occasion to reproue their hypocrisie their outward shew of holines which was the sin of the Pharisies and at another time he noteth them for pressing to the chief places at banquets sheweth what modesty is to be obserued in sitting down to meate and what guests should be biddē to our table So should Preachers behaue themselues towards those that inuite them to great feastes vvhen they see perhaps some fault or disorder either in the master of the house or in some other of the guests to say vnto them thus or otherwise as the case requireth I will warne you of one thing that will doe you good that you would leaue your vsury and extortion your couetousnes oppression that you would leaue your swearing and blaspheming the name of God that you woulde forbeare to prophane the Lordes Sabboth that you woulde leaue your pride and excesse in your diet and apparell that you would forbeare to speake ill of any behind their backes or to beare any malice or hatred to any of your neighbours These are the faultes which are easie to bee espied almost in euery place and these are the faultes which the faithfull minister of Christ Iesus should not leaue vnreproued wheresoeuer he commeth But as Elias told Ahab of his Idolatry though hee were his king and Iohn Baptist told Herode of his adulterie though he did many thinges for him and heard him gladly so shoulde the Preachers reprooue the people for their notorious offences notwithstanding some fauours and curtesies receiued from them If Christ had cause to finde fault with Martha for her too much diligence in his entertainement it seemes he was not curious of his diet but would haue beene content with simple cates he was no delicate or daintie guest hee did not affect or delight in sumptuous banquets or costhe fare hee rather requireth a religious heart a constant faith a willing mind to heare the word with an earnest care to liue thereafter These are the thinges wherein the Lorde delighteth these are the iuncates which he desireth and which he preferreth before all earthly cheare Thus is Martha reprehended for her curiositie nowe let vs see how Marie is excused and commended for her godlie care One thing is necessarie saith Christ and what is that one thing Euen to heare the worde preached which is the power of God to saluation to euerie one that beleeueth A man may better want all thinges than that one needefull thing and yet we desire al other things and neglect that one thing which is so needfull This one thing hath Marie chosen and therefore hath chosen the better part Marthaes part is good because it prouideth for this present life but Maries part is better because it leadeth to eternall life It is good to bee occupied about our calling to get our liuing but it is better to bee occupied in hearing the worde which is able to saue our soules As the head and the foote are both needefull in the bodie so Mary and Martha are both needful in a Common-wealth man hath two vocations the one earthly by his labour the other heauenly by his praier There is he actiue life which consisteth in practising the affaires of this life wherein man sheweth himselfe to be like himself and there is the contemplatiue life which consisteth in the meditation of diuine and heauenlie thinges wherein man sheweth himselfe to be like the Angels for they which labour in their temporall vocations doe liue like men but they which labour in spirituall matters liue like Angels When they heare the word God speaketh vnto them when they pray they speake vnto God so that there is a continuall conference betweene God and them because they are continuallie exercised in hearing and praying Christ loued Martha for her hospitalitie as Isaac loued Esau for his venison So did hee loue Marie for her diligence in hearing his word as Rebecca loued Iacob for hearkning to her voice A nurse which hath her breast full of milke doth loue the child that sucks it from her and Christ which hath his breast full of heauenly milke is glad when hee hath children to sucke the same Let vs therefore as the Apostle willeth vs. 1. Pet. 2. 12. laying aside all maliciousnes and all guile and disimulation and enuie and all euill speaking as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the worde that we may growe thereby to bee perfect men in Christ Iesus let vs breath after the fountaine of the liuing water which springeth vp vnto eternall life as the faintie Hart desireth the water brooke to quench his thirst and for as much as many things are so troublesome and one thing is so needeful let vs seeke that one needful thing the end of all thinges euen to feare God and keepe his commandementes which we learne by hearing the word of God wherby faith without the which it is impossible to please God is begotten and nourished in the hearts of men This is that good parte which Mary hath chosen by so much better than her sisters choise because it concerneth a better life and hath the fruition of this present life Marie hath a double portion she heard the worde and ate of the meate which her sister dressed for godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of the life to come As for all other things whether they be honors promotions pleasures and