the mother the second is the daughter The first is the poyson the other is the signe thereof or the breaking out The first is the fountaine the second is the streame The first is the coale the second is the flame The first is the cause the second is the effect of the same The first is the theefe the second is his accessary The first robbeth God of his honour the second doth publish it Therefore both the first and the second be damnable neither the first nor the second are sinnes veniall as the Papists say but both the first and the second the mother and the daughter without faith and repentance are sinnes eternally mortall And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith here Take heede of them as if they were some dangerous enemies to the soule The first thing therefore to be taken heed of is all inward desire of vaineglory or worldly praise and that is forbidden in the first verse where our Sauiour saith Giue not to be seene of men that is with an intent purpose or desire that men should see thee and commend thee for it Publicke giuing is not forbidden for Christ saith Let your lights shine before men that they may see c. But vaineglorious giuing in publicke is forbidden and therefore he doth not simply say Do not your almes before men but addeth to be seene of them condemning that end which is first in heart though last in act So in Math. 5.16 he saith not Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie you but that they seeing your good workes may glorifie God your heauenly father who worketh both the will and the deed So then we see that it is not simply euill to do good workes in the view of men nay rather it is good so to do to glorifie God and encourage others God is much glorified when his children walke like their father being mercifull as their heauenly father is mercifull though not in that degree of mercie yet in mercy of the like nature heauenly bountifull free and harmelesse By the death of Christ he was knowne to be the naturall sonne of God and by the good life of Christians aswell as by their death it may be knowne that they are the adopted sonnes of God For when Christ died there was a strange alteration of nature the earth did shake the powers of heauen lost their power the graues opened the dead arose there was darknesse vpon the face of the earth as if day had bene turne into night which when men saw they confessed yea the very enemies of Christ himselfe confessed to the glorie of the diuine power saying doubtlesse this was the sonne of God So when Christians dye to the world and liue vnto God when they by the power of Gods spirit do crucifie sinne and quicken righteousnesse there is also a great alteration in nature their nature is refined by grace their night is turned into day and their day into night their present shame is their glorie and their former glory is their shame their dead affections are raised vp the deuowring graues of their hard harts being opened and now they speake and do and studie otherwise then they did and not like other men In a word as Christs death was not like other mens death so Christians liues are not like other mens liues Christs funerals were solemnized by the Sunne and the Moone by the powers of heauen by the graues and the dead by the earth and the stones and all the insensible creatures whereof in their kind some blushed some trembled some fainted and all mourned for the death of their Lord and feared seeing such things happen to their Soueraigne an vtter dissolution of themselues and all nature These things were not looked for in the world nor regarded at worldly mens funerals yea such as beseeme not the Princes of the nations so Christians liues and deaths too are solemnized and graced with the ornaments of the spirit and the ioy of heauenly Angels with the fruites of righteousnesse the applause of the godly things not regarded of the wicked nor beseeming the helhounds of this world But doubtlesse when men see these lights they must needes glorifie God and say God hath done great things for them and when the wicked themselues see such an alteration in them as they may stand a farre off and wonder at but neuer attaine vnto they must be enforced spite of their hearts to giue God the glorie as Achan did saying this is the truth and so it was and as the Iewes did doubtlesse these were good men the sonnes and daughters of God A man may by their behauiour know of whose bringing vp they were by their habite and spirituall attire a man may discerne them to be the Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be God in so much as they must go a little farther with the wicked in the book of Wisedome and say we are fooles and they are wise howsoeuer we counted their life madnesse before we are they that played the madmen and haue wearied our selues in the wayes of vnrighteousnesse And with Balam Oh that we might dye the death of the righteous and that our last end might be like vnto theirs And thus we see how for the glorifying of God in this life it is necessary for Christians to exercise workes of mercy as giuing of almes and other good workes appointed of God in his word euen before men As it is necessary for the glory of God so also is it as necessary for the encouragement of the godly And first of the painefull Pastor and Minister of the word and then of other Christians To the godly Minister it is no small comfort and encouragement when he shall see the Lords people vnder his charge fruitfull in good workes aswell as in good words For then shall he see the fruite of his labours when after his labour he seeth them fruitfull in all maner of good workes and on the other side when they receiue the word in vaine he may feare that he hath laboured in vaine in vaine I say as touching their conuersion though not simply in vaine otherwise for the word of God is neuer preached in vaine whether men beleeue it or no heare it or no being euer either a sauour of life to life or of death vnto death and comming as the raine which neuer returneth in vaine but either watereth the earth or drowneth it and maketh the ground to bring forth either corne or cockle sweet flowers or stinking weedes whereof the one shall be preserued and the other rooted vp and cast out vpon the dunghill The husbandman is encouraged to follow his husbandry when his vines are fruitfull and his haruests plentiful growing timely ripening kindly yeelding abundantly and no lesse is Gods husbandman the minister of the word encouraged by the timely growing kindly ripening and plentifull yeelding of his charge the Lords husbandrie after he hath taken
