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
by my workes But on the contrarie all appearing christians are not true christiās For to many that will say Lord Matt. 7.22 Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied by thy name cast out diuels by thy name don manie great works Christ wil thus professe I neuer knewe you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie So that the visible outward Church in this world hath good and bad hath worthy vnworthy hath elect and reprobate Matt. 13.24 Mat. 13.47 Mat. 13.3 For it is the fielde wherein there growes wheate tares and it is the draw-net which cast into the sea gathereth of all kindes of things and it is the receiuer of the séede of Gods word which sowne fell foure wayes some by the way side some vpon stony groūd some among thornes some in good ground And all this is plainely set foorth by our Sauiour in the parable of them that were called vnto the marriage Of which parable partly out of the words of Christ partly out of the circumstance of the time persons when and to whō they were spoken we may gather this to be the sense meaning The King that made a mariage for his Sonne is God the Father The Kings Sonne is Christ The mariage is the blessednes of heauen which the elect after this life shall for euer enioy with Christ The first worthier sorte that were called are the Iewes The seruāts whom the King sent are the prophets The calling to the marriage is the drawing to faith and repentāce This calling the Iews despised being giuē to the loue of earthly things many of them chiefly the rulers of the people contumeliously entreated the prophets slew them Therfore God destroied them by his hoasts warriors that is by the armies of the Romans First vnder the cōducting of Vespasian after of Titus his sonne and hée burnt vp Ierusalem their Citie with fire Afterwards reiecting the Iewes God sent the Apostles vnto the Gentiles and called thē into the place room of the Iews in whose stéed they were are and shall be vnto the ende of the world as wel good as bad that is as well elect as reprobate of whō the one are of euill made good by the holy Ghost the other are left in their natural wickednes The marriage garmēt is true holines which is of 2. sorts th' one is the holinesse of Christs sacrifice imputed vnto vs by Faith the other is an holines wrought in our mindes by the sanctification of the holie Ghost which shews it selfe by holines of life Whosoeuer are not clothed which this wedding garment shal be throwne out from the marriage into vtter darknes that is into the eternall torments of Hell and that shall bee done by the Seruants that is Gods holie Angels Therefore beeing all inuited and called to the marriage of the Kings Sonne that is to the fruition and participation of the ioyes of heauen Wée must neither contemne and refuse the abundant mercie of God that so louingly bids vs either by addicting our selues whollie to the vanitie and mucke of this world or by despising of Gods Messengers who are sent to inuite vs neither must wee presume to approach without the marriage garment making onely a bare profession naked shew without any sinceritie For though we spin Hypocrisie with neuer so small a thréede so that the eyes of man cannot discerne it yet when the King of heauen whose eyes are ten thousand times more bright then the Sunne shall come in to sée the Guests hée will pull off the vizard from the masked dissembler and discouer the counterfeiter and as the Hypocrite pretends onely loue amitie to Christs religion and entends far otherwise with his heart So the King shall Ironically and colourably call him Friend but a painted friēd and therefore hée shall say How camest thou in hither and hast not on a Wedding garmēt Binde him hand and foote Take him away and cast him into vtter darknes Wherefore that wee may examine our selues our soules and consciences the better whether wée are arrayed with the Wedding garment or not and that we may labour and pray that we may be more and more apparelled therewith whereby we may neuer be cast out of the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and that we may know how to professe CHRIST aright For it is a most important matter and to professe is not enough except wee professe aright it shall be vnfolded First what the Wedding garment is without which wee cannot be partakers of Heauenly blessednes secondly what Hypocrisie is and how detestable and odious it is in the sight of God The Wedding garment is Iustification 1 What the Wedding garmēt is and Sanctification or Faith good workes or to belieue well and to liue well All this is but true holinesse which is of two sorts Namely the righteousnes of Christs sacrifice imputed to vs by Faith and inherent righteousnes wrought in vs and brought into vs by the holy Ghost So that this garment is of two colours partly red partly white It is red by reason of Christs blood shead on the Crosse for the purging of our soules and this is our Iustification and Righteousnes before God It is white by reason of holy harmeles cōuersation which shines before the world this is the putting on of the new man Christ Iesus the washing of our robes the makīg of them white in the bloud of the lambe our sāctification holines