smoake and eate the meate themselues So these feede vs with the smoaky refuse of their liuings but eate the chiefe therof at their owne tables that is they haue the corno and hay and giue vs the pigge and goose With these I set the vsurers that are much like the timber-worme which to touch is very soft but hath teeth so hard that it eates the timber Cato being asked what it was to lend vpon vsury answered Qaid hominem occidere What is it to kill a man The high-way theese wonnds not so deepe with his sword as the vsurer doth with a piece of paper for he strikes home and hits all sorts of people The Land-lord rackes his rents The Farmer inhances his corne The Trades-man rayseth his wares and all to pay the Vulurer Wee doe not all take vse but I am sure there is none of vs all but payes vse Chrysostome compareth Vsury to the sting of an Aspe whose venimous infection casteth the partie into a sweete sleepe for a time dispersing so into euery member of his bodie that presently hee dyeth Euen so the Vsurer seemes sweete for a time but in the end the venimous infection thereof will so run thorow a mans substance that all that hee hath is quickly conuerted into debt Much like a Tartarian souldier that borrowing fiue hundreth pieces of Coyne aud keeping the same fiue yeeres was constrained to pay seuen thousand backe againe This is horrible oppression and fallow ground that must be plowed vp Couetousnesse is another fallow ground and must bee new plowed The couetous wretch hath his heart set on golde and siluer and can speake none other language but of Mammon A thing much accounted of for Pecunie obediunt omnia All things obey to money Paul saith that couetousnesse is Idolatry It is the property of Idolatry to steale away the heart of man yet not so forcible as gold Dum vult esse praedo sitpraeda Whiles that bes came to a prey hee becomes a prey As Hosea saith in another kinde Wine and new wine haue stolen away their hearts So the more hee drinkes the dryer hee is Dum sorbit vinum absorbitur a vino He drinkes vp his wine and his wine drinkes vp him Qui tenet marsupium tenotur a marsupio Hoe holdes his purse fast and his purse holdes him fast O thou hunger of golde and siluer what is it not that thou doest compell the hearts of men to buy and sell saith Tullie The chariot of Auarice is carried vpon foure wheeles of vice which are Faint courage Vngentlenesse Contempt of God and Forgetsulnesse of death And two horses draw it Rauine and Niggardship To them both is but one Carter Desire to haue The Carter driueth with a whip of two coards Appetite to get and Care to keepe The deuill vs a skilfull Sophister auetting the wordes of the holy Ghost turnes bread into drinke In the drunkard no more our dayly bread but our dayly drinke Hee turnes godlinesse into Auarice in the couetous crossing the saying of our Lord First seeke the kingdome of heauen but hee will haue vs first to seeke the world and then if there bee any time to spare to seeke for heauen This kinde of Sophistry hath deceiued the world Plures allicit auaritia quam peritia Couetousnesse inciteth more men then knowledge doeth So sings the world Quaerenda peounia primum est virtus post nummos Haec Ianus summus ab imo perdocet Haec recinunt iuuenes dictata senesque First coyne then vertue tLs doth Ianus sing And these through mouthes of youth and age doe ring This seemes sweete to a couetous man that his heart is so set on couetousnesse that with Esau hee will sell his birthright for a messe of pottage And when hee values vertue at the highest it is but at thirty pence with Iudas A couetous man is a rebell against GOD breaking his Commaundement Thou shalt not couet A traytour to his owne soule and a murtherer of men This fallow ground must bee plowed vp The next fallow ground that I would haue you to peruse ouer is the fashion-mongers of our time I meane the sonnes of pride to day an English-man to morrow a French-man the third day a Spaniard then a Turke and last of all a Deuill There is another kind of fallow ground A generation so ill tempered of the foure Elements that it taketh and possesseth seuerall parts in them their hearts all earth their stomackes all water their braine all ayre and their tongues all fire being set on fire with the fire of Hell these are knowen by their language There is Prouincia Caelestis The Kingdoms of heauen The speach whereof is Prayer Praising of God and speaking of heauenly things but in this language they haue no skill There is Prouincia terrestis the language whereof is worldly pleasure riches honour and the like and in this they are good Schollers Lastly there is Prouincia Infernalis the language whereof is cursing and blasphemie and in this they are perfect Mens mouthes are dyed red with oathes it is no more newes to heare an oath then to see the light yet God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine A sinne condemned by God The law of nature doeth detestit and the lawe of nations did euer abhorre it But in England hee is no man that cannot sweare and that by wholesale Children now can sweare before their parents can pray Whoredome is growen to bee a Trade among vs as if there were no Lawe to condemneit nor Iustice to punish it A sinne most damnable forbidden in the Lawe and threatued by the Lord Whoremongers and adulterers hee will iudge A sinne punished by death in the Lawe but now vpon the backe if not too often by the purse And so long as they haue an impudent face and a large purse well lined they will vnder-goe it well enough Now seeing that this kinde of punishment will doe no good but that still they will goe neighing after their neighbours wiues and assemble themselues in harlots houses Consider yet Gods iudgements on this kinde of offence For I will bee a swift witnesse against the adulterer sayth the Lord. See it so performed Dauid for his adultery with Bathsheba when shee was the wife of Vriah had his house punished with the sword The childe begotten in adultery died and his owne wiues rauished by his owne sonne Amnon murthered and Absalom hanged by the haire Looke wee into the Histories and there is the like Rodoaldus sometime King of Lombardie was suddenly strucken dead in the acte of adultery It is recorded also of Alrichbertus King of France that hee died suddenly with a whore in his armes With many other like examples both in diuine and humane Histories To that end you may know what adultery is marke these branches following First it is committed in thought when the mind runs after
shew of puritie but a vertue and therefore to be countenanced and defended from the prodigious spirits of the world and if I said barking Dogges I sayd but as Dauid did which hunts outward holinesse into Obadiahs caue that it dare not shew it selfe for feare it should be brought vpon a stage or put in verse or to some other vse to make themselues merrie withall Shall this be suffered then religion will be banished ere long and I cannot blame it if it walke in obscuritie already and dare not bee seene But is there neuer an Obadiah in the land nor Hester in the Court nor an Ahimelech at Nob to fauour their profession and protect their persons Non est meae humilitatis diotare vobis yet say as God said to the Iewes Though Israel play the harlot let not Iudah sinne Though the Temporall Magistrate sit still and say nothing yet let not Ecclesiasticall gouernours keepe silence You are the brestplate of defence the helmet of 〈◊〉 and the sword of protection as Tunc iustitia dieitur gladius ex vtraque parte acutus quia hominis defendit corpus ab exterioribus iniuriis animam a spiritu alibus molestiis For the sword of gouernment hath two edges Disciplina ad duo diuiditur ad correctionem et instructionem primum timore sccunaum amore perficitur and happy is that Church where they both doe cut You are the North winde to kill all the vermin and the South to ripen good fruit I meane your authoritie to punish the wicked and cherish the good But I forget my selfe your Lordship is wise as an Angel of God knowing best what to doe Yet giue meleaue not to teach but to pray for you considering your holy profession high place and the weighty causes you are to mannage the manifold euils you may preuent and the great good you may procure And this is all the good I am able to doe desiring the Lord to prosper your godly proceeding to Gods glory and the good of the Church To the same purpose the Lord fill your soule with grace your heart with courage your life with health and your time with length of dayes that after a militarie life ended in grace you may come to liue a 〈◊〉 life in glory Your Lordships to command in all duetie WILLIAM IACKSON To the Worshipfull Companie of Clothworkers William Iackson wisheth grace in this world and glory in the world to come Right Worshipfull IT is no small fauour of God to bee made an instrument of others good which is either by our owne free donations or by disposing of others gifts In the one is manifested our charitie in giuing of our owne