what not They serue only for the maintenance of this present life which is so short and subiect to mutabilitie but the word of God is the foode of the soule the breade of life that immortall seede which bringeth forth fruite vnto eternall life Let the worde of God therefore bee pretious vnto vs because it is so permanent for heauen and earth must passe but the word of God endureth for euer If wee make choise of any thing beside it must be taken from vs or wee shall bee taken from it but if wee make choise of this one thing it shall neuer be taken from vs neither in this worlde nor in the world to come The Lord graunt that wee be not only hearers but doers of the word that it may be trulie said of vs as Christ said of his Disciples that heard his preaching Behold my brother my sister and mother or as he answered the woman that commended his carnall kindred Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe the same FINIS THE FIRST SERMON of Noahs drunkennesse Gen. 9. 20. 21. Noah also began to be a husbandman and planted a vineyard And he dranke of the wine and was drunken and was vncouered in the middest of his tent FIrst we are to speake of Noah then of Cham his wicked sonne and after of Shem and Iapheth his good sonnes In Noah first of that which hee did well and then of his sinne In Cham first of his sinne and then of his curse In his brethren first of their reuerence and then
maruaile though wee haue so many beggers contrarie to the minde of Christ. The poore saith Christ yee shall haue alwaies with you but when you will you may do them good and we shall be sure to haue the poore amongst vs alwaies but wee must make such good prouision for them that they bee not faine to beg their bread Thus was Zaccheus rich to himselfe for hee was a Publican but he was rich toward God also for hee had a desire to see Christ. Almighty God who is rich in mercy Ehp. 2. hath so inspired his heart with the desire of heauenly riches that whereas before his whole delight was in seeking of worldly wealth nowe his greatest care is to seeke for heauenly treasure Hee now forgetteth what his profession is and begins to be of a newe profession and hee whose heart was whollie set vpon earthly profit is nowe like olde Simeon most desirous to see his Sauiour The Tetrarch Herod desired to see Christ and despised him when hee saw him Luke 23. ◠11. but Zaccheus the Publican desired to see Christ and reioiced when he saw him like Abraham that desired to see the day of Christ Iohn 8. 56. and therefore of the seruaunt of Sathan Zaccheus is nowe become the childe of Abraham which reioyced to see the daye of Christ. Happie were hi◠eyes that sawe soe blessed a sight for manie Prophets and righteous men haue desired to see and to heare those thinges that Zaccheus both sawe and heard and could not see nor heare the same If Iacob thought himselfe happie if that he might but see his son Ioseph before his death then surely thrise happy Zaccheus whose hap it was not onely to see as Iacob did but to reioyce as Mary did in christ his Sauiour As Zaccheus was desirous to see christ in earth so I would haue the rich men of our time desirous to see Christ in heauen For although with the eies of our bodie wee cannot see Christ as Zaccheus did yet with the eyes of our faith wee may behold him as Stephen did Acts. 7. But if our faith bee so weake sighted that we cannot see Christ yet let vs haue a desire to heare Christ in his word whereby our faith may be increased for faith cōmeth by hearing the word of God And as the Queene of the South desired to heare the wisedome of Salomon so let vs be desirous to heare the wisdome of Christ our Sauiour King Salomon left some bookes in writing wherein is seene some part of his wisdome and Christ our King hath left vnto vs his most sacred worde as it were a taste of his wisedome sufficient matter for our saluation this is that heauenly foode Math 4. 4. whereby our soules are fed vnto eternall lyfe let vs therefore labour for that heauenly foode and as the Israelites were carefull to gather Manna to sustaine their bodies so let vs bee as carefull to heare the worde to feede our soules The people in the time of Christ Iohn 6. 24. tooke great paines to follow Christ both by lande and sea and many now a dayes I confesse are very forwarde to follow his faithfull ministers but as they followed Christ so fast to fill their bellies so these frequent sermons for fashion to serue the time Zaccheus is desirous to see Christ a godly care but yee he could not obtaine his purpose a thing common for euery one that hath any good motion hath alwayes some hinderance to crosse the same and Zaccheus hath a double impediment to hinder his honest enterprise The prease of the people and his little stature Whereof the former that is the multitude is alwaies wont to be an enimie to those that would come to Christ. This hindered the blinde man from receiuing his sight Luke 18. for the people rebuked him that he should hold his peace till Christ called him and opened his eyes This hindred them that brought the man sick of the Paulsie Mark 2. for they could not come at Christ for the prease till they vncouered the roofe of the house and let downe the bed