in the eyes of men Iustificatiō is attained by Faith sanctification brīgeth forth good works iustificatiō cānot be wtout faith faith cānot be wtout good works iustification therfore holines are inseparable companions where the one is there is also the other They agrée in the efficient cause For God is the Author and worker of them both by the merit of Christ They agree in the instrument which is Faith for faith receiues Iustification and Faith brings foorth sanctification they agrée in the scope ende that is our eternall life but iustificatiō as the cause sāctification as the way therfore the Apostle saith Eph. 2.10 that we are Gods workmāship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which god hath ordained that we should walk in them What then is this true faith by which we are iustified before God accounted righteous absolued frō the guiltines of all our sins Rom. 11. reputed as holy as if wee had neuer sinned had our selues fulfilled all the cōmandements of God Faith is the means helpe instrumēt whereby a sinner doth apprehēd Christ which all his benefits Eph. 3.17 Luk. 2.11 doth applie them particularly to himself is ioyned to Christ doth liue in Christ This faith is liuely effectuall both in respect of our affections in respect of our actions It is liuely in respect of our affectiōs for it works in
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
they haue séene the beautie and brauerie of this world not to be bewitched and beguiled therwith but thereby to climbe vp as it were by staires and steps to the contemplation of the happines of that other world As it is reported of Fulgentius when he fled the persecution of the Arrians and soiourned at Rome and when he sawe the glorie of the citie and Senate of Rome that he spake thus to the companions of his exile How beautifull may the heauenly Ierusalem be if earthly Rome doe so shine and if in this world there be giuen such dignitie and honour to those that loue vanitie and errour what honour and glory shall be giuen in heauen to the Saints that loue veritie and vertue It is too apparant how gréedily we doe gape after earthly treasure and fading riches which is either lost by shipwracke or cōsumed by fire or stolne by théeues or taken away by fraude and oppression or corrupted and empaired by rust canker and long space of time or at last left behind in death But how backward and vnwilling are we to labour for the riches and wealth that neuer decaieth Wherein we forget why God hath placed the mettals which we so much estéem in the bowels and entrailes of the earth and hath displayed the face and cope of heauen where the true treasure is stored vp namely because we should not so gréedily séeke and search for the one but thirst and long after the other Neither hath he onely laid open the heauen to our view and fight that we might alway remember the maker thereof and for what place we were ordained after the race of mortalitie is finished but whereas other creatures are so formed that they bend downward to the earth God hath giuen to men a shape erected and lifted vp toward heauen that they may more easily contemplate heauenly and spirituall things When Anaxagoras was asked for what purpose he thought himselfe to be borne he said It was to behold the Heauen and Sunne Which spéech though otherwise men haue much admired Instit l. 3. c. 9. yet Lactantius laughed at it affirming that he brake foorth into these words not knowing what true answere to yéeld and that if a man indéed with wisedome indéed should be demanded why he was borne he would answere presently that he was created to serue God his Creator Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.20 But with Lactantius fauor doth not the Maiestie of God cléerely shine in the outward beautie of the heauen and doth not the heauen declare and proclaime his glorie and doth not God as it were stretch out his hand to lift vs vp from groueling on the ground to behold the fairenes of his worke and thereby also to extoll his power wisedome goodnes and mercy Wherefore we must blush to beare a crooked minde in a straight body and to suffer our soule to wallowe in dirte and drosse of the earth whose conuersation should be in heauen and which was created for heauenly and diuine things Heauen then is the pennie giuen for working in the Lords vineyard and that we may be diligēt in that working let vs fixe our minds in the consideration of the celestiall and new Ierusalem where that pennie of immortalitie shall be deliuered vs whose Ruler King is the sacred Trinitie whose lawe is perfect charitie whose walls are of Iasper and the citie pure gold like to cleere glasse Reu. 21.18.21 Reu. 22.1.2 Heb. 12.22 1. Cor. 13.12.13 1. Pet. 2.24 whose gats are pearles and euery gate is of one pearle whose inhabitants are Angels the Spirits of iust perfect men where is the pure riuer of water of life the tree of life and where all vnperfect things shall be done away we shal no more see darkely through a glasse but cleerely face to face shall knowe God as we are knowne Of all which good things Christ Iesus the Shepheard Bishop of our soules who his owne selfe bare our sinnes on his body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnesse and by whose stripes we were healed make vs euerlasting beholders possessors for his endles incomprehensible goodnes and mercies sake that at last as the marriner after surging stormes quietly arriues in the harbor and the patient after drinking of a bitter medicine obtaines health and the souldiour after brunts in the battell is rewarded by his Captaine so we diligently continually walking in our calling and in the narrow way to life may in the end be partakers of the end of this way which is endles ioy blessednesse and may rest in the kingdome of Christ with the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Saints of all ages Amen HYPOCRISIE VNMASKED Matt. 22. 