tables too another smackes of eloquence and hee gapes for a phrase that when he commeth to his ordinarie he may haue one figure more to grace and worship his tale another is male-content and he neuer pricketh vp his eares till the Preacher come to gird agaynst some whom he spiteth and when the Sermon is done hee remembreth nothing which was sayd to him but that which was spoken agaynst other another commeth to gaze about the Church he hath an euill eye which is still looking vpon that from which Iob did auert his eye another commeth to muze so soone as hee is set hee falleth into a browne studie sometimes his minde runnes on his market sometimes of his iourney sometimes of his suite sometimes of his dinner sometimes of his sport after dinner and the Sermon is done before the man thinke where he is another commeth to heare but so soone as the Preacher hath sayd his prayer he falles fast a sleepe as though he had been brought in for a corps the Preacher should preach at his funerall This is the generation of hearers is not the saying of Christ fulfilled now Hearing you heare not because wee heare and heare not like a couetous churle which goeth by a begger when he cryeth in Christes name for reliefe and heareth him crye but will not heare him because he craueth that which he will not part with May we not say againe with Christ What went ye out to see rather then What went ye out to heare seeing ye remember that which ye see and forget all which ye heare So you depart from our sermons like a slidethrifts purse which will hold no money and as you goe home one saith he doth not edifie another saith I cannot profit by him another saith he keeps not to his text another saith he speaks not to the heart as if the ground should cōplaine of the seede which will not receiue the seede Is not this the cause why your Preachers about the Citie care not how they preach because their flockes haue no care to heare Is not this the cause why God doth not heare vs because we wil not heare him Is not this the cause why ye are such Doctors in the world and such Infants in the Church Yee learned your trade in seauen yeares but you haue not learned religion in all your yeares Can you giue any reason for it but this you marked when your master taught you your trade because you should liue by it but you marked not when the Preacher taught you religion because you do not liue by it Come now to the daunger by hearing amisse Christ saith Take heed how you heare In Deut. 4. it is said Take heede how ye forget that which yee heare This Take heede awaies goeth before some daunger therefore as Paul saith that men receiue the Sacrament to their saluation or to their damnation 1. Cor. 11. so Christ saith that men heare the Word to their saluation or to their damnation The word which I haue spoken shall iudge you in the latter day Ioh. 12. It is called the sauour of life because it saueth and it is called the sauour of death because it condemneth An euill eye ingendreth lust an euil tongue ingendreth strife but an euil eare makes an heretike and a scismatike and an Idolater This carelesse hearing made GOD take away his worde from the Iewes therefore you may heare the word so as it may bee taken from you as the talent was from him that hid it for GOD will not leaue his pearles with swine but as he saith What hast thou to doe to take my words in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed So he will say what hast thou to doe to take my word in thy eare seeing thou hatest to be reformed If any of you goe away no better then you came you are not like hearers but like cyphers which supplie a place but signifie nothing so you take a roume but learne nothing and they which are cyphers in the house of GOD shall bee cyphers in the kingdome of GOD. Therefore if thou haue an euill eye and an euill tongue and an euill hand and an euill foote yet haue not an euill eare too for then all is euill because the eare must teach all If the eare hearken to euill then the heart must learne euill Therefore an euill eare is compared vnto a bad Porter which lets in euery one in a gay coat though hee bee neuer so bad and keepes out him that goes bare though he be neuer so good so an euil eare lets al that is euil enter into the hair but al that is good shuts the dore against it lest it should set the spirit the flesh at variance Oh if the Adder had not stopped his eare how lōg since had he bin charmed But the shortest time in Gods seruice is the lōgest time in al the day The beast came to the Arke to saue thēselues men wil not come to the Church to saue thēselues It is too far saith Ieroboā but it were not too far if Ieroboā were not vnwilling One thing is necessary and all vnnecessaries are preferred before it The gretest treasure in the world is most despised the Star which should lead vs to Christ the Laddder which shuld moūt vs to heauē the Water that shuld clense our leprosie the Māna that should refresh our hūger the booke that we should meditate on day night lieth in our windows no mā readeth it no man regardeth it the loue of God the loue of knowledge the loue of saluation is so cold that we will not reade ouer one book for it for al we spēd so many idle times while we liue If Samuel had thought that God had spoken to him he would not haue slept but because he thought it was not God but Eli therefore he slept so because you remēber not y t it is God which speaks therefore you mark not but if you remēbred Christs saying He which heareth you heareth me he which despiseth you despiseth me you would heare the voyce of y t Preacher as you would heare the voyce of God Surely beloued we know no other way to saue you nor our selues if we did how wretched were we to keepe it frō you which haue no other calling but to shew you the way of saluatiō If this be the way no other if this be shewē you no other yet you will not take it but chuse another then are you not condēned by any other but you condemne your selues He which wil not heare is worse then Herod for as bad as he was yet it is said of him that he heard Iohn Nay euen those whō our Sauiour Christ in the Parable before this text compareth to the barren the stonie and the thornie ground were al hearers therfore he which wil not heare is worse thē any groūd It is said of Saul that though he were
It followeth This is my bodie Here is the fruite of his thankes before hee prayed that the bread and wine might be blessed they were blessed As Isaacks blessing shewed it selfe vpon Iacob whom he blessed so Christ his blessing appeared straight vpon these mysteries for it could not be said before This is my bodie because it was meere bread but now it may be called his bodie because his blessing hath infused that vertue into it that it dooth not onely represent his bodie but conuey his bodie and himselfe vnto vs. The efficacie of this blessing is in this Sacrament euer since sanctifying it vnto vs as well as it did to the Apostles euen as Christs praier staied Peters faith after Christ was dead Now ye haue heard the meaning of these words He tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it you shall see with what a mysticall resemblance they vnite Christ and vs First as Christ in the Supper tooke bread to feede vs so in his birth he tooke our flesh to saue vs. Secondly as Christ when he had taken the bread blessed the bread to make it a spirituall food so Christ when he had taken our flesh powred foorth most rich and precious graces into it to make it food of life vnto vs. Thirdly as Christ when hee had blessed the bread brake the bread so Christ when hee had filled his bodie with most precious graces brake it vp like a rich treasure house his handes by the nayles his backe by the stripes his head by the thornes his side by the speare that out of euerie hole a riuer of grace and goodnesse might issue flow forth vnto vs. Lastly as Christ gaue the bread when he had broken it so Christ by a liuely faith communicateth his bodie after he hath crucified it Hereby wee are taught that when we see the Minister take the bread to feed vs we must conceiue that Christ being God from euerlasting tooke our flesh to saue vs. When we see the Minister blesse the bread to a holie vse we must conceiue that Christ by vniting the Godhead vnto it sanctified his flesh for our redemption When wee see the Minister breake the bread to sustaine our bodies we must conceiue that Christ in his death brake his bodie to refresh our soules When wee see the Minister giue the bread to our handes we must conceiue that Christ as truly offereth himself to our faith to be receiued of vs. Because vpon these wordes the Papists ground their Transubstantiation that is that the bread is changed into Christs flesh the wine is turned into Christes blood whereby we eate the same