sinne for if sinne lye at the doore Gen. 4.7 it will stop our passage as it did Caines whether it these grosse and grieuous sinnes or any other beloued sin which wee so tenderly harbour and foster in our hearts like a rocke or an heape of sand will stoppe and damme vp the gate Therefore we must like little children creep low and humble our selues for if wee put on the true habit of humility and meekenesse Sathan cannot hinder vs. As the Serpents will not come into the vineyard when vines bring forth their blossomes no more will the old Serpent and author of pride come neere vs if we like fruitfull branches bud the blossomes of humility The want of this vertue cast Nebuchadnezar out of his earthly Kingdome and we must haue it or else we shall not enter into the heauenly Kingdome The Pharisee swelled in his owne proud conceit and therefore hee was too bigge to enter in but the poore Publican stooped and went in little Zacheus was a great rich man but he diminish'd himselfe by restitution giuing to the poore he descended from the lofty branches to the roote of humility and so entred in This gate it should seeme was made for none to enter but for these that are as children Math. 18.3 Verily I say vnto you saith Christ except yee become as little children yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God How acceptable is the morning sacrifice of our tender age vnto God no sacrifice of beasts was more welcome to God then yong kids or lambs none of birds more acceptable then yong pigeons or Turtle doues Manna was to be gathered in the morning before the Sun arose If we follow God as deere children God will take vs for his children and this is no small signe of Gods mercy so much to fauour and so highly to grace vs with the title of his children that wee may call him father Well and worthily may he be called a father for he is omnium Creator fideliumque Pater the Creator of all men and Father of the faithfull and therefore it is written Is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee and that made thee and proportioned thee Deut. 32.6 Yea without doubt God is our Father if we will obey him an euerliuing and an euerlasting Father as it is also written Doubtlesse thou art our Father Esay 63.16 though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou ô Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is for euer If he be our Father and our Lord we should honour and feare him Mallac 1.6 A sonne honoreth his father and a seruant his maister If then I bee a Father where is my honour If I bee a Maister where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts If therefore ye call him Father 1. Pet. 1.17 which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare saith the Apostle In all our miseries and feare we are imboldened by the Spirit of Christ to call God our Father as we may reade Gal. 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Math. 23.9 Wherefore Christ commandeth vs to call no man father on earth that is in faith and religion a reason he giueth saying There is but one your Father which is in heauen he is a father that made both body and soule and is ready to saue both when earthly parents forsake vs he will take vs when they leaue vs he will receiue vs when they will not and cannot help vs he can and will help vs when they dye hee liueth for hee is an euerlasting and an euerliuing Father first and last the beginning and the end a beginning without beginning and an end without end Many children bragge and boast of their parents gentry and they accompt it a great honour to be called the sonne of a King as Dauid said when hee should marry Sauls daughter Doe you thinke it a small thing to be a Kings sonne Should the children of God thinke it a small thing to be the sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of all Lords King of heauen and earth He is worthily called a Father for he is Pater sanctitatis The Father of sanctity Pater potestatis The Father of power Pater pietatis The Father of piety The Father of sanctity and holynesse and therefore Christ saith Iohn 17.17 Father sanctifie them in the truth The father of power because hee can doe all things therefore he that knew best said Mark 14.36 All things are possible to thee The Father of piety and mercy and therefore the Apostle calleth him The Father of mercy 2. Cor. 1.3 and God of consolation Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to pray to him with deuotion For Christ saith Whatsoeuer yee shall aske the Father in my name Iohn 16.23 he will giue it you Seeing he is the Father of power we ought to honour him with humble obedience therefore the Holy-Ghost by the Prophet Malachy saith Mallac 1.6 The Sonne honoureth the Father c. Seeing he is the Father of mercy we ought to follow and imitate him in mercy as