THE IOY OF THE VPRIGHT MAN IN A SERMON PREACHED AT GRAYES INNE BY I. B. WHEREIN IS DECLARED THE hidden comfort the sure reward the present condition of the vpright-hearted PSAL. 126. 6. They went weeping and carried precious seede but they shall returne with ioy and bring their sheaues LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at his shop vnder Saint Peters Church in Corne-hill at the signe of the Starre and in Popes-head Alley 1619. TO HIS MVCH RESPECTED AND APPROVED FRIEND Mr. DA. M. IT hath been the custome of them that penned the Booke of Bookes the Bible to direct seuerall writings to some particular and priuate persons although it was in their mindes that the Church in generall should also receiue edification and comfort by them So then I haue in this respect trod in their stepps whose patterne cannot but be worth the imitation Were it as conuenient as lawfull I would fully haue set downe your name but to auoide the least appearance of euill I haue omitted that and though many reasons might be produced why I made choice of you before others yet it would be tedious and to no purpose to relate them wherefore let these following suffice I assure my selfe that it will be well accepted and as from the hands of a true though meane friend receiued I also so farre as my iudgement leades me verily beleeue that the Lord hath begun his good worke in you wherefore though the meanes be but weake the powerfull Creator can vse it as an instrument to fur-ther the same He that could cure the blind man with clay and spittle can produce the like effects by an ordinarie meanes who doubteth I will not proclaime to the eares of the world what kindnesses I haue receiued from you for that might seeme to smell of flattery or by a more secret manner of begging to craue some future fauour But this I will onely mention that it is out of Christian affection and a singular desire of your good comfort as also to declare my remembrance of you that I haue in this kind put pen to paper And to say much in one word If I haue more than an ordinary affection to any priuate person the current thereof runneth towards your selfe Let these lines what euer they be therefore the rather find a friendly entertainement and not so onely but especially striue to apply them to what end I haue aimed at in the penning of them They will plainely declare vnto you by what meanes we are to stand iust before God of which mystery the vulgar people are for the most part ignorant of or not thorowly grounded in Againe you shall find in them that the spiritual estate of a Christian is secret not onely to others but often hidden from himselfe especially at the time of his effectuall vocation for then he is like the late manured field naked and bare without the least true apprehension or sight of sauing grace and good graine in the furrowes of his soule By this you may vnderstand who are the reapers of Gods greatest benefits And finally you shall euidently see confuted the opinion of those that hold there is no mirth or comfort in a Christian course who cry out what turne Puritane become a Precisian then farewell all ioy and welcome melancholy But we say leauing those names to whom they of right pertaine that faith in the promises of God and obedience to his precepts will expell feare quiet the troubled soule and make a sad heart the merriest man in the world for faith in the Gospell sets vs euen with God and obedience to the Law will bring vs to his presence where all the righteous and vpright-hearted shall bathe themselues in Riuers of pleasure that shall neuer be dried vp but spring flow and be full for euer To the which the Lord bring you in a conuenient season through the merits of his Sonne by the hand of his blessed Spirit Amen Amen Your friend if friend to any I. B. THE IOY OF THE VPRIGHT MAN PSAL. 97. 11. Light is sowne for the righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart THese words consist of a double proposition but some vnderstand that like Pharaohs dreames though diuers the same thing is onely meant Others thus that the first part of the verse is vnderstood of Iustification the latter of Sanctification for they both vsually goe together and the one is neuer in Gods children separated from the other for if the Lord iustifie any person through Christ in some measure he sanctifieth the same by his Spirit these like Naomi and Ruth runne together In the former proposition are two things to be considered first that light is sowen secondly for whom and that is for the righteous Againe in the latter proposition are two things also to be noted the one that ioy is sowne the other who shall reape it viz. the vpright in heart But for the better vnderstanding of the words we must know that this Text is an Allegory that is a continued similitude wherein we may obserue fower things First the sower and that is God Secondly the seede and that is ioy and light Thirdly the reapers and they be the iust and vpright in heart Fourthly the ground where and that is in Gods Word and workes earth and heauen within vs and without vs. This metaphor of husbandry is often vsed in the Scripture for First it is of antiquitie our first parents were to till the ground Secondly it is of good report therefore to bee thought vpon Thirdly it is profitable for he that soweth shall reape Lastly it is of necessitie for grounds must bee plowed vp or they will not bring forth any good fruite but briars thistles and all vnprofitable rubbish Now wee will proceede to the meaning of the words And first for Light Light is either taken litterally or tropically Litterally two waies First either for an accident or qualitie in a subiect as in the Sunne or any cleare body or Secondly as an effect proceeding from its cause and so the Fier Moone and starres are said to be Lights and to giue light Gen. 1. 