11. Then the King came in to see the guests and sawe there a man which had not on a wedding garment 12. And he said vnto him Friend how camest thou in hither hast not on a wedding garment And he was speechles 13. Then said the king to the seruants bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darkenes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth THe name of a Christian is deriued from Christ our Sauiour signifieth a scholler of Christ one that followes the precepts life of Christ and one that hath fellowship with Christ and is engraft into Christ But as the Apostle saith of the Iewes Rom. 9.16 that all they are not Israell that are of Israell so it may be said truely that all are not Christians in déede that beare the Name of Christ For there are two sorts of Christians the one appearing and séeming the other right and true They are onely seeming Christians that are baptized and are of the outward congregation and professe Christ yet without true conuersion and repentance that is they are dissembling Hypocrites and christians but in tongue Of these séeming Christians our Sauiour saith Many are called but few chosen Matt. 20.16 They are right and true christians who are not only baptized and professe the Faith of Christ but also are indued with a liuely Faith doe declare the same by fruits of Repentance and by faith are made the members of Christ and partakers of his anointing that is by Faith and the holy Ghost 1. Ioh. 2.27 who is signified by the name of annoynting true christians are ioyned to Christ and engraft into him euen as a branch is fastned to the stocke and a member knit to the head whereby wee are made partakers of his iuyce and of his life and being truely made one with him do bring forth fruits worthy of our calling All true Christians are appearing christians For Christ saith Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Iam. 2.18 And S. Iames saith Shew me thy faith out of thy works and I will shewe thee my faith
made Delilah to deceiue Sampson and to deliuer him into the hands of the Philistims Couetousnes made Gehazi the seruant of Elizaeus 2. King 5. to runne after Naaman the Syrian Captaine and to forge a lye vnto him for two talents of siluer and two chaunge of raiments Matt. 26.15 Couetousnes made Iudas Iscariot to sell his Maister and our Sauiour Iesus Christ for thirtie péeces of siluer Couetousnes made the souldiours that guarded Christs tombe Matt. 28.13 to denie the resurrection of Christ and to noyse abroad this saying among the Iewes that his disciples came by night and stole him away while they slept Couetousnes made the Pharisees to scoffe at Christs doctrine Luk 16.14 Act. 5. Couetousnes made Ananias and Sapphira to lye to the holy Ghost and to interuert part of the price of their possession Couetousnes made Vespasian the Romane Emperour to disgrace his high estate with base indignitie Suâ—tón in Vespas for when he had appointed a reuenew to be paied for vrine and his sonne Titus had admonished him that it did disparage his place he gaue no answere till the first payment was made and then holding that monie before his sonne Lucri bonus estodor ex re qualibet he asked whither tâ—e smell offended him and when his sonne said No yet said he this came of vrine Againe when certaine Ambassadors had tolde him that there was a decrée made for erecting of a Statue for him of a great price he commaunded them to erect it presently and shewing forth his hand folden vp together behold saith he a prop and pillar for the Statue meaning that what monie they had decréed to expend on his Statue when he was dead they should deliuer into his hand while he was aliue Againe when his Muletour lept downe in trauell as if he would shoe his Mules but in déed to giue time and space to one that had a plaint in lawe to haue accesse to the Emperour Vespasian suspecting the fetch asked of the Muletour what was the price of the shoeing and tooke part of the gaine Againe when one of his deare seruants had made intercession for one whom he fained to be his brother that an Office might be committed vnto him the Emperour perceiuing the purpose called the Suter priuately to himselfe and crauing the money which he had promised to the Intercessor he forthwith granted his request The seruant ignorant héereof made sute againe for his brother the Emperour said Seeke thee another Brother this whom thou thinkest thine is become my Brother This explaines the Philosophers saying Bion apud Laert. l. 4. cap. 7. Stob. ser 8. de iniustitia when he said that a certaine rich man did not possesse his goods but his goods