hearts are carried away with diuers affections Ecles 2.10 So that this of Salomon may be verified in them Whatsoeuer mine eyes desired I with-held it not from them I with-drew not my heart from any ioy Those idle hearers our Sauiour likeneth vnto seed sowen among thornes stones Math. 13. or in the high-way Simile And are not many like vnto away in which if there lie any mony or thing of value it stayeth not long there but is taken vp of trauellours but if it be a clout or some vile thing it is let alone there is none that taketh it vp So scurrile things vnhonest speeches filthy songs wee receiue into our hearts and fixe in our memory as things very precious but the diuine and pretious iewell of Gods word is straightway forgotten the deuill catcheth it away and why because wee are like the high-way wee are hearers and not doers What shall I say Simile Hee that heares the word and doth it nor is like vnto him that carrieth his aduersary with him which will accuse him and deliuer him to the Iudge to be condemned The word which I haue spoken shall iudge you in the last day Iohn 12. Mat. 5.25 Againe agree with thine aduersary quickely whiles thou art in the way with him least thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the Sergeant and thou bee cast into prisou Will you know what an aduersary the word of God is to the wicked How the word of God reproueth it crosseth all their desires it standeth by and reproueth them to their faces it telleth the wicked that their palate is infected their taste corrupted the sweet seemeth bitter vnto them and bitter sweet it telleth them that they are like vnto swine which haue no smelling and therefore they willingly wallow in the mire which if they had in them a spirituall nose a sound iudgement they could not endure their owne stinke by reason of the filthinesse of their swinish liues It telleth them that they are neere vnto death and must giue account vnto God for the least sin they commit and that if God doth not punish them in this life hee hath reserued them to the more seuere punishment in the world to come It telleth them that no sin shall escape vnpunished nor no vertue be defrauded of a reward It denounceth woe woe woe vnto them if they repent not betime woe bee vnto them in their life woe vnto them in their death and woe be vnro them after death O what a terrible litigator is this brethren agree with this aduersary betime while thou art in the way of this life Bee yee doers of the word and not hearers onely Contend not with it striue not with it repine nor at it for thou shalt neuer ouercome it For a while happily you may plead excuses extenuate your sinnes sed tandem tandem causa cadetis but at length your cause shall faile and bee ouerthrowne and thy conscience it selfe being illuminated and better informed by reason shall one day condemne thee and deliuer thee into hell neuer to come out from thence so great is the summe of thy debts which thou shalt neuer bee able to pay Our Sauiour ioyning the hearing and doing of the Word together Math. 7.24 saith Whosoeuer heareth the word and doth it is like vnto a wise man which hath buth builded his house vpon a rocke c. bee yee therefore doers of the word and not hearers onely c. Many can boast that they haue heard a Sermon this day or that day yet diminish they nothing of their pride and other vanities neither haue they left their boyling malice their swelling hatred their cursed coueteousuesse their fleshly pleasures neither abate they any thing of their wanton banquets their riotous feasts neither stay they their bribing hands their slanderous mouthes their blasphemous tongues their lying lippes neither refraine they from pestilent vsury cruell oppression violent extorsion fraudulent dealing with their neighbours Therefore saith the Apostle Bee yee doers of the word not hearers onely The third sort are these which heare the word with all diligence and haue a care to practise the same and endeuour to square their liues by the line thereof these onely are pronounced blessed by the mouth of Christ himselfe Luk. 11. Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it and shewing whom hee counteth for his brethren hee saith that they are his mother and his brethren Luke 8. which not onely heare but do the word of God And If yee know these things Iohn 13. happy are yee if yee do them Wee all make profession of Christ and say wee haue faith when wee neuer go about to bring in tune our iarring liues to this vnison Faith indeed is the foundation saith the Apostle but where is our Christian building 1. Cor. 3. O build vpon it build vpon it bee yee doers of the word This then shall bee my counsell and request to you all euen for Christs sake and so I will conclude I beseech you be attentiue Yee Gentlemen Gentlemē build vpon this your faith in Christ the workes of clemency iustice and liberality that yee may bee indeed such as your names do import this