bodie which dyed vpon the Crosse drinke the same blood which issued out of his side That you may see the blindnes of this Popish dreame I would haue you but marke euerie word of this scripture how they make against transubstantiation that ye may see them slaine like Goliah with their owne sworde Euen as God made Caiphas speak against himself so the scriptures which heretikes alledge do make against thēselues like the Baalites which wounded their owne flesh I may liken their allegations to Satans when he tempted Christ in the wildernesse he alleadged but one sentence of scripture for himselfe and that Psalme out of which hee borrowed it made so plaine against him that he was faine to picke here a word and there a word and leaue out that which went before and skip in the middest and omit that which came after or else hee had marred his cause the scripture is so holie and pure and true that no word nor sillable thereof can make for the diuell or for sinners or for heretikes yet as the diuell alledged scripture though it made not for him but agaynst him so doe the Libertines and Epicures and heretickes as though they had learned at his schoole Now there is no sentence of the scripture which the wiser Papists alleadge boldly for their Transubstantiation but this that Christ sayd This is my bodie by which they may proue as well that Christ is a doore because he saith I am the doore or a vine because he saith I am a vine for his sayings are like Figuratiue speeches must not be construed literally but this is heretikes fashion If you mark you shall see throughout that all the testimonies which the Papists alledge for their heresies are either tropes or figures or allegories or parables or allusions or darke speeches which when they presume to expound allegoricallie or literallie without conference of other scriptures then they wander and straie from the marke or else it is impossible that the truth should maintaine error that is that the scripture should speake for heresie if it were not peruerted therefore wee see that Eue neuer erred vntill she corrupted the text Now we will enter the lystes with our aduersaries and see whether these wordes doe proue that the bread and wine are turned into Christs bodie Paul saith Iesus tooke bread well then yet it is bread when he had taken it then he blessed it what did he blesse the bread which hee tooke well then yet it is bread when he had blessed it then he brake it what did he breake the bread which hee blessed well then yet it is bread when hee had broken it then hee gaue it what did hee giue the bread which he brake well then yet it is bread when he had giuen it they did eate it what did they eate the bread which hee gaue them well then yet it is bread when they did eat it then he sayd This is my bodie what did hee call his bodie the bread which they did eat well then yet it is bread If it be bread all this while when hee did take it and blesse it and brake it and gaue it and they did eate it when is it turned into his bodie here they stand like the Sadduces as mute as fishes Now that ye may see that not we only say it is bread and wine after the consecration in the 27. verse Christ himselfe doth cal it bread and wine after he had giuen it as hee did before And in Marke he saith I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine Here Christ saith that it was the fruit of the vine which hee drank but his blood is not the fruit of vines but wine therefore wine was his drinke and not blood Beside if you would heare Paul expound Christ hee sheweth that all our Fathers had the same substance of Christ in their Sacraments that we haue in ours for hee sayth They all did eate the same spirituall meate and al drinke the same spiritual drinke Straight hee saith that this meat and this drinke was Christ Marke that he sayth not onely They did eat the same meat that we eate but he saith that this meat was Christ and not onely so but
them which breake the lawes of men but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuels would heape vpon vs. Then came the mercie of God for Christ which shedde his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and saide as Esay saide to Hezechia Thou shalt not dye but liue loose him let him goe for hee is mine So we were staied like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous and greeuous that no ransome could counteruaile it vnlesse God himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor angel offered his life for vs but the prince himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs y t we might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore we say in our confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there be a satisfaction for our sinnes by our works or by our pilgrimages or by our masses or by our penance let Christ neuer be called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord when he comes to their doore Christ saith Take for nothing and they say no we will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and giue him so many pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many masses and paie so manie workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite and God is infinit but our works are finite in number and measure how can they answere then to that which exceedeth number and measure Therefore be content with Iosephs brethren to take your money againe and say that you haue corne for nothing that is you are saued for nothing or else when you say I beleeue the remission of sinnes you lie vnto God because you doo not beleeue the remission of sinnes but satisfaction for sinnes like the Papists It followeth As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe yee shall shewe the Lords death till he come Here are three inuincible arguments against Popish transubstantiation like the three witnesses vnder which euerie word doth stand First we are sayd to eate bread then it is not flesh but bread Secondly we are saide to shew the Lordes death then it is but a shewe or representation of his death Thirdly it is said vntill hee come if hee be to come then he is not come if he be come how can we say vntill hee come The effect of this verse was shewed in these wordes Doe this in remembrance of me For to say Doe this in remembrance of me and to say So oft as you doe this you shew my death is much at one so that if you call this Sacrament a shewe of Christes death as it is called here then it is not Christ or if you call it a remembraunce of Christ as it is called there yet it is not Christ but a shewe or remembrance of Christ but this is such a shew and remembrance that the next verse saith Whosoeuer receiueth it vnworthily is guiltie of the bodie and bloud of Christ Will yee know who receiueth vnworthely In the nine and twentith verse Paul saith he discerneth not the Lords bodie that is which putteth no difference betweene this bread and other but eateth like a childe the meate which hee knoweth not and after the bread seemeth stones to him and the wine poyson because his conscience telleth him I haue receiued vnwoorthelie before I could say like Dauid My hart is prepared My sheepe saith Christ know my voyce as they discerne Christs wordes so they discerne Christes bodie and therefore so often as they come to the Lordes table they seeme to come into the Lords presence there they greete and kisse and embrace one another with affections which none can know but they that feele like Iohn which leaped in the wombe so soone as Christ came neare him Will yee know beside what it is to bee guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ euen as Iudas was guiltie for betraying him and Pilate for deliuering him and the Iewes for crucifying him so they are guiltie which receiue this Sacrament vnworthily as Pilate and Caiphas and Iudas were If they be guiltie of Christs death they are guiltie of theyr owne death too as if they had committed two murthers and therefore Paul saith after that many of the Corinthians dyed onely for the vnwoorthie receiuing of this Sacrament As the Worde is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie so the Sacrament is the sauour of death to them which receiue it vnworthelie it neuer goeth into their mouth but they are traitors ipso facto may say to Hell this day haue I taken possession of thee because I am guiltie of Christes blood Therefore it followeth immediatlie Let a man examine himselfe before hee eate of this bread or drinke of this wine as if he should say If he which receiueth this Sacrament vnworthely bee guiltie of Christes death like Iudas which hanged himselfe if these signes be receiued to saluation or damnation like the Word the next lesson is to examine your selues before you receiue lest you receiue like the sonne of perdition which swallowed the bread and the Diuell together Therefore Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate that is let him examine first and receiue after for if wee should receiue the bread of the earth reuerentlie how should we receiue the bread of heauen When Iehonadab came to Iehu his chariot hee sayd Is thy heart vpright as my heart is toward thee So when wee come to the Lordes table hee would haue our hearts vpright to him as his heart is to vs for who feasteth his enemies and mockers The golden Ring sitteth highest at our table but the Wedding garment sitteth highest at this table It is safer eating with vnwashen handes than with an vnwashen heart The Iewes were taught to choose the Lambe of the Passe-ouer on the tenth daye of the first moneth in which moneth they came out of Egypt and on the fourteenth daye after they were taught to eate him so they had foure daies respite betweene the choosing and the killing to prepare