possessed him And Diogenâ—s therefore compared couetous persons to those that are sicke of the dropsie for couetous persons the more monie they haue the more monie they desire as they that are sicke of the dropsie the more they drinke the more they thirst And one saith Chrys hom 40. in Matt. that as Pharaoh compelled the children of Israel to gather stubble and the stubble when it was gathered did but kindle a fire and bake bricke so the diuell doth stir vp men to get siluer and gold and these when they are gotten doe but encrease couetous desires and defile those that possesse them with vnsatiable gréedines as the claye and bricke did defile the Hebrues For riches to many are as an ill Physition who depriues them of their sight that could sée when he came vnto them Couetousnes made Pygmalion to kill Sichaeus his owne sisters husband Virgil. auid l. 3. for his monie and it made Polymaâ—ster the King of Thracia to kill Polydorus his wiues brother for his gold and riches Cic. de Natura Dâ—â—r l. 3. Aelian lib. 1. var. hist Val. Max. li. 1. cap. 1. Couetousnes made Dyonisius the Tyrant to spoyle the temple of Proserpina at Locri and to pull off the golden cloake of great weight from Iupiter Olympius and putting his wollen garment vpon him to say that the goldeâ— cloake was heauie for Summer and cold for winter but that his wollen garment was méeter for both seasons and it made him to shaue off Aesculapius golden beard saying that it was not fit that Aâ—ollo the father should be beardles and his sonne Aesculaâ—ius haue a long beard and it made him to take away tables of gold and siluer and platters and crownes of gold which the Images bare vp in their stretched out hands saying that he receiued these things kindly and tooke them not away violently and affirming That it was follie not to take good things of them to whom we pray for good things Plut. in Reg. Imper. apoph Couetousnes made Darius to rip vp the monument of Semiramis once Quéene of the Carians that is reported to haue built Babylon and to haue caused these words to be engrauen vpon her Sepulcher Whâ—tsoeuer king shall want money let him open this â—â—â—ument and take as much as he 〈…〉 winning the citie and beleeuing â—â—ericle with much adâ—e moouing awaâ—â— great stoâ—e wherewith the Monument was shut vâ— he found no money at all but on the â—ther side of the stone he sawe this written Except thou were an ill man and such a one as could â—â—t be satisfied with money thou wouldest not trouble the graues of the dead Iosephâ—â— Couetousnes made the Romane souldiours to massacâ—e the Iewes most inhumanely and sauagely for while Titus did besiege Ierusalem his souldiours vnderstanding that some of the Iewes fléeing out of the citie by enforcement of famine had swallowed downe péeces of gold that they might so kéepe them from the enemie they cut them in péeces with their swords that by that meanes they might find in their intrailes the gold which they had swallowed and through too much gréedines not staying a small time wherein the gold would haue bene exonerated they slew two thousand of the Iewes in two daies after this sort and would haue slaine more vnles Titus had forbidden it vnder a gréeuous punishment Couetousnes choakes friendship kindred neighborhood and bréedes enuie malice swearing forswearing lying contempt of Gods word and what not Couetousnes plots and enterprises any treasons and oftentimes effecteth them Plutar. in regum imperator apoph Therefore Philip King of Macedonia thought no citie so well fensed into which he might not driue an Asse laden with gold Therfore Lewes the eleuenth King of France said that he often wonne the Victorie when he fought with golden or siluer speares and lances Therefore when the Heluetians bragged that their countrie of Heluetia was so enrounded by rocks the â—â—owie Alpes and high hils as that it could not be vanquished the French answered that they could easily climbe those mountaines ouercome those craggie rocks if they had guns that could shoote forth golden bullets Deut. 16.19 Couetousnes and a
the loynes of the poore blessed him because hee was warmed with the Fléece of his Shéeâ—e Looke on Obadiah the Gouernour of Ahabs house 1. King 18 13. who when Iezebel slew the Prophets of the Lord did hide an hundred of the Lords Prophets by fifties in a Caue and fed them with bread and water 1. King â—7 Looke on the widowe of Zâ—repâ—hâ— which in the great famine nourished and lodged the Prophet Eliah Tob. 2.2 Looke on Tobâ— who when he sawe at his table abundance of meate he bad his sonne Tobâ—â— to goe into the citie and to bring whatsoeuer poore of his brethren he could finde and would not eate till his sonne returned And these are some of the golden and graue sentences which he gaue to his sonne not knowing whether he should euer giue him more Tob. 4.7.8.9.10.11 My sonne saith he giue Almes of thy substance and wheÌ„ thou giuest almes let not thine eye be enuious neither turne thy face from any poore least that God turne his face from thée giue almes according to thy substance if thou haue but a little be not afraide to giue a little almes for thou layest vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of necessitie Because that Almes doth deliuer from death and suffereth not to come into darkenes for Almes is a good gift before the most high to all them which vse it Looke on Zichaeus the Publican who said to our Sauiour Christ Luk. 9.8 Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him foure fold Looke on Dorcas which is commended by the holy Ghost to be a woman full of good workes and almes Act. â— 39 for whose death all the widowes wept before S. Peter shewing him the coats and garments which she had made while she was with them Looke on Cornelius the Captaine Act. â— 4 of whose praiers and Almes the Angell giues this testimonie That they were come vp into remembrance before God Vnto which spéech of the Angell Homil. 