and in the other our faithfulnesse in truely performing the will of the dead And to vse the Apostles words What haue we that wee haue not receiued not simply for our owne vse but for the good of others also Therefore that wee may not be found vncharitable we must giue of our owne nor vnfaithfull we must be true in bestowing of others gifts and then we shall bee twice blessed with Iacob and haue a double portion with Beniamin But to bring this home to the doores of your consciences Yea Worshipfull company of Cloth-workers for whome I in particular am bound to pray not so much for your owne donation vnto mee as your faithfull paying of that which others haue giuen for the maintenance of religion Of whom I may say as Dauid did of Ierusalem Many excellent things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God so many excellent things are done by you Yea worthy and worship full Clothworkers with Dorcas you make coates to clothe the naked with the Shunammite you prepare houses for the harbourlesse to dwell in with Obadiah you relieue the Prophets and much more of this nature which to set downe in order would both spend much paper and also a wearinesse to my hand it is sufficient God knowes them and will one day reward the same I speake not this to make you proud but as my duetie to you and to encourage others to the same And so I will conclude with the saying of the Apostle yee haue and doe well yet I beseach you to increase more and more whereby your name may bee more spread on earth and your glory greater enlarged in heauen Your Pensioner WILLIAM IACKSON TO THE READER CHristian reader I am now to salute thy vnderstanding with a few lines of exhortation be thou as willing to embrace them as they are ready to profit thee if vnderstāding be thy tutour and conscience thy lesson And here I desire but two things of thee first to reade with diligence then to marke with iudgement for thou canst haue no sicknes but here is physicke no sore but here is a plaister for it It is like Iacobs ladder one end standing on the earth the other reaching vp to heauen It begins at faith and repentance leading thee along in the path of obedience and so at the length brings thee to glory I would not that any should obiect against the author and so vse the child the worse for the fathers sakc but rather consider that the child may be good though the father be euill I will make no apologie in the behalfe of it for it is able to speake in the defence of it selfe And now I must make an apologie for my selfe why I haue sent this booke forth into the world one cause is in regard I was wronged by euill tongues after I had preached the same wherefore I now send it foorth to make answere for mee A second cause why I send it foorth is this because the matter therein being of great vse and a Sermon is but nine dayes wonder would not haue the funerall so soone therefore I thought good to intreate that fauour of the higher powers to put it in print And now let me intreate thy affections to embrace it and thy diligence to practise it Thus I leaue these fewe lines to thy selfe to be obeyed and thy selfe to the Lord to be glorified Thine if thou be the Lords William Iackson A Table of the parts handled in this Booke In the plow-time are handled 1 the subiect 2 property of the worke 3 propriety of the persōs 1 In the subiect 1 Why man is called earth 5. 6. 7 2 The heart to be looked too and why 8 to 11 3 Wicked sinne of meditation and why 14 to 18 4 The seuerall fallow grounds 19 to 56 2 In the property of the worke 1 The heart is cut by the law 60 to 63 2 The inward thoughts discouered 57 to 60 3 Sinne dies in vs 63 to 73 3 In the proprety 1 Man is to helpe forward his saluation why 73 to 78 2 The magistrates dutie from 78 to 83 In the seed-time are 1 property of the worke Sowe 2 matter to work on Righteousnes 3 the persons You. 1 In the matter 1 The word of righteousnes must rule vs why 84 to
haue made choyce of such a text as doth speake to all persons I feared to speake of Iudgement least it should make the weake harted to tremble Or of mercy least the wicked should be secure Therefore I haue ioyned them together OSEA 10. 12. SOwe to your selues in righteousnesse reape after the measure of mercy breake vp your fallow ground for it is time to seeke the Lord till he come and raine righteousnesse vpon you QVo brevior co obscurior The shorter this Prophesie is the more mysticall In the holy Scripture these two things euer do concurre Sententia breuis res ampla A finit sentence an infinit sence as in a litle mapp we see a world of Coūtries what the foote cannot measure in many dayes the eye passeth ouer in a moment This text is a little Mappe of the whole body of Diuinitie turnes ouer vnto vs a golden lease whose inke is Nectar and the penne the wing of Angels for the matter expressed is wholly celestiall Quis sit finis iustorum it iustificantium iustos I will in somesort open the euerlastiing dores and heere shewe you the King of glorie and in him your glorie Therefore let an holie reuerence possesse your soules and say with Iacob This place is fearfull none other but the house of God and the gate of Heauen where will appeare the loue of God in his Iudgements to the sonnes of men who in promising mercie omits iudgment but in threatning iudgment remembers mercy as heere in this place And now as you intend to trauell with me in this way tye your considerations vnto two generall heads The first is a precept The second is the consequent The precept is affirmatiuelie set downe and is illustrated by a metaphor taken from the husbandman First by the plowetime Innouate vobis nouale Plowe vp your fallowe Secondly by the seede time Seminate vobis in iusticia sowe to your selues in righteousnesse Thirdly by the haruest time Metite in ore misericordiae Euery one of these times offer 3. branches apeece First the subiect the fallowe grownd 2 The propertie of the worke Plowe 3 The proprietie of the persons your Plowe vp your fallowe grownd Secondly the seede time 1 Sowe There is the Propertie of the worke 2 Righteousnesse there is the matter to worke vpon 3. To your selues There is the extent of it Sowe to your selues in Righteousnesse Thirdly the haruest time 1 The action or worke reape 2 The manner According to mercy this is the precept and the parts therof and now the consequent followes and is amplified thus first by an argument taken from their negligence For it is time to seeke the Lord Secondly by an argument taken from the benefit of it till he come raine righteousnesse vpon you In the 1 obserue an action seeke there is the propertie of it 2 whom the Lord there is the obiect of it 3 why for it is time There is the compelling cause for it is time to seeke the Lord. In the second part obserue how longe donec vewiat vntill he come there is the continuance of it 2 Et doceat iustitiam vobis and teach you rightcousnesse there is the ende of it First by the acte to teach 2 by the qualitie righteousnesse 3 the persones you this is the consequent with the parts thereof so that now if you will take a generall veiwe of these wordes you shall finde euery word a sentence and euery sentence a world of matter it wants but a skilfull workeman A Scripture very necessarie for these dayes and I thinke not vnfit for this present auditorie Albeit to them whose eares are alwayes listininge after nouelties it may seeme to triuiall yet I doubt not but to those that come with willing mindes to learne it will proue very profitable Therefore you Right Honorable whom God hath vouchsafed his owne name vnto heere vpon earth with reuerence attend it It is the ground of iudgment therefore ye most worthy Iudges may liften vnto it it is the end of controuersies therefore yee skillfull Lawyers may take notice of it Here is matter of ciuill obedience therefore ye inferiours may fitly learne it also it is the instrumentall cause of faith and repentance therefore ye beleeuers may earnestly embrace it Shimgnu debar Iehouah Thus who so begins and ends his dayes shall dye the death of the lighteous and his last end shall be like vnto his The matter in the whole is an exhortation vnto holinessed ana consequent enforcinge The exhortation comes now in hand being considered I by the plowe time secondly by the seede time 3 by the haruest time The plow time by order is first to be handeled Aud in that I noted 1 the supiect of the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallowe ground 2 The property of the worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 New plowe 3 The propriety of the persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your And now the subject doth challenge the first place THE SVBIECT NIru Fallow ground In euery scripture we are to con sider Sententiam et intentionem The sentence the intent Quid dicitur et quid intenditur What is said and what is intended Euery scripture being to be considered either litterall or metaphoricall Litterall when sence and sentence agree As cursed is the earth for thy sake Gen. 3. 