bodie also whereby he brought grace and restored holines as well to the body as the soule seeing both body and soule had lost the same by transgression He ascēded not only in soule but in body also because he would giue glorie to the body and the soule seeing he had purchased them both Wherefore it must needes follow that there shall be a resurrection of the flesh For if by faith we are made bone of his bones and by faith are made partakers of his flesh Ioh. 6. and Christ did all these things in his body the vertue whereof we must receiue from him how should all this be if there were no resurrection The meanes whereby we come vnto Christ require also that this should be so First we know the word pierceth our bodies as well as our soules for the eye is to see the Sacraments the eare to heare the tongue to speake the word and the bodie hath it duties as well as the soule in receiuing and obeying of the word and therefore the force and fruite of the word shall as well be shewed on our bodies as on our soules Likewise in offering our prayers we haue the vse both of the soule and bodie For we lift vp pure hands and kneele with our knees we eleuate our eyes we crie with our voyces we prostrate our whole bodies and therefore as God hath made both for his glory in this life so hath he appointed to glorifie both in the life to come Again in the Sacraments there are actions of the body as well as of the soule for the body is dipped into the water and taken out againe in the sacrament of Baptisme and therefore if Baptisme be a token of our resurrection to grace and that in bodie and soule we are not to doubt but that the bodie shall rise againe as well as the soule In the Eucharist also we are solemnely occupied in both parts for as the soule in beleeuing so the eies in beholding the bread broken and wine powred out the eares in hearing the word the hands in handling the outward elements the mouth in tasting them are deuoutly occupied and therefore the fruite of it must appeare as well in the bodie as in the soule Now to proue this by other creatures of God the Angels desire this day and the other creatures sigh and groane waiting when the Sonne of God shall be reuealed the diuels feare it and therfore they crie to our Sauiour Christ Why persecutest thou vs before our time Againe the very confusion which is in things sheweth that there is a time when they shall be brought into order againe as they were created in order at the first And man himselfe especially must looke for it and cannot be without it whether we looke to the manifold profits which come by it or to the wonderfull inconueniences by the want of it Why doe men endure the crosse so patiently why doe they abstaine from euill so carefully why do they follow that which is good so cheerefully but that because they looke for a glorious resurrection which is the full end of all God his promises without the which the most godly are most miserable and the most wicked lesse vnhappie For if this were not what sanctification would appeare what sinne would not appeare how few would be good how many would be ill how should God be dishonoured how should good men be disinherited who would care to worship God in their bodies or who would make conscience to keepe their bodies from sinne FINIS A TREATISE OF EXAMINATION BEFORE AND AFTER THE LORDS SVPPER 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe THese words are ordinarie and well knowne and they containe a sanction or decree whereby the Apostle taketh order for euery mans examination before the participation of the mysterie of the Supper And two things chiefely are to be stood vpon in these words First the necessitie of examination and then the manner of it For the first it may seeme speaking in the phrase of our teaching Let a man examine himselfe that it is but an aduising or a counsell rather than a commaundement yet in the originall tongue the word runnes in that tearme that Princes Parliament lawes and commaundements doe vse to runne in the word I say is as much as if it were said Be it enacted be it decreed or prouided so that the indifferencie in our tongue in the originall seemeth a necessitie Now albeit the commaundement ought to be of sufficient credite with vs and we without all adoe to yeeld vnto it yet hauing receiued it by faith we are to enter into the reasons of this streight examination and finde out the causes of the execution hereof The reasons may be reduced into two heads it standeth either vpon a great reuerence of the person with whom we are present as we see men busilie prepare themselues when they are to come before some honourable personage or beside the dignitie of the person vpon the excellencie of the profit of the things receiued in respect whereof we are also to prepare our selues as in receiuing Physicke we prepare our selues that the prescript may more effectually worke vpon vs so that for both these things we prepare our selues and they both meete together in the Lord his Supper For though we should not haue an eye at all to the profit yet the very reuerence of the person with whom we sit ought to make vs haue regard to this thing according to that rule Prou. 23. 1. When thou sittest at meate with a ruler consider diligently what is before thee and prepare thy selfe well to sit at the table with such a man Albeit Ioseph when Pharaoh sent for him knew not why he was sent for and thought little of that successe of his going which sell out afterward yet because he was to stand before a King and because he was a miserable prisoner he shaued his head and changed his raiment to go to so high and royall a personage The same is confirmed vnto vs in that parable where we see that not only they are reiected which make excuses and refuse to come but such also as hauing once been admitted come vnprepared without their mariage garmēts to honour the mariage of the Kings Sonne because they did not orderly addresse themselues Therfore this table in the Church being but a representation of the table whereat our hearts doe communicate in the kingdome of heauen where is present not only the beloued spirits hoast of Angels but the glorious Trinitie we are I say in respect of God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost and all the Court of heauen with great solemnitie to prepare our selues But yet we ought to do it more if we consider what great preparation hath been vsed in things inferiour to this in the law though then there were no commaundement for
humble them more and more to giue them a terror of Gods iustice for particular sinnes for experience doth teach that this is the best way to obtaine sound comfort both to see our sinne and to be humbled to see our sinne because often men will more readily acknowledge greater sinne they haue beene in than that lesse sinne they presently lie in to be humbled that being throughly throwne downe we may directly seeke Christ and keepe no stay vntill we haue found comfort in him who then is most readie to free vs from our sinne and to comfort vs with his spirit when we are most cast downe with our sinnes and most feare them 12 If the health of body be such a thing as is rather with comfort enioyed than in words to be expressed how great is the peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost which may be tasted but cannot be vttered 13 There are some which haue peace neither with God nor with themselues as desperate heretikes some haue peace with themselues but not with God as secure sinners some haue peace with God and with themselues as repentant Christians 14 We must learne to pitie them that are cast downe in griefe of spirit though they be also pettish for it is an easie matter when one seemeth much to be quiet with God to be in peace with men who often hinder our quietnes with God Againe we little know how great their desire is to feele peace which when they cannot feele presently they are made impatient and yet see this was in Dauid the man of God who found in himselfe this diuersitie of affections which we so much wonder at and speake of in the children of God in our daies he diuides himself as it were into two parts Psal 43. 5. he thought himself sometime very strong in God againe at another time so cast downe that he would on no side lay hold on any comfort in the world yet more then that he was tumultuous and fretting within himselfe And therefore learne this thou that art vnmercifull to stay thy impatiencie behold this thou that art afflicted to stay thy griefe and say not oh Dauid indeed was humbled but I finde another qualitie in my self besides I am pettish I am vncomfortable and vnquiet with them with whom I liue for Dauid was both impatient and pettish Here also learne of Dauid for thy minde to waite on God for faith deliuereth both from griefe and anger and causeth comfortable waiting and not to make too much haste but to possesse our soules in patience vntill God performe his promises vnto vs. 15 It is an vsuall temptation to afflicted consciences to perswade them after some free deliuerance that they are not to looke to be deliuered again because as the Lord hath beene very liberall so we must not wearie and make tedious his bountifull dealings with vs but we must know that the gifts of God are without repentance and the Lord hath manifold deliuerances in store which is as impossible by vse and often receiuing to waste as it is the Lord himselfe should be deceiued he will surely make an end of his owne worke in vs and that for his owne glorie which as he hath appoynted to be endlesse in our deliuerance so the meanes thereunto are also endlesse and therefore yet and againe we are to learne against our vnbeleefe the vnmeasurable treasure of Gods goodnesse in our saluation yea when wee seeme as it were to be in a whirlepit and to be carried with a violent griefe and gulfe of troubles wee know not whither and are constrained oft to diue and plunge downe the waters of affliction running ouer our head yet the Lord will recouer vs and set our feete in steady places if we be cast downe so we can but scraule vp againe if we be resisted of Sathan so we can but kicke against him if we can but open our lips and accuse his malice before the Lord there is sound hope of comfort to be found of him Couering of infirmities 1 GOds children couer many infirmities in others vnder one good gift the vngodly burie many good gifts in others vnder one infirmitie Confession of sinnes 1 HE said vnto one troubled in minde that we should not much be troubled in light things but that rather in griefes we should make knowne our hearts vnto God than deuoure them priuately for if in carnall sorrowes we find some ease when we make things knowne to our faithfull and louing friends as to our parents or to our brethren much more are we to thinke it an ease to our spirituall griefes if wee powre foorth our griefes into the bosome of the Lord who is most faithfull to conceale most louing to take pitie and most able to helpe vs in all our griefes whatsoeuer 2 He obserueth that men would make knowne many sinnes and infirmities and yet retaine one which is the most secret and oftentimes the most chiefe as Moses had many reasons of his tergiuersation and yet there was one secret reason and that the greatest which he would not vtter Where obserue the great mercy of the Lord that though hee might haue been displeased especially after so great promises for his refusall vet he rather pardoneth this one infirmitie of feare that forgetting his manifold good things would presse him with this one want and therefore after many reasons the Lord vouchâ—aseth to handle very gently his priuie sore and to salue it on this manner Nay Moses there is one thing that thou fearest most and that is thine euill entertainement with Pharaoh and the reuenging of his blood whom thou sheddest but let not this stay thee for they are all dead This answere seemed to take away the greatest argument of tâ—rgiuersation though it was least knowne for presently vpon this comfort he takes his calling in hand wherein also is to be noted that how fearefull soeuer man is in respect of himselfe yet when God enableth and incourageth him wee see he shall be inuincible as Moses against Pharaoh himselfe Concupiscence 1 ONe asking his aduice how he might best auoide concupiscence he said to him that a continuall examination of our selues by the law a reuerent and daily meditation of the word a painful walking in our honest calling a holy shaming of our selues and fearing of our selues before our friends a continuall temperance in diet sleepe and apparell a carefull watching ouer our eyes and other parts of our bodies a zealous iealousie to auoide all occasions of person time place which might nourish concupiscence a godly frequenting of persons times places which may breed in vs true mortification together with an humbling of our selues with the shame of our sinnes past with the griefe of sinnes present and with feare of sinnes to come lastly a carefull vsing of fasting prayer and watching when neede required for he still recommended a religious fasting these are
I am wont to be comforted And though my former old and secret sinnes descrue that I should not only be giuen ouer to infidelitie but also that it should be in me without griefe and remorse â—et Lord forgiue me my sinnes new and old forgiue me my vnthankfulnes increase my fâ—ith And grâ—â—t good father when thou shalt restore to me this gift of faith againe that I may vse it in feare and shew it in fruites Or if this doe not preuaile giue your selfe with all humblenes to reade the word of God especially his promises and be still attending vpon the meanes waiting when the Lord shall in large your heart Or if this do not helpe goe to some faithfull brother confesse your selfe to him acknowledge your weakenes to him and be not ashamed to giue God the glorie by shaming your selfe and opening your corruption to him that so he may pray for you whose prayer according to the promise of God made to his holy ordinance herein Iames. 5 vndoubtedly shall be heard in the appointed time Thus hauing prayed by yourselfe and with another and vsed the meanes of reading for your recouerie though you haue not present reliefe yet in meekenes of minde and patience of your spirit goe to your calling knowing that your prayers and the word of God being as seede must haue some time betweene the sowing of them and the reaping of the increase and fruit of them Aboue all reason not with your temptations dispute not with the diuell as though you could preuaile of your selfe And as I would not you should dispute with your temptation so I would not you should despise it and make no account of it for in both are extremities If you take it too much to heart or maruell how you should ouercome such a temptation it will make you dull or desperate If you account of it too little and maruell how such things should come into your head which was not wont to be so it will make you not to striue and you shall be swallowed vp before you be aware If you account of it too fearefully Sathan will oppresse you before you begin to fight If you account of it too lightly the diuell needes not to wrestle with you you will ouercome your selfe therefore feare in respect of your selfe fight boldly in Christ tremble at your owne corruptions but rest and trust in Christ your saluation If still you are tempted and no body by you write your temptation and offer it to God by prayer and promise to him that you will aske counsell at his word at the mouth of his minister when he shall giue you iust occasion If all this helpe not comfort your selfe with this pledge of Election that you are ioyed when you feele your beleefe and you are grieued least you displease God by your vnbeleefe and know that as there is a vicissitude of the meanes of saluation which you must vse so there is also a vicissitude of temptations whereof this is one against which you must striue 12 Vnto one that was tempted with worldly shame and thought the distemperature of his minde proceeded thereof he said on this sort First know that Sathan hath no absolute power but a power by permission to trie vs against which we must arme our selues ly faith which will assure vs that either the Lord will mittigate our temptation if our power and patience be not great or else if he â—â—large the triall he will increase our strength according to the proportion of our temptation We must also pray that the Lord giue not out that measure of leaue to the diuell which we giue out to sinne to worke rebellion in vs against his maiestie but that he would rather make Sathan a Chirurgion to shew vs our sinnes than a Sergeant to coÌ„found vs for them It is the pollicie of the aduersarie to perswade many that the weakenes of their body and feeblenes of their braine proceedeth of their temptations when indeed it commeth of their vnstained mindes wandring too much after the motions of the diuell in that they not resting on the word nor depending on Christ nor contenting themselues to be tried nor comforting themselues by meditation attend too much and confer too often with the diuels illusions and temptations and so they complaine of the effects and not of the causes of the temptations being more grieued for their present sufferings than for their sinnes past The roote of this worldly shame is pride and haughtines of mind which is a priuie euill and hardly will be beaten into the head of them that are infected with it But sure it is that we would neuer be so grieued for the losse of a thing if we did not too much desire it and too immoderatly vse it whilest we had it Ioh. 12. 42. Which sinne of haughtines the Lord seeing in his children that they are more humbled with the losse of worldly credit than with the sense of their sinnes and losse of his glorie he striketh them with the want of that thing which is most precious vnto them because they made no conscience of that honour which is most prâ—cious vnto him Wherefore this is the best remedie rather to be grieued that we feele not our sinnes to be pardoned with God than that we are knowne to be sinners against men and that we be readie to shame ourselues that God may haue the glorie acknowledging shame and confusion and the whole pit of hellish temptations to be due vnto vs and glorie praise and compassion to be the Lords only For this is a speciall worke of the child of God by temptations rightly humbled when he is readie to shame himselfe for his sinne to glorifie God in his mercie 13 Vnto one that thought himselfe to haue sinned against the holy Ghost he said Sathans temptations follow our affections for if we lightly account of sinne he bleares our eyes still with Gods mercies If we begin to make a conscience of sinne he loadeth vs with the iudgements of God being as readie now to aggrauate this sinne more than it is in it selfe as before he would extenuate it to make it seeme lesse than it was Howbeit said he to the man thus afflicted I will say vnto you as Samuel said to the people after they had confessed themselues to haue sinned against God with a great sinne True it is said Samuel not flattering them in their iniquities ye haue sinned greatly notwithstanding if ye will feare the Lord and serue him and heare his voyce and not disobey the word of the Lord ye shall follow the Lord your God but if ye will not obey the voyce of the Lord but disobey the Lords mouth then shall the hand of the Lord be vpon you 1. Sam. 12. 14. So I will not lesâ—en your sinne but I say you haue sinned a great sinne before the Lord in that you made a mocke
but it is the power of Gods presence preparing vs to prayer or some such seruice of God which when we feele if wee fall downe before God in prayer we shall finde an vnspeakable ioy following it but if we cherish it with euill surmises it will leade vs to further inconueniences 77 When we haue greatest cause of ioy for doing some good then it is a good thing most to feare our vnthankfulnes and our selfe-loue and our secure vnkindnes 78 When Sathan cannot get vs to grosse sinnes he will â—ssaile vs with spirituall temptations 79 Nothing in the world will so much feare and shame vs as God in his mercies powred vpon vs which meditation in receiuing graces from God will humble vs from pride in them and keepe vs in feare which be the waies to obtaine new mercies 80 We must beware of smoothering the watch word of our conscience when we are bent to sinne Euery man in his owne conscience is forewarned of sinne though the Lord speake not to him from heauen as he did to Cain 81 As a man being outlawed may take his pleasure for a while but whensoeuer or wheresoeuer he may be taken he must yeeld to that punishment which by verdict is appoynted so the wicked on whom sentence of damnation is already passed may for a while shake off their paines with vaine pleasures but afterward they shall be arrested and carried violently to the place of wofull execution But for the godly which haue the assurance of their inheritance sealed vp in their consciences though they shall be warned in the day of the resurrection to make their open appearance yet as honest men of the countrie shall stand before the Iudge not as fellonious offenders 82 We must first make men by a feeling of sinne to seeke Christ by an holy faith to find Christ and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ. 83 Balâ—am prayed that he might die the death of the righteous but let vs pray that we may liue the life of the righteous for he liued not the life of the righteous and therefore he could not die the death of the righteous and if we liue the life of the righteous we shall be sure to die the death of the righteous 84 It is a great token of regeneration if we doe not onely sorrow for great sinnes and sigh for small offences but mourne for particular wants of good actions or in good actions for wâ—nt of good affections 85 There is small hope of him which cannot discerne in himselfe the life of the spirit and the life of the flesh and it is to be doubted that he is yet vnregenerate 86 When men being young are too much giuen to carnall pleasures they being old are too much giuen to worldly profit 87 As we haue taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life so we must sigh and pray to be delighted spiritually in spirituall things 88 Adam should haue been no worse for his temptation no more than Christ was but that the one yeelded the other did not 89 If the blood of Christ hath washed vs from the guiltines of sinne then the holy Ghost hath purged vs from the filthines of sinne 90 When our sinne hath lesse liking in vs then there is hope that it will decay in vs especially if we sorrow for it when we cannot fully forsake it and labour to forsake it because it is sinne 91 In true mortification we must haue the first motions of sinne and condemne them as accessaries to sinne in conspiring the death of our soules 92 Hypocrisie is seene when sinne lyeth most dead vnder a cloake and most liueth vnder a closet wherewith God is so displeased that when we make no conscience of sinne in close places our priuie sinnes shall breake forth into open places 93 Particular infirmities doe not hinder the preparation of our hearts for the Lord if we haue a true loue of his word as had Iehosaphat 94 Two things are necessarie to espouse vs to Christ the one to vse the pure meanes the other to vse those meanes with a pure heart 95 If we play with our owne affections sinne in the end from sport will spurre vs to confusion For though we be twice or thrice spared yet we must know that the Lord will recompence his long tarrying with wrath 96 Through our corruption we profit more by the doctrine of a man if we thinke he be our enemie than if we thinke him to be our friend for if he be our friend we let it passe as not spoken to vs though the matter neuer so much concerne vs if our enemie if it neuer so little touch vs we thinke it to be spoken against vs. 97 Walking spirits are vndoubtedly not the soules departed but the euill spirits of the ayre 98 It is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of weldoing when we haue good occasion thereof for God neuer ceaseth in offering occasions but we often cease in hauing affections 99 Obedience is a chaine to tye vp all the creatures of God from our hurt and as a thing to muzzle their mouthes that they cannot bite vs. Againe disobedience breaketh and openeth the mouthes of all things to our destruction 100 If we haue not the fauour of men it is either for the triall of our faith or for want of dutie vnto them that are displeased with vs or because we sought to please them by displeasing of God or because we haue not prayed for them or haue offended God for which he causeth men to be offended with vs. 1 Because we doe not to men the good we should doe God often suffereth them to report of vs the euill they should not 2 Those temptations are most dangerous which haue most holy ends 3 When a man is most merrie he is neerest danger 4 It is the easiest thing in the world to deceiue a good man 5 God hath two hands in the one he holdeth a hammer to breake the proud in peeces and to bray them to powder in the other hand he hath a horne to powre Gods blessings vpon the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. 6 If a man should be stinted to one meale a weeke he would haue a pined body at the weekes end euen so if our soules be but fed with the word once a weeke they would be as hunger-starued if we could see it 7 You are in earth to follow your calling you are not yet in heauen Adam when he was most holy by creation and free from euery iot of sinne and corruption did walke in his calling appointed of God much more then are we comfortably to follow the Lord his ordinance seeing these outward things did not come in with sinne but were ordained before sinne 8 Whatsoeuer is vpon you
people and so for mee How gather you this By the annointing of Prophets Priests and Kings which were figures of him Was Christ annointed with materiall oyle as they were No but he was annointed with all gifts of the holie Spirit without measure Why dâ—e you call him Prophet Because hee was he is and euer shall be the onely teacher of the Church What were then the Prophets and Apostles They were his Disciples and seruants and spake by his spirit What comfort haue you by this Hereby I am sure that he will leade me into all truth reuealed in his word needfull for Gods glorie and my saluation Why call you him Priest Because offering vp himselfe a sacrifice once for all he hath satisfied for all my sinnes and maketh continuall intercession to the Father for me What comfort haue you by the Priesthood of Christ Hereby I am assured that he is my Mediatour and that I also am made a Priest How are you made a Priest By him I haue freedome and boldnes to drawe neere and offer my selfe and all that I haue to God the Father Why call you him King Because â—e doth guide and gouerne me vnto euerlasting life by his word and spirit What comfort haue you by this Hereby I am assured that by his kingly power I shall finally ouercome the flesh the world the diuell death and hell Why call you him Lord Because not with gold nor siluer but with his precious bloud hee hath purchased vs to bee a peculiar people to himselfe What comfort haue you by this Seeing he hath paid such a price for mee he will not suffer me to perish What is the second thing wherein the faith of Christ consisteth Secondly I beleeue that he hath wrought my saluation indeed after that manner that is set downe in the Creede After what manner hath he wrought your saluation 1 By his most painfull sufferings for sinne 2 By his most glorious victorie and triumph ouer sinne In what words are his most painfull sufferings expressed In these words Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell What is the generall meaning of these words By them I shew my selfe to beleeue that Christ endured most grieuous torments both of body and soule What comfort haue you by this I am freed from all those punishments of bodie and soule which my sinnes haue deserued How then commeth it to passe that we are so often afflicted with grieuous torments both in bodie and soule Our sufferings are not by desert any satisfaction for our sinnes in any part but being sanctified in the most holy sufferings of Christ they are medicines against sinne Why are these words added Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Not onely for the truth of the storie but also to teach that he appeared willingly and of his owne accord before a mortall Iudge of whom he was pronounced innocent and yet by the same he was condemned What comfort haue you hereof That my Sauiour thus suffering not any whit for his owne sinnes but wholy for mine and for other mens sinnes before an earthly Iudge I shall be discharged before the heauenly iudgement seate What is meant by this That he was crucified That he died not onely a common death but such a death as was accursed both of God and man What comfort haue you by this I am comforted in this because I am deliuered from the curse which I haue deserued by the breach of the law and shall obtaine the blessing due vnto him for keeping of the same What is meant by this That he died That his soule was separated from his bodie so that he died a corporali death Why was it requisite that he should die Because by sinne came death into the world so that the iustice of God could not haue beene satisfied for our sinnes vnlesse death had beene ioyned with his sufferings Why is it â—rther added That he was buried To assure vs more fully that he was truely dead What comfort have you by his death and buriall 1 I am comforted because my sinnes are fully discharged in his death and so buried that they shall neuer come into remembrance 2 Secondly my comfort is the more because by the vertue of his death and buriall sinne shall be killed in me and buried so that henceforth it shall haue no power to reigne ouer me 3 Thirdly I neede not to feare death seeing that sinne which is the sting of death is taken away by the death of Christ and that now death is made vnto me an entrance into this life What is the meaning of this He descended into hell This is the meaning that my Sauiour Christ did not onely suffer in body but also in soule did abide most vnspeakable vexations griefes painfull troubles feare of minde â—â—to the which both before and most of all when he hanged vpon the crosse he was cast What comfort haue you by this I am comforted in this because in all my grieuous temptations and assaults I may stay and make sure my selfe by this that Christ hath deliuered mee from the sorrowfull griefes and paines of hell What beleeuest thou in this article Hee rose againe from the dead I belieue that Christ in his manhood hath suffered for mee and that he did in the third day â—â—â— againe by his owne power from the dead Wherin doth this article minister comfort vnto thee In three things 1. His resurrection doth assure me that his righteousnes shall be imputed to me for my perfect iustification 2. it comforteth mee because it doth from day to day raise me vp to righteousnes and newnes of life in this present world 3 It ministreth vnto me a comfortable hope that I shall rise againe in the last day from bodily death What beleeuest thou in this Article Hee ascended into heauen I belieue that Christ in his humane Nature the Apostles looking on ascended into Heauen What comfort haue you thereby 1. I am comforted in this that Christ hath prepared a place for mee in heauen which now I see by Faith and herâ—aâ—ter shall fully enioy 2. I am comforted by his intercession to the Father for me What fruite haue you by his intercession 1. First it doth reconcile me to the Father for those sinnes which I doe daily commit 2. Secondly being reconciled in him I can pray to GOD with boldnesse and call him FATHER What is the meaning of this article Hee siâ—tteth at the right hand of God the Father I belieue that CHRIST in mans nature was aduanced by the FATHER vnto that high authoritie whereby hee ruleth all things in heauen and earth What comfort haue you thereby 1. I am comforted because I shall receiue from him all things needfull for mee vnder his gratious gouernment 2. By his power all mine enemies shall be subdued and troden vnder my feete What beleeue you in this article From thence hee shall come c I belieue