wherein the sicke of the Palsey lay This hindered the healing of the deafe and dumbe Mark 7. till Christ tooke him aside out of the multitude and cured him This hindered the raising of the Rulers daughter Mat. 9. till Christ had thrust out the Minstrels and the multitude and then restored the may de to lyfe Finally this hindered Zaccheus here from comming vnto Christ till Christ vouchsafed to call him to himselfe Thus alwayes a multitude that is prone to euill doth withdraw and hinder vs from approching vnto Christ and therefore we must not follow a multitude to doe euill nor decline after many to ouerthrow the trueth Exod. 23. The second impediment that hindereth Zaccheus from seeing Christ is his little stature Hee was so lowe of stature that hee could not see Christ aboue the multitude but Christ was aboue the multitude therefore could see Zaccheus though he were so lowe of stature For God looketh not on the countenance nor on the height of a mans stature but the Lorde beholdeth the heart and preferred little Dauid before Eliab his eldest brother because hee findeth in him a better heart to serue the Lorde And Zaccheus in his little bodie hath a heart and mind prepared to seeke and see the Lord. Zaccheus was so low that he could not see Christ but manie amongst vs are so high that they will not see Christ. The common people in time of Christ were so desirous to follow Christ that neither lamenesse nor blindnesse nor sicknes could stay them from comming to him but the common people in our time are more readie to followe their sport and pastime then to come to the church to heare of Christ. And as for our rich men who seeth not that they will make great haste to see a commoditie but will scarce come out of doores to heare a Sermon They come to Church as Nichodemus came to Christ by night as if they were ashamed to come to Church but they runne after profit to get riches as Geheziran after Naaman the Syrian to get a bribe Thus hath Zaccheus two lets that he could not see Christ the one in the people the other in himselfe and wee haue many lets to withdrawe vs from Christ some are externall and without vs as the inticements of the world some are internal and within vs as the lustes of our owne flesh The prease of the people hindereth Zaccheus from seeing Christ in his humility and the multitude of our sinnes doe presse vs downe that we cannot see Christ in glory Zaccheus was a man of little stature that hindred him from seeing Christ in earth and wee are men of little faith and that is the cause we cannot behold Christ in heauen Though Zaccheus was a man of little stature yet it appeareth that he was not a man of
worship him As for the image we reade that to turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible creature is idolatrie Well may I then affirme with Moses Cursed be the Image and the Image maker The conclusion therefore of this poynt is this that we seeke the Lord and his strength euermore that wee pray vnto God in humilitie sinceritie and in full assurance of faith continually who without end is to be sought because without end he is to be beloued The third thing contained in our duetie is what effect this seeking and praying ought to worke in vs comprehended in these wordes If thou be pure vpright if the cloudes be ful they will powre forth raine vpon the earth vnpossible it is that a man that seeketh after God and prayeth vnto the Almighty should not bring forth the fruits of a godly life for if the tree be good the fruits cannot be bad if the head of y e water be pure it wil send forth pure waters into the cesterns Wherefore as good motions are stirred vp by praier so must they bee fostred by practise of life according to that of the Apostle Quench not the spirit nor grieue the holy one of God by whom ye are sealed to the day of redemption He quencheth dearly beloued the spirit which being once lightened with the sparkles of faith felte Gods motions in his hart doth neglect to increase the one to a flame the other to good workes in his life but with the dog turneth to his vomit with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing againe in the mire Therefore beloued loue and seeke the Lord pray to the almightie be pure and vpright in conuersation fly from sinne as from a serpent for if thou come neare it will bite thee The teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon to slay the soules of men and all iniquitie is as a two edged sword the woundes that it giues cannot bee healed I dare not stand as I would vpon these pointes fearing tediousnes wherefore let this suffice for the former general part concerning the duty we owe vnto God Now Gods promises for the performance herof yeeld vnto vs most plentiful matter of doctrine cōsolation First of his iustice that as he will suffer no sin vnpunished so he will leaue no good work vnrewarded but giueth to euery seueral actiō his seueral hire iust recompence of reward Shall the howre come in which al that are in their graues shal heare a voice come forth they that haue done vvel to the resurrection of life they that haue done euil to the resurrection of condemnation Shall the Lord search Ierusalem with Lanthornes Shall all foule corners be