17. metaphoricall when one thing is spoken and another thing is meant I will power waters vpon the dry ground So here we must vnderstand him that hath heauen for his seeling the earth for his pauement the Sunne Moone starres for his hangings the creatures for his diat and the Angels for his attendants Man is called euery creature by the mouth of our Sauiour Mat 28. Because he hath a participation of the best good in all creatures and so more excellent then all Stones haue a being but not a life Plants haue a being and life but not sence Beasts haue a being life and sence and yet none understanding Angels haue being life sence and vnderstanding But in man ye may behold a Mappe of all these For he hath a being with stones life with plants sence with beasts and vnderstanding with the Angells A most sweet abstract or compendium of all crèatures perfections Yea be not proud because of all these for thou art but earth Earth is the lowēst of all elements and the Center of the world Earth must be earth liuing earth to dead earth Respice aspice prospice looke back what thou wast see what thou art and consider what thou shalt be Dust thou wast earth thou art and to dust thou shalt returne as Saith Phocylydes Ex terra corpus nobis est rursus in illam Selumur et puiuis sumes Our body is of earth and dying must Returne to earth for man is made of dust So then it is earth The difference is this liuing earth walkes vpon dead earth and shall at the last be as dead as his pauement that he treads vpon I
thinke few be proud of their soules and none but fooles will be proud of their bodyes Quid superbis terra Why art thou proud O earth Man of earth is called earth and I cannot passe this poynt before I haue fixed your considerations vpon this obseruation How the Lord insinuates his contempt of the wicked by cutting off their names as not worthy to stand in his booke The mention of which would be a blur to his sacred leaues This is the estemation that the wicked beare with God How thinke ye then that their persons shall sit in his kingdome whose names may not stand in his booke Thus God crosses the worlds fashion some times giuing them no names at all As that reall parrable glues the rich man no name at all but Diues Some times by cutting off their names as the seruants of Dauid were serued by the Princes of Hannon Who cut off their garments by the buttocks and shaued off halfe their beards So God cutteth off halfe their names As Aram is called Rame leconia is called Conia Surely when God takes letters from their names he intendeth also to take blessings from their persons Some times he giues them a by name as the Bulles of Basan And here the earth or fallow ground as vnworthy of any other name or title of Honor. It is not alwayes true that Quanto ornatior tanto nequtor The more adorned the more wicked For surely greatnes is the fairest obiect to the eye of the world and goodnes to the eye of heaven There is a glorious splendor in pompous honor if it come by the hand of God For They that honor me I will honor saith the Lord. And it is made as a promise of God to the righteous Zecer fsaddik The memoriall of the iust shall be blessednes full of honor Good lucke haue such with their honor But there are many to whom our bonnets vaile and our knees bowe whom the sight of heaven scornes as not worthy of those titles and complements giuen vnto them For Deus vbinon est ibi nihil eft Where God is not there is nothing For he that hath not Christ. How can he haue right vnto any thing For the condition runnes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All is yours and you Christs But first you must be Christs before any thing can be yours Feede not your selues then with shadowes O iudex quisque sui Let euery man be a Iudge of himselfe Cum te quis laudet iudex tuus esse memento When any man prayseth thee remember to be thine owne Iudge Whether these things doe belong vnto thee or no. Plus aliis de te quam tu tibi credere noli Do not thou beleeue other men more concerning thy selfe then thou doest beleeue of thy selfe If you desire your names to be registred with the pehne of eternity in the kingdome of glory write them your selues in the kingdome of grace with the penne of obedience and there reade them to your comfort They stand sure with God before not sure to vs vntill now If you would haue God to dignifie your names with titles of honor then honor his name with songs of prayse and the fruite of odedience Remember his great and glorious name saith Moyses And fitly said Dauid that our helpe standeth Beshem Iehouab in the name of the Lord. Maintayne the glory of it then with your strenghts and sound it out with your prayse that so God may write you not without a name nor with a by-name nor with a curtolled name but that your names may stand at the full length in his booke That he reading the same as Ahashuerosh did Mordecayes then your service shall be found out with rewards arayed with the Kingds robe titles of honor set on the Kings Horse and Proclamation made This is the man whome the King will honor Honor him with reputation on earth before men and with glory in heauen before Angels O blessed are they that stand registred in the Chronicles of heauen with the penne of the eternall spirit and read in the leaues of obedience in the kingdome of grace I haue not yet don with the subiect This earth is a diuine spirituall and immortall nature called the fallow ground by a metaphor This ground is incapable of suffering terrene fragillity This is Gods ground and that in an high and mysticall sence yet proper enough The earth is the Lords Yet he hath not such respect to this ground as he hath to man for whome he made it but chiefely to the soule of man which is this fallow ground There is a wonderfull mixture of the elements in man First the Heart is placed in the midst as the earth or the center 2. The Liuer like the Sea from whence the springs of blood doe flowe 3. The veines like Rivers spreading themselues abroade into the vtmost members 4. The Braine which is placed 〈◊〉 like the Sunne giuing light and vnderstanding 5. The Senses like Starres set rounde about like ornaments And therefore man may well be called earth yea Microcesmot a little world The Earth is called Terra which betokeneth the roundnes of the earth Or it is called Terra and hath that name of the over part qua 〈◊〉 That is trod vpon as being the foundation and ground worke of all And is also called Humus and hath that name of the Sea that is moyst for without moysture the earth is vnprofitable They must be ioyned together For if it be drie which is either by too much cold and then it turnes to sande and gravell or by too much heate and then it turnes to Chauke and Oker The earth must haue moysture to make it fruitfull This moysture is Gods grace that makes the soule as profitable as the showers from heaven cause the earth to be fruitfull The heart and grace must be myxed together for it is necessary to divers ends I Illuminat intellectum It doth lighten the vnderstanding 2. Inflamat affectum It inflameth the affection 3. Frangit it cordis duritiam It breaketh the hardnes of the heart Thus when the heart and grace are ioyned together they are fruitfull Therefore the earth is called Tellus because we take fruite therof And Ops for it heapeth with fruite Such is the heart of a good christian that it floweth with the works of righteousnes as appeareth Cant 2. 12. The flowers appeare in the earth saith Salomon Obserue with me First the place Baarets in the earth This earth is the heart and soule that is the fountaine of them 2. Nireu they appeare Inward grace bringes forth outward fruite 3. The quantitie of them Hannitsanim the slowers set downe in the plurall to shewe the abundance of them as our Lord witnesseth This Earth is fruitfull when the ayre of Gods grace hath giuen influence with the seasollable dewes of his spirit and the Sunne of righteousnes hath bestowed his kindly heare then followes a plentifnll