this day but thus it standes God hath sent vnto vs for our hearts and wee answere him as the husbands of the vineyard when he sent for fruites or as Nabal answered Dauid when he sent for food Who is Dauid or who is the Lord that I should take my heart from pleasure and sin and giue it vnto him Thus we demurre vpon the cause when we should giue whether we should giue or no and aske the flesh and our lusts and our pleasures and if the diuell will not giue his assent then wee returne an excuse it is not mine to giue or if thou canst get the diuels good will I will not stand or let sinne and pleasure haue it for a while and when they haue done with it then God shall haue it Thus euery thing which should be thrown out hath a place in our heart and he which should bee receiued in can haue no roome there though hee would open the doores of heauen if we would open the doores of our hearts that the King of glorie might come in What shall become of those hearts when he which craues them now shall iudge them hereafter Then shall they stand like Esau and see them blessed like Iacob which gaue their hearts and crie themselues as hee did to his father Isaac Hast thou not reserued a blessing for vs What a heauie heart will it bee then when it may not ioy any longer here and the ioyes of Heauen are shut agaynst it and hee which desired it will not haue it because it comes like the foolish Virgins when the doores of mercie are shut Thus ye haue heard what God requires for all that hee hath giuen you and how all your seruices are lost vntill you bring it What shall I wish you now before my departure I wish you would giue all your hearts to God while I speake that yee might haue a Kingdome for them Send for your hearts where they are wandering one from the Banke another from the Tauerne another from the Shop another frō the Theaters call them home and giue them all vnto God and see how hee will welcome them as the Father imbraceth his Sonne If your hearts were with God durst the Diuell fetch them durst those sinnes come at them Euen as Dina was defloured when she strayed from home so is the heart when it straieth from God Therefore call the members together and let them fast like a quest of twelue men vntill they consent vppon lawe before anie moe Tearmes passe to giue God his right and let him take the heart which hee wooeth which hee would marrie which hee would endowe with all his goods and make it the heyre of the crowne When you pray let your heart pray when you heare let your heart heare when you giue let your heart giue whatsoeuer you doe set the heart to doe it and if it be not so perfect as it should bee yet it shalbe accepted for the friend that giues it Now if you cannot command your hearts to turne vnto God because the diuell pleades custome and the flesh will not agree to leaue her possessions then remember what Christ saith When ye giue almes let not your left hand know what the right hand doth so the flesh must not knowe what the spirite doth Thou must not make thy lusts of counsel but as Abraham when hee was bid to offer his sonne rose vp betime and left his wife at home and neuer made Sarah priuie lest she should stop him being more tender ouer her childe like women than the father is so thou must giue thy heart to God before the flesh heare of it for if Abigaile had consulted with Nabal whether she shuld haue supplied Dauid with victuals or no when he sent the miser would neuer haue giuen his consent which scolded so soone as he heard of it therefore she went alone and gaue that which hee asked and neuer tolde her husband what shee would doe lest hee should hinder her which sought her welfare and his too so wee should steale our harts from the world as the world stole them from vs and transport them to God when the flesh is a sleepe I haue but one daye more to teach you all that you must learne of me therefore I would holde you heere vntill you assent to giue all your hearts to God If ye giue them not now where haue I cast the seede and how haue ye heard all this yeare If ye will giue them now ye shall bee adopted this daye the sonnes of God and I shall leaue you in the bosome of Christ which will giue you heauen for your hearts The Lord Iesu graunt that my wordes bee not the sauour of death vnto my soule here but that you may goe in strength thereof through prosperitie and aduersitie till you heare that comfort from heauen Come ye blessed and receiue the inheritance prepared for you FINIS THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES To the Reader TWo things we are apt to forget Gods benefites and our sinnes for the first the Lord saith I haue loued you and they say Wherein hast thou loued vs For the second hee saith Ye haue despised me and they say Wherein haue we despised thee THE TRVE TRIAL OF THE SPIRITES 1. Thess 5. 19 c. 19 Quench not the spirit 20 Despise not prophecying 21 Trie all things and keepe that which is good 22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill AT the last time which I spake of these wordes In all things giue thanks Quench not the Spirit Touching the first I shewed you that it is an easier thing to obtaine of God than to bee thankfull to him for moe haue gone away speeders than haue gone away thankers Then how the wicked are beholding to God as well as the iust and therfore it is sayd that the Sunne doth shine vpon the iust and the vniust Then how Iacob came not so barely to Laban when he brought nothing with him but his staffe in his hand as man commeth into this worlde without strength or staffe to sustaine him which made the Apostle to aske What haue you which you haue not receiued Therefore to teach man to be thankfull vnto his maker hee was not made in Paradise the place of ioy and happines but being made out of Paradise hee was brought into Paradise to shew how all his ioy and happines came from God and not from nature that he might know where to bestow his thankes Therefore Dauid to perswade all men vnto thankfulnesse saith It is a good and pleasant thing to be thankfull If he had sayd no more but good all which loue goodnesse were bound to be thankful but when he saith not onely good but pleasant too all which loue pleasure are bounde to be thankfull and therefore as Peters mother in lawe so soone as Christ healed her of a feauer rose vp immediatly to
very wicked haue laboured to put on this vizard as we reade of Pharao who to couer his foolishnes saith Come let vs do wisely And again it is said that the Grecians sought after wisedom eueÌ„ the Nation which God cals the foolish nation did seek after wisedom that is they would haue the name of wisedome but this wisedome which Moses cals wisdome is couÌ„ted foolishnes the foolishnes of preaching saith Paul meaning how the foolish count preaching foolishnes Againe foolishnes to the Gentiles meaning that the word of God seemeth like a foolish thing vnto many For that which Christ said vnto Peter he may say almost to al They do not sauor the things of God As Anah deuised a new creature so they haue found out another wisedome which is called the wisdom of the flesh They remember Be wise as serpents but they forget Be simple as doues He which is like Achitophel is couÌ„ted a deep counsâ—â—ler he which is like Machiuel is counted a wise fellow Alas how easie a matter is it to deceiue counterfeit and play the subtile serpent if a man would set his head vnto it Could not Dauid goe as farre as Achitophel Could not Paul shew as much cuÌ„ning as Tertullus Yes yes if they were not taught to be simple as doues But this wisdome comes not by the remembrance of death but by the forgetfulnes of death Men do not vse to think of death when they goe about such matters but say like the serpeÌ„t We shall not die Two things I note in these words First that if we will find wisedome we must applie our hearts to seeke her theÌ„ that