brought me with my great credit her great shame to high preferment and now am I free from all troubles and liue like a king in heauen as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt Aske Dauid and he will tell thee that when he could say vnto God With my whole heart I haue sought thee then could he most boldly call vpon God and say Let me not wander from thy commandements Aske Saint Paule and he will tell thee that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things and desired to liue honestly Againe Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers saith thus We are not as many which make marchandize of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we speake in Christ. We walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped and beaten with roddes cast into prison stoned and laied for dead hunted from one place to another and at the last lost thy head hadst not thou beene better to haue pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion No no sayth Paule neuer tell me of these matters I was crucified to the world and the world to me that is I cared no more for the world then the world did for me the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses when I was in prison I was at liberty when I went from the whip to the dungeon I sung Psalmes yea all this was an honour vnto me that I was not worthie of From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me And where I lost my life there I found it againe euen euerlasting life In a word I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Aske King Hezechiah what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse when he looked for nothing but death Oh sayth he I payed and sayd I beseech thee ô Lord remember how that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is a sound and vpright heart without dissembling and haue done that which is good in thy sight to shew that when all faile yet sincerity and truth of heart shall comfort vs like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death Now then what remaineth for this point but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it and make the conclusion and that is this Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede with a continuall feast in the time of affliction with heauenly consolation in the time of death and in the world to come with the kingdome of heauen let euery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward And seeing as it is so great for quantitie and so good for qualitie that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof nor tell how to commend it let euery one of vs be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie and to seeke praise at Gods hand rather then all the vaine praises of the world And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man let vs aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it Lastly seeing as both Enoch and Ioseph and Dauid and Hezechiah and Paule besides many else haue giuen such testimonie thereof let no man doubt to beleeue nor feare to follow it for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father And so much for the reward of sinceritie THE IIII. SERMON MATH 6.2 As hypocrites do in the Synagogues and streetes to be seene of men WE haue heard heretofore the excellent nature and heauenly reward of sinceritie now brethren that we may be as much out of loue with hypocrisie as we are in loue I hope with sinceritie let vs see the nature and reward of hypocrisie because contraries being layed together do the better appeare And first of the nature of of hypocrisie vpon these wordes as the hypocrites do c. Of the second branch when we come to the next words Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward At this time onely of these wordes as hypocrites do wherein our Sauior Christ doth giue vs to vnderstand two things First that whosoeuer professeth a shew of that which he is not is an hypocrite secondly that the doings of hypocrites are to be made knowne that euery one seeing the hypocrite laid out in his colours with his reward that belongeth to him may take heede that he play not the hypocrite or if he hath played that part to be ashamed thereof and repent and follow the Lord euer after in sinceritie and truth of heart Now seeing as our Sauiour Christ would haue hypocrites knowne by their doings I will endeuour my selfe at this time by Gods helpe to vncase the hypocrite who hath plaid his part so long so impudently and so vncontrolledly carying away all the credit of the world euen to the vndermining of the house of God endangering the whole estate of Christian Religion And call this Sermon if you list the vncasing of the hypocrite for I will if God will do my best endeuour to vncase him Wherein perhaps I shall not behaue my selfe so handsomly and finely to please all parties as some could do but yet I hope both soundly and plainly I shall go to worke You know brethren that plaine dealing is my profession though it be counted a iewell for beggers flattery and curiositie and hypocrisie I leaue to them that will dye rich men and therefore I speed accordingly and I must needes confesse that I am wellinough serued to be so well belaboured as I am with the strife of tongues Well if I could handle this matter more learnedly then I can yet I would of purpose deceiue all such itching eares as come rather to haue their humours fed then their liues reformed A peece of worke both thanklesse and dangerous yea a most vnpleasant argument haue I taken in hand especially as the case standeth now when most men come to catch and to cauill and quot homines tot sententiae euery mans head swarming with as many odde
SERMON Of the reward of Hypocrisie MAT. 6.2 Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward OF the nature of hypocrisie we haue heard sufficiently in the three former Sermons and as sinceritie graceth all our good actions before God so on the contrarie side we haue seene that hypocrisie disgraceth and shameth vs yea maketh euen our best deedes to stinke as most loathsome filth before his heauenly Maiestie yea and before men too when once it breaketh out And this might serue sufficiently to perswade vs to take heed of hypocrisie and counterfeiting in Gods religion or any religious duties commaunded by God but because the hypocrite dreameth of some great reward whereby he shall become some great man both in this world and in the world to come imagining that as he is liked of men so he cannot chuse but be loued of God therefore our Sauiour Christ affirmeth most constantly and in earnest manner that hypocrites haue all the reward that they shall haue For the praise of men haue they hunted for and that they haue more then that they shall not haue to reward them but to punish them a portion they shall haue with the Diuell and his Angels in hell The praise of men what is it surely euen as men are themselues as they are affected men are but men when they are at the best and at the highest Whether it be in wisedome or in authoritie or in goodwill or in abilitie or whatsoeuer else that is vaine and vanishing mutable and inconstant blind and partiall A simple reward then is the praise of men euen fit for such vaine fooles as seeke for nothing else The hypocrite taketh great paines for the obtaining notwithstanding of this vaine reward as fooles which hunt after a fether blowne vp and down in the wind they cannot get it vnlesse they will sweate and almost runne themselues out of breath and when they haue gotten it it is but a fether and nothing lighter The praise of men what is it surely but words proceeding from inconstant minds false hearts and from those whose hands cannot accomplish the deuises of their hearts And what are such wordes but wind and what is more inconstant then the wind He that obserueth the praises of men is like him that