Sathan cannot endure a minde to be emptie and a body to be sloathfull for where there is no vertue there he sowes vice where there is no good done there he allures to ill doing Sathan world haue vs to be remisse careles in veriâ—e but withall to be busie in vice for he is neuer idle but walketh about as a roaring Lyon 1 Pet. 5.9 Rev. 12.12 seeking whoÌ„ he may deuour because he knowes he hath but a short time therefore he still tempts to vngodlines to distrust to vnthankfulnes to couetousnes to deceit to hatred malice where he findes an idle person Matt. 12.43 there he enters in with his companions as bad as himself because he findes the roome emptie swept garnished Therfore that we may repel these continuall assaults escape these snares and quench these fierie darts defend the castle of our soule from sealing sacking we must be diligent laborious in our places studying to honor God to edifie his Church to benefit the coÌ„monwealth aboue all things we must auoyde idlenes for if we stand all the day idle worke not in the vineyard we open the dore for Sathan to enter we set vp a ladder that thereby he may scale the wals of our soules Nulius fructus oâ—ij imò magis dispendum Epist ad vâ—râ—â—llens Gen. 25.30 there comes no profit by idlenes nay there comes great disprofit saith S. Austin What got Esau in that he had rather receiue meate then labour for meat but the losse of the birthright blessing Matt. 7.19 What is the end of euery vnfruitfull tree that beares no fruite nay that beares no good fruite Ioh. 15.2 but to be hewen downe and cast into the fire What becomes of euery fruitles branch but to be taken of and pruned away from the vine Matt. 25.30 What must the negligent seruant looke for that did hide his talent in the napkin but to be cast into vtter darkenes Luk. 12.47 where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth What is the reward of the seruant that knew his maisters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his wil but to be beaten with many stripes For this is the sentence pronounced long agoe Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Ier. 48.10 Sin ep 33. Themisto Demet. Pâ—â—us Mir. An heathen man could say Malè mihi esse inâ—lo quà m molliter I had rather be ill at ease then idle Another called idlenes the graue of an idle man Another likened Idlenes to the dead sea that neuer ebs and flowes Another saies that loitering persons that are not addicted to a certaine state of life doe liue no otherwise then bruite beasts for they doe not liue but onely drawe breath as beasts doe And therefore whereas the Romane Seruilius Vacia a verie welthy man loathing employment in affaires had retired himselfe and liued closely in a farme which he had néere to Cuma and was famous onely for liuing so securely and whereas other that were laden and pressed with busines were woont to exclaime thus ô Vacia thou alone knowest what it is to liue on the contrarie Seneca condemning his sluggish Idlenes saies that he did not liue but lurke Epist â—5 and therfore on a time passing by that farme he sportingly said hic situs est Vacia héere lyeth Vacia Plut. in racâ—n meaning that there was no ods betwéene a dead man and one buried in Idlenes Cleomenes the Lacedemonian Captaine being demanded why the Argiues were not destroyed that had so often fought against the Lacedemonians and were so often vanquished because they may giue occasion saith he to our young men to exercise themselues For he thought that youth was corrupted by loytering the teacher and roote of all mischiefe And this made Scipio Nasica to say when some thought the Romane state to be most safe for that the Carthaginians were extinct and the Greekes vanquisht nay saith he now we are in greatest perill when we haue none whom we may feare or reuerence And therefore when one asked of Lycurgus the Lacedemonian lawgiuer Id. Ibid. why he exercised maidens of his countrie in running wrestling throwing of coites and dartes he answered that he did it partly that the children might be the stronger and nimbler taking this beginning of strength in their mothers bellies partly that they might the more patiently enduce the paines of childbirth partly that if such necessitie constrained they might be able to fight for themselues their children countrie Whereby it is cléere that the wise lawgiuer vnderstood how great a pestilence contagion of a commonwealth idlenes is on the contrarie how moderate labour doth make weake bodies healthy strong bodies but delicate idle nicenes doth enfeeble and effeminate the stouteâ—â— and strongest Sweete and wholesome waters aâ—e eaâ—e mâ—ouing and thereby conuey vnder their streame that hurtfull matter that might infect them This the Poet perceiued and therefore sange Ouid 1. Pont. â— Câ—ruis vt ignauum corrumpant otia corpus Vt capiant vâ—tium ni moueantur aque In an house vninhabited vncleane beastes as mise rats vermine and spiders doe multiplie and encrease In a desolate citie Zijm Ohim Satyrs wild beasts Howlets and Ostriches Isa 13.21 Scritchowles make their abode as the Prophet saies of desolate and ruinated Babylon Beasts that lye long and often on the ground not vsing their legs doe léese their hooues Birds that tarrie much in their nests become destitute of their feathers Far im nota toâ—pet ignem agitata restâ—tuit A torch that is not moued burnes slowly but wheÌ„ it is shakeÌ„ it recouers the flame Sen. de Clement Iron vnexercised soone gathers rust Flies easily stick to the cold pot but auoyd the heate boyling pot The soyle that is not manured yéeldes briars thistles And we say commonly that they which doe not vse their priuiledge charter or else doe abuse it doe loose it so he is depriued of the gifts of grace kéepeth not the good séede that is sowne in his heart receiues tares of vngodly desires who is sléepie slothfull For as Greg. saith the soule of man in this world represents a ship sayling against the streame it cannot remaine still in one place because it fals backe vnles it striue to goe forward Ser. deâ—s Andrea Bernard in that kinde of spéech procéeds farther saies that as the water secretly enters through the chinke of the ship and so encreaseth till at length by the marriners carelesnes the vessell sinkes so from Idlenes sloathfulnes there ariseth a multitude of wicked thoughts and coÌ„cupiscences vntill at the last the ship of the heart yéelding vnto them be déepely endangered in sinne wickednes Therfore Ierome giues this aduise to his friend Rustinis Gallus the Monke doe something that the Diuell may still find thee
wearie of well doing he meaneth that we should not be wearie of succouring and reléeuing the néedie and wretched But if we refer well doing to the exhortation in the sixth verse Keckerman in analys Gym Log. where the Apostle exhorts the hearers to maintaine their Minister saying Let him that is taught in the word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods then the meaning is that Paul procéeding in his exhortation to maintaine the Minister doth in these words preoccupate and preuent an obiection which some might make saying If we be so liberall to the Ministers and continue in it we shall wast consume our substance To which the Apostle answeres that we shall not consume but encrease our store for God will not forget our workes of pietie charitie that please him so well but in due time we shall reape if we faint not But howsoeuer we refer well doing either to the reléeuing of the néedie or to the maintenance of the Ministerie this exhortation serues also for continuing in good workes of what sort or nature soeuer they be The reason and motiue why we should continue in well doing is this For in due season we shall reape if we faint not Eccakein Eclúesthai To be wearie and to faint is all one thing and to faint or to be wearie is as it were to be dissolued and loosed as if one ioynt or finew were separated from another So that Paul saith that in due season we shall reape the fruit of our good works if we make no breach and interruption of well doing and if we conioyne one vertue to another vertue and one good worke to another good worke as the ioynts and sinewes of the body are compacted and vnited among themselues and as the linkes of a chaine are knit and fastned one to the other The Apostle had said before Verse 7.8 Whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape for he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruptiō but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting In which words he vseth a Metaphor borrowed spéech cōparing the life aswell of the godly as of the vngodly vnto sowing of séede as though the Apostle in those words did say generally that euery one shal receiue either a reward or a punishment according to his déeds done in this world And he procéedes in the same metaphoricall spéech saying In due season we shall reape if we saint not In which words he puts a difference betwéene the time of sowing and the time of reaping Now is the time to sowe and to doe good to other while Christ doth shine vnto vs in this life by his Gospel but the time of reaping and of haruest shall be in the world to come Ecclus. 11.4 Salomon saith He that obserueth the winde shall not sowe and he that regardeth the cloudes shall not reape that is he that will alwaies looke for happie and prosperous successe in well doing shall neuer doe good For men will euer be vngratefull and the world will euer recompence euill for good to the godly And therefore least we should be wearie and faint in well doing S. Pau sets before vs a most ample and large reward when he compares eternall life vnto an haruest or a reaping What doe good workes merite then since they are rewarded No for well doing is the path leading to Heauen but Heauen it selfe and eternall life is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. When we doe well we are in the way to Heauen and well doing shall be plenteously rewarded but none by his godlines deserues the reward In psal 120. for God rewarding our works dona sua coronat crowneth his owne gifts saith S. Augustine Why is it called a reward then Not because it is a reward merited but freely giuen of Gods mercie and because as the day labourer workes all the day and receiues his wages in the euening so when we haue done good workes all our life long in the euening of our daies that is in the end of our life we shall receiue the reward of euerlasting ioy Although good workes cannot saue vs nor make vs righteous before Gods iudgement throne Isai 64.6 Psal 130.3 for all our righteousnes is a menstruous cloath and if God should be extreame to marke what is done amisse who may abide it yet we must labour diligently to abound in all good workes and to perseuere in them whether we consider God or whether we consider our neighbour or whether we consider our selues If we respect God we must doe well and continue in well doing that his commaundements may be obeyed 1. Io 5.3 1. Thes 4.3 1. Pet. 1.14 Tit. 2.14 Eph. 4.30 Gal. 5.22 Matt. 5.16 Eph. 5.1 that his will may be done that we may shew our selues obedient children to God our father that we may shew our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ that we may not grieue the spirit of God but walke according to the same that God by our good workes may be glorified and that we may be good imitators and followers of God If we respect men we must doe well and continue in well doing Luk. 6.38 1. Pet. 3.14 1. Cor. 10.32 that our neighbour may be holpen in worldly things that he may be wonne by our example to godlines that we may preuent the giuing of any offence and that by doing good we may stop the mouthes of our aduersaries Lastly if we respect our selues we must doe well 2. Cor. 5.17 Eph. 5.8 2. Pet. 1.8 10. Iam. 2.17 2. Tim. 2.6 Psal 89.32 Gal. 6.9 and continue in well doing that we may shew our selues to be new creatures that we may walke as the children of light that we may be assured of our faith and saluation that we may discerne true faith from counterfait and dead faith that faith and the gifts of God may be continued vnto the end that the punishments of sinne both temporall and eternall may be auoided and that the reward may be obtained which God fréely in mercie hath promised to men for their good workes These are the causes for which we must doe well and continue in well doing not to merite eternall life by our good works for when we haue done all that we can doe we are vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 and we haue done but that was our commanded dutie but we must doe good workes continue in them for Gods glorie our brethrens edification and the declaration of the truth of our faith This doctrine we propose this doctrine we perswade this doctrine we vrge presse and therefore our aduersaries slaunderously abuse our Church when they call vs licentious Libertines and those that open a schoole to sinne wickednes that dehort and disswade men from good works For though we teach not that good workes are to be done because they merite the reward
sweate of our browes And to cast off this oldnesse and corruption we must fight many skirmishes we must ouercome many temptations we must beare many tribulations Secondly we séeke eternall glorie not a Consulship of one yeare And the afflictions of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shal be reuealed vnto vs. Rom. 8.18 Who would not liue a poore and a priuate life ten yeares that he might be sure to abound in glorie and riches fiftie yeares 1. Cor. 9.25 Shall wee murmure then to brooke the short afflictions of this fading life that we may liue nay raigne for euer in glorie euerlasting All those that striue for a Maistery abstaine from all things they doe withdrawe from their bodie meate drinke and cloathes and annoynt themselues with oyle that they may striue and struggle naked nimble and giue their aduersarie no occasion to hold them for the flesh annointed with oyle is very hardly holden So wée must cast away the immoderate care for meate and cloathes and we must be annoynted with the oyle of Faith Loue and Mercie that earthly things hinder vs not and that Sathan get no opportunitie to lay hold on vs for he layes holde on vs by meanes of our sinnes And they that annoynt their bodies doe this to receiue a crowne that perisheth and to winne praise short fraile momentanie and vaine but we to receiue glorie endles incorruptible sound and stable At Rome the way to the Consulship was to be popular to deserue well of the Common-wealth and to bestowe manie priuate benefites But our way to heauenly glorie is holines vprightnes innocencie of life continuall worshipping of God and sincere loue of our neighbour For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Soberly and temperately in respect of our selues righteously and iustly in respect of our neighbors and godly holily in respect of the seruice and worship of GOD. This is the way to Gods kingdome which Christ expressed in one word when he saide that Wee must seeke the kingdome of God and his Righteousnes For it is not enough to séeke Gods kingdome or to wish for it but we must séeke and labour to performe that Righteousnes that is pleasing to God The pennie of immortalitie is not giuen to Loyterers in the market-place but to those that labour in the Lords vineyard Lastly it is Heauen to which we goe Matt. 11.12 and in which we séeke to raigne with GOD. But the Kingdome of God suffereth violence and they that take it must take it violently and perforce Wilt thou knowe the waye to Heauen Hebr. 11.36.37 Aske of them that haue walked in that way They will tell thée that they haue bene tried by mockings and scourgings by bondes and prisonments that they were stoned they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sworde they wandred vp and downe in Wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth clothed in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented He that will goe to the Indies to trafficke doth not refuse the labour of sayling He that will be cured of a grieuous disease reiecteth not a bitter medicine Hee that will buy a Farme first thinkes of the price So he that séekes for the kingdome of GOD must séeke and first thinke of his Righteousnes which is the way vnto it and of the Merites of CHRIST which are the price thereof and of a liuely and effectuall Faith whereby wée are made partakers of the glorie to come As for worldly cares what doe they auaile vs Nay how much doe they hinder vs Saint Basil sayes Epist 64. as a polluted glasse can receiue no impression of Images and visages so the soule possessed of worldly cares is not capable of the Illumination of the holie Ghost And Saint Austin sayes excellently Amor rerum terrenarum est viscus spiritualium pennarum that the loue of earthly things is the Birdlime of our spirituall feathers Let euery worldling knowe that spirituall things are onely néedefull and that Christ saith to euery one as to Martha Martha Martha thou carest Luk. 10.41.42 and art troubled about many things but one thing is needefull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her Can the globe of the earth be mingled with the globe of the heauen how then can the soule containe the carefull loue of celestiall and earthly things Diuine thoughts flie from a soule that is forestalled with worldly desires Bâ—r. 〈◊〉 77 â—â—cat Nec misceri poterunt vana veris aeterna caducis spiritualia carnâ—â—buâ— summa imis neither can vanitie be ioyned and confounded with truth things eternall spirituall and high with things transitorie carnall and base so as at one time we may conceiue and perceiue things aboue and things beneath We sée how the Iuy doth claspe about the trée spreads it selfe and mounts vpward by the helpe thereof but at last it sucks and drawes away the iuyce and moysture of the trée and causes it to wither so excessiue care and pensiue care for worldly things doth loade the minde and choake the soule and make them vnable to aspire to heauenly felicitie Therfore we must imitate the custom of hawkers and hunters for hawkers are woont to couer their hawkes heads with hoods and suffer not their eyes to wander hither and thither least striuing to flie after the things which they desire naturally they be not so héedfull to their preie when time and occasion shall serue and hunters doe tie and couple their dogges that their sent may be sound and perfect for the game which they shall hunt So must we doe We must containe our mindes in the loue of God and in the care of heauenly things and not permit our affections to straie aside to the anxieties and distrustfull cares of this world Heauen is the preie which mans soule must follow this it must desire this it must take by violence this it must be carefull of and on this it must bestowe her chiefe desire and studie If it flie or runne out to other things it will not care for eternall things Therefore let vs remember the exhortation of the blessed Apostle Paul Col. 3.1.2 Seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth If we must séeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse then those are to be reprehended who chiefly séeke search and hunt after the good things of this world and the delights and ioyes thereof pampering the fraile and sinfull body and neglecting the soule which is the mistresse and gouernesse of the body and neuer dieth It is