15. Eccles 11. 9. Againe light is metaphorically applied many waies First God is said to be light 1. Iohn 1. 5. Secondly Christ is called the light Iohn 3. 19. Thirdly the Ministers are stiled Lights Matthew 5. 14. Fourthly the Gospell walke in the light Iohn 12. 36. Fifthly the precepts and word was to Dauid a Lanthorne or light Psal 119. 105. Sixthly Grace is called light Ephes 5. 13. 14. Seuenthly deliuerance from danger Esth. 8. 16. In a word light is taken for all true comfort and spirituall blessings that wee receiue from God through Christ temporal or eternal and so it may be taken in this place though more particularly of deliuerance from trouble or some present danger the people of God were cast into for the Kingdome of Christ is fore-spoke of and prophecied in this
plowing comes sowing after sowing the seede lies vnder the clots after springeth to a blade eare and last of all a ful corne and these degrees are to be expected in this spirituall haruest also I haue knowne others troubled because they cannot distinctly tell the time of their conuersion Why doe not some women conceiue and know it not for a season yet before long they can easily discerne it And in like sort may the new birth be wrought and yet some while the person be ignorant of the same For as the spirit bloweth where and when so how he listeth Thou must trie it by the effects If therfore the daily course of finne be staied the breasts of thy vnderstanding and heart with the sincere milke of the word be filled and thou trauell in minde and wil that good works may be produced thou art borne of God and one of his adopted children Vse 4 And is this haruest secret and hidden Then let the righteous neuer rest content with any measure of spirituall crop they haue attained to for they haue but like Ruth participated of the gleanings The very chiefe of the haruest is gathered into heauen and there they shall haue it the vpright are in the wildernes and haue but tasted of the good things of the world to come yea this doctrine should cause all of vs to thresh out the word to breake our hard hearts to sow apace both the seeds of good works and the rich and precious graine of prayer Oh that wee did but conceiue aright how these seeds will fructifie and the full sheaues that we shall reape either in life or death or at the last day Truly not one of these cornes shall miscarry but all take roote spring and bring foorth fruite in great abundance I say then be not wearie in this course of husbandry iudge not that The haruest is past but scatter this seed euery where and crie aloud that the great day of reaping may come and the principall time of gathering yea it should moue thee to wish to be loosed and to desire Christs comming to iudgement and then it will appeare what thou shalt be for whatsoeuer good thing any man hath done that same shall bee receiue of the Lord whether he be bond or free It cannot be denied but that as in the daies of Elias the children of God in this world like the corne couered with chaffe may be hidden and not discerned but at that day Christ shall single them out call them by name and reward them according to their workes Euery good intention of the heart each sentence powdred with salt the still prayers that haue been powred out in the poorest corner of a cottage and euery good action done in secret shall come to light and haue his blessing and then the difference will be discerned between the righteous and the wicked between him that serued God and him that serued him not Mal. 3. vlt. Goe on therefore and be not deiected For the husbandman must first sow that he may reape the fruit and hee that soweth liberally shall reape also liberally 2. Cor. 9. 6. And now wee come to obserue a second point the which we gather out of the consequent part of the first proposition which is that Doct. 2 The righteous are the reapers of Gods greatest benefits Light and gladnesse bee sowen for them only and for none other Balaam saw this full well therfore he desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like vnto his Dauid crieth out Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man shall be peace yea the righteous shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and such shal want no manner of thing for their memorie shall bee blessed here on the earth and their names for euer engrauen in heauen But with the wicked it shall not be so for their fame shall rot their names shall be written in earth their hopes make them ashamed and at the last day their image shall be despised They shall be as chaffe before the winde and shall not be able to stand in the presence of the Lord but bee depriued of the kingdome of heauen and throwne downe into the nethermost hell We deny not but that they may flourish for a time spread themselues like the greene bay tree and bigge Cedars send out their children as sheepe place them on the highest hils play vpon the tabret and harpe spend many daies in carnall pleasures yet for all this in a moment they shall descend into the pit This shall be the portion of vniust and wicked men but the contrary to the righteous And it also standeth with good reason Reason 1 For first the iust are vnited to Christ their husband and head they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh therefore they shall partake in truth though not in degree of all his priuiledges And from this vnion wee are said to be heires of God Gal. 4. heires annexed with Christ Rom. 8. heires of grace 1. Pet. 3. heires of the kingdome Iam. 2. 