obserueth the wind and is fitly resembled to a Windmill that whirleth about apace so long as the wind bloweth a main but when the wind slacketh his gale then he slacketh his pace and as the Windmill is turned with the wind so the hypocrite also turneth with the time If he may be praised for well doing then he will do well still but if he be reproched or threatned or not highly esteemed then he altereth his course and is gone But here perhaps it will be obiected by some that the Scripture commendeth a good name in many places and thereby admonisheth men to get a good name and to keepe it being gotten And what is that but to be praised of men and to get the good opinion and estimation of men Indeede this is true a good report is to be sought for amongst men and carefully to be kept too when it is obtained But this must be propter aliud non propter se for some other end then simply for it selfe But the meaning and drift of our Sauiour Christ here is that we should not make that the end and scope of our well doing as if that were our summum bonum that is our felicitie and happinesse as hypocrites do that looke no further and desire no better thing then the praise of men To get and keepe a good name there be many reasons to perswade vs but to make the praise of men the end of our well doing we haue no one reason to perswade vs but diuerse to disswade vs as we shall see anone For the getting of a good report amongst men we haue reason for Salomon preferreth it before riches and before precious oyntment that is before all pleasures and profites whatsoeuer Before riches he preferreth a good name and saith that it is better then riches and that for three causes For first few riches are hardly obtained without much euill a good name is not obtained without some good deedes Secondly riches are meanes by reason of our corruption to call vs from God They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction saith Saint Paule A good name prouoketh vnto golinesse Your zeale saith Paule to the Corinthians hath prouoked many Meaning that the good report which he made of them to others where he came did through the blessing of God prouoke many to the like zeale Thirdly riches are vncertaine here to day and gone to morrow Trauell not too much to be rich saith Salomon for riches take them to their wings like an Eagle but a good name is more permanent then life for it liueth after death As a good name is better then riches so is it also better then a precious ointment For first the best ointment that is may be purchased for money as appeareth by that which Mary a meane woman bought for our Sauiour Christ but a good name cannot be bought for thousands Secondly precious ointment onely suppleth the outward parts and is soueraigne for outward wounds but a good name doth comfort the heart The light of the eye reioyceth the heart and a good name maketh the bones fat saith Salomon Thirdly a good ointment onely profiteth the annointed but a good name is profitable to others Nobis necessaria vita nostra alijs fama nostra saith S. Augustine our life is necessarie for our selues and our good report for others to encourage them to godlinesse as we haue heard Lastly ointment is pleasant in smell onely to those that are nigh The house was filled saith the Euangelist with the smel of that ointment which Mary bestowed vpon Christ but a good name flieth farre and neare And this brute went of Christ saith the Euangelist Mathew through the land Againe a good name is in part a reward of righteousnesse All these saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaking of the faithfull whom he nameth and commendeth in that place through faith haue obtained a good report All which commendations of a good name do serue not onely to perswade vs to get it and keepe it for the glorifying of Gods name and encouraging of our brethren but also they do greatly condemne two sorts of men in the world First those that so they do well care not what men say of them but so farre as we can we must with doing well keepe a good name for the causes before alleadged Secondly those that make no conscience of detracting a mans good name being so excellent but make a continuall practise of slaundering and backbiting their brethren And these are worse then theeues for a theefe may make
in his heart whatsoeuer shew he maketh outwardly Thirdly that the cause of all outward disorder and scandalous behauiour is in the wicked mans owne heart Now it remaineth that we consider of the three other points which being propounded in the former Sermon for want of time I could not intreat of Whereof the first is this that so long as the heart is vnreformed and continueth stored with leud things it is not possible to be a good man For vntill then as we may perceiue by this anatomie of Belial the affections will be rebellious and lawlesse the speech will be froward and peeuish our religion will be hypocriticall and counterfeit our prayers will be lippe-labour and cold babling our zeale will be either none at all or very bitter rash our faith will be meere historicall our loue will proue onely self-loue our anger reuengefull and iniurious our life dissolute and scandalous our repentance desperate and faithlesse and our death dreadfull and comfortlesse Therefore if any would reforme his life he must first reforme his heart from whence as from a spring floweth continually a streame of corruption and vnrighteousnesse vnto death if it be not reformed and altered or of holinesse and righteousnesse vnto life if it be well reformed and kept Therefore Salomon pointing to the right way that leadeth to the reformation of maners saith Keepe thy heart with all diligence and addeth this as a reason for thereout cometh life and thereout cometh death And out of the heart saith our Sauiour Christ proceede euill thoughts adulteries murthers fornications debate strife c. speaking of an euill and vnregenerate heart to shew that a wicked mans heart is like a filthie dunghill which both breedeth and harboureth all kind of venimous vermine and as a snake on a sunnie day commeth foorth of her hole so the wicked when fit time and occasion serue do set foorth and shew the ware and stuffe which was hidden in their heart saying in the meane time as Esau did When the daies of mourning for my father Isaac do come then I will kill my brother Iacob which agreeth with that that Dauid speaketh of his enemie in Psal. 41.6 His heart heapeth vp iniquitie within him and when he commeth foorth he vttereth it Many counterfeit holinesse deuotion sobrietie loue and kindnesse and indeede they do but counterfeit for holy and deuout and sober and louing and kind c they cannot be so long as the heart or inward man is vnreformed In vaine do we sweepe the channels of the streete except we stop the fountaines from whence they flow In vaine do we crop the weedes except we dig vp their rootes from whence they receiue their nourishment In vaine do we plaister the sore except it be searched and cleansed to the bottom So in vaine do we labour to bring forth good actions without except first we labour to beget good affections within How canst thou say that thou louest me when thy heart is not with me said Dalilah to Sampson