the remeÌ„brance of death makes vs applie our harts vnto it Touching the first Moses found some fault with himselfe that for al he had heard seene and obserued and was counted wise yet he was new to begin and had not applied his heart to learne wisedom like the wise man which saith I am more foolish then any man I haue not the wisedome of a man in me So vnsatiable and couetous as I may say are the seruants of GOD the more wisedome and faith and zeale they haue the more they desire Moses speaketh of wisedome as if it were Phisicke which doth no good before it be applied and the part to applie it too is the heart where all mans affections are to loue it and cherish it like a kind hostesse when the heart seeketh it findethas though it were brought vnto her like Abrahams Ramme Therefore GOD saith They shall seeke me find me because they shal 〈◊〉 me with their 〈◊〉 as though they shuld not find him with all their seeking vnles they did seeke him with their heart Therefore the way to get wisedome is to applie our hearts vnto it as if it were your calling and liuing to which you are bound prentises A man may applie his eares his eyes as many trewants doe to their bookes yet neuer proue schollers but from that day which a man begins to applie his heart vnto wisedom he learneth more in a moneth after then he did in a yeare before nay then euer he did in his life Euen as you see the wicked because they applie their hearts to wickednes how fast they proceede how easily and how quickly they become perfect swearers expert drunkards cunning deceiuers so if ye could applie your hearts as throughly to knowledge and goodnesse you might become like the Apostle which teacheth you Therefore when Salomon sheweth men the way how to come by wisedome he speakes often of the heart as Giue thine heart to wisedome Let wisedome enter into thine heart Get wisedome Keepe wisedome Embrace wisedome as though a man went a wooing for wisedome Wisedome is like Gods daughter that he giueth to the maÌ„ that loueth her and sueth for her and meaneth to set her at his heart Thus we haue learned how to apply knowledge that it may do vs good not to our eares like them which heare Sermons onely nor to our tongues like them which make table talke of religion but to our hearts that wee may say like the virgin My heart doth magnifie the Lord and the heart will applie it to the eare and to the tongue as Christ saith Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The last poynt is that the remembrance of death makes vs to applie our hearts to wisedome Moses commended not many bookes to make a wise man learned but as Dauid commends one booke in stead of many Meditate in the Law of God day and night for the reading of many bookes sayth Salomon is but wearinesse to the flesh Therefore as though Moses had marked what did moue him most to seeke after GOD hee prayeth that that thought may run in his mind still the remembrance of death As many benefits come vnto vs by death so many benefites come vnto vs by the remembrance of death and this is one It maketh a man to applie his heart to wisedome For when he considereth that he hath but a short time to liue he is carefull to spend it wel like Moses of whom it is said that wheÌ„ he coÌ„sidered how he had but a season to liue he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the seruants of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season This is that which makes the olde men fast and watch and prepare themselues more than young because they thinke themselues neerer the doore like olde Isaac which when he was blinde for age said vnto Esau Behold I am now old and know not the day of my death that is because I am old I looke to die shortly And therfore as Esay taught Ezechias to set all things in order before he died so he called his eldest sonne to whom hee thought that the inheritance belonged that he might blesse him before he died This wisdome the Fathers called the wisdome of the crosse which wee call the best because it was deerest bought It is hard for a man to think of a short life and think euil or to think of a long life and thinke wel Therefore wheÌ„ Ieremie had numbred al the calamities sins of the Iewes at last he imputed all to this She remembred not her end so if I may iudge why natural men care for nothing but their pomp why great men care for nothing but their honour and dignitie why couetous worldlings care for nothing but their gaine why voluptuous Epicures care for nothing but their pleasure I may say with Ieremie They rememember not their end We neuer couet the same things liuing and dying therefore when Salomon had spokeÌ„ of all the vanities of men at last he opposeth this MemoraÌ„dum as a counterpoyse against them all Remember that for al those things thou shalt come to iudgement as if he should say Men would neuer speake as they speake nor
Shall the Gods die too Hee giues them their title but he telles them their lot Though their power though their wealth though their honour though their titles though their train though their friends though their case though their pleasures though their diet though their cloathing be not like other yet their ende shall be like other nay their endes are like to bee more fearefull than other For GOD makes him examples of great men as he did of Pharaoh and therefore wee see so many strange and sodaine deathes of Princes more than of other Therefore hee spake heere with the least when hee saide Yee shall die like other for verie fewe of them escape the Swoorde or knife or poyson which other neuer or very seldome feare But if all your subiectes were your friendes yet yee shall dye like them for are yee not colde when Winter comes are yee not withered when ages comes are yee not weake when sickenesse comes and shall yee not goe aswell as the meanest when death comes Therefore bee not proud of thine honour as though it would last alwaies for thou shalt dye and then all thine honour shall forsake thee and another shall rise in thy place as great as thou and when his glasse is run another shall follow him and so another till death haue all Bee not cruell in thine authoritie as though it woulde laste alwaies for thou shalt dye and then thy Authoritie shall dye with thee and they which remayne aliue will sende infinite curses after thee because thy life was as a scourge vnto them Be not secure for thy wealth as though it would last alwaies for thou shalt die and then another shall take thy riches and thou shalt goe to giue account how thou commest by them How many things dooth hee implie when he saith yee shall die This is a Barre in their armes which makes the proudest peacocke laye downe his feathers when hee thinkes vpon it though he pricke them vp againe whereby the holy ghoste woulde haue them learne that nothing will make them liue and rule and deale so well in their thrones as to remember that they shall die and shortlie giue account for all signifying that prosperitie makes vs forgetfull of our endes and that these mortall Gods liue as though they were immortall A hard thing for Princes to remember death they haue no leasure to thinke of it but chop into the earth before they beware like a man which walketh ouer a field couered with snow and sees not his way but when hee thinketh to runne on sodainly falles into a pit euen so they which haue all things at will and swim in pleasure which as a snowe couereth their waie and dazeleth their sight while they thinke to liue on and reioyce still sodainely rush vpon death and make shipwrack in the calme sea Therefore as it is good for them to heare they are Gods so it is meete to knowe they shall die Wherefore ye shall die saith he in the next wordes as if hee would preuent some conceit that they would take of the wordes which hee cast out before hee cooles them quicklie before they swell and deferres not to another time but where he calles them Gods there hee calles them wormes meate lest they should crow betweene the praise and the checke I haue said ye are Gods but ye shall die c. but for this die manie would liue a merrie life and feast and sport and let the world slide but the remembrance of death is like a dampe which puts out all the lightes of pleasure and makes him rub and frounce and whine which thinkes vpon it as if a moate were in his eie O how heauie tidings is this to heare thou shalt die from him which hath life and death in his owne handes when the message is sent to them which raigne like Gods as if he should say Euen you which glister like Angels whom all the world admires and sues and bowes to which are called honourable mightie and gracious Lords I will tell you to what your honour shall come First ye shall wax olde like others then ye shall fall sicke like other then ye shall die like other then ye shall