Christ commandeth vs saying Luk. 6.36 Bee yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull And seeing he is the Father of power of holynesse and mercy of him as dutifull children wee should bowing the knees of hearts seeke a blesnng Isaac his sonne said to his father Hast thou but one blessing But the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob hath a blessing for euery faithfull child of his yea a triple benediction Benedictio preueniens benedictio adiuuans benedictio consummans His blessing preuenting his blessing assisting and his blessing consummating or finishing The first of his mercy the second of his grace the third of his glory The first of our conuersion the second of our conuersation the third of our glorification The first Benediction Blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Blessed is he whose sinnes are remitted The second Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and walkes in his waies The third and last benediction Come yee blessed children of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world FINIS
power doth not resemble Christ in life and conuersation he that followeth not Christ may bee called a Christian but is none So Saint Augustine Augustine saith What doth it profite thee to be called a Christian whereas thou art not to vsurpe a strange name If thou louest to bee called a Christian shew the fruits of Christianity and then well mayest thou take the name of a Christian vnto thee Whereas by naturall inclination wee are addicted to imitation let vs follow the best wisedome would so partly because we are Englishmen who are reported aboue all other nations to be famous or infamous in imitating and following euery strange and new-found fashion Many haue gotten fame in imitating Cicero in eloquence Aristotle in Philosophy Iustinians in Law and Galen in Physicke and such like But more haue gotten shame in imitating one Country in vanity another in luxurie the Spanish in brauery the Italian in letchery the Barbarian in cruelty the Turke in incredulity the Grecian in Gluttony the Papist in Idolatry the Atheist in impiety and the Libertine in impurity and not in following our Sauiour Christ in heauenly wisedome and godlinesse of maners Saint Paul admonishing the Colossians to an imitation of Christ and his holinesse Coloss 3.5 first exhorteth them to mortification as though without that meanes it were impossible Mortifie therefore your members vpon earth and giueth a reason of his exhortation saying If yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye Rom. 8.13 As God commanded Moses to put off his shooes before hee should approach neere him so God commandeth vs to put away all our sinfull affections before wee begin to follow Christ he will haue vs to forsake our sinnes before he will suffer vs to follow him As Peter forsooke his boats nets and all and followed Christ so should wee leaue all worldly gaine and commodity and follow Christ Matthew left his office of custome although it was gainfull vnto him and followed Christ So should we resigne all worldly gaine and riches and follow Christ who will make vs rich in him Obiection It may bee some will demaund why Peter often vsed his former trade of life and Matthew neuer returned to his office Answere It may easily be answered Peter was a fisher-man and did get his liuing by his lawfull paines and honest meanes and labour but Mathewes Custome-office was very seldome or neuer executed without corruption and therefore it was vnlawfull for him being a follower of Christ to returne to it againe 1. Kings 19.20 Elisha left his Plow and Oxen and followed Elias so should wee leaue oxen lands house country kindred yea our selues rather then forsake Christ In following Christ we must trauell the right way wee may finde in sacred Scriptures two wayes proponed the one straight and narrow Math. 7.13.14 Luke 13.24 the other wide and broade the one leadeth to life the other to death the one to heauen the other to hell The one straight and narrow in the beginning but broad and pleasant in the end the other wide and broad in the beginning but straight and painfull in the end The one in the beginning Take vp thy crosse and follow me but in the end Feare not my little flocke for it is your fathers will to giue you a kingdome The other in the beginning All the world and the riches therof will I giue thee if thou wilt worship me saith Sathan but in the end Take him binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse In the one a good change from a crosse to a kingdome In the other a bad change from a kingdome to a prison and dungeon of vtter darkenesse Leaue therefore the broad and wide way for it leadeth to destruction and walke in the narrow and straight way for it leadeth to life If thou wilt follow Christ thou