which she vttered as a common knowne principle in nature to be denyed of none that all loue is but counterfeit and false which cometh not from the heart And therefore whosoeuer will loue indeed must beginne first at his heart and frame that to loue And the like is to be said of other affections and all the actions or effects that proceed froÌ„ them The hart among the members of the bodie is like a great commaunder among his souldiers looke which way he goeth that way go they Well may we preach and long may we heare of the reforming of our liues of mortifying our pride our strange fashions our wantonnesse our couetousnesse our malice c. the tongue will make but a iest at the matter so long as the heart is vnreformed as appeareth by the testimonie that the Lord giueth against Ezechiels Auditours They heare thee saith the Lord as my people vse to heare but with their mouths they make iests at thee and thy Sermons their hearts run after their couetousnesse to shew that there is no outward obedience to be looked for where the heart yeeldeth not to obey for all actions outward wil follow the affections of the heart On the other side winne the heart and all is wonne without which there is no rowing but against the streame A readie heart maketh a readie hand to giue a readie tongue to speake a readie eare to heare and a readie foote to goe And a holy religious heart maketh a holy and religious hearing speaking and liuing Who were they that brought so bountifull gifts to the building of the Lords holy tabernacle among the Iewes as we reade in Exod. 35.21.22 verses It is said in the 29. verse Euery one whose hearts moued them willingly to bring brought some gold some siluer some silke some badgers skinnes some stones c. yea vntill they were forced to stay by proclamation to shew that when the heart is wonne to be willing and to like of the worke the worke shall go well forward and nothing will seeme hard to a willing mind When Dauids heart was enditing or framing of a good matter then was his tongue readie like the pen of a swift writer to declare the same And whosoeuer can say with Dauid O God my heart is prepared shall follow with Dauid and say so is my tongue also I will sing and giue praise to shew that when the heart is not readie to serue God nothing is readie for all tarrie for the heart Therefore it is that the Scripture doth so much call vpon vs to reforme our harts In the three and twentieth of the Proverbs the twelfth verse Salomon saith Apply thy heart to instruction and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge But first the heart and then the eares will follow and in the seuenteenth verse Let not thy heart be enuious against sinners but let it be in the feare of the Lord continually In the nineteenth verse O my sonne heare and be wise and guide thy heart in the way And in the 26. verse My sonne giue me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes And no maruell for what shall the Mariners do if the Pilote be false at the helme of the ship What shall the souldiers do at the hold if the captaine of the hold be a traitour A false heart is like such a Pilote and such a captaine yea a false heart is like Iudas among the disciples who carried the purse and made the prouision for all the rest laying vp one groate for his maâ—ster and tenne for himselfe A bad Cater being a cunning theefe and a secret traitour So the heart is the storer if that be secretly false and trecherous it will store the bodie with leudnesse and if it chaunce to speake one word for Gods glorie he will addresse and set foorth in most braue sort a thousand for
cammell A disease that al hypocrites do labor of to be verie busie and doubtfull in small and trifling matters and to neglect altogether the weighty and principall duties of the law Hic morbus omnibus fere saeculis apud omnes gentes regnauit saith Maister Caluin vt maior pars hominum leuiculis obseruationibus Deum placare studuerit This is a disease saith he that hath raigned in all ages amongst all men that the greater part of men haue studied to please God with the lightest and triflingest obseruations that could be and his reason is this because saith he they cannot exempt themselues from all kind of dutie and seruice to God therefore they flye vnto this as a second remedy to redeeme most grieuous offences with satisfactions that are nothing worth And for an instance he bringeth in the Papists who passing ouer the great and most substantiall commandements of God do thinke to make him amends by sweating about cold and naked ceremonies And such a thing is it that Christ reproues in the Scribes and Pharisees who cast by the principall points of the law of God and thought yet both to satisfie him and to retaine also a name of righteous men by paying of their tithes and not of all things neither but of mint and annife and cummin and such toyes when notwithstanding in greater matters they vsed all the fraud and deceipt that could be and left no cunning meanes vnpractised to defeat the Church of her right in the chiefest things After the manner of many now a daies who most hypocritically will come to the Minister and saie you shall haue all your due God forbid that we should keepe a farthing from the Church that is due No Sir you shall haue rather more then lesse of your due Now these be good Pharisaicall speeches But when it commeth to triall indeed it shall be the tithe onely of mint and cummin c. that is of toyes and trifles to speake of as it might be of the remnant of an apple tree or if you will the tenth part of an apple And because you shall not saie but that they deale well with you and with a good conscience you shall haue the paring and all whereas when we come to the vncasing of the hypocrite we shall find him iust of Ananias his religion who told the Apostles that there was all when there was but halfe or of the Iewes religiō in Ieremy 43. who sayd that they would heare the word of God from Ieremy but when Ieremy spake they sayd plainely this is not the word of God we know the word of God So say minting hypocrites we will pay our dues yea to the vttermost but we will set downe ourselues what is due and more then that you get not like a good fellow on the way that bad a man deliuer his purse and when it was told him that it was against the kings lawes to rob and steale his answer was It is true indeed the kings lawes must be obeyed but you must know that for this time I am king my cōmandement is that you deliuer your purse behold my Septer quoth he and shewed him his sword euen so is it with those which say all dues must be payed but they will set downe what shall be due their will shall go for a law I speake not now of things in controuersie but of things that be out of controuersie What deuises what shifts what art and cunning what craft and subtily euen among the meanest aswell as the greatest except here one and there one a few amongst many that deale truly and all to defeate and defraud the Church of her right and yet forsooth when they come to pay the tith of their mint and their annise cummin and stubble and a halfe penny for a shilling and a shilling for a pound and a pound for ten deuouring both fields and flockes that is the greatest