is the first I would haue you to build vpon your faith Oppresse not your poore Tenants with vnreasonable rents and heauy fines Esay 3.15 What haue yee to do that yee beat my people in peeces and grinde the faces of the poore saith the Lord euen the Lord of Hostes Giue one part of your substance vnto God another to the poore and with the rest vphold an honest estate and calling this is the second Be humble not proud of Gentility and riches but remember yee must all die returne naked into the earth and giue account to the supreme Iudge for all your actions let this be the third so shall you not bee hearers onely c. Yee Marchants Marchāts build you also three things vpon your faith in Christ Play not the vsurers and prostitute not your mony to vnlawfull gaine this is the first Doe not adulterate or falsifie your mony or wares let this be the second Deut. 25. Haue not in your houses two weights and two measures one to buy with and another to sell with for this is abhomination to the Lord let this be third so shall you not bee hearers onely c. Yee Yong-men doe not impinguate and pamper vp your flesh Yong men least like an vntamed horse it doth recalcitrare lift vp the heele against you but chastice the same with fasting imbrace sobriety let this bee the first stone you lay vpon the foundation of your faith Inure and exercise your selues in the wholsome discipline of learning least idlenesse effeminate your mindes and sathan make it a seed-plot of al vices which like Pthisicorum Febris a feuer hectick will cleaue euer after to your bones and
God who in their special charge do serue God and further his kingdome so Princes in their places Preachers in their functions are the Seruants of Christ in their seuerall callings and speciall seruice in the Church and Common-wealth in which respect our Apostle heere calleth himselfe The Seruant of God 1. Cor. 1.1 Phil. 1.1 Tit. 1.1 So Paul calleth himselfe the Seruant of Iesus Christ So againe he calleth himselfe and Timotheus the Seruants of Iesus Christ and to Titus he vseth the same Title It is meet then Brethren that we should all acknowledge our selues the Seruants of Iesus Christ and labour faithfully to performe our duetie towardes him Wee are his Seruants by the right of our creation for all things were made through him Wee are his Seruants by the right of our conseruation Iohn 1.4 for in him wee liue mooue Acts 17 28 and haue our being by the right of our redemption for he bought vs with the price of his owne precious bloud by the right of his empire rule ouer vs for all rule is giuen vnto him in Heauen and in Earth by the right also of his iudicial power Iohn 5.22 for the Father hath giuen all iudgement vnto the Sonne Seeing then Brethren that in so manifold a bond of duetie wee are bound vnto our Christ let vs so serue him in sinceritie of heart that wee be neuer numbred among the number of stubborne and disobedient seruants of whom our Sauiour speaketh Mat. 25.30 Cast the vnprofitable Seruant into vtter darkenesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth The duety of a good Christian shewed by the duetie of a profitable Seruant But let vs now a little examine the duetie of a profitable Seruant that wee may perceiue how farre off most men are from the regard of this duetie The profitable Seruant employeth the chiefest part of his time not in his owne but in his Maisters businesse but now men spend the whole race of their life in the seruice of the world and the diuell and the things pertaining vnto God are least of their care Seruants possesse little and that but things necessary and which they receiue from the hands of their Maisters but now men catch and scrape whatsoeuer they may and by what meanes soeuer and what they can not catch they still couet it in heart and enuy it vnto others Good Seruants though they suffer many stripes they answer not againe but vse gentle words take it patiently but now in crosses and aduersities many will murmure against the highest God yea sometimes blaspheme and despaire Good seruants hearing the threatnings of their masters doe feare and are the more wary how they offend but now adayes Gods threatnings for sinne of many are despised Good Seruants vse no familiarity with their maisters enemies but now men enter into deep league and friendship with the world and the Diuell which haue continuall enmity with God yea They haue made a couenant with death Esay 28.15 and with hell are at an agreement Good Seruants doe not their owne willes but execute the willes and commandements of their maisters but now the commaundements of God are kicked at and trodden vnder foote Is this to be the Seruants of Christ are these the markes of our Christian profession All couetous wretches then are not the Seruants of Christ but of their god Mammon the glutton and drunkard are not the Seruāts of God but of their belly which they make their god all filthy and carnall liuers