he that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Purge out therefore the olde leauen that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are leauened for Christ our Passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Therfore let vs keep the feast not with olde leauen neyther in the leauen of maliciousnes and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth By which words and the rest to the end of the chapter the Apostle doth admonish in the preparation and sanctification to the hearing of the word that men should haue respect vnto foure principall things 1 To holy things the time is holy the word holy Christ is holy 2 To our selues who in part are regenerate and a new lumpe in part not regenerate hauing in vs the olde leauen originall sin and also the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse actuall sinnes and therefore necessarie that wee trie our selues and sanctifie our selues 3 To others in the same assemblies with vs who are of two sorts first some purging out the olde leauen with vs second others not purging it out with these our labour must be to note them to mourne for them to purge them out after admonitioÌ„ and to shew them in our liues 4 To others that are without who are not of the Christian assembly that wee giue them no iust cause of scandall and offence For the regard of these foure doth not onely stirre vp the Hearer to a serious preparation and sanctification before the hearing of the Word that hee may performe an acceptable diuine seruice vnto God but withall worketh this in him that hee doeth thorowly weigh what is required of him in respect of euery one of these that hee may be a holie and vnleauened Hearer And albeit the Hearers ought through all the course of their liues to giue themselues to holinesse and purging out of the olde leauen yet it behooueth them to haue great care heereof chiefly before the hearing of the Word Therefore by occasion of those two notable testimonies before cited Heb. 12.16 1. Cor. 5. wee may obserue for our better instruction heerein these things following 1 What it is to sanctifie if we speake properly to sanctifie is to separate a thing from a common and prophane or naturall vse to a sacred vse as we may see in the seuenth day which is sanctified of God and also sanctified by vs so we are said to sanctifie the name of God when wee doe separate his essence properties and works from all other things and make more account of them then of all other things in the world so Christ and we his Ministers by the commaundement of Christ doe sanctifie the water in Baptisme and the bread and wine in the Lords supper to a sacred and holy vse 2 What is the sanctifying of a Christian man before the hearing of the Word It is no other but the separating of him from other worldly men either manifestly wicked impure and prophane or hypocritically vaunting their holinesse seeing it cometh to passe in him that he separates himselfe from the world and is not so affected as the children of the world are doth not so carry himselfe as they do neither doth fashion himselfe like vnto this present world 3 In what things this sanctification of the Hearer consisteth namely in hating and sleeing the thing that is euill chiefly that which hinders the fruitfull hearing of the Word and againe in the loue and desire of that which is good chiefly that which may procure the hearing of the Word To this purpose it shall be verie necessary aduisedly to consider that of Hebrews 12. and 13. chapters where after the handling of sanctification and his causes in generall at length he repeates a long catalogue and roll of things impious impure and prophane which a holy man ought to shun and hate and the contrary vertues which a man must loue and embrace but chiefly before the hearing of the Word And hence is that exhortation of the Apostle of purging out the old Leauen the leauen of maliciousnes 1. Cor. 5. and wickednes and of the new lumpe and vnleauened bread 4 Besides when the Apostle in the same place 1. Cor. 5. aduiseth vs to keepe the feast not with the olde Leauen neither in the Leauen of maliciousnes and wickednes but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth hee teacheth in generall what are the common euils in the sanctification of a hearer which he must flie shake off and mortifie namely the reliques of originall sinne which is signified by the olde Leauen Moreouer the little sources of euills that flow from the fountaine of originall sinne such as are eyther manifest impietie called by the Apostle the Leauen of maliciousnes or hypocrisie noted by the name of the heauen of wickednesse and on the other side he shews what good things are to be imbraced and solowed such as are sincerity and truth Now that the Hearer may attaine to the benefit of both these that is to say to purge out the old leauen and the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse and to keepe the feast with the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth it behooueth him to haue a grieuous combate and contention which can by no means be ended before the end of this teÌ„poral life 5 This also must generally be obserued that the chiefest is most eminent in euery profession as the father of the familie the Preachers Pastors Magistrates and their Ministers ought to make their lights shine before others in the care of sanctifying themselues therefore is it commaunded that they should obey them that haue the ouersight of them â—eb 13.1 and how much the example of great men and magistrates preuailes and what the Spirit of God doth worke by them is so well knowne that it needes no further declaration then that of the Wise man As the Ruler of the people is so are all they that dwell vnder him on the contrary what euills ensue when the Rulers and Leaders dedicate not their studies and cares to holines and religion but to impuritie malice and hypocrisie are not nor can not bee lesse then the hauocke which a mightie tree maketh when being cut downe it bruseth