matters of all they will say God forbid but you should haue your due And let a Christian Minister demaund but what the Christian Magistrate hath allowed him what exclamations shall you heare what grieuous accusations of hard dealing of cruell dealing a couetous man neuer content and I know not wat will ensue I speake it to warne you my brethren to take heed in time of such grosse hypocrisie and to repent of that which is past and deale vprightly as in the sight of God who will brooke no such dealing at your hands It is a point that toucheth the state of our soules and the hazard of our saluation very nearely and therefore looke vnto it as you will answer it vnto God I doubt not but God will still prouide for his seruants what his gracious will and pleasure is as he did for his seruants the Apostles in the Primitiue Church when Ananias and his wife played their parts with them lying vnto the holy Ghost to saue part of their goods to keepe a good opinion amongst men but God tooke them with the manner and smote them downe with present death to shew how he can do with all such as play the like parts And though he doth not strike all such presently as he did them yet many of them may sensibly feele Gods hand vppon them in their goods or in their bodies or in their cattell or one way or other or hardening their heats or blinding their eyes that they cannot repent of their wickednesse because he reserueth for them I feare a more fearefull iudgement And what else I pray you do they but tithe mint and annise and cummin and neglect the greater matters of the law which in the Church or cōmon-wealth do so vehemently vrge matters of ceremony and circumstance and in the meane time leaue the principall and most substantiall points of Gods worship vnlooked vnto What a stirre do some keepe to haue euerie thing in order about the Church to please the eye and the time withall but haue no care to haue a learned preacher to instruct their soules in the wayes of life and saluation What a coile do others keepe about sitting and kneeling at the Communion and neuer regard the due examination of themselues aforehand that they may come worthily vnto the same These and such like matters ought to be done but the greater matters ought not to be left vndone Or else saith Christ men are like those that straine a gnat and swallow a cammell Now what a ridiculous iest is it to see one mince and chew a smal crum of bread for feare of choaking and yet swallow downe a whole loafe or to straine the liquour that hath a gnat in it for feare of hurting their iawes and make no bones of a cammell which is a huge beast that is of a thing that is more then they are able to compasse without manifest perill and destruction Such ridiculous hypocrites are they that keepe a great stirre about trisles and let foule abuses passe by yea
one a proper man saith another he touched all degrees and spared none sayth another he had but a soft voyce saith another no vtterance it is pitty with a little practise he would do well he was too long sayth another he hath no learning sayth another What Vniuersitie was he of where dwels his friends what liuing hath he hath he no more benefices then one He sayd well sayth another if he can follow it himselfe when he hath done c. And afterward perhaps if he stay long amongst them or chance to haue charge ouer them they that before praised him to the skies will be the first that shall picke quarrels against him for one thing or another and all to remoue him Is it not then a labour well bestowed to set our selues onely to get praise of men can there be a greater misery were we not in a good case thinke you if we had hope of no better reward then this no maruell though But blessed be God our hope is and our comfort is that we dealing faithfully and vprightly in Gods businesse shall be rewarded of God himselfe in Christ his sonne with another manner of reward then all the world can giue vs or take from vs either In a farre more miserable case me thinke is the hypocrite then many a mans horse or beast is The horse is rid hard and trauelled sore all day and at night is turned into a sorry stable with a galled backe and spurred sides but yet with his maisters reward and that is a good baite and a good word Let him be well dressed and well meated sayth the owner he hath gone well to day it is as good a horse as euer man put legge ouer And if he chance to be stolen or lost or to dye his maister maketh great enquirie and searcheth for to find him againe or great moane besides high commendations of his beast because he cannot be had againe In like maner fareth it with the hypocrite in part whom euery man rideth and derideth at his pleasure as the spurre makes the horse to go so vaine glorie and praise makes the hypocrite to go and therefore it was well sayd in the Prouerbe Gloria calcar habet praise is a spurre as if the vaineglorious foole were a iade that would not go without spurring When the hypocrite hath ended his iourney he is turned home againe with a gald conscience well may he haue a good word as It was well done c. but scarse many times the worth of an asses baite And if he be missing perhaps there is not so much enquiring after him as after the strayed horse except peraduenture as Laban sought after Iacob to call him to account for the manner of his departure And if he dye some moane may perhaps be made for him and a good word from a false heart may chance be cast after him but it may be more moane will be made for a good seruiceable beast and the one shall be as soone forgotten as the other But when death comes it were happy for hypocrites if then they were horses or asses or vile toades for then should their miserie ende with their liues but they cannot haue that priuiledge and therefore they are farre more miserable then the bruite beast which perisheth Consider well of it my good brethren and let vs not be any longer bewitchâ—d with this tickling humour and most vaine vaine as I may call it of carping and caring and studying and seeking how to please men against God or to please men not God but let vs labour by all good meanes and call instantly vpon God by humble prayer that we may be so gouerned by his holy Spirit and grace that all our desire and study may be to do chose things and that in such manner as may get praise and commendation at his hand and we may be approued in his sight Lastly let his doctrine serue to worke patience in all those that hauing deserued commendation and loue and good liking of those amongst whom they haue laboured cannot get the fame or hauing once gotten it through their faithfull and plaine dealing or the inconstancie and frowardnesse of men lost the same Euery man hath his time as Salomon saith there is a time to reioyce and a time to be sorry so there is a time to be praised and a time to be dispraised a time to be lifted vp and a time to be cast downe againe least we should looke for our heauen vpon earth And let it not greeue any man to be dispraised nor greatly puffe vp any to be commended but rather be we grieued that we cannot studie to please God better then we do and be we glad that we haue the testimonie of a good conscience before God that we haue deserued better of men