extra nos these intra nos vero spiritu Dei inscripta Written by the very Spirit of God For God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts whereby wee crie Abba Father And though the sound of saluation delighteth the eare yet the ioy and sweetnesse is in the heart Deus est mel in ore God is hon is in the mouth Melos in aurc Musicke in the eare iubilum in corde and ioy in the heart Veniet veniet dies indicy vbi plus valebunt pura corda quam astutia verbis conscientia bona quam marsupia plena quandoquidem index ille nec verbis falletur nec donis flecteur The day will come the day of iudgement will come when cleane hearts will more auaile then crastinesse in words and a good conscience then a full purse seeing that the Iudge will neither be deceiued with words nor mooned with gifts If then a good heart shall bee of such worth at that day it is principally to be regarded in this lise Now before we passe-from this note with mee here the hypocrites which haue onely the outside of greatnes like stage-players which appeare like Kings vnto others themselues being no better then beggars These hypocrites serue the Lord in shew not in trueth Christians onely in name Saints onely in shew These are painted boxes wherein are hid deadly poysons vnder Iesabels painted face a whorish behauiour These cleanse the outside but within is a denne of theeuish affections O generation of vipers how should ye escape the damnation of hell Vnto this purpose serueth that storie wherein I reade of Hercules which begot Scithes on a monster whose vpper parts were like a woman and her lower parts like a viper Me thinkes the hypocrite resembles this monster his vpper parts shall be like a woman I meane his smooth and splendent words but his lower parts or if you will his heart is like the viper For as historians report the viper eates a way out of the belly of her damme with the danger of her life that bred her so the hypocrite eates vp the bowels of his mother the Church that brought him foorth crying out against disorders abroad whiles there is none at home in his owne heart I speake not against professors but against hypocrites to whom I say as Chrysostome said Aut esto quod appares aut appare quod es Either be as thou seemest or appeare as thou art I would to God they would bee either open enemies that so we might beware of them or faithsull friends vnto Christ and his Church These are sicke of wantonnesse in religion and are so hote about the question de modo that it is to be feared the enemy steales away the matter of religion out of their hearts It is strange to see if that wee will not shew our selues refractarie wrangle about shadowes and speake against authority our sermons are hissed at and our persons are derided These are prosessors of note when they speake bitterly their names cary it away strongly with our scandals Note here the proud persons with their top and top-gallants that build towers in the ayre and a heauen on earth whiles there is a hell in their consciences The proud person is Deo odibilis diabolo similis and sibi damnabilis Odious vnto God like the deuill and damnable to himselfe witnesseth the saying of the Apostle God reiecteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Eucry proud man is an idolater because he loues his pride and makes that his God no maruell then if hee be reiected For Nemo potest Dominis rocte seruire duobus No man can serue two masters God and Pride Yet the proud man will and if either be vnserued God shall he will be sure to couer his backe with externall brauerie whether God line his soule with grace or no. You shall see many of these gallants put a whole inheritance into a trunke and metamorphise a whole mannour into a sute of apparel And no maruell when the best farme in it will doe no more then pay for a paire of shooe-strings besides a band in the fashion starched with the deuils liquor and in the punke colour to beautifie it And now they flourish it out in brauery what with their curled haires painted faces and foolish if notfooles coates Thus shine they like starres thinking themselues to be Gods among Saints when God knowes and I feare they be but deuils among men I conclude with the authour to the Hebrewes It is good to haue the heart established with grace and as Seneca saith It is better to haue a soule furnished with grace then a bodie decked with glorious apparell that so wee might be like vnto Nathaniel of whom it is said Behold a true Israelite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom there is no guile Ioh. 1. 47. But I haue not yet done with the subiect New fallow your fallow it was plowed before but for the sowing of euill seede The husbandman in the countrey can better vnderstand this then the citizen The maner of the husbandman is to fit his tillage according to his seede The ground wherein he sowes Barley Oates Pease and Tares needeth but one yeeres plowing whereas the ground where Wheate and Rye is to be sowen hath two yeeres plowing During the time that it lies plowed and not sowen it is called fallow ground Such is this fallow ground of their hearts which was made ready for the sowing of iniquitie As the same Prophet witnesseth Cikerbu cattannur libbam For they haue made ready their hearts And as another Prophet witnesseth They lie in waite for blood Likewise Dauid sayth That they lie secretly as a Lyon in his denne Thus the wicked not of infirmitie but of meditation and deliberation runne into sinne Prauus vsus vix aboletur A wicked vse is hardly abolished Assidua consuetudo vitium in naturam conuertit saith Augustine A continuall custome conuerteth vice into nature For it is a pastime to the wicked to doe euill whereas the godly hath no delight in sinne Seneca by the light of nature could say that Bonus animus nunquam erranti obsequium accommodat A good minde neuer reacheth the helping hand vnto error Insomuch that the heathen said that Bona cupido animi bonus Deus est A good desire in the minde is a good God Whereas the minds of the wicked are bent to commit sinne with greedinesse as Salomon saith Come say they let vs lie in waite for blood Of purpose you see not by infirmitie notwithstanding the Lord by the Prophet pronounceth a woe against them that imagine wickednesse vpon their beds There are two things that make the wicked thus bent in their minds to sinne The first is the corruption of nature which is corrupt of it selfe and iudges those things to be good which are euill and those things euill which are good As the Apostle witnesseth The naturallman knowes not
therefore pray to God to conuert and amend them Now let vs step among States-men and Clergie-men for trueth for there if any where we are like to find it They will not giue this answere with the Lawyer Non est hic neither doe they thinke a dramme of policie worth an ounce of verity Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Flattery and dissimulation is the way to preferment trueth breedeth but hatred Shall trueth for all this faile here Shall it not dare to shew it selfe but be kept vnder harches as too many vse it the more is the pitie that make merchandile of it and sell it for a little preferment or a meales meate And if it bee so then this is fallow ground and must be plowed vp There is a third fallow ground namely the field of oppression A very bad ground and dangerous to the commonwealth such is the sinne of Engrossery that hoard vp commodities of all sorts and so make a dearth without a scarcity These are worse then the deuill for he had some charity in him labouring to make a plenty where there was a scarcity when hee would haue had Christ to turne stones into bread But these cormorants cause a scarcitie in the midst of plenty in turning bread into stones They haue crafty pates reaching wits and large purses They compasse sea and land as Christ sayth to get all commodities into their hands And when they haue gotten them they sell them as they thinke good not according to the quantity of the commodity but according to the quality of their minds Who makes things deare now not God but deuils incarnate infernall brokers I meane engrossing misers that swarme about this and other the like cities Is not this oppression yea an horrible and cutting oppression eating vp the young and the damme and all at a bitte Euery such engrosser is a murtherer not with a sword of steele but with a sword of dearth it is not his hands but his crueltie that killeth not his force but his craft that wounds vnto death Will you see how he doth it he seekes out for corne gets it into his garner pitches so high a price that it stretcheth out the hearts blood of the poore to reach it who can but attaine to the refuge for his sustenance Is not this murther yes a cruell kinde of murther to starue them to death I haue read of a people that vse to feede their parents when they are in age with fatte meate to choake them but I neuer heard of any that did detaine foodel whereby they might starue the poore It is true that Home malus fera pessima An euill man is the worst wild beast And also as the prouerbe is home homini Lupus man is a wolfe vnto a man It is true in these many haue perished through their crueltie whose blood they shall answere for The engrosser is a thiefe likewise for he steales away the corne that should make the poores-bread not with the power of his arme but by the strength of his purse Hee fightes with a long weapon that reacheth to the foure corners of the land and robbes them in their owne houses before they are aware If neede require they can strike ouer sea and robbe there rather then their garners shall bee emptie These are dangerous theeues They steale more in one commoditie then the high-way theese in all the yeere yet these sit and stare the lawe in the face and no man doth anything vnto them where the high-way thiefe that steales for necessitie is trust vp yet these are greater theeues by diuine lawe and ought of the twaine rather to bee executed But what care these