be buried like other then ye shall bee consumd like other then ye shall bee iudged like other euen like the Beggers which crie at your gates one sickens the other sickens one dies the other dies one rots the other rots looke in the graue and shewe me which was Diues and which was Lazarus This is some comfort to the poore that once he shall be like the rich one day he shall bee as wealthie as mightie and as glorious as a King one hower of death will make all alike they which crowed-ouer other and looked downe vpon them like Oakes other shall walke vpon them like worms and they shall be gone as if they hadde neuer beene Where is Alexander that conquered all the worlde and after sought for an other because one woulde not satisfie him Where is Xerxes which coulde not number his Armie for multitude Where is Nemrod which built his nest in the clowdes Where is Sampson which slewe an armie with the iawe of an Asse Where is Constantine Nero Caligula Titus Vespasian Domitian thunderbolts in their times One hundred Princes of Englande are dead and but one aliue the rest are gone to giue account how they ruled here when they sustained the person of God Who would haue thought saith Ieremie that the enemie shoulde haue entred into Ierusalem and spoyled that faire Citie Yet he brake into it and Ierusalem was ransackt like other Who woulde haue thought that Herod which was honoured like a GOD should haue beene deuoured with wormes and sauoured that none could abide him Yet while hee was in his pompe like an Idol sodainelie hee was stroken and all his glorie like the snuffe of a Candell which all men looked vppon euen nowe when it shined and now it so sauors that they tread it vnder foote Who woulde haue thought Iezabel that beautifull temptation shoulde haue beene gnawed with dogs Yet shee was cast vnto dogs not an eare left to season the graue What woulde he thinke that had seene Salomon in his Roialty after seen him in the clay O world vnworthie to be beloued who hath made this proud slaughter Age Sickenes and Death the three sumners which haue no respect of persons made them paie the ransome themselues and bowe to the earth from whence they came there lie the men that were called Gods How soone the flower of this world is faded yesterdaie the tallest Cedar in Libanus to daie like a broken sticke troden vnder foote yesterday the state lieth vppon earth to daie shrouded in earth forsaken forgotten that the poorest wretch would not bee like vnto him which yesterdaie crouched and bowed to his knees Then woe to them which had the names of God and sinnes of men for the mightie shall be mightilie
day It would haue troubled them to watch so long for a good cause but it was fit that the worke of darknes shoulde be done in draknes therefore Christ saith This is the houre of darknesse the houre of darkenes and the power of darknes and the worke of darknes met together When they should rest malice would not suffer them to rest but they became like Owles which watch in the night and cannot sleepe Heere was fulfilled Salomons saying They cannot sleepe before they haue done euill so eagre wee are vpon reuenge more than anie thing else They say that hee cannot stay which rideth vpon the Diuell for malice draweth him and furie spurres him Therefore Zacheus went not so hastely to receiue Christ as his enemies hast to destroy him Nay rather I may say to destroy themselues For as they prayed at Christes death so it came vpon them They sayed his bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children so his bloud is vpon them and vpon their children which haue beene Vagabonds ouer the earth euer since and haue no countrie of their owne for if they be cursed which do the Lords busines negligently they must be cursed too which doe the Diuels busines diligently If men were so hastie in executing Iustice as they were in executing malice so many mē should not be vndone by sutes of Lawe for in one day they could apprehend accuse and examine and condemne and execute him which was Innocent but hee which is iust cānot be quit in one terme nor two nay if he haue right in a yeare it is counted quick dispatch and hee is glad that hee met with such a speedie Lawyer How then when they take a bad cause in hand and prolong it too which keeps their Clients in suspence from day to day and from weeke to weeke in great charge and sinne together I would to GOD that some did not sit in counsaile against good Christiās as these Priests did against Christ but GOD in his mercie dooth daily confounde and bring to nothing the accursed counsailes of the wicked Antichrist and all his rebellious confederates So when the wicked tooke counsaile together wickednesse was the ende of their counsayles for there is nothing woorse to the vngodlie than to meete together for before they meete their wickednes is a little hid like the poyson in a Serpent but when they meete together one setteth on another and the poyson breakes forth into vile speeches and detestable workes and vngodly practises as we see in Tauernes and such like assemblies as this For now they are met together they haue conspired amongst themselues to accuse vnto the Gouernour the most innocent man in the world as if he were the worst man liuing they abused him and mocked him and reuiled him and buffeted him before they brought him to the Gouernor which sheweth that they woulde haue killed him too if they durst without the Gouernour but sin is craftie and therefore they obserue the order of lawe and forme of iudgement lest they should be takē in the snare which they made for him First because Pilate had the authoritie ouer iudgements of death and not they Therefore they are inforced to seeke vnto his iudgement seat to saue themselues from blame and to be deliuered out of trouble if they did vsurpe any thing vpon the Magistrates Office Then because they might not runne vnto the gouernour before daye without suspition of tumult they staide vntill it was morning but so soone as they coulde come they came post hast for the Sunne did no sooner peepe but euen at the verie breake of day they were all readie to flocke vnto the Iudge against him This they did without knowledge but God directed euery thing vnto a right end For it was meete that the Sonne of GOD shoulde bee cleered in a solemne manner by an earthlie Iudge to shewe how wee shalbe cleered by the heauenlie Iudge and therefore as it appeareth in the seuen and twentieth Chapter and foure and twentieth verse of Saint Mathewes Gospell Pilate saide that he found no euill in him before he gaue sentence against him which sheweth that he died not for his owne sinnes but for our sinnes and therefore though they went to the Iudge to saue thēselues from blame yet God sent them to the Iudge that his worde might be fulfilled Lastly this Pilate was a Roman gouernour which ruled for Caesar as Zacheus was a Romane collectour which gathered for Caesar For at that time the Romanes had brought much of the worlde vnto their subiection as since that time they haue brought much of the worlde vnto Idolatry and therefore God would haue his sonne to be iudged by the Romane policie and to be condemned by a Romane Iudge and to be slaine with a Romane death as it were ioyning the Iewes and the Romans in impietie together to shewe that these two Nations shoulde be the odioust people vnto him in all the worlde and how his seruaunts should be crucified there where hee was crucified himselfe for as the Romanes then did crucifie Christ vpon a Crosse so they crucifie him nowe vpon their Altar and resemble the Dragon which when he could not preuaile against Michaell himselfe then hee fought against the woman and her seed that is the Church and her children which are slaine in Rome as the Prophets were in Ierusalem Thus Rome began with the heade and ends with the members So much of the Priests and the Scribes and the Pharisies and the elders Pilate what they did against Christ of whome was fullfilled Dauids praier Lord turne the counsell of Achitophell vnto follie So their counsell was turned vnto follie For as Paule reuiued when he was stoned so Christ rose againe when he was buried to shewe that there is no counsell against God and therefore let all our counsels be for God Now we come to Iudas to aggreuate this tragicall counsell The Euangelist annexeth vnto it the desperate end of the cursedst mā that euer was Three things are speciallie noted of this Traitor his death the cause of his death the confession which hee made before his death His death in the fift verse Hee went hanged himself The cause of his death in the 3. verse For that hee had betrayed his Lord now did see him condemned had no ioy of the money which was giuen vnto him for his Treason His confession in the thirde verse I haue sinned betraying innocent bloude I will speake of euerie worde as they lie for your memorie Therefore first of his Treason When Iudas the traytor before hee was called Iudas the Apostle now he is called Iudas the traitor to distingish him from other of that name lest anie of his name shoulde be defamed for him a brand is set in his forehead like the letter Tau or Caines marke to make him hatefull like a rogue which is burned in the eare so Esau was called Edom which signifieth Redde