then we find at their hands and shall find farre better of Gods hands then euer we desired or deserued And seeing as the praise and commendation of men is so vaine and miserable a reward both for the vncertaintie of it for the deceitfulnesse of it for the breuitie of it for the vnprofitablenesse of it and for the danger of it let vs neither straine with a good conscience nor keeping a good conscience according to Gods word greatly regard it when we haue lost it For so do miserable hypocrites who as Christ sayth here in our text haue their reward If any body hath now put vppon him the Diuels armour of proofe I meane vnbeleefe as commonly all hypocrites do that this doctrine may not enter into his hart let them but consider and weigh well who hath sayd it and how he affirmeth it that hypocrites haue their reward He that hath said it is the Lord Iesus himselfe who being the wisedome of the father knoweth what he sayth and being truth it selfe cannot erre let no man now suspend his iudgement for the matter or stay his repentance vntill he heare it confirmed by some Doctours or Fathers or Councels for he hath spoken it that cannot deceiue any nor be deceiued by any yea vpon whose word and authoritie all the Doctours and Councels in the world haue builded and must build whatsoeuer they teach or else they build beside the foundation As Christ hath sayd it against whom I say there is no gainesaying so hath he affirmed it in most earnest and confident maner Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward that is in good earnest I speake it and for a most vndoubted truth I affirme it And all little inough for such is the cunning of Sathan to beguile mens soules that he will still feede them with some hope that it is not so hard as the Preacher saith it is Thou shalt dye the death saith God to Adâ—m if thou eatest of that tree No sayth Sathan ye shall not dye that is God doth not meane to deale so hardly with you as he sayth he is mercifull and that was but to make you afraid So playeth the hypocrite
will not sticke to say that though he doth accustome his mouth to swearing and filthie talking and all maner of vile ribaldrie yet he hath as honest a heart as the best of them all and meaneth no hurt Of the same mind also are they that find eares to heare and memorie to beare away all such filthie communications yea they can remember such things better then words of grace but they are deceiued saith the Apostle for euill words do corrupt good manners And as they do corrupt good manners so do they ingender euill and wicked manners for corruptio vnius est generatio alterius the corruption of one thing is the generation of another as in nature we see the corruption of the egge is the breeding either of a bird or else of rottennesse and stink and the turning of the wine is the making of that which was sweete wine to become sharpe vineger and the corrpuption of the graine in the earth is the generation either of a new blade of corne or else of a weed euen so the corruption of good manners is the generation of euill conditions the corruption of chastitie is the begetting of incontinencie the death of humilitie is the life of pride the corruption of faith is the generation of infidelity the corruption of sobrietie is the procreation of drunkennesse and the decay of pietie is the setting vp of prophanenesse And is all this no hurt Is there no hurt in euill words which be as infectious and daungerous to good manners as any plague sore is to the bodie As they be hurtfull to others so are they no lesse euill to ourselues and signes also of much euill in our hearts For as a rotten sore argueth a rotten disease and an vnsound bodie so a corrupt and froward mouth argueth a corrupt and froward heart and as a stinking breath doth bewray an vnsound stomach so a filthie mouth doth argue a filthie mind which is within like a swines stie or rather a diuels stie and therefore in verse 27. of the 4. to the Ephesians when the holy Apostle doth disswade Christians from sinfull anger and from dwelling in wrath he saith giue not place to the diuell as if the diuell did lodge in a wrathfull heart Which cannot be but to the grieuing of the spirit of God who is thereby as much as lieth in vs dispossessed of his hold inheritance For wold it not grieue any man to be either annoyed in his owne house or put out of his inheritance which he hath dearely purchased and paied for And will it not much more grieue and offend Gods spirit to be dispossessed of his owne inheritance which God hath purchased with his owne bloud Act. 20.28 and to haue the diuell set vp in his place like an vsurper And therefore in the 30. verse of the former fourth to the Ephesians he addeth And grieue not the holy spirit of God vsing that as a reason why we should not suffer corrupt communications to proceed out of our mouthes For though there be in all men naturall corruption and infirmitie which is bred and borne with them yet by the grace of God it is so suppressed and corrected in the regenerate that it hath no full sway nor domineering power in them And therefore he saith not let no corruption be at all in your minds but he saith Let no corrupt communication proceede out of your mouths For it is said in Gen. 6.5 that the imaginations of mans heart are euill continually But if lewd speeches haue libertie to proceede out of our mouthes that is at pleasure to go and come like a maister of a familie that is a signe that Sathan hath wonne the hold and keepeth possession of the heart And on the contrarie when good words are frequent and vsual in the mouth it is a signe that Gods spirit doth beare rule though now and then by reason of our naturall corruption that still remaineth in vs some crooked thoughts wil breake in to our minds and some froward speeches will breake foorth at our mouthes by force or by stealth while we be not so watchfull as we should be The Apostle S. Iames also agreeth with the former as touching the vse of the toung in his third chapter verses 3. and 4. where by two similitudes he sheweth that the tongue hath a double vse both in regard of our selues as also in regard of others And namely first our maker and then our neighbour For with our tongues we must blesse God that is praise God and with our tongues we must also blesse our neighbour that is pray for him wish him well and speak well of him c. How this little member must be gouerned he sheweth by two similitudes First of a bit in a horse mouth which the rider vseth for his owne safetie which also must be moderated for if it bee let loose too much the horse will stumble or go which way he lift or cast his rider if it be pulled in too much the horse will either stand still or else go backe or rise vp to the daunger of the rider So the tongue if it be too silent too fearefull and too much restrained the owner shall make no way in his heauenly iourney he shall not be able to keep companie with others it will make his affections rise vp with desperate cogitations to his own hurt neither shall God haue his due praise of that member which he ought to haue neither shall man reape that benefite thereof which we owe vnto him as it falleth out when men are so tong-tyed that they will not preach