for this they are too rich to be hanged yet they are theeues for all their greatnesse it is not their gold that can buy out their fellonious dealing at the day of Iudgement Like wise euery engrosser is an infidell not trusting God of his word which saith I will neuer faile nor forsake thee And Christ saith First seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things shall bee giuen vnto thee Tush saith the engrosser shall I depend vpon Gods word no one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush A dramme of Mammons wealth is worth a whole once of Gods service O wretches condemned of the very Heathens themselues Estque dei sedes vbiterra vbipontus et aer et calum et virtus superos quid quaerimus vltra Ioue sits where earth where ayre where sea and shoare Where heauen and vertue is why seeke we more I may ioyne with these the inclosers that steale away the poore mens commons from them to make broader their owne territories that they may dwell alone Alone indeed for neither God nor good man shall keepe them company by their good wils These ioyne house to house and lay fielde to fielde whereby there is almost no piace for the poore man to dwell in and very litle or no pasture for their cattle to feede on And sure if it were possible they would leaue them no ayre to breath in These purchase large Lord-ships and goodly monuments if they would continue how should that bee when the first stone of their building is hewen out of the quarry of oppression Of this company are the couetous Patrons which are so infected with the golden dropsie as that their Church doorts will not open without a siluer key Hee that will haue a Church liuing must speake words of golde and also subscribe with a pen of filuer or els he must goe backe againe without Is not this ground of oppression Yes a hard ground and a hard heart Durities est hominis peccatum obduratio indicium 〈◊〉 Harduisse of heart is mans sinne hardening of the heart is Gods indgement And were not their hearts hardened they would not deale with the poore Ministers as they doe much like the princes of Hanun which cut off the garments of Dauids seruants by the buttocks shaued off halse their beards So doe these oppressing Patrons deale with the Ministers cutting off halse their liuings before they can get into them that they haue not sufficient to maintaine themselues with any thinne dyet and simple clothes No matuell is they liue in such penury when they must pay 300. l. for an In-come If I did not know this by experience I would not haue spoken it I thinke these are of the mind of Dionysius who comming into a Temple where images were couered with costly 〈◊〉 of gold and siluer These sayd hee are too heauy for summer and too coole for winter and so taking them away clothed them with Lincy-woolcy These sayth hee are colder for Summer warmer for Winter So deale these with vs thinking a coate of Lincy-woolcy good enough if not too good for vs. Much like the custome which is as O doricus affirmes of a people that in their sacrifice they feed their gods with the
prerogatiue that belongs to God to know the heart The difference stands thus Other men know nothing of our heart our selues know somewhat and God knowes all that may bee knowen There is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it O Lord and there is nothing hid from thee O God saith Dauid Yet euery man knows somewhat of his owne heart I know saith Paul Rom. 7 that in mee there dwelles no goodnesse This made him to crie out so bitterly not against others but against himselfe This is a true saying that Christ came into the world to saue finnert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us ago 〈◊〉 Whereof I am the chiefe because hee knew his owne heart and not the hearts of others And from his owne experience teacheth the same to others Proue your selues know yee not your owne selues which not to know were very strange And as euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart and therefore the fittest to be his owne plowman so likewise euery man is to be saued by his owne faith and grace The iust shall liue 〈◊〉 in his faith Other mens faith may doe vs good by way of exhortation to build vs 〈◊〉 in the wayes of godlinesse But it is our owne actuall faith that might saue vs for as the Apostle saith If thou beleeue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy heart not in my heart for that will not saue thee Therefore as it was said to Dauid To thy house O Dauid so I say to thine owne heart O man haue a speciall care But for all this that hath been spoken doth not God impose too great a worke vpon vs which neither we nor our forefathers were able to beare It is beyond our power and arte This is ars aritum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arte of arte and the gouernement of soules It is open Dei as Christ doth witnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the works of God that ye beleeue Why then doth God impose the same vpon vs Not because wee are causa efficions but because wee are causa materialis Therefore as Iohn saith Let vs looke to our selues for surely it is a worke very necessary to bring the plowe home to our owne hearts Many will be busie Bishops in other mens Diocesse spending their time in other mens ground and suffering their owne to be barren There be many Arguses in these dayes with an hundred eyes apiece that can quickly espie the moates that are in other mens eyes but cannot feele the beames that are in their owne Peter will bee medling in Iohns affaires yet without thankes for Quidest hoc tibi What is that to thee The Pharises would wash the hands of Christ and yet their owne hearts were foule filthy and odious A preposterous kinde of zeale to begin where we should make an end I deny not but this is to be done yet not to leaue the other vndone As in Dauid we see a worthy example hereof Before he purged the land hee cleansed his house and before his house he purified himselfe Obserue his proceeding at the second verse he saith I will walke betham lebabi in the perfection of my heart And then at the 7. verse he saish No wicked person shall abide in mine bouse And then in the 8. verse-he beginnes to purge the land Thus you may behold the three steppes to perfection First his heart then his family lastly the realme Excellent proceeding to keepe Sessions at home within the heart and to be executers of our owne sinnes Niru lachem 〈◊〉 now fallowe your fallowe It is a good lesson for vs that are to plowe vp your fallowe first to turne vp our owne we must not be like the sonnes of Eli 1. Sam. Least we cause the Gospell to bee euill spoken of our name and office must agree we are called lux 〈◊〉 by our vocation and wee must be lumen in 〈◊〉 by life and conuersation Then may we as wee must the better plowe vp your fallowe ground Crie aloude spare not lift vp thy voyee like a trumpet shewe my people their transgressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes There is nothing so necessary and more commendable then reprehension if it be seasonable and reasonable I thinke none ought to be more wisely bold then vs Ministers for sinne is bold saucy and presumptuous O miserable when hoot sinners and coole Ministers meete when the one sort is infected with burning feuers and the other with shakinge agues And when they that should lift vp their voyces like a trumpet doe but whisper through a trunke Nihil interest scoleri an faueas an perpetras There is no difference whether thou fauour a wicked action or commit it Dauid hath a song of two parts like Ianns with his two faces I will sing mercy and iudgement wee must vse Leuitiues preseruatines and restoratiues with Paul We beseech you to be reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 19. But if this will not serue to rowse these sleepers out of the dead sleepe of sinne but that they will be still as worldly as Demas enuious as Caine couetous as Iudas treacherous as Absolon and as stony-hearted as Pharaoh the text of mercy befits not these but the sword of iudgement The learned haue compared the soure Euangelists to the foure beasts in Ezekiel 10. 14. comparing Marke vnto a Lion because hee begins with the thundering voice of the Law crying in the wildernesse repent When sinnes be crying sinnes wee must become crying preachers Esay cries and Ieremie weepes and we must not be sparing in reprehension Where men are bold in sinning preachers must be bold in reprouing We must put on yron foreheads to reprooue such as haue whorish faces cut them to the quicke This is the way that they may bee cured with the good Surgeon to cut out the dead flesh It is a smarting corasiue yet a healing plaister as Ierome saith Dum pungit 〈◊〉 Whiles that it 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not if euer there were a time for this now is the age where shamefastnosse hath left the stage and presumption now actech her part desperation attending ready to shut vp all with a dreadfull catastrophe Sinne wounding the conscience accusing hell gaping and God striking the land being ouerspread with sinnes Caines murther Pharaohs hardnesse Naboths churlishnesse and Amnons incest We haue spent much time in plowing vp this fallowe ground yet the profit I hope will more then equalize our paines the sinnes haue beene cited a iurie pannelled they sound guiltie and are condemned by the great Iudge of heauen and earth What remaines then but that you the magistrates see them executed wee can but plowe them by the word it is you that must plow with the sword you are put in trust to see the king of heauen his lawes obserued the righteous defended the oppressed relieued and the offenders punished Solan being asked what best preserued a common-wealth answered