he only considereth of the body and neglecteth the soule For my part I would neuer haue the Physitions counsell seuered nor the Ministers labour neglected because the soule and body dwelling together it is conuenient that as the soule should be cured by the word by prayer by fasting by threatning or by comforting so the body also should be brought into some temperature by Physicke by purging by diet by restoring by musicke and by such like meanes prouiding alwaies that it be done so in the seare of God and wisedome of his spirit as we thinke not by these ordinary meanes to smoother or smoke out our troubles but as purposing to vse them as preparatiues whereby both our soules and bodies may be made more capable of the spirituall meanes to follow after As we require these things to be the matter of our Ministerie in such a perplexitie so we would wish the persons ministring to be men learned and of sound iudgement wise and of godly experience meeke and of most iouing spirits For when the troubled patient shall be wel perswaded of our knowledge and discretion and there withall shall perceiue vs to come in tender and louing affection I thinke an entrance is made and all preiudice is taken away so as we may the more freely worke vpon the conscience first bringing them to the sight of sinne as to some cause of their trouble Herein we must labour to put away all confusion and blindnesse of sorrow endeuouring by wisedome to bring the parties wounded to some certaine obiect and matter of their trouble and so draw out of them the confession of some seuerall especiall secret sinne I say seuerall and secret sinne because I know how many through a palpable blindnesse or disordered discerning of sinne talke of nothing so much as of sinne and yet they either cannot desâ—ry seuerall sinnes or they will not be brought to acknowledge their secret sinnes whereof the one proceedeth of the ignorance of the law of God and the other of selfe-loue which maketh vs lâ—â—tâ—â—e euen in our trauell of minde to shame our selues Now that the confession of particular sinnes is requisite it may appeare by the two and thirtieth Psalme wherein being a Psalme of instruction concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes the Prophet by his owne experience teacheth vs that he could finde no reliefe of his sicknesse vntill he had remembred and made confession of his sinnes What shall we thinke that the Prophet of God taught so wonderfully by the word and by the spirit did not see his sinnes before Be it farre from vs. Rather let vs know that he had not seuerally particularly ripped vp his sinnes before the Lord in a seuerall confession of them Which though the Lord knoweth farre better than we our selues yet such kinde of sacrifice is most acceptable vnto him Now if in this trouble the persons humbled cannot come to the particular sight of sinne in themselues it is good to vse the helpe of others vnto whom they may offer their harts to be gaged and searched and their liues to be examined more deepely by hearing the seuerall Articles of the Law laid open before them whereby they may trie the whole course of their actions For as we said before the grossest hypocrites will generally complaine of sinne and yet deale with them in particular pointes of the particular precepts and prooue them in the applying of things to be done or not done to their owne consciences and we shall see many of these poore soules tossed to and fro now floting in ioyes now plunged in sorrowes not able to distinguish one sinne from another Now when we shall see the wound of the spirit to arise of any certaine and knowne sin it is either for some sin alreadie coÌ„mitâ—ed wherein we lie or else for some sin as yet not committed but whereunto we are tempted For the former it pleaseth God ofteÌ„times to bring old sins to minde when we had not throughly repented of them before that so as it were representing them to vs afresh we might fall into a more misliking of them And yet herein is not all to mislike our selues for some particulars although it be good to be occupied about some speciall sinnes for as it is not sufficient for the auoyding of hypocrisie to see sinne generally so it is not enough to eschue the deceiueablenes of the heart euer to be poring busily in one particular and to be forgetfull of our great and generall sinnes But let vs learne by the particulars to passe to the generals When any such one sin then doth pursue thee rest not onely therein but say thus rather to thy selfe Oh Lord is this one sin so grieuous and doth my God punish this one sinne so sorely How great then should be my punishment if thou shouldest O Lord so deale with me for all my other sinnes Let vs labour to haue a sense both of generall and of particular sinnes least in time our griefe passe away without fruite whilest that not being displeased as well with one sinne as with another we either looke too superficially to generals and not to particulars or else too superstitiously obserue particulars and not the generals Concerning those sinnes whereunto we are tempted as when a man is moued to thinke blasphemously of God the father or to doubt whether there be a Christ or no or to imagine grossely of the holy Ghost or to deny God or to doubt of the Trinitie or to be moued to murther adulterie or such like in which temptations he feeleth Gods spirit to checke him for theÌ„ so as he knoweth not in this case what to doe for that on the one side he dares not listen willingly to these fearefull and monstrous temptations and on the other side he feareth least in time by long suite he might fall into them or at the least for that he seâ—th not how to be deliuered from them I suppose these motions are not so much to be disputed with aâ— we by them are to be prouoked to more instant and extraordinarie zeale of prayer Surely these are dangerous temptations and therefore are not to be kept close which our nature will easily incline vnto but particularly are to be confessed of vs. For the diuell will come sometime to thee to keepe thee still in a generall acknowledging of sinne and vrge thee on this manner Surely thou must needes doe this sinne thou seest thou canst haue no â—ase vntill thou hast consented thou art ordained to it the reason why thou art thus incessantly tempted is because thou doest not thus take thy pleasure Goe to denie God beleeue not his word it is but a policie to keepe men in awâ— Religion is no such matter as men take it Thus for feare of yeelding on the one hand and for shame of disclosing the temptations on the other hand many men haue pined away and almost haue beene ouercome by them If we should disclose this say
and for want of this order many excellent Sermons haue little effect for where iudgement by the truth is not conuinced there many exhortations fall to the ground for which cause also the holy vse of the Sabbath so little preuaileth with many in that they are not grounded with iudgement in the true knowledge of the same But before we come to the particular discourse of the reasons generally let vs consider why this commandement is in words larger in reasons fuller than any other commandement If we take a view of the whole law we may obserue how the Lord hath set downe sixe precepts in many words and foure nakedly in bare words as the 6. the 7. the 8. and the 9. why then are the first fiue commandements so apparelled with reasons and the last so dilated by a speciall amplification the other foure being so briefe and so naked Certainly the Lord and law-giuer foresaw that vnto these foure men would easily be brought to yeeld and we see how the very Heathen haue freely granted them the Philosophers haue fruitfully written of them all ciuill righteous men do earnestly maintaine them and to be briefe common honestie counteth him no man that will murther he is thought beastlike that defileth his body outward ciuilitie condemneth a theese and the common sort of men mislike a backbiter and slanderer Againe he knew in his eternall wisedome how the first fiue would neither in reason so soone be admitted nor in affection so easily embraced and therefore to meete with the subtiltie of mans nature and corruption of mans heart they are set downe more piercingly This we shall see in the first and last commandements of the second table In the first when the Lord had commanded honour to be giuen to parents he enforceth his commandement with annexing a promise of long life and why euen iudgement herein is much corrupted For many there are who granting the inconueniencie and vilenes of murther adulterie and false witnesse bearing yet denie the necessitie the excellencie of Magistracie Yea and albeit in iudgement many men yeeld to the reason thereof yet is not the equitie thereof so soone in affection embraced for experience of all ages proueth that the corrupt nature of man is most hardly brought to be subiect and these last miserable daies can witnesse the same more especially wherein men are growne to be without naturall affection Not without cause therefore is this precept fenced with reason In the last where God laieth a more precise rule straighter charge to the conscience of man than flesh and blood would willingly beare because men thinke it some rigorous dealing to haue their least affections arraigned and their secret thoughts condemned as willing to haue their thoughts not to be called into any court to hold vp their haÌ„d at the barre of iudgement he is constrained as it were by particular branches and seuerall articles to set downe the law that we might not finde some starting holes to creepe out at and to wring our selues out of the precincts of the same Yet more euidently doth this appeare in all the commandements of the first table because they are more contrarie to the iudgement of man meerely naturall although he be otherwise neuer so wise and the word of truth must only trie them for in the first commandement the reason is prefixed in the second third and fourth commaundements the reasons are annexed But here may arise this question â—o wit why the second and fourth Precepts are so amplified in words and strengthened with more reasons than anie of the other Surely herein the Lord declareth how he plainely foresaw how amongst the rest these two commandements would finde leaâ—â— entertainment and most be refused But what shall we say of the Papists Familists and Heretikes among vs in these dayes and other men also otherwise of sound iudgement which affirme that as well the second as the fourth Commandement is ceremoniall whereof the one would bring into the Church Images the other prophanenes Wherefore the Lord in his wisedome foreseeing these cauilling wits preuented their purposes so that if either they yeeld not or make resistance to the truth so manifest they oppose themselues to the knowne and open truth and so make themselues the more inexcusable Wee see to acknowledge that there is a God to honour Father and Mother to abstaine from blood not to defile our flesh not wrongfully to oppresse not to bee a notorious slanderer euery Papist and naturall man guided but by the light of reason will easilie graunt For the wonderfull order of the heauens the continuall course of the Sunne Moone and starres the outgoings of the mornings and euenings declare there is a God Reason perswadeth how the things in the world must needes be gouerned and that wee owe loue vnto him by whom they be guided Nature teacheth that mens liues must bee maintained common ciuilitie abhorreth adulterie oppression and backbiting But if yee aske how this God is to be worshipped and what times wee must sanctifie to that vse we shall see how many Countreys so many religions how many men so many deuises Thus wee see how necessarie it was that the Lorde should prouide for his owne glorie and captiuate all mans inuentions seâ—ing all these Commaundements doe most fight against the reason of man and by reason haue most beene oppugned So in the pure obseruing of these consisteth the sincere keeping of the rest of them For how shall wee knowe how to walke in pure worship with an vpright heart before the Lord how shall wee giue him the honour due vnto his glorious name how shall wee be instructed rightly and reuerently to deale with the dignitie of our brethren faithfully with their liues purely with their bodies righteously with their goods or tenderly with their credit but by those waies and rules which the Lord hath prescribed in his word and when should wee learne those rules but at such times as hee himselfe hath appointed and sanctified for that purpose Againe where these two commaundements are not rightly vnderstood there true Religion goeth to wracke For admit that wee should not carefully follow the word of God how many religions would then start vp Let this bee graunted that euery man should haue what day he would for the worship of God and then see how many dayes men would bestow on the Lord. But let vs come to the reasons whereof the first is drawne from the end of the law and is partly signified by this word remember and partly by this word sanctifie Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it For this word remember which is heere prefixed is set downe this word obserue in Deuteronomie wherein wee are forewarned to watch the more diligently and attend more carefully vpon this Commandement In which point wee may obserue that whereas all other commaundements are simply set downe and directly propounded this alone hath a preface prefixed which is thus
for the eating and consuming of meate but that in enioying the coÌ„forr of God his creatures he might praise the Lord the more freely Neither can any man hereof iustly gather that therfore on this day he may fil himselfe with meate as he lusteth because that were rather to vnable than to enable him to keepe holy the Sabbath Againe we say in like maner that labour that is the commoditie that commeth by labour was made for man not man for the labour but for the glorie of God which by labour in his lawfull calling he may gaine to the Lord. Wherefore seeing the rest was appointed only but as meanes wherby man may the more fitly sanctifie the Sabbath and the disciples did eate this corne that they might be the fitter thereunto it is manifest they did not violate the sanctifying of the Sabbath Besides though no man can say that the Sacraments are figuratiue yet the Sacraments were made for man not man for the Sacraments that is for the bare vse of the elements although it must needs be graunted that to vse the word and Sacraments in purenes and holines for the further strengthening of our faith is one of the chiefest and most principall duties of man How be it in respect they be but meanes and are to giue place to the end to the which they are ordained I am perswaded that though the congregation were busie either in hearing the word preached or in receiuing the Sacraments ministred yet if an house being on fire were in loue to be helped the former actions were to giue place to the latter For we reade Act. 20. 10. where Paul being occupied in preaching and espying a young man who was in a dead sleepe fallen downe dead made no conscience to cease from speaking to goe downe to lay himselfe vpon the young man to imbrace him vntill his spirit returned into him and afterward went vp againe and continued his preaching Wherefore in all these reasons we may see how Christ did shew vnto the Iewes that they peruersly did stand in the ceremonie and did not abrogate the Sabbath Here then is a farre contrarie argument to that which these men affirme For seeing our Sauiour Christ might in one word haue shewed it to be a ceremonie if he had purposed any such thing and not haue so amplified the matter we see he rather speaketh against their superstitious opinion and abuse of the Sabbath than affirmeth any such thing as these men do surmise To these former reasons we may adde that which is Matth. 24. 20. Pray that your flight be not in the winter neither on the Sabbath day This say they sheweth that the persecution of Ierusalem should be by so much the more grieuous to the Iewes if it fell on the Sabbath because then it was not lawfull for them to flie so that if they stayed they were like to lose their liues by falling into the hands of their enemies if they fled they should breake the Law of God so become subiect to the punishment thereof But this was nothing in the purpose of our Sauiour Christ who therefore forewarned them to pray that the destruction of the citie should not fall on the Sabbath because then it would be the more grieuous punishment vnto them when besides the hauocke of their owne bodies they should see the glorie of God thrust through the sides the Temple polluted the worship of God prophaned the word of God blasphemed and the Sabbath of the Lord defiled The truth whereof appeareth in this that troubles the time of their visitation should come vpon them when the Sabbath should not be ceremoniall as now it was when Christ spake vnto them but at such time as men should worship God in spirit and trueth without all shadowes and figures when Christ should be ascended into heauen as indeed it came to passe So that this should increase the griefe of so many as sincerely worshipped the Lord that when they should reioyce in the holy worship of God they should mourne and lament for the enemies horrible blaspheming the name of God and that when they should sing the praises of God they would sigh and houle to see the open despite of God and his trueth In respect of which miserable calamities our Sauiour Christ foresheweth the wofull estate that should be in those daies of them which were with child and gaue sucke For though the fruite of the wombe and multiplying of children in respect of themselues were the good blessings of God yet the estate of those times should be so dangerous that euen the blessings of God should be turned to curses and the children which otherwise were a comfort vnto them should now increase their trouble discomfort and sorrow Wherefore it is certaine that Christ neither meant that euery day should be alike for then he would not distinctly haue pointed at this day neither did he thinke it to be a ceremonie because he knowing the time when ceremonies should cease would haue been so farre off from nourishing them in their superstition that being the Prophet of God he would in this as in other things rather teach them the pure vse of the Sabbath Thus hauing spoken of those places in the Gospell which might seeme to make against the Sabbath now let vs speake of those places in the epistles of the Apostles that we may see whether they containe any sound trueth for their purpose howsoeuer they be thought to haue some hold in shew These allegations are either out of the epistles of Paul or the epistles to the Hebrues out of the epistles of Paul which he wrote to the Romans to the Galathians or to the Colossians The place which they bring out of the epistle to the Romans is in the 14 chap. vers 1. Him that is weake in the faith receiue vnto you but not for controuersies of disputations 2. One beleeueth that hee may eate of all things and another which is weake eateth hearbes 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath receiued him 4. Who arâ— thou that condemnest anothâ—r mans sâ—ruant he standeth or fallâ—th to his â—wne maister yea he shall be established for God is able to make him stand 5. This man esteemeth one day aboue another day and another man counteth euery day alike lâ—t euery man be fully perswaded in his minde 6. He that obserueth the day obserueth it to the Lord and he that obserueth not the day obserueth it â—â—t to the Lord c. In this last verse they would gather that a man might make choise of daieâ— as he will and as in a thing indifferent And some learned expositors affirme that the Apostle in this chapter intreateth of things which in their owne nature are indifferent and therefore here we are to vse theÌ„ in loue As I grant this to be the general scope of the place so I deny it to
neede not to condemne him he hath done enough let my sitting in iudgement vpon him cease seeing he hath so straightly examined himselfe I remit all I will examine no further hee is free let him come and so let him eate and drinke Thus I say our examination must be in a iudiciall forme that is we must enquire of our selues whether we be guiltie or not guiltie worthie or vnworthie And because euery man is readie to perswade himselfe that he is worthie to beare out this point we are to trie our selues whether we haue faith and because faith hath relation to the truth and the truth must try vs which saith Cursed is hee that continueth not in euery poynt of the Law to doe it wee must search our bookes of remembrance considering what God hath against vs and examine our selues according to euery word thereof Then because we must be constrained to conclude that we be vnworthie we must in the next place goe out of our selues and faint after the righteousnesse that can make vs worthie For a man that findeth himselfe to be left in the estate of condemnation to him will seeme a good saying worthie to be receiued That IESVS CHRIST came into the world to saue sinners and to him the name of a Redeemer will be most precious And therefore at this second returne commeth to be considered of that Faith which commeth by the blessing of the Gospell whereby wee seeing our owne ignorance doe seeke wisedome out of our selues being conscious of our owne vnworthinesse and sue for obedience in the Sonne of GOD and seeing we are altogether aliants from God by reason of these things we seeke for our perfection in CHRIST vpon this condition is righteousnes giuen vnto vs. Then because the examination of this standeth in another point for that a condemned person will redeeme his pardon by a price be it neuer so great if by any meanes he be able to make it and a man spareth no cost for that which indeede hee doth loue as wee may see in the example of a vile loue of Esau who setting his loue euen vpon meate was content with the losse of his birthright to buy it if we truely esteeme Christ his death wee will giue any thing for it And truely God requireth nothing at our hands but euen that small condition Ephes. 4. 52. To be curteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake for gaue vs. Where we see that as God hath for giuen vs so we should forgiue others â—or a man that purposeth truely to haue Christ it is little to giue â—oue that as the Godhead head wrought in loue towards vs so we must worke in loue toward others This as a necessary thing is first to be required the rather for that we escaping the sentence of condemnation and that by no other meanes but by remission which is as a bridge to escape by it were very rigorous and hard dealing we our selues hauing gotten ouer others being as desirous to come ouer if we should pull vp the bridge from them this would be too sauage euen among the heathen This point of louing others God so loueth and so accounteth of that if a man were readie to come to the Lord his immediate worship hee is content this dutie should rather be left to him vndone then that dutie should be vndone to our brethren And in the parable of the debtor we see this more effectually For so long as the debt is directly the Lords hee breaketh out into no such words as hee doth when the seruant taketh his fellow seruant by the throate saying Pay mee that thou owest So that the retaining of enmitie to our brethren doth after a sort more offend God then our offending against God himselfe This is all the Examination before hand When a man hath by due Examination found himselfe vnworthie and vnworthy in respect of himselfe then is hee to be transformed And here note a thing contrarie to our common diet Though in our ordinary foode our meate is changed into vs and becommeth of our substance not we are changed into it here in this meate I say it is contrarie we are transformed into it not it into vs so that we may say of this spirituall food as of the nature of the leauen The leauen is not vnleauened and changed into the meale though it â—eth hid in the meale but the meale is transformed into it and leauened by the leauen So may we say of this sacramentall food we are traÌ„sformed into it Wherfore seeing the Apostle saith Leâ— a man examine himselfe and so let him eate our examination must end in eating and drinking and not in abstaining They then that thought they honoured the Sacrament with abstinence they by this rule plainely dishonour it for it is saide Let him examine himselfe and so eate not so let him abstaine And the Sacrament is abused as well by forbearing hauing examined our selues as by receiuing it vnworthily The things receiued are called Bread and Wine Concerning the nature whereof better relation we cannot haue then Psalm 104. where seeing the vse of Bread and Wine to bee to nourish to strengthen and to comfort wee shall the better marke the Analogie in this The bodie of Christ represented by Bread must haue that effect in the soule which bread hath in the bodie but bread hath this effect to strengthen the body of man as appears by the cited testimonie of the holie Ghost therfore our soules by CHRIST receiue strength against sinne We reade in Genesis that Abrahams seruant returning from their pursuite had their hearts strengthened by bread which they had of Melchisedech and we know that the Paschall Lambe was to giue strength to the eaters thereof so our Sauiour CHRIST calleth vs vnto him that hee may giue vs spirituall strength for newnesse of life in the strength whereof wee must so labour for righteousnesse as if heauen were to bee purchased by our works For CHRIST his bodie is not only quickened but quickening not only sanctified but sanctifying And as in the bodie such be the humours as in the meaâ—e so in the soule in the actiue parts of righteousnes wee receiue such meate as may enable vs to labour for the kingdome of heauen This is that which the holie men did take in the Sacrament On the other side the blood of CHRIST must worke that effect in our soules which wine doth in our bodies The effect of wine is also set downe Psalm 104. but more liuely Pâ—ou 31. it is said wine is to comfort them that are in the present estate of death for such wine was ordained Then looke what the gladnesse is of the bodie after the wine receiued so there is the same analogie by spirituall comforts in the blood of Iesus Christ seeing that wee can no more goe through that absolute