nor reproue sinne when they are called thereunto and when others will not affoord their neighbour their testimonie or witnesse in time of neede to do him good And againe if it be let go too loose and suffered to be too bold then it will fling out and runne riot as the saying is to the shame of the speaker and griefe of the hearers Secondly he likeneth it to the rudder of a shippe which is to rule the ship and to direct her course whose benefite if it be well stirred redoundeth to many to the Pilote himselfe who doth guide it to the owners to the mariners and to the whole ship with all that is in it and so on the other side is the daunger as great and manifold if it be not well ordered and stirred So the tongue is so to be vsed as that thereby the bodie may be well ordered the affections may be bridled others may be preserued and all may be edified by counselling some by instructing some by admonishing others by comforting others and by praying for all and interpreting all things in the best part Which graces whosoeuer hath attained vnto hath attained to an excellent thing Iam. 3.2 Yea a man of wisedome saith Salomon spareth his speech and he that vnderstandeth is of an excellent spirit Prou. 17.27 So that by the testimonie
Paul when he came to preach the resurrection of Christ And too much learning maketh thee madde saith Festus And were not the Apostles words esteemed as words of drunken men when they were filled with the holy Ghost And Christ hath told vs that men shall speake all maner of euill saying falsly against vs for his names sake euen as they did of the Prophets before So that in outward shew all zealous Christians in generall and euery true and faithfull Minister of Christ in particular whose mouthes are still open to find fault and reproue sinne shall seeme to the blind world of all men most froward but we know and so many as are taught of God do know that none but the man of Belial and Ish-auen that is lawlesse and vaine persons are those which walke with a froward mouth As for the regenerate though they be as hath bene sayd through weakenesse sometime ouertaken with a froward speech yet blessed are they saith Dauid because they walke not in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners The grace of God is abounding sayth Paule through our sinne but not if we continue still in our sinne and therefore to conclude as Paule going to persecute the Church was obedient to the heauenly vision and returned a true conuert so let so many as haue walked in froward waies now take warning by this heauenly vision and so shall he returne home truly conuerted Now let vs praise God THE IIII. SERMON PROV 6.13.14 He maketh a signe with his eyes he signifieth with his feete he instructeth with his fingers Lewd things are in his hart WE haue heard before of Belials froward mouth and how he is to be discerned thereby for a lawlesse and a vaine man Now it remaineth that we consider of his outward gestures and then of the internall shop of his heart and the stuffe that he keepeth there together with the matter that he frameth of the same And first for his outward gestures they are such as if we marke them well do shew that all his behauiour is counterfeit The meaning is that the man of Belial and the vaine man is very cunning and skilfull both in playing the hypocrite before God and also in practising of other lewdnesse before the world In actions religious wherein consisteth the outward seruice of God he counterfeiteth very cunningly making great signes shewes of deuotion piety by eleuating or lifting vp his eyes vnto heauen as the Pharisee did and by running a pace or making great expedition to the Temple as Ezechiels auditours did and by turning ouer with his fingers the Bible to places alledged by the Preacher c. All which be signes and instructions vnto the world that he or she that doth so is very deuoute and godly and haue their harts wholly possessed with the loue and feare of God and their minds employed about the study and practise of righteousnesse sincerity and honesty All which gestures may well beseeme the godly whose harts indeed are vpright with the Lord but as for Belial and Ish-auen they are odious in them because when they make such signes and giue soorth such shewes and instructions the Lord seeth and telleth vs here in our text that leud things are in their harts They are only signes without the things signified like an Iuy-bush ouer a doore where no wine is in the house The wicked that make them are like the wicked Scribes and Pharises who vnder colour of long prayer studied how to deuoure yea deuoured indeed as Christ saith widowes houses They are also not vnlike to players on a stage who come forth with long beards and side gownes like graue Senators and wise Counsellors when notwithstanding there is neither grauity nor wisedome in them And as Belial playeth the counterfeit in religious exercises to couer with signes of holinesse the leud things of his hart so also in his ciuill conuersation and dealing amongst men doth he by making shewes and signes in his outward gestures of that which he hath not couer much leudnesse and practise much mischiefe What was the kisse of Iudas but a signe of loue yet treason was in his hart and couered therewith What were Ioabs courteous embracings and kind salutations but signes vnto Abner of a kind friend yet murther was in his hart and couered therwith What is the harlots talking of paying her vowes and offering her peace offerings but a signe of a godly woman yet euen then is leudnesse in her heart and it is couered therewith How many in the world do make signes with their eyes and countenance of great loue and kindnesse with bending the body to embrace and hastening their feete to meete euen those whom they hate in their heart How many againe haue put finger to the eye and seemed to weepe and taken vp great lamentation with wringing of hands and refraining their meate with other signes of griefe and sorrow for the hurt and death of some whose death perhaps they haue procured for whose losse they laugh and reioyce in their harts What signes of humility also shall we see or not see euen in the proudest persons that are what signes of grauity in the lighest and vainest what signes of charity in the cruellest what signes of liberality from the most niggardly and what signes of manhood valour euen in the most cowardly persons that are Long lockes sterne countenances bigge lookes great bragges monstrous oathes cruell threatnings and like Saule breathing nothing but slaughter as if they were more then Lions and when it commeth to the triall they are lesse then men like empty vessels which make the greatest sound when they are empty Of all which with many moe the like it may be sayd as it is in our text They make signes with their eyes they signifie with their feete instruct with their fingers but leud things are in their harts And againe as the man of Belial and vaine man doth oftentimes play the counterfeit both in religion and ciuility making signes of that which is not in him yea only to couer the leudnesse that is in him so sometimes also doth he both openly declare by signes and gestures the vanity and lightnesse of his heart and as cunningly likewise by signes and gestures both practise and also teach mischiefe and leudnesse when he is amongst his companions And certainly when the outward gestures of the body and the parts thereof are not according to simplicity it must needs proceed from some euill that is in the hart Now this noting and marking of a lawlesse person by his gestures externall behauiour doth teach vs many very profitable lessons worthy our best consideration 1 The seuere precisenesse and precise seuerity of the word of God which looketh into the very gestures of the body as the motion of the eyes of the feete and the fingers c. 2 The tyranny of sin which exerciseth all the parts of