5. heires of eternall life Tit. 3. yea coheires with Christ of all things present or to come For the righteous are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. 23. And as they that are thus grafted into the second Adam shall be partakers of all his goods so the vniust not being in him shall taste of all the heauy iudgements of God the Father He that is not a branch of this Vine shall be cut off wither dye and suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Iude 7. Reason 2 Againe they haue right to all the promises and none but they Heb. 11. 1. 2. Many may say that They are Abrahams seed haue true title to heauen and boast much that They are free but they that so thinke may deceiue their own soules and be farre from the kingdome of heauen For Godlines only hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. And if the Sonne make man free then is he free indeed But alas the wicked vniust and prophane haue no promise to inherit heauen all the threats in Gods booke are denounced against them For Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked and they that doe commit sinne shall not be vnpunished And the Apostle is round in this thing Be not saith he deceiued for the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. 9. Reason 3 A third reason is this that as the righteous haue only true title to the promises so they only haue faith to applie them say that wicked men had which they haue not right to the promise of life yet they haue no faith to applie it to themselues in particular whatsoeuer such men bragge and boast of yet All men haue not faith and he that beleeueth not is
and the not keeping of the Law be debts as in truth they be then as Paul writeth to Philemon concerning Onesimus let vs in all humilitie of heart by the hand of faith set both on Christs score And thus much for the matter of our iustification by which we are made righteous The manner how or by what meanes it is applied followeth and that is faith and faith onely for we are iustified by faith onely as by an instrumentall cause for faith laieth hold on the obiect matter of our iustification Christ and his obedience and so vniting the beleeuer to him hee is iustified though not by his owne inherent and actuall righteousnesse So that God the Father accepteth of this satisfaction as if we in our owne persons had both for holinesse of nature and perfection of obedience absolutely answered and fulfilled the Lawes iustice And from this that I haue said we may gather these conclusions First that None was euer personally righteous but Christ onely For if his Father would marke what was done amisse yet he was and is and euer shall be able to abide it for he was holy for nature and perfect for life Againe hence it will follow that all men stand in neede of Christs merits and all cause of boasting is totally excluded from mankind yea whatsoeuer Papists babble the blessed Virgin her selfe So that the person for whom light is sowne is hee that by faith applieth Christ and his obedience being offered by the Father to himselfe in particular And thirdly we may from this safely conclude that They who haue no faith cannot be iustified and consequently saued For wee must of necessitie haue faith to apply Christ as an instrument for faith is as a hand to receiue and put on the righteousnesse and merits of the second Adam We are said to liue by faith that is in beleeuing in the Lord of life They therefore that haue no faith are dead in trespasses and sinnes Adam had life in himselfe at the creation now we haue it out of our selues from Christ at our iustification And last of all we may collect that the obiect of faith and matter of iustification is not within vs but without vs and that we stand in need of the same else no saluation whence these three Corollaries follow First that sinnes before conuersion cannot hinder mans perfect iustification Let this bee well obeserued Secondly that good workes after our effectuall vocation doe not further our iustification before the Lord they will helpe to assure vs that our faith is sound and iustifie vs in the eyes of the world but no other waies And lastly from this I also conclude that They are in a great errour who hold the bare act of faith without the application of Christ and his obedience to iustifie We are said to liue by our hands yet wee vnderstand that it is meant by that we get by labor and trauell for no man eates his fingers so wee may truly be said to be iustified and saued through faith but wee must know that it is by what faith resteth on and applieth to the person and no otherwise this is the plaine meaning And now I come to the second branch of my text and ioy Some expound the first part by the second and say that by light is meant ioy and by iust vpright in heart But I rather vnderstand that sanctification is meant in this clause for many are apt to say they haue faith yet want holinesse therefore the spirit would take away that false cauill Againe good and righteous persons call the soundnesse of their faith sometimes into question doubting of the truth of their spirituall condition therefore to remoue that scruple and to comfort and settle their wauering minds the Prophet annexeth as a helpe this other clause wherein is comprehended sanctification And vsually in the holy Booke these two are coupled together and they may not be put asunder 1. Cor. 6. 