are either ignorant in the word not knowing how to order one right step to the kingdome of God or else hauing some knowledge of God vngodlily abuse it to maintaine their carnall lust and appetite For this cause as it would grieue parents to haue naturall fooles to their children or such as either through some imperfection of nature are dismembred or deformed and misfigured in the parts of the bodie so much more should it grieue them to haue such children as either for want of knowledge and heauenly wisedome cannot walke in the feare of God or abusing the knowledge giuen them prostitute themselues to all sinne and wickednesse It is marueilous to see how greatly parents can bewaile the want of one naturall gift proceeding of some imperfection and how easily they can passe ouer without any griefe the want of all spirituall graoes springing from corrupt education In like manner it is strange that men can take the matter so heauily when their children breake into such offences as either haue open shame or ciuill punishment following them and yet can make no bones but post ouer such sinnes as are against the maiestie of God accompanied with euerlasting confusion and vnspeakable torments wherein what doe most part of men bewray but their greathy pocrisie in that neither their ioy nor their griefe is souÌ„d to their children and that they loue themselues more in their childreÌ„ than either their saluation or the glorie of God The tender loue care whereof no doubt did encrease the sorrowe of Dauid for the death of his sonne Absolon who was not so much grieued for the losse of a sonne as for that vntimely end of his sonne Let vs learne therefore to correct our affections to our children and be grieued for our ignorance impietie and sinnes whereof either our carnall compassion the not lamenting of our owne naturall corruption the want of prayer for an holy seede or prophane education armed with the wrath of God may bee a most iust occasion Can a man hope for a holy posteritie or doe wee maruaile if the Lord crosse vs in the children of our bodies when wee make as bold and brutish an entrance into that holy ordinance of the Lord as in the meeting of the neighing horse with his mate when being ioyned in that honorable estate of matrimonie either as meere naturall men without all knowledge of God wee beget our children or as too carnall men without the feare and reuerence of the Lord neither bewailing our corruption which we receiued of our forefathers nor praying against our infirmities which may descend to our posteritie we abuse the marriage bed Lastly wheÌ„ hauing receiued the fruit of the wombe we haue no care by vertuous education to offer it to the Lord that our childe by carnall generation may be the childe of God by spirituall regeneration Surely no. And yet men without all looking vp to Gods prouidence and secret counsell without all bethinking themselues of their corrupt nature from which their children are descended without all looking backe into their wicked and godlesse bringing them vp will fret against their sinnes and fume against their children yea often they will correct them and that to serue their owne corruptions not so much grieued for that they haue sinned against God as that they haue offended them Christians therefore must knowe that when men and women raging with boyling lusts meete together as bruit beasts hauing none other respects than to satisfie their carnall concupiscene and to strengthen themselues in worldly desires when they make no conscience to sanctifie the mariage bed with prayer when they haue no care to increase the Church of Christ and the number of the elect it is the â—ust iudgement of God to send them monsters vntimely births or disfigured children or naturall fooles or else such as hauing good gifts of the minde and well proportioned bodies are most wicked gracelesse and prophane persons Againe on the contrarie side wee shall finde in the word of God noble and notable men commended vnto vs for rare examples of vertue and godlinesse who were children asked and obtained of God by prayer Our first parents Adam and Eue being humbled after the birth of their wicked sonne Kaine obtained a righteous Abell of whom when by his bloodie brother they were â—ereft they receiued that holy man Seth. Abraham begetting a childe in the fleshe had a cursed Ismael but waiting by faith for the accomplishment of Gods couenant hee obtained a blessed Isaac Iacob not content with one wife according to the ordinance of God was punished in his children yet after being humbled he receiued a faithfull Ioseph Elkanah and Anna praying and being cast downe had a Prophet that did minister before the Lord. Dauid and Bethsheba lamenting their sinnes obtained Salomon a man of excellent wisedome Zacharie and Elizabeth fearing the Lord receiued Iohn the Baptist and forerunner of Christ. Looke what sinnes wee haue naturally without Gods great blessing without prayer and humbling of our selues we shall conueigh them to posteritie and although the Lord doe grant sometimes naturall gifts vnto the children of carnall and naturall men yet for the most part they receiue their naturall sinnes withall But if the children of God by regeneration do see into themselues and lament their sinnes of generation praying that their naturall corruptions may be preuented in their posterities they shall see the great mercie of God in some measure freeing their posteritie from their sinnes Now when thou shalt see such sinnes to be in thy children enter into thine owne heart examine thy selfe whether they are not come from thee consider how iustly the hand of God may bee vpon thee and when thou wouldest bee angrie with thy childe haue an holy anger with thy selfe and vse this or such like meditatioÌ„ with thine owne soule Lord shall I thus punish mine owne sinne and that in my child Shall I thus prosecute the corruptions of my auncesters Nay I see O Lord and proue that thou art displeased with me for the too carnall desire of posteritie I lay then in some sinne I asked not this childe of thee by prayer be mercifull vnto me O God and in thy good time shew some pitie vpon my child Thus thinking when thou goest about to correct the corruptioÌ„ of nature in thy childe which he could not helpe arming thy selfe with prayer repenting with Iacob thou shalt be so affected that as thou art desirous to draw thy childe out of sinne so yet to doe it with the mildest meanes and with least rigour And one thing is most wonderfull that some will teach their children to speake corruptly and doe wickedly whilest they are young and yet beate them for it when they are come to riper age Againe some will imbolden their children to practise iniquitie towards others which when by the iust iudgement of God they afterwards practise against their parents themselues
vs as that it is not onely to bee confessed of vs in words but also in vnderstanding to bee conceiued in affection to bee well liked of and agreed vnto and in life to be expressed For blessed are they that can so thinke of and make vse of this treasure Now where a mans treasure is there is his heart and where his heart is thither are all the powers both of soule and bodie carried headlong For so soone as men giue themselues to like of and to loue pleasures riches credit honour or learning wisedome or glorie so soone they make these as it were their Gods when men begin to be perswaded these things are a treasure when their hearts are once set on these things then wee see presently that all parts both of soule aud bodie bend that way then goeth minde heart and hand and affection and the whole delight to the attaining thereof Therefore if this Word be a treasure then all the powers and faculties of bodie and minde must bee giuen onely vnto it Wherefore euery one must know this that they onely haue this treasure whose hearts are set on the kingdome of God they are the neerest vnto saluation whose hearts are set on the Word and doctrine of saluation who can say from the bottome of their hearts with the man of God Dauid This one thing O Lord haue I desired and that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of my God all the dayes of my life But what to doe to behold the beautie of the Lord and to see the light of his fauourable countenance in Christ Iesus and to receiue the gifts and graces of the spirit of God which may be sure seales and pledges of his saluation yea saith he I had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of vngodly men Neither must we desire so much to be present in the house of the Lord in bodie onely but also in spirit that wee may euen behold his fauourable countenance shining vpon vs in Christ Iesus Wherefore we ought to make most precious account of the meanes because they bring much excellent graces By them we are brought into Gods house to behold his face and to enioy his mercies Why then will some say is the preaching of the Word the gates of Heauen are the preachers of the Word the porters of these gates If this be such a treasure why is not the Word more preached why is it not more esteemed Are the graces of the spirit of heauen in earth are they our entranee into heauen how then is it that they are not longed after Why doe not men make more account of them Surely our Sauiour Christ teacheth his children to meete with this obiection when he saith it is hidden This treasure is not apparant but secret not of this world nor knowne to them of this world but hidden and vnknowne of them and therefore not so much regarded and esteemed of And this treasure is hidden whether wee consider the meanes as things of no glorious shew or the graces of the meanes which are not of this world but rather contrarie to this world That the graces of the spirit are hiddeÌ„ from them of this world our Sauiour Christ sheweth vs in Matthew 1â— and 25. verse saying I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes That the meanes are hidden Saint Paul witnesseth in the 1. to the Corinth 2. and 7. verse But we saith he speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie euen the hid wisedome which God hath determined before the world vnto our glorie which none of the Princes of this world hath knowne c. And in the 2. of Corinth 4. and 3. verse he saith If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that be lost whose mindes the god of this world hath blinded The Word is hidden in the base meanes of the Ministerie as the Apostle saith 2 Corinth 4 and 7. verse We haue the treasures in earthly vessels c. And therefore it being in earthly vessels is the lesse esteemed of the world Also this treasure is hidden vnder the creatures of Water Bread and Wine I do now speake â—afely of these according vnto the manner of men but I knowe how I doe account of them for vnto God and the godly these meanes are not base but indeede in respect of the graces offered by these meanes they are very base and who would thinke that in a mortall man like my selfe should be hidden the treasure of heauen and earth Who would thinke that by the preaching of a sillie poore man Iesus Christ with all his treasure should be offered vnto vs Who would thinke that in the creatures of Bread and Wine and Water were hid the seales and pledges of the kingdome of heauen These be treasures indeede but they are hidden As a treasure in the field This treasure sure is such a hidden thing as that the eye of the quickest hath not seene it neither hath his eare heard of it neither hath it entred into his heart to conceiue of it Now as in a goodlie field adorned with Grasse Flowers Trees Herbes and such like perhaps there lieth hidden no treasure whereas contrarie in a barren peece of ground wherein no such things are there may be and doe commonly lie hidden treasures very great so there is an inequalitie of meanes and the Lord bestoweth his graces vpon them for the most part which carrie least shew in this world and vseth them as instruments and meanes to set foorth his glorie and so likewise in the Sacraments and in the word of God though they be lesse esteemed of in the world yet in them is the chiefest treasure of all hidden This must teach vs that it is no marueile though fewe of the world come to this treasure because that it is so hidden and therefore this was prophecied of long before of the Prophet Esay in his 25 chap. 1. verse Lord saith he who will beleeue our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed The which prophecie is also repeated againe of Christ Iohn the 12 and also of S. Paul Rom 10. 16. But answere may be made hereunto euen they who are transformed into the image of Christ. Seeing then it was the complaint of the Prophets in old time let not vs be offended that so few seeke this treasure and men doe so little esteeme of it but let the wicked esteeme neuer so ill of it and let it neuer bee reuealed vnto the vngodly yet the godly shall esteeme of it neuerthelesse and vnto them shall this good treasure bee reuealed and made most apparant Let vs therefore pray the Lord that hee would raise vp and send foorth most plentifull and diligent labourers into his haruest and that he would send foorth
most vnthankefully in the Gospell who preferred their marriage bargaining and toyling in the earth to the heauenly banquet are not in anie assurance that God is their portion for where our portion is there is our delight where we looke for inheritance there wee prouide for assurance and where wee looke for treasure thither wee goe with ioy wherefore vntill we set the word aloft in our consciences wee can finde no assurance that God is our portion or that we are his The equitie hereof appeareth Deut. 9. 29. where the people are called the inheritance of the Lord and Deut. 32. 9. The Lords portion is his people Iacob is the lot of his inheritance For as possessions in times past were chosen out by lines so the Lord is said to diuide to the Nations their inheritance and to separate Iacob as a part for himselfe Neither must we shuffle off this from our selues seeing the Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 6 calleth vs a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices and the holy Ghost Reuel 1. 6. saith Wee are made Kings and Priests vnto God through Christ. Wherefore seeing the Lord dealeth so fauourably with vs that when hell was our portion by our birthright he hath measured out heauen for vs by the promulgation of his Gospell when we were guiltie of damnation hath made vs inheritours of saluation and when Satan made claime to vs he hath rescued the title of vs to himselfe what an hellish pride were it not to set God aloft what presumption were it not to make him our chiefe delight seeing he before freely hath made vs his chiefe delight If then we desire that God should be our inheritance we must be his if we be his he must take vp wholy our soules and bodies in his word which if wee despise vndoubtedly wee shall be despised of God Marke then in the latter end of this verse he saith I hou shalâ— maintaine my lot As if the man of God should say Howsoeuer the world iudgeth that my estate commeth of other men I know it commeth of thee and Prou. 16. 4. Thou Lord hast made all things for thy owne sake although other thinke things to be fortunate and subiect to lucke and when as others thinke it strange that the sonne of Ishai should come to the gouernment of the Common-wealth yet thou alone hast done it Neither are we thus alone maintained of God in our outward estate but also in spirituall things we are kept by his power as 1. Pet. 1 5. We are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation And howsoeuer the world marueileth that we liue yet we saith the Apostle are kept by the secret finger of God that vnto saluation This happie assurance caused Paul to say 2 Timo. 1. 12. I know iâ— whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded he is able to keepe that which is committed to him against that day In which doctrine is â—â— small comfort in that we haue not our saluation in our owne custodie neither hath the Lord left vs to our selues in the coÌ„ lucting of our bodies soules but hath giuen the whole and happie gouernment to his Sonne Iesus Christ in which dignitie we farre excell Adam in the estate of innocencie For albeit we are by him and in him fallen from it so weake was our estate and so brittle was our hold whilest man possessed it yet hauing it restored the credit and custodie of it resteth not on our weaknesse but on the mightie power of Christ from whom it cannot be taken Such is the mercifull wisedome of our good God Wherefore our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 6 â—aith that he is the shepheard and that we are in his custodie For whereas like sheepe of our selues we are readie to goe astray and wander the Lord with his shepheards crooke will fetch vs againe to the fold and when we are lost in the wildernesse and darke places he will finde vs ouâ— when we see no issues of our matter he wil be faithful vnto vs if we commit our selues vnto him We see now the blessed securitie of God his children is herein that their lot is not in their owne hands This doctrine also is full of comfort to vs in these times For in such a multitude of heresies where with prophanenesse of life hath ioyned it selfe if it were possible the very elect should be deceiued were it not that they were gouerned by the Lord himselfe It is added in the next verse The li 〈…〉 e fallen vnto me in pleasant places yea I haue a faire heritage The former matter is amplified wherein he sheweth that he so liked his choyse of the word that in hope to change he chused it not So his meaning is in effect all one with the verse going before and may thus shortly be couched together O Lord thou hast dealt with me fauourably which pleaseth me so fully that I require no other happines For notwithstanding my crosses and temptations be many yet because in all I feele thy gracious helpe I desire not to change for any other felicitie In which streame we must learne this one point that wee neuer feele effectually the fruite of our saluation vntill we can triumph ouer the world the flesh and the diuell and when our heritage so pleaseth vs that we repent not beware of repenting beware of repenting when ye haue once giuen your names vnto Christ for ye are become backsliders are fallen partly to heresie partly to atheisme partly to profanenes because they made not a sure vnchangeable choise of their profession at the first This verse is especially to be vnderstood of the fauour of God which he felt and therefore being assured that the kingdome of God was his that the prouidence of God watcheth ouer him and his Angels ministred vnto him he was so stayed that if other outward things did come he counted them cast vpon him as the ouerplus of God his mercie if no other things came he was satisfied If we thinke our lines to be fallen pleasantly we must by proportion by so much the more seeke spirituall than carnall things by how much the soule is better than the body How then is God their portion their lot and inheritance how doth their heritage assigned of God please them who are so carefull in earthly things to prouide for backe and belly and so carelesse in heauenly things to prouide for their soules and consciences For if we were perswaded whatsoeuer we haue we haue it of God we would vse it with prayer receiue it with thanksgiuing we should not rest in outward things as in lands possessions or preferments as in our portion but in the Lord who giuerâ— these things Thus when we are delighted with our heritage we endeuour not to get things by ill meanes hauing gotten them we set not our hearts on them we pray for the holy vse of them we returne them to God his glorie and the comfort
God the Sonne and assuredly warranted by the ministerie of the word and working of God the holy Ghost No. Why then should I doubt that my sinnes are freely pardoned Can a man by reason conceiue the mysterie of the Trinitie in vnitie the distinction of natures in one person Christ Iesus the secret working of the holy Ghost in them that are called the rising againe to life the dead bodie consumed to earth No we walke not by reason we liue by faith and we beleeue against reason euen because the spirit of God by the preaching of the word hath sealed and beareth record of of these things to our spirits Wherefore seeing we haue no warrant of any thing concerning faith but by the word and by the spirit and the same word and spirit assure vs as well of one parcell of faith as of another what blockishnes is it to beleeue all other points that doctrine and to doubt and call in question one concerning the forgiuenes of sinnes and seeing we beleeue as great things what peeuishnes is it to doubt either of the comfortable assuraÌ„ce of our saluation present or to despaire of finall perseueraÌ„ce in time to come Against these we see the man of God opposeth his glorious reioycing wherefore the holy Ghost speaketh Rom. 5 1. Being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesus Christ. And 1. Pet. 1. 8. You beleeue in Christ and reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious In which point we are taught that this reioycing of the heart praising of God with our tongue and holie securitie of the whole man is the spirit of faith and this is our true ioy euen our assurance that we are righteous in Christ that God is our portion our inheritance our guider gouernour and preseruer of vs to life euerlasting yea and this fruite of faith is a sure token of faith though it be not alwaies and in all men in like measure Howbeit where the want thereof is felt we must remember both to mourne and groane in our spirits for the want of it and also waite on God in the meane time and vse all meanes possible to recouer the same This certaintie of our saluation spoken of by Paul rehearsed of Peter and mentioned of Dauid Psal. 4 7. is that speciall fruit then of faith which breedeth that spirituall ioy and inward peace which passeth all vnderstanding True it is all God his children haue it not One thing is the tree and another thing is the fruite of the tree one thing is faith and another thing is the fruite of faith And that remnant of God his elect which feele the want of this fruite haue notwithstanding faith which manifesteth it selfe in them by groaning and sighing for it and by the complaining of the absence of it For albeit indeed there is no greater argument that a man is aliue than his liuely quicke and cheerefull spirits his fresh memorie nimblenes and agiâ—itie of bodie yet it is some token also of life when a man not hauing in himselfe this alacritie of minde acrimonie of weldoing can complaine of his lumpish earthly and dead spirits dull memorie and heauinesse of bodie as one that feareth and suspecteth these things to bee forerunners of some fainting languishing or dangerous sicknesse which is towards him And surely God his children who hath been made drunken as it were with this spirituall gladnesse are often wained from it either for their triall how highly they esteeme it or to punish them for some sinne past or else to forewarne them of some sinne to come Wherefore when any such morse of our spirits and extraordinarie deadnes doth come vpon vs let vs thus commune with our owne hearts Surely all is not well I must looke out I haue not heard the word cheerefully I cannot reioyce with his Saints I am subiect to some trouble and must preprare my heart for some crosse I must rouse vp my selfe raise vp God his spirit in me that I may recouer that life which is in Christ without the wich I am thus dull or rather dead The Prophet Dauia as wee knowe Psalm 119. finding in himselfe this vntowardnesse to good exercises the want of this delight the losse of God his countenance counteth himselfe as dead and hauing these things hee thought himselfe aliue It is a wonderfull thing to see it is a wonderfull thing I say to see how naturall a thing it is to all men to seeke a quiet minde and glad heart how vnnaturall it is to wish for sorrow of minde and griefe of heart and on the other side to behold the securitie of men in neglecting the meanes of true ioy and their vndiscreete plunging of themselues in endlesse and easelesse sorrowes in pulling vpon themselues sorrow after sorrowe and that with phantasticall delights all which kind of pleasures haue either their present paine or paine to come accompanying them and therefore worthily are they compared to the cracking thornes vnder the pot which make a sodaine blaze and are quickly out So the pleasures of fooles vanish away without any issue yea they are so farre from bringing any ioy in the houre of death that euen then most will they sting and accuse vs for dishonouring of God On the contrarie when wee feele the glorie of God to be our chiefest ioy and the peace of the Church with the feeling of our saluation to be the peace of our minds we haue that gladnes and calmenes of a good coÌ„science which God reserueth in store as a treasure and pretious iewell whose vertue is to comfort vs in time of greatest trouble whose operation is to draw ioy out of the bottomlesse pit of sorrowe when the world doth hate vs to shewe how God doth loue vs and when our minds are deiect to bring a pawne from God his spirit to our spirit to assure vs that our troubles shall haue an issue to God his glorie and our saluation This solace only cleaueth vnto vs in death and in sicknes and in time of trouble and therfore the more carefully must we vse the meanes whereby we may buy and purchase the same when wee want it let vs complaine and mislike our selues accusing our selues of some sin past or enarming our selues for some euils to come Vndoubtedly the iealozie of God his children ouer the securitie of these times maketh them to suspect that men may beare out themselues in good things for a time to serue persons time and place and that for lack of this true ioy and delight in them they will fall away and deceiue especially when men come to their libertie and are without controulement of person awe of any place or regard of any time Men for a time be hearers of the Gospell men may for orders sake pray sing receiue the sacraments but if it be without ioy will not that hypocrisie in time breake out will they not begin to be wearie nay will they not be as readie to heare any
other doctrine Good things cannot long find entertainement in our corruptions vnlesse the holy ghost hath changed vs from our old delights to conceiue pleasure in these things Where loue is there is no lack in pleasure there is no paine and when we finde the pearle of price which passeth all vnderstanding we will sell all our former delights and depart from our vaine pleasures to purchase this It is a continuall ioy that worketh a conscience to vse the meanes of any thing it is an abounding delight that auoydeth and fenceth off all wearisomnes in good things wherefore the holy Ghost saith Be yee filled with the Spirit and in another place Let the word of God dwell in you plenteously In which place we are to gather that there is in vs sometime an emptinesse of the Spirit and a scantnesse of the power of the holy ghost the spirit of God is not so mightie in operation grace is not so plentifull the word is not so powerful in vs and from hence commeth our momentarie ioy and transitorie gladnes And my tongue reioyceth That which in truth is inward will in time shewe it selfe outward as wee may see in these holy affections of the man of God The Prophet himselfe confirmeth this in another place Psalm 116. 10. I beleeued therefore did I speake which the Apostle repeateth in the person of the whole Church 2. Cor. 4. 13. because we haue the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken We also beleeue and therefore we speake And Rom. 10. 10. it is saide With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the tongue man confesseth to saluation and sure it is that of the abundance of the ioy of the heart the mouth reioyceth as coÌ„trariwise of the abundance of the griefe of the heart although there may be for a while an inward deuouring binding and suppressing of sorrow yet it will in time breake forth and wee shall euen rore for disquietnes of minde and cannot hold long vntill we haue eased our hearts with some outward complaint For we see if a man haue a through griefe how it consumeth him vnlesse he vtter it Againe if a man hath conceiued a true ioy how he longeth how hee is rauished how hee trauaileth vntill he hath brought it forth If then in any good measure we feele the ioy of the spirit the tongue will be at commaundement to vtter it Wherefore we are to try our selues and examine our hearts whether we heare reade pray or sing with this grace in our hearts with this ioy in our spirits with this comfort of conscience let vs lament considering how singing and spirituall reioycing is decayed how great a stranger the word is with vs what little delight and alacritie we haue in holy and religious exercises and let vs accuse our selues that therefore our tongues cleaue to the rough roofe of our mouth because our hearts are lockt vp in securitie which vndoubtedly is so open to all men that there is no man but bewaileth his want of inward ioy Many indeed as hypocrites can blow and bellow outwardly who make no melodie in their hearts who sing not in grace who haue not the sweete and naturall voyce which commeth from a well affected and right ordered minde either ioyfully shewing a godly digested mirth or dolefully breathing out into the passions of an exercised minde My flesh also doth rest in hope See his godly ioy made him haue a securitie in his flesh It is our naturally infirmitie that wee haue a trembling of the flesh which hindereth in vs many good actions as may be seene in our thoughts suspecting of dangers scarefull imaginations and wandring conceits forecasting this euill and that euill to the great disturbing and disordering of the peace of our minds all the which excessiue feares were in this man of God wisely corrected though not vtterly remoued but suppressed in him by faith Whereof commeth then our carnall and immoderate feares in dangers but of want of faith This our Sauiour Christ teacheth his disciples at what time they were with him being asleepe in a tempest on the seas when they through vnbeliefe feared his diuinitie to haue slept with his humanitie where he saith vnto them O yee little faith why doe you not beleeue Heere wee see hee rebuketh their excessiue feare which thing hee also doth almost in the same manner When they carnally feared him to haue been a spirit as he walked on the seas they were not throughly perswaded that God was their portion their inheritance and watched ouer them for if they had they would haue corrected these fleshly and immoderate feaâ—â—s that they should not haue hindred their holy meditations of God his powerful prouidence nor their prayers for his gratious assistance nor any other good exercises of their mindes Thus we see how the sure perswasion of God to be his inheritance his mainteiner both in soule and body his reacher both by day and by night both by his word and his spirit made the man of God secure both in soule and body And what caused this partly that which wee spake of before partly that which followeth for thou wilt â—ot leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption so that the promises already tasted of and the sure expectation to haue the good worke begunne to bee finished in him made him rest in hope and hauing God his cause in hand he saw how the Lord would not onely watch ouer him for his present estate but also would guide him to immortalitie Behold how his inward assurance wrought an outward safetie wherby wee plainely see that where there is a want of this comfort and faith in the soule there is a want of peace and securitie in the body It is our vnbeliefe then that hatcheth and nourisheth wandring thoughts and filleth our braine with suspitious phantasies and fruitlesse illusions dreaming of dangers where there are none and imagining mountaines where scarsely are molehils Let vs then strengthen our faith and certifie our soules that our flesh shall stand before God which will so worke in vs that neither flesh and blood shall weigh vs downe with securitie in time of prosperitie nor ouerlode vs with desperate terrours in time of aduersitie Neither as we said must we thinke Dauid to be a senselesse Stoick as feeling no troubles but that by the power of God he was in trouble a triumphant conquerour and in all these dangers through faith more than a victorer For as God reserueth his vnspeakeable ioyes for his children in vntolerable agonies so he neuer armeth them strongly but he prepareth them a field wherethey must fight stoutly Oh that this heauenly ioy were in vs more aboundantly and of moe men more frequented then should not the small remnant that now alwayes vse it be counted and called precisians then should wee giue more liuely testimonies of our effectuall faith to