busie If the Apostles hauing power to liue by the Gospell did worke with their hands that they might not charge any and did relieue others whereas they might haue reapt carnall things for spiritual things Why doest not thou prepare one thing or other that may redound to thy profite Either frame a basket or make a panyer or rake and weede the ground or contriue and plot the beds of an hearbe garden And he affirmes that Monasteries of Aegypt had a custome to entertain none that could not labour with hands not so much for that otherwise they could not maintaine them as that it might be beneficiall to their soules health Aske of Salomon the wisest man that euer was borne of woman 1. King 3.12 after the ordinary sort what an idle person is and he will tell vs that the idle person is he that saies when he should trauell any whither for his profite Prou. 26.13.14.15 A Lyon is in the way a Lyon is in the streets as the dore turneth vpon his hinges so doth the slouthfull man vpon his bed the slothfull hideth his hand in his bosome and it greeueth him to put it againe to his mouth Aske of Salomon againe what is the fruits of Idlenes and he will answere cléerely that it is beggerie Prou. 20.4 for the slothfull man that will not plough because of winter shall beg in summer Prou. 6.10 11. but haue nothing and when the loyterer saies yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little holding of the hands to sleepe pouertie coÌ„meth as one that trauelleth by the way and necessitie like an armed man Therefore since beggerie is the fruite of idlenesse wée must with Salomon gather instructioÌ„ gaine experience by the example of others for so hée writes of himselfe Prou. 24.30.31.32 I passed by the field of the slothfull by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding loe it was all growne ouer with Thornes nettles had couered the face thereof the stone wall thereof was broken downe Then I behelde and I considered it well I looked vpoÌ„ it receiued instruction All Creatures that in the beginning of their creation receiued a coÌ„mmandement to labour doe labour till this day The Heauens cease not to mooue the Earth ceasseth not to bring foorth plants and hearbs the Beasts Byrds and Fishes cease not to multiplie onely Man who was commanded to eate his bread in the sweate of his face neglecteth his charge And therefore Gods word sends the idle slothful to base creatures to learne their dutie euen to the Emmot Goe to the Pismiâ—e ô sluggard behold her waies be wise Prou. 6.6 for she hauing no guide gouernor nor ruler prepareth her meat in the suÌ„mer gathereth her food in haruest saith the Wise man Shall the Pismire that hath no leader nor coÌ„ducter gather food in suÌ„mer haruest against winter tempests And shall we be negligent to prouide in health and youth for sicknes and olde Age who haue the example of Christ and the saints set before vs and the precepts of Christian Rulers th'admonitions and reprehensions of teachers and ouerseers of our soules Let the idle and sluggard beware then least that not the Quéene of the South or the Niniuites but the contemptible and base Pismire rise to condemne them in the day of iudgement Now if wee aske wheÌ„ce there are so many beggars wheÌ„ce such filching whence so manie Roagues caterpillers vnprofitable members in the commonwealth the Answere is easie Idlenes is the true cause of all these Therefore if wee would haue the number of beggars and thriftles persons to decrease parents must enforme their childreÌ„ in honest Trades and gouernors of parishes must employ orphans in good courses and Officers must punish idlenes as the lawes prescribe Exod. 32.6 Besides pouertie Idolatrie is a fruite of idlenesse for the idle Israelites sate them downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to commit Idolatrie Besides Idolatrie toyes and curiositie are a fruite of idlenes for the loytering Athenians strangers that dwelt among them gaue theÌ„selues to nothing els but either to tel Act. 17 2â— or to heare som newes the yonger widowes being idle 1. Tim. 5.13 learne to go about froÌ„ house to house and are also pratlers busie-bodies speaking things that are not comely Besides toyes and curiositie hiding of Gods gifts talents is a fruit of idlenes Matt. 25.25 for the slothfull seruant went and hid his talent in the earth Besides hiding of Gods gifts léesing of the séed of Gods word sowne among vs is a fruit of idlenes for while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares amoÌ„g the wheate Matt. 13.25 Besides léesing the séed of Gods word to be excluded from the marriage of the bridegroome is a fruite of idlenes for while all slumbred slept the foolish virgins that trimmed not their Lamps were shut out at doores and heard this voice Verily I say vnto you I know you not Matt. 25.12 If then idlenes bréed beggerie idolatrie curiositie hiding of Gods gifts léesing of the séede of the word excluding froÌ„ the marriage of the bridegroome and what not Doubtlesse it is a sinne most loathsome before GOD and most studiously to be auoyded of vs. Who hath not heard of the horrible punishment of Sodome by fire and brimstone from Heauen And who quakes not at the remembrance thereof So horrible a plague must néedes be for hainous sinne And what were the sinnes of of Sodome Ezechiell rehearses them in this manner Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome Ezek. 16.49 Pride Fulnes of Bread abundance of idlenes was in her in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poore and needie If wee will be frée from the punishment of Sodome wee must be frée from idlenesse and other sinnes of Sodome Chrysostome teacheth by a familiar example Hom. 16 in Ephes how grieuous a sinne idlenesse is Nihil boni facere hoc ipsum est mâ—lefacere Not to doe some good is to doe euill Tell me saith hee if thou hast a seruant who doth neither steale nor raile nor coÌ„tradict nor is druÌ„ken nor doth any ill yet sits all the day idle doth not anie of those things which a seruaÌ„t should do to his maister wouldst thou not scourge him yet he hath done no ill Euen so God will punish the idle Psal 34.14 because they are idle For the righteousnes of a man consisteth in two points not only in abstaining froÌ„ euill but also in dooing good Idlenesse séemed so absurde a thing to the best Philosophers as that they had rather affirme that the world hath bin from euerlasting and without beginning then by confessing that the world was created thereby as they supposed to confesse that God was idle before he made the world This opinion of the Philosophers was both foolish wise It was
foolish in respect of the idlenes which they imagined in God because before the world was created God had greater things in himselfe wherein to worke then were the creation and gouernment of the world namely the ConteÌ„plation of his owne diuine Essence his infinite Loue the communication of the diuine persons and the election of them that shall inherite heaueÌ„ and yet it séemed to shewe some wisedome in that they did so much detest idlenesse as that they thought it did not become God If it become not God that néeds nothing how much lesse becomes it men that are of themselues most néedie and doe pray continually euen for daily bread S. Paul held idlenes so damnable a fault that he coÌ„mands the idle person to be restrained from meate 2. Thess 5.10 Herodd 2. For thus he writes to the ThessaloniaÌ„s When we were with you this we warned you of that if there were anie which would not work that he shuld not eate Amasis King of the Aegyptians made this Lawe that euerie one of his Subiects should shew yéerely to the Gouernors of his prouinces by what meanes he liued and that he that did not this or could not shewe by what lawfull courses hee liued should be put to death Socrates and Draco brought the same law into the citie of Athens Sabell l. 6. ca. â— and the highest Court and counsell of the Areopagites partly established it And at Florence in Italie at this day the idle persons are grieuously punished and if anie being asked whence hee gets his Dyet and cloathes cannot yéelde a probable reason hée is either sorely punished or else bannished out of the Citie as a pernitious member The Gymnosophists who were the wise men of India did so farre detest loytering that when meete was set on the table they did first aske of the young men what they had learned or done after they rose in the morning and he that gaue no fitte answer was debarred of his dinner And they buried Loyterers that had done nothing in their life as if they had not liued at all no otherwise then brute beasts are buried Among the Romanes he that did not looke well to his fielde but suffered the bryars and mosse to ouergrowe it And hée that did not proyne his Trées vynes had a Fyne set on his head by the Censor Among the Anabathaej they were heauily amerced that did by negligence and sloath diminish that Wealth which their fathers had left them Among the Lucanj who in olde time inhabited part of Italie men were Indited as well for Idlenes as for other crimes and if any were conuicted for lending any thing to any that liued in idlenes and pleasure it was decreed that he should léese that he had lent But what should the ordinaÌ„ces of other Nations be rehearsed Wée haue as necessarie and laudable Statutes enacted against Vagrant persons sturdie Beggers and Loyterers as anie couÌ„trey euer had or now hath and if readie execution which is the vigor and soule of the Lawe were answerable to the strictnes goodnes of the Law and if the Lawe in this case were not oftentimes as a sword hiddeÌ„ in a scabberd hée that should inueigh against Idlenes Loytering shuld but set vp a man of straw to fight wtall It appéereth then by the Word of GOD by the course of Nature by the censure of Philosophers by the Lawes of Heathenish nations and by the Decrees of all well-gouerned Kingdoms that Idlenes is a most odious sin and therfore to be shunned abandoned from euery honest well disposed person Wherefore if Magistrates Officers shall foreslacke to administer iudgement iustice shall deale corruptly partially in their places and shall not punish the offendor and giue reward and encouragement to the well-doer they must be content to haue this spéech of the Householder applyed to theÌ„ Why stand ye here all the day idle If Ministers and Shepheards of soules shall not regard to féede the flockes ouer which the holy Ghost hath made theÌ„ ouerseers but shall suffer the wolfe to scatter and teare the shéepe whome CHRIST hath raunsomed redéemed with his precious bloud they must be content to haue this sâ—éech of the Householder applied to them Why stand yee here all the day idle If those that are adorned with wisedome vnderstaÌ„ding experience other profitable gifts doe not exercise them to Gods glorie and the good of humane societie but do shut them vp as close prisoners vnder loâ—ke or as rare iewels in a boxe they must be content to haue this spéech of the housholder applied to them Why stand yee here all the day idle If the rich in this world be not rich in God in good works and doe not endeuor to lay vp a sure foundation against the time to come but doe trust in vncertain riches and set their harts on them forgetting the necessity and penurie of such as desire but the crummes of their superfluities they must be content to haue this spéech of the Householder applied to them Why stand yee heere all the day idle If Artificers craftesmen that haue no other meanes but the labor of their hands by which they may maintaine theÌ„selues their families delight in loytering and waÌ„dering vp downe the stréetes and in haunting Tauerns Alehouses and in carouzing bouzing so long till they spend all their thrift and leaue thereby either their sicknes or their old-age or their children or all these to bee relieued by the compassion of others whereas if they would learne of the Pismiâ—e they might rather bee helpfull then burthensome to their neighbors and if hirelings and day-labourers make no conscieÌ„ce to discharge their dutie but worke negligently not regarding the charges prouision bestowed vpon them they must be content to haue this speech of the householder applied to them Why staÌ„d ye here all the day idle If the ignorant in the mysteries of Christs religion do either disdaine to be instructed or refuse to be admonished or procéede verie little in knowledge or stand at a staie as vnfruitfull hearers though they beare the world in hand that they are sauorers of the word of God and Gospell of Christ by diligent frequenting the Church and attending to the word read or preached they must be content to haue this spéech of the householder applied to them Why stand ye heere all the day idle If the swearer blasphemer drunkard adulterer enuious and malitious person or any other addicted to some one or other spirituall sinne doe stop their eares with the deafe adder as that they will not heare the voyce of the charmer charme he neuer so skilfully and doe harden their hearts like a diamond that the words of exhortation cannot enter and doe cast reproofe behind their backs putting ouer their amendment and conuersion from yeare to yeare from moneth to moneth and from day to day till the wrath of God suddenly ouertake them béeing like those