11. Now for the interpretation of the words some reade ioy others gladnesse the difference of these two I take to be this Ioy is in the heart secretly hidden and gladnesse may be seene in the face or by some outward signe discerned for where one Euangelist writeth Reioyce and bee glad another saith Reioyce and leape Feare and ioy are internall but trembling and gladnesse externall See Mat. 5. 12. Luk. 6. 23. Psal 2. 11. Matth. 28. 8. Vpright Seemes to be a Metaphor tooke from a pillar or thing that standeth as wee say bolt vpright not inclining more one way than another or some reade it Right or Streight of heart that is in whose thoughts intentions and conuersations is no guile like Nathanaël or Ezekiah and heart is added to shew the true roote of sinceritie as also to condemne outward hypocrisie for some like the old Pharisies are iust outwardly but inwardly full of rottennes the heart is not vpright what shew soeuer they make of holinesse and righteousnes or it may be annexed for the comfort of the iust that though they faile sometimes in outward act yet it falleth foorth contrary to the intent and former purpose of their heart for the most faithfull hath his failings whatsoeuer his resolutions haue been to the contrary And now in few other words thus may we plainly resolue these What if the faithfull be afflicted ouerwhelmed with the waues of sorrow compassed about with great and manifold euils drowned in the depth of depths and well neere swallowed vp of ouermuch heauinesse shall they not heare of glad tidings will not ioy breake out as light in the morning and all teares be wiped from their eyes yes this is an eternall truth that All such as are iustified by faith in Christ sanctified hauing hearts without guile by the word and spirit though they sow in teares plow in paine and all their crop seeme to be blasted yet there be great blessings appointed by God for them which though for a season they be couered and hidden like corne in the furrowes they shall one day reape and receiue in earth and heauen according to the sure promise of the Lord. Thus to our power hauing pickt out the true meaning wee come to gather some profitable instructions and out of the word sowen we may first obserue that Doct. 1 The righteous mans haruest in secret and hidden It lieth like the corne couered in the ground Their life is hid and it is not manifest what they shall be No eye hath seene or eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what the Lord hath laid vp for them that loue him Name what you can and it will be a mysterie a secret thing that belongs to the vpright in heart Reason 1 First is not the decree of God a hidden thing a depth vnsearchable and able to make a man astonied Did not Paul crie out Oh the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and counsell of God! how
Seeds-man of the earth and heauen hath prouided why then striue to be vpright in heart Noah was a righteous Preacher Lot was iust Paul had a good conscience Ezekiah walked before the Lord with an vpright heart and these were freed from many dangers on earth died at the last with honour and now are reapers of that vnspeakable light in the kingdome of heauen But because many boast of their owne righteousnes crie Stand apart I am more holy than thou yet are not of this number we will giue some true trials and notes of vpright and iust men First an vpright man lookes backward and forward wipes off the score both with man and the Lord. If hee haue wronged any by forged cauillation with Zacheus if he be of abilitie then he maketh full restitution if hee be not yet will he make confession to the partie if conuenient craue pardon with a resolution that if euer the Lord enable him he will restore to the vttermost farthing and will not faile in the meane time to inuocate the Lord that he who by him hath been iniured may some way or other gaine more through his bountie than by his wickednes he hath been depriued of This is a true note of one vpright in heart for restitution is of absolute necessitie to righteousnes at the least in resolution and will where wealth to restore is wanting And Iudas in this went beyond many and will rise vp in iudgement against many for he so will not they made restitution And for time to come hee will doe to his brother as he would be done vnto alwaies endeuouring to keepe a good conscience with euery person in euery action Wee haue some that turne to their former courses when as they haue acknowledged their sinne and made their neighbour satisfaction as the theefe that when the sore is worne out of his hand and the print of the burning iron falls to filching but an honest heart will steale no more neither willingly wrong any man either outwardly in action speech or inwardly by cogitation resolution for he holds that the least motion of the will whereby his brother is wronged is a sinne and to be abandoned And marke this he will proportion