the Anatomie of Belial that is loose lawlesse prophane vaine froward leud surmising suspitious and contentious let them seeke vnto the Lord by timely and vnfained repentance let them embrace righteousnesse and true holinesse and so mercie shall embrace them let them forsake their loosenesse their prophaneness their leudnes and their vanities and by a liuely faith working by loue take hold of Christ as of the hornes of Gods altar and and so assuring themselues of Gods loue in the merites of Christ they may escape this irrecouerable destruction or else not for otherwise my text saith that they shall be destroyed speedily suddenly and without recouerie Many vses may profitably be made of this doctrine but before we come to them I thinke it not amisse to meet with certaine obiections that may be made by Atheists and scoffers against this that hath bene said yea and which do many times arise in the minds of Gods deare children through the weaknesse of their faith in extremity of grieuous temptations sore afflictions Which obiections forasmuch as I find them moued and sufficiently answered by many learned and godly but especially by that excellent learned noble man of France Mornay du Plessy in his booke of the trunesse of religion I wil put them downe euen as he hath done and for answere vnto them will briefly shew you the substance and effect of his answeres supposing them to be so full and sufficient to the purpose that nothing can well be added vnto them to more purpose or of more sufficiency surely whatsoeuer others can I freely confesse my ignorance I see not what I can The first obiection is this if God be iust in his threatnings and that the wicked shall be destroyed and haue such a portion of plagues as hath bene shewed out of Iob. 20 and other places of Scripture then why haue they so much good and the godly so much euill here To this his answere is that if by good we meane riches honour health c. the question is absurd for godlinesse and vertue is the true good The pouerty of Lazarus being a vertuous man is better then the wealth of the rich man the sicknes of a wise man with his wisedom is better then the health of a foole What goods soeuer a man hath he cannot be a good man so long as he him selfe is euil and these outward things are common to good and bad If a man must be termed a good man for hauing these goods then a foole may be termed a wise man in a rich gowne All these false goods are meanes to the wicked to make them worse and worse and riches to corrupt them and others authoritie to do violence health doth make them lustie to do mischiefe so the euils which men terme euils are meanes to the good to make them better as pouertie serueth to bridle lust basenesse to humble them incumbrances to driue them to God and to teach them to succor others But why are these goods common Surely because God cannot be but good insomuch as he maketh his raine to fall and his Sunne to shine vp all A father that keepeth his heritage for his sonne will not apparell him like a slaue in his seruants liueries Princes make their pay common to al souldiers but the garland is giuen to the valiantest Kings cast their largesse at all aduenture among the people but their honors and dignities they bestow on them whom they do specially fauour So God for his honor will not reward the trauels of his seruants with trifles God being liberall and iust will reward thee according to his honour and not according to the basenes of thy heart and that for two causes First because he regardeth not thy workes but his owne in thee Secondly because the reward is not giuen according to thy desert but according to the worthinesse of him that bestoweth it Alexander the great told a seruitour in his warres that a hundreth crownes were inough for him to receiue but not for the Emperour to giue Corne and foode and rayment and money c. are things common to all not peculiar to his children therefore beg not these as the best giftes But what are the goods then that good men haue in this life Many and excellent first they haue grace to make their life allowable to God that knoweth them Secondly in him they repose themselues Thirdly they haue peace in their consciences for if God increase not their present estate they abate their desires Their foes commend their vertues all the world bemoneth their wants those which haue the distributing of goods and honours are blamed for not considering them Lastly the very asking of that question be thou a Christian or a Heathen is vnto them an inestimable treasure If God would not giue me more why haue I forgone those which I had Surely because he saw that if he had not taken them from thee they wold haue taken thee frō him We pluck kniues frō children when they cry to haue them we suffer the Phisition to take from vs our meats which we loue and to abridge vs of our pleasures yea and our of bloud too because he hath seen our water or felt our pulse And shal not God that made vs and gouerneth vs and knoweth best our state what is good for vs haue that honor liberty ouer vs which Phisitions haue Another obiection is this if it be true that the wicked shall be destroyed speedily sodainly and without recouery how is it true that Salomon saith in his booke of the Preacher Chap. 7.17 I haue seene a iust man perish in his righteousnesse and a wicked man continue long in his malice And to this agreeth in shew the complaint of the Prophet The righteous perisheth and noman regardeth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away It should seeme that this plague threatned against the wicked taketh place vpon the godly for they perish and are taken away in their righteousnesse The answere to this is not hard for death is but the common passage and what skils it whether we passe it by sea or by land by our own corruption or by the corruptnes of common weales And if God bring his children to that point for one fault and the iudge for another what iniustice is in God Oh what a thing were it if we could see what fruite the Lord draweth out of their death The child that seeth his father tread grapes blameth him for it thinking they should be kept not conceiuing to what end the treading serueth but the father who knoweth the goodnesse of them better then the child considereth that within two moneths they would wither and drie away and therefore to preserue the vertue of them treadeth them when the child commeth to discretion he museth at his owne folly and yet as then he thought himself wiser then his father After the same maner doth the child when