bring home his children into the sheepfold of Iesus Christ. True faith maketh vs only heires of the kingdome of heauen faith cannot be attained without hearing of Gods word preached the word of it selfe cannot bee preached without a Preacher therefore Preachers are the onely meanes appointed of God to worke faith in his children by the preaching of Gods word and the secret working of the holy Ghost whereby they are made partakers of the promises Whosoeuer therefore is not content with this ordinance of God but would haue some further reuelation from heauen shall neuer be partakers of the benefites of Iesus Christ. He himselfe declareth in the parable of the rich glutron that whosoeuer would not beleeue the messengers of God which are the Preachers of the word they would not beleeue though one should rise from the dead to instruct them For in the word of God is set forth most clecrely and manifestly the true and certaine rule to liue by and the meanes whereby to attaine vnto saluation Therefore it is too too much vngodlines to desire any other meanes to bee instructed by than by the word of God which is the verie gate of heauen and the keyes thereof are giuen to the true Ministers of Gods word with such power that whatsoeuer they bind on the earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose vpon earth shall be loosed in heauen So wonderfull is the mercie of God toward his children herein that they may haue assurance of saluation in this life vea so certaine may they be of it as if they had it alreadie in possession and that not by preaching of Angels but euen by our owne brethren mortall men as we are subiect to sinne and all infirmities at whose hands we may daily bee taught and with whom we may talke familiarly and at their hands through the word of God wee may haue as good assurance hereof as if the Lord should speake himselfe from heauen If God should speake we were not able to abide the hearing of his voyce but bee euen swallowed vp of feare How were the children of Israel terrified with the voyce of the Lord when he spake vnto them they fled away and stood a farre off and cried to Moses Talke thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs least wee die What a vaine and vngodly thing were it to perswade our selues that we could beleeue if wee heard God himselfe speake or if one came from the dead to tell vs what wee should beleeue when as the very earth will quake at the voyce of God And our Sauiour Christ telleth vs plainely that if we beleeue not the true Preachers of his word wee could not beleeue though a damned soule should come from hell to preach vnto vs the reason is because the ordinance of God which is vnchangeable hath appointed our brethren to teach vs the way vnto saluation And truely it is a notable place where our Sauiour Christ doth seperate his from the reprobate Then came the Iewes round about him and saide vnto him How long doest thou make vs doubt If thou be that Christ tell vs plainely Iesus answered them I told you and ye beleeue not the workes which I doe in my Fathers name they beare witnes of mee But yee beleeue not for yee are not of my sheepe as I saide vnto you My sheepe heare my voyce and I knowe them and they follow mee And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand Wee see then it is a great argument of reprobation when our hearts be so hard that wee cannot beleeue the Gospell of Iesus Christ for this is an infallible truth that those which are the Lords in his time he calleth and they shall abide and neuer fall away but those that are not his shall fall away although they haue been passing cunning hypocrites in outward holinesse The children of God will acknowledge this meanes and praise the wisedome of God which hath thereby quite transfourmed them and chaunged their whole man in sanctifying them by his holy spirit and giuing of them assurance of saluation which they confesse could neuer haue come to passe without the preaching of the word This authoritie is giuen to the Ministers to pronounce the terrible iudgements of God against sinne and whosoeuer hee bee that doth not repent and turne from the same shall be as sure of euerlasting damnation as if hee were already in hell Againe to the penitent whose consciences are burdened with griefe for their sinnes he may pronounce the sweete promises of the Gospell how Iesus Christ hath died for them and hath discharged them before the iudgement seate of GOD and they shall be as sure of saluation as if our Sauiour Christ should speake from heauen himselfe who is Trueth and cannot lye and say Whosoeuers sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoevers sinnes yee retaine they are retained This is a wonderfull thing and this shall Gods children confesse an vnspeakeable goodnesse of the Lord God in sending our brethren with such power Sith then this is so necessarie they which will not confesse this to be the ordinance and meane appointed of the Lord God to bring his children home vnto his heauenly Kingdome either neuer heard of Iesus Christ or else in miserable hypocrisie haue heard and professed the Gospell which shall be a testimonie to their consciences euen to their vtter condemnation Now we haue heard the necessitie of a Pastor and the vse wherevnto he is appointed it is requisite that we consider what dutie the Pastor oweth vnto his â—â—ocke for as the Lord when he establisheth a Kingdome will chuse a King so will hee also giue him first a Kings heart before he setteth him in his seate so when hee prepareth a spirituall father to beget soules vnto himselfe hee giueth him gifts and power to doe the same as Saint Paul testifieth writing to the Ephesians But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gifts of Christ Wherefore he saith when hee ascendeth vp on high hee led captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts vnto men so that first the Lord giueth gifts and secondly men This must be the dutie of the Minister as the holy Ghost telleth vs to watch ouer the soules of his people to be so carefull ouer them as that hee will not suffer one through his negligence to perish but by his earnest labouring in preaching the word of God to build them vp into a stronger faith which are already begotten vnto the Lord and also to winne others to Christ and so increase the mysticall bodie of Christ so much as his diligence by the blessing of God shall be able 1. First therefore it is requisite in the Ministers office that he studie the word of God that he doe diligently reade the same and also giue himselfe
Philippians as in diuers other places requireth after that hee hath declared the great humility of Iesus Christ in that he became obedient vnto the death of the crosse thereupon taketh occasion of his exhortation Wherefore my beloued as yee haue alwaies obeyed me not as in my presence only but now much more in mine absence so make an end of your saluation with feare and trembling It appeareth by his wordes that the Philippians to whom he wrote had bin very obedient vnto his ministerie from that time wherein it pleased God to touch their heart with a care of their saluatioÌ„ by his preaching yea so obedient were they that not only in his presence among them they vsed great submission vnto his doctrine but much more in his absence they declared their dutifulnes in that with great eate they laboured to make it profitable by practising the same in their life and conuersation whereby it may seeme that the Apostle needed not to haue exhorted them vnto this dutie of obedience being alreadie so forward and prone thereunto but wee may hereby learne how needfull a thing it is that the people be obedient and that in no small measure but so farre forth as they shall be able to frame their liues according to the word of God in all points which he preacheth vnto them sincerely and purely to the feeding of their soules vnto eternall life which they can neuer obtaine vnlesse they become obedieÌ„t to bee taught and instructed at the Ministers hand by the most pure word of God which with the operation of the holy Ghost worketh faith in the children of God whereby they apprehend the merits of Iesus Christ and haue his righteousnes obedience and holinesse imputed vnto them of the free grace and mercie of God as surely as if in their owne persons they had wrought it and so made heires of the kingdome which Christ by his blood hath purschased for them It is necessarie that so many as desire to be saued bee obedient vnto the Minister whom God hath placed ouer them as his instrument to bring them to his heauenly kingdome as before I haue declared vnto you And the rather to stirre them vp vnto a continuall obedience hee addeth this Make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling As if he should say Beloued brethren as you haue hitherto submitted your selues to be reformed by the most glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ and haue obeyed vs in the Lord to the increasing of your faith and the assurance of your saluation so I beseech you to continue and euen with feare and trembling make an end of your saluation for if you should waxe obstinate in the end and become disobedient to those that labour in the Lord for your behoofe I tell you truly all your former obedience shal no whit profit you nay your end shall bee worse be lowly therefore and reuerence your Teachers in the Lord that you may with great humilitie as it becommeth the children of God receiue the promises And least the aduersaries should perswade that this your obedience and willing following of the Gospell hath come vnto you of your owne nature that by that meanes he may draw you to disobey the Ministers of God whom you cannot disobey but you must also despise the word and him that sent them and so fall from all grace I tell you therefore plainly that it neuer came of your selues for it is God that worketh in you both the will the deed and that not of your desert but of his own good pleasure We see then that the people must obey their Minister giue diligent heed to be taught by them the whole counsell of the Lord concerning the saluation of their soules which thing also our Sauiour Christ doth manifest in the tenth of Iohn My sheepe saith he heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me c. Our Sauiour Christ giueth vs a notable token here to know the children of God by and that is If they heare his voyce and followe him for they that wil not be obedieÌ„t vnto him are none of his neither yet partakers of those benefits which he hath purchased for his But peraduenture some wil say It is true that if a man will not obey the voice of Iesus Christ he is not for him but where is Iesus Christ that we may heare him and obey him O brother take heed how thou seekest such cauillations to maintaine thine obstinacie for thou canst not so shake of thy dutie to thy Minister but if thou confesse it thy dutie to be obedient vnto Iesus Christ I tel thee plainly thou oughtest no lesse to obey the Minister in that he bringeth the message of Christ tâ—aÌ„ if himselfe were present For he being the very Truth it selfe hath said plainly on the Ministers behalfe He that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee What an hainous thing were it to refuse the Minister and to bee disobedient vnto them when the case standeth so that the disobeying of them is not onely a contempt of Christ but also of God the Father who is a seuere iudge to be reuenged of all his enemies But they that be of the sheepfold of Iesus Christ will be obedient to their shepheard euen as willingly as the sheepe are The reason hereof is drawne from the nature of sheepe which is the simplest of all creatures to shift for it selfe and yet more profitable than any other cattell when one of them is straied out of the way it is caught in the brambles and briers readie to be lost in euery pit or hole yea subiect to a thousand daungers and cannot helpe itselfe in the least of them and when the shepheard hath fetched her home how obedient is shee and glad to bee guided by him for feare of falling into the like danger so is it required of the children of God that they be obedient as sheepe yea if he were the wisest or mightiest in the world he must not take scorne to become as simple as a sheepe if hee will enter into the kingdome of heauen for before such time as the Lord by his instrument the Minister doth bring them home into the sheepfolde of Iesus Christ they wander in innumerable dangers are no more able to deliuer themselues out of them then the silly sheepe is to saue her selfe from the wolfe but when they are brought home then they see their infirmitie and what great neede they haue of a shepheard to preserue helpe them out of so many perils which tend to the destruction both of body and soule then they gladly obey him which is carefull to guide them in the way of saluation with the most holy word of God and to refresh their hungrie soules with that heauenly foode and milke The holy Ghost saith that they must bee borne againe and that not of mortall
vndefiled before God is to visit the fatherlesse that â—s the effect and fruite of true religion which God requireth with the hearing of his word is to visit the fatherlesse And Esai 58. 6. Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednes c. That is is not this the fruite of fasting which I haue chosen And so likewise is it meant of the Sabbath in the same place the fruite and effect whereof is to rest from sinne But why then doth the holy Ghost rather name the effect thaÌ„ the meanes the fruit thaÌ„ the cause Euen because though we haue the meanes and doe not vse them to effect it were altogether vnprofitable as we see many carnall professors who rest too long in the meanes but make no conscience to shew the effect of them What then Shall we so rest in the effects as with the Heretikes of our time we should contemne the meanes Shall we not eate and drinke because we liue not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the word of God Shall we not build because vnlesse the Lord helpeth the builder buildeth but in vaine Nay as we confesse that the meanes without the effect are vnprofitable so we affirme that to come to the effect we must carefully vse the meanes Wherfore because the cause not producing it effect is nothing worth the effect is rather set down than the cause Let not a man separate those things which God hath ioyned together If we rest in our Sacraments as the Iewes in their Circumcision we shall neuer see the fruite of them If we keepe the Sabbath if we vse fasting vntill our bodies be made most lithe and labour not to become a new creature all is in vaine we separate those things which God hath ioyned together that is the fruite from the meanes Againe if on the other side we thinke now we must obey and not heare the word if it be all that God requireth to doe good and not to pray or that we can beleeue enough without the help of the sacraments we deceiue our selues with a false imagination of righteousnes and we make as great diuorcement on the other side of the meanes from the effect as before we make a separation of the effect from the meanes Aske now the Papists what is their rule and they will shew many meanes as the rule of Heremites of Dominican Friers of their Franciscan Monks of their Augustine Friers and such like Demaund of them what rules they haue of their effects they will say they are come out of the world to liue in monkerie they haue their shauings pilgrimages whipping of their owne bodies voluntarie and monasticall vowes traditions and such like But come to the other rabble who are worse than the beasts of Egypt forsaking the sweete land of Canaan and they will denie all meanes and brag they neuer so much of effects yet in pure effects they be most barren hypocrites If they were as wise as Salomon or as holy as Dauid or as zealous as Paul yet they might frequent the Temple and thinke it a blessing to be in Sion and reioyce in the companie of Christians But to leaue these let vs learne as much as we cast off the traditions of the Pharisies so much to put on the sweete yoke of Christ and let vs carefully vse the word and with the word ioyne prayer and to prayer adde practise vsing the sacraments and by them grow in faith that by faith we may increase in repentance and with the cause marrying the effect and from the fruite neuer diuorce the meanes because God is neither pleased with our fruitlesse ceremonies if we rest in the meanes neither with our holy hypocrisie if we refuse his ordinance This rule the Apostle saith is both for the preachers and for the people for preachers because he opposed this rule against the rule of certaine false teachers for the people in that he nameth them here the Israel of God By this word peace he meaneth the fauour of God or the good successe in our enterprises by mercie he vnderstandeth the goodnes of God in pardoning our sinnes and relieuing of our infirmities First it is probable that he speaketh of these things to Teachers as well to discourage the false teachers as to embolden the pure Preachers of the Gospell against all the glorious assaults of their aduersaries Againe because the preachers of the word haue taken vpon them the guiding and gouernment of the people as well in life as in doctrine and in good example to goe in and out before them he preuenteth the subtiltie of Sathan who might by the euill slanders of the false Apostles mooue these men to some remission in their calling And to put away this temptation the Apostle Paul putteth them in minde of this rule and propounding here a promise he encourageth them notwithstanding their persecutions against all attempts of men and assureth them of God his mercifull protection This promise of the fauour of God to his faithfull Ministers is not only in this place but vsed elsewhere of the holy Ghost as Deuter. 33. 11. Moses the man of God blessing the tribes of Israell saith thus of Leui the Priest of the Lord Blesse ô Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands smite thorough the loines of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe Thus he comforteth Leui shewing that his ministerie should not be contemned without reuengement And Zachary 3. 1. 2. it is said And he shewed me Iehoshua the hie Priest standing before the Angell of the Lord and Sathan standing at his right hand to resist him and the Lord said vnto Sathan the Lord reproue thee ô Sathan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reproue thee Where we see that where God his true Ministers are there is a strife with Satan who is readie for them but yet they are before the Angell that is Christ who will smite the proud force of Sathan that he shall not be able to withstand vs. And Christ sheweth that he hath a common ministerie in and with his preaching by them beseeching some by them also threatning others and therefore as he hath giuen them gifts for his glory so he is armed with power to confound all that lift vp an high hand against them Hereupon he so much authoriseth his Apostles telling them whatsoeuer they bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer they loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Neither doth this or such like promises only concerne them which in euery point of doctrine and discipline are sound and without error but euen them also who holding carefully the foundation which is Christ Iesus through some infirmitie of iudgement build timber hay or stuble as wee may see 1. Cor. 3. Wherefore if a man preach that we are all condemned through sinne and that there is no saluation without Christ
matter I hope you cannot charge me to be either Whore or Theefe But though man cannot charge you which al cannot say is that a sufficient discharge for you Nay you must looke vnto it that God find not matter sufficient to conuict you either of those particulars or of worse and viler offences And let none reply that it is sufficient that we frequent Sermons partake of the Sacrament and come to prayer in publike and vse prayer in the family and performe other duties that Christian men and women should doe and no more is required at our hands Yes God doth require more then this hee calleth for the heart in all these though a man be present at neuer so many Sermons yet if his minde run after his pleasures or after his couetousnes so that when his body trauels one way his affections trauell another way all his hearing is nothing worth And so in praier though there be neuer so many excellent words apt termes and goodly sentences yet if they come from the head and not from the heart from wit and memory and not from the inward feeling of the soule they cannot be accepted God professeth indeed that he wil be found of those that seek him but then they must seek him with their whole heart that is truly and feruently they must not come with a part of their heart for then they bring no part in Gods account but with all their heart for he that giueth him not al giueth nothing at all â—o for the workes of our calling if we do not labour therein as Gods seruants we can expect no wages we may haue coÌ„mendation from men but we shall haue â— check and rebuke from the Lord mens tongues may magnifie vs but Gods hand will confound vs. Therefore let vs when we enter vpon any good way endeuour with an vpright and true heart to goe forward in the same otherwise it had beene better neuer to haue entred hereinto Now that wee may make sure worke in this regard let vs trye our sinceritie by the good effects that doe euer accompany the same 1 One note therefore of a sound heart which wee should take for our tryall is to bee vniuersall in our desires and in our practise that wee haue respect to euery commandement of God to the first table as well as to the second and to the second as well as to the first that we bee righteous towards men as well as religious towards God that wee looke to our hearts as well as to our actions and to our actions as well as to our hearts Contrary to this rule is the dealing of those that will giue dispensations vnto themselues for many things so that they can make a shewe of some thing What if we be not so strict for the Sabbath thinke they yet wee are no swearers nor blasphemers what if we take a little libertie for vaine sports and idle discourses these are but trifles wee will not bee adulterers nor filthie speakers c. This is a shrewd signe of an heartfull fraught with guile and deceit the propertie of a good conscience is to bee willing and desirous in all things to walke honestly If one bee neuer so strict for the Sabbath if hee will helpe himselfe by a lye now and then for his commoditie or for his credit sake and if a man be neuer so rigorous and seuere for matters of iustice and yet will steale time from the Lord vpon his day and spend the same in his owne businesses and affaires whether secretly or openly and so for any other thing if we make bold to borrow a little law of God this is an argument of a false and dissembling heart and therefore this must bee taken heede of as being very dangerous A second marke is to haue a continuall increase in godlines neither to waxe worse nor to stand at a stay but still to striue to grow better and better as the Apostle Paul testifieth that he himselfe did I forget that which is behind and endeuour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus And hauing shewed what he did himselfe he annexeth an exhortation also for vs Let vs therefore as many as are perfect that is sincere and voide of grosse hypocrisie be thus minded He was not as a vaine foolish man who running in a race will be euer anon looking back how much ground he hath rid but his eye was vpon the marke considering how much he had yet to runne how farre off hee was from perfection and the same minde should bee in vs and will be in as many of vs as are indued with the same spirit that Paul was We must euery day labour to abound more and more in all wisedome and in all goodnesse If wee prayed once a day in priuate and that somewhat coldly at the first wee must afterward pray twise or thrise or oftner in a day as occasion is offered and that more feruently and feelingly then we did in the beginning If we did reade and meditate more seldome and with greater weakenesse and distraction at our first entrance into profession in our proceeding wee must vse those exercises more frequently and performe them more seriously and cheerfully and the like may be sayd for all other duties Thus if we can labour to doe and when we slip and so are stayed now and then in our race yet if we recouer our selues with speede and set sureâ— and looke better to our steps and make more haste in our way then we did before wee must not be discouraged though we finde not so good a progresse as were to bee wished for God will accept of our endeuour and his spirite will beare vs witnesse that wee haue a true heart Notwithstanding we come farre short of that wee should and other of Gods Saints doe attaine vnto But on the contrary if wee stand at a stay or start aside like a broken bowe and so turne backe againe vnto follie it is much to be suspected that we neuer had any soundnesse in vs. A third token of sinceritie is constantly and carefully to vse all the good meanes of attaining to goodnesse and to eschewall the inducements that may allure vnto euill Doth any one hate swearing then let him shewe it by auoyding the company of blasphemers Doth any one loth impuritie and filthines then let him testifie it by separating himselfe from all wanton and lasciuious companie and from all suspected persons and places If one pretend that heâ— hateth these and the like euils and yet will aduenture vpon the baite it is sure that such a one wanteth that truth of heart which should bee in him and is in all so farre as they are sound within So for the contrarie Doth any one desire that grace and religion may flourish in his heart and