and writings and examinations that Gallus went about to poyson him but hee spake so hainous a matter with so calme a countenance so fainte voice and so remisse gesture that Cicero the Aduocate of the person accused gathered by his gesture and action that hée spake fainedly and therefore saide Tu nisi fingeres Callidî sic ageres ô Callidius Wouldest thou so pleade the cause vnlesse thou didst dissemble So when these keye-colde Christians say that they hate sinne embrace vertue belieue in Christ loue his Gospell and their brethren they do it so remissely and faintly that it may be excepted said against them would you so slenderlie and negligently speake of these things if you were so well resolued On the contrary there are some so forward in citing scripture in reprehending of sinne in glorious protestation of their faith hope and charitie in listning to the Word read preached as it may be thoght that they are mounted high in the steps of mortification and that they are crucified to the world and the desires thereof but if we approch to the fig-trée that flourisheth with such faire gréene leaues we shall finde no fruite thereon Matt. 21.19 but shall thinke that those Iewes are reuiued that were woont to talke of the Prophet by the walles and in the doores of houses Ezek. 33.30.31.32 and to speake one to another euery one to his brother saying Come I pray you heare what is the Word that coÌ„meth from the Lorde yet when they sat before the Prophet and heard his wordes they would not doe them but with their mouthes they made ieasts and their hearts went after couetousnes the Prophet was vnto them as a ieasting song of one that hath a pleasant voyce and can sing well For they heard his wordes but they did them not It were to be wished that it were not true that one saith that if the closet of mens hearts were vnlockt the cloudes of the countenaÌ„ce chased away there would be séene strange moÌ„sters lodging in the heart as straÌ„ge as Nilus and Ganges Lybia Câ—ucasus haue brought foorth There would be found the bloody Tyger the cruell Lyon the sauage Wolfe the venemous Basiliske the Aspe that brings into a deadly drowzinesse the stinging Scorpion the counterfeiting Crocodile the false Foxe and the dissembling Hiena And it would appeare that oftentimes fained godlines couers crueltie En vetereÌ„ PharisaismuÌ„ recenteÌ„ papismum and a godly shewe shrowdes wickednes whereas on the otherside naked vertue is oftentimes coursely attired and lodgeth in a homely cottage and boasteth not of lofty titles and scornes popular applauses and followes not great Patrones but séekes by all means to liue retiredly in a secret habitation If then Hypocrisie be so odious in the eyes of God and shall bee so sharpely punished in the worlde to come and bée so daily and vsually found in the liues of men For these dayes are no freer then Paules time wherein there were some that did professe that they knewe God but by workes denyed him and were abhominable and disobedient Tit. 1.16 and vnto euery good worke reprobate Let vs stedfastly cleaue to the Lorde with full purpose of heart and let vs abandon hypocrisie that wee may please the Lorde and let vs reiect dissimulation that wee may be blessed and let vs auoyde counterfeiting that wee may not bee fashioned according to this present Worlde and let vs not presume to carrie the Name of CHRIST without sinceritie of Faith and christian life and godlines of conuersation and continuance in well-doing For it is not enough to begin well except we perseuere Greg. in Homil. Quum desiâ—eria bona concipimus semen in terram mittimus When we conceiue goods desires we cast séede on the ground and when wée begin to doe well then springs vp the blade and when we profite in well doing then appeare the eare and when wee are rooted and stablished in well doing then there is full Corne in the eare Let vs not fall away from well dooing Gal. 6.9 Chris in Mat. â—4 Hom. 53. till the Haruest come that our workes may be plenteously rewarded for in due time we shall reape if we faint not The money of this world if it be enclosed in a bag it remaines alone but if it be curraÌ„t and goe from hand to hand it is multiplied by the vse thereof So the Faith of a Christian if it be kept close prisoner in the heart it not onely abides alone but it is lessened by idlenes and waxeth sloathfull and at last falles to nothing but if it be daily exercised in the scriptures and stirred vp by good spéeches and confirmed by good workes it will not onely multiplie but also neuer cease to growe and encrease till it bring vs to the marriage of the Lambe of God CHRIST IESVS in heauen where wee shall haue the end of our Faith Euen the saluation of our soules The God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ the great Shepheard of the sheepe Hebr. 13.20.21 through the blood of the euerlasting Couenant make vs perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in vs which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise foreuer and euer Amen Hovv to vanquish Sathan 1. Pet. 5.8.9 Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the Diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure whom resist stedfast in the faith MAn naturally is desirous of peace quietnes abhorreth vexation trouble yet when he hath obtained his desire being too secure and yeelding himselfe a captiue and slaue to the suggestions of the flesh and Sathan he abuseth ease tranquillitie to his owne hurt and destruction And therefore that we may auoide securitie and be héedfull the scriptures do often shew vnto vs how full of dangers our life is in that they compare it sometimes to a Pilgrimage sometimes to a Warfare Note what the Patriarke Iacob said when Pharaoh asked of him how olde he was Gen. 4â— 9 The whole time saith he of my pilgrimage is an hundred and thirtie yeeres fewe and euill and full of trouble haue the daies of my life bene Note what penitent Iob said of his life Is there not an appointed Time for man vpon earth and are not his daies Iob. 7.1.2.3.6 as the daies of an hireling As a seruaÌ„t longeth for the shadowe and an hireling longeth for the end of his worke So I haue had as an inheritance the monethes of vanitie pinefull nights haue bene appointed vnto me my daies are swifter then a Weauers shittle Note what Moses the man of God saith Psal 90.3.5.6.10 Thou ô Ood turnest man to destruction Againe thou sayest Returne yee sonnes of Adam thou hast ouerflowed them they are as a sleepe In the morning he groweth like the grasse in the morning it flourisheth groweth in the euening
in his heart and when he was straitned betwéene the commaundement of his Creator and the request of his yoke-fellowe should we not haue cried out and said vnto him ô thou wretch Bernard inser om sanct take heede to thy selfe see thou doe it not the woman is seduced beleeue not her entisements Should this haue béene our perswasion to Adam that he should looke to himselfe and shal we not perswade our selues after the same manner when we are compassed thronged with the like tentations As the dogge that stands by the table Chrys hom 3. de Laz. if he that eateth cast some bone or crust vnto him he tarrieth and waites still for more but if nothing be giuen him at length he departs and waites for sustenance no longer so Sathan that gréedie and biting dogge standing about our life if he receiue from vs some vngodly spéeches or wicked doings he remaines and expects longer but if we nourish him not by word nor déede he forsakes vs and séekes after another preie Therefore if we will subdue Sathan we must quickly flée all appearance of euill 1. Thess 5.22 we must spéedily flée the time the place the opportunitie to commit sinne we must by and by feare the baite suspecting that it couers the hooke and we must neuer forget that the fowler carries himselfe most guilefully when he calls and allures most pleasantly And this is the adiuration and coniuration that repels Sathan namely a true and stedfast faith that knowes the mercies of God towards mankinde reuealed in Gods word and that assureth and perswadeth vs of those mercies towards our selues also and that depends and relies wholly vpon those mercies and that is not barren idle or dead but abounding with good workes The summe of all is this we must liue soberly and watchfully and wâ—y because we haue an Aduersarie to witt the Diuell that as a roaring Lyon doth walke about seeking whom he may deuoure But we must be of good courage and coÌ„stantly beléeue on Christ the séede of the woman that hath bruised the Serpents head and hath not onely vanquished the infernall powers but also is our grand-captaine in these spirituall wars and hath promised victorie to those that fight valiantly vnder his banner Ioh. 16.33 and hath willed vs to be of good heart because he hath ouercome the world and commaunds his holy Angels to pitch a campe round about the godly and to put those wicked spirits to flight We reade 2. King 6.14 that when the king of Aram had sent horses and charets and a mightie hoast and they came and compassed the citie Dothan by night where the Prophet Elizâ—us lay and when the seruant of the man of God arose early to goe out saw the citie coÌ„passed with horses and charets he said vnto Elizans alas Maister how shall we doe his Maister answered feare not for they that be with vs are moe then they that be with them Then Elizeus prayed and sad Lord I beseech thee open his eyes that he may see and the Lord opened the eyes of the seruant and he looked and behold the mountaine was full of horses and charets of fire round about Elizeus Euen so forasmuch as we are weake of our selues and vnable to defend our selues and we haue a great companie of spirituall foes which inuent a thousand waies to entrap vs and to bring vs to euerlasting shame and lay waite to ensnare vs both in wealth and pouertie both in pleasure and affliction both in our words and in our workes and are vigilant when we are negligent let vs beseech our mightie and mercifull God to haue mercie on vs and to encrease our faith that being harnessed in compleate Armor we may doe valiantly and tread downe Sathan our Arch-enemie vnder our feete and we may haue the eyes of our minds opened to behold the inuincible charets and spirituall horsemen that are on our side and that being strengthened through the power of his might we may be able to resist and stand against all the assaults of that wicked one and that holding the faith and finishing our course and fighting a good fight we may in the end triumph eternally with our Sauiour Christ Iesus in the kingdome of Heauen Amen PRACTISE MVST ACCOMPAnie profession Tit. 3. 8. This is a true saying and these things I will thou shouldest affirme that they which haue beleeued God might be carefull to shew forth good workes These things are good and profitable vnto men AS he caÌ„not rightly be called a good Citizen or commonwealths man that doth not obserue the lawes of the cittie or common-wealth so he cannot be truely called a Christian that followes not the direction of the Christian faith and of the Church of God And that we may followe this it is necessarie that we knowe what it is What it is the Apostle declares a little before Verse 3.4.5.6.7 saying We our selues also were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuerse pleasures liuing in maliciousnes and enuie hatefull and hating one another but when that bountifulnes and that loue of God our Sauiour toward man appeared not by the worke of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holy ghost which he shed on vs abundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life In which words the holy Apostle shewes first what we are by nature namely vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing lustes and diuerse pleasures liuing in malitiousnes spight and hatred Secondly he shewes the cause of our saluation namely the bountifulnes and loue of God our Sauiour by which two namely our owne vildenes and Gods mercy he excludes vtterly in the matter of saluation our righteousnes and our merites Thirdly he shewes the manner how we are saued namely by regeneration and the renuing of the holy ghost and in Christ we haue aswell the one as other Out of all which this may be gathered that this is the summe of our saluation that God so loued the world Ioh. 3.16 that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And therefore whosoeuer haue not this faith they are destitute of the spirit of God For heereby shall we know the spirit of God 1. Ioh. 4.2.3 euery spirit which confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirit of Antichrist But because in this summe of the Christian faith either distrust and doubling or carnall securitie and the libertie of the flesh doe assaile vs S. Paul preuents and stops both those when he saith This is a true saying and these things I will thou shouldest affirme
we are his disciples and schollers therefore since Christ is voide of deceit and no guile was found in his mouth if we desire to be true Christians 1 Pet. 2.1 1 Cor. 14.20 Ioh. 13.36 1 Cor. 13.5 1 Tim. 6.6.7 let vs lay aside all dissimulation and guile let vs be children in malitiousnesse but of ripe age in vnderstanding let vs remember that if we will be Christes schollers wee must be knowne by loue and if wee haue true loue loue is voyd of deceit and thinketh no euill let vs not forget that Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that hee hath for wee brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that wee can carrie nothing out Luk. 6.38 let vs giue good measure to other if wee desire good measure from other and then wee shall haue measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer let vs not pinch the weight the size the lawfull measure of any commoditie onely let vs abate the measure of one thing and what is that it is the measure of our iniquitie and vngodlinesse For such measure as we meate thereof vnto God such measure will he returne if we fill out our measure of sinne God will not spare and pinch the measure of punishments Gen. 15.16 though God suffer the Amorites for a time yet his vengeance falleth when the measure of their wickednesse is full and though the vngodly suppose to continue alwaies in their iniquitie yet God can cast a talent of lead vpon the mouth of the Ephah in which thâ— Woman sitteth that is God kéepeth wickednes in a measure and can shut it or open it at his owne pleasure And aboue all things let vs not forget that our life stands not in riches and possessions but that our daies are as a span a skadowe a flower a dreame and therefore we must prepare our selues for wée know not how soone we shall be called to the Barre of Gods Iustice and shall heare that voyce Luk. 16.2 Giue account of thy stewardshâ—p for thou mayest be no longer steward Let vs beare in minde the terriblenes of the last dreadfull iudgement wherein no bribe shall cleare vs no spokesman pleade for vs no shift and euasion discharge vs but all crafts shall be displayed and ill gotten goods shall giue euidence against the vniust owners and the bookes and recordes of mens owne consciences shall condemne them and then they shall wish too late O that we had neuer oppressed and defrauded for now wee feele too truely that GOD is auenger of all such tshings Lastly let vs still call to minde the vanity of earthly riches wealth and promotions when they are at length gotten by swearing lying wrong and deceit and the eternitie and incomparable ioyes of Heauen which God hath promised and Christ hath purchased for the godly and true repenters For what is gold and siluer but the bowels of the earth And what is worldly glory but a vanishing aire and breath And what is belly cheare but the foode of wormes Christ is a King and he will enrich vs and glorifie vs and nourish vs. One saith well Bernard ser 4. de aduentu domini O ye sonnes of men you couetous generation What haue you to doe with gold and siluer which are neither true good things nor yet your owne good things For what is gold but red earth and what is siluer but white earth And what makes them pretious but the couetousnesse of the sonnes of Adam which couetousnesse if it were taken away they would not be pretious If they be your owne take them out of the world with you Psal 49. But as you come naked out of your mothers wombe when you were borne so you shall returne naked to the earth the common Mother of all flesh when you die And it is easie to prooue that mans opinion makes money pretious for the things that are faire by nature doe obtaine estimation alike among all people as the brightnes of the Sunne the beautie of the heauen the profitablenes of the water other Elements but among the Indians and Ethiopians as Tertullian witnesseth De culta mulier gold siluer and Iewels were accounted as dirt and were woont to be worne but in â—â—aâ—â—ups and shooes onely for contempt and among the Ethiopians malefactours were bounden chaines of gold In the land of Hâ—uilah Gen. 2.12 there is good gold In the land of Promise in the heauenly Ierusalem in the land of the liuing there is gold indéed Reu. 3.18 Mat. 6.20 gold tried in the fire gold which neither moath nor rust can corrupt gold of more value then the richest mines of the whole earth can yéeld vp If wee must needes thirst after gold O let vs thirst after this gold let vs be couetous after these durable riches let vs lay vp treasure for our selues in Heauen and of vnrighteous Mammon perhaps not well gained and ill kept and worse laied out let vs make friends in time that when wee shall want Luk. 16.9 they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations If we were Ethnicks and hoped for no life after this it might peraduenture be hard to cast aside our affection to earthly things But in that we looke for Heauen and those things which are in Heauen how can this be hard vnto vs Chrys hom â— â—n Aâ—â—â— Apost If one should say thus on the contrarie Loue and desire riches a Christian should be offended thereat and say How should I desire gold and earthly riches since I looke for Heauen and they hinder me from heauen Chrys super Psal 24. Euery thing that groweth when it is come to a due and conuenient measure of stature leaueth off to growe but the money of the couetous neuer cealeth to growe But let not our desire be vnsatiable resembling the fire the water the fishes the fire Chrys in aliquot scrip loca Basil â—om 7. in auaros Bâ—sil hom 7. Hexam that is so vehement in encreasing it strength that it takes hold on all things néere vnto it the water which rising from a small beginning encreaseth so fast that it swéepes away euery thing it méetes withall the fishes that deuoure and consume one another according to their strength and greatnes so let vs not oppresse and ouerthrowe the weaker and poorer sort when our store and plentie is encreased Let vs put off the loue of the things of this world that the loue of heauenly things may enter vnto vs Exod. 3.5 as Moses put off his shoes that he might talke with God let vs not put trust in the fléeting and fading ioyes of this life but despise them in comparison of colestiall and true pleasures as the woman of Samaria left her pitcher Ioh. 4.28 1. Ioh. â— 15 when she had heard Christ Let vs not loue the world neither the things of this world if any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in