swept and all pleites and vvrinckles be vnfolded Shall the sea graue death and hell giue vp al that is in them and shal all the deade both great and small stand before God vvhen the bookes are opened and shall euery man haue praise of God according vnto his deseruing Shall vvee then discerne betweene the vessels of honour and of vvrath betweene sheepe and gotes the iust and vniust Finally shall there be an infallible generall and incorrupt iudgement wherein the booke of all our offences shall be laide wide open Now God bee mercifull vnto vs be fauorable O Lord bee fauorable But to proceede it is thy nature O Lorde to gather vp the wheate and burne the tares to cut down all fruitles trees cast them into the fire yea into a fierie furnace that neuer shall be quenched into an vtter darknes where is weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth then be fauorable O Lord be fauorable Doth not the Lord spare Dauid a king and a Prophet for murther doth he not spare the Sichemites for adulterie nor Absalom for treason nor Saul for tyrannie nor Eli for negligence nor Achab Ieroboam nor Iezabell for crueltie nor Herod Nabuchadnezzar Lucifer for pride nor Pharaoh for incredulitie then be fauorable O Lord be fauorable to vs in whom almost euery one of these sins doe dwell and remaine Did the Lorde for corruption ouerflow the world with water did hee burne Sodome for her villanie did he cast Adam and Eue out of Paradise for eating of the forbidden fruite did hee stone a poore wretch to death for gathering chips on the Sabboth day then be fauorable O Lorde be fauorable vnto vs. But dooth not the Lord spare the Cedar tree for his height nor the Oke for his strength nor the Poplar for his smoothnesse nor the Lawrel for his greennes No verely from the Cedar that is in Lybanon euen to y e hysop that groweth out of the wall yea euery one that bringeth not forth good fruite is hewne downe and cast into the fire it is a righteous thing with God to render vengeance to those that disobey him and to destroy such as haue forsaken the law by euerlasting perdition Behold the Lord shal come in the great and latter day of iudgement when none shall escape his iudgment seat with cloudes shall he come and euery eie shall see him euen they which pierced him thorow shall also waile before him being sūmoned al to appeare most fearfully before his imperial throne of maiesty thē be fauorable O Lord be fauorable A las with what eies shall we miserable sinners behold him so gloriously sitting in his roiall kingdome with all his mightie and holy angels and whole number of saints sounding with the voice of the archangell and trumpet of God causing the heauens to passe away with a noise and the elements to melt like waxe the earth to burne with the works thereof yea with what eies shall wee behold him when we see the Sun darkned the Moone eclipsed and the stars fall down from heauen But alas when he taketh the furbished blade into his hand when he is ready to throw the fiery thunderbolts of his wrath when hee summoneth before him the worme that neuer dieth the fire that neuer shall bee quenched to reuenge vppon the wicked into what a plight are they then driuen then leaue they off be fauorable O Lorde be fauorable and say to the hils O ye mountains come and couer vs O yee waters come and ouerwhelme vs wo wo wo how great is this darkenes The godly on the other side are bathed in such streames of blisse and aduanced to such happines as neither tongue can vtter nor heart conceiue The second thing wee haue to note in his promises is his mercy which exceedeth al his workes For God though hee haue giuē a curse of the law against sinners yet seeing Christ for the penitent hath borne the curse whereby his iustice is not impaired he is content to accept our weaknesse as our strength to recompence our imperfection with rewarde of greatest perfection and that which we can performe but in small part hee is content to accept as whole not for any
it the next Sabboth To day therefore if ye will heare his voice haraen not your hearts as did the Israelites least if you harden your heartes his voice be heard no more amongst you This day you may gather this heauenly Manna as the Israelites might gather their Manna sixe daies together but tomorrow perhaps and sixe daies after you may not gather it as on the seuenth day Manna might not be found The Lord graunt that you may gather sufficient food for the sustentatioÌ„ of your soules that as Elias the prophet iournied in the strength of the meate that the Angell brought him euen vnto Horeb the mount of God so you in the strength of this spiritual meate which heere I bring you may bee able to passe through the dangerous waies of this troublesome worlde vnto Gods holy Mountaine the hauen of all happines whither he bring vs that hath deerly bought vs with his pretious bloud euen Christ Iesus the righteous to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be giuen all glory and maiestie world without end Amen FINIS THE SINNERS CONFESSION The Text. Luke chap. 19. verses 6. 7. 8. 9. 