Corpore deposite liberam si scandis in aethram Tunc dem aeternus fies mortalia linquens If quite from earthly drosse thou soare Then shalt thou be a God and dye no more But as yet all our labours are like vnto the husbandmans seede castinto the earth which seemes to rot and vtterly to perish It is reported of Hillary that from the fourteenth yeere of his age to the 84. had serued the Lord in sowing this seede yet it seemed to him lost while he vttered this sentence Goe foorth O my soule goe foorth why art thou afraide why doubtest thou Likewise Iob saide What shall I doe whether shall I turne when the Lord shall-comc to iudgement Thus the godly are subiect to trouble of spirit and vexation of conscience The world sees not the fruite and we perceiue not the fulnesse of our sowing as yet onely here is our comfort our workes are with the Lord and the crowne of righteousnesse shall come hereafter Secondly the husbandman receiues not the benefit of his labours as soone as he hath sowne his seede it is long in growing vppe in ripening and at the length is cut downe and brought into the barne Euen so is it with the godly now they sowe and reape hereafter This world is the seede time the next is the haruest time and so much the wise man shewes saying Cast thy bread vp on the waters and after many dayes thou shalt finde it The like saith the Apostle Paul I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith Here is his seēde time the haruest sollowes Hence foorth is laide vp for mee the crowne of righteousnesse In this world the children of God are but in their apprentiship to learne their arte they shall be truely free men onely in heauen this is their time of feare and trembling the haruest of full-ioy and happinesse is hereafter The Church is compared to a vineyard that is first digged then planted groweth bloweth and afterward commeth the liquor Sometime also to a shippe that goes to the Sea and is beaten with the waues tossed with the windes and then at the length comes home full fraughted with Merchandies Also to a building wherein there is much hewing squaring and great paines taking before it be a fit habitation To a fielde that is plowed sowne harrowed growes ripens and then comes the haruest The child of God is a planter a Merchant a builder and a husbandman but the wine is not yet tasted of the shippe is not yet returned the house is not yet inhabited and the seede is not yet in the barne Therefore I say vnto you as the Apostle said to his hearers ye haue neede of patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that after yee haue done the will of God yee may receiue the promise yet a little and hee that shall come will come Post lacramas risus post exilium Paradisus After weeping comes laughing and after banishment comes Paradise After sowing comes haruest and after obedience comes glory The husbandman comforts himselfe with the presedence of his labours and feedes vpon future hopes His well dunged and manured ground his seasonable tillage and his good seed will surely bring a plentiful haruest in the end more then answerable to his paines The husbandman cannot so much hope for an ensuing crop as the child of God hath an assurance of his future glory His well manured soule with the grace of God his seasonable and good seed of obedience puts him in such an hope and giues him such assurance of a blessed haruest that he will not sell his future estate for a present Monarchy Moyses had rather forgoe his present dignities then loose his future hopes Thirdly it is fitly compared to sowing because as one corne brings foorth many and a little increaieth much so the seede of righteousnesse brings foorth an vnspeakable weight of glory Eye hath not seene care hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath laid vp for those that loue him so great is the reward as that it cannot be numbred so precious as that it cannot be valued so lasting as that it euer endureth O ioy aboue all ioyes mirth without sorrow life without labour light without darkenesse aglorious reward for so small a worke Here is a blessed increase and yet no vsurie an hundred for tenne yea a thousand for one yet no extortion our seede finite the reward infinite A cup of cold water giuen to a pious vse shall be put in the Chronicles of heauen and rewarded with no lesle then a kingdome Fourthly obserue that out of one hand comes many graines and cornes which are dispersed into many parts of the field So the good childe of God must bee as plentifull in good workes doing good vnto many The seruant is not aboue his Lord. If Christ so sowed wee ought to follow For omnis Christi actio nostra debet esse instructio Euery action of Christ ought to be our instruction who went about doing good vnto all people Among the Iewes none might be a Rabbin till he could speake seuen languages the tree is not accounted a good tree till it bring forth much fruit and who can bee a good Christian till hee bee found fruitfull in good workes A Christian must be like the tree that Clusius reports of calling it the Indian figgetree and Gorobius calleth it the tree of Adams transgression Let it be what it is it groweth vp with one faire body the branches spreading themselues very large reaching downe vnto the earth taking hold thereof and springeth vp againe into little trees that often it comes to passe that the ground is couered and ouerspread for the space of a mile with the ouer spreading branches The Christian is compared in Scripture to a figge tree It seemes that this is the cause of it to teach the childe of God to be as farre spreading with his workes We reade that when Christ fed the people he fed them by multitudes to teach vs to doe good vnto many While wee haue time saith the Apostle let vs doe good vnto all When the ayre hath giuen influence the cloudes sent downe the seasonable deawes of grace and the sunne of righteousnes bestowed his kindly heat then a Christian becomes fruitfull Man is compared to the earth that brings forth herbes of all colours and fashions and of seueral smelles These herbes are as dumbe masters to teach vs our duety to be plentifull in good workes of all sorts as Peter teacheth Ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge with knowledge temperance with temperance patience with patience godlinesse with godlinesse brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnesse loue See what a golden chaine of vertues are here linked together That which was prophesied of vs must bee made true in vs Our roabes namely our workes must bee wrought with diuers collours It must not bee with vs as it
against the same for their owne confusion I haue read of the Thracian flint that burnes with water but is quenched with oyle A true embleme of these wicked persons that are the worse by Gods blessings Tullies historie is made good in this of a countrey that the more it rained the more dust did arise And contrariwise want of raine caused durt and myre How comes it to passe that the good blessings of God should exasperate such persons to euill shal their greatnesse draw them from the seruice of God which ought to bee a spurre to pricke them forward For the bountifulnesse of God stould leade vs to repentance And were you greater then the greatest among men yet there is one greater then you For God is melek nodang gnal-cal Elohim A great King aboue all Gods The highest round of our greatnesse comes farre short of the lowest steppe of Gods meannesse And so long as there is a super our the inferiour is to obey the same as Augustine nots cum enim se volunt as relicto superiore ad inferiora conuertit officitur mala For when the will turnes it selfe from the superiour to the inferiour it is euil Therefore let the words of exhortation be imbraced and tender downe your greatnesse at the footestoole of Gods Maiestie the originall of all greatnesse and this shall make you greater For the congruitie of manners not the pedegree of anncestors hath the prerogatiue of noble birth He that is not borne of God had been better hee had neuer been borne Therefore maintaine the Gospel by your greatnesse and he shall maintaine your honours by his power Againe the inferiour sort are not without their Apologies The superiour hath not drunke the water of Nilus