must trauell his way not a broad pleasant wide and delightfull way full of pleasure wantonnesse worldly ioyes but a narrow troublesome straight way full of afflictions crosses tribulations and sorrowes All men as long as they liue in this vale of misery shall haue their part of misery euery man shall haue his turne of sorrow more or lesse one time or other which way soeuer we walke we shall heare euery man complaine of some sorrow or misery What shall wee doe then Before it come let vs prepare our selues for it when it is come bid it welcome and beare it patiently when it is departing giue it but halfe a fare-well still expecting when it will returne againe Yet keepe thou this narrow way and follow Christ and thou shalt bee safe and finde rest vnto thy soule but if thou wander out of this way into the pleasant paths of sinne and turne thy backe to God and leaue his protection there is no helpe for thee Sathan will take thee prisoner leade thee captiue binde thee hand and foot and cast thee into the deepe dungeon of darknesse For this assure thy selfe If thou wilt not follow Christ Sathan will follow thee Be not like these idle Epicures and carelesse slacke-graces who liue as though they had no soules to saue as though there were neither God nor Diuell no ioyes in heauen nor torments in hell lest thou loose the one to thy griefe finde the other to thy endlesse paine If thou wilt not follow Christ in the way towards heauen do not think that thou shalt escape hell there is no starting-hole betweene both for thee couertly to hide thy selfe the Angell that fell from God with all his adherents could finde no such place none of Adams children could so shrowd themselues but they were found out Diues could finde no place betweene heauen and hell to stay him from torments but needes he must into them Consider therefore thine estate to heauen thou canst not come but by following of Christ No man commeth to the Father saith Christ but by me Hee is gone to prepare a place for none but for them that follow him Obiection It may be thou thinkest thy soule being dislodged and disburdened of the heauy weight of the body shall flye as a bird into heauen Answere O bee not deceiued if thou dye in a reprobate estate thou shalt finde and feele that thy soule hath lost her wings that is the sanctified Will Memory and Vnderstanding the three golden wings of the faithfull soule Obiection Againe it may be thou thinkest that when thy soule shall depart from the body it shall bee freed from all earthly things whatsoeuer and that no terrestriall matter shall cleaue vnto it neither can it sinne when it is freed from the sinfull flesh Answere True it is that when the soule is departed from the body it cannot then commit any more sinne because it wanteth the body whose members are as the tooles instruments to execute the wickednesse of the sinfull soule but all-be-it the soule is departed from the body yet sinne is not departed from the soule
for these two to wit Sinne and an accusing Conscience will cleaue closly to an impenitent soule these it shall bee sure of no other thing shall it haue with it from the earth but sinne wherein it delighted and a guilty conscience saying as it were we are thy sinnes we will not leaue thee but follow and accompany thee vnto death in death after death vnto iudgement in iudgement after iudgement and for euer O carelesse man remember in time that the impenitent sinner of all his worldly ioyes wealth pleasures and delights shall haue nothing to comfort him but his sinnes and a guilty conscience cleauing fast vnto him vn-remoueable that neuer-dying worme alwaies biting and gnawing on his sorrowfull soule Therefore in time mortifie thy sinnes before it bee too late that they may not mortifie thy soule for the hazard of eternall life dependeth on the dying or not dying of sinne and that necessarily Who is so voyd of vnderstanding as not to thinke it expedient and necessary wisedome rather to destroy sinne then himselfe for one of the two must needs bee mortified either sinne or the soule must suffer death and dye Therefore spare not sinne but mortifie it crush the serpents head betimes kill all thy sinnes bee partiall to none for one darling sinne is enough to binde thee fast vnto Sathan seeing it is easie to hold him that striueth not to depart One kinde of sin may kill thy soule as well as an hundred and bring death which is eternall vpon thee Remember Saul and forget not thy soule 2. Sam. 15. God commanded him vtterly to destroy the Amalekites he sparing but some of them was cast off from God and his kingdome rent from him Our sinnes are the Amalekites which God commandeth vs to destroy wee must kill them all and spare none wee must not spare Agag wee must not spare any captaine sinne lest God forsake vs and so we loose