6 Then he came down hastily and receiued him ioyfully 7 And when all they saw it they murmured saying that he was gone into lodge with a sinful man 8 And Zaccheus stood forth and sayde vnto the Lorde Beholde Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him foure fold 9 Then Iesus sayd vnto him This day is saluation come vnto this house forasmuch as hee is also become the sonne of Abraham YOu heard the last Sabboth how Zacheus the Publican was called to be a christiaÌ„ now you shall heare the fruit of his conuersion No sooner had Christ called him from the tree but that he came downe hastilie and receiued him ioyfullie This was the fruit which it had in the heart of Zaccheus namely obedience to the voice of Christ a fruite more pretious and acceptable vnto God than the most pleasant fruits which Eden yeelded and a sacrifice more sweet and acceptable vnto him than all the sacrifices which the Law required This is the sacrifice wherewith the Lord is pleased euen when his voice is obeyed 1. Sam. 15. 22. The voice of the Lord is a glorious voice and mighty in operation diuiding the flames of fire and shaking the Cedar trees So the voyce of Christ is a glorious voyce his voyce is mightie in operation diuiding the soule and the spirit and shaking Zaccheus from the wilde figge tree whereinto hee had climed The same God to whose commaund the windes the sea the diuels and death it selfe obey here commaundeth Zaccheus to come downe at once and he commeth downe hastilie to receiue him into his house and he receiueth him ioifully As Zaccheus could not come at Christ till he was called so no man can come to Christ except the Father drawe him and as Zaccheus could not chuse but come when he was called by the voice of Christ so when any man is called effectually by the preaching of the Gospell hee cannot chuse but come to Christ for where there is an effectuall calling there is grace giuen also to obey the same Ro. 8. 30. The Lord is faine somtime to cal vs often because we know not the voyce of him that calleth vs as hee called Samuel three times before hee answered because at that time Samuel knew not the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 7. But as soone as he vnderstood that it was the Lord that spake vnto him he replied presently Speake on Lorde for thy seruant heareth So when the Lord calleth any man effectually by the preaching of his worde all the partes and powers of his bodie doe yeeld their obedience the eare listneth the tongue confesseth the heart beleeueth the head deuiseth the hand performeth the foote runneth the eye directeth and all concurre to do thy will O God Psal. 40. 7. Such and so effectuall is the voice of Christ in the heartes of his chosen that it maketh Saul of a bloudy persecutor to become Paul a painefull preacher it causeth Peter of a silly Fisher-man to become a catcher of men and Zaccheus here of a vile publican to become a zealous christian And such also is the nature of the word preached wheresoeuer it pleaseth the Lord to giue successe and increase thereto that it is able to transforme the mindes of men to beget faith in the hearts of Infidels and in a word to saue such as are ordained to eternall life Acts 13. This is the powre of the word of God euen to cause a consenting to the truth thereof and this is the propertie of the children of God to yeeld all obedience to the word of God Assoone as Christ calleth Zaccheus he comes down presentlie like the light in the creatition that was made as soone as God said Let there be light Here therefore of Zaccheus that obeied the voice of Christ let vs learne obedience to the voice of Christ for as Christ biddeth Zaccheus to come down because he was too high so he saith to euery one of vs come downe because wee are too high minded But with vs the voyce of Christ is not soe effectuall as it was with Zaccheus for hee was content to come downe at the first bidding but wee must be often bidden to beware of pride and ambition and yet wee will still bee climing There are fewe so high that are content with their calling but as Haman was alwaies aspiring till he came to the gallowes so many amongst vs are alwayes climing till they catch a fall Againe as Christ sayd to Zaccheus To day I must abide at thy house so Christ saith to vs. To daye my poore afflicted members should receiue some succour at your handes But as the Priest the Leuite Luke 10. passed by the wounded man leauing him halfe dead so we for the most part passe by our needy brethren leauing them vnreleeued Thus are we euery â—â—y disobedient to the voice of Christ. He teacheth vs to be humble as he himselfe is Matth. 11. 29. and wee waxe proude and insolent as Sathan is Hee willeth vs to bee mercifull as our heauenly father is Luke 6. 36. and wee are cruel and vnmercifull as the rich glutton was Luke 16. This is the cause why the earth deceiueth and rendreth not her fruit Esai 24. 5. This is the cause why the sword deuoureth abroad and the pestilence destroyeth at home Deut. 28. 15 Leuit 26. 24. 25. and in a word this is the cause of all the mischiefes and calamities that are threatned euen because we are obstinate and rebellious against the Lorde we are vndutifull and disobedient to the voyce of Christ that calleth vs so louingly to come vnto him Matth. 11. 28. Zaccheus was called but once and he commeth quickly but we are