passe that we are afraid to be too holy whereas we haue a weight for all kind of mettals a touch stone for golde and a measure for grame and we wil not take lesse then measâ—ne waight and that which is good in both yet wee slicke not to â—ut God short of his waight and measure and which worse is to offer him drosse in stead of gold water in stead of wine and chaffer in stead of corne waighing our seruice in false ballances and gruing him false drugs false and counterfeit stuffe false worship shadowes for substances But let vs take heede for as God after twelue moneths came to Nebuchadnezar to take an account of his dreames that he sent him so will he shortly come to euery of vs to take an account of the sermons we haue heard the books we haue read the talents wee haue receiued the stewardship committed to vs and all the holy meanes be hath vsed to winne vs vnto him Wisedome and honour and greatnesse without the seare of God will then doe vs no more good then the Arke did the Philistims procure our greater plagues And I doubt much though light be come amongst vs yet it may truely be said the Gentils sit in darknesse and the shadow of death Therfore let not our owne gifts or Gods infinit goodnes to vs in fatuate our harts For as Noah was drunke with his owne grapes so we may easily offend God with our owne gifts and bee drunke with the abundance of his goodnesses This dotage of the world should forewarne vs as sonnes of the day and light Tert. with the Eagle and all other birds a cano ad â—â—rlum euolare to mount from the dung hill of this world to the exceeding weight of glory in heauen For neither are the fowles of the heauen in-tangled and caught Ambr. whilst they cut the highest region of the ayre but whilst they creep below on the ground And to aspire to the future life wee must learne to contemne this present life to contemne the present it behooues vs to know it to know it is to remoue it far from our hearts and banish it from our affections for the things of this world being so neer vs doe but dazle the minde and distract the iudgement And these beata otia these blessed times of peaces these golden seasons of the Gospell can no otherwise be continued to vs but by cashiering the vanities of the world and grasping of heauen Herein for shame out-stripping the Heathen Aristippus who when some of Syracusa sayling to Cyrene askt him would he commaund them any thing to his family answered command mine to care for prouision of such things as with the owner will swimme ashore in ship wrack and let vs not doe this for a sitte or a flash but as Catelines Souldiers were found dead or aliue in the same place they were fust put so must wee in re-signing our selues wholly to the good pleasure of God and contemning the vanities and pleasures of the world bee setled and resolued to dye and liue in that re-signation The way to doe this is euer to meditare on the last date of our dayes when we shal come to that great audit to giue an account of all we haue done in the flesh for the very thought of death is as a strainer cleansing and purging al our thoughts words and actions like a cloth that hath been many times possed and plunged in the water And the rather is this meditatioÌ„ prositable because death comes suddeÌ„ly as a messenger vn lookt for Who would haue thought the enemy shold haue entred Ierusalem so soon and made such a sudden and wofull hauock neuer to be recouered who would haue thought that Herod should so soon haue beene eaten with lice when the people cried the voice of God and not of man Who would haue thought Nebuchadnezzar should so soone haue be on turned out a doore to graze like a beast when he boasted he had built great Babylon for the honor of his name may who would haue thought that Iezabel should haue been a prey for dogs and not an care left to season the graue withal but thus it is great Princes and Peeres nay such as are Peerlesse here must die and though they differ froÌ„ all other in their pompe honors pleasures greatnesse in their apparell meat attendance and all shining like the stars yet is their end like to the beggars at their gates and many times worse in fat worser case are they after their deaths if they haue not bin rich in good works to his glory that made them so rich and glorious Therfore this Morieris thou shalt die is an excellent Motto for all great ones especially it is like a barre in their armes it will make the proudest vaile fall his creast But what need so many words to so religious iudicious well seasoned a nature whoÌ„ I know to be of the resolution of that euer memorable Alphonsus King of Arragon who being highly praised for his nobility in that he was rex regis filius regis nepos regis frater a King a Kings sonne a Kings nephew and a Kings brother answered I esteeme nothing lesse in this life then these vanities for these are not my commendations but rather theirs who by their valour and vertues righteousnes teÌ„perance prudence the like haue gotten me these kingdoms honors nor are kingdomes any thing to the successors but burdens and then only become honours if they be receiued rather for their vertues then by testament and succession This is that only that can make a man truely noble both in this life in a better Therfore Maximilian answered one well suing to him for letters Patents to ennoble him that it was in this power to make him rich but only vertue could make him noble And as all but chiesly those that owe God most hauing receiued most must shuÌ„ the corruptioÌ„s of the world all ill customs so must they be careful to auoide ill company And to this end neuer to suffer Dauids protestation and practise in a whole Psalme depart out of their hearts Psal 101. For as it is great wisedome not onely to shun the plague but euen euery ragge that may seeme to carry the plague with it so it is heauenly wisedom not only to auoid grosse and fowle sinnes and sinners but euen all the peccadilia dwarse-sinnes and all those sine mincers of sinne For as it is policy not to goe so neere the riuers banke as we can for feare of falling in so it is heauenly discretion not to come neere sinne nor apparant wicked persons that are not seasoned with the true knowledge of God the sonnes of Belial corrupt men and reprobate concerning the faith enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose belly is their God whose end is damnation whose glory is to their shame which minde earthly things for feare wee bee ouer-taken and infected before wee bee aware