serue not God but the vncleane spirit All prowd and ambitious men are not the Seruants of Christ but doe homage vnto Sathan But for what stipend and reward doe they serue Bernard li. Senten Saint Bernard sheweth Quatuor sunt quorum in hac vita obsequijs deseruimus caro mundus diabolus Deus habent singuli principes isti dona propria c. There are foure maisters to whom men in this life yeelde their seruice the flesh the world the diuell or God The flesh giueth to hir seruitours a little momentany pleasures full of stings and remorse the world transitorie aduancements the Diuell perpetuall captiuitie but God eternall felicitie quibus ergo potiùs aut impensiùs seruiendum saith he Which of these now tell mee oughtest thou rather or more earnestly to serue Of these words The Seruants of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ among the learned Expositors I finde two Interpretations first that the Apostle speaketh coniunctim that he is the Seruant of Christ who is God and Lord as well of the Apostle as of all men Heretikes confuted And heere hee meeteth with the heresie of the Ebionites Cerinthians Carpocratians Arrians and the Iewes which affirmed Christ to be onely man the sonne of Ioseph and not God the Lord whose blasphemies in few but in most effectuall words he confuteth teaching that the same Lord Iesus Christ is both God and Man the very consubstantiall Sonne of the Father The other Interpretation is of the later Writers which read the word disiunctim Seruus Dei Domini nostri the seruant of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ where he hath respect vnto two of the Persons in Trinitie the Father and the Sonne whose seruant our Apostle here professeth himselfe to be And this interpretation proueth also the Diuinity of Christ seeing that equally he professeth himselfe to be the seruant of God the Father and of his Sonne Iesus Christ and both his God and his Lord. And heere the heresies of the Sabellians and Priscilians are refuted c. The second part Vnto the twelue Tribes which are dispersed salutation HAuing spoken before of the person of the Writer of this Epistle and of his Office next hee sheweth to whom he wrote to the twelue Tribes dispersed wherein these three things commeth to bee considered 1 Of the dispersion of the Iewes 2 Why he wrote especially vnto them 3 Of his salutation It is well knowne that the Israelites were diuided into twelue Tribes according to the number of of the twelue sonnes of Iacob which were the twelue Patriarches from whom as from Fountaines sprang many and great Nations Gen. 35. 49. They first dwelled with their father Iacob in the Land of Canaan afterwards in Egipt after that in the Desarts of Arabia from whence they inhabited the Land of Palestina where hauing receiued the Law of God and Religion they were ioyned together into the body of one Kingdome and Synagogue and so long they remained vnited as they claue vnto God but when they reuolted from the high God vnto idolatry and the seruice of strange Gods after the manner of the Heathen who in steed of the true God worshipped deuils Psal 106. ver 40.41 then was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people and hee abhorred his inheritance and hee gaue them into the hands of the Heathen and they that hated them were Lords ouer them As the Lord also before
falleth away and the beauty of the fashion of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man fade away in all his wayes 12 Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him THE Apostle returneth againe to his former proposed doctrine of patience The Analysis and comfort in afflictions and sheweth the profite that commeth to poore and rich thereby for which they ought to reioyce for which he also giueth a reason Secondly hee concludeth this doctrine with the reward of patitience Verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptations c. There are two sorts of men poore and rich to both which the doctrine of patience vnder the Crosse is necessary For the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he which is abiect afflicted with pouerty sicknesse exile hatred of the world and other calamities to which is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rich to whom all things pertaining to this mortall life doe succeed after their desires The Apostle willeth the poore brethren to reioyce in affliction because they are hereby exalted either to the true profession of the Gospell of Christ or because they are thereby made like vnto Christ himselfe and his holy Saints who haue all in this world drunk of the cup of afflictions and haue thereby a sure testimony to their conscience that they are the adopted sons of God and therefore heires of the heauenly glory as Christ himselfe testifieth Luk. 24.25 26. O yee fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glory The rich againe should reioyce in affliction as very profitable vnto them