a better kingdome then euer Saul found As Amelek resisted the children of Israel in their iourney towards the land of promise Deut. 25.17 so Sathan seeketh by all meanes to hinder and let vs in following Christ and forsaking sin These two obstacles hee trumpeth in our way to stop vs from our conuersion to wit Delectatio peccandi audacia defendendi That is Delight of sinning and Boldnesse of defending Peccatum quatuor modis perpetratur in corde quatuorque modis consummatur in opere Sin is foure manner of wayes committed in heart and foure manner of wayes finished in action That is in heart By suggestion Suggestion cometh by the Diuell By delight Delight by the flesh By consent Consent by the spirit By boldnesse of defending sin Boldnesse of defence by our elation stubbornnesse With these foure strokes the old and enuious aduersary of mankinde vndermined and ouerthrew the vprightnesse of the first man the Serpent perswaded Eue delighted Adam consented and when hee was vrged to confesse his fault he defended it by audacious excuse After suggestion commeth delight after delight commeth defending of sinne As saith Chrysostome Chrysostome it is impossible to kindle fire with water so it is impossible to stirre vp repentance or conuersion in a man that delighteth in sinne for as water doth quench the fire and not kindle it so delight in sinne doth bury repentance and not reuiue it Therefore the Prophet Dauid desireth God to keepe him from sinne and from delight in sinne fearing lest presumptuous sinnes should haue the vpper hand of him And the Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth vs to mortifie our earthly members as the best way to cut off the delight of sinne that sin may dye I reade in a pretty familiar history not impertinent to this purpose that there was a certaine boy hauing a great delight to play with a bird tied a thrid to the legge of the bird and sate downe and plaied therewith letting the bird come and goe at his pleasure Anselmus a godly man comming vnto him grieuing to see him liue that idle and euill kind of life cut the thrid so the bird did flie away and the boy arose and led a better kind of life Morally it may bee well applied thus this boy may signifie a sinner this bird sinne this thrid delight in sinne his sitting downe his continuance in sinne taking pleasure therein and making pastime to sinne at his pleasure This Anselmus may signifie true repentance and vnfeigned conuersion in a man intending and fully purposing to forsake sinne and follow Christ which cutteth the thrid that is the delight of sinne sinne dieth and the sinner well termed a boy for his childish and foolish actions riseth vp that is sitteth and continueth not in sinne but leadeth henceforth a more sanctified kinde of life Saint Iohn in his Epistle generall 1. Ioh. 2.15 exhorting men to follow Christ dehorteth them from the loue of the world and the delight of sinne reigning in them that loue the world saying Loue not the world nor the things in the world a reason in the 16 verse Verse 16. he giueth saying For all that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eie and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world The world is as the deuils golden cheine to hinder men from following of Christ which treasure he offereth to bestow on them that will forsake God and follow him and therefore hee would haue giuen it and all the riches thereof to our Lord and Sauiour Christ but it was none of his to giue hee was but an vsurper Therefore as our Lord and Maister Christ denied him so let vs his seruants defie him and as the same Apostle maketh as it were anatomy of certaine great sins in which men so delight so let vs by his admonition hate detest them and shun the way to hell as hell it selfe amongst other capitall sinnes which hinder and let vs from following Christ heere are three by the Apostle pointed out to wit couetousnesse pride and voluptuousnesse Colloss 3.5 coueteousnesse although it be accounted good husbandry and frugality yet the Apostle Paul calleth it a let Ephes 5.5 and idolatry idolatry because men so much loue and embrace it a let because it keepeth vs backe from following Christ if it bee idolatry how can couetous men be good Christians seeing they loue the world more then Christ if it bee a bar to keepe men from heauen how doe couetous men thinke it possible to enter through the eye of an needle being swollen with this sinne as great as a Camell if men were so couetous of the Kingdome of heauen as they are greedy of worldly wealth they would not take so much paines in getting of it and so little labour in following of Christ but we may finde it true That Impij alacriùs currunt ad mortem quam pij ad vitam The vngodly runne more hasty to death then the godly to life they take more paines