alone these must needes haue a lappe For though they breake not their heads against the vpper sieling of greatnesse yet they stumble at the threshold of basenesse Either they thinke it a duetie not imposed on them or that it will not be accepted But to take away these obiections the Lord commanded when the Tabernacle was to be built the people to bring from gold to goats haire to shew that the chiefest obedience must be offered and that the poorest is not reiected God regards not man for his greatnesse nor reiects any for his meannesse Greatnesse raiseth not to heauen not pouertie casteth downe to hell Inferiority must not hinder vs from Gods seruice and obedience but rather a spurre to pricke vs forward seeing godlinesse hath the promise of this life and that to come Therefore let vs doe as loel saith to walke in obedience for who knowes whether God will leaue a blessing for vs or no God hath saide they that honour me I will honour them and a poore man that feareth the Prou. 19 Lord is better then a rich man which peruerteth his waies And thus much shall serue for the seede time The third part of the precept the haruest time WE are come at the length by Gods assistance and your patience to the haruest the last part of the percept Great paines is taken in the seruice of God yet in the ende comes a haruest and pays for all first niru then zergnu and now kitsru plowe sowe and now reape Thus is that true of Salomon Cast thy bread vpon the waters and after many dayes thou shalt finde it It was the counsell of Socrates Sowe good workes and thou shalt reape the flowers of ioy and and gladnesse qualis vita finis it a such a life such an ende Obserue in generall that obedience neuer goes vnrewarded Christ proclaimes it They that followe me in the regeneration shall follow me in the glorification And Salomon a type of Christ saide long before the sower of righteousnesse shall bee truely rewarded The trueth whereof wee may see performed in the godly before vs. Abraham beleeued God and was iustified Henoch walked with God and was taken vp into heauen What should I speake of Noah of Moses of Dauid of Iob of Peter and all the godly which first sowed the seede of obedience and now inioy their haruest for godlinesse hath the promise of this life and that to come Yet let vs take heede wee fall not into a popish conceite that we are rewarded for our workes no This is not in our well done deedes but in thy goodnesse O God that we escape damnation saith Chrysostome Not of workes can we obtaine saluation but of Gods election and grace yet still it is true obedience is euer rewarded And there are two reasons hereof The first Proptcr veritatem Dei for the trueth of God which is most sure and firme and stands like mount Sion that cannot bee remooued which proceedeth from the eternitie and immutabilitie of his will with whom there is no change nor shadowe of changing He that commanded trueth in others will surely keepe it himselfe or else hee should not bee omnipotent but impotent Therefore the Apostle doth thus stile him God that cannot lye And as the author to the he brewes saith non enim in iustus est Deus for God is not vnrighteousnesse that he should forget your worke in the Lord. 2 The second reason is propter iustitiam Dei for the righteousnesse of God for to punish those that sinne and not to reward the righteous might seeme vnrighteous But verily there is a reward for the righteous for as those that doe euill shall haue tribulation and anguish c. So they that doe well shall haue peace glory and immortalitie Otherwise hee should seeme to be more iust to the wicked then mercifull to the righteous I conclude that they which serue the Lord in the day time of their life shall bee rewarded in the euen-tide of their deathes We which are the sweete singers of Israel and haue sung out the songs of saluation shall reape a haruest according to our place and worke for if we conuert many we shall shine as the Starres Glorious shall their reward be in heauen whose titles are so great on earth as luminae stellae angellae and the like Surely there is a double document in the same namely that the greatnesse of the titles doe put vs in minde of the worke therefore not to suffer our hearts to be adulterated with popular applause but to hunt soules into heauen and not our selues into fame And as it puts vs in mind of the worke so of the greatnes of the reward which will be glorious Marke well the comparisons that we are compared vnto to the Sunne Starres Salt and Angels Obserue it well though these are the glory of the world yet haue they beene shaken The Angels fell the Starres shorte the Salt corrupted and the light obscured A good caueat for vs to be the more vigilant that our reward may be the greater Peter was three times willed to feede the flocke that is as Barnard obserues with
ages had beene spent in sinne euen from the dayes of Ieroboam till the dayes of Hosea notwithstanding all the Prophets exhortations Esaiah cried Ieremy wept Amos roared and yet are they still in sinne which for qualitie were great and for countenance long and therefore time it is to seeke the Lord. Therefore the longer we haue continued in sinne the more cause haue we himselfe Wash thy heart Ierusalem and this is drawne from the continuance in sinne How long shall wicked thoughts remaine within thy heart and how long wilt thou goe astray The like argument is vsed by Peter for he saith it is sufficient that wee haue spent the former time in sinne Thus long continuance in sinne must be an argument vnto vs to cause vs the more willingly to turne to the Lord. First propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God For by how much the more we are wicked and sinfull by so much the more is Gods mercy seene in the pardon therof As Moses saide if thou pardon this sinne then shall thy mercy appeare And there is nothing wherein Gods mercy doeth more manifest it selfe then in this and the greater the sinne is the greater is his mercy which forgiues it Secondly propter nostram consolationem for our consolation for the more sinnefull the more iudgements are prepared What is to bee done now to flye with Ionas from the Lord that is not the way with the fish to leape out of the panne into the fire but with the prodigall sonne to returne to the Lord that wee may not come into that place of torment The Lord hath two heraulds of conuersion and obedience namely mercy and iudgement promises and threates aut sequeris aut traheris either drawing vs or following vs and vse is made of both wherein it will not bee amisse to borrow Horace his verse Oderunt peccare boni vertutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidime penae The good from offence vertues loue doe detaines The euill to offend feare of paine doth restraine These are two good schoole-masters the one serues a free horse the other a dull iade Where Gods mercy will not alure there his iudgements must compell and therefore the greatnesse of our sinne should cause vs the sooner to seeke the Lord that so we may escape the greatnes of his iudgements Here giue mee leaue to cut the vlcer of this sinne in the wicked which haue not drunke their fill of iniquitie and yet you may see the vlceration of these men The saying of Dauid is reuiued againe Fourtie yeeres long haue I been grieued and yet still doe they continue in sinne to heape wrath vpon wrath Sinne is said to be darkenesse and tenebrae commeth of tenendo to hold for the wicked are held with the chaine of sinne that they thinke creation a fable incarnation infallible redemption improbable election vnprofitable resurrection vnpossible And then it followes that there is neither heauen nor hell so that Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla volupt as Eate drinke and be merrie for after death there is no pleasure Thus doe they diuulge their Satanicall suggestions These speake stoatly walke proudly and liue wickedly therefore high time to leaue it O that there should be any soules so traduced by any infernall spirits their reason so blinded their vnderstanding so darkened and their saluation so endangered as still to remaine in sinne Surely these sinners are in a dead sleepe of finne that neither Aarons belles Solomons songs nor Isaiahs trumpet can awaken them Thou hast smitten them yet haue they not felt it If the wound be such that it neuer causeth smart if it neuer ake nor grieue it is but dead flesh and to be cut off Therefore it is to bee feared that these are gone too farre downe to the chambers of death There are but seuen steps to the bottome and they are on the last The first Importabile cumbersome then graue heauie then leue light then insensibile past feeling after this comes delectabile delight and ioy then followes defiderabile desire to finne and the last step is defensibile defence of sinne And here are the men of this age making an apologie for sinne as drunkards with a weakenesse in the head gluttony with good fellowship adultery with a tricke of youth