his almes according to his abilitie and the poore mans necessitie For the righteous measureth all his affaires by iudgement Thus much of his carriage towards man now follow trials or signes of his iustice towards God First hee will truly confesse that it is the Lords mercie hee was not long agone for his sinnes consumed Againe he mourneth and weepeth that he hath offended so good a God so mercifull a Father Thirdly he only relies vpon the meere mercie of God and sole merits of Christ Iesus for remission and iustification hee hateth mans merits as he loueth the Lords mercie Besides hee taketh no action in hand but he seeketh good ground for it out of Gods booke hee doth not like a carelesse Carpenter worke at an aduentrue without his Rule but like a boy that would speake true Latin who first lookes at the precept then speaketh so hee hath first an eye to the word and then to his worke Furthermore hee endeuoureth to bring the whole man to the subiection of Gods law as all the vnderstanding all the affection all the will he would haue the corrupt part of serue God as well as the regenerate And this is only to be found in the righteous and in none other for hee would giue all his members and all of all his members as so many weapons to serue the Lord in righteousnesse And finally in all matters of triall hee will appeale to God and make him chiefe Iudge of all things for hee knoweth that the Lord is iust and loueth not iniquitie neither will peruert iudgement And this is the cause why good men haue so longed that Christ would come to iudge the earth for then they shal haue their faithfulnes discouered ratified rewarded If thou finde these things in thee thou art one that shall reape all good fruits in the land of righteousnes but if not the weeds of Gods wrath in the land of wickednes And this shall suffice for the first proposition the second succeedeth to be handled in its order whence we collect that Doct. 3 The vpright man shall be the only merry man Nay he is already the ioyfull man Few thinke so but it is so This doctrine may be confirmed by the seuerall actions done by the righteous being in diuers conditions and of contrary vocations functions Was not the King glad when the people said vnto him Come let vs goe vp to the house of God Did not the people goe home and make great mirth that they vnderstood the word that was taught them Are the Christians said to continue with one accord in the Temple and to eate their meate together with gladnesse and singlenes of heart The Apostles sung Psalmes in prison The Thessalonians receiued the word with great ioy in affliction Did not some returne home reioycing that they were counted worthie to suffer for the Name of Christ Iob saith The righteous shall laugh at death And Stephen had boldnes at his departure And thete is neuer an action in Christianitie but as euery flower hath his smell so it hath and yeeldeth comfort and consolation for all her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperitie Paul prayed and gaue thankes with great reioycing and wonderfull is that ioy which the vpright haue and doe feele in these priuate and hidden duties for then the Lord reueileth himselfe most cleerely answereth the poore petitioner familiarly yea God like man giueth his greatest gifts to his dearest children in priuate for hee vpbraideth no mans person And how haue the vpright been rauished in minde with the meditation of the glorie of God and his wonderfull workes Surely as a man beholding the Sunne with a corporall eye in his brightnes dazeleth turneth back his face and cannot endure it so may the vpright man with the eye of his faith see such excellencie in the Sonne of righteousnes that for the time he may be astonied varie the obiect and say I haue enough These things be secret yet most certaine and the reasons be as cleere as the noone day Reason 1 For first his sinne is pardoned And is not a pardon to a poore condemned person a thing that yeeldeth great ioy vnspeakable comfort When a castaway heareth but of such a matter how will his dead heart reioyce his cold spirits dilate them themselues and his sorrowfull soule gather consolation From this ground Christ vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie said Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Remission of sinne is the mother of great mirth and this the vpright man is assured of Psal 32. 2. Reason 2 Againe he is clothed with the righteous robes of Christ and adorned with all the sauing graces that are
vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out Reason 2 And is not the incarnation of Christ a secret too what more to be admired than That God should become man and be manifested in the flesh The very Angels desired to peepe into this mysterie This is one of the Lords wonderfull workes The way of a virgin with a man Reason 3 Againe the conuersion and regeneration of a sinner a admirable it s a noble yet a secret work Nicodemus a great Doctor could not see into it And if naturall births be so strange what shall wee iudge of this Reason 4 Moreouer Peace of conscience and ioy in the holie Ghost is no open matter None knoweth it but hee that hath it So is the earnest of the Spirit and true seale of saluation the power life and sweetnes of the word The remission of pardon for sinne with Certaintie of saluation 1. Pet. 1. 