that which he giues Euer since wee were borne wee haue serued two masters If one foote stand in the Church the other soâ—te sticketh in the worlde If one hand carrie fire the other hand carries water If one worde sauour of religion the next worde sauoureth whatsoeuer pride or enuie or lust How fewe of our thoughtes are consecrated to GOD Howe fewe of our speeches taste of grace Howe fewe of our workes are squared to the worde of GOD which shoulde bee the line and leuell of all our thoughts speeches and actions Tell thy sinnes which thou hast committed since thou diddest rise in the morning and record thy good deedes which thou hast done euer since thou wast borne and the first shall exceede the last Thou which sayest thou art a Christian hast rebelled more since thou rose than thou hast obeyed since thou were borne Is this altogether like Paul or like Festus not at all Now if wee bee almost Christians Let vs see what it is to be Almost a Christian Almost a sonne is a bastard Almost sweete is vnsauorie Almost hote is luke warme which GOD spueth out of his mouth Reuel 3. 15. So Almost a Christian is not a Christian but that which GOD spueth out of his mouth A Christian Almost is like a woman which dieth in trauaile Almost she brought foorth a sonne but that almost killed the mother and the sonne too Almost a Christian is like Ieroboam which saide It is too farre to goe to Ierusalem to worship and therefore chose rather to worship calues at home Almost a Christian is like Michah which thought himselfe religious enough because he had gotten a Priest into his house Almost a Christian is like the Ephraimite which could not pronounce Shibboleth but Sibboleth Almost a Christian is like Ananias which brought a part but left a part behind Almost a Christian is like Elyes sonnes which polled the sacrifices like the Figge tree which deceiued Christ with leaues like the virgins which carried lampes without oyle like the willing vnwilling sonne which said He would come and came not What is it to be borne almost If the newe man be but borne almost hee is not borne What is it to bee married almost vnto Christ Hee which is married but almost is not married What is it to offer a sacrifice almost the sacrifice must bee killed or euer it can bee sacrificed Hee which giues Almost giues not but denyeth Hee which beleeueth Almost beleeueth not but doubteth Can the dore which is but almost shut keepe out the theefe Can the cup which is but almost whole holde any wine Can the ship which is but almost sound keep out water The souldier which doth but almost fight is a coward The Phisician which doth but almost cure is a slubberer The seruant which doth but almost labour is a loyterer I cannot tell what to make of these defectiues nor where to place them nor howe to call them nor vnto what to liken them They are like vnto children which sit in the market place whereis mourning and piping and they neither weepe nor daunce but keepe a note betweene both they weepe almost and daunce almost Beleeuest thou almost Bee it vnto thee saith Christ as thou beleeuest Therefore if thou beleeuest thou shalt bee saued If thou beleeuest almost thou shalt bee saued almost As a pardon comes while the theefe hangs vpon the galowes hee is almost saued but the pardon dooth him no good So he which is almost a Christian almost zealous almost righteous which dooth almost loue almost beleeue shall bee almost saued that is if hee had been a Christian altogether hee should not bee damned Thus euery man is a Christian almost before he bee a Christian altogether Now I must leade you from almost to altogether as it were to Christians from the figure of Christians This is the step which we must treade at this time I would to God saith Paul that thou wert not almost but altogether as I am When he sawe Agrippa comming on and said almost then Paul cast vp his lure againe Commest thou Agrippa Come Agrippa I will not haue thee stay at almost if any thing will bring thee to altogether I did not aske thee whether thou didst beleeue the Prophets that thou mightest be a Christian almost but a Christian altogether Art thou come thus farre and staiest thou at almost Nay Agrippa thou must take out this lesson for there is no measure in Christianity Come vnto me saith Christ not come toward mee yet he was glad like the father to see his sonne comming toward him for it was a signe that he would come to him hee was comforted with almost but he was not satisfied without altogether Is this thy offering Almost it will not serue Agrippa it is light it is sothered it is crakt correct it againe For our master saith Be ye holy as I am holie Therefore almost a Christian will not please him But if thou be almost a Christian alreadie how easie is it for thee to be a Christian altogether Therefore come Agrippa let vs goe forwarde to heauen The seed is sowne to growe Euerie thing must encrease and multiplie Almost is thy first answere and altogether thy last I must not take this for an answere Shall I tell Christ that Agrippa is almost a Christian O Agrippa God woulde haue thee hot or colde as it appeareth in the third Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn and the 15. verse Cold to him is as pleasing as luke-warme he loueth altogether and he will not be loued almost Who shall haue the other halfe if God haue but almost Therefore speake againe good Agrippa Thus he pleadeth vnkindnesse with him like an importunate suter with wil not be answered Shal I go with almost then thou vsest mee but hardlie if thou wilt giue mee no more Thus he stands in argument with him What shall I say to Agrippa if hee will giue me but almost I will praie for thee till thou commest off with all If I can get no more of Agrippa I will craue more of God He which hath made thee almost can make thee altogether I would to God c. So now he conuerteth himselfe to praier Thus we must learne to fish for soules with praiers and intreaties and questions Change the baite cast thy Lure againe follow the siege pursue the blowe close with sinne and gather more of it at first hee will call thee his enemie as Achab did Elias Art thou heere mine enemie But if thou wilt not bow to him hee will bowe vnto thee and hearken what thou sayest and change his robes and put on sackcloth and mourme and fast and doe all that thou wouldest haue him A Preacher must not looke to finde them Christians but make them Christians Thou shalt not take them conuerted because thou commest to conuert them If Paule will not yeeld to Agrippa Agrippa will yeeld to Paul But if Paul had fallen to almost hee had
draw than to drinke rather to heare than to bee bettered and sanctified and increased by our hearing One sort heareth not at all like Eutichus which was sleeping when Paul was preaching another sort forgets all as Nabuchadnezzar did his dreame the most sort remembers all but will make no practise of it as a Carpenter which shoulde square all by rule and sticks it at his backe and workes all by aime But assuredly my beloued it were better you neuer heard then thus in despight of God to abuse your hearing If I had not spoken vnto them sayth Christ they shoulde haue had no sin but now haue they no cloake for their sinne What cloake can yee haue when God offereth grace and ye wilfully refuse it As meat the more a man receiueth the more it distempereth if it be not digested so the more yee learne and the more yee heare the greater is your sin if ye grow not by it if the seruant which hid his talent in a napkin was so handled what shalbe done to them which suffer their talent to perish And therefore euery man must beware how he heareth euery man must take heede that he receiue not the grace of God in vaine that he desire the milke of the word to bee bettered and increased by it Wherefore whosoener thou bee that heareth this and will heare other search thy conscience whether thou be growne in any vertue since thou heardest the last sermon consider what sinne thou haddest the last Sabboath which thou hast not this Sabboath If thou finde no change then the Word hath not had his working in thee thou art not inereased by the food which thou receiuedst Will not a man be angry to set his childe to schoole and finde him alwaies at his A B C. or the first principles of sanctification So will God be displeased if wee be negligent and slacke and neuer take out his lessons but stand at a stay I know many of you will giue me the hearing of this as you haue done many of my brethren heretofore but as the worme stroke Ionahs guord and it died in the morning so by the next morning a greedy worme of couetousnes or the like sinne wil haue perished all If it doe so knowe the Iudge standeth before the doore ready euery houre to summon you by death to make your appearaunce at the barre of iustice and to giue vp your account for euery talent yea for euery lesson that ye haue learned and left vnpractised As for you if any of you walke in dutifull obedience to the word I beseech you in the feare of God and in the bowels and loue of Iesus Christ that yee will abounde and increase yet more and more and contend by all meanes to put in practise exercise those things that yee heare that so at length when yee be ripe for the sickle and the great day of haruest be come ye may be gathered as good corne into the Lords garner and be inuested in the holy heauens with that blessed kingdome which God hath prouided for them that serue and feare him Amen FINIS THE BANQVET of Jobs Children IOB 1. 