shall God iudge the world This made Dauid to say Oh Lord thou hast tryed me Psal 139 1.2.3.4 and knowne me thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou vnderstandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my pathes my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies For there is not a word in my Tongue but loe thou knowest it wholy ô Lord. And this made Iob to say that his steppes were numbred Iob. 14.16.17 his sinnes were not delaied and his iniquitie was sealed vp as in a bagge If God doe this in this fléeting life much more will he doe it in the great iudgement If God doe thus in Dauid and Iob how much more will he doe it in the wicked If the righteous can scarcely be saued Bern. Ser. 15. in CaÌ„t. Greg l. 27 Moral in Iob. where shal the sinner appeare Quid in Babylone tutum si in Ierusalem manet serutimum Quiâ— facient â—abulae quando â—remuns Columna If the search be so narrow in Ierusalem what can be hidden in Babyloâ— If the Pillars of the house tremble what shall the weake planckes doe That is If God so deale with his deare children in this life and so punish ofteÌ„tunes their sinnes in this world where there is a place for mercie how seuere shall his sentence be against the wicked in the world to come where onely iustice shall be found Vnlesse perhaps there be any so faithlesse and so prophane as to call into question the last iudgement and to doubt Aristotle whether the world shall haue an end or not Indéed the Philosopher affirmed that the world was eternall without beginning without ending and another spake as impiously Non alsuno videre patres aliúmne minores Aspicient Our Fathers saith he saw none other world Maniâ—â—â—s And shall our posteritie see any other But to these Infidels and Ethnicks may be opposed the Tradition of the Gentiles themselues who by the direction of ancieÌ„t Oracles did maintaine that Iupiter was the chiefest of the Gods and that his sonne was the Iudge of the soules of men in Hell And yet that this Sonne was not Apollo Liber or Mercurie who were accounted heauenly but he was Minos both a King Law-giuer As if they had meant that the Sonne of God should be Iudge of the world but yet such a one as was both a Man and iust to wit a Mediator That was both God and Man Against a Poet may be cited another Poet which saith Ouid. Met. 1. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tempus Quo mare quo tellu correptaque regia caeli Ardeat mundi â—oles operosu laboret That the time shall come in which the Sea earth heauen and whole frame of the world shall be burnt with fire And aboue all Poets the eminent Prophetisse Sibâ—ll prooues the finall and generall iudgement in her Acrostich verses Lib. 8. Iesoûs Christós theoú üios sotèr stauros where the first letters make vp these words in the Greeks tongue wheâ—in she wrote Iesus Christ the Sonne of God our Sauiour that suffâ—red on the Crosse and where agréeably to the scriptures she shewes that Christ shall come to iudge all flesh and that the trumpet shall blowe and that the dead shall be raised vp and shall sée Christ and mourne before him and that all secrets shall be reuealed and that the Sunne Moone and Stars shall loose their light and that heauen earth and the Sea shall be burnt with fire and that the Saints shall be set at full libertie but the wicked horribly punished But of those mockers of the last day that say 1. Pet. â— 4 Where is the promise of Christs comming for since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation of those mockers what should be asked but this whether they doe not beléeue the Article of the Christian faith which holdeth that Christ shall come in the end of the world from heauen to iudge both quicke and dead and whether if they beleeue the Resurrection they must not of necessitie also beleeue the last iudgement for that God may iudge al the dead he must raise them vp from death and why should he raise them from death but to receiue their iudgement and whether Nature doe not demonstrate this principle vnto vs that God is iust and therefore the good must of necessitie be blessed for euer and the wicked cursed for euer which thing since in this world it comes not to passe where theâ—e are so many wicked men and Atheists vpon whom God doth not shew vengeance in this life and where on the contrarie godly men and sincere worshippers of the Lord are so farre from a recompence in this life 1. Cor. 15.19 that of all men they seeme to be most miserable there must néedes remaine a certaine and infallible iudgement wherein the wicked shall be punished and the iust shal receiue a reward of their pietie Lastly what should be asked of these mockers but this whether they will not beléeue the holy scripture which in manifold passages inculcates the great iudgement as when it saith that God shall iudge the world in righteousnes Psal 9.8 and shal iudge the people with equitie and when it saith that the Lord will iudge with fire Isa 66.15 and with his word all flesh and when it saith that nothing is secret Luk. 8.17 Ioh. 12.48 that shall not be euident neither any thing hid that shall not he knowne come to light and when it saith that he that refuseth Christ and receiueth not his words hath one that iudgeth him the Word that Christ hath spoken Rom. 2.16 it shall iudge him in the last day and when it saith that at the last day God shall iudge the secrets of mens hearts by Iesus Christ Heb 9.17 and when it saith that it is appointed vnto al men that they shal once die after that coÌ„meth the iudgement Iude. 14.15 when it saith that the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgemeÌ„t against al men to rebuke all the vngodly amoÌ„g them of all their wicked déedes which they haue vngodly committed of all their wicked speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him and when it settes downe the whole procéeding Matt. 25. manner and execution thereof at large Besides this Is not the sentence of death pronounced against the traÌ„sgressor of the law Gen. 2.17 before the fall of Adam and the repetition of the same sentence by the mouth of God in the Lawe Deut. 26. â—6 a Fore runner and Herauld of the last Iudgement Is not the Hand writing of God Gal. 3.10 engrauen in mans conscieÌ„ce whereby his thoughts do either accuse him or excuse him Rom. 2.15 a summoning to the last Iudgement Are not the examples of Gods wrath heretofore executed on the World as the Flood the burning of Sodome the
on Christ our Mediatour and Aduocate and to declare our faith by vertue and godlines of liuing that we may be absolued and preuaile against the daungerous enemies and accusees of our soules in the last and great day of iudgement For where our Sauiour saith That the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Ioh. 5.28 we must attentiuely consider that it is said that the houre of the last day shall come For because we doe often so much pursue the vanitie of this world therein passeth away the tediousnes of houres and times in that we are taught that the houre of iudgement shall come and we knowe not how soone this must make vs carefull and watchfull in the loue and embracing of godlines For they that affirme that all shall at the last be said how can they aunswere to that spéech of him that cannot lie when he speaketh of the resurrection and last iudgement saying They shall come foorth that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation In which words Christ sheweth that the twofold state of men shall appeare in the end of the world also and not without iust cause For as men haue béene diuerse in this life some elect some reprobate so euery one shall haue his reward and Christ shall gather all nations before him and separate them as the Shepheard separates the shéepe and goates setting the shéepe on the right hand and the goates on the left hand All shall liue indéed after the generall iudgement but there shall be a distinction of this life by the iudgement of Christ the iust Iudge For Christ béeing God that taketh no pleasure in iniquitie when he hath gathered the wheate into his gainer that is when he hath called and receiued the faithfull and godly to the perpetuall possession of his kingdome Matt. 3.11 then he will burnethe chaffe that is vnfruitful persons workers of iniquitie with fire that cannot be extinguished and the Angels shall goe forth and separate the euill from the iust Matt. 13.41 Mar. 9.41 and throwe them into the fornace of flaming fire where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth and the worme will neuer die This the Diuine expresseth in these words He that ouercometh shall inherite all things and I will be his God â—eu 21.7.8.27 and he shall be my son but the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death for none vncleane thing shall enter into Heauen neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lyes but they which are written in the lambes booke of life The Apostle preaching to the Athenians Act. 17.31 said that God hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnes As if Saint Paul had said that the circumstance and consideration of the time must stir vs vp to repentance and amendment of life for this is the time of grace in which men may be partakers of Gods mercie if they repent But if men stubbornely reiect the mercie of the Lord offered vnto them they must knowe that all men shall in the prefixed day be arraigned before Gods Tribunall seate which can neither be auoyded nor refused For albeit God suffer the vngodly for a time yet he doth it not for that he alloweth their wickednes but that by his forbearance he may allure them to repentance and if they contemne his kindnes and long suffering when he inuiteth them to his feare at length will they nill they they shall finde him a sharpe and seuere Iudge As he patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the old world in the daies of Noah but at last said Gen. 6.3 That his spirit should not alway striue with man because he is but flesh and that his daies should be an hundreth and twentie yeares that is because men could not be wonne by Gods lenitie and long sufferance whereby as it were he stroue to ouercome them he would no longer stay his vengeance but definitely prescribe the terme of an hundreth and twentie yeares in which the inhabitants of the earth might repâ—nt before the Earth were destroyed Gen. 19.19.24.25 and as God patiently for a long time expected the conuersion of the Sodomites in the daies of Lot but at last for their hardnes of heart consumed them with fire and brimstone from heauen and their cities and that that grew vpon the Earth and as God patiently expected for a long time the conuersion of the Israelites sending his seruants the Prophets daily vnto them that they might be spared 2. King 17.13.14 but at last for reiecting and contemning of his admonitions and threatnings he destroyed Samaria Ierusalem so whosoeuer shall doe wickedly and yet shall thinke to escape Gods iudgement Rom. 2. â— 4 5.6.7.8 â— 10 despising the riches of Gods bountifulnes and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnes of God should lead him to repentance he after his hardnes and heart that cannot repent heapeth vp as a treasure vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his works that is to them which through patience in well doing séeke glorie and honor and immortalitie eternall life but vnto them that are contentions and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnes shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery man that doth euill of the Iew first and also of the Grecian but to euery man that doth good shall be glorie and honour and peace to the Iewe first and also to the Grecian And why is the separation of the good and bad expressed by the comparison of the shéepe and goates but partly for the consolation of the godly who in this mixture of good and bad are manifoldly molested by the reprobate as the shéepe are by the goates partly for the instruction and admonition of the godly that we should be most studious in this life to cast aside the manners and malice of goates and to expresse the simplicitie and innocencie of shéepe When the world goes about to draw vs to the pleasures of youth and by addicting our selues to vanitie to forget God and his worship let vs call to minde what Salomon saith of this matter reioyce saith he Eccles. 11.9 ô young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement When the loue of the world and the desire of riches and honour shall moue vs to be vnconscionable vnmercifull readie
to say and sweare falsely for hatred fauor or gaine let Malachies prophecie he remembred where the Lord saieth thus Mal. 3.5 I will come neere to you in iudgement and I will be a swift witnes against the southsayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages vexe the widowe and the fatherles and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of hostes For what shall it profite a man Matt. 16.26 to win the whole world and to loose his soule or what shall he giue for a recompence of his soule Bernard since that day shall come in quo plus valebunt pura corda quam astuta verba conscientia bona quam marsupia plena in which a cleane heart shall more auaile then a subtill tongue and a good conscience more then a full purse Because that Iudge will neither be deceiued by wordes not be wrested by gifts For the great and last iudgement shall be after another manner then the iudgements that are holden in this world Rom. 14.10.11.12 It shall not auaile to run away For we shall all appeare before the iudgement feare of Christ and euery one of vs shall giue accounts of himselfe to God Dan. 7.9.10 It shall not auaile to denie the faults for the booke of euery mans conscience shall be opened and euidence giuen of euery mans doings It shall not auaile to endeuor to beguile the Iudge for Christ knoweth all men And hee needeth not that any should testifie of man Ioh. 2.25 2. Pet. 3.7 for he knoweth what is in man It shall not auaile to trust in riches honours and treasure for the earth with all the riches and workes thereof shall be burnt vp What is it then that will auaile at that day Euen this that Christ acknowledge vs for his owne seruants and Christ will acknowledge and confesse those onely to be his Matt. 10. â—2 33 who haue beléeued in him and confessed him before men Saint Ieromes words are most worthy of obseruation when he thus speakes of himselfe Whether I eate or drinke In com in Matt. or doe any other thing alwaies that voyce seemeth to sound in mine eares Arise ô yee dead and come to iudgement as often as I muse on the day of iudgement so often doe I tremble with my whole heart and body for we must after such a manner passe ouer the pleasantnes of our life as that the bitternes of the iudgement to come be neuer forgotten Againe as the remembrance of the day of iudgement will curbe vs from hardnes of heart and continuing in sinne so it will comfort and chéere vs in our afflictions and miseries And therefore our Sauiour proposed the parable of the fig-tree saying Luk. 21.28.9 â—0 31 Behold the fig-tree and all trees when they now shoote foorth ye seeing them knowe of your owne selues that summer is then neere so likewise ye when ye see these things come to passe knowe ye that the kingdome of God is neere And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere In which words Christ not onely meanes that those troublesome times shall be as certaine a signe of his comming as we certainely knowe that summer approacheth when trées bud foorth but he signifieth another thing besides For whereas in winter trees being drawne together with roughnes of colde séeme to be the stronger but when in the spring that hardnes is dissolued they appeare weaker and as it were clouen and opened that new tendrels and springals may breake out so the strength of the Church is not hindred when afflictions doe soften it in the eyes of men For as the inward iuyce dispersed through the whole trée when it is softned