because being taught thereby how vaine the pompe and riches of this world is they are restrained within the bounds of their duty So that the poore thereby are made content with their abiect condition and the pride of the rich thereby abated The Elect of God ought not to change their mindes with the blasts of Fortune as the common sort of men do But a brother that is an humble Christian pressed downe with diuers miseries should rather reioyce in this for that being contemned of the world hee is beloued of God who will exalt him to the fellowship and glory of his Saints aboue Againe let the rich when hee is made low reioyce because whereas hee was for the deceitfull goods of this life honoured in the world now for the profession of Christ hee is contemned and despised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exaltatio is the glorificatiō of the Saints which Christ giueth vnto his faithfull seruants I go saith hee to prepare a place for you Ioh. 14. and I will receiue you vnto my selfe First heere let vs note the loue and mildnesse of the Apostle who calleth all Christians though neuer so poore abiect and base in the world Brethren for all which haue partaked of the same Baptisme hauing the same God their Father and Creator the same Sonne their Sauiour and Redeemer the same holy Ghost their Sanctifier Members of the same Church professours of one and the same Religion What are they else but brethren yea more neerely linked together then in any carnall affinity Christ himselfe calleth vs Brethren and willeth vs to repute one another brethren Math. 5 22 Whosoeuer is angry with his brother c. The etrnall Sonne of God himselfe calleth vs his brethren Math. 6. Math. 23. Iohn 20. Math. 10. Goe tell my brethren saith hee Againe Hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen hee is my brother sister and mother But is it not to be lamented that this excellent vertue of charity among Christians is not onely cold but almost altogether quenched How many brawles strifes hatreds treasons of one towards another and murthers haue crept now into the place thereof This prouerbe Homo homini Deus one man is as it were a God towards another this wretched age hath turned into homo homini damon Lupus one man is a deuill or a wolfe towards another So that this complaint of the Poet is verified among vs Ouidius Illud amicitiae sanctum venerabile nomeu Nunc tibi pro vili sub pedibusque iacet The reu'rend name of friendship pure which once was sacred sweet As thing most vile of thee is quite trodden vnder feete The friendship and loue of the world aimeth onely at profite Seneca Mel muscae cadauera lupi frumenta formicae praedam non hominem sequitur turba ista and maketh it the ground thereof as Seneca once truely said As the waspes and flyes follow the hony Wolues the dead carcasse Emets the corne so these kind of friends follow their prey and not the man The word exalted I find among the Fathers to be two waies expounded The word exalted 2 waies taken First it signifieth the Crowne of heauenly glory wherewith Christ will crowne all in his Kingdome which heere suffer patiently the crosse and afflictions for his names sake with the most certaine expectation whereof the seruants of God do erect their mindes and comfort themselues in all aduersity yea and in death it selfe For the afflictions of this life are but temporary and very short but the crowne of glory in their exaltation is eternall Hee that loueth his life shall lose it Iohn 12. Luk. 18. and hee that hateth his life in this world shall keepe it vnto eternall life And againe this word exalted may bee taken for the inward and spirituall ioy of the minde wherewith Gods children are cheared and comforted when they are hated and afflicted of the wicked as the Apostles Acts 5.41 Which went reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs name Blessed are yee when men reuile you Math. 5.11 12. and persecute you and say all manner of euill against you for my names sake falsely Reioyce and bee glad for great is your reward in heaaen And wee must not thinke as the reuerend Beda noteth vpon this place that this pertaineth onely to the Apostles and holy Martyrs but vnto vs all as the example of blessed Iob whom God first humbled with many afflictions before hee exalted him vnto glory telleth vs so Abel Noe Abraham Dauid and the rest of the Patriarches and Prophets and all the rest of the Fathers could find no other way to heauen but through exile persecutions and diuers troubles let euery man in his afflictions apply this vnto himselfe and hee shall finde great comfort vnto his soule The rich in that hee is made low THE other part of his exhortation pertaineth to the rich men To the rich for hee taketh heere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuitem for a man any way fortunate in this world Psal 144. Whose sonnes are as the yong plants and their daughters as the polished corners of