4. 5. verses 4 And his sons went and banquetted in their houses euery one his daye and sent and called their three sisters to eate and drinke with them 5 And when the daies of their banquetting were gone about Iob sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob thought it may bee that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts Thus did Iob euery day THis booke is a story of patient Iob to shew how God can deale with all and how they shoulde receiue all thinges at his hand seeing the most innocent man in the world when God should try him was brought so low that the Diuel had power to lay vpon him what torment he would death onely excepted and yet he stoode to it with such constancy that he saith though the Lord kill mee yet will I trust in him the thirteenth Chapter of Iob and fifteenth verse Such power was giuen vnto his faith and loue and patience that they ouercame the Diuell which saide that if hee might haue leaue to plague him hee would make him blaspheme God to his face verse 11. Therefore God would haue this victory to bee recorded for all such as are sicke or sore or needy or oppressed that whatsoeuer paine we suffer wee may remember that Iobs paine was sharper than this and yet it coulde not make him so impatient but when like a man hee was offended with his torments like an holy man he was more offended with himselfe and angrie with his anger Therefore at last God returned to him and remoued his troubles and made his end more honourable than his beginning as if he shuld say Thus it shal be done to the man which is not offended with my chastisementes Now to our purpose in the first verse of this Chapter the holy Ghost sheweth what a good man Iob was saying that hee was an vpright and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill In the second verse he sheweth what store of children Iob had saying hee had seauen sonnes and three daughters In the third verse hee sheweth what store of riches Iob had saying his substance was seuen thousand sheepe and three thousand Camels and fiue hundred yoke of Oxen and fiue hundred Asses c. In the fourth verse hee returneth againe to his children shewing how they were occupied before the winde came and blewe the house vpon their heads saying his sonnes went and banquetted in their houses euery one his daye and called their three sisters to eate and drinke with them In the fift verse hee commeth againe to Iob and shewes a proofe of his vertues which he commended him for before saying that when his sonnes had banquetted hee sent for them and sanctified them and rose vp earely c. So if ye aske what his sonnes did the holy Ghost saith that they banquetted If yee aske where he saith in their owne houses If ye aske when he saith euery one kept his daye If yee aske who were the guests hee saith that one inuited another and the other inuited him againe and they called their sisters to them and so they made merrie together If yee aske what father Iob did the story saith that after euery feast first he sent for his sonnes and then he sanctified them and then hee sacrificed for them the reason is added because Iob thought It may be that may sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts his zeale in this action is declared by three circumstances First that he rose vp early in the morning Secondly that he offered so many sacrifices as he had sonnes Thirdly that he perfourmed this offering euery day while their feast lasted Of euery circumstance a little because some had rather heare many thinges then learne one
many titles to make it more amiable It is called a lanterne to direct vs a medicine to heale vs a guide to conduct vs a bit to restraine vs a sworde to defend vs water to wash vs fire to inflame vs salt to season vs milke to nourish vs wine to reioice vs rayne to refresh vs a treasure to inrich vs and the keye to open and vnlocke heauen gates vnto vs. Thus the worde is named in al things that we should onely desire it in stead of all things And surely therefore the worde is in so small request among vs because wee know not what blessings it bringeth with it It is the word of saluation because it saueth the soule from pyning as the corne which Ioseph sent did Iacobs house from famine So that as Elisha sayd of Iordan wash and be cleansed so may we say of the word Heare it and be saued It is called the worde of life because it reuiueth the spirite as Elishaes bones reuiued the Israelites It is called the worde of reconciliation because it is like a golden chayne to linke GOD and vs together And in regarde hereof it is called a iewell of inestimable price as if all the treasure in Egypt were not wealthy enough to buy it And therfore as Dauid longed for the Well of Bethlehem so must we long and languish for the milke of the worde The Word is resembled to milke in three respects First because it is the onely foode of the faithfull as milke is the onely and proper foode of babes Secondly because it is not hard and intricate but playne and easie to be conceiued as milke is easie to be digested Thirdly because it is sweete and comfortable to the soule as milke is sweete and pleasaunt in taste For the first poynt the Lord chargeth the Israelites to doe whatsoeuer he had commaunded and not to adde or diminish any thing And Iosua Iosiah Ezra and the rest when theâ— would renew the Lordes couenant with the people reade nothing but the lawe to shewe that it was the only rule and square of al their duety and therefore Esay recalleth vs to the lawe and to the testimonie c. and Christ sends vs to search the Scriptures because by them we haue eternall life and therefore the Popish church which nor content with the milke of the Gospell hath broached manie heathen traditions and vnwritten trash doth not feede but choke and poyson her children with them and depriue the Lords people of this foode of life and like cursed Philistines stop vp the wells of water which other haue digged what doe they else but starue and famish so manie Nations For well may their hedge priests like drie Nurses delight and disport the children for a season but when hunger bites when the distressed conscience would bee fed and comforted then they are not able to affoorde them the very crummes from Christs table and therefore wee must needes account the estate of those congregations to bee full of dread and horror which haue not this milke of the word to feede their soules which want a good steward to giue them their meate in due season which like the AEgyptians lye crawling in the darke when other churches enioy most comfortable light Iaacob forsooke the blessed land of Canaan when it had no bread and can we be enamored of those assemblies where there is no soules foode If ye did consider my beloued that ye cannot be nourished vnto eternall life but by the milke of the word ye would rather desire your bodies might be without souls than your churches without preachers I tremble to thinke how oft you haue heard this and yet how little you haue performed it For the second poynt that the doctrine of the Gospel is plaine appeareth when the wise man saith Al the words of his mouth are plaine easie to him that wil vnderstand The testimony of the Lord is sure giueth light to the simple If our Gospel be hid saith the Apostle it is hid vnto them that perish for as the Sunne which was made to lighten all things is most light so the word which was made to cleare all things is most cleare so that if there be no communion betweene light and darknes the word of God be a lanterne vnto our feete a light vnto our pathes then it is euident that the Word hath no darknes in it