it encreaseth force to renew that which was before as it were dead so the Lord doth bring foorth the full restoring of his children from the corruption of the outward man The summe is this that by the feeble and fraile state of the Church we should not coniecture a destruction and decay but rather hope for immortall glorie vnto which the Lord prepareth his eiect by the crosse and tribulation For that which the Apostle speaketh of the seuerall parts must be applied to the whole body of the Church 2. Cor. 4.16 namely That though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily In the meane time art thou afflicted with pouertie want and scarsitie bee of good comfort a day is at hand when thy Sauiour will came to giue thee the glorie of Heauen that exceedes pearle pretious stones all the golde and treasure of Ophyre all things of this world most desireable Art thou molested with sicknes and infirmitie of bodie Be of good comfort a day is at hand when thou shalt be partaker of that Kingdome where is no sicknes no sorrowe no enemie no enuie no danger no death no feare of death Art thou falsely slandered and vniustly accused and oppressed wrongfully and depriued of thy right Be of good comfort a day is at hand when the cause of the Poore and Fatherles and widow shall be righted And no Bribes no partialitie no gloses no fleights no fetches shall either suppresse trueth or oppresse the true 2. Thess 1.6.7.8.9.10 For it is a righteous thing with GOD to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble the godlie to them which are troubled rest when the Lord IESVS shall shew himselfe from HeaueÌ„ with his mightie Angels in flaming Fire rendring vengeaÌ„ce vnto them that doe not know God which obey not vnto the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lorde and from the glory of his power when hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made merueilous in all them that belieue in that day And when the royall Psalmist saieth That precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 He giues vs notable coÌ„solation and doeth defend vs as it were with a Buckler not onely against the terrors of death and dartes of Sathan in the publike persecutions of the Church but also against priuate griefe and sorrow For he witnesseth that the Church is subiect to the Crosse and afflictions but yet that the godly can neuer bee brought so neere the gates of Death that they can see nothing but death and destruction before them And he admonisheth that those afflictions and griefes of the godlie are not tokens of Gods Anger and of their casting off from the face of God as worldlings iudge who when they sée the godly to be vexed outwardly destitute of all succour they assault them the more vehemeÌ„tly and insult vpon them the more proudely and hee teacheth that though now and then some members of the Church are slaine by Enemies and Tyrants yet that
in stead of all and I desire no more Readers As for the daintie I exhorte them to feede on the fine Flower of the Learned whose manifold Bookes abound with exquisite cates to passe by this course Beane which is conuenient onely for hungrie Stomackes But those that had rather suche dangerous opinions out of eloquent wordes then profitable instructions out of ordinarie termes As though it were better to drinke poison out of a golden pot then wholesome liquor out of an earthen cup and those that consume the pretious Time of this Posting life in long turning and pervsing of toyous and vaine discourses As though it were safe Fishing with a Golden hooke in troubled waters where the labour will yeelde small aduantage but the loosing of the hooke may bee damageable If they will not followe the Example of Marie in chosing the good part which shall not be taken away yet I admonish them to consider that though Heauen and Earth shall passe away yet the word of God abideth euer and that howsoeuer the louers of this fugitiue world are deuoted yet to the truely religious the Lawe of the Lord is sweeter then Honie or the Hony-combe and better then thousands of golde and siluer and that at last they that trie the inuentions of men in the conflict of Conscience will crie out with the children of the Prophets Death is in the potte and with Ieremiah What is the Chaffe to the Wheate and with the patient Iob to his Friendes Miserable comforters are yee all Shall there bee none end of wordes of winde If you shall fauourablie vouchsafe to countenance these few vnfiled Treatises Dedicated by him that wisheth you the continuall multiplying of Gods graces I shall account the fruite of my labour in some forwardnesse and be strictly obliged euer to remaine Your Worships submissiuely deuoted Rob. Wolcombe SPIRITVALL BALME FOR THE afflicted Ioh. 16. verse 20. Verily verily I say vnto you that ye shall weepe and lament and the world shal reioyce and ye shall sorrowe but your sorrowe shall be turned to ioy Verse 21. A woman when she trauaileth hath sorrowe because her houre is come but as soone as she is deliuered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ver. 22. And ye now therfore are in sorrow but I will see you againe and your harts shall reioyce your ioy shall no man take frō you CHrist had before said to his disciples a little while Verse 16. and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and yee shall see me for I goe to the father In which few and somewhat darke words he foretold two things to wit his death and his resurrection First of his death he thus saith a little while and ye shall not see me that is after a little while you shall not sée me for too morrowe I shall be crucified and shall be hidden in my sepulcher Secondly of his resurrection he thus saies and againe a little while and ye shall see me that is after a little while to wit the third day you shall sée me againe because then I will rise from the dead and shew my selfe vnto you Now when the disciples had mused and reasoned of these words saying among themselues Verse 17.18 What is this that he sayeth vnto vs a little while and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and ye shall see me and for I goe to the father What is this that he sayeth a little while we knowe not what he saith Christ preuented their asking of the question Verse 19. what he meant and said vnto them Doe ye enquire among your selues of that I said a little while and ye shall not see me and againe a little while and ye shall see me Verily verily I say vnto you that ye shall weepe and lament c. In which portion of scripture the Lord first replaines his former spéeches in the 20. verse And he doth not openly name his death and resurrection but he insinuates and signifieth both of them by the effects following his death by the weeping lamentation and sorrowe of his disciples and the ioy of the world that is of the wicked Iewes his resurrection by the ioy and gladnes of his disciples Secondly he illustrates and depaintes that sorrowe and ioy of his disciples by a similitude in the 21. verse In which words he compares the sorrowe of his disciples for his death to the sorrowe of a woman in trauell and on the other side he compares their ioy for his resurrection to the ioy of a woman which hath brought forth a child into the world Thirdly he applies that comparison to his disciples in the 〈◊〉 verse In which words Christ doth promise that he will rise againe and shew himselfe vnto them and he amplifieth the gladnes that should thereby growe vnto his disciples partly by the greatnes thereof when he saith your harts shall reioyce partly by the perpetuitie and eternitie thereof when he saith and your ioy shall no man take from you As if our Sauiour should thus say you that are my disciples shall be tempted hardly and heauily for when I shall be put to death the wicked people of the world shal triumph and you shal lament and the vngodly worldlings shall iudge themselues happie and repute you miserable But by the operation of the holie Ghost your sorrow shall be turned into ioye not as though you should liue exempted from all sorrowe For as long as you dwell in these earthly Tabernacles you shall fight a harde fight and you shall feele and beare indignities and you shall haue many occasions of Lamentation and you shall Fast and wéepe when the Bride-groome is taken from you Mat. 9.15 but yet with whatsoeuer sorrow you shall be burthened spirituall ioye shall swallowe it vp and you shall be so renued by the power of the holy Ghost that you shall put off all former féeling of infirmities and with Heroicall courage magnanimitie you shall treade downe all euills that shall rise vp against you Consider how Weomen are griped with sudden griefe when the time of Trauell ouertakes them and how their griefe is so great that they are little distant from death but when they haue brought foorth a Childe their ioye is by so much the greater by how much their anguish was the extreamer So you that are my Disciples are in trauell that is shal be renued by the regeneration of the holy Ghost you shall first be vehemently distressed and afflicted And because the Lorde shall withdrawe his helpe and séeme to stand on your Aduersaries parte you shall reckon your condition to be forlorne and desperate But when the day of Redemption shall come you shal be refreshed with vnexpected ioy and your perplexitie shall not bee comparable to your consolation And when I shall sée you and visite you by the graces of the holy Ghost this
your ioy shall not be Fléeting and transitorie like the worldly ioye but true solide and permanent The world must needes be quickly depriued of their ioyes because they seeke them and repose them in fickle and fading things But I am the ioye and comfort of beléeuers and therefore their ioy is perpetuall because I am perpetuall Rom. 6.9 For though I shall bee Crucified yet I will rise the third day and die no more Death hath no more dominion ouer me Therefore it is not sorrow indeede which is turned into eternall ioy Nor it is not ioy indéede which is turned into eternall sorrow Therefore the wicked are not blessed which reioyce in this world in the world to come shall for euer be sorrie wéepe and howle Neither are the godly miserable that in this life are sorrie wéepe and lament but in the world to come shall reioyce for euer therefore faint not in tribulation knowing this that though your outward man perish yet your inward man is renewed daily 2. Cor. 2.10 Iam. 1.2.12 and account it excéeding ioy when ye fall into diuerse tentations for blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him And this is the summe and substance of Christs words to his disciples Neither did Christ speake this onely for his Apostles that they should sorrowe and lament in this life and that their sorrowe should be turned into gladnes but it is to be applied to all Christians who shall weepe and lament and be diuersely troubled as long as they carrie about this body oâ— death Who hath not heard of the tribulation of Iacoâ— of Ioseph of Dauid of â—oâ— of the rest of the Saints recorded and mentioned in holy scriptures And why were they afflicted it was that their faith and godlines might be tried and exercised as being the elect people of God and those that should be crowned in the world to come But we read not of the affliction of Esau and other that were reiected and not beloued of God G n. 15.16 for they were suffered to fill out the measure of their iniquitie The time is come saith Saint Peter that iudgement must begin at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17.18 If it first begin at vs what shall the end be of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare It is the lote of euery creature Rom. 8.22 not onely of those that haue the first fruites of the Spirit vnto the day of the last redemption what to doe not to reioyce but * Sustenázein caì sunodinein to groane and trauell in paine and not to be pinched with sleight paine but with such smart as frets and consumes the heart with carefulnes and anxietie If all creatures why then the godly must be héere pressed also vntill being fréed from the continuall miseries of this present life they openly behold the fruit of their faith For the faithfull that are regenerate in Christ when they are entered into the kingdome of heauen and that blessed life they are like to women that haue brought foorth children but they are like to women great with child and trauelling with child while they are held captines in the prison of the flesh and doe aspire vnto that blessed state that now lieth hidden vnder hope Fiftly saies Gregorie Lib. 21. â— 4. Moral in Iob. the righteous are refrained from the swéetnes of transitorie delight as the stire which shall liue vnder labour is kept vnder the yoke but that which shall be for the shambles is fed in frée pastures As fruitfull trées are shaken and broken and despoiled when their fruits are gathered yet those trees are suffered to growe longest contrarily vnfruitfull trées are not so vexed and broken but they are sooner cut downe and cast into the fire as the physitian will not permit the sicke person in whom there is some hope of recouerie to take whatsoeuer he desires but he forbids nothing and restraines nothing from those that are desperately sicke as paâ—ents doe chastice the children of whom they haue expectation of good proofe and whom they correct for them they prouide inheritance but the incorrigible and forlorne they leaue to themselues and depriue them of their possessions so for the most part they which shall perish eternally are pampered héere with the good things of this world and doe enioy their pleasurable desires but those whom the Lord hath ordained to life immortall they are heere shaken and bruised and afflicted and exercised and bereaued of many good things which the world desireth It is written of Demonax the Philosopher that when one of his acquaintance did lament immoderately for his dead sonne and would not be comforted he surely promised to rise vp his sonne to life againe if among all men he could name thrée vnto him that either had neuer lamented the death of any friend or neuer had felt any aduersitie But when the fellowe had carried his thoughts on all which he knew and could finde no one such man Demonax replied Why doest thou then so vexe and disq â—et thy selfe as though thou hadst suffered some rare and vnaccustomed thing In our afflictioÌ„ let vs also make enquirie whether euer any thrée were discharged and acquited of all sorrowe and trouble and if we finde it as we shall finde it to be the portion allotted to all the godly and to all Christs disciples to wéepe and lament and be sorrie in this world what reason haue we to looke for a priuiledge and immunitie And héerein we must behold the example of our Maister Christ and walke in his steps 1. Pet. 2.20 c. for heereunto were we called that as Christ suffered for vs and when he did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth yet when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously so forasmuch as Christ bare our sinnes in his body on the trée that we being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnes and since by his stripes we were healed for we were as shéepe going astray but are now returned vnto the shepheard and Bishop of our soules when we doe well yet we must suffer wrong and take it patiently for this is acceptable to God Although this be the portion of the godly to wéepe and lament in this world Psal 112.4 yet there springs vp to the righteous ioy in their trouble and light in their darkenes For God is the father of mercies 2. Cor. 1.3.4 and the God of all comfort faith Saint Paul which comforteth vs in all our tribulation He saith not in one or two tribulations but in all our tribulations Rom. 15.5 Therfore the scripture calleth God the God of patience and consolation because he engrafts patience in