this is foolish curiositie or to be knowne this is vanitie or to gaine by this is couetousnes but to edifie our selues this is wisdome and to edifie others this is charitie The woman of Samaria had no sooner a knowledge of Christ Iohn 4 but thee runnes into the Cittie leauâ—s her pitcher and saith Come see a man that hath told me all that I haue done Is not he the Christ Am I my brothers keeper was Kayns speech Gem4 But he that belieueth in me saith Christ out of his belly shal flow riuers of the water of life â—oâ—â— I will mâ—ditâ—â—e Three things saith Luther make a good diuine Prayer affliction meditation this last is as the chewing of the cud which we reade of in Lâ—â—â—tâ—cus Meditation without reading is often erroneous reading without meditation makes a barren student In thy wonderous workes Or wonders that is either of those wonderfull things that are contained in thy law as verse 19. of this Psalme and verse 129 which being high and hidden mysteries did cause him to haue them in admiration and reuerence or of those wonderfull workes which God before had done in the world and daylie did amongst the sonnes of men and which ought to be had in perpetuall remembrance Note we first first that Gods word is wonderfull because it containeth in it such things as transcende the reach of mans capacitie and without illumination from aboue cannot be vnderstood by the wisest in the world But especially if we consider the power of this Word in that it is that immortall seede by which we are begotten againe that sincere â—ilke by which wee are nourished that siluer Trumpet by which wee are awakened that Christ all glasse in which wee may behold what manner of persons we are and that mightiâ— arme of GOD by which we are corrected for sinne and protected from sinne we must needes say that this Word is wonderfull Giue mee a man as lasciuious as a Goate as rauâ—â—â—â—â— as a Wolfe as couetous as Hell as prosuâ—e euery way as the prodigall sonne if this Word assisted by Gods spirite seize vpon his soule it will chaunge him as if hee were a newe man and to say as one once did to his wanton louer it is not I. Now as for the workes of God whether wee looke vpon them in the creation or preseruation of them they are euery way wonderfull Dauid could not looke vpon them but hee cryeth out Psal 8. O Lorde how wonderfull are thy workes throughout the worlde And Psal. 139. But considering the frame of his owne bodie he saith I will praise thee O Lorde for I am wonderfully and fearefully made ¶ Vers. 28. My soule melteth for heâ—â—ines raise me vp according vnto thâ— Word ME thinks I see Dauid here resolued into teares and pouring them out at his cies as at â— well with two buckets by reason that the hand of God was heauy vpon him Hee can find no comfort but in the word of God therefore he to be raised vp by it be taketh himselfe to this ciaculatory prayer He thought it not enough to say My soule cleaueth to the dust vers 25. but here wil he adde that it melted for heauines The spirit of a man may beare his infirmities but a wouÌ„ded spirit who can beare saith the wise man Prou. 18 14 There is much in this booke concerning afflicted consciences therefore I need not to adde much In all those sorrowes which the soule hath arising from the consideration of Gods wrath for sinne the first consolation is from the word of God in which is promised grace and forgiuenes of our sinnes Thus it will quicken and comfort vs in trouble and assure vs of this haruest that though we sowe in teares we shall reape inioy But because wee can neither apprehend nor apply this word further then wee receiue grace from God wee must with Dauid pray to the Lord that hee would so guide vs that wee wander not vphold vs that we fall not confirme vs that wee funt not encourage vs that wee despaire not and quicken vs that wee dye not This verse requires rather the meditation of a penitent conuert then the Exposition of a learned Diuine as for the wicked they vnderstand not what is here written Though the righteous fall hee shall not bee cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Psal. 37. 24. ¶ Vers. 29. Take from mee the way of lying and graunt mee graciously thy lawe AS before hee prayed to vnderstand the way of Gods precepts so here hee would bee kept from the way of lying and because they whom God keepeth are best kept he therefore continues his prayer to God desiring so to bee instructed by his word that his minde being purged from all vanitie he may be taught to obey Gods word The way of lying is that which the Prophet calleth vaine inuentions Vers. 113. falshood Vers. 163. the way of the wicked Psal. 1. Our owne wayes Ezech. 18. In a word the Prophet here desireth to be confirmed by God against all corruptions in doctrine and disorder of conuersation which Sathan by his wittie and wilie instruments doth seeke to set abroach in the world These are called the way of lying 1. Because they are inuented by Sathan the father of lies 2. They are countenanced by mans witte the store-house of lyes 3. They seeme to bee that which they are not which is of the nature of lyes 4. They are contrary to God and his truth the discouerers of lyes This way of lying before sinne came into the world it was a way so vnknowne to man that indeede it was as a desert wildernesse in the which neuer any foote had troâ—e but now it is so broade and wide a way that the most in the world walke in it The heathen by his Idols the Turke by his Alcoran the Iesuite by his newe Gospell the Lutheran by his Contransubstantiation the Protestant by his denying the power of godlinesse the Schismatike by his pretenced puritie haue walked so along in this way that the way of trueth they will not knowe Wee haue wrangled so long about trueth in religion that as hee could not finde Rome in Rome so wee cannot finde Religion in Religion And wee haue cloaked so long trueth in conuersation that true dealing is banished from the sonnes of men hee that will vse it must dye a begger Hijs diebus iam peractis nulla sides est in factis mâ—l in ore verba lactis fel in corde fraus in factis Helpe Lord for good and godly men doe perish and decay And faith and truth from mortall men is banisht quite away Had we not neede then with this holy Prophet to hate al vaine inuentions but to pray most earnestly with him to the Lord that he will take from vs this lying way and to teach vs that good and olde way in which if we walke all the dayes of our life we shall in the end finde rest to our soules
THis shewed first that he prayed against their euill cause secondly that he suffered vniustly first because he suffered for the truth secoÌ„dly because he behaued himself godly in his cause not vsing vnlawful means And we must look that we haue these things before we pray this prayer first that our cause be good secondly that it be rightly handled therefore heretikes and wicked men cannot make this prayer Dauid was long in this trouble and yet he prouoked them not with euill words but laboured to ouercome their euill with goodnes as Psalm 33. So when we doe them no euill when we haue laboured to doe them good and prayed and fasted for them in patience and long suffering then iâ— it be against Gods enemies and their euill causes we may pray this prayer Vers. 86. All thy commandements are true they persecute me fulfâ—ly helpe me HE hath an assured perswasion of the truth of his cause and of the euill vsing of his enemies both which he knoweth by the truth of Gods word this maketh him to stand out in his good cause and to sticke to the truth of Gods word This is a great thing for the diuell will throw into mens minds if this cause were good it should not be persecuted but thou art more precise than needeth c. to this end that if he could once â—â—ing them to doubt of their cause they should leaue suffering for if men bee once perswaded that their cause is euâ—l or if their cause be good and yet if they know iâ— not then can they not suffer for it Therefore if wee will stand in trouble let vs now in peace be assured and grounded in the knowledge of the truth and build vp our selues now in faith and a good conscience For if this be once said to vs of the diuell Thou hast heard much and yet least not profited leaue thy cause betime or else thou wilt shame thy selfe and thy cause toâ— then it must be a great thing that will make vs stand Helâ—â— Though he had been long in trouble so that hee was readie to be destroyed yet hee prayeth contrarie to the reason of the flesh This teached that euen in the greatest trouble we may call vpon God and when all helpe seeâ—eth to be past then is the â—â—me to be holpen because the wickednes of the wicked is at the full and our â—iall is manifest For the lot of the wicked shall not c. Vers. 87. wanteth Vers. 88 Quicken mee according to thy louing kindnes so shall I keepe the testimonie of thy mouth HE sheweth that he was dead and when he desireth to be quickned by louing kindnes he sheweth thâ—t without this there is no quickening for there is no 〈◊〉 I will keep He that kept them before yet in weakenes and his afflâ—ction did somewhat hinder him as Psal. 17. Deliuer me from the affliction c. therfore he 〈◊〉 to keepe them better For troble hindreth the course of obedience and maketh vs â—â—get many things which wee haue learned Then what a benefit haue wee which now are in quiet and haue our libertie Without louing kindnes there is no quickening He playeth to be deliuered that he may keepe Gods commandements and this is the â—ight end of this prayer â—â—ther to be deliuered out of the present euill or to be preserued from it We doe â—â—â—â— pray to be preserued wee pray for our Queene c. But iâ— it be not to this end we 〈◊〉 nothing from beasts This was the end of Dauid in his prosperitie Psalm 23. and this was his ende why hee would bee deliuered from trouble that hee might dwell in Gods house a long season For it was his griefe that hee could not glorifie God Hee desireth to bee quickened to keepe Gods commandements then what are wee that are as dead men when wee heare and pray PORTION 12. LAMED Vers. 89. O Lord thy word endureth for euer in heauen THis part sheweth the comforts that staied him in his trouble his eyes fainted yet hee sawe Gods word to endure for euer in heauen And this is his saith which when hee sawe no helpe in earth yet could lift vp his heart to heauen And hee noteth the weaknes of his enemies that though they had almost made an end of Gods SaiÌ„ts in earth yet they cannot take the word out of heauen which is the seate therof This must comfort vs when persecution waxeth hot so that wee might say with 〈◊〉 I am â—â—â—â— aloâ—e yet the Lord keepeth his word in heauen from whence hee will send it to another place In the confidence hereof Dauid crieth Psalm 2. Why doe c. and in the death of Christ the Sauiour of the world seemed to be dead so that they mocked him He saued others yet Gods word was in heauen and Christ became a Sauiour to them that beleeued When the children of Israel were brought low in Egypt yet Gods word in heauen was true and they returned to the promised land When the Iewes were translated to Babylon so that all hope of returne was taken away yet Daniel and other knewe the word was in heauen that after 70 yeeres they should returne This is true in particular persons as Iob Dauid Ezechias and others being brought very low yet through hope of Gods word which is in heauen they looked for deliueraÌ„ce though they saw no helpe in earth This is good for vs to lay vp against trouble to come and this comforted Bradford Rogers c. which said God would bring his word from heauen to this land againe And because wee cannot see heauen though we must beleeue it by faith which is of things not seene therfore he sheweth that it may be seene in earth Thy truth indureth from generation to generation c. though all things vnder the Sun be changeable yet Gods truth is one for euer Heauen and earth shall passe Matth. 24. and Luk. 21. This generation shall not passe where vnder Ierusalem he setteth out the state of the world till the last day For as the Iewes did not receiue the true Christ so they were deceiued with a false and when they would not looke to cure their soules the Lord sent famine warre and pestilence to consume their bodies and as they would finde no place in their soules for his word so the Lord would leaue them no place in that good land And thus shall the word continue throughout all generations For wheresoeuer the Lord hath a number of his thither hee will send his word to worke in them faith and repentance and so to strengthen them that they shal neuer fall And as for all the rest the Lord will trie them with his word and when they shall be found not to receiue the truth in loue they shall be giuen vp to beleeue lyes afterward loue shall waxe cold and then iniquitie shall preuaile so that the Lord shall bee constrained to send famine and pestilence with which they shall bee exercised till
will punish it in them ass we may see in this kingly Prophet Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 2 to bring them to an examination of themselues as he did in the Mariners Ionah 1. 3 to moue them to repentance as in the Israelites Hoseah 5. vers 15. 4 to trie them as the Eagle her yong ones and the goldsmith his mettals as hee did lâ—b chap 1. 5 to confound Sathan all his ministers who would ioy if Gods children should euer prosper doe these men serue God for nâ—â—ght Iob 1. 9 6 that as the camomile doth spread better by treading the tree growe better by pruning the Pomander smell better by rubbing the iron looke better by scouring and the bodie like better by purging so the godly might be better by affliction In a word were wee not sometime in trouble wee should forget God we should not cal vpon his name nor be distinguished from bastardes nor conformable to Christ nor weaned from this world nor vnderstand Gods will nor desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Vse Is Dauid afflicted who then can iudge of Gods loue or hatred by outward things Eccles 9. Dauid in his trouble thought he was cast out of Gods fauour but hee was deceiued Dauids enemies thought that God had forsaken him but they were deceiued and euen Gods children doe oftentimes thinke the proude and rich and Epicures blessed but they also are deceiued To gee on is Dauid afflicted 1 Suspect thine estate if thou euer art at ease in this world It is the greatest misery neuer to taste of any misery 2 Be patient to endure crosses since the most godly haue beene thus crossed 3 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the wicked and the sinners appeare 1. Pet 4. 18. I had perished 2 Note that Dauid was readie to sincke vnder this burthen to faint vnder this crosse to be swallowed vp of these waues and to perish in this trouble of his Thus God woundeth but he healeth againe casteth downe but setteth vp againe killeth but reuiueth againe and afflicteth but comforteth againe We before troubles come are like vnto Peter wee thinke wee can walke vpon the Sea but it pleaseth the Lord to send one dangerous storme or other that we may say with the same Apostle Helpe maister I perish But why was Dauid thus readie to perish he saw the Sea but not the Whale the Egyptian but not the saluation the water but not Christs power walking on the water He was impatient of delaye looked too much to man trusted ouer much in himselfe and thought more of them that were against him then God and his Angels that were on his side And is not this our case when there is but a thinne curtaine drawn for a while betwixt God and vs O let him that is exercised with troubles but aske his owne heart of this point Except thy lawe wee haue heard how Dauid was wounded here is that plaister which cured that wound namely the lawe of the Lord his God He being pursued with the heart betaketh himselfe to these riuers persecuted flieth to these mountaines inuironed hasteth to these bulwarkes and afflicted with delight he comes to these comforters The word of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous flieth to it and is deliuered Here note a difference betweene humane and diuine lawes Philosophie and diuinitie Art thou in trouble what will Philosophie say vnto thee all that it can say is but thus much ferendum est quod vitari non potest I must vndergoe that which I cannot auoide But come to diuinitie it will teach thee whence troubles come why they are sent how thou must endure them by what meanes get out of them to depend vpon God repent of thy sinnes examine thy waies that the ende will be good and that death is aduantage vnto thee it will teach thee that sinne is pardoned Sathan vanquished and that Christ is thy companion in troubles and crowne after It is as the sword of Goliah no weapon like â—â—â— that spirituall Mannah no foode comparable to it and that poole of 〈◊〉 or â—â—â—â—â— riuer into which if thou once descend whatsoeuer thy disease be assure thy selfe of cure But it must be applied or else it will doe thee no more good then the bread that is euer in the cubbord the cloth in the drapers shop the wine in the vessell or the medicine which thou keepest euer in thy pocket Dauiâ— applies it by delighting in it My delight This word my is very remarkeable Dauid a great man delighted in the lawes and statutes of God he made them his counsellors from which as from graue Senators he euer receiued the best counsell One faith that bookes are the best counsellors because they teach without flatterie it is not euer true of the writings of men their maisters teach them to speake silkâ—n words but it is most true of the word of God which as a true glasse sheweth to euery one his proper fauour If great men would take counsaile here they would not in so short a time make Rehoboams diuision of their inheritance vpon earth nor sell heauen Esau-like for a messe of pottage But because in steed of the booke of God they delight in dice cardes pride pleasure luxurie flatterie and all vanitie no maruaile that the place which did honour them doth honour them no more Delight In the originall it is the plurall number delights as if he should say all my delight onely my delight my chiefe delight And no meruaile for what is it that can delight the heart of man to reade of which is not contained in the booke of God is it historie here is the most ancient and true historie is it poesie here are most harmonicall and golden verses is it Philosophie the secrets of nature are heere opened is it moralitie here are most Christian ethiques is it mysteries what greater mysterie then the mysterie of godlines preached to Adam shadowed out to the Iewes manifested in Christ and reuealed in the word is it policie Aristotle neuer wrote such politikes as here are would you reade much in fewe wordes Theognis and Phocylides and Pythagoras short sentences come farre short of Salomons prouerbes In a word are we merrie here we may sing Dauids Psalmes to Dauids harpe would we be sorie who can reade Ieremies lamentations and not lament In this lawe young and old rich and poore high and lowe males and females may finde that which will delight them And truely all ought to make it their delight it is the word of God the way to life the sword of the spirit our fathers testament the trustiest friend the most comfortable companion and the best salue that euer we can applie to our diseased soules When Chrysosteme was to be exiled by the Emperesse he comforted himselfe with this saying The earth is the Lords and all that therein is Psal. 24 1. when Vrsinus was driuen almost to despaire he comforted himselfe with this saying my
in the first and sixt verses with prayer couched in the middest of the portion It is a marueilous strange thing that one thing should bee so often repeated as this to commend still Gods law and to pray still to be taught in the same This proceedeth from the comfort which he felt in the word and from the fight of the corruption of his owne heart and is commended to vs in writing to shew vs our corruption and to labour for the like fruite Wherfore seeing experience hath taught vs thus much we must learne that we can neither see the comfort of our seeking after God nor our calamitie and miserie to be deliuered out of it vnlesse we pray with the Prophet for the right knowledge of the law of God so that we are much to thanke our God that he giueth vs in another such a fight of our owne corruption As in the first verse there is a notable commendation of the word so is there also a singular declaration of his faith Thy word O Lord is a lantorne to my feete and a light vnto my path This seemeth to all men to haue been learned long agoe and belched out in time of Poperie and that it is no new thing but a saying very well knowne but when we looke into the seuerall practises of men which is the righteous iudge of all mens iudgements wee shall finde men to be farre from any inward faith shewed in such fruits This made the Prophet to sweare in that he saw on one side his happines so great in the word the corruption of his heart on the other side And in meditating day and night in Gods law and considering his righteous iudgements he saith in trueth Thy word is a lanterne c. If we will looke into our selues we shall finde that those things which seeme to be most easily beleeued are furthest from faith and that things most easie to be learned are furthest from practise True it is that euery man will say Who will not beleeue this what a beast were he that would denie the truth of Gods word But alas our carelesse reading our rare meditating our cold praying and praising of God for his word our seldome conference of the word will testifie against vs in time to come that we neuer truely beleeued We must first looke and note our selues and then we shall profit somewhat more The man of God opposeth here the word to mans wisedom which he had meÌ„tioned in the verse going before as light is contrarie to darknes For as in darknes we cannot goe safely without the light of a lanterne or such like euen so are we in ignorance and rebellion if we be not continually guided by the word of God and his Spirit This then is a further thing how durst blind bayards be so bold who liuing in the darknes of Egypt thinke they are in the light and being vnable to discerne betweene persumption and despayre betweene promises and threatnings betweene things streightly commanded voluntarily done suppose themselues to be sharpe sighted Nay we shall finde these fruites to be but in few It is said Matth. 22. 23. The light of the body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light 23. But if thine eye be wicked then all thy body shall be darke Where our Sauiour Christ borroweth his speech from the senses of the body and translateth it to the powers of the soule For as euery part of the body is lightsome whilest the eye seeth so a man being inlightened with the word and the Spirit hauing his eyes alwaies to heauen hath his affections aright and on the contrarie as all things are lothsome to that bodie which for want of the eyes is wholy darkened so a man sitting in the darknes of ignorance hauing his mind wholy set on earthly things hath his affections disordered Now that there is no light in vs but all is darknes in our soules the Apostle Peter doth plainely shew it 2. Pet. 1. 19. We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heede as to a sure light in a darke place c. Where he commending the Christians for their care of the word sheweth that it is a light in the darke and teacheth vs that how much knowledge we haue so much we are in good affections Also Paul Ephes 4. 17. 18 saith I testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke nâ—t as other Gentiles walke in the vanitie of their minde 18. Hauing their cogitation darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them c. Where he sheweth that the man vnregenerate hath his minde vnderstanding and heart corrupt and blinde in that life which God liueth in his and that as the man which seeth being in darknes or in light the blind man gropeth vncertainely euen so all our doing are endlesse and headlesse which are without the light of knowledge Shall we thinke now that euery man beleeueth this to be true No for if they did they would doe otherwise If they felt this in affection in any measure would they not come out of their prison to the liberty of Gods saints would they not auoid the darkenesse to see the bright sunne What a follie were it for a man who hauing scales and gleamy diseases on his eyes might be cured and will not This is a double fault that when men may know they will lie in errours and ignorance and when they may be conuerted they will dwell still in Heresie Oh what a thing is this wilfullie to remaine in darkenesse and to sleepe at the hearing of the word when the Lord giueth them a lanterne for their feete and offereth knowledge and yet to be no better than the stockes they sit on If it pleased the Lord who giueth vnderstanding to the ignorant and draweth light out of darkenesse to reueale the light into their darke coÌ„sciences they should know that when light came vnto them they refused it and that they are louers of darknes more than of light But he that worketh all things mightily iâ— all men must shew this light vnto their darkenes because they that are in hell thinke on none other heauen they that lie in vnrighteousnes thinke of no other righteousnesse and sitting in the vallies of death they remember none other life We must therefore pray that the Lords glorious light of the gospel may open the eyes of their consciences and let euery man examine his owne heart that he may pray to haue his iudgement cleared by the true knowledge of the word and his affections renewed to the due obedience of the same For how much knowledge wee haue so much light haue we and looke how much we lie in ignorance so much we lie in darknes Wee know but in part when we are at the highest in this life how great then is that darkenes
when we know not so much as the word may instruct vs in When a man seeth as much in a Papist as in a blocke let him consider that as little as the care is which we haue of the word and as small as our conscience is in the obedience of the same so little is his light in heauenly things Yea though we haue knowledge and liue not after it we are yet in darkenes wee grope as it were a farre off who hauing knowledge haue no conscience A saying that may touch vs to the quicke that wee are but hauing a glimmering light as Paul had in the outward man at his conuersion or being as purblinde men not hauing our eyes cleane out nor our sight cleere when we haue knowledge and labour not to build vertue vpon vertue If then thou hast not a care to profite by the word thou hast a darke sight and a glimmering light there is a shadowe before thine eyes thou canst not discerne chalke from cheese No maruaile then why so few are sharpe sighted in the word sith either we know little or knowing somewhat we practise nothing Againe as if wee haue gone some part of the iourney in light and yet passe the other in darkenes it is very dangerous likewise in regeneration though wee haue spent some part of our life in the obedience of true knowledge and in the residue of our life do not escape the willnes of the flesh we cannot without dangerous darknes hold forth our course in the Spirit If we mingle light and darknes together and confound the world and the Church the wisedome of God and the inuentions of man we doe not as yet truly obey nor walke in the light of the word For as whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne and whatsoeuer is not in the light is darknes so whatsoeuer is not done according to the light of knowledge is done in the darknes of ignorance In all our affaires then we must learne to aske counsell of the word Here then is a good comfortable doctrine also that wee are so much in darknes as in whole or in part we be in ignorance so whether in part or in whole wee be warranted by the word of God for our doing so farre we haue a guide we haue a load-starre a lanterne and a sure light as Peter witnesseth to conduct vs. The Papists then are here confuted which say the word containeth hard things wee graunt indeed that there are many mysteries in the word of God and that the testimonies of the Lord are wonderfull especiallie in the doctrine of saluation and to a naturall man yet there be many things easie to a man regenerate and the very entrance into them giueth light to the blinde and to them which are lowly in their owne eyes It is our great corruption that when wee know in part we are as they that haue a glimmering sight of their way and therefore least they should bee accounted starke blinde refuse a leader But although wee see as in a glasse in part and in measure yet as a man may follow if he be not blinde the light of the lanterne so we may come to knowledge vnles wee shut our eyes at the truth We may therefore as safely for the soules health follow the light of the word as we may for the safegard of our body follow the light of a lanterne The way of saluation prescribed in the word is an high plaine and heaten way if anie thing hinder vs therevnto it is the curse and our sinne in that wee are not carefull to be directed For surely this is the word to open our vnderstanding yea though wee be borne blinde if you doe not willingly shut your eyes But wee must note that Gods word is a lanterne when Gods spirit worketh thereby for whilest we goe about the bare and literall sense it is no otherwise then if a blinde man should reade or a man hauing sight should put a vaile before his eyes Wherfore the man of God praieth port 17. 5. Direct my steppes in thy worde c. and vers 7. Shew the light of thy countenaunce vpon thy seruant teach mee thy statutes Why then do we so little profit by the word because we thinking that of our selues we can conceiue aright doe not pray to be taught by God his spirit For as no man seeth or can see what is in man but the spirit of man that which he vttereth with his tongue no more can we see what is in GOD but being taught by the spirit of God and his word Wherefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 2. 20. God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 11. for what man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him euen so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Flesh and blood as our Sauiour witnesseth to Peter cannot reueale the things of our saluation vnto vs but the spirit of God And why then are we yet so vnprofitable surely because we are not guiltie of our owne infirmities and we see not the darkenesse and blindnesse which is in vs or if wee see it wee feele not our selues pressed with the miserable captiuitie and bondage wherein it holdeth our soules This sight made the Prophet so often vse this prayer Teach me true iudgement teach me true vnderstanding teach me thy statutes c. All which repetitions might otherwise haue seemed to haue bin a vaine babling had he not vsed such a narrow sight of his inward corruptions with a desire to be deliuered from them which may condemne vs of our darknes and teach vs that there is no light in vs but by the word Many indeed are of a modest spirit and haue some sight of their ignorance yet they haue not a feeling of their miserie in particular things and doe not examine themselues in euery particular thing what it is to be in darkenes and therefore as we haue said doe no more desire to be enlightned and gouerned by another than he that hauing a slender eye-sight hardly discerning his way refuseth to haue a guide as though he were blinde And though the Lord often shineth vpon vs and maketh vs guilty of our blindnes yet we doe not see how loathsome yrksome and vncomfortable a thing darkenes is nor how pleasant amiable and comfortable a thing light is although we confesse in generall that we haue not the light but are in darkenes The want of seeing the monstrous vglines of this palpable darkenesse maketh vs dull in prayer for the light of Gods spirit Wherefore we must desire that that may be stricken into our consciences which we haue in iudgement that is that we may see how amiable glorious and heauenly a thing it is to be enlightned with Gods light and how horrible a thing it is to be plunged in the darkenes