couetousnesse with good husbandry and murder with manhood Such are the prodigious sinners of our time that they haue some cloake to put on sinnes backe and are themselues become a fit dish for the Deuils table For Sinne is the gate to death but to defend sinne is the next steppe to bell And seeing these are going with Iudas to their owne place let mee speake one word for their farewell which is that seeing they could find no end of sinning while they were here they shall haue no end of torments when they are there their curse shall be proportioned there answerable to their sinnes here For for euery ounce of vanitie they wall haue a pound waight of torment Cursed of God whose curse is Poenarum inflictio the punishment of affliction cursed in themselues which is conscientia cruciamen the torment of conscience cursed of the deuils which is Poenarum executio the execution of punishment and cursed of the damned which is Poenarum aggrauatio the augmentation of punishment Thus they shall turne from Snakes to Addars from both to Scorpions and from all to the vnquenchable flames Then will they crie when it is too late And here I cannot but tell you what Herodotus tels me of one that came to the water and played with his pipe but the fishes would not dance then he castin a net and tooke them out and layd them on the ground and then they could dance but the man made this answere when I played you would not dance but now you dance I will not play There is a good morall to bee made of it for God hath piped and mad a melodious sound in the preaching of his word offering his mercies vnto vs but we would neuer dance after this pipe Wherefore when wee would dance God will not play but answere vs thus when I pro ered mercy you refused the same now you seeke mercie I will denie it And therefore seeke the Lord for it is time in regard of your continuance in sinne And here let neither the greatnesse of sinne nor the long continuance in the same hinder our turning to God for were our sinnes as crimson yet shall they bee as snowe saith the Lord. And how can it goe ill with vs when there are infinite mercies to finite sinnes His mercies are deeper then Hell broader then the Earth and higher then Heauen Therefore obserue for your comfort your persons are not so wicked nor your sinnes so great but you may see the like entred the gates of heauen Art thou a drunkard looke vpon Lot Art thou a murderer looke vpon Dauid Art thou a swearer looke vpon Peter Art
sake Yet we must say with Peter Thinke not that we by our owne power or godlinesse haue done you this good No it is the spirit and grace of God And therefore we must say with Dauid Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs sednomini tuo da gloriam but to thy Name giue the glory For the principall praise belongs to God Secondly bee not forgetfull of that which Salomon teacheth Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God Goe not to heare Gods word without the performance of this dutie to pray to God for his grace that the word may bee made fruitfull vnto you And hence it is that the Church hath appointed prayer to be made before Sermons that the word may be blessed vnto the hearers It is not to bee forgotten how God would haue the place of Diuine seruice vpon a mountaine to teach the people that while their bodies went vp to the Temple to heare the Lawe their soules should goe vp to heauen by prayer And therefore as Christ saith in another kinde That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Thirdly if you would haue this raine of grace to fall vpon you keepe vnder the clouds the Ministers of Gods word For by and in the hearing of the same doth God raine downe these showres of his grace For on as many as heard the word did the holy Ghost fall Often his word goes without grace but his grace neuer goes without the word We are called Starres and they are called Stellae of Stando to stand Ministers must bee like them confined to their stations not gadding and wandering Meteors Comets portending delusion to others and confusion to themselues Starres are also called Sidera and haue that name of Considerando taking heede for of them Astronomers take heede and also ship-men by sea Such and much more heed ought you to take of vs for you must seeke the Law at our mouth and by that the spirit this gratious raine Lastly it is said to raine to teach vs what abundance of this grace and mercie hee will bestow vpon vs Solomon saith his name is Shemen turak is as oyle powred out Answerable hereunto saith God I will powre out my spirit Gods mercies are like himselfe infinite so sayth Dauid I know no end thereof they are deeper then the sea larger then the earth and higher then heauen Hoc mirum hoc magnum And haue not wee had good experience of this loue and fauour of God yea Here is no complaining in our streetes no leading into captiuity our children like oliue plants about our tables And hereunto are added the word and Sacraments with other spirituall blessings the milke of exhortation the wine of compunction and the oyle of consolation Thus mercie doth compasse vs on euery side his patience in forbearing his mercie in forgiuing and his constancie in continuance Hee might haue strucken vs with death for one lye with Ananias stoned vs for one wedge of gold with Achan and cast vs out of heauen for one ambition with the deuill But O the tender mercy of God that such sinnes for number so many for qualitie so great and for continuance so long should haue fauour with God In hoc demonstratur virtus potentia Deinarratur Herein is the vertue and power of God declared Let this teach vs that are Ministers to raine down the words of exhortation and admonition you that are magistrates to raine down execution of iustice betweene man and man and you inferiour people to raine downe mutuall dutie one to another The second branch of righteousnesse WE are almost got to the hauen of happinesse and safely arriued in our countrey we haue but this Righteousnes to passe ouer and then we are at home Pareus vpon this word saith that God would teach them Righteousnesse that was to flee hypocrisie for they were giuen much thereto so saith Esay God will haue no compassion on them Quia omnis hypocritaest For euery one is an hypocrite And I could wish that this guilded deuill had not got shipping for England and lande likewise But he walkes inuisible and dares not be seene it may be sometime he is in the countrey among their cold paulsies and shaking agues sometime in the City with our burning feuers and firie zeale the inflamations and impostumes of hypocrisie And were it as odious to man as it were abominable to God it would quickly be banished out of the land Others vnderstand this Righteousnesse Pro misericordia Dei For the mercy of God as Dauid saith Shewe thy louing kindnesse to them that know thee Et iust itiam tuam ad 〈◊〉 corde and thy righteousnesse to the vpright of heart Then the meaning of this is that God will raine downe his mercy vpon vs in the pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes Huge doth handle it thus and saith that Misericordia est quasi fons in affectu Mercy is as the fountaine in the heart and affection and miseratio quasi riuulus in effectu Bountie is as the riuer flowing foorth to the outward action And this is that which God here promiseth I will raine righteousnesse vpon you This word tsedek Righteousnesse is of a great latitude What good is there which will not be brought within this cōpasse It is either creata iustitia or increata iustitia Created iustice or vncreated iustice vncreated Righteousnesse is Deus ipse But we disputenot of this righteousnes Created righteousnes is the creature and is Legall and Euangelicall but iustitia legalis cannot be showred downe vpon vs for the vertual power of that is gone It is Iustitia Euangelij that must doe vs good which may bee deuided thus 1. a righteousnesse of iustification 2. a righteousnesse of sanctification So Sedulius The righteousnesse of God is sanctification by faith and remission of sinnes Righteousnesse of iustification is Remissio siue absolutio A remission or absolution first a veccate secondly amorte from sinne and death Then followes imputatio iustitii an imputation of righteousnesse God remooueth away the guilt putting righteousnesse in place thereof and couering vs with the righteousnesse of Christ. For he is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for which righteousnesse the Apostle prayeth that he may be found in him hauing this righteousnesse on him Thus all the faithfull are truely iustified from all their sinnes yet non vt non sit in nobis peecatum sed non imputetur not that wee are cleared from hauing sinne in vs but that it is not imputed vnto vs for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This righteousnesse standeth thus FIrst misericordia gratia Dei the meroy and grace of God vt causa principali impulsina in Deo as the principall impulsiue cause in God for his onely mercy mooued him He so loued