must looke on them not when they are coÌ„ming towards vs but when they are departing from vs for they come with a smiling countenance and doues face but they leaue behind them sorrow and repentance as the scorpions taile So it may as well be said of afflictions that wee must not looke on them when they are comming but when they are departing For they come with a grim and sadde countenaÌ„ce but when they depart they cast ioye and gladnes on as manie as haue employed them as they ought to doe For what is Tribulation to the godly but a plough that rips and opens the soyle of their hearts that the seede of vertue godlines may take roote anâ— find nourishment that nociue wéedes of vices may be extirpated and abandoned Euen as the plough breakes the ground that wéedes may wither good séede be receiued into the bosome of the earth for the better tructifying thereof Chrysost Hom. 4. de Poâ—nit And an ancient and holie father calleth tribulation A spirituall marchaÌ„dize For as they that desire to gaine money and to traffique in worldly marchandize cannot augment their wealth except they endure many perils of Land and Sea For they must néedes willingly beare the counterwaites of Robbers and the assaults of Pirates and all other incumbraÌ„ces for the expectation of profite and they doe not make moane at the féeling of any inconueniences Euen so wee must reioyce and Triumph when wee consider the Inualuable riches of this Spirituall marchaundize and those vnconceiueable and Inuisible good things which shall succéede the transitorie troubles of this wretched world Ioh. 16.21 22. A Woman when shee trauaileth hath sorrow because her houre is come but assoone as shee is deliuered of the childe shée remembreth the anguish no more for ioye that a man is borne into the world And the godly in this life are in sorrow and heauines but by Faith Repentance and Prayer in which the Spirite of God helpeth their infirmities their sorrow shal be turned into ioy and their harts shall reioyce and no man shall take their ioye from them 2. Cor 4.17.18 And how can wee but reioyce in tribulation For our light Affliction which is but for a moment causeth vs a farre more excellent an eternall weight of glorie while we looke not on the things that are séene but on the things that are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Indeed this ioy in Tribulation ariseth not in vs of our own nature which is corrupt still repineth against the correction of our heauenly Father Neither doth it arise from the nature of Tribulation it selfe which hath enforced euen the holy Patriarks and Saints that shined as glittering Lamps Starres in their ages Iob. 3.2.7.8.9.11.12 to groane vnder the burden of miserie Iob was the liuely picture of patience yet how bitterly did hee inueigh against the verie day of his Natiuitie and how earnestly desired he that the Holie one would destroy him and cut him off Dauid was inspired by the holie Ghost Psalm 6.3 32.4 102. 88. 58. 6â— 77.7.8 c. yet how doeth hee make his moane that his foes oppressed him and that hee seemed euen forsaken therefore exclaimeth on this sort Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer will he be no more entreated Is his mercie cleane gone for euer and is his promise come vtterly to an end for euer Hath God forgotten to be gratious and will hee shutte vp his louing kindnes in displeasure Eliah was a Prophet of such holines that he obtained the priuiledge of Enoch which was to be rapt vp into Heauen aliue not to be takeÌ„ hence after the ordinarie sort of other men yet when he fled from persecuting Iezabel 1. King 19.4 he sat downe vnder a Iuniper-tree desired that hee might die said It is now enough ô Lord take my soule for I am no better then my Fathers Ierem. 11.5 15.10 20.14.15 Ieremiah was a man saÌ„ctified froÌ„ his mothers wombe yet he crieth out wo is me that my mother bare me Cursed be the day wherin I was borne Cursed be the maÌ„ that shewed my father saying Aman childe is borne vnto thee How did Ionah frette Ionah 3.3 for that the ruine of Niniuie did not accompanie his commination O Lord saith he take I beseech thee my life from me for it is better for me to die Iâ—n 4.9 then to liue And when he was inflamed with anger for that the vehement East wind had smitten his gourd and God had asked him whether he did well to be angrie for the gourd he answered I â—oe well to be angrie 2. Cor. 1.8 vnto the death And blessed Paul the chosen vessell of Christ complaineth that by his affliction in Asia he was pressed downe out of measure passing strength so that he altogether doubted euen of life Matt. 26.38 and 27.46 Yea how did Christ himselfe the head and generall Captaine of all beleeuers faint feare in the garden when he said that his soule was heauie euen to the death and how lamentable was his crye on the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If this were donne in the gréene trée what shall be donne in the drie If the hard séeme to shrinke what shall the members doe If the sonne himselfe be shaken how shall the seruant quake If those patternes of righteousnes were somewhat impatient discouraged euen almost drouped that they might sée their owne infirmitie and not trust in themselues but in the liuing God that doth raise the dead it must not dismay vs that are but Nouices young souldiours in Christs warres if now and then the weaknes of the flesh the vnperfectnes of our Regeneration doe seeme to eclipse this spirituall reioycing in Tribulation For as long as wee carrie about vs this fraile Tabernacle we know but in parte and see through a Glasse darkely and we thinke 1. Cor. 13.9 speake and vnderstand as children in heauenlie misteries and there is a continuall and vnappeaceable battell betwéene the spirit and the flesh Rom. 7.19 So that the good which wee would doe that wee doe not but the euill which we would not doe that we doe So that this spirituall ioy procéeds not from Musicke or from pleasant company or from respite and space of Timâ— which some affirme to cure asswage griefe or from our selues any way but it procâ—edes from the holy Spirit of the Lord. And that we may conceiue the matter more plainely we must ponder and remember 2. Cor. 4.16 that in the faithfull there is a double man to wit the outward man and the inward man And as there is a double maÌ„ so there is also a double iudgement a double will one of the spirite and another of the flesh Christ our Sauiour was not
to proclaime that whosoeuer would lend him monie should in short space receiue againe not onely the principall summe and that interest which the lawe tollerates but far more namely twise as much nay an 0. sold there would be none when he should heare of this proclamation that would not presently lend to that Prince as much monie as he had and if he had none that would not sell away his possessions and so procure monie that he might obtaine that extraordinarie munificence and recompence of the Prince But if perhaps the Potentates promise and proclamation should not mooue some but that they would kéepe their monies by them at home and not lend them they must of necessitie either be iustly censured of follie in neglecting of such great gaine or be conuinced of distrustfulnes in not yéelding credit to so royall promises Wherefore saith Salomon since God doth not take away our â—iches but preserue them kéepe them for vs and doth recompence them againe with large and ample vsurie nay doth promise for temporall and transitorie wealth eternall and neuer perishing what excuse can those make or what pardon can those looke for that refuse to lend to the Lord and that regard not the most liberall recompence which God bestowes on them that shew mercie and compassion vpon the poore and miserable And this is the force and meaning of this prouerb of Salomon which of it selfe is sufficient to stir vp tractable and flexible minds to performe the workes of mercie on the afflicted But for that good things cannot be spoken too often nor dilated too plainely and in this last age of the world loue wareth cold as it did before the destruction of Ierusalem Matt 24. according to the words of our Sauiour it will not be impertinent to amplifie this Argument somewhat more For that which we finde in the swellings and infirmities that sticke déepely in our bodies namely that there must be long time much labour and discretion vsed in applying remedies that they may be remooued without endangering the life the same we may perceiue in couetousnes and other vices and diseases of the soule For the gréedie loue of worldly things hath taken such roote in the mindes of many that it cannot be cured by one or two exhortations but manifold admonition must be vsed that at last by often compassing with the armies of godly perswasions and by lowd blowing the trumpets of seuere threatning and by bearing the Arke of the word of the Lord the strong holds and fortresses of couetousnes may be battered and demolished like the wals of Ierico Iosh 6. Plin. i. 32. c. 4. Some write of the Narmensian field that it is the drier for raine and the moister for drouth and therfore Cicero iested thereupon saying that in that place Raine did cause dust and sun-shining dirt so there is a generation of people that will bend contrarie to the force of exhortation and rowe against the streame of perswasion and waxe worse worse for admonition But though dogs bite those Matt. 7.6 that cast holy things vnto them and swine turne backe and rent those that throwe pearles before them and though some stop the eare to the charmer like the deafe Adder Psal 58.5.6 that will not heare the Enchanters voyce charme he neuer so cunningly Matt. 11.16.19 and though some are those stubborne sinners that will neither lament when they heare wéeping nor daunce when they heare piping that is that regard neither the sharpe manaces of the lawe nor the swéet comforts of the Gospell yet wisedome is iustified of all her children and they that are endued with the grace of Gods spirit will hearken to the statutes and voyce of the Lord and will say with the holy Prophet when they are reprooued Heale vs ô Lord Ier. 17.14 31.18 and we shall be whole saue vs and we shall be saued conuert vs and we shall be conuerted The forme of Diogenes supplication when he begd Lâ—â—r l. 6. was this If thou hast before this time giuen to any giue also to me but if thou neuer gauest to any begin now with me whereby he meant that he was in the case of other beggars and therefore desired that he that gaue to euery one would also giue to Diogenes and that it was time for him that was so niggish as to giue to none at length to begin to giue somewhat The same supplication of beggars may be vsed in our age and therefore that we may either learne at length to lend to the Lord and amend our backwardnes or else perseuere in liberalitie and haue the good worke confirmed which is alreadie begun in vs it shall be declared first why we 〈◊〉 giue to the poore secondly to what poore 〈◊〉 must giue thirdly how and after what manner we must giue First why we must giue We must haue compassion on the distressed to declare that we haue loue and who knowes not that euery Christian must entertaine loue and charitie For if the most excellent things are to be embraced as they are indéed what is more excellent then loue They that speake with the tongues of men and Angels 1. Cor. 13.1.2.3.8 and haue not loue are as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymball they that haue the gift of Prophesie and know all secrets and all knowledge yea that haue all faith so that they can remooue mountaines and haue not loue they are nothing they that féede the poore with all their goods and giue their bodies that they be burned and haue not loue it profiteth them nothing When prophecying shall be abolished and tongues cease and knowledge vanish away and when faith and hope shall be determined and ended namely when our soules shall come to that blessed life then loue shall still remaine for loue doth neuer fall away Can there be any vertue comparable to loue that is the soule and life of other vertues and that suruiues and liues after other vertues doe cease and are abolished He that hath mercie on the poore makes it manifest that he hath loue and that he loues 1. Ioh. 3.18 not in word and tongue onely but in déed and truth For to say that we loue our brethren and yet not to giue to their necessities is that cold charitie which Saint Iames reprehends Iam. 2.15.16 when he saies If a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto them depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding ye giue theÌ„ not those things which are needfull to the body what helpeth it This colourable loue is like faith without workes and a painted fire without warmth and a counterfait streame without moistnes and a tree full of leaues without any fruit Therefore to shew that we are not void of so rare and excellent a vertue as loue is we must haue mercie on the poore Againe we must shew mercy on the poore
their humilitie towardes their benefactors returne thanks for reliefe not crauing almes as their inheritaÌ„ce rents and expostulating murmuring if they caÌ„not haue their humors fed They must lay aside ignorance growe daily in the knowledge of God first learning the grouÌ„de fundameÌ„tall points of Christianitie themselues theÌ„ bringing vp their children people in the Cathechisme feare of the Lord. They must resort diligeÌ„tly to the house of God and pray for the good state of the kingdome and for the prosperitie of those that succour them when they come to the doore to beg they must pray for the happines of that house if they refuse to pray or caÌ„not pray they are vnworthy of an almes Nay it were not amisse to wtdraw almes from those that are vnwilling or vnable to pray They must be diligeÌ„t to apply theÌ„selues to the doing of that work labour which they caÌ„ do and educate their childreÌ„ in painfulnes industrie fleeing idlenes the true breeder of many beggars And they must forbeare and refraine their haÌ„ds froÌ„ picking purloyning spoyling of mens coÌ„modities which because ofteÌ„times they doe wtout Conscience good manners or feare of God they harden the hearts tye the haÌ„ds of manie froÌ„ bestowing their liberalitie vpon them If the poore shall thus reforme theÌ„selues it is not to be doubted but the Lord will mooue the Rich to bee compassionate towardes them As for the manner 3. How we must giue how wee must giue our Almes wee must giue with a sincere and good Conscience not with Hypocrisie and ostentation to winne praise of the world So our Sauiour teacheth wheÌ„ he saith Take heed that ye giue not your almes before men to be seene of them Matth. 6.1.2.3.4 or else ye shall haue no reward of your Father which is in heaueÌ„ therefore when thou giuest thine Almes thou shalt not make a truÌ„pet to be blowne before thee as the Hypocrites doe in Synagogues and in the streets to be praised of men Verily I say vnto you they haue their rewarde but when thou doest thine alms let not thy left haÌ„d know what thy right hand doeth that thine almes may be seene in secret thy father that seeth in secret he wil reward thee oâ—eÌ„ly In which words of our Sauiour we are to note that a good thing may be done and yet it may not be well done and therefore that old saying is not erroneous that Aduerbs are bâ—tter theÌ„ Verbs Praestant Aduerbia Verbis that is that God respecteth more how a thing is done theÌ„ that it is done If the worke be not coÌ„manded of God but done vpoÌ„ the inueÌ„tion of mans phansie a supposed good intent Isai 1.12 God will say Who hath required these things at your hands If the worke procéed not from a sincere faith to manifest it before men since Faith is as the shekel of the Sanctuarie by which euery thing vowed Consecrate to the Lord was to be weighed Leui. â—7 3 â— Rom. 14.23 Heb. 1.6 it wil at last be fouÌ„d true that Whatsoeuer is not of Fai h is sinne and that without Faith it is not possible to please God If the worke be done to haue a Name blowne abroad with the trumpet of mans praise and not to honour and glorifie God but our selues our Sauiours censure is past vpon it as vpon the almes of the glorious Scribes Pharises and Hypocrites that when the giuers and doers of such almes and workes haue the commendation of men which they hunted and sought after they haue their reward and all the reward which they shall haue for God is not pleased nor appeased with such workes And it seemeth Nóson echeis chaireis didous Epicharâ— that the very Ethnick Philosopher had an eye to this abuse in giuing when he said That he that reioyceth and braggeth in giuing hath disease and a fault in giuing Besides this we must giue with a chéerefull minde not vnwillingly and grudgingly And to teach this in old time they fained that there were thrée Graces which signified liberalitie and the one was named Aglaâ—a that is cléerenes the second Euphrosine that is gladnes the third Thalia that is pleasure whereby was meant that gifts must be bestowed chéerefully ioyfully and pleasantly The Philosopher writes therefore excellently when he saies Sen. de benefic That as it is a sauage crueltie to protract punishment so the gift is the more acceptable that is quickly bestowed and as in darts there is one and the same nature and force of the yron but the ods is infinite whether they be flunge forcibly or faintly so there is difference in that is giuen how it is giuen whether speedily or sparingly When one saith he confers but little vpon me yet it is to be esteemed because he could doe no more but when one giues much yet with doubting yet with delaying yet with murmuring yet with pride he conferd it vpon his owne ambition and not vpon me Moreouer we must giue bountifully and liberally not sparingly and pinchingly accounting all that lost which we giue and all all that too much which we bestowe This let vs remember 2. Cor. 9.6.7 that he which soweth sparingly shall reape also sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape also liberally as euery man wisheth and freely determineth in his heart so let him giue for God loueth a cheerfull giuer If thou say that thy abilitie is but small and therefore thou canst giue but little giue then after thy abilitie if thou abound giue abundantly if thou hast but little bestow accordingly Prou. 5.16.17 For when Salomon saies Let thy fountaines flow foorth and the riuers of waters in the streets but let them be thine euen thine onely and not the strangers with thee he meaneth that our inheritance goods and possessions must be thriftily dispensed and disposed for the necessarie vses of vs and ours yet for all that that we must bouÌ„teously helpe the néedie without great and notable endamaging of our selues and those that depend vpon vs. And this moderation S. Paul commands to be kept in giuing when he saies That other must not be eased we grieued 2. Cor. 8.13 but our abundance must supply the lacke of others And the truth of an almes consisteth not either in the partie to whom we giue whether he be good or bad so he be needie and miserable nor the quantitie of that is giuen whether it be much or little but it consisteth in our selues namely with what minde we giue The rich may giue much and they of slender abilitie may giue little and yet the gift of the rich may not be worthy of the name of an Almes and the gift of the meaner sort may be iustly called an Almes Matt. 10.42 Whosoeuer shal giue but a cup of cold water to drink and what is lesse to a faithful poore person in the name of Christ and for Christs sake