of the soule how sweete excellent and beautifull a thing it is to beleeue and loue the word and how loathsome and palpable is mistrust and ignorance We must then be perswaded that though we are not in prison we walke in the night and in the darkenes whilest we are in ignorance yet the Lord wil giue vs in time to suspect our hearts of ignorance and worke in vs both a desire and a delight to loue and liue after the word and that we shall find the truth of this verse in ourselues to say with the Prophet Thy word is a lanterne to my fecte and alight to my paths Many there are which doe not so much as acknowledge this doctrine Some are come out of this darknes into the glorious kingdome of Christ and yet swarue so much in life that they shew not themselues to haue this true faith And where mens manners swarue besides their profession we see this sentence more professed in mouth than practised in life and they onely doe beleeue this to be true which enterprise nothing but that which hath it warrant out of the word For these acknowledge that in themselues there is nothing but darkenes and that they stand in need to be inlightned by the ministerie of the word and working of his spirit And as we confesse the truth of this in generall so must we deduce it to particulars and seuerals so that euery man may say I am either in light or in darkenesse if I haue a warrant for this which I doe out of the word I am in light but if I doe it by the motion of mine owne braine I am in darkenes Besides as this doth shew the great necessity of Gods word so also it must humble vs because of our ignorance as also it yeeldeth this comfort that as we thinke we trauell safely in respect of our bodies so long as we haue the light of the Sunne so also we are in the safe way to saluation as long as we are guided by the word And when as some doe obiect that the Scriptures doe containe great difficulties and are hard to be vnderstood we said that though the smallest things were deepe mysteries yet they be plaine to the least of Gods children For Prouerb 8. 9. Wisedome saith that all her words are plaine to him that will vnderstand and streight to them that would finde knowledge And the man of God saith Portion 17. 2. The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding to the simple And though all men are not curiously to search into questions yet all men are carefull to seeke the way of saluation No man then can herein complaine of darkenesse but as it is in his owne minde neither neede that so to bee if hee will vse the meanes to auoid it and in a repenting heart craue the light by prayer The cause therefore why the word is a parable and a darke riddle vnto so many is either the pride of their owne wit when they thinke their wit to be so good as they can conceiue euery thing and their iudgement and learning to be such as that they can vnderstand any thing and profit by their owne industrie when as God is the author so he is also the reuealer of his trueth or else they doe not esteeme so reuerently of the trueth nor are so much grieued with their blindnesse and ignorance as they should be Vers. 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements NOw as his faith was the first argument he vsed so the second was his conscience his loue his affection to the word which he sheweth by his oath that we may know it to be no wandring motion of his minde carrying him away but a thing well considered of and constant he protesteth that he will keepe his oath Wherein he declareth that many men haue sometimes motions to good but they either die presently or else they be so cold that they quickely fall away But as we may see he was no such light-headed man We haue here to learne that this is a iudgement of God why many doe not profit in the word because they cannot being void both of griefe for their natural blindnesse as also of the cleere sight and faith in Gods word say in trueth Thy word is a lantorne to my feet c. Now if these things be in vs we must pray that we may be moued with a purpose to continue in them and purposing we must beware we breake it not but be constant I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Concerning this binding of himselfe with an oath which the man of God here vseth it declareth his care to keepe a good conscience in laying the iudgements of God which were past the iudgements of God to come vp in his heart Wee see then that as when men sweare voluntarily it is a token of their good conscience so it appeareth most in good men who setting so much by the glorious name of God can sustaine any priuate discredit and swallow many troubles to maintaine the credit of it Wherefore Gods children though they are carefully to auoid all sinnes yet make a greater conscience of this sinne than of any other and when they take an oath though before they made a conscience of that thing yet now they make a greater conscience If hee had found no weakenesse no mistrust or doubtfulnesse in himselfe then needed he not so streightly to haue bound himselfe For if he had been alwaies carefull what needed he to haue vsed an oath But the care which hee had to meete with this weaknesse was the cause of his solemne couenant which teacheth vs that such infirmities as are in vs were in him who because of the vanitie and sluggishnesse which he felt in his corrupt nature did prouoke and stirre vp himselfe to a greater care by an oath Then if we see that euen the man of God thought this to be a necessary meane to stirre vp his infirmities why should we not thinke it as necessarie for vs when the most diligent amongst vs may thinke himselfe to bee behind him in many degrees But the cause why we make no such oath is because we are fearefull and our delaying of this practise from time to time sheweth that there is not in vs that feeling of our wants that reuerence of his word nor experience of his goodnesse which he felt This must make vs afraid and ashamed of our selues that we hauing the like infirmities haue not the like affections True it is that to be sparing in these othes is a good token of a Christian so that he be but a nouice in Christs schoole for euery man must not vse this oth because he knoweth not his owne strength but we must not alwaies be at A. B. C. and dwell still in the principles of Religion Neither must we thinke that
mercie He doth not meane here as the Papists he assureth himselfe of nothing of desert but though he shewed mercy vnto others yet with God he sueth for mercie and not for merite If then hee had failed in nothing hee would not haue pleaded so for mercie as Paul reasoneth in the fourth to the Romanes vers 4. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt And here we see that hee doth not glorie that his executing of iudgement and iustice was his owne worke but acknowledgeth it to be the gift of God and bringing nothing of his owne he craueth pardon It is an hard matter when we haue thus done not to haue our patience broken and to doe the things which we haue done before For for this cause in that the wicked loaded him with such euils and they oppressed and set themselues both against his cause and his person and his corruption was great he praied for perseuerance And teach me thy statutes That is if thou wilt shew this fauour vpon thy seruant so it is if not in the meane time Lord teach me the true vnderstanding of thy word We craue often Gods mercy and helpe but we thinke not that his mercie of all other were the greatest as the Prophet saith I desire thy fauour but this is my greatest desire euen to be instructed further in thy word Let vs then looke on this man who being in trouble desireth nothing more than the word and wisheth not so much the ease of the flesh as hee desired to be deliuered from vnbeleefe We must therefore aboue all pray for this As in the greatest haruest we lose none occasion but if we want oportunitie we craue it by prayer and striue the more by labour to recompence the losse of time passed then in our spirituall haruest which so farre passeth the other as the soule the bodie how much need haue we to see whether we haue this carking care to pretermit none occasion of Gods word and to recompence that at one time which we lose at another And though he saith Deale with thy seruant he doth not here boast of his seruice but pleadeth for mercie If a Nobleman should take vs as vagabonds and rogues or should rescue vs out of prison when wee had any suite we would craue mercie and fauour and not speake of our seruice here is no presumption so likewise we being taken as stray sheepe and rescued from the prison of hell if we crie Lord deale with thy seruant according to thy mercie we doe shewe no presumption but plead for mercie and say Seeing thou hast vouchsafed Lord to take me to thy seruice consider with what enemies I haue bene oppressed though I am not in all things a skilfull seruant yet I am faithfull to thee in affection Lord therefore helpe me The Papists then are destitute of Gods Spirite they see not this metaphor that it is of such seruants who when they haue done all things they can yet thinke themselues vnprofitable seruants His meaning then is O Lord defend me from mine enemies for my cause is in thy seruice Verse 125 I am thy seruant grant me therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies WE see the Prophet of God neuer calleth into question the promises of GOD although they were long suspended but rather his owne incredulitie and vnbeleefe because he either did not so execute iustice iudgement as he ought to haue done or else beleeued not so throughly the couenants of God and therefore desireth hee to be taught in the statutes of the Lord that he may further beleeue his couenants For albeit he had executed iudgement and iustice yet hee was oppressed though hee waited on Gods promises yet they were not fulfilled therefore he might haue shrinked had not the Lord taught him his statutes to strengthen his obedience and exercised him in his couenants to confirme his faith His prayer is the selfesame which in effect Christ taught his Disciples commaunding them to pray Lord increase our faith that is Lord increase our faith in the assurance of our iustification according to thy statutes in the feeling of our sanctification according to thy couenants So we see now that as the man of God praied before for a further vnderstanding of the statutes of the Lord so heere he praieth for a further vnderstanding of his testimonies The Saints of God did neuer so brag of their gifts of knowledge and faith but that they still acknowledged and lamented in themselues the remnants of ignorance and incredulitie and desired the remedie of them by praier This ought to be for our instruction that though we be not conscious in our selues of any grosse disobedience or palpable vnbeleefe yet we must pray for a further sight of the law finding our vnbeleefe we must craue of God that we may be more staied in his promises Perseuerance is an excellent thing especially when Gods promises are delaied and we in greatest danger then is the sure triall both of our knowledge and faith We are also taught here that whatsoeuer good things we haue we haue them not as to locke them vp in our possession but seeing wee may shrinke away and make shipwracke both of faith and a good conscience we must pray to haue a greater knowledge of the statutes of the Lord and a greater faith in his promises And here is to be noted how the Prophet desiring a greater knowledge of Gods testimonies he doth not so much desire any corporall reliefe against his enemies as spirituall resistance against his vnbeliefe teaching vs that in perill we should especially craue the true vnderstanding of Gods will that hauing gotten that we may haue all other things as it shall please the Lord. Here we see a great difference betwixt the faith of Gods children and the presumption of the wicked flesh and blood after long triall either cast off all weldoing and perseuering in obedience or else labour to weaken our faith but in God his children it must not so preuaile either to the staying of their obedience or hindring of their faith For flesh and blood in all troubles seeke to be released from them but Gods children are taught to possesse their soules in patiēce and aboue all craue that faith which pleaseth God and that obedience which is most acceptable vnto him This then is a token of a reuerent faith in the testimonies of our God when we call into question rather our obedience and faith than Gods promises and statutes and when our consciences tell vs that we doe not so much desire to be rid from our troubles as that the rod of the wicked may not light vpon vs either in rebelling against Gods lawe or in mistrusting his couenants For as we haue said flesh and blood would rather be exempted from outward miseries than to feele the comfort of Gods promises But we must haue a iealousie of our selues and suspect our want of
are to beware of this and so much the rather because the Lord hath plagued them that in outward shewe haue borne a great countenance of religion whose liues priuily were filthie whose cases and vizards when the Lord hath taken from them and hath reuealed their corruptions they haue appeared hypocrites The second obseruation is that we looke to the priuie corruptions of nature lurking in our hearts which containe such a bottomlesse pit of corruption that it is the special grace of Gods spirit to gage them to the depth Wee must therefore learne to search our hearts for it is the fearefull iudgement of God when we make no conscience of sinne secretly to haue our sin breake forth publikely As when we haue no care to pilfer secretly we shall be brought to steale openly by the secret wrath of God whereby also secret lusts malice hatred nourished in the heart and affections are permitted to breake out in time euen into our outward actions This is a plague to them who rather would seeme to be than in truth desire to be godly Couetous men haue this propertie that they rather would be rich than be accounted rich such ought our affections to be that we should indeede rather be godly than desire to bee so accounted of Let vs labour to doe well secretly howsoeuer for a while it be hidden from the world that God which seeth our doing in secret will reward it openly and in his good time will giue vs grace to doe well publikely But peraduenture the wicked will say what ground what intent what cause haue you to labour so much about the disclosing of the secret corruptions of our heart But yet alas they are ignorant of this that because they know not the secret corruptions they fall the more violently to grosse sinnes and euery man shall trie this to be true in himselfe that he that maketh conscience of his thoughts will vndoubtedly make conscience of his words and deedes and he that maketh no conscience of his thoughts he may come to make no conscience of his words and deedes Besides he that beginneth to reforme his heart hath this promise in the word that he shall not be confounded as Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not bee confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And Port. 10. 8. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Wherefore if wee will bee truly zealous wee may adde another rule that we haue none other end of our zeale than how wee may glorifie our God whether it be in prosperitie or aduersitie This then is the third rule that we keep a right course tenour of zeale in both estates We must especially look to that wherunto we are most ready that is whether we be more zealous in prosperitie and fall away in aduersitie or whether we are more feruent in affliction and ouerwhelmed in abundance whether by the one wee are not puft vp with securitie and secret pride or whether with the other we be not too farre humbled and abased For many in time of peace are religious who seeing persecution to followe the Gospell slide backe and flie from it Iobs wife whiles her husband was in prosperitie could worship God and shew her selfe in outward things as zealous as Iob himselfe but when affliction came she was readie to curse God We know in prosperous times many were very forward in religion who in time of trouble shrinked from the truth some so long as they may haue credit by giuing countenance to the Gospell goe farre but when discredit comes they will leaue all But the Prophet saith I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy word O ther'on the contrarie part so long as God exerciseth them with any crosse are zealous professors who being set aloft and comming once aboue begin to be secure We see many in time â—f their misery to be much humbled and whilest they want liuings and preferments we see both preachers and people very godly who when they haue gotten them some liuing obtained that which they sought for haue their zeale choked Do not many pray for the continuance of the peace of the Gospell that they themselues might continue in peace and prosperitie Doe not many mourne in the aduersitie of the Gospell because they mourne for their owne aduersitie Oh great corruption of our hearts Oh bottomles pit of hypocrisie If wee were ashamed that wee are no more grounded on the word and that we can be no more holy and vpright in our hearts surely the Lord would so gouerne vs that hee would not suffer either prosperitie to quench and carrie away our zeale to bee buried in the graue of securitie or aduersitie too much to dismay and discourage vs. This is then our triall herein if when we are in greatest prosperitie we can mourne with them that mourne in the Lord and when wee are in greatest aduersitie if wee can reioyce with them that reioyce in Christ. This is a sure token wee loue not the Gospell nor fauour the word because wee haue a loue to prosperitie neither are zealous to see the word conremned because we haue an hatred of aduersitie Daniel concerning outward things was an happie man as being neere to the Crowne and yet when he saw the God of Israel his glorie to bee defaced and an abominable Idoll to be erected hee could content himselfe with nothing so much as with weeping fasting and prayer And Paul being in bonds for the testimonie of Iesus Christ and concerning his outward man in a miserable case reioyced greatly and as it were reuiued when hee heard that the Gospell prospered and howsoeuer hee was in bands hee neuer felt them grieuous vnto him for the ioy which he had that the Gospell was at libertie If this zeale were in vs that the word of God were so exact pure and holy in our eyes that when wee are most aloft wee could be sorrowfull if the word of God hath a fall and when wee were in our greatest downefull yet we could bee glad that the word of God were set aloft then surely we would labour to sanctifie the creatures of God which we vse with the word and by prayer and at the least giue the tenth part of the day to the worship of the Lord. But if wee cannot bestow on him the tithe it is a token that wee labour more for the bodie than for the soule And if our soules bee farre more pretious than our bodies and it is an harder thing to prouide well for the soule than for the body we must deuide our times the better that daily wee may bestow some part of our time in the word and prayer if wee would truly espie our thriuings and proceedings in our seuerall callings and take a diligent view of our selues in our vocations we should vndoubtedly see the plentifull blessing of God when in truth wee vse the word and prayer and his
more than the glorie of God because he did not more seuerely and more zealously rebuke his sons and in that there wanted in him that feruencie of spirit whreby he should haue cut off his sonnes from their office wherefore the hand of God did cut off his life and depriued all his posteritie of the Priesthood Although this good man was offended and grieued with the euils of his sonnes yet his coldnes in zeale brought â—pon him this plague Elias whose zeale as much pleased the Lord as the coldnes of Elie displeased him was of a feruent spirit for when the Lord asked him where he had been he answered I haue beene zealous for the Lord God of Hosts sake and when he complained that he could finde none which had not bowed vnto Baal the Lord vouchsafeth to comfort him and telleth him there be 7000. which neuer bowed their knees to him Well because he continued zealous in beating downe Idolatrie the Lord came downe visibly with a firie Chariot and fetched Eliah from earth to heauen We need not here speake of the great zeale of Moses Phinees and other of the seruants of God We see and know the cause of this loue in the man of God was the purenesse of the word We heard in the first verse that the iudgements of the Lord were righteous we haue heard in the second verse that the testimonies of the Lord contained a speciall righteousnesse wee shall heare in the sixt verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is an euerlasting righteousnesse wee may see in the seuenth verse that it made him delight in trouble and in the eight verse that the righteousnesse of the Lord is euerlasting Wherefore doth hee this as we haue alreadie said to strengthen his Faith for after hee had said that the riuers of teares through zeale and griefe burst out of his eyes hee addeth and rehearseth these things What shall we say they are vaine repititions Nay we know the holy Ghost reproueth them Math. 6. We see then that in so oft commending the word of God the Prophet sheweth to vs our vnbeliefe which he felt so much in himselfe When do idle repetitions so much displease the Lord Surely when our tongues walke idlie and in our prayers wee speake we know not what But when a mans heart is full of sorrow and fraught with griefe of his sinnes or earnestly longeth after a thing then let vs crie Lord haue mercie vpon mee then let vs powre out our spirits say Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe Thus when the heart is loth to bee ouercome of vnbeliefe and when it desireth to shewe forth his sorrow or when Gods children would exercise their Faith or feele in themselues any rare ioy which they would gladly expresse then they vse manie repetitions as wee may see both in the booke of Chronicles and the Psalmes Praise yee the Lorde because hee is good for his mercie endureth for euer where wee shall see in 26. verses this still repeated for his mercie endureth for euer What shall wee say now that here is any needlesse repetition No well we see here then that wee must not speake simplie against repetitions but in great wisedome of the Spirit because the heart of the godly cannot satisfie it selfe with Faith and feeling of Gods promises vnlesse it breaketh foorth as a fire into many speeches Hereby we know now that the man of God here expresseth his faith we are to learne that without some liuely feeling of faith of ioy or of griefe we are not to vse oft repetitions vnlesse happily they be vsed to stirre vs vp the more to these or such like So cried the woman of Canaan O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me and being rebuked she still cried O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me We would thinke it somewhat strange and as a great matter to see a poore body shoote out so many prayers at once when they speake out of the abundance of their heart which is stuffed with so many griefes and troubles Thy word saith the Prophet is proued true it hath no changeable goodnesse but hath in it an euerlasting righteousnes seruing for all ages for all persons and for all times Mens opinions faile the wisedome strength and authoritie of man in time hath an end but this Word is exceeding large and neuer hath end Thy word is proued pure Many would thinke this to be but a small commendation for the word of God but come to a man when his minde is much troubled and tell him of the word and what purenesse what comfort will he finde in it Surely he will be as one that hath no taste in it and as one that feeleth no more sweetnesse than a sicke man doth taste in a chip And notwithstanding all that the word shall doe to him he will still follow his owne waies and goe on forward in the deuices of his owne head Doe men then feele such infinite comfort in the word so much is their comfort as is their faith and so little is their faith as little is their comfort Looke into Gods children how greatly they lament their vnbeleefe looke into Dauid looke on Iob looke on the late and blessed Martyr of God Bradford who almost in all his bookes and in euery meditation complaineth of his vnbeleefe notwithstanding that he was a man so rich in the graces of God so throughly mortified to the world so stayed in faith and yet the neerer he came daily to Christ the more he stil crieth against vnbeleefe Wherefore Paul seeing this to be a common disease among all men saith This is a faithfull thing and worthie of all men to be remembred That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners this is a faithfull saying with such like speeches which the Apostle vseth as preparatiues to stirre vp our faith The purenesse of the word is mentioned of the Prophet when after he had lamented the miserable ellate of the godly and the great decay of godlinesse he crieth out to the Lord speedily to assist his children saying Helpe Lord Psal. 12. 4 for there is not a godly man leâ—â— c. and by and by he addeth verse 6. The wordes of the Lord are pure words as the siluer tried in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold If we should imagine the purest siluer that is often tried and serueth in the court for Princes euen so pure must we beleeue the word of God to be which not seuen times alone but seuentie times seuen times hath beene tried in the fire of aduersitie and still hath remained most pure and neuer could any corruption bâ— found in it Wee haue seene good men as it were confounded and yet comforted and being tried are found to be pure The meaning of the man of God in that place is trie the word as you doe trie the purest mettals with persecution with torment with contempt or howsoeuer I
who hearing the word were neither hote nor cold Seeing then we are rather Laodiceans than Dauids wee must crie Lord giue vs vnderstanding that we may liue Then let vs learne by other mens harmes which is a princely and heroicall kind of teaching For as Princes children are taught themselues in their owne persons but are not beaten seeing rather others beaten before them so the Lord preacheth to our persons but punisheth other persons round about vs sparing vs that we by their sinnes and stripes may learne to amend and to repent in prayer There is a winter after haruest after heate colde and it is vsuall with the Lord to tempeâ— his blessings most sweete with some crossings most sower Wherefore let vs pray with our Prophet for the vnderstanding of God his word not onely to be bettered in our mindes but also reformed in our liues Then no diuell no hell no plague no pestilence shall hurt vs yea those troublesome trials which vnto others are testimonies of God his wrath shall be vnto vs seales of his loue which although the world cannot discerne yet by faith we shall both finde it and feele it PORTION 19. COPH. Vers 145. I haue cried with mine whole heart heare me O Lord and I will keepe thy statutes Vers. 146. I called vpon thee saue mee and I will keepe thy testimonies IN the last verse of the former part he set downe the righteousnesse of GODS lawe hee prayed therefore that hee might haue vnderstanding and liue and therefore they that are ignorant haue no life in them because life is onely reuealed in the word Sinners then hauing not receiued the word are dead for the life of sinne is the death of man And our first father was dead when hee had sinned and they who liued in pleasure and all other sinners are dead though they for a while prolong their life on earth yet at death the soule goeth to hell and waiteth there for the bodie and this cuise waiteth on all Cursed are all that continue not in all things c. and after Gods great suffering they shall be cut off Hee knew that the beginning of this life was in the word and hee also knewe that the continuance of it was in the word by the grace of God and therefore hee laboured to haue it increased by the word because he was conuinced by his infirmitie that hee might lose it as Adam did and therefore hee seeketh to finish the course of his saluation with feare If Dauid whose zeale had consumed him did yet in this sort pray how much more ought we which for euery light trouble are discouraged in our dutie He prayeth for the vnderstanding of the word because the diuell wil be ready to allure vs from the word if we be inclined thereto as he dealt with Christ when he laide our scripture against it And yet he liketh not of those that rest in the literall sense but hee craueth the spirit to teach him according to the word for the spirit quickeneth and flesh and blood doth not reueale these things and all that are of God must bee taught of God Isa. 54 yet alwaies agreeable to the word Now in this part he prayeth that he may haue vnderstanding and ease from his trouble this request he groundeth on these reasons first of his earnestnes in the foure first verses secondly in respect of his enemies in the sixt verse and thirdly in respect of Gods mercies in the fift seuenth and eight verses In the foure first verses he setteth downe his earnest desire and zeale that he had and he prayeth that he may haue a good conscience in the first verse and faith in the promises in the second verse teaching that these two were al the comfort that he had in trouble when he suffered for well-doing and had his sinnes forgiuen and had the fauour of God Then if we will stand in trouble let vs labour to be grounded on the promises of forgiuenes of sinnes of a new life of his fatherly prouidence and let this purge vs from sin and if we can doe this then nothing shall seperate vs from God as Paul saith Rom. 8. and againe he saith there is no condemnatioÌ„ to them that are in Christ for they haue his spirit to purge them from sinne and to strengthen their faith The want of these causeth men to step backe and the weakenes of our faith the carelesnes of these causeth such feare in Gods children and such shrinking for the diuel layeth their sinnes to their charge which they see not discharged and their faith is weake and therefore they are diuing vp and down And surely trouble must come to all for so it is ordained though to some lesse than others and therefore when it commeth we are faint if we haue not been carefull to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen our faith But if we haue done thus then shall death be pleasant vnto vs for wee shall be blessed Apoc. 12. and our workes shall follow vs that is our faith and the fruites of our faith Againe if wee suffer for our sinnes c. then wee want faith and a good conscience and therefore we murmur and crie out yea and goe to witches and wisards Yea Gods children though they come not to this grosse sinning yet they inwardly grudge and they haue secret murmurings because they haue failed in strengthening their faith keeping a good conscience but the children of God that make Christ all in all they say the Lord giueth and the Lord taketh this is the patience of Gods children And Iob did not faile till his faith failed and though his three learned aduersaries reasoned against him to proue him an hypocrite yet his conscience sustained him and therefore reckoneth vp his vertues chapter 28. and 31. And he also confessed his faith I know that my Redeemer liueth this was his faith and this was his conscience that in his trouble sustained him These things haue no lesse fruite in prosperitie for the want of them cause men to lift vp themselues on high but the word represseth pride lust and loue of worldly things so that they are â—â—uÌ„â—le in prosperitie for the worldlings seeke after the things of this world because they neuer felt the peace of conscience they seeke their owne glorie because they neuer felt what the glory of God was and neuer seeke knowledge because they know not what the soule is Yea the children of God because they labour not continually to keepe a good conscience and to strengthen their faith they are carried away with the loue of earthly things after the example of the wicked for prosperitie is as a floud which carieth all things with it and as well good as bad and therefore they are often caried away with the loue of these outward things But the children of God which doe diligently labour after these things they behaue themselues so as that God may be glorified by their prosperitie and aduersitie