8. Reason 5 And in the fifth place the haruest is secret if we consider where it is growing One close is The secret purpose of God and who can vnderstand it A second is his word and how hardly is that to be searched into A third is a mans owne heart and is not that both secret and deceitfull And last of all the very principall part of the haruest is hid with Christ in heauen and when hee appeares it will appeare what it shall be Vse 1 And is the Righteous mans haruest secret and hidden Then the prophane must learne not to speake euill of their waies as though of all time it were the worst spent time that is spent in the seruice of God Why shouldest thou report basely of what thou art ignorant of Doest thou know what delight is in reading praying hearing singing and meditating that art dead and neuer couldst awake to goe to worke Canst thou see into the heart of another and tell of his treasure When wast thou in the third heauē to take view of the great things that there be by God prouided for his seruants against the great day of Reaping Therefore indge not lest thou be iudged vnderstand the truth and then speake for its wisdome to conceale any thing we know not as it commendable to speake the truth of a knowne good matter Thou art to learne that Gods children are a hidden people and haue hidden comforts such as the world knowes not of Sometime you shall haue a man commended on this manner when peraduenture his suite is not of the costliest Oh Sir as meane a man as he seemeth there is few such in the parish he is an vnknowne man there is no end of his good This may truly be said of all the faithfull though they should goe in sheep skinnes camels haire and fare meanly euery day that there be but too few such in the parish they are vnknowne men and of a truth there is no end of their good for are they not called Gods stored or hidden ones Psal 83. 4. Is not their kingdome a treasure hid in the field How much is that goodnesse O Lord thou hast laid vp for them that trust in thee Dauid admired or desired as one doubtfull to be resolued Vse 2 And the righteous here are also to be admonished that they doe not regard the censures of such as are blinded by the God of this world What if they like Pharaoh crye out Who is the Lord that we should serue him and is there any profit in seruing the Almightie Why they cannot iudge of thy estate they perceiue not the things of the spirit of God but count them foolishnesse They thinke that Gaine is godlinesse and are out of the way How can a blind man vnderstand and iudge of colours and are not great and secret things too high for a foole Say therfore with the Apostle I passe not for such mens iudgements or rather pray with thy Sauiour Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe crye out in compassion with Stephen Lord lay not this sinne vnto their charge Is it to be expected that such as counted Christ to be without forme reputed him a wine bibber Iohn to haue a diuell and the chiefe seruants of the Gospel filled with the spirit to be drunk with new wine and out of their wits should iudge and esteeme charitably of thee and thy proceedings Neuer expect this for it is a thing impossible Nature cannot goe beyond it selfe and naturall men cannot discerne of things that are spirituall Vse 3 And is this Haruest hidden Then it may be a comfort to the vpright in heart when they thinke their owne state to bee miserable What if afflictions compasse thee like a garment the fiery triall seeme to burne thee wicked men rise vp in armes against thee or Satan shoote his sharpe shafts to wound thee Suppose the Father seeme to frowne vpon thee Christ to reiect thee and the fellowship of the Spirit to be departed from thee Yet must thou hope stil for thine haruest is secret and often blasted in thine owne eye Was not Dauid himselfe sometime as one reiected Did he not crie Lord restore me to the ioy of thy saluation Iob was in a great straite when he set downe this peremptorie sentence While mans flesh is vpon him hee shall be sorrowfull and so long as his spirit is within him it shall mourne And haue not the dearest of Gods Saints been strangely for a time perplexed Assure thy selfe that No new thing is befallen thee or strange matter come vnto thee but such as are incident to the Lords beloued ones He that readeth Dauids Psalmes would imagine the man to be mad that penned them if he had not some experience of spirituall desertions What is liker to good graine than grasse at the first sprouting or shooting vp of both and what doth more resemble faith than infidelitie especially at the first instant of a mans conuersion Yong Conuerts to speake with reuerence are not vnlike some of your London Cockneyes tell them when they come into the Countrey that wheate is wheate hauing but couered the earth and not growne vp to a blade and eare they will not credit you for they haue no experience in matters of that nature they haue bought it onely winnowed in the market and therefore imagine so to finde it growing but the skilfull husbandman knoweth full well that the corne in his close will be as good wheate at haruest as any that is sold in all their Citie So hee that is not an old disciple and hath not skill in this kinde of husbandrie because hee findeth not faith and hope and loue perfect at the first breaking vp of the field of his soule by the plow of the word feareth that hee hath no grace at all but a grounded Christian knoweth the contrary Learn then this lesson that after