according to his labour writes on this sort I will say a thing which may seeme to excéed the opinion of many but it shall not excéed the truth Although a man shall doe some worthy and couragious thing In epist ad Olymp. and yet without labour and danger he shall receiue no great reward For euery man shall receiue his owne wages according to his labour not according to the greatnes of the worke but according to the qualitie of the labour and suffering And he proues this by examples out of the scriptures For Paul glorieth not 2. Cor. 12. Iob. 1.1 27.6 but in his infirmities and tribulations Iob before his calamities which he suffered was a iust man and righteous and that feared God and of wonderfull godlines for his heart reprooued him not for his daies past But all this Sathan accused and said Doth Iob feare God for nought Iob. 1.9.10 hast not thou O God made an hedge about him and about his house about all that he hath on euery side But when he had lost al that he had and was striken with grieuous boyles and yet retained patience Sathan departed and could cauil and wrangle no more against him Lastly saith he Christ Our Lord bare in his glorious body the marks and scars of his wounds carried them into heauen for none other cause but to teach vs that the worke of his passion farre surpassed in dignitie all his other workes miracles For as odours doe disperse their swéete smell farther when they are mooued so the vertues of the godly being stirred by patience yéeld foorth a more acceptable sauour both to God and men Therefore that Christs word may dwell in vs we must haue an honest and good heart and we must heare the word and we must heare and kéepe the word and we must bring foorth fruit with patience Wherefore since the word of God is so beneficiall and profitable for vs and must be heard after this manner let vs all beseech our heauenly father that we may be partakers of that inestimable commoditie of the scriptures and may be right and worthy hearers readers and kéepers thereof Art thou young Let the word of Christ dwell in thée plenteously for if a child be taught in the trade of godlines Pro. 22.6 he will not depart from it Psal 119.9 when he is olde And wherewith shall a young man redresse his way but in taking héed thereto according to Gods word and Timothie knowing the scriptures from a child 2. Tim. 3.15 1. Tim. 4.6 and being nourished vp in the words of faith and of good doctrine did continually followe it Art thou old Let the word of Christ dwell in thée plenteously for it will teach thée to repent for thy former sinnes to bewaile the vanities of the world to prepare for thy dissolution to fixe thy faith on Christ Iesus who hath ordained a Mansion for thée in heauen and therefore to say with old Symeon Lord Luk. 2.29.30 now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Art thou vertuous and a louer of the word Let the word of Christ dwell in thée plenteously let vs be led forward to perfection Heb. 6.1 let vs followe the direction of the scripture till we come to heauen Matt. 2. â— as the wiseman trauelled by the leading of the Starre till they came to Christ The kingdome of God is compared to a graine of musterd seede Matt. 13.31 which at the first is the least of all séedes but when it is sowne it becomes first an hearbe then the greatest of hearbes then a tree then the birdes make nests in the branches thereof so the godly must procéede from the séede of godlines to the hearbe of godlines from the hearbe to the trée from the trée to branches so great that birdes may make nests in them that is their fruits and good workes must be so manifest that others may be brought to the feare of the Lord by their president When Eliah was gone a daies iourney in the wildernes and sate and slept vnder a Iuniper trée Gods Angell cald vpon him vp and eate and when he slept againe the Angell the second time cald vpon him 1. King 19.5.6.9.13.15 vp and eate for thou hast a great iourney and when he had trauelled 40. daies and was lodged in a caue the Lord cald vpon him what doest thou heere Eliah and when he was brought foorth to the mount the Lord said vnto him What doest thou héere Eliah goe and returne by the wildernes vnto Damascus and doe thus and thus So when we are entered into the way of life we must vp and eate and strengthen our selues first with milke then with stronger meate we must walke from vertue to vertue we must remember that we haue a great iourney to goe we must alwaies thinke that euery blessing of God bestowed vpon vs is a farther calling and prouocation to godlines and that we heare a voyce that cals vs forward thou hast yet a greater iourney to goe what doest thou héere Eliah Art thou vitious yet labour and desire that the word of Christ may dwell in thee plenteously and hearken attentiuely to the word and thou shalt see the admirable efficacie thereof If Polemon a drunken and intemperate young man when he rushed with his complices into Xenoâ—rates schoole Laert. lib. 4. after a contemptuous sort were so altered by the Oration of the Philosopher that afterward he embraced sobrietie much more can the doctrine of Christ dutifully and héedefully heard mooue a sinner to renounce wickednes When the chiefe Priests and Pharises had sent messengers to take Iesus as he was preaching to the people the messengers tarâ—ying till he had ended his sayings not with a purpose to learne but to entrap him in his words were so pricked in heart and changed that they returned without doing their message and being asked why they had not brought Iesus Ioh. 7.46 Confess l. 5. c. 13. 14. they aunswerad neuer man spake like this man Saint Austen reports of himselfe that being yet polluted with the errour of the Manichet hearing Ambrose preaching not with an intent to beléeue his doctrine but with a purpose to marke his eloquence though he contemned the matter and was delighted with the words onely yet with the words which he loued there came to his minde also the things which he neglected and when he opened his heart to consider quà m disertè diceret pariter intrabat quà m verè diceret how eloqently he spake it entered also into his minde how truely he spake Therefore since the hearkening to the word brings such profite though it shew thy vanities and spots and faults and imperfections yet despise it not nor throwe it away from thée as the Ape when he beholds his deformitie in the glasse doth throw it from him and seekes by all meanes to breake
miracle that Christs glory might be the greater and that the Iews might the sooner receiue him for the Messias Christs doctrine was more heauenly then Iohns for Christ taught as one hauing authoritie and not as the Pharises and other Doctors of the Lawe Ioh. 7.46 The Iewes themselues confessed that neuer man spake as Christ spake And a principall Pharisie could not but say Ioh. 3.2 None could do these miracles that thou doest except God were with him What then is the reason that they neglect and despise Christ and send this solemne honourable and noble Ambassage to Iohn euen from Ierusalem their Metrapolitane Citie Was it because Christ did sharpely taxe and reprehend their life But Iohn did it more sharpely speaking thus to the Pharises Matt. 3.7 O generations of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come Surely this was the onely cause for that they reputed Christ vilde and a Carpenters sonne but they accounted Iohn a noble man and the sonne of a noble man whose father was Zachariah the Priest and his citie was in Iudah whereas they supposed that Christ was borne in Nazareth a base and simple citie in Galile Ioh. 1.46.47 and therefore Nathaniel otherwise a iust man and a true Israelite without guile said Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth The Iewes respected after the fashion of the world externall nobilitie and they had rather acknowledge Iohn for the Messias that was honorably descended then Christ who was borne in humilitie whether we respect the place of his birth or the place of his education or the state and condition of his mother and supposed father Ioseph For carnal and worldly men are most acute and sharpe eyed in perceiuing handling and discerning of worldly things and businesses but they are blind and ignorant in spirituall matters And therefore well writes Saint Basill As the sight of an Owle preuailes in the night Hom. ◠hexae◠but when the sunne shines it is much dazeled and dulled so the minde of men wise in the things of this world seemes to be most acute and quicke to discerne vaine things but to be dull and darke to perceiue the true light indeed Howsoeuer it were and howsoeuer the Iewes were blinded with an ouerwéening opinion of Iohns excellencie yea howsoeuer Iohn were extolled of Christ himselfe that cannot lye nor be deceiued Matt. 11.11 when he was commended for the greatest Prophet that arose among men borne of women yet this Iohn so noble so excellent so temperate so sincere so commended how humbly did he estéeme of himselfe and what was his answere to the Ambassadors Ioh. 1 26.2◠I baptise saith he with water but there is one among you whom yee know not he it is that commeth after me which was before me whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to vnloose This was the humilitie of Iohn the Baptist There is a memorable historie recorded of the seuen wisemen of Greece how modestly they shifted the name and reputation of wisedome from one to the other on this manner Val. Max. l. 4. c. 1. One had bought the draught of fishers that drew their net in the Milesian coast there arose a controuersie by reason that a golden Delpian table of great weight was drawne to land the fishermen affirming that they had solde the fishes that should be taken and the fellow saying that he had bought the fortune of the draught the case being brought before the whole people of the citie for the noueltie of the matter and for the value of the table it pleased them to aske counsell of Apollo of Delphos to whom the golden table should be adiudged Apollo answered that it should be giuen to him that surpassed others in wisedome in this oracle Hos sophie panton protos touto tripod an dô Then the Messias with one consent gaue the table to Thales Thales gaue it to Bias Bias to Pittacus and he presently to another and after from one to another of all the seuen it came last of all to Solon who bestowed vpon Apollo himselfe both the title and the reward of the greatest wisedome And thus it appeares that the better euerie one is the more humble euery one is and the more he estéemes other better then himselfe The fuller the vessell is the baser sound it yéeldes but the emptier it is the lowder it rings The higher the Sunne is in the heauen the lesser shadowes he makes and the lower he is the greater shadowes doe fal from bodies Sound and full eggs doe sinke in water but rotten and putrified and emptie doe float and swim When the bird will mount vpward in flight she bends downe her head towards the earth that she may rise the higher which she doth not when she walkes on the ground Wood that in burning yéeldes the greatest smoake doth giue the smallest heate The bough whereon fruit hanges and the eare ful of corne bend downeward to the earth but the bough and eare that are voyde of fruit doe stand vpright Euen so they that are destitute of true vertue and of good workes make most ostentation but the soule that is replenished with vertue and godlines beholds the earth that is mans frailtie and earthly condition from which ariseth the cause of humbling our selues And euery one must confesse Gen. 18.27 as Abraham did talking with God that he is dust and ashes not onely in respect of the body which is most manifest but also in respect of the soule and thereby truely abase and humble himselfe For as ashes are vild and of no reputation so the soule by sinne is vild and abhominable before God As ashes are scattered with each blast of winde so man of himselfe cannot resist a small tentation but he often fals at the vttering of a small spéech As ashes cannot returne to the former matter and substance of which it was made so a sinner cannot returne to the state of saluation from which he fell but by the grace and mercie of God The consideration of this is néedfull for vs for to estéeme too well of our selues and to be willing to be thought that we are not and to be vnwilling to be thought that we are is a disease incident to most men Which disease of man Socrates fitly expressed when he said Stob. ser 21. That if vpon the stage any should commaund all shoemakers to stand vp shoemakers onely would stand vp likewise if carpenters or weauers or other particular craftesmen were to stand vp these onely would stand vp but if wise men and iust men were commaunded to stand vp all present would straightway stand vp because all are willing to be accounted such And therefore since selfe-loue and selfe-liking is an hereditarie sicknes in vs it is behoofefull for vs to obserue what remedies may cure this daungerous infirmitie Surely whatsoeuer we consider whether the things without vs or the things within vs or the things beneath