If we see not all thinges the fault is not in the light but in the eie as Agar could not see the water which yet was before her therfore our aduersaries falsly charge the Scriptures of exceeding hardnes and intricatenes When the spies were returned from Canaanâ— they could not say but that it was a good lande but they sayd it was hard to come by So the Papists must needes confesse that the Scripture is a good Word and yet to disswade the Lordes people from a serious and diligent search of it they bring vp a slaunder and say it hath many obscurities and by-pathes But as Elisha saw the horses and fiery chariots which his enemies could not see So beloued if yee come with a faithfull and a holy heart to the Worde and to the Scripture yee shall see that plainnesse and easinesse in the doctrine which our aduersaries cannot see For the third poynte that the Gospell is the onely comfort and consolation of a faithfull soule The Prophet Ieremie saith Thy wordes were found by mee and I did eate them and thy worde was vnto mee the ioye and reioycing of my heart Thy testimonies haue I taken for an heritage for euer for they are the ioye of my heart As a man will bee glad to be hired to a noble man so Dauid when hee had gotten the milke of the Worde reioyced as much as if hee had been hyred vnto God and therefore in all the storie of the Acts we see ioy and comfort to haue followed the word as Elisha followed Elias and would not leaue him So the wise men reioyced exceedingly when they saw the starre which should leade them to Christ so yee haue matter of great ioy comfort when ye heare the woord preached which shall carrie you to heauen like the chariots which conueyed Iaacob into AEgypt There be many Micols in this land which haue mocked King Dauid for dauncing before the Arke There are many which terme vs heady and foolish men because we come and throng prease thus to a sermon but as Christ said Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe So God forgiue them they know not what they say for if they did feele the calme of conscience the ioy of heart the consolation of spirite and the exceeding and euerlasting comforts in God which the faithfull possesse and enioye by hearing the word they would account vs not onely fooles but starke mad if al the pleasures or profites or daungers of the world should withdrawe or with-holde vs
from it So much for our food now we come to the qualitie of our foode It must be sincere Sincere both in his sauor and also in effect and operation for as in nourishing our bodie naturally our blood cannot be good if our diet be vnholsome so in feeding our soules spiritually neither our hearts nor affections nor our words nor our workes can be good vnlesse the milke bee wholsome whereupon we feed and therefore as our Sauiour bâ—ds vs take heede what we heare so the Apostle to the like effect giues a caueat to take heede vpon what we feede for there is a pure and fresh doctrine in Ier. 1. 7. and there is a sower and leauened doctrine in Matth. 16. 6. There is a new wine of the Gospel in Matth. 9. 17. there is mixed wine in the cup of Fornicators in Reu. 17. 4. There are wholsome wordes in 2. Tim. 1. 13. and there are corrupt and vnwholsome words Ephes 4. 29. There is a doctrine of God Ioh. 7. 16. and there is a doctrine of Diuels 1. Tim. 4. 1. There is an edifying and a building worde and there is a fretting and a cankred word 2. Tim. 2. 17. As the Prophets children cryed out death in the pot so some places may say death in our foode and hereof it is that we are so often for warned in Scripture to beware of the leauen of the Scribes and Pharisies to take heede of the Prophets which come to vs in sheepes cloathing to beware that no man seduce vs through Philosophie to trie the spirites whether they be of God or no as we must taste our foode before wee digest it to trie our gold before wee treasure it Christ tasted the vineger but would not drinke so when wee taste false doctrine we must reiect it There are many greedy of milke but it is Dragons milke they take great paines to learne but it is to learne the language of Ashdod not the language of Canaan they run to heare but to heare fables and vntruthes Nimrod was as paineful in building of Babel as Salomon in rearing the holy temple Micah entertained a Leuit consecrated his siluer but to an idolatrous worship The Israelites melted their eare-rings but to erect a calfe Iezabel fed a great rout of trencher chaplains but to honor Baal Many desire to haue milke but they wil haue it from dragons poysoned and therefore we are here warned to desire the sincere milke c. For the Lord will not haue the wine of his word to be mingled and mashed with the water of humane inuentions He that hath my word let him speake faithfully what is the chaffe to the Wheat God would not haue one fielde sowed with two kindes of graine to shew vs that hee would not haue one heart filled with two kindes of doctrine Dagon could not stand with the Lords Arke no more can Christs trueth holde any fellowship with the word of error and therefore as the ministers must beware that they make not merchandise of the word of God so must the people also that they drink not any milke but that which is sincere And here ye ought my beloued more carefully to behaue your selues as yee see the diuell more subtilly to assault you and vnder the cloake of zeale and reformation to bring into the Lordes sanctuarie most wicked prophanation As a man will be more warie to trie euery peece of gold when he sees many counterfeit and Flemish angels to flie abroad so when yee see many sortes of doctrine crawling daily like Locusts out of the bottomles pit yee must bee more diligent to taste and trie which is sound and sincere It followeth That ye may grow by it Here is the end of our hearing That we may grow in grace and increase in the faith of righteousnes for the faithfull are called the trees of righteousnes because they must bee alwaies springing liuing stones because they must growe in the building good seruants which must trade and traffique the Lords talents to increase fruitfull branches which must be purged pruned by the hande of the heauenly husbandman Isaac must not alwaies hang on Saraes breast but must be weaned so we must not alwaies be children but grow vp and increase and profite more and more As the star neuer ceased till it came ouer Christ so we must neuer rest walking till wee come to GOD. If we haue faith we must proceede from faith to fayth if we haue loue we must increase and abide in loue if we haue zeale we must endeuour to be consumed with zeale if wee be liberall to the distressed saints of GOD wee must double our liberalitie as Elkana gaue Annah a double portion If we read the Scriptures we must go on and continue in prayer if we giue almes we must step on one foote further and giue them with cheerefulnes and thus as the Eagle continually soareth till she come to the highest so must we still increase till we come to perfection Let vs be led forward vnto perfection as if a faithfull man were like a ship vnder sayle neuer anchoring till he arriue at heauen The greater is our sinne which heare and heare but are neuer the more reformed for our hearing like Pharaohs ill fauored kine which deuoured the fat kine but remained as il fauoured as they were before so many of vs when we haue lugged the breast almost drie after twentie or thirty yeares feeding are as skregged and leane as we were before No man almost among vs is more zealous no maÌ„ more faithfull no man more constant for the truth no man more feruent in religion no man more sanctified no man more diligent in practising nor lesse vitious now then he was one hundred sermons a goe as if wee were night black-rauens which cannot bee washed with all the sope of the Gospel Though wee haue long heard and stil desire to heare yet we doe not grow by our hearing wee are verie dwarfes in Christ scant able to goe little in faith little in loue little in patience little in obedience little in zeal like Zacheus so little that wee cannot see Christ This is an vndoubted euidence that we haue not fleshly but stony hearts which though they bee washed yet they cannot be watred with the sweete showers of the Gospell For is there not in euery tauerne and in euery shop and in euery house and in euery hall as much couetousnes as much briberie as much cosening as much wantonnes as much maliciousnes after this long shine of the word as ther was before Are we not now as slothfull in Gods seruice as dissolute in the practise of Christian dueties as dishonest in our dealing between man and man as proud in our attire as light in our behauiour as hypocritical abroad as sinnefull at home as we were before And what is the reason hereof but that we come to the fountayn rather to