no counsell because hee takes not the warnings of his owne conscience contenting himselfe onely with the externall face of vertue But the wise man giues not only eare to the counsaile of his friends but also takes counsell of himselfe whilst he requires from his owne conscience an approbation of his owne actions Therefore if thou desirest wisdome returne to thy owne heart Daily discusse thy selfe consider whence thou camest whither thou comestâ— how thou liuest how much thou dost daily profit how much thou failest with what cogitations thou art most assaulted with what affections most troubled with what temptations most beleagred for by so much shalt thou sooner and surelier come to the toppe of wisdome as thou shalt come more fully to know the state of the inner man For wisdome in doing things is engendred by the disquisition and consideration of things to bee done whence it is that in spirituall things wisdome is reteined by the inspection and discussion of our spirit and spirituall things But this is performed by the examen of the conscience which lookes daily into the minde what augmentations or detriments and losse of grace wee susteine by these the wisdome of the spirit doth increase and euery man learnes to direct both himselfe and others so that wee see the discussion of the conscience to be the enemy bane of all sinnes the origine of al vertues and spirituall graces the quiet of the minde the wisdome of euery Christian therefore whosoeuer will attaine any measure of sanctity must daily practise this holy duty 3 The last thing in this discussion to be considered is how this duty is to be performed what is the matter whereabout it is exercised To vnderstand this the better wee are to know that this discussion is to bee compared to the draw-net gathering of all kindes of fish Our life and conuersation is the sea a sea bitter with sorrowes anguishes and sinnes a sea deepe and vnsearchable through the obscurity of intentions and affections so that the Prophet said truely Ier. 17. The heart of man is wicked and vnsearchable To conclude a sea very turbulent and vnquiet through the multitude of thoughts and cares The great and huge fishes of this great sea are our actions as well inwardly thinking and desiring as outwardly speaking or doing any thing The good fishes are good actions the bad fishes which wee cast out are our wicked workes But the net is the examen and discussion of the conscience whereby wee gather our actions and cast them out or preserue them as they are good or bad Therefore to this examen are all both good and euill workes to bee subiect the good that they may bee approued the wicked that they may bee corrected and amended For this examen is like to a â—Iudge of Assize who cals all men within his circuite to an account and brings euery action to the barre and triall of Iustice without fauour or affection so our soule or reason cals all our actions inward and outward good or bad before it that it may cherish those good and holy and correct and amend the wicked and vngodly actions casting out our incorrigible actions checking the vnquiet amending the negligent instructing the simple mitigating the angry restrayning the voluptuous stirring vp the sloathfull comforting the weake and teaching the indiscreete actions In this Assize which euery man must keepe in himselfe reason is the Iudge conscience the Kings Atturney accusing the sinner peruersity the party excusing himselfe pride the aduocate defending the guilty but innocency the iust man confessing his fault After the manner of wicked and peruerse men vices doe contradict all commandements but after the manner of good simple persons vertues obey them yet doe vertues sometimes accuse one another For Mercy accuseth Iustice and Iustice Mercy Honesty accuseth Humility and Humility Honesty Mercy accuseth Iustice that it hath stretched its hands euen vnto cruelty that it hath vsed words of anger that it hath changed the countenance of Meekenesse Iustice accuseth mercy that it hath not put on the countenance of Seuerity that it hath suffred sinne to goe vnpunished that it hath not blamed the offender at least so much as in words Humility accuseth Honesty that it exceeds mediocrity that it followes superfluity that not onely it vseth honest but euen voluptuous things Honesty accuseth Humility that it loues too much pouerty that it bestowes not what is necessary vpon the body that it loues nakednesse beggerlinesse and all contempt For sometimes Mercy deales too remissely Iustice too cruelly Humility too sparingly Honesty too abundantly Yet doe they not leaue to bee vertues albeit they bee weake and imperfect For whilst they accuse they lay themselues open to receiue discipline and censure But how are they made naked and open When by confession of sinnes the hidden things are declared But there are many things which require the examen of our good actions for often our selfe-love deceiues vs so that we think that to be good which is not so Therefore let euery man vse the iudgement of examination that hee may acquite himselfe from such deceipt and declare whether his workes be good or bad Hee that is negligent in discussing his good thoughts deeds exposeth himselfe to a manifest daunger of falling and of sinne whilst he admits an vnprofitable thought for a profitable and a wicked worke for a good As Ishbosheth was slaine on his bed because hee had not a wise and valiant Porter to examine and keepe out his enemies 2. Sam. 4. so he that hath not a strong keeper of the minde and great care to behold all that enters into his conscience is in daunger of his life because he thinkes he enters vertues whilst vices entring in the habit of vertues kill him on his bed vnawares Therefore let not onely a frequent but also a diligent and carefull discussion keepe our minde which may examine all our works and wisely iudge whether those that enter vnder the colour and garments of vertue bee such as they appeare to bee Euen our good actions will the Lord examine and iudge therefore it is fit that first wee examine and correct them least the presents which wee take to bee good the iust Iudge shall thinke vnfit and vnworthy to come in his sight A scholler that is learning to paint doth againe and againe behold and amend the worke he hath in hand and as much as possibly hee can shewes it to his Master polished and well limned and shall wee presume to offer vnto God our good works which are by him to bee examined without diligent viewing and lymning of them Shall it not be said vnto vs Is 1. Your siluer is turned into drosse and your wine mixt with water Your words and workes seeme to bee holy but your intentions and other circumstances accompanying them doe take from them all their worth Iob. 7. Therefore holy Iob was affraid of all his workes knowing that