of God the onely comforter doth swéeten the bitternes of affliction and doth strengthen our féeble knées and stablish our fainting hearts we may iustly say O Lord wee are not worthy that such consolation should come vnder the roofe of our soules Besides this as the Centurion said Maister I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe so we may inuert and turne about and stretch his spéech farther and say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder thy roofe And why The world in which we inhabite is Gods house and we are all Tenants at will to be put out at our liue lords pleasure In this house of the world Man is a great commander hauing dominion ouer the workes of Gods hands and hauing all things put vnder his féete The Sunne and the Moone giue him light the shéepe and oxen and beasts of the field the foules of the aire and fishes of the Sea yéeld him sustenance the birds delight him with singing the flowers solace him with smelling all the workes of Gods fingers serue either for this profite or pleasure or both In that then Man a worme and the sonne of rottennes and corruption is brought into such a spacious and specious a great and gay house of God as the world is and made little lower then God and crowned with glorie and worship we may iustly say Psal 8.4 O Lord our Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him We are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of thy house Nay when we consider our houses that protect and shroud vs from the furie and violence of the weather our beds whereon we case our selues when we are wearie and sicke our liuings and goods by which we sustaine our selues our children which are an heritage and gift that commeth from the Lord and which possesse the fruit of our labours and which preserue our memoriall on earth when we consider these and many other blessings which God bestowes on vs that daily and hourely offend him and transgresse his commaundements and which many others doe want who notwithstanding are redéemed with the pretious blood of Christ aswell as we may we not procéed farther and say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of our owne house Furthermore the materiall temple and Church is called the house of God For why In the Church we are taught the statutes and lawes of God and God speakes vnto vs in his sacred word In the Church we speake vnto God by praier and we worship God by singing foorth the swéet praises of his mercie and goodnes In the Church we are by Baptisme clensed from our sinnes and receiued into Christs Church and congregation which is the spirituall house of God and we are incorporated into Christs bodie made members thereof In the Church we spiritually feede on the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ and we are thereby partakers of Christs merites righteousnes to the fruition of eternall life In that then the materiall Church is the house of God and the soueraigne Apothecary shop where euery sinner may finde a spirituall medicine and salue to cure the maladies infirmities of his soule we may truely say when we are going into the temple and Church where we participate of so many diuine things O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of thine house Lastly let vs contemplate on the ioyes and felicitie of Heauen where is ioy without sorrowe plentie without scarsitie glorie without enuie life without death where is the trée of life and the riuer of the water of life where the Seraphins sing continually Holy holy holy and all the Angels and Saints praise God vncessantly with most sugred and harmonious melodie where the elect receiue the pennie of immortalitie for working in the vineyard and sit downe with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and where are those vnspeakable good things which eye hath not séene nor eare heard nor heart of man can conceiue In that then God hath ordained vs to this eternall rest and from the dust hath exalted vs to his heauenly kingdome we may truely say O Lord we are not worthy that we should come vnder the roofe of Heauen Thales Milesius being old and hauing deuised some admirable inuention of the motion of the Heauens he did communicate it with Mandrita another Philosopher who gaue him thankes for the instruction and asked what recompence he should giue him for the document to whom Thales said O Mandrita it shall be sufficient to me if when thou wilt vtter this which thou hast learned of me thou doe not ascribe it to thy selfe but confesse that it was mine inuention This a man craues of a Man how much more iustly doth God require of vs that if we haue any vertue or any knowledge or any wisedome or any strength or any good thing when we make vse of it we attribute it not to our selues but acknowledge that it is receiued from him Wherefore let vs humble and prostrate our selues with this Noble and godly Centurion let vs praise the Lord for all his blessings with vnfained thankefulnes let vs confesse our vnworthines either that God should come vnder our roofe or that we should come vnder Gods roofe let vs amend our liues repent for our iniquities and expresse true gratitude by our good workes that God may augment and heape his mercies vpon vs continually and that Christ may heare vs as he heard the Centurion and that as by the mercy of God we entered into the house of God the world and dwell therein and as by the same mercy we enter from time to time into the materiall Church which is the house of God so at last by the fauour and grace of Christ we may ascend and mount into the glorious and magnificent house of Heauen there to remaine with him for euermore Amen CONSTANCIES CROWNE Gal. 6.9 Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not THe holy Apostle Paul in these words doth admonish the Galathians and in the Galathians all other Christians to be plenteous in good works and to bring foorth the fruits of the Spirit neither this onely but to persist and perseuere in well doing that they may obtaine the reward of eternall life The spéech containes first an exhortation to continue in well doing secondly a reason and motiue why we should not faint in well doing The exhortation is this Let vs not therefore be wearie of well doing If we refer this well doing to beneficence and liberalitie towards the néedie which is spoken of in the verse following where the Apostle saith While we haue time Calon poioûntes 1. eupoioûntes euergetoûntes let vs doe good to all men as if well doing were doing well and bestowing well on the poore then where Paul saith Let vs not be
as the Papist vntruely teacheth yet we teach that good workes are to be done because they shall be crowned receiue the reward as the holy Scripture affirmeth It deserueth not the name of vertue nor we are not to be called vertuous for performing of one good déed for a wicked person may doe one or two good déeds either of a sudden motion without due regard or of spite malice to crosse his enemie or through vehement perswasion of some friend or to win praise commendation of men or to auoid shame reproach of the world or least he should doe something that might hinder his prosperitie or else because his lusts affections doe striue struggle as the windes so as that which is the stronger preuaileth on the rest brideleth them from breaking foorth into action so a vaine glorious man will make a shew to be liberall to the end he may serue the turne of his ambition on the other side a couetous man that he may spare charges will set light by honour though inwardly his minde be fired with ambition so a proud man will be bountifull to be extolled among the common people so she that feares the reproach of the world though her minde be defiled with vnchast lusts yet outwardly she will be chast But it is not vertue to doe well after this sort but to doe good after a good sort is when it is done Arist spoâ—â—e sciâ—â—ter consâ—anter as the Philosopher teacheth willingly and not by coaction and enforcement with aduisement and due regard of circumstances with continuance and perseuerance and without wearines and fainting Perseuerance in well doing is most requisite for vs Mat. 10.22 for why it receiues the crowne It is written that He that endureth to the end he shall be saued It is written that they are rewarded with euerlasting life Rom. â— 7 that through patieâ—ce in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortalitie It is written that the bountifulnes of God is great towards vs Rom. 11.22 If we continue in this bountifulnes or else we shall also be cut off It is written Phil 3.13 14. that we must forget that which is behind and endeuour our selues to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus It is written that Christ hath now also reconciled vs in that body of his flesh through death Col. 1 2â— â—â— which were in times past strangers and enemies because our mindes were set in euill workes if we continue grounded and stablished in the faith and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell whereof we haue heard It is written 2. Tim. 2.5.6 taht if any man striue for a maisterie he is not crowned except he striue as he ought to doe the husbandman must labour before he receiue the fruit It is written Heb. 3 6.1â— that we are the house of Christ if we hold fast that confidence and that reioycing of hope vnto the end that we are made partakers of Christ if we keepe sure vnto the end that beginning wherewith we are vpholden It is written Eze. 18.24 33.13 that if the righteous man turne away froÌ„ his righteousnes and commit iniquitie and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth all his righteousnes that he hath done shall not be mentioned but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Finally it is written Reu. 2 1â— that if we will haue the crowne of life we must be faithfull vnto the death Compare all this that is written and tell whether perseuerance in well doing be not most necessarie since without it we cannot be partakers of immortalitie If we goe not onwards in well doing we shall fall from well doing and fall into ill doing For Vice giues many assaults and batteries against Vertue Euery Vertue hath two extreame Vices one on the left hand in defect the other on the right in excesse readie to deuoure her on euery side as the roaring Lyon is readie to prey vpon the sillie lambe Matt. 7.14 The way of vertue is narrowe if we slip neuer so little either on the one side or on the other side we fall into the dirt puddle of vice Our owne corrupt nature fraile flesh will seduce vs the example and custome of the world will perswade vs the enchanting cups of pleasure and sinne will deceiue vs if we bend not all our force and endeuour to continue in well doing That old serpent and red dragon Sathan 1. Pet. 5.8 walkes about like a roaring Lyon séeking whom he may deuoure When God asked of him Iob. 1.7 whence he came he answered from compassing the earth Marke how the diuell cals himselfe a Compasser He is not idle but embusied alwaies when he is let loose to ensnare and beguile soules and to withdraw men from good workes He would discourage the Minister from taking paines by setting before him how the people contemne his doctrine and sometimes his person how they profit little in knowledge and godlines notwithstaÌ„ding his many manifold exhortations He would stop the Magistrate and Officer from diligent discharging of his charge place either with feare to offend some or with affection to spare some He would draw the plaine Tradesman from true dealing cause him to betake himselfe to fraud and deceit that he may be called indéed a Craftesman why because he cannot enrich himselfe by simplicitie and plaine dealing therefore he casteth into one shop a false measure into another shop deceitfull weights into another shop adulterate vnperfect wares He frets fumes at diligent resorting to praier and Sermons and Sacraments and therefore to hinder vs from it he will cast in our way either worldly busines or pastimes sports and pleasures At a word to pull the resolued Christian from the awe of God he will tempt him to sweare to surfet to carouse to be drunken by the baite and allurements of sociablenes good fellowship If then our owne flesh like a domesticall Iudas be readie to betray vs in euery conflict and skirmish if the sugred perswasioÌ„s of worldly examples are like the bewitching songs of the Sirenes the enchanting cups of Circe if Sathan be so busie industrious to steale away Saluation from vs how behoofefull and necessarie for vs is it to doe well and to perseuere in well doing It is hard to continue in well doing against so many aduersaries but let vs looke on those whom the word of God commends and sets foorth before vs as lampes and torches to direct our féete in the darkenes of this world Behold how Dauid could not be discouraged from encountring the hugie Goliah 1. Sam. 17. either by the checke of Eliab his brother or the disswasion of king Saul or by the vnfitnes
Gods mercies the third is obedience which must needs be yeelded to Gods commandements For that which feare begins hope of pardon helpes forwards but no good ensueth except there be added thereunto obedience to the precepts of the Lord. Many haue the two first they feare punishment and hope for pardon but where is there obedience But they that will not follow Christ thrée daies in the desert of this life shall not taste of his loaues When the hound hunts an hare or some other beast if he finde not of it he goes sloathfully carelesly but if he perceiue that sent of the beast he runnes nimbly busily and he runnes till he finde the game So if we haue tasted indéed of God if the fragrant perfume of his goodnes do come to our nosthrils if we duely vnderstand Gods present blessings future promises questionles we would runne after the sauour of these good oyntments and we would runne chéerefully euen to the end till we came to the heauenly house of God But they that are vnacquainted with the sauour of these heauenly things Heb. 6.4.5 that haue not tasted of the heauenly gift of the good word of God of the powers of the world to come that haue not seene how gratious the Lord is Psal 34.8 73.1 and how good he is to Israel euen to the pure in heart these walke remissely and doe not follow Christ so much as one day nay they caÌ„not watch with Christ one houre but they follow their owne desires and the coÌ„cupiscences of the sinfull flesh The faint harted souldiour sinkes shrinkes at the first and he that hath bene daintily brought vp at home either staggers or flies at the first brunt of the battell whereas the old souldiour and experienced in labours will feare neither the shott ouer him nor the slaine before him nor the thundring Canons about him nor the troupes of the enemies neere him but affrighted with the sight of no daunger he expects the end of the Battell This Suldiour obtaines glorie the other reapes shame So it fals out in the spirituall warfare of Christians He that continues in the loue of God and of his neighbour in the feare worship and seruice of God in performance of good workes regardeth neither the proaches of the vngodly that flie ouer his head nor the multitude of sinners before him nor the raging of Sathan about him nor the entisements of the flesh and of the world néere him but he abides continually in the seruice of God and shall in the end receiue the eternall waight of glorie Gâ—â— 15. â—â— As Abrahaâ— when the fowles fell on his sacrifice still draue them away and was not by their importunitie hindred from so good a worke so we must repell all lets and stops that may bréed wearines in well doing If we will obtaine the reward and reape the fruit of eternall life we must not onely begin well but perseuere to doe well and we must not onely sowe the séede with the sloathfull husbandman who after he hath plowed and sowne leaues the worke vnperfect but there must be harrowing and hedging and wéeding least the fowles deuoure the séede or the cold starue it or the Sunne parch it or the beasts breake in and spoile it or the noysome wéedes choake it Euery trée almost in the Spring will beare flowers and blossomes but that trée is most regarded which brings foorth timely fruit Almost euery field will make shew of corne at the beginning but we regard that field most that yéeldes sure and plenteous encrease Deâ—â—â—â— credonae cap. 7. The schooles of Rhetoricians saith Saint Austen are replenished euery where with companies of young men but few do attaine to the eloquence of Tully fewer doe become good Orators and most few are famous such a thing is religion for the multitude of the vnskilfull and sinfull do frequent the Churches yet few doe get perfection in the mysteries of Religion Commonly with many in the race and course of Vertue the beginning is hotte the procéeding luke warme the end kaie cold A type of this was in the Image which Nabuchadnezar saw in his dreame Dan. 2. whose head was of fine gold whose breast and armes were of siluer whose bellie and thighes were of brasse whose legs were of yron and whose féete were part of yron and part of clay So many waxe worse and worse begin in the Spirit and and in the flesh as the Apostle saies of the Galathians Many at first comparable to fine gold Gal. 3.3 Lam. 4.2 may after be esteemed as earthen pitchers euen the worke of the hands of the pottar as Ieremiah saies of the men of Zâ—on Many may haue that renewed of them which Isaiah spake of Ierusalem Isai 1.21 How is the faithfull Citie become an harlot thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water Many will begin their iournie well from the slauerie of sinne toward the land of righteousnes as the Israelites did march at the first willingly out of Egypt toward the land of Canaan Num. 11.5 but after a little while they will murmure for they change and fall to lusting after the wonted pleasures and baites of iniquitie as the Israelites longed for the fish cucumbers and other fruit of Egypt Many will begin to leaue the Sodome of vngodlines but as Lots wise looked backe when she had left Sodome either of a loue to her old nest and dwelling place or else to trie whether the Lord would bring the destruction threatned so they will reflect their eyes and hands at least their hearts to their former vanitie and impietie either enchanted with their accustomed delectation or else doubting of the certaintie of Gods promises and comminations Gen. 19. But such must call to minde the punishment inflicted vpon the wife of Lot for fainting from her good beginning and must perswade themselues that a relapse into wickednes neuer goes vnpunished therefore our Sauiour saith Remember Lots wife Luk. 17.52 Many will trauell a little way to the kingdome of heauen but when they finde the voyage long and the way vneasie then they returne to the land of sinne againe as Orpah brought her mother in lawe Naomi going towards the land of Israel but then left her at one disswasion but what scarsitie is there of Ruthes that will depart out of the borders of their sinnes and be so linked in societie and company of the faithfull and godly that they will say constantly against all repulses Ruth 1.14.16.17 Entreat me not to leaue thee nor to depart from thee for whither thou goest I will goe and where thou dwellest I will dwell thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried Many will pretend zeale to religion and the preaching of the Gospell but at small occasions will be so incensed that they will goe backe with those