points of the Law yet hee purposeth rather to shew how hee was no notorious sinner or such a one as did fouly and grâ—ssely forget the Law So his meaning is thus much in effect Although I haue offended yet haue I not cast thy Law behind my backe I find and confesse how of frailtie and infirmitie I haue offended â—â—â— not maliciously and obstinately Wherefore although we cannot be free from all sins yet we must beware of presumptuous â—â—â—â— and although we are weake yet we must not willingly and wittingly depart from the law What then is the cause why oft it is so long ere we be deliuered euen because wee lie in some secret sinne For wee must plead our cause in a right plea if wee will pleade with God if we suffer as wel-doers wee may pray to the Lord for defence but if wee suffer as euill-doers we must labour to repent Wherefore in all discredit reproches and ignominies we must labour to say in the trueth of our hearts I haue not forgotten thy Law Vers. 154. Pleade my cause and deliuer me quicken me according to thy word THis agreeth also in the second place with the second verse of the 16 Port whereof we spake before Answere for thy seruant in that which is good The children of this world are wiser in their kinde than the childreÌ„ of God the man of God had such enemies as in subtilties were wiser in force stronger and more valiant than hee which made him enforce his praier to the Lord that he would be his tower against their assaults and his aduocate against all their policies Thus we see he trusteth not to the equitie of his owne cause but to the Lord whereby wee may gather that the cause why our oppressors preuaile oft against vs is because wee trust too much in our owne wits and leane too farre vpon our owne inuentions opposing subtiltie to subtiltie one euill deuice to another matching and maintaining policie by policie and not commit our cause to the Lord. Wherfore in such a case we are to pray to the Lord to put wisedome into our mouthes that wee may bee taught what to speake and strength into our hands that we may know how to fight Quicken me according to thy word whether the Prophet desireth to be quickned corporally or spiritually whether for that hee was readie to be swallowed vp of his aduersaries or for that hee needed some inward comfort or whether it were for both it is not greatly materiall but I thinke we may safely take it in both senses For if he were quickned in the spirit he knew that the other comfort would follow after So that if we vnderstand it spiritually he prayeth that by faith and quickning grace hee might be encouraged to goe on forward and that he might no more faint hereafter than he had done heretofore Without which grace supporting and renewing him he was like to quaile vnder the burden Thus we see Gods children are often at deaths dore in body and soule and therefore had neede to pray to be quickned In that he addeth according to thy word he giueth vs to wit that all our helpe is in the word of God and that all our helpes which proceede not from the word and promise of God in the end become vaine Although this doctrin seemeth at the first to be a common thing yet the onely cause why wee so often faint vnder the crosse is because wee forget Gods promises or elâ—e we cannot beleeue that the truth of them particularly belongeth vnto vs. And this is that that maketh the very children of God so often to stagger the want whereof is great Suppose yee saith our Sauiour Christ that the Sonne of man when he commâ—th shall find faith on the earth whereby he noteth what an hard thing it is to haue true faith which so is fixed in God as neuerthelesse there is no faith but in his word Verse 155. Saluation it farre from the wicked because they seeke not thy statutes HE said in the portion going before they are farre from thy law here he saith they seek not thy statutes in which words he expresseth his meaning more plainely In the former place he saith they were farre from the law here he confesseth they sought it not at all His meaning of this verse is thus much I see their manners are wicked I know they cannot prosper in them for thou art the iudge of the world therfore they haue no interest to saluation And why there is no coherence betweene wickednes and saluation If we were in truth perswaded of this we would not so ly in sinne For if we did surely beleeue that saluation pertaineth to none but to them that keepe a true faith and therewith labour to ioyne a good conscience how durst we be so bold Idolaters so prophane swearers so vnreuerent breakers of the Sabbath If blasphemous mouthes were throughly perswaded of this would they not tremble and quake that now mocke and scoffe at the ministerie and ministers of the word we see then how pâ—arcing words these are They that depart from God by going to wisards they that go farre from his word by changing his holy Sabbath which is as a day of medicine for the soule into an hurtfull day the Lord will also depart from them the Lord will be farre from their saluation All sinnes wherein men lie and continue put them far from saluation But who then shall be saued euen they that labour for faith and a good conscience Who then shall be damned they that are farre from faith and seeke not Gods law As this doctrine is to the terrour of the wicked so it maketh for the comfort of the godly We see the vngodly proue very couragious and thriue very notably in their sinne not being presently punished because such is our corruption that vntil we taste some outward smart we become hardned This declareth in that we abstaine from sinne onely for punishments sake and we would sinne at riot were there no punishing that we are but Hypocrites and such from whom saluation is farre off Well if saluation be farre from them that seeke not Gods law then may we gather on the contrarie that saluation is neere them that seeke his law for like is the rule of contraries If we then labour for faith and a good conscience we may assure our selues of saluation Wherefore wouldest thou haue assurance to be saued let the word be neere thee in thy mouth and in thine heart Rom 10. 8 Let it dwell plentifully in thee with all manner of wisedome Col. 3. 16. Here is also a good rule as we see whereby we may discerne who be good and who be euill Here the Lord hath set downe one stedfast order which is a touchstone to trie al men and howsoeuer we account of it it is alwaies the same and like to it selfe condemning sinne commending holines Oh to what extremities should we be brought in these
may know that he felt great dulnesse and deadnesse in himselfe which often creepeth euen on the dearest Saints of God but so as they struggle against it still and referre themselues to Gods mercie wherein consisteth our life both spirituall and corporall Vers. 160. The beginning of thy word is truth and all the iudgements of thy righteousnesse endure for euer AS if hee should say I beleeue that thou wilt thus quicken men because the verie beginning of thy Word is most iust and true and when thou diddest first enter into couenant with me I did finde that thou diddest not deceiue me nor beguile me and when by thy spirit thou madest me beleeue thy couenant thou meanest trutâ—â—â— I know that â—s thou diddest promise thou wilâ— performe for thou art no more liberall in promising than faithfull and iust in performing and thy iudgement will be as righteous as thy promise is true wherefore as soone as thou speakest trueth proceedeth from thee so â— know that thou wilt defend and preserue me that thy iudgements may sâ—â—â—e as righteou in thee And as this was particular to him so is it generall to all for where the Lord doth in mercie promise there in righteousnesse he will performe and where the Lord in wâ—â—â—h doâ—â— threaten there in iudgement he wil righteously execute For where he 〈◊〉 he sheweth himselfe true and when he performeth he executeth righteousness when the Lord threatneth he manifesteth himselfe to be iust when he executeth he proueth himselfe to be righteous So the speech of the man of God containeth thus much Though all men be liars I know thou O Lord art true thou doest promise that thou wâ—â—t watch ouer thy children and that no temptation shall ouercome them I know this promise is true and therefore as thou diddest promise in truth in the beginning so wilâ— thou performe in righteousnes in the ending For both in beginning and in ending thou â—â—â—â—like and true How iniurious then are we to the Lord who will doubt of Gods promises that in prosperitie he will renue our hearts and put into vs a good spirit And why doe we doubt of his prouidence in aduersitie seeing his promise hath euer his issue in truth and veritie and seeing the Lord will not leaue vs vntill euery word that he hath spoken come to pass for heauen and earth shall passe but not one word of his mouth shall faile And as the consideration hereof doth coÌ„fort vs in his promises so also must it humble vs in his threatnings Seeing then he hath pronounced and giuen out his sentence that no vnrighteous persons nor fornicatours nor idolaters nor adultereâ—s nor wantons nor buggerers â—â—r theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor â—aâ—lers nor extortioners shall inherit then his kingdome as this is truth so it shall surely come to passe in his righteous iudgement So that they that haue done these things without speciall grace and singular repentance shall surely be damned For as true as the word of God is so righteous are his iudgements He is true of his mouth when the word passeth from him he is iust in his workes when he is righteous in performing Thus we see that to be soundly grounded in faith we must couple with the promises of God his performance with his threatnings his executions Thus also must we fight against vnbeleefe so that if we will not 〈◊〉 the Lord of vntruth we must waite for the accomplishmeÌ„t of his truth Whether then concerning â—â—s mercy his promise be of newnes of life of forgiuenes of sinnes of his prouidence or of life euerlasting we must strengthen our faith with assurance that as his word is true so also his executing of it is righteous So that the word of God shall certainly haue an issue either to humble vs by profiting or else to debarre vs of his kingdome in refusing it The sense then of the man of God is plaine and euident in shewing whatsoeuer the Lord hath spoken for good in his promise he will performe it to his children Whatsoeuer he hath threatned for euill he will execute it vpon the sinners so that we may be assured of the full accomplishment of his promises and of the righteous executing of his iudgements PORTION 21. SHIN Vers. 161. Princes haue persecuted me without cause but mine heart stood in awe of thy word AS the man of God not long before shewed that he had many persecutors so here she sheweth they were no meane men nor of the inferiour sort but mightie Princes neither Princes of a prophane people but rulers of the chosen of God the Iewes and that he did not suffer for deserts as an ill doer but innocently as one that had â—â—â—ther presu 〈…〉 transgreâ—sâ—d against the Maiestie of God neither disobediently done against th 〈…〉 〈◊〉 this was no 〈◊〉 temptation in that Princes who should haue taken â—is part against his eneâ—â—â—â— â—â—â— whom he should haue received countenance in his cause being good should 〈…〉 and goe against him For what 〈◊〉 â—t to haue the 〈◊〉 to be our 〈◊〉 who should â—ee the gouernouâ—â— of Gods Church in that hee should be◠〈◊〉 to thinke that 〈◊〉 the gouâ—rnours of the people weâ—e â—â—â— or that his one â—â—â—â—â— of your head â—f noâ— one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lesse your bodie iâ—â—â—ppâ—ly 〈…〉 yet not the soule You sâ—â—â—â—e â—â—â—â—lâ— bodies of feathered fowles without God â—â—s permission fâ—ll not into the hands of men which are so little in value that two of them are sold for a penie how then can they haue power vpon your bodies without leaue of the Lord seeing ye are far more pretious in his sight and hee taketh a further care of your bodies But if for my glorie yee shall lay downe your liues they can reuenge themselues but of your bodies as for your soule they cannot touch it But mâ—ne heart 〈…〉 we of thy word c. Here wee see the greater feare ouercame the lâ—â—sâ— If the faces of Princes be terrible because their angrie lookes threaten euill their wrathfull words â—enace death because whatsoeuer they will doe they can doe and whatsoeuer they can doe they dare doe yet fâ—are them not â—aith Christ but feare him who in his wrath 〈…〉 â—â—ule into hell They can take and attach the bodie but the good eâ—t â—â— of the soule can they not 〈◊〉 but rather feare him who can arrest the bodie and afterward can â—lso attaâ—h the soule The 〈…〉 het may be this I was afraide to displease thee O Lord and 〈…〉 noâ— to please mâ—â—â— enemies although they were mightier then I. Thus 〈…〉 hâ—w he wâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and that hee perseuered in the feare of God without 〈◊〉 For â—â—â—th hâ— though the feare of my mightie aduersaries was great â—et â—â—◠〈◊〉 the feâ—re of thee had â—â—asoned mine heart and had left sucâ— a deep impression in to 〈…〉 thâ—â— by infidelitie I should mistrust thee or by disobedience I 〈…〉 Wherefore the spirituall feare of thee
slender thing of hearing is the way to saluation But yet a degree further Naaman refusing the commandement of the Prophet concerning the washing himselfe in a riuer which was not at home in his owne countrey his seruant saith vnto him Father if hee had commanded thee a greater thing wouldest thou not haue done it and why then is it much to wash in this riuer So may wee say of the word If wee will not doe so much as heare the word which is so easie a matter to doe what would wee haue done if we should haue climbed vp to heauen to haue fetched it from thence or digged to the hels to fetch it thence or crossed the seas to haue had it thence But the Lord saith the Apostle Rom. 10. hath dealt more mercifully for vs and prouided better for our ease we neede not take such paines as to goe vp to heauen or downe to hell for the word but it is brought euen to vs and preached familiarly and therefore in respect of the right that the Lord hath vnto vs in respect of the best employing of our senses in respect of the dignitie of the word and in regard of our easinesse in hearing wee must needes heare the word Another argument is this because when I called vpon and stretched mine arme daily to you saith the Lord by his Prophet and ye would not heare me crie as long as ye can cry I will not heare you But if wee doe heare the Lord he will heare vs and communicate vnto vs the graces of his holy spirit and whatsoeuer is needfull for our saluation If then the matter stand so vpon our obedience to the Lord that we shall reape so great a benefit because he requires but euen by the law of nature to doe to him as we would haue him deale with vs it is good equitie that if we will not heare the Lord when he speakes speake wee neuer so loud or long we should not be heard of him The last reason is this when Mary was occupied in hearing our Sauiour Christ and Martha was busied in ministring things about her house Christ saith flatly Mary hath chosen the good part and why It shal not be taken away from her Marthas part in death shall be taken away and come to nought and so may we safely say of all our things concerning our trades in this life they must cease and when death comes they shall haue an end but Maries part shall not bee so that is whatsoeuer faith loue or obedience wee haue attained by the word preached it shall abide by vs with peace of conscience in this life and afterward it will accompanie vs euen to the kingdome of heauen But Martha was Martha for Christ we are Marthas for Martha wee are all for the world but this shall be taken from vs Euery man may therfore safely reckon thus with himselfe Surely all my paine my profits my trade and all will end in death this is not the good part therefore I will heare the word and this shal neuer be taken from me So that as in the former we are made partakers of the omnipotencie of God if wee heare his word so here we see we shall communicate in the eternitie of God if we choose Maries part but if we prefer the other we must goe but our part must tarrie after vs and be taken from vs. Good cause then haue wee to heare the word but who is he that thinkes himselfe happy to haue the word or thinkes not himselfe more happie to get a good bargaine who being in a iourney or sicke in his body thinketh it a speciall crosse and findes in himselfe a griefe that he could not come to the congregation of the Lord 2 Many reading in the sermoÌ„s of the Prophets Apostles how they exhort to the hearing of the word marueile at it And if at this day wee be spoken so to heare wee can say Why we sit here for no other end we came hiâ—her for that purpose our feete made hast to heare and therefore it seemeth to be a vaine speech Wherefore we must vnderstand that this word heare hath a further meaning than so Ezechiel chap. 3. saith Lâ—t him that hath eares to heare heare so that there are two kindes of hearing else this had beene a friuolous speech We must know therefore that Iob. 42 there are two hearings There is an hearing of the eare and there is an hearing of the heart there is a speaking to the eare and there is a speaking to the heart â—oâ— saide hee heard the Lord but with his eares with his gristles only and afterward he heard the Lord better and that was with the hearing of the heart We must learne then to draw vp our hearts vp to our eares that so one sound may pearce both at once But to heare with the heart there are foure things to bee performed the first is set downe Eccles. 4 17. Looke to thy feete when thou goest into the house of the Lord. And 2. Chron. 34. because men did not prepare their hearts in their houses at home or by the way abroad all was in vaine they lost their successe in heauenly things The first thing then is preparation And comming to the Church euery man is to deale thus with himselfe I shall now goe where I may sit among reprobates least therefore I should set on more on the bill and beadroule of my sinnes I will prepare my selfe and pray in serious manner and earnestly for the grace of God to teach me The second thing is that we must heare the word as good Catholikes that is we must not heare the word by parcels and by clauses as we list and giue our eare vntill it come to our speciall sinne and sit quietly till our bodie be touched but we must heare vniuersally as well the things that mislike vs as the things that please vs. Wee must be affected to heare the word as the people were to heare the Lord in the mountaine who saide Speake the Lord what he will wee will heare him This is a good kinde of hearing and it pleased the Lord so well that hee said Oh that this heart were alwaies in this people c. Wee will commend any that will please our humours and preach such things as follow our appetite As if oppression be spoken against and we be oppressed of some this common place is very plausible to vs because it is against one that hath iniured vs. Or else wee come to the word as Herod came Let Iohn speake as much as he will I will heare him but if he come to this that I may not haue my brothers wife I will not heare him But if he come to teach the Lord to speake to teach him wisedome and prescribe him to say this and not to meddle with that wee shall neuer heare fruitfully A third thing is continuall hearing the word is a rare thing therefore we
Camels haire we as though we would correct the Lord for some insufficiency in his worke deuise strange attire Of one beast we haue the skin of the other we haue the furre of one bird we haue one feather of another another feather We carrie a pearle to shine on our finger and a burthen of silke to glister on our backes yea wee were the very excrements of some beasts and then we thinke all this is of our selues And that which is more we giue not rest to the dead but we borrow of them to set on liuing bodies as though the Lord had not perfected his worke in it vnlesse we our selues make the worke more beautifull And yet more monstrous is that which maketh me maruell what our proude dames meane to set vp signes in their forheads Tauerners indeed haue signes to call in all that goe by freely to come in and there to haue entertainment and what can be thought of our signes on womens heads but that they meane to make tauernes of their bodies to entertaine whosoeuer will come to them Well if neither the Prophets can preuaile nor Preachers can profit to the taking away of this pride I will say that as the Lord will not let his spirit alwaies to striue with man so will he not let his word alwaies striue with man but they shall die in their sinnes in which now they lie in peace and without all reclaime they shall goe to the Hels with which they haue made a couenant 13 Man seemeth to be great he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is naturae miraculum mensurarerum omnium but better things about man than these Augustine reduceth to foure letters of his name the 4. parts of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby hee would signifie that it was either a Compendium of the whole world or that he had dominion of euery part of the earth Besides Adam is said to be the sonne of God euen by adoption I confesse it to be a great dignitie but then we must know that it is rather in the great goodnesse of God than in the worthinesse of man and all these titles which he giueth to man as that he calleth Magistrates Gods and Ministers Angels and the Apostle saith Ye are a kingly Priesthood these doe not so much declare the excellencie of man in himselfe as the great goodnesse of God that he should vouchsafe to communicate some part of his excellencie with man yet man must not so suffer himselfe to be flattered of Sathan that he thinke better of himselfe than he should or lesse reuerently of God than he ought The diuel feeling the fruite of his former pride when he would needs trie how well Gods seate would become him hee would faine haue brought man also to the same presumption that hee whose felicitie hee now did enuie being found in the same fault might haue tasted of the like punishmeÌ„t with him And without doubt al men should haue done had not God of his great goodnesse otherwise prouided for man But what is man that God should so wonderfully prouide for him leauing his owne Angels vnprouided for I meane those that were his Angels before they fell Surely if we consider man not as he is in Christ but in his owne nature we shall see what he is not a God as hee would haue bin nor as an Angell as he shall be but such a thing as may â—eare any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extenuation that can be deuised yet our corrupt nature is readie to dispute with God and wee will not feare to say vnto God as Iob said vnaduisedly chapt 13. Who is hee that will pleade with mee then speake thou and I will answere thee or let me speake answere thou me Thus Iob challenging God to disputation was readie either to answere him or to replie vpon him But what art thou O man that disputest with GOD And indeede when God being prouoked to disputation had disputed with Iob a while had vrged him very sore Iob could answere him nothing but this Behold I am vile what shall I answere thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth Once haue I spoken but I will answere no more Alas then what is man either in wisedome or in worth In wisedome though as Zophar said Man would be wise though he be but a young Asses colte what is hee to GOD In strength nothing for though the Lord had neede as hee hath not what could man helpe him Man is not great in viewe nor a rocke in his flesh a little paine doth trouble him a small disease doth cast him down a little affection carrieth him hither and thither and though he ouercome all these yet he is weake to resist death and if we could doe the Lord good I thinke he would not vse vs because we are by natare readie to take part and to ioyne hands with the enemie against God himselfe Againe mans time cannot be great being but a spanne long and yet a little Emot will be long in creeping the space of a spanne this time is the time of a post bird arrow or thought a post hath but a small time a bird in her flight hath lesser and an arrow lesse than that but a thought hath almost no time at all And in my iudgement besides all this there is great reason why God should not make any account of man if it please him to vse lege talionis because that man doth not make any account of God and seeing we esteeme not God I see no reason why he should esteeme vs and that we doe not esteeme him this shewes that we preferre before him our profit our pleasure and all Our parents left him for an apple Ahab had rather haue Naboths vineyard than haue him we all like our pleasures better than him generally we will not sticke to sell bodies and soules for a little thing and indeed for lesse than Esau sold his birthright But of all places to shew the mercy of God in chusing vs and our vilenesse being chosen the Apostle â— Cor. 1. 27. bringeth in fiue notable tokens of them whom God hath chosen whereof foure are very base and the fift is lesse than nothing 1. The foolish things of the world 2. the weake things of the world 3. the vile things of the world 4. things that are despised 5 things that are noâ— CHAP. XXXVIII Of hypocrisie and hardnes of heart HYpocrites turne the inward side outward the godly turne the outward side inward the hypocrite beginneth where the godlie man endeth and the godly man begins where the hypocrite endeth the hypocrite gallopeth into great shewes at the first godlinesse proceedeth in holines by de grees as being troubled with a great house of sinne which they are faine to draw after them 2 We must not professe all outwardly