9. super Matt. S. Iohn Chrysostome séemes to allude in his description of Almes when he saies that it is a friend of Gods and still néere to God and hath the gates of heauen opened vnto it and when it enters in manner of a Queene none of the Porters or kéepers dare say vnto it What art thou or whence camest thou but they presently receiue it Virgo est habent alas aureas Almes is a Virgine hauing golden wings adorned with gay colours and yet so well feathered and nimble that it still stands before the throne of the superiall king Act. â— 3â—.34.35 Looke on the Infancie of the primitiue Church Where there was one heart and minde neither any said that any thing of that which he possessed was his owne but they had all things common neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of Lands or houses solde them and brought the price of the things that were solde and laid it downe at the Apostles feete it was distributed vnto euery man according as he had neede Act. 11.28.29 Looke on the Church of Antiochia in which Beleeuers were first called Christians how when Agaâ—us signified by the spirit that there should bee great Famine throughout all the world the Disciples euery man according to his abilitie purposed to send succour vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iudea 2. Cor. 9.2 Looke on the Church of Corinth Achaiâ— how readie they were to contribute distribute to the necessity of the Saints so that Pauâ— was bold to boast himselfe of them to Macedonie affirms that their zeale had prouoked manie Looke on Placilla the most deuoute wife of Theodosius the Emperor Nicephor Callist l. 2. c. 4. who being blamed for visiting the sicke ministring to them with her own hands and giuing them large money she answered that it became the Emperor to giue the mony and it became her to coÌ„secrate the ministery of her hands to him that had bestowed the Empire on her Husband Looke on Amadaeus the Duke of Sauâ—y Munst lib. 2. Cosmograph who being asked of certaine Orators and Embassadors that were before him whether he kept Hounds or not he leckned vnto them that they shuld returne the next day And when they were come Cor. Nepos Plutarch Xenoph. Amadaeus from a Galiery on a side of his house shewed them a great companie of Beggars that sate at meale together and saide vnto them These are my Hâ—unds that I nourish euery day and by which I hope to hunt after the glorie of Heauen Here may be remembred also the bountifulnes of Ethnicks to the poore and néedie as of Pomponius Atticus that sustained many poore people Of Cyrus Ontôs ègò ùmîn Dipsô charìzesthai Plut. Chrémata â—â—âsthai mèn ôs chrôto chréschai dè ós timôto that sware he was more delighted to bestowe good turns vpon other then to enrich himselfe and that sayd that he did thirst to vse liberalitie Of Timon the Athenian that suffered his Fieldes Orchyards to lye open that the poore might take of the fruits without asking leaue and of whom it is reported that he did get Riches to vse them and did vse them to spend them honorably on the néedie And of Titus the Romane Emperor who vpon a time as hee sate at Supper remembring that he had the day before done no good turne to any he brake out into these wordes Amici diem perdidi Friendes Sueton. I haue lost a day These Presidents of Ethnick liberalitie to the néedie we must endeuour to follow and those former bright starres of godlines that shined in the middes of a darke and peruerse generation wee must beholde and imitate if we purpose to obserue the commandement of the Lord and to be partakers of the blessing that accompanieth liberalitie towards the néedie Third motiue to mercy Heb. 13.15.16 And what is that blessing It is to haue the fauour and loue of God toward vs for the Apostle saies Let vs â—ffer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruit of the lips which confesse his name to doe â—ood and to distribute forget not for with such sâ—crifices God is pleased As if Paul should thus say Let vs offer the oblations that are now pleasing to the Lord the old corporall sacrifices are abrogated and abolished but the true and spirituall sacrifices remaine which consist partly in giuing thankes and partly in liberalitie to the poore with which sacrifices God is delighted Luk. 6.38 Giue saith Christ And it shall be giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken together running ouer shall men giue into your bosome Of the mercifull man the Psalmist pronounceth Psal 112.9 That as he hath distributed and giuen to the poore so his righteousnes remaineth for euer That is his pietie