serue to nouzell vs in our sinnes because the childe of GOD may come to this through often infirmitie but when hee seeth it it is time to bestirre himselfe and to feare least those fearefull beginnings doe bring him at the last vtterly to fall away 16 The first meanes to keepe vs from hardnes of heart is to feare it long before for if wee once be fallen into this then are wee past all sense and feeling and cannot perceiue it and therefore our case is more fearefull and dangerous as those are which fall into some great disease of the body and know it not Againe if we be not of hardned hearts then the word may worke with vs and all other afflictions may haue their effect and so haue a good end but if our hearts bee once hardened then all our plagues are vnfruitfull vnto vs yea they are nothing else but euen a taste of hell and of those punishments which are and abide for euer So had Pharaoh many and great plagues yet because his heart was hardened he profited not but ranne on forward till he was vtterly destroyed But Iob whom the Lord had not yet forsaken profited by all his miseries had a good and ioyful issue and escaped from them Therefore the children of God doe feare it more than all other punishments and had rather bee plagued with all the miseries of Iob and the botches of Aegypt than with an heart that is hardened It goeth not well with vs then when we feare wordly and bodily punishments more than wee doe hardnes of heart and other spirituall punishments for euen here is a difference betweene the wicked and the children of God for the wicked are euer greatly troubled for feare of outward afflictions but the spirituall punishments of the soule doe neuer a whit affect them Contrariwise the children of God doe aboue all things dread spirituall punishments as for outward troubles they are content to beare them and are grieued no otherwise for them than as they are signes of Gods displeasure this is a good note to trie our selues by The second is a true desire and loue to haue a melting heart to be often touched with the word and with Dauid to desire the vnderstanding of the word aboue all worldly treasures and the light of his louing countenance aboue all earthly helpe or treasure for the worldly men doe greedily hunt after worldly things and thinke themselues best at ease when they enioy them we must then not be like minded to these men but earnestly desire the former and then it will be an vndoubted signe of the spirit of God The third remedie against hardnes of heart is to ioyne to the feare aboue named and continually to labour and striue against it in vsing carefully all those meanes which may serue thereunto and as in our nature there is a continuall desire of earthly things so should wee continually bee moued to pray that in spirit we may daily labour and striue against it and as the husbandman fearing pouertie because his goods decay or his ground bringeth not foorth his fruite doth labour more carefully to lay vp against the time of neede like vnto Ioseph when hee was in Aegypt and as the maâ—â— fearing sicknesse because his naturall powers are weakened or his stomack waxeth weake will by Physicke and other meanes labour to preuent it so wee must doe against hardnes of heart for so long as wee feele taste in Gods word to bee humbled by his threatnings and comforted by his promises if wee striue and contend to growe in grace the Lord no doubt is with vs. But if wee waxe wearie of the world and can feele not taste in it if wee cannot bee terrified by his threatnings nor affected by his promises then is our case dangerous and we haue good cause to feare least the Lord will harden vs therefore must wee in daily hearing and reading of the word labour to come to some feeling of it and in our quiet state whiles the world is with vs lay vp such things in store as may bee able to comfort vs when our ministers are remoued and the world taken from vs. But many will bee like Ioseph to prouide for the dearth but they will not store themselues with spirituall food against the time when the word shall be taken away Now if through infirmitie wee doe fall and the light of the spirit be darkened and our hearts begin to bee hardened then let vs call to minde our former practise which we haue had in the word and remember the care wee had to keepe it and it will be a great helpe to recouer vs againe For Dauid no doubt was very well helped in his greatest conflicts by the remembrance of those places which aforetime he had read 17 When as in receiuing of meate the meate that nourisheth is changed into vs it is far otherwise in the chirurgerie of our soules For in receiuing of the word of the SacrameÌ„ts which feed the soule they are not changed into the qualities of vs but we are chaÌ„ged into them It is the folly of the world now adaies and the euill that troubles not onely the base people but the great also and the wise that they thinke they must giue sap iuice to nourish the word rather thaÌ„ that they should suffer their wisdome to be maintained by the sap of the word and they will set the Lord to learne of them Wel in applying there is a great reason we applie to the heart It is the principall place for God to worke on it is the vsuall place that Sathan most inueâ—gleth and therefore it must needes haue a plaster And here wee inquire not onely Esaus heart who saide in his heart the dayes of mourning for my Father will come shortly then I will slay my brother Iacob Genes 27. 42. but Sarahs heart too who hearing she should conceiue in her olde age laughed in her heart c. So that they must come to this cure Esaus mourning heart and Sarahs vnbeleeuing heart â—ea and with them all hearts Applie the plaster to any place saue to the heart and it will doe no good If the disease come from the heart as all sicknesse of sinne doth lay to the hand the plaster or to the foote or to the face though it heale in one place it will breake foorth in another because vnlesse the heart be well purged and cured it will still minister new matter of corruption into euery part of the body We are not then to be healed at the eare as wee thinke wee may and yet many will not so much as be eare-wise wee must not bee healed in the braine for many will goe so farre in hearing that they may bee braine-wise but wee must be cured at the heart for it is required wee should be heart-wise Well many will come so far too as they will conceiue and iudge well of things so that they growe tongue-wise
ourtakes vs and we are as good as absent or else if wee be waking we goe away before it be done or if we tarrie as soone as we be gone we commit all to forgetfulnesse And so if with want of knowledge wee be mercifull and true dealers it is but after our owne braine and because the Lord hath not planted the Lord will roote it out The end of all is if men will not grow in the knowledge of God his wil they shal neuer come to the knowledge of God that is they shall not knowe God his mercy God his trueth glory and blessednesse neither will he euer know vs. For as without the knowledge of Gods will there is not nor shall be any knowledge of God so if we know not God God will neuer know vs. 11 When we shal be ioyned to God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost then shal we know as we are knowne then shall all teares be wiped from our eyes then shall our infirmities be taken from vs then shall we dwel with the Angels and with al the hosts of heauen in most happie blessednesse it selfe We see now by this chaine not forged by our own braine but framed out of Gods word that hee is indeede blessed whom God chooseth whom Christ redeemeth whom the Spirit reneweth whom faith stayeth whom the word Prayer Sacraments and Discipline buildevp in the Lord in whom faith breedeth peace peace sinceritie sinceritie loue loue a feare of displeasing and a care of pleasing God in whom this care striueth to a mortification in pouertie of minde this pouertie comming from a mourning heart possessed in a meeke spirit and aspiring to true righteousnesse all these things being ioyned with that sanctification which lamenteth the sins of others and relieueth the wants of others knowing to vse prosperity and aduersitie as pledges of Gods fauour and vndoubtedly looking for the kingdome of heauen in the life to come If any of these linkes be missing the chaine is broken if any of these members be wanting the body of blessednesse is lame and dismembred CHAP. XLV Of Miracles and how God worketh without and with meanes and how we ought to attend on the meanes THe Miracles that were wrought in the Church were partly in mercie and partly in iudgement as in turning Iereboams hand into leprosie and into cleane flesh againe but the miracles against Aegypt were onely in iudgement 2 Signes are giuen to confirme vs in the word are not more excellent than it if then they draw vs from the word we must hold them accursed as wel as the false Prophet Deut. 12. That which Paul speaketh of tongues 1. Corinth chap. 14. is true of all miracles which are signes to beleeuers which may teach vs not to desire them for if we beleeue not Moses and the Prophets neither would we beleeue if miracles were brought from heauen So is it in the Sacramēts which are ordained to nourish that faith which is ingendred in vs by the word and therefore must not bee separated from the word nor esteemed aboue the word For we shall then profite truely by Baptisme when we in and by the word shall beleeue the washing away of sinne and get power to mortifie sinne daily within vs and then shal we profit by the Lords Supper when we beleeue all the promises of our Redemption wrought by Iesus Christ and shall be vnited into his body daily more and more by the word 3 Pharaoh did aske a signe not for any purpose to yeeld thereunto but if they could not doe any he might haue the greater aduantage against Moses and the people So the Scribes and Pharisies aske a signe of Christ to whom he answered the adulterous generation seeketh a signe So many in these daies aske proofe of many things in religion not that they minde to yeeld thereto but if they cannot haue such proofe as will stop their mouthes they may more quietly continue in their error We must learne to leaue this kinde of questioning which is seldome graunted for good let vs so frame our requests as that they may be reuerent and we may haue a desire to rest in that which is graunted 4 A wonder may moue vs for a time but commonly it lasteth at the most but for nine daies and we shall neuer gather any fruite thereby except it doth prepare vs to profite more effectually by the word 5 Some think that the miraculous Manna was not so straunge because it is to be found in these daies in other countries I answere not of that colour not of that propertie Therefore this was a miracle as may appeare by these reasons following First because it was neuer seene before and then came at Gods commaundement Secondly because neither raine nor faire weather did let it Thirdly because as soone as they came to the borders of the promised Land it ceased Fourthly because if it were kept till the morning it stanke but on the Sabbath day it continued sweet albeit gathered the day before Againe when it was reserued in the Arke it putrified not Fiftly because it followed the Israelites whither soeuer they went Sixtly because it fell in such abundance as that it sustained so great a multitude 6 At what time the Lord first sent Manna the children of Israel being rauished with the loue of it called it Manna that is meate prepared of the Lord herein they acknowledged the goodnesse of the Lord. This Manna is first commended for the colour it was as white as the precious stone called Bdellium Secondly for the taste tasting like fresh oyle Numb 11. 7. Thirdly for that it was Angels foode or meate prepared by Angels Psalm 98. And yet for all this when the people had beene accustomed to it they loathed it and set light by it wherefore their sinne was the greater The reason of it may be this This Manna was giuen them not onely to be foode for their bodies but also to be a token vnto them that seeing the Lord fedde them from heauen they were not to settle themselues on the earth but to looke for their inheritance in Heauen So many therefore as did rest in the bodily foode not respecting the thing spiritually signified by it they were soone weary of it So is it also with vs for albeit all the blessings of God be very deare vnto vs and of a great price at the first receiuing of them yet when they are common the best blessings are lightly regarded If it be so in earthly things which are agreeable to our nature how much more will it be in spirituall things which are so contrarie to our nature And hereby the great corruption of mans heart is discouered which will not be moued but with noueltie As for example the sunne if it were but seldome seene how glorious a creature would it be accoūted but because we haue the daily vse of it therfore very few of vs regard it Nay the word of
seruice and therefore his title to the bodie is good wherefore against the Anabaptists Familists we say that as God is the God of the spirit so he is the God of all flesh and though he will be worshipped in spirit yet not in spirit only but in truth also which truth being his word requireth the seruice of the bodie So many then as refusing the congregation making the corners of their chambers only witnesses of their religion detract from the Lord his worship But they excuse themselues with fearing the suspition of hypocrites an easie slander a thing that none can purge himselfe of a case therfore to be referred to the Lord himself But these men of all other do euill in speaking against hypocrisie for if they be no more inward than they are outward if their Chamber-holines be no more than their Chappellgodlines then are they of all men most miserable Reade Psal. 122. and 84. and 68. and we shall see the Prophet Dauid highly to magnifie that which they smally account of 7 Many carnall men thinke they can trust in God and in riches too they will carrie two bowstrings into the field that if one faile another may serue But we must serue God either euer or neuer either in all or in none either euery where or no where These meÌ„ will not say with Christ one thing is necessary but they will serue God and the world Thus some pray to God and perform their vowes to the diuel some are only retainers to Christ and beare his liuerie but are indeed the seruants of sinne and their owne corruption some beare the marke of God in their foreheads and in profession but they beare the marke of the beast in their hands and conuersation wee dare and must credite the Lord with our soules why should we not credite him with our bodies also God knoweth that wee are but fraile and he hauing made vs will surely preserue vs. 8 The place where God is worshipped is called in the Scriptures The presence and face of the Lord. It is oftentimes said in the Psalmes that we must come before the face of the Lord and they that eate of the sacrifices are said to eate with the Lord. Therefore when we come to heare the Word to or pray to receiue the Sacraments we come euen before the Lord where he sheweth his presence more cleerely although wheresoeuer we be we are in his presence for as the power of the Prince is ouer all the land yet his chiefe presence â—â—â—â— the Court so is the presence of the Lord chiefly in the house of prayer though he be euery where which if men would rightly consider of then would they also take heede with what feete they enter into the house of the Lord and would not â—e so bolde as to come thither without preparation nor to passe away without any meditation of that which they haue done or heard The want of this perswasion causeth all carelesnes both before and after and when wee are present If this kinde of dealing will not bee liked nor allowed of any worldly Prince that men should bee admitted to the Chamber-of-presence and yet care not what they speake nor how they bâ—lieue themselues surely the Lorde will not alwayes beare with such as abuse the house of praier and â—â—reuerently behaue themselues in his holy presence though for a time hee suffer them yet certainly in the ende he will be sure to punish it most grieuously Therefore we had neede to be watchfull ouer our selues both soules and bodies least by abusing our selues before the face of the Lord we prouoke him vnto anger and cause his displeasure to fall vpon vs. 9 In the beginning of our gracious Soueraigne her raigne it was vsually said that the dearths that then were was for the New learning Afterwardes the Lord sent peace and wealth as wee doe now see whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that it is he that brought them from poperie so that now hereafter none can complaine Wherefore they doe sinne very grieuously that shall say the Gospell hath brought dearth diseases and warre For we can all testifie that the Gospell hath brought peace plentie and health which if wee will not belieue then the Lorde will roote vs out though for his Name and glories sake and for his Sonne Christs sake he will raise vp a seede after vs that shall confesse this to his glorie as we see in the example of the Israelites which had a Iosuah and a Caleb But as hee punished the Aegyptians because they were ignorant and the Israelites because they abused knowledge as hee punished the Israelites because they would not worship him and punished the Aegyptians because they would not suffer them to worship him so he hath punished the Papists because they were false worshippers and the Protestants for that they abuse the true worship and as hee punished the Papists because they would not suffer the Lord to be worshipped so will hee punish the Protestants if they will not worship him in spirit and truth for there is like proportion 10 Some will say what can we gaine by hearing the Word can we liue by prayer Our household must be prouided for if we could come by our liuing so easilie as some doe or if wee were as well to liue as such a man is we would serue God then as well as any of them they may serue God freely and without any cares to hinder them we must take pâ—ines for our liuing necessity calleth vpon vs to follow our labour But dost thou not knowâ—ô man that the Lord leauing thee in this neede doth now proue thee whether thou serue him for thine owne ease or for his glorie sake If thou doe not now discerne of thy temptation and applie thy self to the seruing of God in hearing praying reading thinking of his Word but doest in a greedy care seeke after earthly things be sure that if thou be his sonne he wil at one time or other correct thee by one way or other waine thy minde from these outward things but if thou belong not to his couenant of Grace hee may perhaps giue thee thy desire and leaue thee also without correction which is a signe of a Bastard but at the last he will cut thee off from the things that thy chiefe delight is in and finally thou shalt perish euerlastingly in hell 11 When men will not harken vnto the Truth then will hee giue them vp to belieue lyes and when they will not regard his faithfull ministers that labour with them to bring them to holinesse then will he leaue them to such deceitfull workers as shall please them in prophanenesse And as it fared with Pharaoh and his people that would not belieue Moset but hearkened to the sorcerers of Aegypt so shall it fare with all those that will not belieue Gods faithfull seruants the true Preachers and ministers of the Gospell
Seâ— Psal. 119 vers 116. 1 Reasons to labour for increase of iudgement 2 3 Triall of our ioy Iests A generall knowledge Simile How the Gospell may be said to kill Loue the Saints 1 Notes of an holy mariage 2 3 4 5 6 If our owne heart condemne vs no man can acquite vs. Simile See before title of concupiscence The father to giue his daughter in marriage Consent of parents Second mariages not to be hastened Est mulâ—er inâ—amis propter nuptiarum festinationem si ante annum nubit In authenticis Iustiniani collatione quarta de nuptiiâ— What meditation is Godly meditation painfull False feares of mâ—lancholie Psal. 119. I am wiser than my teachers Horat. lib. 1. Eâ—ist 2 In vâ—â—ba juraâ—â— mag iâ—â— Meditation helps memorie Iosh â— 8. 1 Tim 4. 13. 15. How to helpe our sudden failing of our memorie in preaching the word The haste of young men to the ministery Mirth Temptation 1 How to discerne and discouer the 2 waies of men 3 Triall of our patience Some eate vp their hearts with griefe Cause of outward wants Murmuring CoÌ„tentation The simple preaching of Christ. 1. Cor. 2. 2. 3. 2. Cor. 4. 5. 6. 7. Hypocrisie Preachers must be farre from wrath 1. Tim. 2. 22. The corrupt actions of the body proceed from the corrupt affections of the soule To attend the holy ministerie and Preaching of the word Prayer in the night Prayer in the day To see our infirmities and waÌ„ts in prayer and to be grieued for them Iames 5. Secret corruptions may hinder successe in good actions Immoderate loue of parents Feelings most vnder the crosse 2. Cor. 12. 9. Meanes The long prosperitie of the Church Rules for admonition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A louing admonition What to consider in reprouing both little and great sinnes How vnwilling wee be to accept an admonition Motiues to practise admonition Simile Neuer trust him that will conceale a sin in vs. Simile Good euil natures Extreame sadnes To deferre sorrowing for some one sinne vnto the more generall accounting time who dangerous Triall of our hearts in reproches A mediocritie A triall of the rich mans faith Delayes Triall of our dulnes 1 2 3 4 5 Change of place and calling 6 7 8 9 Affection and feeling in singing Psalmes Cause of sin within vs occasions without vs. Sins be linked and chained one in another Heb. 3. 12. 13. Simile The triall of our state against any one speciall sinne often assailing vs. To know our speciall sinne How the godly feare sinne more theÌ„ externall crosses How the godly godlesse differ in their ioyes and feares Note True remedies against deadnes and auâ—es Christ is our wisedome Christ is our holines Esa. 11. 3. 4. 5. Christ is our redemption Note Spirituall pride How hard it is to confesse our sinnes to God Sundrie euasions of sinners 1 2 3 Admonition 4 5 6 7 8 9. 10. Discouer confesse the mother sinne 1 Consolations against diuers kindes of griefeâ— 2 3 4 5 6 Consolation against the feare of our owne vnworthines Sinne is wounded by prayer and temptation by resistance Rules for the sicke 1 2 3 4 Publike prayers for the sicke How the Lord corrects the pride of our prosperitie 1 2 Note Sathan buffeteth vs two waies 1 2 Possession 1. Cor. 6. Ye are not your owne Prophanenes Causes of great afflictions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The golden chaine of our free election 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 * Or as another copie is taken of them that vse violence to come to it Sermon-sicke Schismes Singularitie of spirit Checke of conscience Sathan feared in superstition too much and now in the light too little The crosses of the faithfull euer take away some drosse from them To resist our corruption in temptation Outward temptations Strange teÌ„ptations Against great temptations When to manifest our temptations to our brethren Sathanicall temptations To be tempted with vnbeliefe and the remedies 1 Prayer 2 Reading of the word 3 Confession 4 Attend on your calling with patieÌ„ce 5 Nâ—t to reason with our temptations or the diuel 6 To waite the temptation and so to offer it vp to God in prayer 7 Remedie To be teÌ„pted with worldly shame and the remedies 1 2 When and how temptations breed How Satans temptations follow our affections One fearing he had sinned against the holy Ghost Toresist teÌ„ptation Note Against presumption and dispaire Faith and feeling The growth of faith by two meanes 1 Not to be present at the Masse or any such superstitious seruice 2 3 Visions and preaching Lucrum ex â—â—â—â—o Lâ—â—oâ—â—s puluinarii PreparatioÌ„ to the hearing of the word 1 2 3 4 Simile Meanes of saluation Aduertisements against witchcraft 1 2 3 4 * Not for that they are good or lawfull but of blind people so called and reputed The morning how fit for Gods worship 1 2 3 4 Note Simile 1 2 3 4 5 Preperation to the word and Sacraments Of profiting in holy exercises All our power in prayer commeth from the word Simile Simile Hearing the word profitablie 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Meditation and Prayer Our obedience must be free not constrained Triall of Hypocrites Ceremonies Pride Church Against deâ—â—â—â—s of repentance Repentance Afflictions of the reprobate Afflictions of the elect before grace in grace Note Heb. 3. 13. A sweete consolation Regeneration repeÌ„tance painfull but very gainfull Against spirituall pride Simile The fountain of the heart Simile Death To loue Christ more then his benefites Hearing of the word The loue of the world Word and Sacraments Hearing the Word Carnall Protestants Loue. Zeale Triall of our loue to God Regeneration Regeneration Ioy. Ioy. Loue of the world Ioy. True ioyes Gods presence Repentance Sinne. Repentance Affliction Prayer Word To respect future ioyes and griefes See Psal. 119. Ministerie Temptation Conference Regeneration Meditation of Death Obedience Vaine-glory Gods worship A good name Desires Prayer Offences Humiliation Prouidence Familie Repentance Mercie Regeneration Creatures Merit Temptation Temptation Sathanicall suggestions Mâ—anes Consession Hypocrisie Good things Prophets Familiarity Sinne. Perseuerance Affection Repentance Humilitie Heresie Repentance Persecution Sudden terrors of mind Vnthankfulnes Temptations Humilitie Conscience Securitie Feeling Death Regeneration Regeneration Youth Youth Temptation Sanctification Repentance Mortification Hypocrisie Infirmities Our spiritual vinion with Christ. Affections Admonition Spirits Goodworks Obedience Fauour Report Temptation Mirth Deceit Gods hand Word Vocation Affliction Zeale Temptation Godlinesse Grace Mercie Simile The securitie of the faithfull wandring through all the tribulations of this life Hebr. 12. 15. Custome Eye A coÌ„parison betweene the children of light and darknes How to examine our selues Note well Iudgements Feare ioy Ioy in afflictions The minde The pure vse of all blessings Foolish iesting Late repentance Ministerie The right vse of the creatures Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 4. ExaminatioÌ„ Sinners The â—â—â—re of the godly and godlesse how
also too short and missed of the marke when because besides the sense of sinne pardoned by the death of Christ they felt not also the vertue of his passion crucifying sinne in them but saw that with the remission of sinne was not ioyned the mortification of sin they feared that there was no forgiuenesse for them but stil languishing with sorrow they thought themselues to stand charged with their former guiltines Yea and which is more for that such men haue not truely been instructed nor surely haue been grounded in the doctrine of Christs death and resurrection that is for that they saw not as well power flowing from his death to slay sinne in them as vertue to pardon sinne in them for that they felt not as well strength to sanctification streaming from the rising againe of Christ as they were perswaded of iustification righteousnesse therein they haue lien still bleeding at the heart in such sort as the wound of griefe could hardly or neuer be stayed and stanched Wherefore let vs strengthen our weake soules with this sixe-fold corde of consolation against these bitter assaults Let vs first labour to know sinne then to sorrow for sinne after to feele our sinnes in Christ forgiuen further to looke for power to crucifie the same then to lay hold on iustification by his resurrection and lastly hope for strength to proceed from thence to further vs in sanctification and holines of life euen vnto the end And thus much briefly for the second thing which we matched in company with the examination of sinne euen the triall of faith both which rightly vsed shall in some measure sauegard vs from the trouble of an afflicted minde Now let vs hasten to the third part of our diuision to shew how Gods children being fallen into this wound of spirit may be helped out of it which God willing we will also performe after we haue answered a necessarie obiection which in the former part might seeme to incounter against vs. There is no man but will graunt that Dauid Iob and others of the Saints of God had a sight of their sinnes a sorrow for their sinnes and a taste of the remission of their sinnes how then commeth it to passe that these men were so troubled in minde To this I answere that their trouble so befell them either for failing in some of these former things or else they were rather afflicted for triall of their faith than for punishing of sinne in them And therefore be it alwaies prouided that we thinke not euery conflict of conscience continually and chiefly to be for the pursuing of our sinnes but sometimes and principally that it commeth for the triall of our faith and yet secondarily or lesse principally for the scourging of sinne as we may see in Iob. Whereupon let all men be admonished when they see good men thus humbled throwne downe in minde to lay their hands on their mouthes from saying Surely these men are but hypocrites doubtlesse these men be great sinners the Lord hath found out their hypocrisie For good reason there is that such silence should be vsed for that the Lord may as well make triall of their faith as take punishment on their sinnes For if such affliction should alwaies and chiefly be sent for sinne then it should follow that all others as they exceeded them in sinne should also exceed them in the punishment of sinne But now comming to the saluing of this sore I shall seeme very strange in my cure and so much the more be wondred at by how much in manner of proceeding I differ from the most sort of men herein I am not ignorant that many visiting afflicted consciences cry still Oh comfort them oh speake ioyfull things vnto them Yea there be some and those of the most learned who in such cases are full of these and such like speeches Why are you so heauie my brother why are you so cast downe my sister Be of good cheere take it not so grieuously What is there that you should feare God is mercifull Christ is a Sauiour These be speeches of loue indeed but they often doe the poore soules as much good herein as if they should powre cold water into their bosomes when as without further searching of their sores they may as well minister a maladie as a medicine For as nutritiue and cordiall medicines are not good for euery sicke person especially when the body needeth rather a strong purgation than a matter restoratiue and as incarnatiue medicines may for the time allay the paine of the patient but after the griefe becoÌ„meth more grieuous so the comfortable applying of Gods promises are not so profitable for euery one that is humbled especially when their soules are rather further to be cast downe than as yet to be raised vp so those sâ—gred consolations may for a while ouer-heale the conscience and abate some present griefe but so as afterwards the smart may be the sorer and the griefe may grow the greater hereof insueth this effect that comfort seemeth to cure for a while but for want of wisedome in the right discerning of the cause men minister one medicine for another and so for want of skill the latter fit grindeth them sorer than the former Some there be who without all precept and practise will be their owne Physitions and these so soone as the fit commeth vpon them thinke it the best to chastise and to chase away their sorrow by drinking at tauernes by minstrelsie in merie companie by purging melancholie in taking Physicke all which may seeme to weare away the paine for a while but yet after it biteth more deeply when the burning feuer of their spirits shaketh them with a second recourse and for that before they were not truely searched purged â—eared and launced it commeth to passe that the second relapse is more dangerous than the first impression To come to our purpose we must know that all griefes are either confused or distinct and sure it is that the minde is appalled either for some cause knowne to vs as certaine oâ— for some thing vnknowne to vs and vncertaine To them which are troubled with such blinde griefes whereof they can see no reason as often it happeneth to Gods children in secret prouidence who either neuer knew God or else had but a generall knowledge of him I answere that as I denie not Physicke to be ministred if it in part proceed from a naturall cause so I require the word especially to shew the principall and originall cause to begin in the soule And this I doe the rather because I would haue wisedome both in considering the state of the body if neede so require in looking chiefly to the soule which so few thinke of If a man troubled in coÌ„science come to a Minister it may be he will looke all to the soule and nothing to the body if he come to a Physition